Explicitly and without apology a marketing vehicle MaryMaryQuiteContrary

You guys:

I'm thinking I need a new look.

This has nothing to do with the fact that my father told me yesterday that my hair color looks completely unnatural. And that If i'm going to color my hair to cover the gray I should choose my natural color.

We digress.

So for the past couple months or so I've had the good fortune to be personally involved in an initiative to help the ONE Campaign enlist one million voices to the fight against AIDS and poverty. Sun has built a technology infrastructure to help mobilize this movement. A big outbound push (that's what we call it in the biz) explaining the specifics of what we've done begins next week.

Inside Sun subscribers got a sneak peak. (subscription=free)

It boils down to this: we've created a technology infrastructure to allow Bono (a key backer of the ONE Campaign) call on his fans to join the fight against AIDS and poverty within the time and space constraints of a rock concert.

It's not brain surgery. It's not like we've solved the riddle of the universe. Though some pretty creative technical problem-solving under super tight deadlines was definitely employed by chief architect and technical lead of the solution Danny Malks and his ever-supportive and very resourceful boss John Crupi, who was technical exec sponsor of the initiative.  It's a really neat way in which Sun's technologies are helping to build community; to fuel the movement.

The solution is running on Sun Fire v20zs and Sun Fire v40z servers running on Solaris 10 using the Java Enterprise System. Actually, Will Snow and his team are actually managing the solution in their grid for us. A whole bunch of Sun employees are involved in this.

Anyway... the point here is that I've got that whole thing going on... and at the same time I've been spending some time reading my bossⁿ boss' blog (Jonathan) ... the whole Participation Age discussion.... and it got me feeling  like the blog needs .... updating....

And so, I just wanted to let you guys know... These blog entries here... They're sort of going to be like collector's edition entries because very soon you're going to be seeing a whole new look to MaryMaryQuiteContrary.

And I think....  you might just find it ..... familiar....

(especially if you're a heavy java.com user)

hint, hint.

mary

p.s. here's the free stuff I've got on the table today:



The complete set of adapters/thing-a-ma-bobs/do-hickeys in a very nice leather carrying case. Value=a lot.

(I remember being stunned by how much they were charging for one of these things in those catalogs you find in airplane seat back pockets. But I can't remember how much, exactly. And being a marketing professional, I can't just make up a number. That would break the Hypocritic Oath I took when I got into this business.)

Five of them. Each to a different person. Creating opportunity for Five Friday Free Stuff grand prize winners this week.

Get in on this game: post a comment to this blog entry with a thoughtful/interesting/provocative/articulate/reasoned response to Jonathan's thoughts on the Participation Age, which you can find his blog. Funny would also qualify you for top prize consideration. 

(Prizes are truly free. I pay for shipping with stamps I buy at the post office. You see, I am very careful about  managing the MaryMaryQuiteContrary Friday Free Stuff brand promise. I have personally participated in a brand workshop. I am an expert in these kinds of things.)

bon weekend!

TheServerSide: Brazilians to bring a strong open source voice to the JCP
By Floyd Marinescu - April 28, 2005
http://www.theserverside.com/news/thread.tss?thread_id=33630

Brazil's JUG SouJava recently joined the JCP, and the Brazilian
government IT department SERPRO is also on its way in. The entry of a
staunchly pro-open source government agency into the JCP, as well as a
like minded and well organized Java User Group (one of the largest in
the world) could have a large impact on the future of Java.

JCP Chair Onno Kluyt recently visited Brazil and shared his thoughts
about SouJava and SERPRO, and the importance of standards in addition to
open source. What follows is mostly accurate transcript of an exclusive
phone conversation Onno had with TSS:

Onno: Brazil is very active from an IT perspective but not as visibly
so. What is interesting about Brazil is how organized they are. There is
the SouJava JUG in Sao Paulo, and SERPRO government agency. Java user
groups are often very informal, meeting once a month on various topics.
Soujava does that but they are also almost a political action group in
the sense that they share ideas and together they pursue those ideas.
One of those ideas is around IP and software patents. At 17,000 members,
they are an agent for change, both in their own country and in the java
community at large.

We interrupt this broadcast to bring you a special report.

(I'm in cahoots with alert reader Andrew Oswald on this one. I like to affectionately refer to Andy as "Oz" though I didn't ask for permission to do that.)


You know what, people.... I think it's time for Sun Certified Professionals (whom I personally love and adore) to start feeling the MaryMaryQuiteContrary love...

"Oz" got me thinking... maybe it's time to start thinking about giving away my most treasured, new in box, Sony Hi-MD Walkman | MZ-NH1 to my favorite Sun Certified programmer for the Java 2 Platform Standard Edition 5.0...

I'm going to have to work on that one...... I think there's the germ of an idea there... give me a bit of time to work on that one...

mary

p.s.  1. Walk fast, talk fast, move fast.
       2. It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission
       3.  Get good at reading between the lines (though the truth is most of the time i make it so painfully obviously for you)

Alert, Alert.

JavaOne Scoop time.

(you'll recall) I made it my mission in life last year during JavaOne season to uncover what the plans are for JavaOne and tell all in MaryMaryQuiteContrary.

(JavaOne is the world's largest developer conference on the planet. For the uninitiated out there. And those who like redundancies.)

We call this wildly popular and lively feature "JavaOne Scoop"

Scoop I delivered to MaryMaryQuiteContrary readers well in advance of any kind of "official communication" included:

1. Big time hints that Train (the band) was going to be performing at JavaOne
2. A complete run-down of all the parties (including the exclusive ones); i even found out what they were going to be serving for food.
3. Sneak peak into announcements. (for those who are good at reading between the lines on these)
4. All kinds of other stuff which I can't really remember at this precise moment and I'm too lazy to go back and look at the coverage to tease them out.

JavaOne Scoop.

It was standing feature.

Guess what!

It's 2005 JavaOne Season.

Guess what else.

Mission redux.

:-)

Here's my warm-up act.

I just found out that the first 300 people who go to NetBeans day (which is free and is the day before JavaOne starts)





get a free book...



list value: $49.99

Keep it tuned to this station for the latest developments on free stuff and scoop of all kinds.

Shift. Reload.

kiss, kiss!

mary

On June 26, I will be at...



There you will also find a who's who of that exclusive and tightly knit community of techo celebs extraordinaire(s) who are my close personal friends* including:

• James Gosling
  
• Graham Hamilton
• Tim Bray
• Bill Shannon
• Bob Brewin

Guess what!

F-R-E-E!

register today.

mary

*Full disclosure: not all friendships listed are exactly the bi-directional type of friendships.

Happy Friday Everybody!

Countdown: 73 days to JavaOne.

In celebration (and anticipation) it's my great pleasure to announce all-time highest volume give-away in MaryMaryQuiteContary history!

(!!!!)

Post a comment to this blog entry...



receive either

1. A Java pin (it was all the rage in Olympic village)

or

2. A Duke ornament (to put a little jingle in your bells)

You get what you get and you don't get upset. Chair is not included. It's being used for display (and brand placement) purposes only.

A very select random* few will get both.

(!!!!!!!)

Post a comment to this blog entry telling me you want in on the free stuff and it's yours.

It's truly free. I pay for shipping with stamps that I buy at the post office. 

(No promises on how long it will take me to actually  make it to the post office, as previous Free Stuff winners can attest to.)

To improve your chances of being randomly* selected, tell me what you'd like to see more of at JavaOne this year. I'm going to a core team meeting Monday and I can pass the good word.

Keep it clean, people. This is a family rated program.

Bon weekend!!

mary

* there's really nothing random about it. i pick my favorites

check out what just landed in my inbox!

more than 200,000 Americans have joined the ONE Campaign in the past four weeks!

:-)

Check out the spot. It will give you goose bumps.

And JOIN!

mary

p.s. Sun's technology, our expertise, our committment to using technology to connect individuals to build community is at play here. We're a company vested in the power of the network; and the value that derives from it when it is shared. We are helping to fuel this movement. This is the power of the participation age.

Double :-)

Dear Friend: "ONE by ONE They step forward." As Brad Pitt and Cameron Diaz uttered those simple phrases on MTV, ABC and Christian Broadcast Network earlier this month, a new chapter was opened in the fight against global AIDS and extreme poverty as more than 100 million Americans were introduced to ONE! If you haven't had a chance to see the full 60 second version of the video, make it ONE hundred million and ONE Watch the full ONE spot here! History is being made by YOU! Across America, people have responded, as ONE to the emergency of AIDS and extreme poverty - in the past four weeks alone, more than 200,000 Americans have joined, more than doubling the size of  ONE: The Campaign to Make Poverty History! Like you, Jamie Foxx believes that together, ONE by ONE, "we can start to make poverty history." Watch the ONE spot now! Learn the facts, share your knowledge, and teach others that it is possible to create a world where extreme poverty is a thing of the past. Visit ONE.ORG to learn about the challenges facing our world today.  As ONE, we can make the difference.  ONE by ONE, we will continue to make history; help keep our momentum building by emailing  your friends and family and ask them to join The ONE Campaign. If each ONE of us shows this video to even ONE friend and they sign the declaration at ONE.ORG, we will double in size again! Thank you, The ONE Campaign Team

hey you guys!

So I've just had a crazy, crazy run of it lately... lots to tell you about... we'll get to it as we do. (I still got way more unread email in my inbox than I'm prepared to admit to.)

It's just still crazy busy for me. And as MaryMaryQuiteContrary=extracurricular, frequency might not be what it was for a while. Sorry. 

OK... Speaking of the inbox... I had so much email inbox excitement going on as I started catching up on the backlog, people that I swear to you i thought I was going to have a heart attack. I got all kinds of super spectacular news via email. (including that Dan Lacher became a daddy and my beautiful Annie-Baby is getting married!!!!). And other super spectacular news that I'm not yet prepared to discuss but will be soon.  And then I had some blog action... a certain David Berlind (that's right the David Berlind) 1. sends me email; 2. mentions me in his blog.

be still my beating heart.

I am totally serious.

And then I got a little surprise from my buddy Dr. Josh which made me think we might be in business again soon, if you know what I mean.

I tell you... I do a little of this and a little of that and all kinds of neat-o stuff stars happening. I gotta do the spring break roadie thing every year. I think i got my groove back, people.  And I'm not the only one.

:-) (you know who you are)

So guess who I had breakfast with this morning, you guys?

Wait. Let me say that again...

Guess who came over to my house in the morning after having spent the night elsewhere and ate breakfast with me. (I don't want you guys getting any crazy ideas... this is a family rated program; I'm happily married suburban working mother of three children ages 6 and under. And so are they. )



Dan Malks (left) and Hal Stern (right)!!

Techno Celeb Mania, people! Can you even believe that is how I started out my day??!!



I told you. I've been hanging out with all the A-list celebs and you don't believe me. Thank God I've got the digital camera (which Sun owns and I use all the time to take pictures of the kids with, but don't tell anybody) to prove it. We digress.. Breakfast... These guys are super smart, people. I just hang around and hope it rubs off... osmosis... you know... like putting your textbook underneath your pillow the night before an exam...

pop quiz: what do I have in common with techno celebs extraordinaries Dan Malks and Hal Stern??

a: we're all Sun employees.

:-)

You want in on this game?

Anyway.

We had eggs (scrambled; no milk), pancakes, fruit salad and cinnamon twists that I made this morning with puff pastry. (Hal said they were almost as good as an elephant's ear.)

Breakfast of champions.

It was fun.

OK. I gotta jam. I get (justifiably) busted big time when i don't submit expense reports promptly. I been traveling so much. So i need to do that. And other stuff.

kiss, kiss!

mary

p.s. i missed you too. :-)

p.s. I got this buddy... her name is Judith... she's my big-toe buddy on the NetBeans front... she sent me this... and being that I like to share the love, I'm letting you in on it too...

p.p.s. Will Snow is totally awesome. He's just really, really great. And he's just going to have to induldge me with these public displays of affection (totally not his style) because he really yanked my hide out of the fire today and I super-dee-duper appreciate it.

p.p.p.s. It would have been nice if Berlind had mentioned that I am Sun Ray Girl. Not that I'm complaining or anything...

There was a press conference today.

That's Ingrid (my boss), Danny and Crupi with Bono and Brad Pitt. The press conference was about the ONE Campaign. It's about mobilizing one million Americans to echo Bono's calls to make AIDS and extreme poverty history.  Sun is participating in this directly. We've built a technology infrastructure to enable Bono to call on his fans within the time and space parameters of a rock concert and lend their voice. There's lots and lots to talk about there and you'll get the full de-brief soon. I'm business lead on this and it's just been crazy busy. No time. I'm busy doing it. We all are.

I just have to tell you guys, I am so proud to be a Sun Microsystems employee. The network is the computer, people. And that network extends to the Java powered phones mobile phones that people carry around with them. And we're helping Bono use that phone to tap the power of the network; to mobilize voices in support of this initiative; to build a community; to fuel a movement.

We are doing this. We're in the thick of it. Because we're a company vested in the global network ecosystem. We are a company that uses our technology to bridge gaps; to built communities. I'm proud to work here. I'm proud to call the dozens and dozens of extremely talented, dedicated and hard-working people who've worked tirelessly to make this idea a reality my colleagues. They are a small (but representative) sampling of the 30,000+ extraordinary individuals that define Sun Microsystems.

.... it's just been an unbelievable day.... here are some other quick shots from the press conference...



(that's me in the orange blouse.)



That's the quick scoop. Sorry.  Gotta run. So much going on you just wouldn't even believe me if I told you.

mary

p.s.Dan Lacher rocks!

Through an unbelievable set of circumstances, I have become a U2 roadie.

Serious as a heart attack.

I am on the road with U2.

It all stems from this.

I'm the business lead on it.

John Gage is the executive sponsor. Danny Malks is the technical lead.



They're roadies too. Danny is super roadie extraordinaire (in addition to being A-list techno celeb and super nice guy), having gone to every single concert of U2's Vertigo concert tour to date. Including a week's worth of rehearsals before the concert tour kicked off.

I've been spending a lot of time with these guys...



That's Crupi on the left. He's a roadie too.

We managed to score some tickets. Don't ask me how.



Gonzo came down to San Diego for the show.

So did...



...Jonathan France. It was awesome. My buds were there. We had a rockin' time.

This is the first time(s) I've ever been to a U2 concert(s). It's an unbelievable experience...



It's just an unbelievable experience.



There's no other way to describe it.

So I've been busy. That's why we've had radio silence in the blog. So sorry about that. It's just been out of control busy. And that's led to another... well, let's call it an issue...



I've got a huge backlog on Free Stuff fulfillment. I have a ton of stuff to send out. I haven't made it to the post office in weeks. I'm so sorry, you guys. It's just crazy, crazy busy. I promise, next week is the week. Next week I should be back home and I can mail all this stuff out. Thank you for your patience.

Meanwhile, why don't you just whip out those Java powered mobile phones...



...and get busy.

(US only. We're roadies, remember. We're on tour with the band. Where the band goes, so do we. And this infrastructure we've built..)

:-)

mary

p.s. This is so unbelievable that I don't actually know how to begin talking about it. I'll do my best. We're over the "radio silence" mode and we're into the "live event coverage" mode. And you know i'm in my element when I'm doing live event coverage, people. ok. gotta go. i'm practicing m moving in Mysterious Ways for the concert tomorrow night. it's back in the set list. which is awesome as it's my all-time favorite U2 song. :-)