Explicitly and without apology a marketing vehicle MaryMaryQuiteContrary

You're not going to even believe this but I swear it's true.

Yesterday, I met none other than Eric Raymond. That's right. The Eric Raymond. Founder of  Open Source movement. Author of  The Cathedral & The Bazaar. And much more.

Not only did I meet Eric (we're on a first-name basis; though I'm really not too confident that he remembers mine), I transported him Point A to Point B.

In my car.

That I was driving.

Proof:



(Thank goodness I had managed to clean out the car over the Memorial Day weekend using my all-time favorite methodology: leaf blower. Would have been terribly embarrassing if he had seen the car in its usual three-kids-ages-six-and-under state of matter.)

So, it was an unbelievable set of circumstances that brought me and Eric together. It's kind of complicated so we won't go into it. But it involved Danese Cooper (diva blogger. close personal friend. replies to emails I send her. but i've never been invited to one of her parties so maybe it's not quite a bi-directional close personal friendship yet. hint. hint.) and Linda Murdock (one of the most important people you will ever meet, very kind, extremely funny and makes me laugh out loud every time I talk to her)

<pause button>

Moral of the story: you want to get something done, ask a busy woman (or in this case three busy women).

</pause button>

Back to me and Eric...

It was neat, you guys. We chit-chatted in the car as we were on our way from Point A to Point B. I did most of the chitting and most of the chatting...  you get the idea.

I asked him for a business card. (I collect the business cards of the techno celebs that I meet.)

He said he didn't have one.

He told me that if I googled Eric Raymond I'd find him.

I told him that if he googled MaryMaryQuiteContary he'd find me.

(he didn't seem so impressed about that one).

Anyway, before you could say terminfo/termcap database we had arrived at Point B and it was time to say goodbye to Eric Raymond.

It was fun.

My only disappointment was that I didn't have time for the ceremony to initiate him into that tightly knit and exclusive community of techno celebs who are my close personal friends.

next time.

:-)

mary