Explicitly and without apology a marketing vehicle MaryMaryQuiteContrary

You know what's been totally awesome about this whole thing.

It's the way the employee base at Sun as been responding to and supporting the initiative that we announced Friday where we're teaming with Bono to enlist one million voices to join the ONE Campaign.

So it's been nearly a  week since we announced. I've been flooded with email from my colleagues. You'd think it'd taper off by now, right?

Nope.

First thing this morning I got a note from a a gal working for Sun out of the UK. Let's call her Cynthia to protect her identity. She wants to support what we're doing; lend her voice. That's what I've been hearing all week from my colleagues around the world.

It's been universal.

There are more than 30,000 Sun Microsystems employees. People who innovate in everything they do -- from testing the limits of the movement of electrons to break-away business strategies that change the competitive landscape. They are some of the smartest people to walk the face of the planet. And they're the nicest, fun-loving, well-adjusted bunch of folks you'll ever want to meet.

Don't get me wrong. Of course we've got the compulsory curmudgeons. They like to be the skeptics in meetings and test your assumptions and make sure the stuff you're saying is bullet-proof. (From my anecdotal experience, all of these people have been engineers. ;-)

But they're super smart. And even when they're not being nice... well you still respect them.

The whole point here is that this place is special. This is a place where initiatives like the one I'm working on with Danny and Crupi and the rest of the team can take root. We have an environment that fosters innovation; that gives us the latitude to push the envelope in the work we do.

I'm very proud to be a Sun Microsystems employee. And I'm very proud to call the people that I work with my colleagues and friends.

And you know what they say about the company you keep...

OK. Gotta go. Need to go walk around in my new strappy sandals where the streets have no name.

(got a little help on that one-liner from my favorite Unix Rabbi.)

:-)

mary

p.s. you want in on this game?