I think Google Summer of Code is a fantastic program. A lot of these things happen and I regret not being born late enough to participate. On the other hand, I’ve been involved in the whole Internet thing since nearly the beginning. A dot-Com kid, so to speak. School of hard knocks, no mentoring needed here!

The mentors are amazing. They devote a ton of their time towards simply bettering people and software. There is a general passion for this. Before I saw GSoC at work, I thought it is just teaching.

When I was young I would run through the kitchen at lightning speed. As fast as my little legs would take me. Part of my racing circuit included a section where there was a pull-out cupboard. For my whole life I was shorter and ran under it. This was my reality. This was my perception.

One day in full sprint I suddenly wasn’t shorter.

I try to always improve myself. Daily rituals, even. Sometimes it’s physically, other times mentally (or what people may call spiritually) but often it’s intellectual. I try to always learn something new and interesting. Sometimes for the wrong reasons but there is usually a valid reason.

I was discussing this with my wife. She said it’s perceived as a negative thing to talk about doing this. Natural talent is a good thing. Nurtured and grown talent is not. People like to think those inspirational awesome figures were simply born that way.

What a depressing way to think and I’m not sure I believe it. I’m not sure I don’t believe it though.

Trusting people is hard. I constantly struggle with this. I dentify with people who have had similar backgrounds. This means I’m trusting people that may not deserve it.

When it comes to subjects I’m not familiar with, this trust could be dangerous. I’m also very cynical. I find myself compulsively consulting Wikipedia when I hear new information. Even Wikipedia may not convince me on its own. Usually by the end of this cycle I’ve educated myself as much as one can be educated in the course of a day or two. I spend way too much of my time doing this. Not efficient.

Today I stole something. I fired up a torrent client and grabbed a cracked copy of Reeder. This is after searching for a trial. I wasn’ tsure if I really wanted it. I’m not going to spend $10 to discover I just like Google Reader better. Google Reader is very good. Something has changed. A few years ago it was standard to have a Try For 7-14 Day version. Not having that would have been suicide, I think. Now it seems nothing I want has a trial (except for products from older software foundries).

I found myself amiss. On a deserted island, stranded. Wondering what to do and where I would go. I glared. I scowled. The computer would not come back to life.

After much fussing about, I narrowed it down to something that I would call unrepairable. By this I simply mean that the cost of repairing is more than what it would take to buy something new. It’s an opportunity to upgrade. In this case, it was a substantial and enjoyable upgrade. I rewarded myself.

Software is like internally consumable products. For the most part, the only thing I internally consume is food and occasionally some medicine. This keeps me fit (well, alive) and free of foreign objects passing uncomfortably through my system. I am then ready to tackle the challenges laid out for me in life.

Just like Software. Sort of.

Since I was a boy I’ve heard this talk about goals. I’ve always heard them done wrong. I don’t mean everybody is always wrong, but I mean every time I hear people list goals at least one is wrong.

Wait, how can a goal be wrong? Goals are good, they make people better! I disagree.

First I must define what a goal is. Goals are a few things to me:

1. Goals are good.
2. Goals are obtainable with the knowledge at hand.
3. Goals have a clear victory condition.

I read Purple Cow on a quick trip. During the trip my wife went to a Japanese book store in LA that sells used books for $1 each. In the pile of books she found The Complete Manual of Suicide and immediately had to buy it.

This book is an example of a Purple Cow. Something remarkable that compels certain people to evangelise the product. In this case the book also caused a furor. My wife was a teenager and wasn’t able to buy it or even read it. Through word of mouth alone she wanted it. She desperately wanted it but it wasn’t available for 18 years.

The book just contains a very encyclopedic list of suicide methods. Success rates, pain, etc. As she was telling me about her excitement in finding the book I questioned her motivations. I knew that it was the Streisand Effect and she really had no interest in the information. Her interest was purely in the word of mouth marketing and controversy.

That interest kept hold and as she entered a book store 18 years later she felt compelled to buy it. And it was only a dollar.

Resignation:

1. An act of retiring or giving up a position.

The most important phrase there is giving up. I am a quitter. Quitters never win, but what is much worse than not winning now is not winning in a year, or two years from now. It’s not really so bad to not win. Not winning is different than abysmal failure.

People quit for a variety of reasons. It’s like breaking up.

It’s not you, it’s me.

We all know we say reasons that are just plain wrong.