I am protesting SOPA by taking andyleonard.me offline for a day.

I recently got my DVD set from the PASS 2011 Summit and started to look through all of the sessions that I missed.  Wow!  I can't wait to go through all of these!  It will take me a while. Since this is a new year and many people are often greeted with new challenges (like a new server to manage), I decided that this session would ...

The end of the year is a study in extremes. For many, it is a time of merriment and celebration. For some, it is yet another day to survive. I believe most people reflect on the past year as it draws to a close. We think about the things that happened over the year: the accomplishments of ourselves and others; goals set and met; goals not met; ...

Introduction This post is the fiftieth part of a ramble-rant about the software business. The current posts in this series can be found on the series landing page. This post is about credibility. The Internal List I believe everyone has an Internal List of Acceptable Actions (ILAA). I read this in a book about Values-Based Leadership – it may ...

Photo by Brian J. Matis Ever have one of these days? I have. According to studies like this one, I am not alone. This is a time of year when vacations loom right alongside project deadlines. There are parties to attend, additional expenses and work around the house, decisions about what to do for whom, and more. If you celebrate by ...

  Yesterday a member of the SQL community who I deeply admire sent me a DM on Twitter asking whether I had done a SQLFamily post for Thomas LaRock’s (blog|@SQLRockstar) Meme Monday for November. I replied that I did not, and I regretted not having done so. A subtle DM followed my response: “Get on it, you have all week”. And indeed I must. ...

PASS is becoming more international, which is great. The SQL Community has always been international – it’s not as if data is only generated in North America. And while it’s easy for organisations to have a North American focus, PASS is taking steps to become international. Regular readers will be aware that I’m one of three advisors to the PASS ...

I  was recently in a conversation with several people that had previously organized one or more community events. The topic evolved into a discussion of Sponsors, and eventually, fund raising. Being able to adequately raise the funds necessary is critical to producing a successful event. Many vendors will readily provide products for raffles ...

This was a proper big week. The PASS Summit ran from Tuesday night to Friday, but I’d arrived in America the Friday before. So by the time it actually started, I had that strange feeling that things were wrapping up. My calendar was ridiculously full. The stuff that I was aware of ahead of time looked like this: Friday 7th: Arrive in America. ...

My company LobsterPot Solutions gives quite a bit to charity. Sometimes it’s working for reduced rates (or even free), but sometimes we give money directly. A Seattle-based friend of mine has CML – one of the types of leukemia, and when I found out she was raising money for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society by running marathons through their ...