The PASS Board of Directors election starts on October 12th, and we’ve got four really well-qualified candidates to choose from:
- Brian Moran (Twitter)
- Jeremiah Peschka (Blog – Twitter)
- Matt Morollo (Twitter)
- Tom LaRock (Blog – Twitter)
You can read their bios at the PASS Candidate List, and they’re good, but I wanted more. I emailed each of them with a set of interview questions to satisfy my bizarre curiosity. Today’s response comes from Matt Morollo:
Brent: First, thanks for volunteering to dedicate your time to the community. What made you decide to run for the Board of Directors this year?
SQL PASS represents the type of Media organization that matches the type of vendor which aligns with my ideals of a highly reputable B2B Media porvider; one that would be a thrill to be a part of. Over the last 14 years my career has been committed to providing IT and App Dev professionals best-of-breed Media with integrity and enthusiasm. As a veteran Media professional that has built successful contemporary IT focused B2B businesses, my hope is to add value to the future strategy of PASS and also come away with some great experience and new professional acquaintances – people that share my passion for this work. PASS is a Media organization first and foremost and needs the next generation of Media professionals at the table to navigate through this very unique time in business Media. My aspirations match their goals and objectives, and few are as uniquely qualified in Media; this is what I do and have done all my career.
Walk us through one of your typical workdays. What do you do?
The Media business is extremely deadline oriented, dynamic, and very competitive. As many Media vendors, 1105 Media works in a virtual environment (7 offices in 10 states plus a large number of home office employees) so communication is critical to what we do each and every day; it is well orchestrated, disciplined, and highly complex. Keeping up my meeting and publishing schedules is what my day initially revolves around. When not traveling, my time is spent strategizing with sales, marketing, editorial, working on operational issues, meeting clients, developing partnerships, closing issues, forecasting, and working toward our revenue objectives. All this requires a lot of teamwork/meetings and working through day-to-day challenges as they surface. Organization and prioritization is critical in Media.
What parts of your day-to-day experience will make you a better Board of Directors candidate than the other candidates?
If this has not been stressed already; PASS is a Media organization serving a very influential community of SQL oriented professionals. Nothing is more important than serving the audience/community and content environments with the right information and asset types. My job is largely about keeping our business relevant and navigating through the murky waters of modern Media so the business is able to continue to sustain profitability and growth (my parent company, the Redmond Media Group now includes MSDN and TechNet in addition to all the Redmond branded assets in print, online plus Face-to-Face events and Virtual Conferences/Expos). Again, as someone with a track record of success, and someone who has been part of a team that has built Redmond Media Group, the most successful Media organization serving Microsoft- oriented IT and App Dev communities, no other candidate matches the experience required as the PASS BOD has outline to me.
I’ve heard that the PASS Board of Directors is a time-consuming hobby to say the least, and at this point in our careers, none of us have tons of extra time. What other projects or things do you expect to have to cut back in order to make time for the Board? (I’d just like to give the readers an idea of how tough it is to prioritize things.)
Having spent the last 14 years strapped to a PC, speaking with audiences, advertising partners, and traveling on airplanes, you cannot be successful in Media without a strong work ethic, and more importantly a passion for this business. I’m not saying being a SQL Administrator is not a hard job, but the Media business is a much different occupation – in fact given the complexity and competitive nature of the business, there is a high attrition rate and very few people and companies have had the kind of success that 1105 Media continues to have (just last week Questex and recently Cygnus filed Chapter 11 for example – B2B Media woes are in the news daily – its no secret). PASS can expect that kind of work ethic and enthusiasm from me. This business excites me and I’ve always been able to ensure the business strives and is successful through good times and bad (my personal sense is this is one of the best times as change is the most constant variable in Media and now is the time to build off that momentum). The reason why the BOD position is such a strong match is because hard work is what makes a Media business successful, and with a passion for serving Microsoft-oriented professionals, making time is something that the BOD can expect and is something that was expected upon my initial application.
I believe social networking and Web 2.0 tools like Twitter, Facebook, and StackOverflow are changing the way DBAs interact with each other, get training, and solve problems. Do you agree or disagree, and why?
(No answer)
Do you blog and use social networking tools? Where can DBAs find you online?
Yes: LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. I am also a member of the Internet Advertising Bureau’s Executive Council on Sales and that community puts out a lot of community based information via SmartBrief. Social Networking represent great marketing assets in my opinion. They are also great tools for communicating, and guiding participating communities to key areas of the web. For Media organizations specifically, they help keep the community up to date with information they might not otherwise find as well as sharing ideas and other information resources. Again, as a BOD member, any DBA can certainly reach me, but my role would be mostly transparent to them; the PASS board is not a platform for me (that is a key distinction as a candidate) to be a key figure in the community of SQL professionals, but rather a role where it is possible for me to ensure the PASS community gets the best information assets in the market. The goal is to help guide the PASS strategy and make it the most relevant Media vendor and community for SQL professionals. Just as a publisher, the audiences don’t know me, our editors on the other hand they are intimately familiar with. They are out there in the “mosh pit” mixing with audiences. The role of a business professional in Media like myself, is to put the best content makers on a pedestal, keep them visible and available to the core community and audiences served.
Do you have any conflicts of interest that may pose a challenge?
None; the opportunity dovetails with my ambitions, aspirations, and more importantly my ability. My track record demonstrates this as do my prior statements.
If PASS put you in charge of increasing new memberships, what specific steps would you take?
New membership is critical to all Media organizations; maintaining a qualified membership community and providing best-of-breed content are essentially, or to net down, one the core objectives of any company in the business of niche B2B Media. As a publisher who has spent years and years building communities, I’m familiar with all models including qualified, paid, SEO/M, social networking, alliances, and contemporary Audience Development (AD) practices. There is no silver bullet here and there are a number of methods in order to accomplish this key objective. I can’t sit here and tell you what exactly I can do; no one can unless they are familiar with the resources and budgets that PASS has. What I can tell you, is that I will, and am extremely qualified in the practice of Audience Development and that PASS can expect that my skills will be applied along with my experience to the best of my ability. The best and most modern AD practices will be applied with creativity and enthusiasm. My experience also involves global expansion and my understanding is that is a core PASS objective (my BA from GWU in International Communications is also relevant).
What do you think PASS is doing right to improve the day-to-day lives of database administrators?
This BOD work is a great example. The team is looking for the best from a strategic business perspective. What I can tell you, is that each nominee, unless they have a decade plus experience in building, growing, and leading B2B organizations has really has no idea what kind of challenges and how hard the work is involved in growing a Media organization like PASS. Everyone I’ve seen on the ballot may make a great speaker, writer, or be a world-class SQL DBA, but aren’t experienced in the business of Media to the extent that I am. With respect to all of the nominees, they are highly skilled SQL technicians. That’s great, but PASS is Media company serving communities with information resources that keep them captive In my opinion, based on what I know, the PASS BOD needs a MEDIA PROFESSIONAL experienced with Microsoft and IT publishing/events. The reason PASS appeals to me, and to answer the question more directly, is that PASS has a strong reputation as a provider of best-of-breed information assets with integrity, and has access to the most innovative community of SQL based content providers. The challenge is the web has opened up a whole new set of opportunities for communities to find information. The Redmond Media Group for example references SQL and supports every key vendor in this market, employs some of the best contributors who produce articles, white papers, webcasts, speak at our events on the subject, but it is much broader and focused on providing information to the MCP, Developer, IT, & Partner communities across all Microsoft disciplines. Again, let me stress that PASS is in an extremely competitive marketplace, needs to remain relevant as a key information provider, and has to work on building the communities in the midst of a highly competitive and complex environment. PASS has two key competitive advantages; a) the organization is recognized globally as the most targeted and credible community reaching top SQL Professionals b) SQL is poised to grow as the information boom continues to accelerate at a pace that is almost impossible to describe; SQL is, and will remain fundamental to the data revolution. This excites me and is why I’m so keen to be a part of PASS.
What do you think PASS could do better, and how?
This is a question for the community and one that is mission-critical as PASS evolves and grows as an organization. B2B Media organizations rely on the communities they serve to provide this kind of feedback on a regular basis via show evaluation forms, surveys, and other research. Dialogue is also important and to borrow a phrase, the community and vendor partners must be treated “like family”. They are vital in providing this kind of information and shaping the organization. The first thing I’d hope to do as a Board member, is to dive into the community surveys, research, and other data (even if its verbatim) and speak with key members in person (via email, phone, in person at local chapters). Knowing and listening to the community is the most important thing the Board and team at PASS can engage in. The community represents the future, and the work that needs to be done revolves around them. Finally, to borrow another phrase in Media “content is king”. As long as PASS remains committed to providing the best and most relevant content, PASS will continue to be successful and have the communities” attention.
Sum up your goals for PASS in 140 characters or less:
Understand key objectives, challenges, and work to assimilate myself with the board, staff, and community. Help support PASS and ensure the organization remains relevant, poised for growth, and stands alone as THE SQL Media vendor in a landscape that is complex, and dynamic.
Matt – just wanted to say ‘kudos’ to you for engaging with the community in this forum. I look forward to meeting you in Seattle.
Mr Hasker, Its been a rollercoaster ride, but a privilege and a nomination I expect to earn. Coming this far was not easy. Clearly, there is a lot of work to do…unfortunately I stumbled out of the gate, but the dialogue picked up, as did some support. Just looking forward now. I am so grateful for your comments and it is a great way to start the weekend. Have a terrific one yourself.
Sincerely,
-Matt
If you wish to meet me in person, please let me know if you will be attending the VSIP reception on Mon 10/19 at 6pm. It would be great to meet you there. Otherwise
Best,
-Matt
M 508 294 8183 | mmorollo@1105media.com
I’ve been watching this conversation with great interest. I started to comment a few times, but realized that what I wanted to say was fairly detailed so instead I turned it into a blog post.
In short, I would encourage everyone to talk with each of the candidates via email, IM, twitter, etc. and then, make up your mind.
If you’d like, you can read the longer version here: http://http://webbtechsolutions.com/2009/10/15/the-pass-board-of-directors-election/
Joe, Thanks for sharing…however, your link did not work. Perhaps its my Verizon service, but will check back later) To add your comments, this particular board has not been fluid, so please go back if you would, and kinly review some of the statements along the way, Chuck Bryce, Marlon Ribunal, Stuart Ainsworth, Lori Edwards, K. Brian Kelly, Tim Ford, Steve Jones Christian Hasker, Jorge Segarra, Karen Lpoez, Wes Brown,, Todd McDermid, Kendall Van Dyke, (Brent of course as well) have offered excellent feedback pro’s and con’s to my candidacy. Thank you. The biggest take away here, some of the most helpful, eye opening insight came from Marlon Ribunal (others may have said as much), but my assumption was that the nomination process was transparent and the community as a whole was dialled into to my nomination. This is no excuse, but probably what confused me the most as the commentary blog got started. My sense is that is work, and in total agreement w Marlon, that the community needs to work on in the next election. Finally, I would say, please read Chuck Boyce’s comments and questions where he asked me the “Moby Dick” question, and think that will add some further insight. Marlon Ribunal also started a thread on Linked In on the News Board, which discusses raises a critical questions in the nomination process. Thank you. -Matt
PS Brent, your comment about traffic was a cue of sorts – did I mistake – if so please advise. Thanks.
As follow up to my post about Monday 10/19…..I am holding an informal gathering at the Redmond, WA Marriott after the VSIP reception at 8:00 pm and would very much like to meet you if you are local and have the time. Please join me. The best gathering spot at this point is at the bar and we can either stay there (or, and I will) arrange an open conference room we can move into. Please RSVP at mmorolo@1105media.com.
Thank you.
-Matt
A similar invite will come for all Bostonians/NE members as there don’t seem to be any UG opps between now and Summit.
Thanks for the response, Matt.
Here’s the corrected link – http://webbtechsolutions.com/2009/10/15/the-pass-board-of-directors-election/
Good afternoon fellow SQL Pros. There has been quite a volume of information derived from the multiple exchanges between members and Mr. Morollo. One item that I would like to lift off my shoulder pertains to Brent. I really enjoy your blog but you need to move stage right and let the dialogue take its course. A solid moderator would let the vetting unfold w/o continual interruption.
Now onto Morollo. One must recognize that there’s an incredible variance between a sub contracted media arm and a board member who understands the ebb and flow of media. After fifteen years of “working between the hedges” or more appropriately SQL and propelling our internal efforts/visibility to customers, I’ve lived it. The responses here that I have perused that tie marketing/media to old media /Black and white television along with newspaper are not representative of today’s environment. I’ve seen Morollo’s work with the Interactive Advertising Bureau and a tad bit of his recognition by the media trade pubs recently by using Google (I recommend this exercise to those open minded voters.)
Let me cite an example. Our linkedin group has 2,100 members while our total membership is north of 50,000. Of course we are an association and not a media organization yet we need to plan for growth and how we will refine and hone our mission. That’s a strategic goal and Morollo understands this evolution. Let me repeat … “we need to propel this organization through growth and that is achieved by strategic awareness a.k.a. smart media and marketing.”
There is zero doubt that we would gain from having a person that understands social networking. In fact, imagine a social networking group dedicated to the various chapter leaders complete with digital resources, logistics, real-time coordination and motivation that would erase the latency and distance issues that these chaps/ladies face. We need to infuse variety and talent into the board. The best analogy is that of an association laden with incestuous “same profession” BOD members to that of an iceberg floating to higher temperatures. With business best practices in mind, boards function best with diversity. Unfortunately, it is clear that many of those commenting think of diversity far too narrowly (someone that built a community NOT USING SQL – oh my god!) My vote is cast.
JW
Jim – I understand your feedback about my role, but I disagree. This is my blog, not a forum or debate platform. If I was moderating a discussion on, say, PASS’s site or SQL Server Magazine, I would agree, but those organizations didn’t choose to interview the candidates publicly for some reason. That’s an interesting question for another day. However, I can’t bring myself not to respond when it’s my blog. I prideyself on my interactivity with my readers and commenters.
Jim – Brent needs to move to stage right? I was done with this thread, other than reading, but when the e-mail notice came in of your reply to the comments I was confused and shocked.
Brent didn’t sign up to be a moderator of the comments and he simply gave a place where the comments can happen. They have taken off onto other blogs, twitter, Linked In and apparently some in Person events Matt is trying to setup. If you truly rad the two pages of comments here, I think you can see Brent has moved to stage right, answered where appropriate, gave a few opinions (as Morollo and others have been doing) but otherwise he has been graciously donating his bandwidth to the back and forth comments here…
I also agree that we need to use social networking more to our advantage. I just don’t see that in the candidates on the ballot now.. Actually, I take that back… I think that Tom LaRock and Jeremiah Peschka have both demonstrated that. Look at Tom’s ustream videos, for example… I also agree that we want someone focused on building a community (whether they use SQL or not, thanks for the sarcasm) but again, I don’t really see that being Matt. At least not from a lot of his comments/answers/non-answers.
Wow. Thanks Jim, Brent, Mike. Just crossed the US from Boston to Seattle hence the delay. Lot of discussion. Need to follow up on some work, go to a reception on Campus, then come back to answer these questions later tonight. In the meantime, Mike “what non-answers” need to be addressed? I’ve tried to answer everybody. If you can let me know, I’ll fu asap. Thanks all. -Matt
Jim,
Brent has been nothing but exemplary in facilitating these comments on his blog. He has my respect and I commend him for this.
Comments I have seen Matt make online show a firm commitment to old media:
http://www.foliomag.com/2009/despite-tough-economy-rash-print-magazines-launch
“Make no mistake, the web is a dynamic game changer and a medium who’s potential in limitless, but nothing has the impact of good print advertising accompanied with mind gripping editorial. The images and captions of print advertising will always have a palce. And lets not forget, magazines are key assets in driving viewers to the web. It all come around. -Matt” ( 08/31/2009)
People that agree with that and are ok that Matt entered his nomination for our Board under the assumption that PASS was a B2B media organization perhaps should vote for Matt. People who think otherwise shouldn’t, IMO.
Matt’s company has 8 followers on twitter. ( http://twitter.com/1105media ) I do not see any basis for confidence that he can help PASS with social networking.
Chuck
@chuckboycejr
In fairness, Matt has 400+ followers and is following almost 700 people.
Not that follower count *really* means anything. Nor is it a good indicator of Social-ness. I haven’t looked up when those numbers came about. But if you are going to report data, lets get some more relevant data out there than that of a company account.
I am personally a huge, huge fan of print media. Newspapers, magazines, etc. Unfortunately, I don’t think they will be as successful as they have in the past and I will mourn the passing/changing of all of them when that time comes. I do agree that bringing timely, relevant usages of media to all professional societies will be an important part of society success.
We do have to remember that even though most of us here, are members of the online community, thousands, if not millions of IT pros are still restricted from accessing social media or even old style online communities at work. Seriously. So that means that traditional communications are still going to be relevant for the next few years.
I’m still trying to figure out where Matt’s skills fit into all this. My comments are not a defense or offense for his candidacy. They are just my opinion about the topics being discussed.
Karen,
How many times in these comments has Matt referenced his company throughout this conversation. That “social media” company has 8 followers on twitter. Do I really need to continue?
Can’t find the place where Matt called his company a “social media” company directly, as your quotes seem to imply.
I’m not really a fan of company Twitter accounts and that’s one of the reasons why my company doesn’t have one. I think that people can be social, but companies, not so much.
Just to lend some context, my company, InfoAdvisors, has a community management function in addition to our consulting services. And we still don’t have a social media account for the company (unless there’s a test account still hanging around somewhere). We host and manage communities both in the IT and non-IT world. Not just servers, but also community building and support.
I think the Twitter measurement is intended to respond to Matt’s assertion that he and his company have been in the “community” biz for a long time. I think the contention is revolving around the definition of “community”. So perhaps it’s best to focus on what that means. I believe that no one data point will appropriately measure the community-ness of a business…or a person.
I do believe, though, that if we are going to take into account the Twitter measurement, then personal, professional, and organizational measures should be taken into account. It’s a data thing.
Karen,
Thank you for forcing me to clarify my logic. I appreciate it.
I respect that you’re not a fan of company twitter accounts.
However, reasonable people can be of the differing opinion that having only 8 followers on a company twitter account makes the following comments less compelling:
“As a publisher who has spent years and years building communities, I’m familiar with all models including qualified, paid, SEO/M, social networking, alliances, and contemporary Audience Development (AD) practices. There is no silver bullet here and there are a number of methods in order to accomplish this key objective.”
“Also, at all of our events they’re are social elements, networking receptions, BOF’s etc.”
“We also actively train people in community development and social networking via IAB nad through a company wide steering committe.”
Karen,
Thanks for pointing this out – and agreed, number of Twitter followers means nothing (if we started comparing, the world would be a said place! That said, I’ve tremendous respect for those that utilize it effectively and do gain large audiences such as many in this community – Brent for example and others). They have come about during this year; Twitter really took off in 09 as you know and I jumped on before the nomination to the PASS slate but only a few months before if memory serves me well – it was just something that I knew I wanted to do, but needed to find a good model that is consistent to my audience – admittedly, that took a while and its not about “oh, taking the dog for a walk” (also around the same time joining FB). LinkedIn, has been 2+ years or so.
Thanks for chiming in. You’ve been extremely objective/interesting/directional, and raised some excellent points. Whether I earn your vote is one thing, but glad you, like everyone, have been a part of this process.
-Matt
OK, as always, Chuck Boyce’s feedback is most welcome as is Karen Lopez. The Folio quotes is in the context of an integrated media portfolio, that statement makes total sense (note the web statements as well please). Please, question my leadership, question my commitment to serving this community, question my passion for this market, question my statements on BoD diversity, question my track record. Thats why I’m on the ballot. I did the work, made the slate.
As for a media company that has 8 followers; this was addressed already. The company is made up a different business units; each separately run by a President. It does not really make sense for a main Twitter page, or maybe it does. That said, only the business units engage their audiences, Via Twitter, LI, FB etc. If it is HQ is important to you, we can certainly address that, and it is taken only as feedback.
Again, it is me that is an the ballot, so please direct the question towards my abilities as there are many, many hard working people at my employer not involved in this process.
As always, call, email, tweet, and looking forward to seeing some folks tonight.
-Matt
Chuck, I concur completely. With the internet as a communication medium, we only need blogging and all of us blog in some fashion. The masses will locate our content
TB
Timoteo, The masses will locate your content, but there is more SQL content out there, than PASS provides alone. Now the “connect” aspect of PASS is massively dynamic, and I think that via those connections, you can point each other to the challenge or questions re; SQL Server at hand that are on the web. Thanks for your input! Best, Matt
Jim,
Brent has been nothing but exemplary in facilitating these comments on his blog. He has my respect and I commend him for this.
Comments I have seen Matt make online show a firm commitment to old media:
“Make no mistake, the web is a dynamic game changer and a medium who’s potential in limitless, but nothing has the impact of good print advertising accompanied with mind gripping editorial. The images and captions of print advertising will always have a palce. And lets not forget, magazines are key assets in driving viewers to the web. It all come around. -Matt” ( 08/31/2009)
People that agree with that and are ok that Matt entered his nomination for our Board under the assumption that PASS was a B2B media organization perhaps should vote for Matt. People who think otherwise shouldn’t, IMO.
Matt’s company has 8 followers on twitter. I do not see any basis for confidence that he can help PASS with social networking.
Chuck
@chuckboycejr
And to couple with this PASS’ experience with a print magazine, SQL Server Standard. I’ve written a lot of articles for SQL Server Standard and I’ve did a lot of tech edits when it was a print magazine. It, quite simply, faded away. It has been relaunched as an on-line magazine. So PASS’ own experience conflicts with Morollo’s comments.
delete me. I’m a dupe.
oops. Brian’s already replied. never mind.
Jim, I have a differing opinion with Mr. Morollo as to what community is, especially with respect to PASS. And I will disagree with you. The examples Mr. Morollo cited I would say are at the loosest use of the term “community.” I would, for instance, say SQLServerCentral.com or SQLTeam.com are much tighter than what was cited. Those I consider communities. Events are not communities. I’ve run events, too. And I’ve run a local PASS chapter. They aren’t even in the same country, much less the same ballpark. Magazine sites are not communities. If you want on-line communities that isn’t SQL Server centric, a site like Microsoft’s Channel 9 is a community. And yes, I’ve indicated that StackOverflow.com and ServerFault.com, while useful, I don’t feel are communities either (which I pointed out about ask.sqlservercentral.com on ask.sqlservercentral.com). They are more about gettings answers quick. They don’t build towards a social environment.
Also, I find it very interesting that you cite social networking as so important. This is one area I think Mr. Morollo is well behind LaRock and Peschka when it comes to social networking and its use to reach a community (that would mean dialogue, relationships, etc., not just posts with links). He is also well behind Tim Ford, who put his name in the ring but wasn’t selected by the nominating committee. Matter of fact, when I first jumped more into the SQL social networking space, the biggest four I saw were Brent Ozar, Jason Massie, Tom LaRock, and Tim Ford. Jeremiah Peschka is extremely active, too, but those were the first four that really got my attention and who I saw were putting in some substantial time and effort into the online community. Just some food for thought.
Brent, this is a vetting process, an important one that doesn’t require triple cadence. I’m disappointed but this is actually an excellent example of understanding (or lack thereof) the important role of uninterrupted ebb and flow. Cheers.
JW
Jim,
I completely disagree. This is Brent’s personal blog. He has every right to respond to comments posted here, especially since he took it upon himself to try to make more information about the candidates available so that the membership could make a more informed decision. This blog is not officially sponsored or endorsed by PASS. As such, if a reader doesn’t like the way the host is managing it, they have every right to refrain from reading it. Were this an officially sponsored PASS site, I might tend to agree with you, but since a member of our community has chosen to donate his time, resources and bandwidth to help make the PASS membership better informed, I couldn’t disagree more.
Come on Jim -
This is Brett’s BLOG. A very active blog dedicated to giving information to geeks like me. Please don’t come in here and lecture Brent on how to handle comments on his blog. He didn’t even have to do the interview and post the results in the first place. He certainly didn’t have to post a link to the comment thread reminding folks to read the comments before voting and even encouraging contacting Matt (and others) off line.. How has any comment here interrupted ebb and flow which is, by design ebb and flow….
The lack of understanding from Matt about the community aspect and then the lack of understanding of a supporter of his around the purpose of a blog comment thread (a blog paid for and hosted by Brent, I imagine) speaks volumes to me.
Speaking of Social Networking, Brent was not a candidate for his own reasons. He is still a good example of what it takes to build a community. I think Matt, the current PASS board and current candidates could learn from it (though the other three all do blog and tweet.. Tom and Jeremiah are the most active). A couple examples:
1 – SQLServerPedia – ’nuff said. He has worked tirelessly on that franchise. Watched it grow and it is there for the community. Not for him. Not even for Quest Software.
2 – Me – I am blogging because of blogs like this one. Many others are as well. I may not be as prolific or have enough witty (or funny) things to say but because of Brent and people like Brent, I and many other bloggers are blogging. Look at the contest for sending someone to the Summit.
3 – Webcasts & Content Galore – look around on this blog and sqlserverpedia… Again ’nuff said.
4 – Blog Better -> Not only does he encourage others to blog (and not for his own gain and he even counsels people to blog about what they know and what will help others, not about increasing hits and making money) but he devotes several articles to improving blogging techniques.
5 – Giving back to the community –> Through the above, training sessions, presenting at PASS, helping with the virtual chapters, etc…
I haven’t heard of Matt ONCE before his candidacy. I didn’t hear his voice on a single volunteer conference call, I haven’t seen his name on any e-mail threads with volunteers giving up their time to help PASS. The other nominees? Yes.. He is asking me to put him in charge (more or less) of the direction of this organization that I have come to know, love and give my time (far less than others do) away from wife and kids and other responsibilities as a volunteer??
And the reasons he gave are kind of spread about and do focus on marketing but I just don’t see any social networking/community building experience.
Look at Jeremiah’s blog. Look at Tom’s. Look at what kind of things they have done and given to PASS. Look at Brian’s giveback to the community and what Solid Quality Mentors does (both as a business but also as an association of SQL Server gurus who give their time where and when they can).
-mike
Apparently I just gave you a new name Brent.. Typing too fast again, apparently. I guess I owe you a Coke at the summit now. BreNt
Brent is the “Brett” Favre of the SQL Server social networking scene? Any time you think the ol’ man has lost his magic, he makes a throw (blog post) that only he can make and you’re left going, “Wow. I should know better than to count him out.”
The only thing I have in common with Brett Favre is that I throw a lot of Hail Marys.
Thanks, sir. I’m honored.
Mike,you would not have heard from or of me because I’ve been behind the scenes, working tirelessly to help Microsoft IT Pro’s – I am a business leader w a track record of success in the wide, vast, competitive market, comprised of many organizations serving MS oriented communities. Maybe we can change the subject and turn the tables; why do you all think I made the ballot? This is the most vexing question that I have. It would be great to hear your feedback on that matter. Tim Ford stated why he didn’t, but why do you think I did? This is posed meant with total respect; I really want to know. Looking forward to the feedback. If there are any questions, I’ve not addressed, I will scour this board later and get back to everyone. My value prop has been driven home over and over again. Lets mix it up.
Thank you all. With sincere gratitude.
-Matt
Matt – I wasn’t expecting an immediate reply from you.. In fact I would hope that you have a bit of a life outside aspirations to be a volunteer on a board of an organization you aren’t tied to yet
Matt that is great to know you have been working tirelessly behind the scenes just to help Microsoft IT Pros.
I honestly have no idea why you made the ballot. It is a great question in my mind, though. I wish we had a bit more on the ballot than 4 for 3 slots and I think some good candidates (like Tim Ford) missed the mark unfortunately.
Phrases like “my value prop has been driven home over and over again” and “I am a business leader w a track record of success in the wide, vast, competitive market” turn me off.
The unanswered questions were eventually mostly answered (the why question.. It baffled me why you were trying so hard not really having a horse in “the race” (PASS), it made me question trustworthiness. I mean this is not an organization that you are a part of and I couldn’t do the math, every time I tried I kept coming up with “what is he trying to get from us?”. To be honest it looked like more “upside” to you than to PASS.. I asked the why question a couple times and you answered it… The answer was about all the things you want to do for us and how much you care for us IT professionals and what you think you bring to us. So that is answered now.. Apologies for the unanswered part of the comment)
I am torn.. I have said, and believe a fresh face/outsider is good in a way but I keep going back to, why?
Maybe a fresh perspective is good and maybe having a business experienced/sensible kind of person with a business focus could be helpful to give business advice that may be tough for someone in the community to have to make a decision on… I don’t believe that is the role you are asking to fill.
Maybe a fresh perspective on community building/harnessing social networking and really keen on activating volunteers/people to find ways to help build the community and not just by adding numbers but quality numbers (getting presenters to have a slide everytime they do a training class/user group presentation talking about PASS the organization.. not PASS the provider of conferences as I have sometimes seen on resource slides.. But PASS the motivated =community- of SQL Server professionals working together to solve each others problems and have a collective voice to Microsoft, encouraging additional virtual chapters and membership in them, working on “marketing” to the management at the employers of the membership to see the importance of PASS the organization,etc) But I really don’t see that as you based on your notes and thoughts… Media businesses have aspects of this in the “marketing” sense but community building just isn’t there.
Then I get back and say we have such a diverse group of people within PASS. People who have started businesses, people who really understand community building (Steve Jones, Andy Warren, Brent Ozar, etc.), People who understand business and making tough business decisions. People who understand Social networking and how it can really be used to further our goals (Brent Ozar, Tom LaRock, etc) So maybe a fresh face is just what we currently do -> rotate the board through elections.
I don’t want to respond anymore. I’m getting tired of the broken record out here to be perfectly honest. I will say I really appreciate the sentiment your comments that answered the Why question showed. I appreciate you caring so much about joining the Board of this organization that you are willing to spend so much time answering questions, offering to set up meet and greets all over the US map, etc. I may not understand why but great on you for trying. I also truly respect you coming back into this gauntlet (even with blunt comments, bordering on harsh apparently from the twitter response I got.. and I apologize, that was not my intent at all) and answer our questions/explain yourself. That is all great and I believe that even if this doesn’t work out for you, you will be successful at other pursuits, if for nothing else than your sticktoitiveness. I personally have said my piece, probably more than I should before the voting is over (I should have followed the lead of several more mature and reserved than myself
.) No ill will towards you personally is meant but I think you see where I am coming from and I don’t see it moving.
Mike,
Thanks for the feedback and understand your position and that you’ve said your piece. Cetainly my intent was not to “turn you off”, but only to say that I’ve given the participants my value propositions (also written about BoD’s, my opinion on why they are/need diversity, and provided a 3rd party asset via Twitter on Non-Profit Association Board Elections – more food for thought), did the work, made the ballot. The point that I’ve probably not made well enough, is that I’ve worked in organizations similar to PASS and – my answer why I maded the ballot – is that my responses fit the bill during the nomination process. Your peers on the Nomination Committee, made the choice, not me. Now as Jim (above) mentioned, there is a small, but I suspect very vocal/influential minority of the worldwide PASS community that is commenting on this board. Maybe this segment of the community is a little tired of the string as well, but has spent more time (not all – and those who have supported, “Kudo’ed me) I’m very grateful to, as well as everyone who has provided input/feedback/direction) saying “why not” (again, not-all and appreciative of the feedback) then “why”. That said, when asked the question “why”; why do you all think I made the ballot you are the only one who spoke up. Again, more confusion on my part. Can we look at the pro’s of my nomination (and Mike you have outline many – this goes to the rest via my response to you). Feedback more feedback on “why” would be great and can we move the dialogue in that direction?
The “trustworthiness” comment wont be taken personally as its clear that you all care so much about this community and want what is best for PASS. Mike, you especially have been helpful in this process. As for others who ran or didn’t – that was not my choice – I agree, Brent is an innovator, brilliant at community engagement and one of the best, well he is among the best SQL Server Pros in the world – but has self proclaimed he would not make a good board member – something to that effect). Tim Ford, again graciously commented and admitted he did not interview well. But I must have, otherwise you would not see me on the ticket (sorry to state the obvious – this you all well know, but working on my point here – “why” and would cherish everyone’s feedback).
Again, thanks for you comments and more are always welcome from the rest of you all. You are all so passionate about the community, one that we all share a passion for. Just “trust” me on that point – whether its via PASS or some other outlet, we have all worked to improve and enhance the career paths, skillsets of Microsoft IT Pros, join them together, and better their chose prosfession (I would not be here in Redmond were that not the case – as I type this). This is our community, and a vast one. PASS is a subset of that community, and one of few that I would like to work to improve and support. Thanks again, Best, -Matt
Mike, Sorry to go on, but not to be trite, I represpectfully disagree that you should have followed the lead of several more “mature and reserved”. In many ways, that discredits the work you have put into this campaign, the passion for this process, and a dialogue unlike any other I’ve seen. Please note my genuine appreciation that you have been outspoken and hope that everyone else continues to raise more points and follow up a bit on the “why” factor (which you did – there are a lot of “why’s in your statements). Thanks again, -Matt
Matt,
Thanks for repeatedly reaching out to me via twitter. As I replied to you via DM I got your request that I call you and I will try to do so, hopefully this week.
I’m sure we are all impressed at the amazing and extraordinary amount of effort to communicate with what you perceive to be the “very vocal/influential minority of the worldwide PASS community that is commenting on this board”. We have no experience of anyone who is not a part of our database professional community going so far (setting up events to meet, corresponding passionately via blog comments, contacting us via twitter, setting up phone conversations) to try and obtain a leadership role within our professional community. Even if we do not select you to be on our Board, we are inspired by your efforts to persuade us.
Best to you.
Chuck
@chuckboycejr
Gotta go with Brent and everyone else hear who believe that Brent deserves just as much say, if not more, as other internet users (notice I didn’t just limit this to PASS members) in *this particular* thread and venue.
It’s his blog. It’s his discussion. It’s his entry.
Perhaps there’s a bit a confusion about what this discussion is. It’s not a PASS thread. It’s a Brent thread.
HA! Thanks!
Karen, It is his blog which is why we exchanged email over the weekend and he kindly encouraged the dialogue to continue. As mentioned, it was not for me to overstay my welcome, but he was very gracious as you all have been as we’ve got to know each other, and said by all means, continue. Thanks, -Matt
To echo what Matt’s saying – I’d left a comment this weekend, but I did it through the WordPress admin control panel, which supports deeper comment nesting than what shows up on the public PHP pages. I’ll copy/paste it here. Apologies to folks who subscribed to the comments via email, because they’ll get it again. Doh!
“Just realized my lack of response about wearing out your welcome could be misconstrued! You’re totally welcome to keep the discussion going here, by all means! I really appreciate how much work you’ve put into staying involved. I’ve been trying to sit back to let everybody else have their say, and I think it’s gone really well. Everybody’s been forthcoming and done a great job of opening up some cool debates that have moved PASS forward just by talking.”
Chuck, the steering committess etc are revised of members of different business units so we can share best practices; again, its OK if you dont vote for me, but please lets focus on my candidacy!
Thanks -Matt
ps I know some good reality TV producers in LA. You’re up for #SQL Intervention series part I.
Hi Matt,
I hope you had an enjoyable flight.
The reason why your public remarks conveying your commitment to print magazines is important is because of the issue Jim took with the characterization of you as a practitioner of old media.
I don’t want to open up old wounds unnecessarily and I know you’ve apologized – but you accused me of slander for characterizing you as an old media practitioner. The quote indicates that you are. That’s why it’s important. By the way – there is nothing wrong with working in old media???
I think that Mike Walsh spoke for me and a lot of us and I’ll just defer to his well articulated remarks.
Chuck
@chuckboycejr
Mr Boyce, “All Media” would be more preferred as the quote indicates (again notice the web comments), my job is comprised of, as is my commitment to training, and practicing new media. Just like this community does not like to be called “technicians” people in my own, do not like being called “old media”. That would be OK if I wasn’t practiced in all flavors and make a point to learn more. Thanks for the note! Always, -Matt
re Chuck Boyce’s 7:09 AM comment.
Mr Boyce, As probably one of the most passionate and outspoken PASS members its been my pleasure to engage with, your comments are very much appreciated. I’m trying my hardest. Thank you for the recognition. With Gratitude, -Matt
PS I am grateful to all those who did not stage an intervention on Mr Boyce and dicourage his voice on http://www.BRENTOZAR.com. Thank you and “why Matt” comments would be great to explore w you all!
Here are my final thoughts on the nominations. That you all for the support and participating in this dialogue. It has been a tremendous experience and an honor to meet you, and share in this process. Thanks to Mr Ozar espcially for hosting this dialogue.
I’ve been at Microsoft since yesterday and talking about my experience campaigning for PASS. Its been a tremendous experience win or lose. Its also been a very personal journey; one that I’ve not included my colleagues, friends, and business partners in – a solo act. Luckily, I had a meeting with a vendor partner and we chit chatted about her own experience w INETA and WIT. She is in marketing and shared a similar experience where the community (at least a vocal few) were not receptive, nor consider candidacies as we are not part of the community because she does not developer in .Net not is an IT Por(“hey, its my community too!” she said – sound familiar).
All the blogs have provided great insight and feedback to how this community thinks and the passion they demonstrate. Also, a friend of mine had an expert lobbyist (someone who has put a President in the White House) examine my campaign on some of the boards. He has a bit shocked at first (“venom directed at Matt”), acknowledged that I stumbled out of the gates, but did make some incredible progress. The real disconnect for me, most disappointing was that the vocal few do not seem to recognize that this is my community too, and just bc I am not a MVP or Rockstar blogger, they seem cast me out, or looked for fault (some more diligently than others).. But, heck it is my community, and one that we all share a deep passion for – a community that I’ve successfully committed my career too supporting and have the qualifications to support its evolution.
Again, just wanted to thank you, express my gratitude for the nomination, recognizing my expertise, leadership, and for having put me on the ballot (to the nomination committee). Hopefully, you all will or have embraced the diversity that my candidacy brings to the table. From what I see, PASS has the drive and the passion, but as the lobbyist said……and with these thoughts I’ll leave you.
Thanks again. This has been more fun and insightful than I ever could have imagined. Hopefully, the community will support and allow me to make a difference.
All The Very Best,
-Matt
“Some positive themes do emerge as the discussion continues and these are the things that Matt would seem to add to the PASS board and make the most compelling case for his election to the Board. Namely, boards function best with diversity……
One final comment that came up in the last thread – many not-for-profit, associations, and professional organizations talk negatively about making money and how they are not a “business”, but a “community”. Any organization needs some money to do the simplest things (investments in technology, conferences, chapter build-out, etc) and by more intelligently monetizing existing assets that the organization controls, there will be more money to spend on the stuff that all…… claim to want.”
Not quite final: first sentence “That” = “THANKS”/ Regards, -MM
Hi Matt,
I have one question (if you’re still following these comments): How did you originally find out about the PASS Call for Nominations?
Andy
Wow – that is a really good question. Matt?
Andy, Brent, OK. As promised, my goal is to answer every post. As a professional in this business/market/community/industry, it is my job to follow and watch every organization, media provider, and vendor that moves in this market. As a Microsoft oriented business (certainly an aspect of PASS), PASS has been under my watchful since many years ago (remember I was selected to interview as GM for TDWI, – went w Redmond Media – and speak regularly w my TDWI peers since day one – nearly 15 years ago – throughout the relationship, they have spoken to me of PASS w respect, a community w integrity and passion – we all talk about this market all day, watch who is moving where etc.) Also as mentioned, we have sent a publisher in the past, and planned as well this year to PASS. So, to summarize, nothing gets past my radar (especially MS focused communities/organizations/vendors), and as a close PASS follower, it would be hard that this opportunity would have escaped me. Thanks for your questions!
Best,
-Matt
Hi Matt,
Thanks for the response. I was hoping for something along the lines of:
– I don’t remember.
– The SQLPass newsletter.
– someone on the board suggested I run.
– Heard from a friend who heard it from friend who… (oh wait, those are REO Speedwagon lyrics)
– was forwarded an email.
Andy
Andy,
Not sure I follow, but thanks for the follow up. Its hard to gauge exactly what kind of response everyone wants – so, I’ve just tried to be candid and give you honest feedback. Did I give you TMI etc..? These are questions I cant answer, just following up the best way I can. I appreciate your sense of humor – make no mistake and maybe its so late in the procosee, that a more humorous respnse was warranted. I dont know. In summary:
It would be irresponsible of me not to be in touch w opportunities such as the PASS BoD noms.
Thanks Mr Leonard.
-Matt
Hi Matt,
Well, I tried. I imagine you tried too. Maybe this will work better in person. Are you attending the PASS Summit?
:{> Andy
[...] of the turmoil seemed to start with Brent Ozar’s blog post and interview with candidate Matt Morollo. Be sure to read the comments! (I’m not going to speak to the specifics of any individual [...]
Kevin, Thanks for this post. Again, spent time last night w about 6 MS pofessionals (after all day strategy meetings) who are customer satisfaction oriented and as partners, our goal with MSDN and TN is to ensure their objectives are met (and “sub communities” like PASS have similar teams in the backdrop/forefront focused on these objectives). Of course my day job is driven by reader input, feedback, and good collaboration with the professionals it is an honor to call my colleagues. Back to last night, the MS feedback was, of course; “this is your community too!! wha??” but being well versed in MS technology, understand that the language and direct speak to community is a lot different than how we communicate as non-technical business professional who serve and work to support all segments of MS communities. There was a lot of other good feedback about diversity, composition of BoD’s etc, and then went straight back into dicussing satisfaction objectives. It was good to hear from people that know PASS and shared very good objective feedback. Pardon the non-tech speak; but the synergy was highly apprarent to the table and the feedback provided was a bit of surprise about this dialogue; in all fairness, the good, the bad, and the, lets say “not so good” was shared, and they steered me how I may have improved the process (no campaign is perfect and if you dont put yourself out there, you wont get the chance to make “gaffs”, gain support, and the like!). Back to your article, great Dr Seusss quotes which of course serve as a good analogy. Clever and as a major Dr Seuss fan, it was a great pleasure to read and start the post with that theme! The Fallout (no need to go there – if one has been following Brent’s blog, it should be clear), The Process Today (greatly appreciated as I’ve echoed the sentiments and surprise the about the “veiled” nature of the process – IF ANYTHING this dialogue can help the future process. Finally, The Times They Are A Changin’; man I could not say it any better. PASS consists a very media savvy individuals – that much became clear in this process (how to strategically use it as a communication vehicle), but strap in because it is a ride of a lifetime and unlike the blogosphere, I dont have the luxury of traffic shortfalls, audience fallout and am responsible to ensure the financial success which ties back into audience, customer or “community sat”. Fortunately I get to work with the best and brightest Microsoft marketing/technologists, and the most competent team of journalists & publishing pros in the market. Without close teamwork and communication, the teams who work to make our media relevant in this dynamic market, follow everything that moves, is not afraid to test/pilot new concepts, and ALWAYS seeks community feedback so we can tailor the objectives, realize success hinges on these elements. We do all this, and maintain a highly successful business, which has gained the recognition and support of vast audiences and the industry (also part of the community). So, again, thanks for your input and my hope is simply to tie-in with PASS, be a part a of well qualified community, and help you all navigate into a future that is murky on the best of days. This has been one of the best professional experiences I’ve had, and to the select and outspoken community at PASS, I’m grateful, as to the Nom Com who made it possible.
With Respect and Sincerity,
-Matt
Got PC access! OK, in Redmond, WA in MS meetings and I’m booked til 6, dinner, drinks, then an early wake up for a 6am flight back to Boston but wanted clearly to follow up with the blogosphere and the 250+ who voted for me. Thank you! Its was an honor. And to Brent Ozar and all the participants on this blog, it has been a joy. Thanks for all the emails, tweets, feedback, and support. Now, my concession.
Kevin, & All Nominees,
Thank you for the ballot nomination, and to Brian, Jeremiah, Thomas, congratulations! It was an honor to run alongside you all. It is greatly appreciated how you managed your campaigns in such creative, highly professional, and respectful manner. Well deserved. Thanks so much and good luck in your roles on the PASS BoD!
Sincerely,
-Matt
Hi Matt –
Thanks for your activity and perseverance on this blog. I’m glad you were will willing to engage in the dialog.
Are you attending the Summit this year? If so, perhaps we’ll have some time to catch up over coffee or something.
Also, I may have missed it before, but how many PASS Summits have you attended in the past?
Thanks!
Joe
Here is my follow up to an excellent letter from a PASS member received following the election. My sense is it would be interesting to share with all the people who posted information on this blog. Thank you to everyone who voted for me, all the emails of gratitude, and your particpation in this process. Hope you all have a great week in Seattle! We’ll be on the lookout for news from the event!
—–Matt’s Response—–
Hi ,
Thanks for the note and feedback.
Since my nom profile on PASS explains that [as co-founder and launch partner in] every Redmond asset, been on the team of 4 that went through the extensive bid process to earn the TN/MSDN partnership should address your first question, and if it made you pause, my email address and phone number were out there. This is the first time, anyone has asked this so interesting and appreciated feedback. Brent’s interview also details a lot of what I have done/accomplished in my career [which has been dedicated to improving the careers of IT pros by providing useful and great information resources]. Also my title should tell you what I do and also have done [my background is in media, all media including online, face-to-face, print [with my career related to IT Professionals] as all the other things on this page.
The irony is the nom process ended when I got phone call from….(could not answer), then the email from PASS at the time of announcement while on campus in Redmond in meetings, discussing man things related to the TN/MSDN partnership. Now your points are taken and I will be the first one to tell you that my campaign effort could have been better in addition to some other key points:
1) As the call came [prior to the election result release] I was in a meeting at Microsoft – and as an extension of a broad IT pro “marketing group” (RMG) they were briefing us on community objectives including SQL. So, I have a unique level of perspective….RMG combined w TN and MSDN will be doing more to help SQL pros and shape the information dialogue, along with 1000’s of MS stakeholders in the market and SQL community.
2) I emphasized diversity and [IMO] PASS missed an opp bc all 3 nominees are more or less the of the same [ilk w/varitions of course - but SQL Pros 1st and foremost]. You may see differently, but I don’t [really] especially if viewed against my own unique profile.
3) Why was I on the ballot? Because I represent someone in the community with an alternative voice, deep insight to the marketplace, someone who is aligned closely with MS communities, [understand what it takes to ensure the sucess of a media endeavor?] [That would be my guess.]
4) Look at your own board if you work at a company (hard to tell since the email is under a gmail account), do they all come from different backgrounds? This was the best thing about my nomination opp – that it is not a stretch as this is my community too – but just a different angle or skew.
What if I had used my influence outside of PASS and encourage people to join the constituency? It is stated in the by-laws we cannot use our company websites, but I have other resources….but as mentioned, it was a solo journey, and a measure of what PASS really is about; a vocal minority. Don’t we want a more involved, more inclusive, a more [diverse]community?
So in summary, whether or not I have been to PASS or Chapter meetings is of no consequence IMHO (again, we send representative(s) each year – someone who I work with and they would not be there if we did not think it worth their while and the expense. [Additionally} I have been to more IT Tech events than I care to share, and we attend to support our business and our vendor partners. That said, did you review the marcomm plan we helped developed to promote registrations to PASS Summit 09? Have you attended any media conferences (I'm not going to relent on that point anymore - PASS is a B2B media organization for profit or not - another mistake made during the nom process). Could you put together a good marketing commutations strategy for PASS? Likely not, but that does not discount your ability in any way shape or form - you are also part of the community, but from a vast and diverse segment of it. My sense is you are probably among the worlds top Pro's in SQL's in addition to being a top notch developer (judging by your LI profile). Could I write a complex SQL based database.....no!
So, I'm [grateful] for your email, glad for the feedback, but the biggest lesson learned is “how not” to communicate to a technical audience, how protective and inclusive the vocal minority at the PASS community is (totally fine), but how threatened (some) people are by change, new thinking. Totally not my intention to upheave the effort (someone suggested I may “cripple” the community which is just slightly [on the dramtic side] as the board is a team of people who must agree, work together – a team effort. Believe me, PASS needs money [and as a nominee that has a track record in driving and growing the "business']. IMO revenue is the key to help guide our community into the future or you can just call it BrentOzar.com or the SQL Blogosphere because it is fragmenting PASS’ revenue stream and there is simply vocal minority at PASS who have a stake in some shape or form. With a 578 voting constituency, the community could do well to vote more like the passionate community that was consistently portrayed as deeply connected. Engaged? That # 578 says a whole lot. 578 votes. Lets say the [voting constituency] could use an improvement and maybe that is [another issue the BOD must tackle].
How big really is PASS [regardless of member registrations], how much do people really care about the B0D? 578? How can we improve that (my commitment is strong and endures), and how can we propel PASS into something that has lasting appeal, a destination resource hub, a dynamic community center? PASS must have lost a massive rev stream (a trade off for member names which is the currency of the web?) when membership became free so how do we plug that kind of economic erosion and keep the community engagement broader and more vibrant than ever? [what is the plan for PASS to grow revenue, give back and grow the community? Why is media representative employed to sell sponsorships and other media opps? To help the community, PASS in general, and maintain its vibrancy?]
Last point, the fact that only 2 of the 3 voting nominees had the grace to respond to my concession email, thanking me, reaching out, and sharing their gratitude, tells me more is at play in the nomination objective of the current BOD.
Why not open up to my SQL world – take a peak at the people who help drive SQL professional development and proliferation as I do yours? Why not evaluate it, and open up to new dialogue? How can we make this a more open, less inclusive community, and truly work to expand the benefits that SQL offers developers and IT pros alike around the world? Those are the questions that need to be addressed so the long term viability of PASS is a model that sustains and flourishes. That would be in my best interest (whether community wants to note or not) and my suspicion yours as well.
With Sincerity and Respect,
-Matt
[PS - to the author below; we do share one thing in common; analysis. Whether it financial, business, market-oriented, much or my time is spent analyzing the business for future strategy and development.]
__________________________
Matt N. Morollo VP, Publishing
1105 Enterprise Computing Group
T: 508 532 1418 M: 508 294 8183
http://www.RedmondMediaGroup.com
The Best Microsoft News from Around the Web
http://www.RedmondReport.com
http://www.Twitter.com/MattMorollo
——————————————————————————–
From:
Sent: Thu 10/22/2009 1:12 PM
To: Matt Morollo
Subject: PASS Board Candidacy
Matt,
I’ve been following the thread about your candidacy for the PASS Board on Brent Ozar’s blog with interest, and I had a few thoughts that I wanted to share with you.
First, one thing that gave me pause is that you talked at length about what your company has done, but very little about what you yourself had done. I’m impressed by your company’s activities, and I read your company’s publications regularly, but those don’t give me any insight about what you might do if elected.
Second, you seemed to take offense at some of the comments. I agree that some comments may have stepped over the line. However, you also have to remember your audience: we analyze things for a living. Yes, we looked for faults, but not because you aren’t “a MVP or Rockstar blogger”. It’s who we are, and it’s what we do.
Finally, some of your last posts mentioned that this was your community, too. You’re absolutely right – PASS is open to anyone, not just developers and DBAs. I lead a local PASS chapter, and I encourage anyone interested to attend and learn, regardless of whether they work directly with SQL Server or not, because there are things that we can all learn from each other. However, I got the impression from your responses that while you had watched the community for quite some time, you had never participated – never attended Summit, never attended a local user group meeting, never written for PASS, never participated on the forums. Your initial responses, both to Brent’s questions and to some of the initial comments, also seemed to indicate that you really didn’t understand how we, the community, see PASS. Even though media is a vital component of PASS, we see ourselves as more than just our publications, websites, conventions, or content. It all comes down to the people. I don’t think that the majority of us would object to a director that does not actively work with databases, but we do expect that those we elect would understand what we’re about. After all, we have in PASS a thriving organization that we can be proud of, and we’re very protective of that.
I appreciate that you took so much time and effort to run for the Board. Speaking as someone who worked for a media company for ten years, I have no doubts that your insight into that industry would be valuable to PASS as we continue to grow, and I hope you consider running again.
[...] Development, Women in Technology, Virtualization, etc. Another thing that we learned through recent PASS elections campaign madness process is just how passionate we can be about our organization. We’ve also seen the [...]
[...] little knowledge of the membership. Much of the discussion occurred in the comments of one of Brent Ozar’s blog posts in which he published an interview of this candidate (as he did for the other candidates as [...]