In 2001, I was a developer, and I liked to write.
I’d had web sites for a number of years, but in 2001, I decided to switch from wickedlife.com (archive) over to BrentOzar.com. I wanted a domain name that would more appropriately reflect my interests as they changed over time, and I figured that I wouldn’t always be interested in the goth lifestyle, hahaha.
There were a couple of blogging applications available at the time – this was years before WordPress – but being a developer, I wanted to write my own as a learning experiment. Armed with Macromedia Dreamweaver and a few books, I wrote my own blog platform and started blogging.
In the early years, the blog posts ranged from going to Fry’s, using technologies I’ve long since forgotten, building a car computer, wishing Mom & Caryl a happy Mother’s Day, marketing slogans for girlfriends, and, uh, buying pantyhose to make my own aquarium filters. I kept a webcam on 24/7, which led to some amusing photos of me working. In later years, I started writing the personal stuff over at Ozar.me, and I focused BrentOzar.com on technology, specifically Microsoft SQL Server.
A lot has changed in the last 20 years. Hell, a lot has changed in the last one year!
But some things remain the same:
- We – you and I – are a community, a tribe.
- We support each other and help each other grow.
- As we grow, our job roles may change, so we’ll drift out of some tribes over time. That’s totally okay.
- You get what you give, and there are so many ways to give: write blog posts, give presentations, volunteer with open source projects, or help coordinate events, virtual or in-person. (Okay, maybe that last one has changed a little.)
Over the next 20 days, I’m going to spend some time here reflecting on things we’ve learned over the last 20 years – stuff that’s changed, stuff that hasn’t, moments that I’ve been proud of, and where I think things are heading. Some of it will be technical, some of it about the industry, and some of it will be navel-gazing.
Thank you for being here for this wonderful couple of decades. I really appreciate you. You make this fun for me.
18 Comments. Leave new
I think this is when encountered the Ozar team as it was at the time https://web.archive.org/web/20120701105816/https://www.brentozar.com/ . Keep up the magic and thanks for all I’ve learned from your content
We appreciate you too, Brent! I’ve followed you for the better part of a decade. Over the years you’ve inspired me to change jobs, move to a new city, and become an all around better DBA. Heck, with your amazing classroom advice, I’ve even managed to convince a few developers that it’s not always the database. Can’t get much better than that! Keep up the amazing work, and THANK YOU.
Daaaang, thanks!
Wow that’s awesome! Thanks for many years of knowledge sharing and entertainment!
I’ve learned a lot of awesome things from you. Thank you for everything!
Diego – thanks, my pleasure!
?Congrats Brent! ?
So much can change in 20 years. Especially in our field.
I’m looking forward to your look back.
(? == champagne emoji)
Michael – thanks, and you are totally right! Your career is a good example of the tribes thing.
Thank you, I have leant heaps… you make it enjoyable, and dumb it down just right for some of us simpler folk.
Cheers.
David – aww, thanks!
Hey Brent, your very personal methods for interacting, like responding to nearly every inane comment posted, have made it abundantly clear, as this blog post does, that you are very much a “family” man. Even your jibes and roastings during webinars are fraternal in their character.
I look forward to hearing what your navel gazing reveals to the world. Must be all the hot tub/cold head experiences you are putting yourself through currently.
PS – When did you realize that the 20 year anniversary was coinciding with your 6 months in Iceland?
Michael – thanks! Hahaha, I have such a great time with the comments.
I’ve had the 20th anniversary thing on my calendar for the last couple of years because I noticed it accidentally when I was doing some DNS work. We started planning the Iceland trip about a year ago (when the quarantines started), so I was pretty sure we were going to be here at the time as long as they’d let us into the country. (I love this place!)
Happy 20th anniversary BrentOzar (.com). Your advice, your tutorials, your good humor and our positive side illuminated our working days. We are just poor alone DBAs in a hard World… (singing)
Olivier – hahaha, thanks!
Hi Brent, I really appreciate your effort
thank you so much
Davide – my pleasure!
Congrats Brent!
Thank you for everything!