coderamblings.com

I have been feeling a little uneasy recently after listening to webchick/Angie Byron's talk on Women in Open Source, I had no idea about events surrounding Kathy Sierra in 2007 and also hearing about the porn flash presentation at Flashbelt, it was all a little discouraging.

I decided to turn things around a bit and be positive, talk about some things that I was staying away from, in the event that I may be accused of objectifying men. My only excuse is that I have emailed these men beforehand to obtain some consent. They also have my email and can let me know if they have any concerns.

All four men mentioned here I respect, they have achieved much in their professional lives without sacrificing their character. They are on the quest for personal and professional knowledge, and they act with the highest codes of conduct. Their achievements and fame have not made them arrogant and they choose not to treat other people with disdain. I am glad to have met them in my professional life.

So let me start of by talking about what I term as the 3 Acquia Apache Solr Musketeers; Robert Douglass, Jacob Singh and Peter Wolanin.

At Drupalcon DC, I was invited to speak with these 3 lovely gentlemen on Apache Solr. I turned down the offer, for I did not feel prepared for that talk. It gave me an opportunity to observe them in action though.

Robert Douglass; possibly one of the loveliest Drupal men ever. His photo does not do him justice, as he seems to have a natural grace in person. Combined with his musical experience, he exudes confidence, charisma and gentleness. Basically he would have made a more convincing Edward in twilight, ladies watch the movie.

Jacob Singh; he thinks he will escape recognition because of the photo above. Well here is another one:

One of the few people that I have met who have examined the issues of race and identity, and to my shock has more indepth insights than myself. He is of mixed race, like myself. We both know what it means to live in at least two worlds at the same time. Having to always mediate external debates internally about various factions that politicians create, for we cannot split ourselves into two, and I choose not to favour one part of myself and deny the other. An extremely tough tight rope. Not many people could begin to understand some of the internal conflict that people of mixed races, and also people that have lived in different continents can begin to realize. Jacob is such a person, and wow what an intellect.

Peter Wolanin. On first glance, this man seems plain, possibly even a hick, definitely not as sharp a dresser as others. Again, his photos do not do him justice. In person he demonstrates a power and presence much greater than I expected. My brief observations, I begin to notice a glimmer of something special, I am not quite sure what it is, something like a lifetime pursuit of knowledge. In his measured responses to questions and his thoughtful responses, he shows his desire to answer each person appropriately, and to make sure he understands what is being said to him. One of the most valuable qualities that I notice in Americans, that shines through is the quality of empathy. Peter has true empathy for others.

Finally, I come to Dr. Djun Kim. A professor at UBC, mathematics PhD, and ultra fine technologist and a whole lotta hunk.

Djun was speaking at the Open Web Conference on Open Books, Open Minds, Open Source and was exuding such strong energy. He was practically glowing red hot, the reason was of course his recent marriage to lovely Pamela.

I had the chance to meet Pamela previously, and I can see why he would be over the moon to be married to her loveliness, she is the type of person that is truly good from the inside out. As a couple they are a rare breed of Canadian, slightly hippy, incredibly intelligent, not full of hot air.

They make my vote as Canada's counterpart to Jon and Kate. For the embody some of the greatest qualities that Canadians might have.