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All good things…

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Today is a bit of a sad day for me, as this will be my last post on Online Storage Optimization. For those who are just joining us, I’ve been the regular “newsy” blogger on this site. It’s never been a traditional setup. I’m not an employee of this blog’s parent, Ocarina Networks. Rather, I’m an independent social media consultant who started out as a PR rep for the company. I moved into this role when we relaunched the blog as more of a publication in early 2009. It’s been a wonderfully fruitful arrangement that allowed me all the freedom and breadth to think, talk and learn to my heart’s content.

As much as I’ve loved working on this project, the reality of my life as a consultant has meant that I am being pulled in many directions. I’m now in the process of launching a new business, currently in stealth but soon to be revealed. (And I hope I can count on your support when it does.) This new set of responsibilities makes it impossible for me to continue to follow the daily ups and downs, trials and tribulations and fascinating personalities of the storage industry as an active blogger. I will of course be watching from afar. More than that, I’ll never forget the warm welcome I received in the storage blog-o-tweet-osphere.

With that said, I feel compelled to thank certain specific people who have made the experience of being part of the storage industry particularly enjoyable and enlightening. First, Carter George, VP Products at Ocarina and the lead blogger on this site. Carter took me under his wing from the get-go, sharing his vast wealth of knowledge as a leader in the industry. He took every single one of my questions seriously, no matter how stupid, and answered them in ways that expanded my understanding of this complex and technical subject area. For those who don’t know him personally, Carter is also one of the nicest and most approachable people you could meet. He encouraged me to stretch myself, and the result is that, lo and behold, I became a reasonably well-known and recognized “storage blogger.” Not something I would’ve dreamed of in million years.

Second, Stephen Foskett, publisher of Gestalt IT. A couple months after I started working on this blog, I got a DM on Twitter from him that read, “I hope Ocarina appreciates what you’re doing for them.” It couldn’t have been better timed. I was buried in working on a white paper about Ocarina’s newest release that I honestly didn’t believe I would ever have the technical know how to finish. At the same time, I was struggling to come up with topics for the blog. I also worried, continually, that I had pissed someone or other off by what I said on this blog or on Twitter. To get this message from someone as well-respected as Stephen gave me a much needed sense that somehow or other, I was doing okay.

Third, Murli Thirumale, CEO of Ocarina. Murli doesn’t have the personality you associate with your typical Silicon Valley CEO–he’s about as far from the image we all know of the crazed egomaniac as you can get. He is a thoughtful, respectful, and yet endlessly upbeat person who has built a successful company based on a real need. We had a relaxed working relationship, and I always appreciated his occasional contributions to this blog, which offered a “big picture” understanding of what he intended when he started the company. It was an honor to work for someone like him.

Fourth Marc Farley, storage rapper and 3Par’s social media whiz. Marc was one of the first people to respond to a Twitter tweet of mine and chat with me. We talked about whether it’s possible to remove the light bulb in your fridge, I seem to recall. Marc and I ended up creating a video together that became something of a viral hit within storage circles. He is one funny, cool guy and a true storage industry veteran who nevertheless has stayed ahead of the curve.

Fifth, Storagebod, also known as Martin Glassborow. Aside from being a great source of interesting blog posts that always kept me on my toes and wanting more, Martin is a fantastic Twitter conversationalist. He seems to have read every book on the planet. He also knows a great deal about a whole lot of other subjects, from music to health to wine. A true renaissance man and therefore someone I could always count on for a laugh or a chat–often when I most needed it.

Sixth, Greg Knieriemen. Greg has been a great guy to know, and has given me lots to think about through the exciting and active storage community he created, StorageMonkeys. Last fall, he had me on as a guest on his podcast, Infosmack, where we talked booth babes and other hot topics. He’s also a very funny guy–and a sense of humor is everything in this intense business.

Seventh, George Crump. George, of Storage Switzerland, was kind enough to give me all kinds of advice about how to run a successful blog when we first relaunched. I give myself credit for listening to him, and the results were notable. We have had a great run here, and one that I am sure will continue as I pass the baton to Mike Davis and any others who jump on the bandwagon known as Online Storage Optimization. I hope you’ll keep reading. I know I will.


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