Hi all,
This is another mainly Java/Technology related post, although it's more of an overview of what I'm up to. This is as much to do with getting it sorted in my head as anything else but people have asked what I'm involved in, so here goes:
1.) Reviewing an upcoming book on the Hudson Build Server (a favourite build tool of mine). I'm definitely behind on helping out on this one, I really need a few solid hours of quiet time to review the material produced to date.
2.) Reviewing an upcoming book on Java 6 certification. I'm trying to learn as much about the book review process as possible before hopefully co-authoring my own, so that's my main motivation for this one. I'm still on the fence about certification, I dislike most of it but if it encourages people to study then that's not all bad.
3.) Negotiating (along with a colleague) a book deal with a big tech book publisher, we're getting closer to some sort of a deal I think! This is the big exciting one for me, I've always wanted to try an author part of book if not an entire one so I really hope we can make this happen.
4.) Moderating on the Javaranch, which is going through a bit of an SEO overhaul at the moment. I'm also hopefully getting my wife ("a most excellent Graphic Designer" and that's definitely not just according to me) to help give it a facelift.
5.) Community leading two open source projects (PCGen and Ikasan EIP). These I wish I could spend a few extra regular hours on a week. PCGen was the project that lead me into Open Source in the first place and the community spirit is just freakin awesome. No matter how many times I take sabbaticals away from it, I always miss it far too much and just have to go back :).
Ikasan is the new kid on the block that I'm trying to turn into a "successful open source project" as part of my day job. It's got a great deal of potential, but I need to spend a good deal more time with the community in order to realise it.
6.) Co-organising the London Java Community and the London Graduate and Undergraduate Development Community which currently involves helping organise an Unconference for the LJC and an not yet announced talk for the GDC.
7.) Writing several talks for conferences (sssh it's a secret)
With several of items above, I work with some pretty amazing and motivated people and that's why I pretty much stay involved, it's just plain fun and rewarding to boot!
So there you have it, my tech related life in a nutshell :).
Cheers,
Martijn
As an aside, I spotted the statement "If you want something done, give it to a busy person" on the web a couple of days ago while I was lying in bed nursing a bout of the man flu (which my wife was ever so patient with). I realised that it holds pretty darn true for all of psychotically busy friends and colleagues that I know, they always seem the most organised and on to it.
