Caveat Lector

Last week was something of a Week. One of those weeks that feels a week and a half long, you know what I’m saying? But worthwhile, all of it.

Les Carr is a gentleman and an amazingly good sport. Some time ago, he emailed me asking about the distance of Madison from Chicago, and setting some dates for a possible visit. Which I promptly double-booked with a System repository meeting in Baraboo. Go me.

Les not only took my husband and me and my colleague Kristin Eschenfelder out to dinner Tuesday night, he drove out with me to Baraboo and contributed significantly to the meeting. (Props also to the other meeting participants for welcoming Les; they didn’t have to, and I appreciate it a lot.) I had a great time (despite the weather), put a couple of cogent edits into Roach Motel based on dinner conversation, and very much look forward to running into Les again. Next year, in Atlanta!

There’s probably some sociology somewhere on the genesis and growth of communities of practice. I can say that Les completely gets that repo-rats (sorry, Les, I know you hate that term) don’t have one and need one badly. With him, me, the REPOMAN folks, and one or two others on the case, maybe something will actually grow this time. (And, Les? I officially forgive you for your name being on this piece of ill-considered ideological smoke-blowing, and I’m sorry for eviscerating it in Roach Motel. Well, no, I’m actually not sorry, but… you know how it is.)

Roach Motel has been hacked on, given a kiss, and sent back to the editors. It’s imperfect. There’s a lot I didn’t say that I probably should have, and some things I beat on that probably didn’t deserve it. So it goes, and I must say I’m relieved to have it gone. Good riddance. Next time I’ll write something cheerful.

I spent most of my Saturday at a Free Culture event sponsored by the library. How cool is it that going to these things is really part of my job? It was a fantastic day, well-planned by people who weren’t me, and I’m honored to have met Nelson Pavlosky and Gavin Baker. I also, you will be glad to know, behaved myself with perfect propriety in front of an ACS editor (which takes fortitude!) and helped get the repository message out to people who hadn’t heard it.

The most valuable part of a valuable day was the after-party, in which Gavin and Nelson passed on immense amounts of wisdom about starting a campus Free Culture group. I know one of the students on the steering committee, and I plan to put as much time and effort into the new chapter as they’ll let me.

One of the things that a community of practice does is restore resolve and enthusiasm when they flag. I feel much better about what I do than I did a week ago today, and here’s my chance to say how much I appreciate the people who came to Madison and helped me feel that way.