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Before I get into this discussion, I should mention that I won't be talking about any specific incidents or individuals at my workplace. This is a rather general discussion of my experience having worked with academics over the past few years.

Every once in awhile in my career, I come across a crossroads of sorts.

I'm going to break one of my personal rules today, and talk for a bit about what I do for a living. I've tried not to do this in the past, not so much out of a concern about being dooced, but more out of a general separation I have always tried to keep between my personal and professional lives. But I'm starting to feel like there are some things that I want to talk about that could actually help some of the communities I've been involved with both personally and professionally. 

I wish I was as entertaining and inspiring as Merlin Mann and Michael Lopp.  Don't get me wrong; I'm awesome, something that Merlin's workshop today did nothing but validate for me. But dude, these cats can talk (and, in Merlin's case, and talk and talk and talk…).  I was really looking forward to both of these workshops, not just because they are given by some pretty bright lights in the web community, but because I've been really interested the past few months in how I can be a better leader and mentor.

I was reading Dave Eggers’ A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius when I started writing this story.