For the past couple of weeks we’ve been asking you to submit stories about how the #SQLFamily gives back to you. In exchange for each submission we’ve received, we’ll be donating $50 to the Pragmatic Works Foundation to provide SQL training to veterans, the jobless and the underemployed.
Tomorrow is your last chance to submit! Our goal is to reach 400 submissions, which would be a $20,000 donation, but we still need your help to make it.
You can submit your story in one of three ways:
So submitting is really as simple as sending a tweet our way, commenting on our Facebook wall or shooting us a quick email.
To help give some inspiration, we thought we’d share a few of the more interesting and heartfelt posts we’ve received:
Meme Monday: What #SQLFamily Means to Me (originally a part of the #mememonday, was submitted via email) By Doug Lane (blog | twitter)
“My thoughts on #SQLFamily in haiku form: Family of friends bound by passion, vision, love. Success is cheered on.”
SQL Family in Action By Yanni Robel (blog | twitter)
“I’m telling you what. These group of people – they are my professional peer. They are not the friends I grew up, or my blood family. We know each other because we have the same passion about the same technology and in this community, the SQL community, we took it to the next level. We are not just ‘peer’. We are family. We helped each other in so many ways. Today, a handful member of this community were there for me when I was told that I might not be able to run the marathon that I’ve been training for 4 months. They were there when I broke down in tears, devastated and angry. Yes, they were virtually there via my laptop – but they were there with me. They took the time from their busy day, on this h0liday season to login to Google Hangout and be with me.”
What #SQLFamily means to me. By Justin Dearing (blog | twitter)
“I hung my head in shame for about a week while fretting over what to do because I knew right away I was the offender. Eventually I decided to simply send an email to Paul saying I realized I was the one that offended him and apologizing. He accepted the apology and sent me the sticker. Like a functional family, when forgiveness was sought it was quickly given, the incident was forgotten, and I’d like to think I’ve been a little more polite and considerate both on and off the internet as a result.”
Please remember that submissions are due prior to 11:59pm PST tomorrow! Let’s make sure we can add 400 more members to our #SQLFamily.
- The SQL Server Team
Hi,
Is this event open for today (monday 2nd Jan 2012) also?
I submitted my story today to the given email address sqlfamilysubmission@live.com.
Will that be considered?
You know, this is really an insult to our collective intelligence. Obviously SQL training for veterans, the jobless and the underemployed means that the trainers need to purchase SQL server licenses (as opposed to say MySQL, which can be obtained for free). And for those people to get back to work, more sql server licenses need to be purchased.
So why don't you just give them the $20K, since your going to get it all back anyways. $20K...please. That's about 1 microsecond of the annual SQL Server budget.
If you plan to give them $20 million, maybe that's a different story. For $20M I'll throw together some heartfelt story of how SQL Server changed my life for the better. But $20K? Don't waste my time or theirs.
Well, there's the spirit Greg....
Just a thought.. The best way to get licenses into companies isn't typically to train the DBAs and developers. I have worked for a lot of companies and we've never once said "let's hire a database developer or DBA for this mission critical system and whichever skillset they have - that's the product we'll go for." No I don't think this is a "get licenses" kind of stunt. They'd have better luck doing free executive training for CIOs.
I don't work for Microsoft but I thought that this was a touching initiative to give some money to a group that independently decided to offer this training. Microsoft isn't the one providing the training but the kind souls at Pragmatic Works are.
Finally.. Complaining that only $20k is being given when they make so much more sounds a lot like complaints that this or that government only gives x when they could give y. Seems to me they don't have to give anything. Seems to me like to the organization that is doing this training, $20k can go a LONG way. Are you willing to give training to these veterans and unemployed folks on your own time? Your own dime? Have you given to support this cause directly out of your own net worth? Did you give all you could give?
Also the challenge isn't how SQL Server changed one's life for the better. But how the #sqlfamily did. You'd do yourself a service to look for the posts on #sqlfamily and understand what is meant by that - the SQL Server "community" of technical professionals on twitter, at conferences, user groups, etc. Had you read some of the posts and done some research you'd see what is being discussed here...