Active Thankfulness and SQL Server Professionals

A few countries around the world have a day set aside for giving thanks - and some do it all year long. We stop to give thanks to those who have made us what we are, and those in the past and present who have given us the benefits that we enjoy. From teachers to family, we owe them a lot.

I've noticed that several technology specialists, especially those that work with SQL Server, go even further. They practice "Active Thankfulness", where they donate their own time, money and effort to give back to the community. The Professional Association of SQL Server, or PASS, is staffed with volunteers, and at the recent PASS conference you could see this spirit of giving all over the event. People lent a helping hand to setting up, organizing and staffing many different activities, including those to help folks with their SQL Server questions. Microsoft donated the entire Customer Advisory Team (CAT) to the event, answering questions and delving deep into technical issues for free. Many of the SQL Server product team members came over to staff the "Ask the Experts" area, and other database professionals gave of their time to handle the "Birds of a Feather" tables - again, all free, all volunteer.

And then there were the SQL Server "Most Valuable Professionals", or MVP's, that donated not only their time but an amazing amount of effort to create a huge book called "Deep Dives", with all of the chapters and even the production costs donated. The money raised by this book go straight to "War Child International", a charity that aids children whose lives have been devastated by war. In the introduction, the MVP's explain that the impetus for this book was a response to Bill Gate's challenge to "do philanthropy where you are." And that's good advice - each of us has learned from someone, whether that's a college teacher or from a data professional that took the time to show us the ropes. You might not be able to find that person, but you can pay it forward by helping someone else. It can be volunteering at a SQL Saturday event, helping out at your local user group, or volunteering your time to help a charity with their technology needs. When you practice this kind of active thankfulness, you'll find the rewards far outweigh the level of work you put in.