*grok ** (pronounced GRAHK) - To grok something is to understand something so well that it is fully absorbed into oneself.
Definition via: whatis.techtarget.com and Robert Heinlein
I absolutely love the word grok because this is what software developers do. At least this is what we attempt to do. We spend hours and hours trying to grok the technologies necessary to build effective applications. I really love this part of being a software developer. It seems like every week there is a new technology, technique, or subject to grok (or attempt to grok). Some people find this disturbing; I find it invigorating.
Lately I have been spending time attempting to grok new technologies like Avalon (part of Longhorn), Team Systems, SQL Server 2005, Visual Studio 2005, Indigo, and the list goes on. My only wish: a 25-hour day.
The beautiful concept behind the word grok is that it is something that you can never really achieve. Will you ever fully grok the technologies you are using? No, but you'll sure learn a lot trying
Grok describes the fun part of being the editor of CODE Magazine. Every other month I have the “job” of editing and attempting to grok what is arguably the best content about .NET development in the world. I have been lucky enough to meet (and in many cases become friends) with people that really grok this stuff. Names like Löwy, Esposito, Getz, Talmage, Duffy, Lasker, Goodyear, Hoag, Kurata, Goff, Strahl, Egger, Castro, and many other people that I really appreciate. These folks make CODE Magazine great. Without smart and dedicated people like this, CODE wouldn't be as successful as it is. Thanks for grokking this stuff and sharing that knowledge.
Three Years of Grokking .NET
I was on IM with Markus last night discussing this editorial when we came to a discussion of anniversaries. Next issue will be the five-year anniversary of CODE Magazine and this issue marks my three-year anniversary.
It has been a fun journey. My path to editing CODE actually started on yet another IM session with Markus. He started asking strange questions. “You like to write, don't you?” “Have you ever edited anyone else's work?” And finally: “What would you think of editing CODE Magazine for us?” “Uhh…...YES!”
And now, three years later, I am still here editing CODE and loving every minute of it. (Well, almost every minute
I would not be here without the help of lots of other people though. So since this is my space, I'm going to thank a few folks…. Art Sanchez My college advisor, teacher, and friend. No doubt I would not be where I am today without Art and his great advice. Jean Rabe Jean is a science fiction author that published my 1st article. That article was written for Dungeons and Dragons when I was 17. Dian Schaffhauser I met Dian at DBExpo in 1992. She edited my first three technical articles for Data Based Advisor. Erik Ruthruff I am happy to say Erik and I have been working together for over 10+ years. First we worked at a company in Seattle called Pinnacle Publishing, then I worked as an instructor for AppDev when Erik “managed” a group of very opinionated speakers (including our own Mr. Getz). Later, Erik and I began working on CODE together. Without Erik, CODE would not have the quality it does. Thanks for the hard work Erik! Markus and Ellen Thanks for taking a chance on me editing CODE. Plus thanks for many fun sushi dinners and slow easy drives through LA. I also want to thank my friends (you know who you are
Finally, I want to thank Jessica and Krysta, my wife and daughter. These two take the brunt of late nights and early mornings when I attempt to grok this stuff. I know I will never grok these two but I sure have fun trying. OK one more… I want to thank you, our readers, for listening to me rant over the years. I hope you enjoy reading CODE Magazine as much as I enjoy pulling it together. Now go grok this issue! The DevTeach 2005 developer conference is now the official CODE Magazine conference in North America This conference, held June 16-18 2005 in Montreal, QB Canada is one of the best conferences I have ever attended. This is part of the reason why we have teamed up with the organizers and have made DevTeach our official conference. Montreal is a beautiful city and the conference is a lot of fun. Conferences like DevTeach provide a great venue to meet other developers and occasional software guru (like the authors in CODE 😃). So mark your calendars for DevTeach in Canada this summer. DevTeach will be the first independent conference after TechEd 2005, and I expect there will be a lot of new and interesting sessions in addition to the ones covering current technologies. RodmanCODE and DevTeach2005
