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My turn to move on (from New Atlanta)
After 3 years in the role of New Atlanta CTO and Chief Evangelist for BlueDragon, I've decided it's time to move on. I've resigned as of Friday, March 31. (I thought about announcing the news yesterday, but feared that some would think it an April Fool's joke.)
Leaving New Atlanta, but Still Working With BlueDragon, and CF, and more.
I'm not leaving the world of BlueDragon, nor especially ColdFusion and CFML. I'll continue to strive to be a resource for this wonderful community that I've been a part of for nearly 10 years. I'm just stepping down from this formal role and employment. It's been a fascinating 3 years (almost to the day), and as many know the folks at New Atlanta are stellar. I'm as big a fan of both BlueDragon and New Atlanta today as I was when I came on board and moved to the Atlanta area to take the position. Indeed, I'm a bigger fan since then.
Both the product and my knowledge of it (and its many benefits) have increased tremendously while I've worked with both New Atlanta engineers and the wide range of customers we've served. I've really enjoyed meeting all the wonderful folks in the CFML community at organizations across the country and around the world, whether in person or over the phone and web. I may not miss the frequent travel. Indeed, we had just hired someone to help take that load off, and I'll post an entry about that news in a moment (I told him before he took the position that I'd be stepping down).
I've simply decided that I can serve the community and my own desires (both personal and professional) better from outside that role. It's really nothing negative toward the company or the product. I plan to continue working with it, and CF...and Flex, and Ajax, and .NET (including Atlas), and the many other great technologies that our profession keeps presenting to us.
I suppose that some in the community could try to make more of my departure and its meaning, but I'm hopeful that instead it will be received in the same manner that Tim Buntel's resignation from Adobe was, without FUD. (And I should say that Tim's was certainly more momentous for the CF community, and like everyone I do wish him well.)
Next Steps for Me?
And I should clarify that, no, I'm not leaving to take that CF Product Manager role, though we did have discussions and I'm grateful to have been seriously considered. I just don't want to relocate to the northeast. One reason is my seminary studies--some may know I've been enrolled part time in a Master's degree at Dallas Theological Seminary's Atlanta extension for the past two years, though I've been traveling too much to take classes the last two semesters. Another is my wife's real estate practice here in Alpharetta, outside Atlanta. It's just hard to relocate such a business.
So what will I do next? I do have several choices, including opportunities that I've learned about (as with Adobe) just coincidentally since my decision some weeks ago to resign. I want to clarify that I've never informed any of them (before or while considering their offers) that I was considering leaving. I just had friendly discussions. No one (including New Atlanta) should think anyone was trying to "poach" me from the company.
I may well have news very shortly of one particular option I'm very seriously considering. Again, either way, I'll continue to work with BlueDragon (and the fine folks at New Atlanta) as well as ColdFusion (and the fine folks at Adobe), and to work with their respective communities. It will be nice to be able to contribute to the community as "just another member" rather than being seen as a "company guy". Indeed, leaving the company will open up some new possibilities for contribution. Many may know I was on various MM betas, was a frequent speaker to Max and other CF events, and was a user group manager, all of which I had to give up on joining New Atlanta.
Next Steps for BlueDragon
In closing, though, I again want to stress my confidence in BlueDragon and its future. There is some really big news about to come out from New Atlanta, and it demonstrates that it's full speed ahead for the product. There've been a lot of great accomplishments for the product over the past three years, and I'm happy to have helped move it forward in serving those who can benefit from it: from the evolution in the product's compatibility, to continued advances in the unique advantages it offers, to the incredible integration of .NET that was added on top of the long-standing Java-based product (which came out before CFMX, I'll note), to the great cast of enterprise-class customers we've brought on board.
I wish everyone at New Atlanta well, and I look forward to continuing to help both BD and CF customers however I may.
Announcing Carehart.org
Finally, look for a new "spot" for me to land on the web, http://www.carehart.org. It's only very spartan for now (too busy with other closeout activities this weekend, and with BD consulting and other work activities to build the site before now).
I don't have a new email address for that domain yet, and after this weekend I will no longer have direct access to my charlie@newatlanta.com address, but email will be forwarded to me, and I can also be reached directly via carehart@systemanage.com, which is from my old site that I'd created in 1996 and have kept just as a repository for my old contributions there.
I may well think of more I want to say about this (or that I'll wish I had said), but I'll stop for now. Since the new site won't be aggregated for some time, I will post a couple more entries here on the BlueDragon blog, before turning it over to the company.
Charlie,
As somebody who has been around the CF community for almost 9 years now,
I've had the pleasure of seeing you speak and reading your articles for a
long time (I still miss your "Hidden Gems" series with each release!). Your
contributions are invaluable and I look forward to seeing you back in the
larger CF community that spans both the NA and Adobe distributions. Best of
luck!
Congrats Charlie. I wish you the best as well!
Contrats Charlie. I'm sure that whatever you choose, things will work out
for the best!
I have met you several times in relation to BlueDragon at the various
conferences and read your CFDJ articles. It has always been a pleasure to
listen to what you have to say and I hope you will be just as big a part of
the ColdFusion community now as you have always been.
I think this move will be good for CF community. :)
Charlie,
I'd like to send a big thanks to everyone who's written so far. You're all
so kind. Feels like I'm jumping back into a pool of warm water. :-)
Charlie,
best of luck. thanks for the massive volume of wisdom you continuously pour
into the community via your articles and involvment in the various
community lists. you know you're always welcome to come see us again
anytime in AZ!
I have enjoyed working with you over the past couple of years Charlie.
You're a joy to be around - both from your technical knowledge and insights
as well as your great personality.
Best of luck to you Charlie. Thanks for all the help you provided to us in
our move to BlueDragon.net. Glad to hear you will still be part of the
community. You are always welcome in Denver.
Holy moly. That is big news Charlie. You've certainly contributed
tremendously to NewAtlanta as well as the CF Community. I wish you all the
best of luck with your future endeavors.
Yes i miss your hidden gems as well..
Um wow. I'm not sure what else to say, except good luck with whatever comes
next.
I'm relatively new to coldfusion (one year) and never heard of you until
all these blog posts started popping up... it's a shame to have missed all
of your career up to this point but I hope in the future you will be more
visible to the general CF population. Maybe you could publish a collection
of all your articles, etc.?
Charlie,
Charlie-
Thank you for all of your help. Good luck.
charlie,
Charlie,
Charlie, I lost touch after Figleaf (old times, eh?) though I'd catch you
in forums or on user group announcements. I saw Simon's blog entry so had
to drop over and wish you luck and wisdom on choosing your next work
venture.
Charlie -- The best of luck in the future -- hope you manage to remain
involved in the CF_Community! You have always been open, honest and helpful
in everything. I remember spending a lot of time chatting with you at the
conference in Toronto BEFORE you made the move to New Atlanta (and lots of
times before that, too!)
Again, goodness, what a wonderful bunch of compliments everyone. Thanks
very, very much.
Best wishes Charlie. I've been around the CF community since ver 1.5 and I
always had great respect for you. The CF community is special because of
people like you. We're all grateful you have been, and will continue to
be, a part of it.
Wow! I'm late to the party, but I just saw this! Good luck with your next
gig, whatever that may be! I'll be sure to get in touch when I'm in Atl
again!
Good luck, Charlie...
Best of luck with the new role(s). I know all that traveling had to wear
you down, but I hope to see you in Houston sometime!
Best of luck with the new role(s). I know all that traveling had to wear
you down, but I hope to see you in Houston sometime!
OMG Charlie, what will happen to BD without you, who will be the evangilist
and answer everyones questions?
It's like Adobe without Ben.
nah, not really. it's been nearly 2 months now and things are going from
strength to strength there. See Vince's many posts at http://blog.newatlanta.com. But I
appreciate your kind regards, Russ.
Best of luck to you in the new position.
Hi Charlie, good Luck to you. Well, what would you expect? Changes and
adjustments... :) a lot of changes for sure but definitely you'll be able
to coupe up with it.Good Luck Again.
I can not find any blog related to the legal issue, could some one tell me
that is BD an fully licensed product that won't have that potential
lawsuits by Macromedia/Adobe's ColdFusion dept?
W L, you raise a common question, and there's an answer that should satisfy
you.