Canberra ... sort of

(might as well publish these posts I started almost a year ago ...)


I went to Canberra for two days to meet with a couple of programmers at the National Library of Australia, Mark Triggs and Steve McPhillips. They've done some great stuff with the open source software we're using at Stanfrd. I was even more impressed with their work after I met with them; I got a potential solution to a problem I'm having; I saw their initial solution to a problem I'll be working on in the future. And, there's no price on a face-to-face meeting for strengthening a connection and expanding working relationships.

Steve and Mark earnestly encouraged me to spend "extra" time in Sydney, rather than Canberra; I shouldn't have listened to them so earnestly. Canberra seemed like a lovely, if quiet, town, and I would have enjoyed visiting the National Gallery of Australia and some of the other attractions in the Australian Capital. So ONE day extra would definitely have been appealing.

On the other hand, I didn't take any photos. But: I was working while I was there, not sight seeing.