VMware Cloud Community
Daryll
Expert
Expert

Goodbye, VMTN

Hello all,

Starting this thread here since I can't find a more appropriate location for it...

Tomorrow is my final day in the employ of VMware, Inc. I'm relocating to an area where there's not a VMware office, and have decided to start a small business and try to make a go of it as an owner. Wish me luck!!

Over the last few years, it has been a distict pleasure acting as the forum main moderator and administrator. "Steering the brick", as it were, has never been more fun Smiley Happy

In those few years, I watched this user forum turn from small watering hole, to semi-popular advice site, and finally into the virtualization discussion center of the universe that it is today. A tremendous amount of behind the scenes work has been done along the way to keep the site going strong and keep the people happy, and I have a lot of people to thank for that. You all know who you are.

I'll make comment that my leaving will not change the way that this community is managed. VMware values what their users have to say, values free speech (within the constraints of the terms of use), and will continue to monitor and moderate this forum after I'm gone. A replacement community manager/administrator will be found, and life will go on. You guys ARE in good hands with VMware. While a replacement for me is found, there are a couple of forum users who will be helping do moderation and administration:

rdellimmagine

johntroyer

are the go-to guys for now. I'm sure that they'll chime in here and make comments if there are any management issues or questions going forward. When a replacement community manager is found, you'll most likely hear the news from them.

Finally, I'd like to thank a few individuals and small groups of people (some of which may never read this thread) for helping me along the way:

1) My co-workers who had a direct hand in making the forums a success. Michael, Scott, Julie, Jason, Stephen, Robert, John - you guys are the best and I'll miss you all.

2) The User Moderation crew. You guys know who you are. You'll never meet a nicer group of guys than the volunteer user mods that moderate the VMTN Forums. You are the guys who keep the forums going on a daily basis, and I'll never forget ya.

3) All of the people inside of VMware who helped me along the way - Kris, Challo, Kenon, Craig, Hans - I'll never forget those early days in support when we were loud and crazy and nobody wanted to sit in the office next to us Smiley Happy

It has been a REAL pleasure guys. I would not trade the last three years for anything. On to the next big adventure!!!!

-Daryll

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35 Replies
vmNewb35
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

cheers...you ran a first-class message board/help center. best of luck.

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petedr
Virtuoso
Virtuoso

good luck Daryll, VMTN is an excellent board

www.thevirtualheadline.com www.liquidwarelabs.com
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asatoran
Immortal
Immortal

Good luck on the business. I started my own a couple of years ago. It's a struggle but I have a few loyal clients now who call me because my former company left the region and sold all support contracts to the competition, who is not honoring the contracts. That's pretty much how I started my business; I found a niche and filled it.

So good luck and find your niche! Smiley Happy

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admin
Immortal
Immortal

Way to go Darryl and good luck! There's no more satisfaction than working for yourself and with a group of like-minded individuals. I went out on my own this year as well...and the opportunities in this space are just overwhelming. Smiley Happy

You've got to take as much advantage of this big wave as possible...and what better way than do go at it on your own terms.

You have a big family here so you're not alone in this...all you need to do is ask.

Take care and I hope to see you at VMworld this year. Smiley Happy

Chris

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bowulf
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Thank you Daryll for all that you have created here. I wish you the best in your new ventures.

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shamim-a
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Daryll...Wishing u all the best for your future endeavours and thanks for everything u did in VMTN...thank u so much...

shamim

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TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

All the best in your new venture, working for yourself is very hard but ver rewarding I have been independent for three years now and would not swap it for the world, well maybe the world Smiley Happy

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
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oreeh
Immortal
Immortal

Daryll thanks for your work here and good luck with your new business.

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mreferre
Champion
Champion

Daryll,

all the best.

Apparently I am one of the few employees on this board (as most of you went for your own business). Perhaps I will start mine as well at some point ..... or maybe I'll just buy my current employer .... ! Smiley Wink

Massimo.

Massimo Re Ferre' VMware vCloud Architect twitter.com/mreferre www.it20.info
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TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

if you do buy out your employer, could I come to work for your Smiley Happy cushy little exec job, all afternoon on the golf course, all morning just, hey never mind the mornings I'll be working from Home Smiley Wink.

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
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Serenity
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Best of luck in your new adventure! I'm sure you will do very, very well. Like everyone else, thank you for all your hard work in here. We really do appreciate it. Take care.

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kdshapiro
Enthusiast
Enthusiast

Good luck Daryll. I've been reading these forums for a few years, probably one of the best on-line communities on the net.

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williambishop
Expert
Expert

Where's my shrit?!?

Smiley Wink

--"Non Temetis Messor."
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oreeh
Immortal
Immortal

They are in production (http://www.vmware.com/community/thread.jspa?threadID=76495)

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williambishop
Expert
Expert

I was being humorous....I've actually already redeemed mine. See, where I spelled it shrit instead of shirt, and he's leaving and it's been a pain in his...nevermind. I guess it wasn't as funny as it seemed at the moment.

--"Non Temetis Messor."
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oreeh
Immortal
Immortal

Maybe I simply didn't get the humor...

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williambishop
Expert
Expert

And maybe I'm not funny. Come to think about it, my wife has been telling me for years that I'm not nearly as funny as I think I am. But she doesn't get geek humour at all. I once had an individual who I think has a dry sense of humour tell me that mine was an acquired taste, and quite dry. I thought his was the driest of any non-silicon based entity in the universe. What does that make mine?

I'm probably just not funny.

How do you keep a turkey in suspense?

Message was edited by:

williambishop

--"Non Temetis Messor."
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oreeh
Immortal
Immortal

I'll tell you at Christmas. Smiley Wink

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TomHowarth
Leadership
Leadership

please, enough already, its worse than a rerun of Friends.

Tom Howarth VCP / VCAP / vExpert
VMware Communities User Moderator
Blog: http://www.planetvm.net
Contributing author on VMware vSphere and Virtual Infrastructure Security: Securing ESX and the Virtual Environment
Contributing author on VCP VMware Certified Professional on VSphere 4 Study Guide: Exam VCP-410
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