[Community / Personal thoughts] Why, maybe, it’s still worthy to be a SC member

Despite being an arid and icy developer, clearly without feelings and just thinking in 0s and 1s, I’ve caressed the idea of writing a blog on community meaning and importance since a couple of months: is this fate I’m writing this when TechEds are coming and that during last TechEd in Barcelona I spoke with Matt Fraser  about it? Who knows?

Yes, it’s not a mystery I am one of the most critic and loud voices over the Community’s direction in the past months, maybe even years.
But I still stick here, because I literally grow up as developer and professional here, so I feel I have the duty to give something back to people asking for something.
On my own terms, of course, this stubborn dwarf is doing his best to tame the dragon, armed with just his little knowledge and a sharp tongue and, step by step, maybe, who knows, we all hope, there is still some reason to keep going on, the balance between frustration and satisfaction still positive.

And when this balance is positive?
Well, this is really a personal matter, there isn’t a magic word nor the perfect formula to apply everywhere and to everyone: we can only think really honestly about what we do here, what we want and what we enjoy most.
Then drag a line we are not willing to pass and tell ourselves if we passed it or not.

Thankfully (well, maybe not everyone on SC agrees on that thankfully), my balance is still positive and some little and great things make me think maybe I’m still giving something.
Despite my attitude is pretty harsh and it’s not a mystery I’m really little tollerant with RTFM questions since I strongly believe in learning method “Throw the people out of their nest and let see if they can fly“: I used it with my team of juniors (aka that was their first job experience) and I saw that people really wanting to improve, well, they learn to fly fast and high.

So, I was pretty proud, being a really selfish person, when in the past two months, two different persons I literally thrown out of their nest here on SC reached me on Linkedin, asking something more personal and specific and thanking me for the opportunity to talk.
I admit, the first thought was “For Dumathoin sake! Even here!?”, but I put on my best smiling mask and reply them.
Soon I found out they were just lacking experience and I checked their activity here and I see that they improved a lot (I’m speaking about how they pose themselves) after the first hard contact.
And we talked a lot, I gave my impression and suggestions and hints on a wide range of work topics.

Finally, I found it has been worthy being around and show my face here

It’s surely a really small thing, it’s, as I previously say, something important to me, but to see that I’m not the bearded orc ready to eat everyone, well, it pampered my ego.
It happened in the past with the said junior team, where the more I pushed someone to improve, to put more effort, giving slowly less help brought them to excel, way more than I ever did or I’d be able to do.
And this makes me proud.

The same kind of feeling is taking the upper hand in these days, because someone found useful what I have to say and actively looked for me and my hints.
It’s sad this happened outside SAP community and this should be an alarm ringing in the upper floors, but still, the first contact happened here.
And if I can help and change somehow something for better in someone’s life, well, it’s great.

Maybe is it still worthy to be around and give another chance to this Community?
This Michelle Crapo could be one of many possible answers to your question I found on Linkedin (again there, not here!), finding what the people needs to find useful being here.