A lot of you may know the (true) story that when I bought the URL www.DataGovernance.com, a Google search only had 67 hits. But I was certain that Data Governance and Stewardship were disciplines that needed to become more formal, with practices that could make a real difference for the world. So the work of promoting Data Governance became a passion.
Along the way, I discovered others with similar feelings and great passion. One of the coolest things about my life in the last few years has been getting to know many of them. And so, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I’d like to send some shout-outs to people in the industry that I’m thankful for.
I’m going to start with the inimitable Jill Dyche for several reasons. One, because she’s an amazing writer. Boy, can she crystalize a thought! I absolutely love reading her blog.
The second reason is because of a certain blog entry she did recently, in which she fessed up to a poetry mishap in her youth. It inspired me to put together a little verse in response. I left it as a comment for her, but then I thought I’d print it here, also. Just be sure you read her blog, too, folks.
And the third reason I’m shouting out to Jill Dyche first is because we share that special, special bond that only comes when one of you (it was me) says something incredibly embarrassing (it’s too bad to ever print. trust me) in a very public place (you don’t want to know) and the other one (her) hears it, enjoys it, and then actually doesn’t repeat it in print! So when we run into each other at conferences, we sometimes have a little tweak at each other. I didn’t really get a chance to hang out with her the last time I saw her, so instead, I thought I’d send her this little poem.
I think that I shall never say
Some things as well as does Dyche.
Her use of metaphor, you see,
And pithy points, and simile,
Provide a smile, a chuckle, laugh
That business folks and IT staff
Can use to bond while they review
Ideas – some old, and some brand new –
That help them manage information
From acquisition (or creation)
Through a lifecycle, to that feat
Where info’s archived or delete
-d.
