If a tree falls in a forest, and no one hears it, did it make a sound?

I can’t remember when I first heard this axiom, but it was sometimes when I was in elementary school. At the time I thought it was the silliest thing I had ever heard. After all, a tree falls regardless of my opinion or recognition. The tree is going to do what it is going to do and my interaction with it is meaningless. The sentence was one of those things, which is best described by Lewis Black as something which “…causes your brain to come to a screeching halt“. It made no sense to me, until later.

Why tell the world?

One of the reasons for this blog is pretty much the same as everyone else’s blog, namely, I wanted to write down what I know. So I got a high-speed internet connection (such as those available through optimum internet plans), created a blog, and started writing. There are a number of reasons for writing, to ensure I remember things, to find a link to something that works, to give back to those who have helped me by helping others or the desire to share something over the internet. The reason for informing the world varies. Displaying what your interest or expertise is can lead to opportunities where people ask you to do things where you have demonstrated your knowledge about a topic. As a member of a speaker selection committee, I know being able to find out about a speaker’s expertise made me recommend them or not.

Falling Trees Making a Sound

If someone gives a lot of talk and no one knows it, will they be asked to speak again? If you work with a real expert at a certain task and no one knows it, will this person be able to command a very high rate of pay at a future job? If your employer does something for you, such as sending you to a technical conference and you tell the world, are they more likely to send you to another in the future? While I am sure the answers to these questions can be universally answered by the consultant mantra “It depends“, for what it’s worth, perhaps letting the interwebs know will increase your chances of being asked or increase your value. If you are also one of those people who hate self-promotion, a blog may seem rather braggadocios. It’s also one of the few ways you have of telling people what you do.

The World is the Forest

It’s a big world out there. At some point, someone is going to ask you what you do. Sure you can practice an elevator speech. But when someone is sitting around surfing the internet and trying to find out about you, isn’t it best that you be the one who lets them know what you’ve done and what you know? Now, I don’t know if having a blog has helped me do anything I have done or not, but I continue to post. The world is a forest, and when I chop down a tree this is where I will make a sound.

Yours Always

Ginger Grant

Data aficionado et SQL Raconteur