I like the song “Remember the promise you made” by *** Robin ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1KRBY4JBldQ ).
I read an interview with a former criminal and neo-Nazi and he commented on how much he resented the fact that he was being judged on his past all the time. Now, while I understand his need for a fresh start, what else can people base their opinion on but the past?
I read an interview with a soccer player who had once vowed to return to his original Dutch club. He didn’t, because at the end of his career he was able to go to another club and earn much more money. He explained that he did feel that way once, but changed his mind. Again, I understand this, but then, what is his promise worth anymore, all said, all done?
I read an interview with former politicians who were members of the PVV, the infamous party of Geert Wilders (http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Geert_Wilders ). They had trouble finding jobs because potential employers didn’t appreciate the controversy surrounding it and its members. They didn’t like this, but the past can’t be undone.
On a side note, I recently visited the “Heksenwaag” in Oudenwater, the only place in Medieval Europe where, according to emperor Karel V, official witch trials were allowed to be conducted. The tour guide compared witch trials of the past to the current state of the Internet: once you have a bad reputation (deserved or undeservedly), it’s virtually impossible to get rid of it.
Myself, I try to keep my promises in professional life and stick to contracts I sign and appointments I make. In personal life, I do the same. I have a 4 year old daughter, and if I’d promise her to get a new dress, she would be devastated if I didn’t keep that promise. Like I said, I like the song “Remember the promise you made”.
As a Wiki Ninja Blog Post Person (WNBPP), I have to stick to my promises too. In an earlier blog post, I commented on the fact that I created a new Wiki page and that I didn’t get quite as far as I hoped, but promised to work on it. A couple of weeks and more than 100 revisions later, the Wiki page is in much better shape. I feel the page has by now become a valuable resource, and if you follow all links on the page you will agree that installing a SharePoint 2013 environment is a lengthy process. By the time you’re reading this blog post it will be a couple of months later, and I’d like you to visit http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/15289.sharepoint-2013-best-practices-creating-a-development-environment.aspx and judge for yourself whether I’ve kept my promise.