Tonight is my last night in Amsterdam, and I plan on passing it in quiet and reflection.

Mostly due to the fact that I am at the end of the money I budgeted for this trip. This has been one of the more difficult, and most enjoyable trips I have taken. It was difficult because I had to leave my wife and son behind. I have felt their absence very acutely these last few days.

But in many ways it has been one of the best trips I have taken. Amsterdam is a beautiful city full of life, energy and beauty. Walking the streets here one can easily get lost in the hum of the city, the many side streets that bridge wide canals filled with boats, and the smells of a thousand different cuisines. Just don't get too lost and end up in the Red Light district.

But most of all, it was great to be able to spend time with the folks who make Apache so great. I feel privileged to be able to sit and listen to them discuss the future of our industry. Because make no mistake, these people are the ones who made it possible for everything we hold dear on the web. And let me tell you, they aren't going to be sitting on their laurels.

Another highlight for me was the talk I gave this year. I think I have found the topic that I can really own. I am passionate about meritocracy, and the ways it can revolutionize both open source and closed source development. Not to mention that it makes us all better people. Clicking on the cover will take you to an HTML version of the presentation.

When I gave this talk at OLF, one of the audience members asked me if I had this all documented somewhere. They wanted a "manual" that they could download, print out and hand to their employers. I think that after giving the talk again, and again having someone ask this question, I am finally convinced that there is a real need for it.

So yeah, I am going to write a little booklet about meritocracy, the way we use it in Habari, and how it can be applied in businesses to make the world a better place.

Should drive me crazy. We'll see. Oh yeah, and I helped launch a new Apache.org site. Not too shabby for a week in Amsterdam.