Something to shout about

I have mixed feelings about this week. In a way, it has been the most terrifying and frustrating of my life so far. My luggage is still somewhere between Heathrow and San Francisco, which means it could be in International Waters for all I know. At this stage if I think about it any more I will probably hit something. My flight home is in a little over 48 hours (with any luck), and I'm really not looking forward to it.

On the plus side I have met some really great people this week, the guys from Protegrity were an unexpected pleasure, Vericept are everything a start-up should be in my eyes, the bloggers were fun and interesting. I'm excited about some work I have lined up in the near future having spoken to some of the PKWare guys over here this week. I've had some incredible conversations, and found a lot of interest in my new venture - SecurEMEA.

Several people have asked my opinion on data security, and in an interesting new twist, which I would only expect to get out here, how we can go about educating the world on a much larger scale about data-centric security. Kevin Rowney said "I want to re-write the book". To which I replied "I think you'll literally have to write that book then."

It's sad, but true, just talking about these things doesn't get you anywhere, you need to write, and write well, talk and talk well, spread the word and become an evangelist. But unless you're really good at it, Rich Mogull, Bruce Shneier, or one of those incorporated types who gets to do this type of thing on a wage, you won't necessarily get any thanks for it.

When Gordon Rapkin asked me "what job do you want to do?" over lunch the other day, I very deliberately said that I was taking time out to think about this right now. Hence the contracting. I don't want to go headlong into any job right now where I might think better of it in 2 months time and want to get out. What I'd like to do of course is be an international playboy with a private jet (and my own baggage handlers), but I don't think my wife would allow it.

I would really enjoy being a paid analyst and evangelist, taking pre-sales to another level. I caught Erich (Baumgartner) from Ingrian as I was entering the Moscone today, and as we parted company he asked if he could run some technology ideas past me. I said I'd be pleased, because I would, I enjoy it immensely. Now if only I can find a way of getting paid to do it...