I've been part of SCinet since SC10 in New Orleans. My first glimpse of SC was in Seattle in 2005 where I was an attendee, spent most of my time in the tech presentations and didn't spend any time with SCinet. These many years later and I'm the chair of SCinet, part of the SC19 Executive Committee.

There is always stress associated with SCinet. In 2012 I was standing outside the Belgian Cafe in Philadelphia PA on October 4th on the phone negotiating the final points of our contract with the contractor who would finish the last few hundred yards of fiber connecting the Salt Palace. No big deal, right. We were committed to delivering that fiber by October 12th and the conference was just over a month away.

Then there was SC15 in Austin. We spent months figuring out how to deliver fiber to the convention center only to learn in the last week prior to the staging that the fiber projects were dead. Good thing my co-chair, Akbar, had local connections and fiber was already present in the convention center. There was a big scramble to splice and characterize the fiber, at least as much as was possible in the brief window of time that was left. There is always stress. And not just for the WAN team. I knew this going into this year. I knew this when I accepted the responsibility as SCinet Chair. Still...

I wasn't prepared. I think the full impact of this role hit some time during the end of SC18 Setup. That's when the fitful nights and waking up, getting up at 4:00AM started. It really hasn't let up these nearly 5 months later. I don't expect life to return to normal until the conference is done. I accept that as part of the role.

This blog is for, and dedicated to, all those in SCinet that are filling the essential roles of volunteers and contributors. It is intended to give you an inside peak at my experience. Maybe it will help those who follow in this role. And perhaps what you read here will help explain some of my actions. Not that they need explaining. We are all in this together and we succeed together. However, there is one who bears the burdens of chair, and for now, that burden is mine...