Bundling up my access key and laptop for shipping back to head office, it’s hard not to feel nostalgic. Back in 1998, Day One, I was given an access key, pointed toward a shiny new Pentium II desktop, and asked to ‘build websites’. No laptop back then. (No cellphones, either, only The Sales Guys got Nokia 5110s.)
Wordnerds know that nost-algia means ‘homesickness’, or the bittersweet pain or longing associated with remembering a past home.
I’ve had several homes within CA – from the earliest days as part of the crack ‘Internet Solutions Group’ at Platinum; to Product Management at Computer Associates; to Field Marketing at CA; Marketing Operations at CA Technologies; and finally, Mainframe Marketing at CA Technologies: a Broadcom Company. CA: Change, Always.
If you’ve been part of those teams, you’ll know that CA had its own way of doing things, for better or worse, and the CA Family was always ‘assuming positive intent’ and built some amazing tech and experiences through sheer esprit de corps. I’m proud to have built those with y’all – and yes, it is kinda bittersweet to know that the CA we knew is no more. (Here are some videos if you want to share that feeling now.)
I’m moving out of Broadcom, but not moving on – there are still robots and humans that need me to broker peace-among-worlds! I don’t yet have an access key for a new home, but I know I’ll always cherish my CA ancestry, wherever in the world I find my folk.
Hope to see you again soon; maybe for breakfast?
BONWAG 