When was the last time something on Fedora Planet made you cry? I mean really weep.

It hadn’t happened to me until I read Russell’s post. Russell, my heart and prayers are with you and your wife. I particularly appreciated your link to the article on how people can help.

I’ve only met Russell once, but I’ll never forget him. It was at FUDCon in Raleigh, NC, January 2008. During a hackfest for testing Anaconda, a guy walked in with a roller cart and a large backpack. He said he’d brought 10 laptops from work to test Fedora on. I don’t think we gave all those laptops the work out that they deserved, but I appreciated his heart and was impressed that he hauled all of that gear to FUDCon.

I love that Fedora Planet carries more than just news about Fedora. It gives a human face to all of us. I want to hold on to the human part more because it is easy for me to lose sight of it in Fedora, particularly when people hold positions I don’t agree with.

We’ve achieved a lot in Fedora with technology that allow us to be in different physical spaces. Situations like this are a definite reminder of its limitations–when human presence is needed most.