I Crossed The Line

A few days ago I wrote some things about team members that I never intended to be attributed directly to them or to hurt them in any way. From my web counter at the bottom of the page, I thought that the only people who were tracking on this blog were just a few friends that I had sent the link to. I considered it just a step up from a diary. I was wrong.

My opinions and concerns are my opinions and concerns, and never intended to harm, influence, or cause hurt feelings, either personally or professionally. That is why I do not put anyone's name, including my own, in here. It was pointed out to me that my prior post had caused just such a problem, and had in fact been read by one of the individuals that I expressed concerns about. I caused him pain, and for that I am responsible and ashamed.

He asked me what I had done to deserve to say anything about him. He asked me who the hell I thought I was. The truth is, I haven't done anything that puts my on any level to say anything one way or the other. While I can have my own feelings as a man with a few miles/years on the chassis, I have no right to put anything in the public forum that even has a chance of causing any hurt feelings. I thought that nobody but my friends read this bit of inconsequential drivel. That was not only a gross miscalculation of the power of the web, but very very careless of me.

I take responsibility for the pain that I caused. I never intended to hurt him, only to share my rather intense feelings with my few friends. We are not judged by our intentions, or by what we have done in our past. We are judged by our actions today and the effects that they have on other people's lives, careers, and feelings. I do not believe that I have harmed anyone's career, or really their lives, but I have hurt feelings.

It is something that I do not believe in doing, and I have not lived up to my own ideals in this case. I do not believe in harming a teammate physically, mentally, or emotionally. I have done that, though. I will try to make it right.

It won't happen again.