Monday, 22 June 2009

Farewell to Google

I'm no longer working for Google. I had an interesting time there and worked on lots of fascinating projects with great colleagues, so this is a small look back at some of them.

My first taste of Google was to work on orkut, before starting the project now known as Google Profiles, which was first launched in Google Maps, and is now seen across Google and the wider web. I then worked on the engineering side of OpenSocial, before its launch. Realising that Google had thousands of engineers, but very few comfortable speaking in public, I became a Developer Advocate, working to bridge external and internal developers, explaining the Social web to Google and OpenSocial and more to the wider web community.

I've spent most of my time working on building and promoting open web standards, both inside the company and out. I helped launch the Social Graph API, promoted OAuth and OpenID, helped converge Portable Contacts with OpenSocial, and explained how the Open Stack fits together. I helped promote Microformats within Google and without and am very pleased to see them showing up in Rich Snippets in search. The Activity Streams effort continues this web-wide work to build social infrastructure to make the web more social.

I'll still be working on web standards through the groups above, the Open Web Foundation, the Open Rights Group, and more. Professionally, I'll be coding, writing and speaking on the social web via several new projects. I hope to see many of you this week when I'm talking to the SFAMA on Thursday night, and hosting the Microformats 4th Birthday party on Friday.

If you want to get hold of me, I'm kevinmarks on most social networks, domains and of course Twitter. Or just google me.

65 comments:

  1. Have fun doing the next thing, Kevin!

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  2. Sorry to hear you're leaving, but I hope you continue to work for all the great goals that you tackled while at Google! Best wishes, and I hope you have fun whatever you do next. :)

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  3. Hey, thanks for everything you've done thus far! Your contributions are much appreciated! :) All the best to you in your future endeavours! :)

    Diana

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  4. Best of luck in whatever's next, Kevin. Your leadership and advocacy at Google will be missed. But I'm glad to hear you'll be continuing your work on open web standards.

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  5. You'll be missed, Kevin! Best of luck on your next endeavor, and keep in touch.

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  6. That's a considerable legacy of contribution. Looking forward to catching up on the details and seeing you Thursday night.

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  7. Sad to see you leave: it has been a learning experience working with you. Glad that you will continue working on open standards. Have fun with your new job.

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  8. Can't wait to see what you do next :)

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  10. Sorry to hear you've gone Kevin, I'm not sure about others but for me and perhaps other techies, you were certainly an awesome 'Tech Face of Google'.

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  11. My feeling was exactly like Siobhan's. I'm absolutely convinced you're going to do something worthwhile next. Just waiting to see!

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  12. So excited for ya - now we get to work on all those projects we have been cooking up together! Tummlercamp here we come!

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  13. Kevin, you've made so many great contributions with your curiousity, your smarts, and your integrity.
    Here's to wonderful, fulfilling projects and good work.
    Best, Susan

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  14. Good luck in your next venture, Kevin. I'm sure it'll be interesting. :-)

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  15. Keep on developing ideas, and working to make the web more social Kevin.
    I hope your move isn't an indication that Google is turning it's back on the social web in any way.

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  16. Good luck on the next frontier Kevin.

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  17. All the best with your next projects!

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  18. Thanks for your contributions to open standards.

    Sam

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  19. Wow Kev!

    Congrats! And you should be proud of all that you accomplished during your stint at Google!

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  20. I read your blog long before I realized you worked at Google. I've really enjoyed your contributions to the OpenID and OAuth discussions -- can't wait to see what you do next. Best wishes on your "small company phase" -- hope it's wonderfully fun!

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  21. Great work, all of us social web surfers will continue to enjoy your work.

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  22. Good luck in the next verture and congrats on a great legacy at Google. Classy post, too!

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  23. Best of luck at your new position, whatever that may be!

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  24. Best of luck to you Kevin. Look forward to hearing about the next thing.

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  25. You'll be sorely missed. Keep in touch.

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  26. Kevin,

    All I can say is, WOW!

    Google is losing a great advocate, speaker, resource, evangelist and an overall great person.

    I know you will either be snapped up by someone very quickly, or you will go off and do great things to change the world.

    Drop me a note, I am in south bay at least once a week, ill buy lunch.

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  27. Sad to see you leave, Kevin. Looking forward to what you create.

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  28. Sad to hear of your departure, but looking forward to your next endeavors. Stay in touch.

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  29. Wishing you the best with your future - I know you will make it bright. Thanks for all you do!

    -David Cohen
    TechStars

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  30. Wow was it something I said? Maybe he could become a successful adsense story?

    Is he one of the 5 over 30 their? Or is he younger than that?

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  31. Congrats Kevin! But wait, who is going to provide my tech support now? :) Seriously, Google is better off because if your evangelism and can't wait to hear what adventure you tackle next!

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  32. Best of luck, Kevin. Eager to see what's next!

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  33. Kevin, you're one of the great cross pollinators! You brought a lot to Google and now you'll have Google foo in your toolbox as you move on to the next things. Congratulations and you have my best good wishes!

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  34. Your contributions to the community are outstanding, and i have no doubt they will continue in full force. Looking forward to seeing what's next on the docket!

    Best of Luck~

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  35. It's been a real pleasure and inspiration working with your Kevin!

    No one can make a crowd go "Oww I never looked at it that way, that's amazing!" like you can :)

    I look forward to see what you'll do next. Good luck and best wishes!

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  36. Good luck Kevin -- looking forward to what comes next for you!

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  37. I'm expecting so much more from Google on the Social Networking side of things. I am very dissapointed with Facebook and Twitter doing all the popular moves on that side of things. But without you at Google, who is going to make sure Wave and Android becomes the best Social Networking platforms ever made and really change the way the web is used for the better.

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  38. very sorry to hear this. but, congrats and can't wait to see what you're working on.

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  39. Kevin, it was great to work with you, as always. Good luck, and keep in touch.

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  40. Best of luck man, I am sure that whatever you do next will be awesome.

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  41. Thanks for everything you did for the Open Web, Kevin. Looking forward to seeing what you work on next.

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  42. Kevin, you should be very proud of your accomplishments which will have a lasting positive impact both at Google, and the open web as a whole. Thank you for all the good work you have done.
    -Tantek

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  43. Kevin,
    You epitomize the spirit of the community. I look forward to hearing more about your next steps.

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  44. Good luck with your next steps and thank you for your work at Google. I enjoyed hearing you on various podcasts and reading what you've had to say about products like Friend Connect.

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  45. I have an idea for social software and am wondering, if an app. might lead to bettering human communications to the extent that corporate forms of organizing become archaic, would any corporation build it?

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  46. Best of luck on your next stage in the journey. I'm sure it'll all be fun

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  47. Sorry to see you go Kevin, I enjoyed your contributions to my blog.

    This comes just as my website has added support for some of the very things you've been championing!

    http://www.wecando.biz/access.php

    Let me know if I can help you out in any way. You can find me on Twitter @wecandobiz.

    Ian Hendry
    CEO, WeCanDo.BIZ
    http://www.wecando.biz

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  48. Very interested to see what you're up to next, great to see you at Google I/O the other week... have fun and let me know when you're over our side of the pond next.

    Chris

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  49. Your clear articulation of opensocial has helped me understand and get involved in the open stack.

    Cheers

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  50. Best of luck for the future Kevin, will watch this space! @litmanlive

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  51. Congrats Kevin on all you've done, and whatever comes next.

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  52. Goodness gracious ... Bad for Google, Good for you, I figure. We only expect the best of you in your next work reincarnation.

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  53. Aww dude. Going to miss our 'save the world' lunches. ... or maybe you can still come by for them ? ;-) Thanks for all your wonderful insights at Google and especially on, community development, social networking and open standards. Good Luck Kev! I know whatever you do next will be absolutely spiffing.

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  54. best of luck kevin. i know you will succeed.

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  55. Sad to see you go Kevin!
    I've had a great time working with you on OpenSocial and Google Friend Connect!

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  56. Hope to see more of you now as we keep pluggin on the social web

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  57. Wherever you go, you're gonna do awesome things.

    Best of luck, Kevin!

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  58. Best of luck, and thanks for pushing all those good things within and without Google. :-) Looking forward to whatever's next!

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  59. Kevin, you're one of these incredibly generous folks who gives and gives to the community. Thank you.

    On to the next leg in the adventure!

    (If I can ever help...)

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  60. Kevin, it was great working with you! Looking forward to seeing what's next! Good luck, and stay in touch!

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