Doug did none of that. He spoke about collective intelligence and
bootstrapping and improvement communities. He used language I didn't
understand, and it was all about the future, not the past.

I didn't understand what he was saying, but I kept coming back. There
was something in what he said and how he said it that I found
compelling and important, and it made me want to understand. I started
reading his papers and attending all his talks.

Then I enrolled in a course Doug taught at Stanford in 2000, almost
exactly ten years ago. That was a life-changing moment for me on two
levels. First, I started to understand Doug's language, and it
completely changed how I viewed the world. Second, I started to get to
know Doug as a person, whose gentleness and warmth made his message
that much more compelling and meaningful. Doug cares about people.
That's why he's so passionate about what he does, and that's why he's
still doing it at 85 years young.

Doug, you have a been a great friend and a great model. I treasure our
friendship, and I wish you the best. Happy Birthday!