Transcript Leveraging An Enormous Technology Community

Leveraging An Enormous Technology Community
Get The Answers You Need - When You Need Them
Dan Stolts, MCT, MCITP, MCSE, TS…
President: Boston User Groups
Sr. IT Pro Evangelist – Microsoft
[email protected] or
[email protected]
Twitter: @ITProGuru
Blog: http://Blogs.TechNet.com/DanStolts
Shortcut: http://ItProGuru.com
First arouse in the other person an eager want
-- Dale Carnegie
Dan Stolts “IT Pro Guru”
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Presence
http://blogs.technet.com/DanStolts
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http://ITProGuru.com
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http://DanStolts.com
Twitter.com/ITProGuru or @ITProGuru
3 years at Microsoft
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IT Evangelist based in MA
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Online Content Development
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Live Event Delivery
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User Group / Community Lead
Prior 20+ Years…
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Bay State Integrated Technology, Inc
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Hosting and Consulting
Community Volunteer
Skill Profile MCT, MCITP, MCSE, TS…
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Windows infrastructure
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Virtualization solutions
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Systems Management and Security
It's not what you've got, it's what you use that
makes a difference.
-- Zig Ziglar
More Jobs 
President - Boston User Groups (www.BostonUserGroups.org)
Founder - North East Leaders (www.neleaders.com)
Founder - Virtualization Group Boston (www.VirtG.com)
Board Member - Boston Area Windows Server User Group www.WindowsBoston.com
President - Bay State Integrated Technology, Inc.
www.BayStateTechnology.com
Leveraging an Enormous Technology Community: Get
The Answers You Need - When You Need Them
• Do you know who to call when you need career advice?
• Do you know the GURU in all technologies you work with?
• Do you have a strong as steel like relationship with your
partners, customers and peers?
• Do you know who to call when you get in a jam?
• Do you know who to call to keep yourself out of a jam in the
first place?
This session will teach you what you need to know to eventually be able to
answer all of these questions in the affirmative. You have to learn to walk
before you run so you will not as a result of this session be able to answer
yes to all questions. But you will learn how you can eventually get to that
point. The “IT Pro Guru” (Dan Stolts) teaches us how to get involved,
grow your sphere of influence and put yourself in a position to know all
the right people. If you listen closely, you may even walk away with the
secret (Magic Tips) to you personally becoming the person that others seek
out. So, come and learn how to get the answers you want when you need
them. It may just change your life!
Never criticize, condemn or complain
-- Dale Carnegie
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What or WHO is the “Technology Community”
and How can they help?
• Community Leaders
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User Group Leaders (Presidents, Board Members, Leaders, etc.)
MVP - Most Valuable Professional (Microsoft MVP)
Speakers – National & Local Shows, User Groups (TechEd, SharePoint Sat, Etc)
Influential Bloggers and Forum Participants
Teachers and Trainers (MCT - Microsoft Certified Trainers and other trainers too)
Writers, Authors – Magazines, Books, White Papers, etc.
Other people in the technology industry that help the broader online or in person
community
Members of the IT Field (Like Interests)
All persons that work in the technology field or are in some other
way closely linked to the technology field ( IT Manager, Help Desk,
Marketing Dept. of Software company, etc.)
They can give you a bunch of experience and training
You will help yourself by helping them!!!
Win-Win
Winning is not everything, but the effort to win is
-- Zig Ziglar
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
-- Stephen R. Covey
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Technology Community Sample
Boston Area / New England
Group Name
Greater Boston Association of Information
Technology
New England
Visual Basic Professionals User Group
Professionals
MaineBytes -.net User Group
New Hampshire .Net User Group
Association of Information Technology
Professionals
SE
New Hampshire Seacoast Mac New
UsersEngland ASP.NET Professionals User Group
Back Bay Large Installation SystemNew
Administration
International
Association of Software Architects
Hampshire SQL Users Group.
(IASA)
New
England
Chapter
Beantown.NET User Group
North Shore Computer Society - NSCS
New
England
F#
User
Group (NEFSUG)
Boston .Net Architecture Study Group
Northeast Autosys User Group
Boston .NET Certification Group Northeast Oracle User Group Agile Connecticut User Group
Fairfield
/ Westchester
.NET User Group
Boston .NET User Group
OWASP Boston Chapter ( Focus:
Web Application
Security)
Fairfield
/
Westchester
SQL Server User Group
Boston Area Windows Server User Group
Sea-Tug
Fairfield County SharePoint User Group
Boston AVID User Group
SIBMUG (Seacoast IBM Users Group)
BAND - Bangor Area .NET Developers
Boston Final Cut Pro User Group Southern New England Network
Users Group. (SneNUG)
Maine Developer Network
Boston Linux & Unix User Group Storage Networking user Group.
Boston/NE
New Jersey Microsoft Developer Group ( NY/NJ )
Boston Macintosh User Group
Adobe Boston Users Group. ( ABUG )
Tech Valley User Group
Boston Pocket PC - Boston/New England
BostonWindows
PDA User Group
Mobile User/Developer Group
Visual Developers of Upstate NY (VDUNY)
Exchange Server Boston User Group
Boston XNA Developers Group
Western New York .Net User Group (WNY DNUG)
Greater Boston Chapter of DAMA International
Rochester, NY SharePoint User Group
C# User Group of Greater Boston
Greater Boston Network User Group
The Rhode Island .NET User Group
Cape Cod .NET User Group
Agile Boston User Group
Vermont .NET User Group
Connecticut .Net Developers Group
Northern Delaware .Net User Group
Vermont SQL Server User Group
Connecticut ACCESS User Group ( CtAUG )
Central New Yorks .NET Developer Group (CNY .NET
Boston Azure User Group
Connecticut Java User Group
Developer Group)
Nashua Scrum Club
Connecticut Object Oriented Users Group, Inc.
Boston.pm ( Boston Chapter of Perl Mongers, the
Cape
Greater New Hampshire Linux Userassociation
Group. GNHLUG
of Perl User Groups.
) Code XNA User Group
Western
New York Professional Association of SQL
Monadnock Linux User Group. ( Monadnock
)
Agile New England
Server (WNYPASS)
Seacoast Linux Users Group (SLUG)DLSLUG Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee
Linux User Group.
Boston Flex User Group
Merrimack Valley Linux User Group.
( MerriLUG )
DLSLUG
Text User
Independent Computer ConsultantsCentral
Association.
The
New Hampshire
Linux North-East
User GroupOpen
( CentraLUG
) Group
BOSTON BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE User Group
Greater Boston Chapter
New Hampshire Ruby / Rails Group. ( RubySIG )
Boston Area SharePoint Users Group
Internet Professionals (IP-495)
Python Special Interest Group. PySIG
MacTechGroup
National Information Security Group,
Inc.
Boston
Keene State College Linux User Group. KSCLUG
Chapter
DotNetNuke Boston User Group
Virtualization Group - Boston. ( VIRTG )
New England Digital Media User Group
Joomla! Users Group Boston
Southern New England SQL Server Users Group
New England Regional SharePoint User Group
BostonCHI
Western Mass Microsoft Technology Users Group
Boston WebsiteSpark Group
New England Small Business Server User Group
Boston Python Meetup
New England SQL Server User Group.
New England Silverlight Guild ( Cambridge, MA )
New England Silverlight Guild ( Farmington, CT
Where and Why Do You Need Help?
What Are The Career Problems We Face Today?
Need a Job?
• How to find someone that needs your
skills
• What to put on a resume
Have a Job? Want to
Advance?
• Underpaid
• Boss / company / co-workers are
jerks
• Obtain references from reputable
people
• Long hours (Over worked)
• Networking Skills
• Financial Struggles of your employer
• Phone Interviewing skills
• Lack of respect
• Interviewing Skills (1:1 / 1:n)
• Layoffs – Lack of confidence in the
future
• Under qualified (lacking some skills)
• Long Commute
• Over qualified (perception of over paid)
• Lack of challenge
• Self-Confidence
• Need better benefits
Habit 1 : Be Proactive
-- Stephen R. Covey
Have A Job and Happy Where You Are…
You Still Have Career Challenges?
• Relationships with smart people on the technologies you have deployed
(Exchange, Lync, CRM, SharePoint, SQL Server, whatever)
• Not enough time to get it all done. Budgets and staff cut to the
extreme.
• Keeping up with technology
• Fire drills seam never ending
• Time for training! No such thing. Not even enough time to get the job
done
• Networking… yeah right, with whom and when?
• Career advancement? Just happy to have a job!
The real opportunity for success lies within the person and not in the job; that you
can best get to the top by getting to the bottom of things
-- Zig Ziglar
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Why get involved… What Do You Want?
• Money? Security? Lifestyle? Experience?
• What are your goals?
• Write them down; Look at them daily!
• Break them down into manageable and achievable goals
• Invest in yourself
• What Are You Willing To Do To Get It?
Bottom Line… (Magic Tip #1) Live a purpose driven life and PLAN to
WIN!
You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to
win, prepare to win, and expect to win.
-- Zig Ziglar
Prepare to become a leader in your community in your career
and in your life…
The first thing to do is… (Magic Tip #2)
Act like a leader…
Leaders ARE Readers!
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Abraham Lincoln
Harry Truman
Ronald Reagan
Bill Clinton
Barack Obama
Pick a president …
Opra Winfrey
Zig Ziglar
Dale Carnegie
Stephen Covey
Where to Start?
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One Leadership Development Book every three months
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Dale Carnegie – How To Win Friends and Influence People
Stephen Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Zig Ziglar – See You At The Top
One Technology book every three months
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Windows, SharePoint, Virtualization, or Whatever
Eventually: a book a month then even more 
"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers."
— Harry S. Truman
Who You Know is More Important Than What You Know!
Are You A People Person?
What To Do…
What You Get…
Leverage Technology Community
to Meet People
• Relationships with…
• Community Leaders
• Community Members
• Speakers
• Vendors
• 1:1, 1:n, Personal and Professional
Join The Discussion, Offer
Assistance and Your Experience...
1:1; 1:n with Speakers, Sponsors,
Other Leaders, Members
• Experience
• Reputation
• Technical Acumen
• Massive Network
• Comfort, Confidence
• Who to call when you need help!
Help other people; Remember
people’s name ; Track people in a
database
• They will want to help you
• Solidify long term relationships
• Build Trust
• Build Stronger Relationships
• Belief that you care
• You are genuine
Bottom Line… (Magic Tip #3) Help Others And You Will Become a People Person
You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other
people get what they want.
-- Zig Ziglar
What You Know Does Eventually Matter!
• Eventually, what you know will be vital. As important as who you know.
• If you want to have an image of an XYZ Expert, you need to know a lot about
XYZ!
“Pay Yourself First” is not
• Spend time EVERY DAY doing research:
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just about money, it is
Read blogs
about all that we do! Invest
Read online forums
In yourself first. If you do
Watch video’s
not, there will be nothing
Attend conferences virtual and physical
left for you.
-- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
Seek user groups related to the topic.
Find people in your area that are already exerts in the field.
Read books
GET CERTIFIED!!!!
Setup lab environment and play with the technology!
• Answer Online forums … Most questions on forums can be answered by simply
doing a quick Internet search
• Learn how to do research: Bing.com
• Start your own blog! It can be done with no financial committment!
• Bottom Line: (Magic Tip #4) Invest in Yourself; Educate Yourself
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand, Then to Be Understood
-- Stephen R. Covey
Develop Your “Personal Mission Statement”
and Personal Branding…
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What do you want to be known for?
What do you want to excel at?
What are you strong at now?
What would be a good niche for you?
• Generic Branding may NOT be fruitful!
• If you like being well rounded, fine be a Jack
of all trades and MASTER of ONE!
• Focus significant time and energy towards
your brand and your mission
• Think about it when you are in the elevator,
in your car, TV commercials, when you go to
bed. Think about it constantly.
• What do others say about you now?
• Do you have to change your image?
• This could take weeks or more (even much
more) to figure out
Habit 2: Begin With The End In Mind
-– Stephen R. Covey
“A personal mission statement
is based on habit 2 of 7 Habits
of Highly Effective People
called begin with the end in
mind. In ones life, the most
effective way to begin with the
end in mind is to develop a
mission statement one that
focuses what you want to be in
terms of character and what
you want to do in reference to
contribution of achievements.
Writing a mission statement
can be the most important
activity an individual can take
to truly lead ones life.”
-- Stephen R. Covey
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Your Image… Follow Your Mission
Be Consistent
• Similar or Identical Name
• (ie. ITProGuru / Dan Stolts)
• Picture or Logo
• Name, Image, Tag Line
• Fake it until you make it
• Perception is everything
• But don’t go to fast!
• Leverage Relationships
• Leverage existing brands of others
• Email address matters! ([email protected])
• Blog address matters (ITProGuru.com)
Dramatize your ideas
-- Dale Carnegie
ITProGuru Personal Mission: Help the
Information Technology Community
solve technical problems. Teach IT
professionals how they can solve
problems, save time, save money and
build their own technical prowess.
Grow the technology community
by helping and teaching others how
they can be part of something that is
much bigger than the sum of its
parts. Help community leaders build
and grow the community. Follow and
share best practices provided by world
leaders such as Stephen R. Covey, Zig
Ziglar, Dale Carnegie and others.
-- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
Online Presence – Blog, Forums,
Website
• Build and prove your technical acumen, gain
technical expertise
• Proof of attention to detail, develop online
reputation
• Proof of being a go getter, people will find you
Presentation
• Public Speaking Skills = Interviewing Skills
• Presentation Preparation Skills = Resume
Skills
• “You Learn significantly more from giving a
presentation than you do from attending a
presentation” – Stephen R. Covey
Give a person a fine reputation to live up to
-- Dale Carnegie
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Learn From Your Community Experiences…
Finding Speakers and Sponsors
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Humility
Negotiating Skills
Get to know people with different technical backgrounds
Relationships with companies and key people in those companies
More practice negotiating
More Networking
Social Networks
• Twitter, LinkedIn
• Facebook, YouTube
• TechNet or Other
Project and Time Management
• Build Your Soft Skills
• Organizational Skills
• Time Management Skills
• People Management Skills
• Leadership Skills
Arouse in the other person an eager want:
He Who Can Do This Has the Whole World with Him. He Who Cannot Walks a Lonely Way
-- Dale Carnegie
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Start Building Your Community and Your Career
Today!
Magic Tip (#5) Start Now!
• Write down WHY this is important to you! Read it every day.
• Start developing your “Personal Mission Statement”. Follow it every day.
• Find Community Groups in your area… Visit many of them and volunteer for the
one(s) that interest you. Bing.com:
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Technology + User Group (ex: Windows Server User Group)
Technology + virtual + community (ex: System Center Virtual Community)
Geo Area + User Group (ex: Boston User Group)
Technology + Forum (ex: SharePoint Forum)
Any combination of above
Become genuinely
“Interested” in other
people
-- Dale Carnegie
• Start slow.. But start today: Reserve X hours each week to build your plan, yourself,
your community and your career. X should start out small so you do not overwhelm
yourself. Eventually, you will likely find yourself spending X*2 or more per day 
• Introduce yourself to someone new daily if possible (start with the person next to you)
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Objective: Learn as much as you can about the other person (be interested in them)
Need help? Ask BING… “working a room introduce yourself” for tons of tips.
Want more guidance… Check out Toastmasters
Practice on me if you like… introduce yourself after the show
• Something like… Hi Dan, just want to take a minute to introduce myself. I am _______ …
The future belongs to those who live intensely in the present.
- Anonymous
I Get Networking And Helping Others Is Important…
But, That Is Not Me!
That is not you because you have not learned HOW!
You have not learned it well enough to be comfortable doing it!
You Need Conversation Starters… Introduce yourself and ask a question!
• What are you studying in school
• How much time do you have left
• What do you do for work
• How long have you been doing that?
• Where do you work?
Be a good listener. Encourage others to
talk about themselves
-- Dale Carnegie
• How long have you been there?
• Are you a football fan? … How do you feel about what
is going on with the _Patriots_or whatever
• Are you a …. fan?
• Have you gotten into social networking?
• Where do you live? Where is that?
• Kids? People love to talk about their kids!
• What age? Soccer, football, reading, math, driving (what
age drives many more conversation continuation topics)
Networking: What To Avoid
• Politics (even if they bring it up)
• Religion (even if they bring it up)
• Any topic that is controversial (even it they bring
it up)
• Sex / Love Life / Other Personal Matters
• Criticism / Judgement
• Their Vacation until you have a relationship
(unless they bring it up)
• Their health or family health … until you have a
relationship (unless they bring it up)
Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves
-- Dale Carnegie
Networking: What to do…
Ask a Question, but Avoid Sounding Like You Are Giving Them The 3rd Degree
Start a conversation… Ask a
question…
It really does not matter… what
you talk about… You just need
to find common interests.
Remember, they are likely
uncomfortable too.
Make sure you “Offer”
information about you during
the conversation
Ex. Conversation where you introduce yourself to
someone at this conference… Hi, My name is Dan Stolts
• Hi Dan, I’m Jim
• Hi Jim, nice to meet you. What do you think of the
conference so far? …. Or just lead with your opinion of
the conference followed by the question
• Oh, I guess it is ok
• Yeah, I can relate. I have been to 4 sessions and one
was great, one was good and the other two were just
ok. But even if the rest of the conference is not good,
I feel I got enough out of the xyz session to make the
whole day worth my investment. Have you gotten
the value of your time back out of it yet?
• No not really, but I am still hopeful.
Being a people person is not being a good
talker… it is being a good listener.
-- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
• What do you do for work? Are you here to get
something specific to help you with your job? …
asking multiple questions at once is ok … or you could
just change the subject. Are you a Celtics Fan? They
have been doing great…
Conversation Starters
These are conversation “Starters”
this is
not the conversation
• What technologies do you work with
• Same as Technology Professional
• Where do you work
• How long have you been a leader (or on the
board) for this group?
• How long…
• Unemployed…
• What are you looking for?
• What are your strengths?
• What companies are you targeting?
• How many people are on the board
• How much time does it take to run a group …
what do you get out of running the group… why
do you do it
• What are some of the challenges the group faces
now
• Where do you live
• Is the group growing? Have you embraced
social networking to grow the group?
• Do you have any hobbies?
• How much time does it take to run the group?
• Hobbies…
• Are you involved with other groups
• Vacation – careful here!!
• … if you are interested in helping the group… do
you need any help? If so, what would I need to
do to get started?
Do not overcommit… Instead, under
commit and over deliver
-- Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
More Starters…
Do your homework … No excuses before you go, check out blog, twitter, website,
products/services, news, etc. So you can talk about his/her interests.
• How often do you speak at events
• What does your business do
• What other topics to you speak on
• Are you looking for new customers;
when kind of companies would make a
good referral for you
• Do you have your schedule posted
online
• Do you cover the local area do you do a
bunch of traveling
• It looks like a really cool job, how did
you get into the field
• Do you have a twitter account
• What do you like best about your work
• How long have you been in the
business
• Do you work with the technology
community or leverage their support
for prospects
• How’s business
• Talk in terms of the other persons interests
• Make the other person feel important and do it sincerely
-- Dale Carnegie
Key Takeaways - 5 Magic Tips
1. Live a purpose driven life and PLAN to WIN!
2. Act like a leader – Read a book
3. Help Others And You Will Become a People
Person
4. Invest in Yourself; Educate Yourself
5. Start NOW!
Recommended Reading:
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Dale Carnegie – How To Win Friends and Influence People
Stephen Covey – 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Zig Ziglar – See You At The Top
Sign up to be alerted when Dan’s book on
building the technology community comes out
http://www.ITProGuru.com
"There are two ways to climb an oak tree. You can climb it, or you can
sit on an acorn and wait for it to grow.“
-- Zig Ziglar
Links From Dan Stolts “ITProGuru”
• North East IT Pro Community Leaders – http://NELeaders.com
• Boston User Groups – http://BostonUserGroups.org – North East US User
Groups
• GITCA – http://www.gitca.org User Groups around the world!
• ITProGuru Blog – http://ITProGuru.com – More detailed HOW TO…
information
• How To Successfully Deliver Presentations for Community Leaders and
Professional Speaker ...
• Scale Your Message Online Improving Blog Exposure and Increase Reach
of Your Message by ...
• Online Collaboration - Publishing PowerPoint Slides to Your Blog or
Website Using Office ...
• Much more coming in the months ahead
• Microsoft Technology Community Groups – www.TechnicalCommunity.com
• TechEd Online (lots of technical content) – http://msTechEd.com
• TechNet – http://TechNet.com
• Sign up to be alerted when Dan’s book comes out
http://ITProGuru.com
• This Slide Deck http://ITProGuru.com/p/resources.aspx
(Resources Link on Main page)
Leveraging an Enormous Technology Community
Get The Answers You Need - When You Need Them
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Do you know who to call when you need career advice?
Do you know the GURU in all technologies you work with?
Do you have a strong as steel like relationship with your partners, customers and peers?
Do you know who to call when you get in a jam?
Do you know who to call to keep yourself out of a jam in the first place?
The “IT Pro Guru” (Dan Stolts) teaches us how to get involved, grow your sphere of influence and put
yourself in a position to know all the right people.
This session will teach you what you need to know to eventually be able to answer all of these
questions in the affirmative.
… you will not as a result of this session be able to answer yes to all questions. But you will learn
how you can eventually get to that point.
If you listen closely, you may even walk away with the secret (Magic Tips) to you personally
becoming the person that others seek out.
So, come and learn how to get the answers you want when you need them. It may just change
your life! … Are you one of the 1-2%’s?
Never criticize, condemn or complain
-- Dale Carnegie
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