Automation blogger par excellance.

Recognition for an instrumentation on-line pioneer.

In the early days of on-line communication, in the days of dial-up in the early nineties Read-out ventured hesitingly to explore the new frontier! Suddenly a new world, well actually an old world, became more available on our desktop.

Gradually we began to be able to communicate frequently with Instrumentation People with whom we only had an occasional contact at conferences, exhibitions and through publications. People like the late Dick Morley (Father of the PLC), Journalists like Walt Boyes and Gary Mintchell, Automation entrepenaurs like Jim Pinto, and so many others throughout the world.

Companies involved in automation were slow (in virtual terms) to harness this resource. Ours is a fairly timid and conservative group of engineers. Smaller companies were first to use it. But it was a fairly difficult job to persuade the larger entities to allow never mind embrace it!

Among the pioneers among the "Big Boys" was Emerson and they were fortunate to have on their staff a champion for this resource. Jim Cahill was and still is "Emerson Automation's Chief Blogger & SocialMedia Leader."

In those early days the "internet champions" made contact with each other and established friendships across the globe. Occasionally at conferences they met up. 

I was at an ISA Exhibition & Conference in Mobile (AL USA) when I got a message. "Are you here?" It was Jim Cahill. I responded and asked where he was. He said he was in one of the lecture halls at the back to the left hand corner of the room. And so he was. In those days battery life expectancy in laptops was short so it was important to be close to a power point which explained the left hand corner! And that was how I met Jim. 

I have met him a few times since them at various parts of the world. Of course we keep track of each other on the various on-line platforms. Links to two of those are given below both in Duesseldorf (D) 12 years apart*. 

This has been the case with other automation professionals as well.

Jim, as I have said stil is one might say one of the pioneers in using this medium through "Emerson Automation Experts" and recently it came as no surprise to find this in the top US automation podcasts recently.

Well done Jim, may your efforts continue to virtually florish.

2012

2024

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* See also: #EMrex: Automation returns to Düsseldorf! (2012) and  #EMRex Boundless exploration, engaging and evolution on the Rhine!  (2024)

@EmersonExchange @Emerson_News @EMR_Automation @JimCahill @MillionPodcasts #PAuto #EmrEx #EMEA #USA