There was once a country where a strange relationship had developed over the years. On one side were the apples, with their most fervent admirers, the appleists (also known as the “apple-trees”). On the other, the oracles (if you’ll pardon the pun), with their most prominent representatives, the oraclers (pardon me again).

At first, neither group had much to do with the other; each evolved, as best it could, in the skills it was best suited for.

But one day, when no one expected it, a bond formed (I won’t be the one to call it love) between the two worlds. One of the world’s leading apple-trees, mister “Jobs”, hit it off famously with mister “Ellison”, the foremost exponent of the oraclers.

From this union sprang a series of gadgets, gizmos and inventions that, over the years, allowed the whole apple community to get along with the oracle community, establishing an interesting symbiosis, whereby the creative apple-trees developed new techniques and tools leaning on the sobriety and emotional stability of the oraclers.

And this was a lovely story of collaboration that, with the odd small crack, held up over the years, letting both communities grow and improve, each keeping the best of itself while making the most of the other’s virtues when needed.

But, as no joy lasts a thousand years, lo and behold the apple-trees suddenly decided to make a notable change to their most intimate concepts and beliefs (though, in fairness, the change wasn’t so sudden, and given their friendship with the oraclers, the latter were duly informed of how far-reaching the changes would be).

Changes that, while significant, were carried out really cleverly, leaving their relationships with other communities practically untouched. Only one small adjustment was essential, on the part of the all-powerful oracler community, for the lovely friendship story to continue — one that had produced such good results in recent years.

But, for reasons unknown, the oraclers decided not to make that tiny adjustment. Nearly two years after being warned and informed, they still haven’t moved a muscle. And it’s a shame, because the apple-trees, tired of waiting so long for a kind response from their dear friends, are starting to look for alternatives that can provide what, until recently, the oraclers supplied entirely satisfactorily.

Funnily enough, everything suggests the apple-trees will manage to find that alternative to the oraclers (there are several communities that can provide the required sobriety and stability). The oraclers, however, won’t have it so easy finding another community capable of generating the impressive creative synergies that are the apple-trees’ own.

We’ll see what happens in the coming months… I’ll keep you posted. This eternal optimist trusts both communities will walk hand in hand again in the near future.

Moral / recommendation: if you’re one of the apple-trees, or an oracler, and you’d like both communities to keep moving forward together, it’s simple. Just leave your thoughts on what we’re all missing out on, and what we can do to fix it, at:

https://forums.oracle.com/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=481059

Ciao, stronk7 🙂