Farewell from Iainhouse

Map Editors Community Archived Topics
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I’ve made lots of long posts in the past. This is one of the worst I’ve ever had to make, but I hope it can, in some ways, be one of the best as well. I have so much to say, one post isn’t going to do it all.

To start it off, I have to start with the worst news possible. I am dying. I have terminal colon cancer which has spread extensively. As of my oncologist appointment last week, I have been told I have weeks to live. Maybe a month or two if extended with chemotherapy, but right now that would probably just end it quicker. There will never be a stage where it’s reduced enough that surgery would be even possible. There is no doubt.

This is horrible news for anyone. As you read this now, I know you’re all stunned. You are wondering what you can possibly say in the face of such news. That was me a couple of days ago, but the unbelievable support I’ve already received talking with the UK and Global Champs over the weekend have led me to realise that there is still positivity to be found.

So if you don’t know what to say, don’t feel trapped. How could anyone know what to say? Please believe me when I say that behind that barrier of shock, I know you care and I can feel your love without the need for you to find the words.

There’s the old story about being trapped in a train tunnel and seeing an oncoming light. Yes, it’s a freight train. But there’s another light behind me – a life well-lived about which I have no regrets. And around the edges of that oncoming train is the light of the other side of the tunnel. I may not walk out there, but it is a real future that will happen and on which, I hope, I will continue to have an effect beyond this one moment in time.

I’ve never had a bucket list. Now I’m prompted to think about it, I have literally nothing to put on it. I may not have lived a great life or accomplished anything world-shaking, but I am happy with the life I have lived and have no regrets about how I’ve lived it. I’ve brought up some wonderful children and done some good for those around me. Even in this darkest of moments, I feel a pride in what I’ve accomplished and a hope that what I can give will last belong a physical moment that is coming.

A life is not simply a period of time between a birth and a death in isolation. It’s a story that begins before we’re conceived and lasts far past the date on a tombstone if people still remember you. If I can carry away one conceited fantasy, it’s a room full of Global Champs in Tel Aviv in 10 years’ time. Just for a moment, one of you catch a movement from the corner of your eye and think you just saw a glance of a strange bearded guy in a baseball cap and a Hawaiian shirt sitting quietly in a corner getting ready to cause some trouble! If that happens, I will still be there in that room.

An intermission for a brief word from our sponsor: Iain’s sick sense of humour

Things I don’t have to worry about any more:
• Whilst UK consumers make idiots of themselves sucking dry petrol stations to hoard 1 litre of petrol in a water bottle in case they want to visit Aunt Betty at the weekend, the quarter-tank of fuel left in my tank will probably last me beyond my my future driving needs.
• Whilst gas prices and Brexit means UK households will be facing massively increased heating bills next year, my last gas expenditure will be a crematorium in the next few weeks.
• My CAT scan shows a wonderfully clean & unscarred pair of lungs despite 40 years of smoking. Guess I don’t need to give that up now.
• After 10+ years of being divorced, I might finally be able to discover what it’s like not to talk to my ex-wife any more!
• Those shelves of ridiculously overpriced, fancy tubs of luxury ice-cream are no longer a waste of money to be despised, but an interesting way to spend a few bucks whenever I feel like it.
• That ridiculously over-hyped tub of orange-haired lard sitting next to the ice creams. I don’t have to sit through the next episode of Make Arseholes Great Again.

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That was the bad post. Now I’d like to say something about who I’ve been and what Waze has meant to me.

Back in 2012, I had my first smartphone. I was due to go on holiday in a few weeks and I was looking for a free satnav app. There was this Waze thing available. The “you can edit the maps” seemed particularly interesting, so I thought I’d give it a try. It was useless! It couldn’t even get me to work – but I was able to find some problems and, with help from fellow editors, I was able to get a route. Then I went on holiday. South Wales was in desperate need of work and it became my first major project in editing.

I have always been an anti-social kind of person. I’ve never been on Facebook, or MySpace or any of the “social” networks. I never could have imagined that I would ever become so deeply involved in an online community as I have with Waze. Even today, after 9 years in which Waze has become a core part of who I am as a person, I couldn’t tell you how or why it happened.

After a month or two, I was really starting to get into this editing thing. It seemed endlessly fascinating. There were experienced editors around me to help and make suggestions and I rapidly found that, even as a noob, I had ideas to contribute to mapping in the UK. I think I’d probably been involved less than two months when I had the wonderful idea that “London” was completely useless to Waze and should be removed. I must have had a charmed life – not only did they listen to me, but we’ve spent the past 9 years making sure “London” never re-appears in Waze!

So then they said it was time I became an Area Manager. I thought about it, decided I could commit the time and started on down the rabbit hole…

It wasn’t long after that the UK Self-Management Team asked me to join them. I thought long and hard about that. For my own piece of mind, I couldn’t agree unless I decided for myself that I could make the personal commitment to put a proper effort into it. I thought long and hard – and agreed. I was deep in the clutches of Waze by now!

Next to come was Global Champ. I never expected this in any way. I never asked for or looked for it. I wasn’t asked if I wanted to be one. They just made me one.

People have often asked me how they can become a Global Champ. There are nomination forms now. GCs get created to ensure representation of local communities around the world. Back then, it wasn’t so clear cut.

My opinion is that I became a Global Champ simply because that was what I was doing for myself. I know of many people whose forum landing page is their local country forum. I have that link in my bookmarks but barely ever use it. My home page is the main forum and the link I use more than any other is “new posts”. Communities all over the world use English. I can speak a little French and a little German. I can even understand the Yanks occasionally. There’s no way the knowledge I’d acquired could only be relevant to the UK, so I looked at all the posts I could. If I felt I could help, I would try. I guess someone at HQ noticed me and said “why isn’t this guy a Global Champ already?”

So I thought I was already down the rabbit hole. Now it had taken an unexpected turn and I was never getting out! Suddenly I was part of a group of giants in the Waze community. People who seemed to have been there forever and built the community from the beginning and I was one of them. Direct communication with Waze staff. A window into the heart of Waze itself. Special meetings and GC meetups in Israel.

I didn’t feel worthy then. I’m not sure I ever did, but what has poured back to me over the last few days from my fellow champs is that I have earned that position and that I have earned and used that position for good. That is their opinion, and it would be a disservice to them to deny it. As much as any person can, I have contributed to the DNA of Waze and the community and that is something that will survive my physical absence in the future.

Things didn’t always run so smoothly though. About 5 years ago I came to a personal crisis with Waze. As a Global Champ, I felt that I represented not just the Waze community, but, in an unofficial way, I was a representative of Waze HQ to the community – and I discovered I was not happy with how HQ were interacting with the community. I nearly quit Waze. For a month or so I tried, until I realised I literally couldn’t live without Waze. So I returned with my great rant: “Staff communication with community is broken”. This was an entirely personal statement and I never intended it to be anything else. Instead, it seemed I had unwittingly tapped into a feeling that we were all experiencing. Once I expressed that feeling, it turned out I was just articulating it for us all. A personal rant ended up being the most-thanked post ever on the Waze forum, with double the thanks of the next most popular post. If there is one single contribution I have made to the community that I could choose, this would be it. It led to a revolution in how HQ and community dealt with each other. For new Waze staff, I’m told they are all sent to read that post. Communication improved dramatically across the board. Not only did Waze HQ make outstanding efforts to repair the situation from their side, we were made to face up to the fact that communication is a two-way thing and it’s not enough for us to complain about the problem – we had to hold up our side of the issue and work with HQ to make things better together. Waze as a whole would not be where it is now without that reset to the relationship – something that can still be seen today.

So that’s how I became the Angry Champ. Yes, it’s a bit of a joke. It was never as simple as the emotion of anger. It’s more about having an opinion – making it a reasoned one that can be backed up with sense and then argued for the benefit of all. And having the humbleness to realise that sometimes we get it completely wrong and knowing when to back down and apologise.

Then I entered the world of WME Userscripts. WME is an incredible tool that allows us to create & maintain a map that provides benefits to millions of users around the world. But at the end of the day, it is developed and produced by people who simply don’t USE it and will never truly understand what it needs to do to be our daily productive workspace. I could go off on a whole separate rant about this, but that’s not the point here. From the beginning of my use of WME, there have been scripts created by the community to improve and extend the capability of WME. These are tools created by true giants among us. If I could “donate” 20% of the millions of edits I’ve racked up over the years to the authors of those scripts, it would barely begin to be a fair return for what they’ve done for us all. There are big scripts used by thousands of people. There are little ones that may perhaps get used a dozen times in a week. But each one is produced by someone who saw a use for it and used by someone who has that use.

Since 2016, I’ve been proud to be a member of that scripting crew. I’m not one of the greatest. My script is probably used by hundreds of people, not the thousands who use some of the main ones. The script couldn’t even have started to exist without shameless copying from the basics of the others that were already there. But it has filled the requirements I have of it and does so for hundreds of others who find it helpful. I’m proud to have been able to help those people.

I have been to many Meetups over the years. I have been privileged & honoured to meet so many of you in person. There are many more who I have never met but have talked with on the forums. There are many of you I’ve never spoken to. You might look at a forum leaderboard and think I’m someone away in the stratosphere who means nothing to you but a name. But to me, you are all a part of a family that I’ve belonged to for years and will leave no less easily than I will leave my own family. I love you all.

That’s how my Waze career has developed and changed and brought me to who I am now and I have no regrets.

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So is there a future?

Yes there is. My direct participation in it will soon be over. But I leave a legacy of my own and one that I know that those who come after me can build upon. Not for the memory of Iainhouse, but for the future of your extraordinary selves and the community we are all part of.

If I have one skill I feel I have truly used for good in Waze, it has been communication. As I said somewhere earlier, most of the forum is in English. For many people that is not their first language, but you invest in the effort of using that second language so we can all talk together as equals. For me, it’s the primary language. I’m pretty good with it and with expressing my ideas about Waze with it. Whilst many of the things I have said seemed like entirely my own idea at the start, I watch the thanks start appearing on my posts and I realise that I am actually expressing what so many others would like to say. But before they could gather the words or work out how to express the idea, along comes Iain and says it like they would have said it if they’d just had a little more time. Without trying to make things my own, I’ve instead managed to repeatedly become the channel to express what so many wanted to say.

I’m not unique. I’m not that special. I KNOW that out there among you are people who can do what I have done. Perhaps it’s the noob with a radical idea who is afraid to speak up because they will be laughed it. Perhaps it’s the Global Champ who is so infuriated by the latest silly change to WME that they don’t know where to start or what to say. I can only say to you “try”. You might get it right, you might get it wrong. The only guaranteed route of failure is not to say anything.

I never believed or imagined I could contribute to Waze as I have done. But if I can, so can you.

I am only one person. My end is here and I will no longer contribute directly to Waze. But you are still here and you will be for a long time to come. The community isn’t me, or one person, or 10 or 100. It is all of you and I leave it confident in the knowledge that it will continue to live and thrive without me, because I don’t believe you can do otherwise than continue to be wonderful.

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I’m so very truly sorry to hear this Iainhouse, yet grateful that you’ve been able to stay positive and share with us in a productive perspective. I can only wish and pray for you to have a full recovery, and for the continued strength and courage to handle all that comes your way. May you know no further pain, and be with us for many years to come.I often tell people your personal life must always come first, but the truth is to many of use this Community has inextricably become a part of our personal lives.
Life is short and precious, no one could understand this more than someone looking at a defined end so near. It hurts me just to imagine this, I can never say i really understand. Many people never see the end coming and have no time to set their affairs in order. We are all so humbled and appreciative that you’ve chosen to take of the limited time you have now amongst all the important tasks, and what I’m sure is an ever growing last minute to-do list to share some of it with us.
Your legacy will continue for many years to come, your contributions a part of the fabric of what Waze will become.
We will carry your torch
Be well our friend, and thank you.

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I’m still new here and learning each day, but to see a post like this tells me so much about the community, key word community. It is clear that you have made a huge mark on others but they have likely done the same. Thank you for in your message sharing what it is to be part of this community. Safe travels, I wish you peace and tranquility on your journey.

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There is little more that I can say beyond Thank You. Your contributions to Waze and the Waze community have made life better and easier for all of us.

I can hope and pray for your recovery, and do so in earnest. Even more, may you have comfort and be spared from pain.

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You, sir, have indeed led a great life.
I only regret that I’ve never met you in person - your writing assures me I’d be a better person for having spent a little time in your presence.

I will henceforth look at your Waze FixUI scripts as … “Waze [says] FU [cancer]!”

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Wow.

Just… wow. I’m completely stunned by this news. :frowning:

I can’t think of anything to say that hasn’t already been said here. But you’ve made an incredible impact on the Waze editing community as a whole with your scripts and support (and I hope whoever takes over mentor-ship of those scripts does as good a job with them as you did).

Thank you for everything you’ve done. You’ll be sorely missed by an awful lot of us.

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I’m am so sorry to hear of your cancer. Thanks for all you’ve done for us with Waze. My thoughts and prayers are with and for you.

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Technology has allowed people from all over the world with diverse backgrounds to join together as a close-knit community with a common goal, so many of us who have never met in person still feel a certain kinship. I’m proud to be a member of such a great community, and sad whenever we lose our leaders. Iainhouse, your legacy will live on.

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Iain,

I am so sorry to hear the news of your illness.

You have affected the Waze Community in so many countless ways and I doubt that I can do your contributions any justice here and in writing. So instead I want to tell you a story.

I joined Waze in September 2016, when you posted what we call internally Iain’s post (though I know you prefer you call it a rant). I was still onboarding, learning tons from my team members and my communities and mainly trying to figure out how I can get more involved in WME development.

Saying that your post struck a chord with me would be a huge understatement. I felt like I learned some fundamental truths about Waze that have been guiding how I communicate and encourage everyone on the team to communicate with their communities as well.

I learned from you how loved Waze really is by its community members. You had become very disillusioned with Waze at that point and unsuccessfully tried to keep your distance. However, when you really care about something, you just can’t sit still when things don’t work the way you know they could and should. You decided to speak up. It was so clear from your post, that everything you said, regardless of how uncomfortable it was for us to read, was said out of love for Waze and its community. I’ve learned this lesson from so many community members since. Your love for Waze goes way above the contributions you are making to the map. I’m so thankful for that.

I learned from you that communication must always come first. Even when we don’t have an answer to a community question ready to go or something has been deprioritised that I know the communities would really like to see Waze do, the least I can commit to is to communicate with you. (And then always make sure staff internally is aware of what we need to improve.)

I learned that when we keep open communication channels, are transparent with each other and involve the community the sky is the limit. Of course I didn’t learn this directly from your post, I learned this later at the Europe meet up in 2017 when we discussed your post. At that point it had become my mission to ensure communication around WME releases and scripts run more smoothly and I was so happy to hear it was making a difference.

I learned from you how important scripts are to the map editor. You started teaching me in this post and still until this day I’m learning.

I know there is always room for improvement, but I think we’ve come a long way since November 2016. And I guess what I really am saying with my post is that we have you to thank for that - You triggered a lot of change by speaking up honestly, clearly about issues you had experienced on your own and spoke up for so many others as well. I know that I speak on behalf of Waze HQ when I say that the legacy you are leaving behind at Waze has made a difference and will continue to make a difference in the future.

It has been such a pleasure meeting you on European & Global Champs Meet ups. I fondly remember our conversations and discussions around Waze, WME & scripts (and more often than not points and weekly scoreboard updates).

Remember, your Waze family is always here for you. May the journey you have ahead of you be filled with love and peace.

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Hi Iain,

I remember walking into the Prague meeting in 2019 as a newbie. Greeted by a sea of faces I never met before and couldn’t hope to remember all. That is, until I saw you. So I asked Dengkao: “who is that?” “That’s Iain House”.

That gave me hope. There was at least one person I could remember the name of for sure. Turns out there were many more I could remember, but it started with you.

Years later I asked you to help me and mewsa when we tried to develop our little script. And you did. Your unique input and view on things is what helped shape it to what it is. Thank you.

I’m glad I’ve met you. Glad to have witnessed what your presence did to a room full of people. When you talk, people listen. Your eloquence, humor and sharp insights (or maybe not that sharp, but to me they were) has made you a person who will be missed at future meetings. Thank you.

I hope your last stretch of time will be filled with fun, banter, good memories and laughter. And to the one running that train coming at you: FU.

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Dear Iainhouse,

For almost a decade you have been a Waze Global Champ.

From your famous “Communication” post, to your scripts which changed the way thousands of editors use the WME, to your 11K+ posts - it’s no wonder that you are one of the most thanked Wazers on the forum :sunglasses:

We were all struck and saddened by the news of your illness and count ourselves lucky to have gotten the chance to meet you at so many meetups over the years.

It is with our deepest gratitude that we share with you our well-wishes and are here to offer any support we can.

Thank you for everything you’ve done and are still doing for the community.

You are a true Waze Champion and having you as part of the community has changed us all for the better.

With great love and appreciation,

Shira on behalf of the Waze Communities Team

[slides]https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vTDrTmaFcU6saY_cvz3cpOGuZA-SUY88s0Yyq2xLn3kWQctJnL2cKTK7xkBI3QcNrx2SOIjQQRO5UqA/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000[/slides]

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Dear Iainhouse,

I am very sorry to hear about your illness.

I had the pleasure of meeting you online not so long ago while we spoke about scripts :slight_smile: I was amazed by your knowledge and passion when you spoke about the WME and the future of it. You were so thorough with your explanations and I learned a lot with you.

I only have words of appreciation for everything you do for the community. It is inspiring to see how you’ve helped everyone for so many years.

Thank you for everything,

Maia(unavailable attachment: Screen Shot 2021-10-12 at 9.35.58.png)

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Iain my friend,

These news hit harder than you can imagine. You might not know this or fully understand this, but your contribution to Waze and the Community is immense, and it’s more than most people will accomplish in their lives.
More than 2 million (!!!) map edits, have affected probably millions of lives. From parents driving their kids to school, to saving lives during a crisis.
The everyday users will never know it was you who made sure they’ll arrive at their destination, every time.

Back in my community management days I remember entire staff meetings revolving around Iainhouse’s latest post or email.
You were a big part of the every day work to build a better product, and creating the best community in the world.
Your “rants” (while sometimes too long to read :)) were often a good reminder that we’re in this together and that we all care deeply for the community and users.

It was a pleasure to meet you Sir, thank you for the years you’ve dedicated and everything you’ve done!

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Thank you Iain once again.

You made a huge impact to our Waze experience.

Always enjoyed to express our frustrations together in Waze meetups and “wake” Waze staff up :slight_smile:

Thanks again,
Shmupi

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Dear Iain,

I’ve already expressed my thoughts as I was discovering the horrible news the other day in the GC channel. Today I want to thank you for being there for others beyond UK borders anytime you had the opportunity.

I remember my first ever Waze meetup in London, I didn’t know anyone and spoke to few people initially. We eventually sat at the same table and when I mentioned an issue with roundabouts, you immediately took a napkin and started drawing solutions on it and giving me advice at the table. I could quickly see how passionate you were with sharing your knowledge and helping fellow editors who shared your interests, regardless of role or level.
As you yourself pointed out, this has particularly shone on the forum, where you participated in many different sub sections and were also protective of the community, using your GC rights to assist with moderation when spammers were trying to sneak their malicious links around our discussions. A lot of the time thanks to you we were always quick to stop their activities before they could have any impact. I’ll always think of you whenever that happens now: Would Iain have dealt with them faster?

As Waze has this funny way of giving us roles, on behalf of the swiss editing community, thank you for your help and advice over the years. On behalf of the WME beta community, thank you for your enormous contribution to making WME what it is today with your attention to details when providing feedback and improving it with your own scripting skills.

Finally I hope again that you may cherish as many peaceful times as possible with your family and loved ones, and even if you say there is no doubt, for as long as possible, all the while enjoying your favorite smokes, knowing that you can :slight_smile:
Thanks for the rants, the laughs, the talks, advice and every single contribution that you made, always constructively, and that you leave us as a legacy.

You won’t be forgotten and be deeply missed,

Vincent

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Dear Iain,

My heart is broken since I heard about your situation a few days ago.

I feel lucky that I had the chance to meet you in person so many times and have gotten to know you over the past 8 years that I’ve been working at Waze.
You are such an inspiring community leader and I learned a lot from your feedback throughout the years. Your input and contribution is always so honest and caring, clearly showing your passion for improving the lives of all those around you.

You are a truly special person and I know that the entire community and Waze staff members feel the same.

We are all thinking of you and wish you the very best.

Sending you my positive thoughts and lots of LOVE,
Hila

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Iain,

First and foremost I want you to know that you will be prayed for from San Antonio, Texas. Of course I pray for a complete healing, while also knowing that complete healings only exist on the other side of eternity. Second, I have been blessed by engaging in the Waze community. To me, map editing is a way to love people by helping them go about their daily lives in a less stressful and life giving way. Personally, I have received so much from people in the community, which I am so grateful for. I have walked a very difficult path for almost ten years now, and your messages have deeply touched me at the culmination of a very difficult time. Your grateful, appreciate heart is evident throughout your posts. It sounds like you have lived not a perfect life, but one that has most certainly been full, while projecting hope to struggle for what is right and meaningful, and makes a difference for good. Especially in context of how much pain and suffering exists in our world, and even in our homes, I am inspired by your story to continue to hope in the face the darkest and most terrify events we all must face. I don’t think I will ever look at this community the same after reading your posts. Thank you so much!!!

May God bless you, from a kindred spirit who just wants to make whatever corner of the world he touches a little more full of light, hope, and left better than when he arrived.

Ted

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What a terrible news. I heard that the reason of cancer might be the way of life - so a man should change his way of life and find someone to love and pray for him, and keep the faith. Until one breaths there is a hope. Don’t believe the doctors, believe in how you fell. I know cases where people were told that they will die but they are still alive. I am so sad that this happens to people and medicine is still helpless. My beloved father passed away at the beginning of this year and I still can’t cope with this immersive loss because he was my true friend and support in life.