topic Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-) in SAS Global Forum 2017

Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

BeverlyBrown — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 13:24:57 GMT

At the support communities booth, one of you asked if @Cynthia_sas is a real person or an admin account used by several SAS employees to respond to your questions. The replies associated with this username are as numerous as they are helpful.

I'm pleased to offer proof that she is indeed a real person! That's her on the right.

Neat tid-bit: She started using SAS software a few years after the original SAS co-founders left NCSU and incorporated. She was an office manager at a university where the IT department said it would take THREE YEARS to compile reports needed for accreditation.

Well, that wouldn't do. So, tapping her husband's SAS expertise, she learned SAS herself to do the job much sooner. The rest is history. We appreciate you, Cynthia!

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

art297 — Wed, 05 Apr 2017 23:51:26 GMT

And, not only is she a real person, I actually finally got to meet her in one of the hallways yesterday afternoon.

Art, CEO, AnalystFinder.com

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

BeverlyBrown — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:04:44 GMT

That picture from breakfast yesterday was my first time seeing her in person, @art297. Was also fun meeting you IRL!

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

Rick_SAS — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:08:55 GMT

@BeverlyBrown Do you have proof that @art297 is a real person? I've always suspected that he is actually a team of experts...

Art: Sorry I missed you in Orlando. I saw many others friends, but I regret we didn't connect. It was a HUGE conference this year!

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

ChrisHemedinger — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:28:27 GMT

@Rick_SAS - I got you. Here's @art297 and @mkeintz with @BeverlyBrown...and me, the human selfie stick.

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

Rick_SAS — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:29:54 GMT

Oh, be still my beating heart!

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

MelodieRush — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 14:33:06 GMT

I can confirm I spotted her in the quad, plus I actually shared a stage with her at a user group a couple of years back! She is indeed real!

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

Quentin — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 15:05:50 GMT

Love the photos. Not only did I miss SGF, but I even missed @mkeintz when he came to BASUG a couple weeks ago (and ironically, I was in Orlando at that time, a couple weeks too early!)

I'll never forget the day I entered a support ticket, and later in the day my phone rang "This is @Cynthia_sas, I'm all calling about your ticket...." And I was star struck. Wow, THE Cynthia Zender was calling me??? I think I babbled on for about 10 minutes saying "thank you for all the papers and online help and book and... " before asking her the actual question from my ticket.

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

BeverlyBrown — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 17:27:22 GMT

@Quentin Wow, thanks for sharing this. She really is (as we say in the Southern US), "Somethin' else!" Her responses are lightning fast and so helpful. Getting to meet her IRL was a real treat for me.

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

art297 — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 21:30:52 GMT

@Rick_SAS: I, too, am sorry we didn't get to see each other AGAIN! Last time I think we saw each other was at the Minneapolis MWSUG meeting a few years ago and we almost got to meet a couple of years ago when you almost made it to speak at the Toronto SAS Society meeting. This year's closing party was nice but, unlike previous years, one wasn't able to walk around the room and meet up with all the folks you missed during the conference.

However, for future reference, I'm easy to find at a conference. Just go outside and follow the aroma leading to the pipe. I think I was the only pipe smoker there this year.

Re: Yes, @Cynthia_sas is a real person! :-)

Vince_SAS — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 23:08:37 GMT

I could see how one might think that @Cynthia_sas is an admin account used by several SAS employees. She works tirelessly and accomplishes what would normally take a small army of SAS employees!