Community at .conf25: SplunkTrust Stories Series (Part 1)

For those who have been around the Splunk community for a while, particularly at .conf, they might recognize the familiar face of a long-time SplunkTrust member Rich Mahlerwein who has attended every single .conf since 2015. His journey from accidental discovery to a cornerstone of the community offers valuable insights into the power of Splunk and its people.

Rich Mahlerwein started using Splunk in 2014 and has been in the SplunkTrust since its inception. He hopes to continue living up to the standard of helpfulness the SplunkTrust is known for. Rich had a varied career in IT, building networked computers on ocean-going vessels and running a data center for a Native American tribe. He recently began working at Truist Bank. In his spare time, he does a lot of local volunteer work. Rich has been happily married for 23 years with two teenage daughters and lives in cold and snowy Northern Wisconsin.

Rich’s story began back in 2014, quite by accident. He stumbled upon a random Splunk installation that a contractor had set up years prior. It was doing some fascinating things with firewall logs, and he remembers thinking, "This looks neat!" What truly impressed him from the get-go were the Splunk docs – accurate, complete, and incredibly helpful. As Rich puts it, "My mind was truly blown when I sent in some minor feedback, and a real person fixed the issue within an hour, thanking me for the input! That kind of responsiveness was unheard of."

But the real transformation for Rich began when he found the link to Splunk's community channel, which was IRC back then. He describes it: "There were a couple of dozen regulars who were friendly and knew practically everything, yet were perfectly happy to answer my dumb questions." He was new, so he started by simply "greeting" people and helping them phrase their questions for the community, especially before the California-based folks hopped online. A few weeks later, Rich even answered his first question (because he'd just learned the answer himself the week before!). That was it. He was hooked.

It was a tremendous honor for him to be among the first members of the SplunkTrust. They were a small group that year, just 20 of them if he recalls correctly. Rich reflects on this early honor, "...I just lucked out by being in the right place, at the right time, trying hard to help everyone.”  

Since then, it's been an annual pilgrimage to .conf. He vividly recalls the experiences, "I've been to every .conf since then, fighting alligators in Florida, dealing with the Vegas heat, and dealing with even more heat in Vegas." He even recalls one year in 2019, an airplane at the next gate had to delay its departure because the tarmac temperature was 126°F, and the plane was only certified to take off at 124°F or lower! These are the kinds of unique memories one makes at .conf.

Rich’s first few .conf events were amazing. He learned so much from the sessions, absorbing every piece of content he could. But over the years, he's come to realize something profound. As Rich emphasizes, "The real benefit in going to .conf was interacting with the people around you, having the back-hallway conversations, meeting the people at another table and encouraging them. And sometimes having them encourages you!" Even though .conf is always fun, many "nerds" are introverts. So, his most valuable piece of advice is not to overdo it.

He recommends scheduling some sessions – “heck, schedule quite a few!” But if you can't find a session for a particular time slot, Rich advises to take a break at the community area and hang out. In his experience, there are always people there ready to talk about what you're doing with Splunk, what you might be doing, or just about anything else.

He encourages attendees to be ready to try something new. Sit at a table with strangers and ask them how their .conf experience is going. Be open to changing your plans because you've met new friends. He notes, "You'd be surprised at the things you can learn, and the things that you can teach others."

And that, Rich says, is the hook. He concludes, "That's what keeps you coming back year after year. The people and relationships."

Though the fezzes (SplunkTrust members) often flock together because so many of them are old friends now, he wants everyone to know “...you are always welcome at our table!" He encourages people to come say hello, share their story, and become part of this incredible community.

Rich has been an invaluable member of the Splunk Community and the SplunkTrust. Thank you for all that you do!

See you at .conf25!

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