Current Events
Events of interest to database and programming professionals
Yesterday, I was catching up on some blogs that I regularly read and noticed one that got me to really thinking. It was written by fellow SQL Server enthusiast and blogger extrodenaire Brent Ozar. The blog posting, entitled Another backup failure: Carbonite, recounts and offers Brent's commentary on the relatively recent failures of online backup company Carbonite. The blog is interesting itself and well worth the read, but what I found most interesting was in the comments section.
David Friend, Carbonite's CEO, found Brent's blog and responded to it by leaving a comment. Friend offered some additional insight...
Yesterday I posted a short blog about DevLink in the middle Tennessee area. Today, I'd like to make sure that you're aware of another great event in the great northwest - DevTeach/SQLTeach.
DevTeach/SQLTeach is a wonderful event put on largely by volunteers led by Jean-Rene (JR) Roy. It's got a good combination of developer tracks and SQL Server tracks. So if you're a developer with a bent for database application, this event is right up your alley.
Earlier this week, DevTeach/SQLTeach released their lineup of speakers and sessions. Have a look at them and I'm sure you'll...
For those of you who are not familiar with DevLink, you should be. It's Middle Tennessee's premier developer and database conference. It attracts some of the best speakers from all over North America, yet it provides a comfortable and relaxed environment where attendees and speakers can have a fun time just hanging out and getting to know one another.
Currently the call for speakers is open. If you're interested in speaking at the event, visit the DevLink site ,http://www.devlink.net, to download the abstract submission form
As I type this, I've just sat down at the Press/Bloggers table in the General Session are waiting for the keynote address. The lights have dimmed and the smoke machine has begun pumping fog onto the stage. Once again, "Born to be Wild" is blaring on the PA System. The curtain drops and Rushabh Mehta, PASS' current Executive Vice President of Finance and Technology is on a Vespa motor scooter! It's great to see PASS folks having fun! It's professional yet with humor.
Rushabh is sharing the PASS financials. Although details really can't be provided in such a setting, it's good...
Wayne Snyder, the president of PASS, entered the stage on a Harley-Davidson Fat-Boy. "Welcome to the world's biggest conference for the world's biggest database!" he yells as "Born to be Wild" blares over the PA system. This is going to be an excited event; you can feel it in the air.
"PASS is a live conference for a live community." said Wayne. As the member of the PASS Community, Wayne is a fantastic speaker. He's a passionate and enthusiastic champion for the SQL Server Community.
PASS is in it's 10th year. And this is the most explosive year yet. Attendance increased...
Yesterday I attended the PASS Volunteer Training Day; a concept that started a couple of years ago. It's a day when all of the volunteers that make PASS work throughout the year come together for training, discussions, brainstorming, and education. There were chapter leaders from around the world, people that work tirelessly to create a program for the Summit and European events, and Special Interest Group leaders - to name but a few.
This year's training day was marked by a first, and it's been a long time coming. (I'm not sitting on the outside pointing fingers either; I've been...
I just voted in the PASS 2008 Board of Directors elections. I can tell you the decision was not an easy one. And I'm glad! The SQL Server community is a rather close knit group of people. By that I don't mean that it's some kind of "old boy" network. I'm not even talking about an organization like PASS that attempts to represent or to serve the community. No, I'm talking about the community as a whole. Although the installations of SQL Server are vast and its use is broad, the community of professionals that actively seek out to...
The 2008 PASS Community Summit begins next week. It's probably one of the best weeks of my professional year. There is, of course, lots and lots and lots of great technical training. Multiple sessions (usually 9 or 10) happening simultaneously so I can choose from hearing one of the product managers from Microsoft explain where the product is going in the future. Or if I prefer I can sit in on one of the PSS (Premier Services and Support) sessions to learn how to troubleshoot my instances better. Of course there's the CAT (Customer Advisory Team) sessions that are always...
Late yesterday afternoon, Microsoft posted to their download site a Release Candidate (RC1) for the Notification Services Components Package. This is essentially the same package that was released back in February 2007, with one really major exception - it supports SQL Server 2008!
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyId=614FFDF3-C608-4BD3-9061-AE37DCC81E2B&displaylang=en
As one who has worked quite a bit with Notification Services (and still I received calls and emails from around the world regarding Notification Services), I'm very glad to see this. Not only because I'm glad to see a good feature persisted a bit longer, but because Microsoft stepped up and in my opinion made good on an...
Sometimes it seems that pursuing certification in a technology is tantamount to running on treadmill.
On a treadmill you spend countless hours toiling away, working up a sweat and exerting yourself beyond what you thought you could do. At the end, you reap the benefits of your efforts; you're in better shape.
The same could be said for preparing for a certification exam. You spend hour upon hour learning a new technology, expanding your knowledge much the same way you expand your lungs while running. And at the end, you've learn a great deal, passed a few exams, and you've...
Full Current Events Archive