Comments on: Conference blogging catching on

By: Tamar Granor

Tamar Granor — Tue, 19 Sep 2006 17:13:00 +0000

Gonzo--in a good conference session, you're not watching someone pour over code for 75 minutes. Too much code is as bad for a session as too little.

While conference sessions fall into different categories, the basic idea is to get the audience thinking about and excited about your topic. The details can be in the notes (and I think any speaker who doesn't provide white papers is cheating), but the ideas should come fast and furious.

Tamar

By: Del Lee

Del Lee — Mon, 18 Sep 2006 12:28:00 +0000

Hey Rick, I wrote a few things on my blog.

http://deltonlee.blogspot.com/

By: Gonzo

Gonzo — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:59:00 +0000

Grigore Dolghin and I founded and worked a model for sessions in Romania or almost any other economically challenged region that would work…and did. Unfortunately, I had to withdraw scant weeks before but he managed to line up a replacement speaker.

My head is still spinning from FoxForward so I’m still digesting but I think there’s a way to save the modern VFP con.

By: Rick Schummer

Rick Schummer — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 23:03:20 +0000

Hernan,

I definitely understand your perspective. Even in countries where conferences are held developers face the fact they cannot afford a conference.

But I look at what Igor has done in Prague and wonder why it is not possible for this model to work in other countries. He literally got sponsorship for the conference and only charged a small fee to get in the door.

Maybe you need to start organizing a conference in Mexico. Recently we have seen conferences pop up in South America, France, Russia, and Romania. It definitely is a big undertaking, but the rewards are great.

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:47:00 +0000

I agree with you, but sometimes is not fair with the rest of folk’s that live far far away of this conferences (mainly outside of US). As my example, I recognize the value of this conferences and I atended to some in the past (Advisor conferences) and I enjoyed a lot as well meet with VFP Team and other entusiastic Folk’s. Unfortunatley for me, this conferences are not so cheap (air travel, nice hotels, etc).

Now, the only way to have fresh information and tips, is with the bloggers that share this info with everybody. At least here in Mexico, VFP has no coverage by MS, and I commented this with people in Mexcio as well as US (in the conferences). For spanish spoken people, we have http://www.portalfox.com that gives us a lot of VFP info, but I also review a lot of VFP Bloggers to have more of this actualized info.

Conferences needs to reinvent and make buisness with the precedings or colection of articles (they need to delay some time to avoid not going to the conferences), but also mantain a bit of contributions to VFP people.

Hernan E. Delgado

By: Gonzo

Gonzo — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 01:12:00 +0000

Valid points.

I think the technical conference as a whole needs to reinvent itself. I've never understood the validity of watching someone pour over code for 75 minutes while you waited in the audience for the 2 or 3 concepts that you could take away with you and, hopefully, digest. And, now, even less so.

My old friend Ed Rauh, RIP, and I used to discuss this at length because we both came to the same conclusions on what a really worthwhile conference would give to the attendees.We had some ideas which I am more and more convinced are valid.

But I don't want to do anything which hurts the nascent FF conference next year nor SWFox....so I'm thinking of talking with existing organizers...

I dunno...email me and I'll try to explain better (heh)