By Riley Major, 2018-09-12
Clark Sell opened That Conference up this year with a video about community, reminding us that they didn’t set out to be event organizers but rather to help bring us together. For them, these three days at a water park are just the spark to ignite year-round engagement with our fellow technologists. That’s what sets this event apart for me– its inspirational and encouraging vibe. Continue reading
By Riley Major, 2018-05-15.
Last week I asked the Microsoft data professional community to give back… and you did. We generated 29 blog articles with inspiring stories of past contributions, advice to those beginning their journey, and plans to do more. A recurring theme was how helping others ultimately helps you– with both personal growth and professional recognition. My overarching goal was to get more people doing more things for the community. I hope the tales and goals shared this month provide the motivation for more action and continued growth of our community. Continue reading
By Riley Major, 2018-05-09.
This month I asked the #tsql2sday crowd to make a plan to give back to the Microsoft data platform community. For those who already give so much, I suggested describing how they got started in hopes they would inspire others. I hereby submit my plan.
By Riley Major, 2018-05-01.
A few months ago Ewald Cress asked you to share stories about people who have made a difference in your professional life. Dozens of you wrote about who impressed you, inspired you, taught you, helped you, and guided you. It’s a testament to the Microsoft data community that so many were recognized by so many– that we have those willing to give of their time and those who are publicly appreciative of it.
Now I will give you an opportunity to give back. Continue reading
By Riley Major, 2018-04-26.
I attended the JavaScriptMN Meetup last night (video). Due perhaps to the larger attendance, it was on the 9th floor of the Olson building rather than the more common 6th floor meeting space. After plugs for sponsors Twilio, TrackJS, and FrontEnd Masters, Kelly Heikkila and Aaron Cannon from Accessible360 gave the main presentation on A Pragmatic Developer’s Approach to Digital Accessibility.
By Riley Major, 2018-04-04.
NDC has been “inspiring software developers since 2008”. Based in Norway, they host large conferences in Oslo, London, Sydney and for the first time this year, Minnesota. To introduce the Twin Cities to their conferences, they hosted a “micro” conference at the Saint Paul RiverCentre on Thursday evening, March 29, 2018.
By Riley Major, 2018-03-30
Back in October, after a successful SQLSaturday, the PASSMN board requested applicants to fill the positions of Jim Horn, Cecil Spivey, and Eric Zierdt who were each finishing the second year of their two-year terms. (Jim Horn stepped down a little early on 2017-10-11, but other board members fulfilled his duties for the remainder of his term.) We began planning for the election we avoided last year.
By Riley Major, 2018-03-30.
About a year ago, the PASSMN SQL Server User Group published two surveys– one about the user group in general and one specific to SQLSaturday. We reviewed the results of our SQLSaturday survey a few months ago and now address the responses to the more general group survey. Almost all of our 49 responses came within a few days of our initial email blast.
By Riley Major, 2018-03-13
Midwest PHP — a Friday and Saturday $275 conference with three tracks of PHP-themed content — was hosted again at the Radisson Blu at the Mall of America on March 9th and 10th, 2018. In addition to 30 individual sessions, the conference opened and closed the event with keynotes highlighting community, inclusion, and accessibility.
By Riley Major, 2017-11-08
Back in March the PASSMN SQL Server user group published two surveys– one about the user group in general and one specific to SQLSaturday. We sent the survey invites out in emails to our user group members and to attendees of our SQLSaturday in 2016. We’ve received over 100 responses and as promised we’d like to share some insights. Continue reading