If you do the math with respect to 15 slots and 32 sessions you quickly realize you cannot see all the sessions at Southwest Fox 2008. Impossible, and one of the main reasons the organizers demand the speakers do a white paper for the sessions.
So you might be asking: short of cloning or a time machine, how can I see more than 15 sessions offered at Southwest Fox? Simple, go to more sessions. {g}
One way to do this is to head to one of the many rehearsals offered at various user groups around the USA. Here is a partial list I was able to dig up on the Visual Fox Wiki:
Chicago FUDG
- September 9, 2008 – Toni Feltman, “Leveraging .NET Technology in Visual FoxPro Using .NET Extender from eTechnologia.net”
- September 9, 2008 – Mike Feltman, “Java Script for FoxPro Developers”
Philadelphia VFP User Group
- September 9, 2008 – Tamar Granor, “We Used to Do it That Way, But …”
Detroit Area Fox User Group
- September 11, 2008 – Cathy Pountney, “Customizing Vertical Market Apps”
- October 9, 2008 – Rick Schummer – “Extending the Sedna Data Explorer”
Grand Rapids Area Fox User Group
- September 13, 2008 – Rick Schummer – “Extending the Sedna Data Explorer”
FoxPro Developers Network San Diego
- September 11, 2008 – Barbara Peisch, “Understanding Scope”
- October 9, 2008 – Barbara Peisch, “Overview of WMI”
Los Angeles FoxPro Users Group
- September 16, 2008 – Barbara Peisch, “Overview of WMI”
Please support the FoxPro related user groups around the world. They are a terrific resource for VFP developers.
I personally get great feedback from user group rehearsals to refine the sessions before I present them to at a conference. The VFPX session I am giving this year bubbled out of some less informal session I presented at the Chicago, Grand Rapids and Detroit groups earlier this year. As an organizer I get to see sessions in advance, and offer suggestions to the speakers. It is a huge advantage to me because I rarely get to sit in on sessions at Southwest Fox. Thanks to all the speakers who have time to share their knowledge in advance of the conference.
Only 41 days until we meet in Mesa! (no wonder rehearsals are getting scheduled fast and furiously)
3 Comments
Juan Antonio Santana Medina · September 6, 2008 at 3:59 am
Another good way to attend all the SW conferences would be if the organizers could record them.
I can understand that using video cameras, editing, etc. could be too much expensive, but using Camtasia could be a good choice.
I, as European, think that many people from this part of the world would be interested in purchasing that materials.
Anyway I will try to go next year.
Rick Schummer · September 6, 2008 at 8:55 am
The problem with Camtasia (an excellent product used to record the videos on the conference site) or another recording tool is the small possibility it could interfere with the presenter.
The resulting files are also huge for 75 minutes, which means production and distribution become a lot of work. We already ask a lot of our speakers.
Is it all worth it if we sell hundreds of copies, sure. What if we sell 10? No.
How much are you willing to pay for a set of videos, or what if we just recorded the audio portion of the session? How much is it worth? I ask this question with an honest interest, not in jest.
Juan Antonio Santana Medina · September 9, 2008 at 4:24 am
Maybe it is too late to make SWFox web site able to ask how many people would be interested in purchasing the set of videos, but it´s a good idea for next year´s conferences.
About how much money could be paid for the set, we have to keep in mind one thing: It´s true that watching a video is not like being there, but it is not the same because you can not interact with the speaker and it is not the same because you are free fom a lot of expenses (flights, hotels, etc.)
At the same time having the videos you could “attend” all the sessions, so I would fix to prices: One for those who attended the conferences and another for those who do not.
How much? Let´s say that for those who do not go to the conference, the normal attenders price is not too bad, maybe with the early bird discounts (again we have to think that someone who does not attend the conference does not spend the money in some other expenses).
I think that prices for those who do attend the conference should be lower.
About the way to record the sessions, I see what you mean using Camtasia. This year Prague´s Devcon was recorded with a video camera pointing the blackboard and a microphone for the speaker. I have bought the 2007 and 2008 videos, even I did attend the 2007 sessions, this year has been impossible for me to move from home.