Isolated but not entirely forgotten - .NET Conferences Down Under.
One thing that we sorely lack in Australia is quality conferences for software developers. Yes it’s true we have TechEd but I find that many great presenters do not venture down under for this event. We have nothing that comes vaguely close to something like the Norwegian Developer Conference (NDC) which has been a wonderful event in the most recent past (just check out the videos). And whilst we can sit in the comfort of our own home and watch a plethora of video downloads from such events, the ambience and opportunity to meet likeminded individuals in the flesh is impoverished. One does not quite so much feel a mensch (the Yiddish meaning), sipping ones coffee on ones couch as one would in the company of an audience in some of software’s great theatres.
Conferences that I (think I) would most like to attend include:
Despite our geographical isolation due largely to the tyranny of distance and the ensuing expense, all is not lost. We do from time to time get some top shelf training events down under. Of course we have our User Group communities but is that adequate gap filler for the (apparent) vibrancy of the European and North American conference circuits; I’m Imagineering a little here because I have not yet experienced it.
What about an Australian Developers Conference – one to rival the quality say of the NDC? Would you come? Australia is a big place and it seems clear that it would not be practical for it to be held in every city, so I guess it would best be hosted in Melbourne or Sydney. How much would an Australian developer be willing to part with to attend, would your company put up the finance to send you?
Inspirational people in Software
Recently K. Scott Allen posted on the inspirational effect of books on software developers and so I mentality sifted through my memory in an attempt to find one that I could say really had that effect on me. My first problem was finding a definition for ‘Inspiration’. I am going to take some artistic license here and avoid any accepted dictionary definitions and lean on my own personal experiences to assign a meaning and value to ‘Inspiration’.
In the past when I have been inspired it has always had a cause and effect relationship, I get inspired to *act* for a given cause or outcome. Sometimes this is a private affair and other times it’s a shared experience, nonetheless it’s always rooted in action, the effects of which are distinguished by a *reaction* (hopefully positive) from myself and other people with whom I interact.
There have been a few people along the way during my career in software development that have inspired me, some whom I have had the pleasure to meet and others whose teachings and ideas I have followed. In each case I have indeed been inspired to learn and grow. I have also had the privilege of working in groups where the individuals within were able to inspire each other through sharing a common goal. The latter of these types of experience I have found anecdotally to be increasing in frequency with respect to software development. It goes without saying that when I had a career in music this was far more commonplace.
K. Scott remarked in his post that:
“An inspirational book, in my mind, transcends any specific technology and makes you think differently about how you approach your job.”
a statement that for me rings true for any form of inspiration, whether it comes from books or other sources. I remember in my days as a music recording engineer / producer, I worked with artists and drew on the teachings Constantin Stanislavski (the father of method acting) to provide inspiration for character portrayal in live performance.
So what about you? Who inspires you? BTW, that’s a rhetorical question unless you see fit to share your answer.
Ten+ Year Perspective
This blog is normally strictly technical and I will rarely deviate from that self imposed constraint but in a rare deviation here goes with something a bit different.
For anyone who just happened upon this post and perhaps those who know me or have followed this blog may or may not be aware, I was a musician in one of my previous careers. I have not abandoned my music completely in the decade or so that I moved into software however let’s just say it took a very big back seat.
Initially drawn to software development as a better paying yet still highly creative profession, I would often tell myself that writing good code was like writing or producing a good song and though the output was different in format and audience expectations, the experience was still fulfilling a side of me that required feeding.
A decade into my software development career and I can now say that whilst it does satisfy a creative urge, it can never come close to the emotional connection and responses that music emote in me. Recent days spent with headphones and my MP3 player have me on the verge of propelling myself into some musical journey and exactly what that is I am not sure right now but I am filled with excitement and overwhelming sense of promise.
My final observation is this: even with a strong resolve to travel some undiscovered musical road, I still feel the ‘coding’ drug flowing through my veins. I am, I code, I live, I die.
