Eliot's Blog : conference

Anyone Going to PDC?

Eliot — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 19:03:00 GMT

With PDC just a few weeks away, I figure I would toss this out there and see if anyone responds.

I'll be at PDC the the afternoon of the 27th, and then all day on the 28th, 29th, and 30th. I'll mostly be spending time in the Windows pavillion and proctoring some hands-on labs from the Tablet and Touch team, but I am also very keen on hearing from attendees, especially about ways that we at Microsoft can improve the developer documentation and the developer content processes and properties. If you want to give feedback directly to the machine, drop me a line and we can set up a time to meet. I work on the team that writes the majority of the Win32 topics in the Windows SDK. I own the content for the Tablet and Touch technologies for both Win32 and the .NET Framework parts of the Windows SDK, all the content for the Windows Developer Center, and the Mobile PC dev center; and I help coordinate the content for the IE dev center, the Accessibility dev center, and the Windows Media dev center. I work directly with MSDN on all of these properties, so if you have feedback for MSDN, I can convey that to the right hands, too.

Heck, if you just want to grab a cup of coffee, let me know when you're available.

eliotgra@microsoft.com

TechEd is Around the Corner

Eliot — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:37:00 GMT

Seriousy, is it June already? Is it time to plant the tomatoes? Are the kids getting ready for summer break? Of course not, but it is now the time to register for TechEd. Do it today and save yourself $200 (US) with an early bird discount.

Speaking of birds (I so rarely get to use a good segue), this is the PERFECT time to submit a proposal for a birds-of-a-feather session. Want to talk with other Tablet PC developers about ink on the Web? Need dire information about app compatibility? Got an itch to drive Silverlight extensions? Go ahead, suggest a session; moderate it. What the heck, you're almost certain to make new contacts and discover important information. Overall, TechEd is about the combination of technology and community. What better way to get value from attending than to drive the discussion?

Here's the skinny straight from the TechEd 2008 homepage for developers:

Tech·Ed U.S. 2008 Developers is Microsoft’s premier technical education conference just for developers. For four days, you and over 5,000 of your peers have endless opportunities to learn about Microsoft’s latest cutting-edge technologies. What better way to start your experience than with a keynote from Bill Gates.

Be a part of the experience
* Design a personalized schedule from 16 Technical Tracks
* Advance your development skills in one of over 340 Breakout Sessions
* Go deep with Microsoft experts in one of more than 220 Interactive Theaters
* Take your time and drill down on a specific task in over 145 Hands-on Labs
* Be a part of this year’s first U.S. Tech·Ed for Developers, June 3-6, 2008 in the Orange County Convention Center, North/South Building, Orlando, Florida.

And if you go, please stop by the Windows Vista booth and say hello. I'm part of the community, too.

Have I Mentioned MIX?

Eliot — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 02:43:00 GMT

If you don't know about it by now, it's probably too late to get a ticket, but MIX08 takes place March 5-7 in Las Vegas. But if you're a web developer, you probably already knew that, too.

Although it may be too late to attend in person, MIX08 will have tons of content up on its main website and also on www.visitmix.com. You can subscribe to The Signal, a weekly podcast that connects you to behind-the-scenes activity related to MIX08. They’ll interview speakers, attendees, staff, and other notables.

And don't forget to MIXTIFY.

mix•ti•fy [micks-tuh-fahy]
— verb (used with object), -fied, -fy•ing.
1. to share with everyone you know the coolness that is MIX08!
2. to download the latest and greatest MIX stuff by checking back often!

I was lucky enough to attend MIX last year for the launch of Silverlight. That was just an amazing conference, not only for the rock-solid technology that Silverlight offers, but also because Expression Studio came out at the same time. Happening technology with easy-to-use, feature-rich collaborative tools? Even I could handle that.

Beyond the new releases, MIX is a wonderful place for Web development and design discussions. Take a look at the agenda, and once the party starts, check for webcasts, notes, code, and more. And um, if you have an extra ticket, let me know.