Wanna play fantasy football with a bunch of data geeks?

The fantasy football league I play in is down a player, and we're looking for someone to join us! If you're interested in playing against a group of database geeks, go to the SSC Fantasy Football forum here! You do NOT have to be a database geek to join us!

Coming up with presentation ideas

As a followup to yesterday's article, I thought it might be fitting to talk about presentation ideas. Despite the fact that I speak regularly at SQL Saturday, none of my presentations (up to this point) have anything to do with SQL Server or even anything data-related. My topics revolve mostly around documentation and communication. So …

What do you do for an encore?

"The reward for work well done is the opportunity to do more."Jonas Salk As a Syracuse alumnus and sports fan, I'm looking forward to this upcoming football season. Orange fans are excited for this season after last season's 10-3 breakthrough, the first time that Syracuse has won ten football games in a season since 2001. …

For every action, you need a reaction

I came across yet another example of bad interface design this morning. After I logged into my computer, a pop-up window appeared. It was my Docker application, telling me that an update was available and ready to install. Okay, I said to myself, and clicked the button to proceed. Except... nothing happened. I clicked it …

Don’t discount old documents

For those of you who have application development experience, how many times have you come across old code that you'd written and said to yourself, "what the F was I thinking?!?" As someone with development experience, it's happened to me more often than I can count. And as someone with tech writing experience, I can …

#SQLSaturday #892 Providence — the debrief #SQLSat892 #SQLFamily

I arrived home last night around 9:15, after driving four hours (including an hour-long dinner break) from Providence, RI. As usual, it was another great SQL Saturday! As always, I had a blast! And as always, I was wiped out after it was over! Even as I write this, on this Sunday afternoon, I had …

Upcoming speaking engagements (as of 8/22/2019)

Given this morning's news, I figured it was as good a time as any to update my upcoming speaking calendar. I am confirmed to be speaking at the following upcoming events: August 24, 2019 (this Saturday): SQL Saturday #892, Providence, RI: I will be doing my new 'blogging presentation. October 5, 2019: SQL Saturday #912, …

#SQLSaturday NYC — I’m speaking, I’m speaking, I’m speaking! #SQLSat912

The schedule for SQL Saturday #912 in New York City (Saturday, October 5) was released this morning, and I'm on it -- not once, not twice, but three times! I am scheduled to do the following three (!!!) presentations: Networking 101: Building professional relationshipsTech Writing for Techies: A PrimerWhacha just say? Talking technology to non-technical …

Mentoring — another way to pay it forward

This morning, I received my annual email from Syracuse University's College of Engineering and Computer Science regarding their mentoring program. I have participated in this for the last couple of years, and I have enjoyed it each time. As I've written before, paying it forward is a passion of mine, and I always look forward …

This weekend: SQL Saturday, Providence, RI #sqlsat892

This weekend, I will be traveling out to Providence, RI for SQL Saturday #892! It will take place this Saturday, August 24, at New England Institute of Technology in East Greenwich, RI. I will be doing my (still-relatively) brand-new presentation about 'blogging! This is my third time speaking at Providence SQL Saturday, and my first …