I was really pleased with the way DDD5 turned out. It attracted the usual array of excellent speakers. The food was excellent (even though I gave my lunch bag away to a speaker!) The ice-cream was the perfect touch, it would have been one bit better had the weather been better!

Anyway, I recorded 11 podcasts, 8 of which will make it to publication – instead of sorting out all of my photos, I plan to get the podcasts ready first. I will post some pictures to this blog and to Flickr later in the month. Follow this link to keep up with what everybody else is saying about DDD5!

So, in the meantime, here are a couple of crowd scenes (the event attracted 300 people):

Technorati Tags: DDD5, DDD, Crowd Scene

DDD5 is over…for another few months at least!

If you attended the event, please do take a few minutes to provide us with your feedback:

http://www.developerday.co.uk/ddd/feedback.asp

We read every item of feedback and do take action based on the comments!

Technorati Tags: DDD, DDD5, UK Community Events, Community, feedback

If you’ve heard about the buzz behind Mix07 in Las Vega, but couldn’t quite make it over there, you’ll perhaps be pleased to know that it’s coming to the UK:

http://www.microsoft.com/uk/mix07/

Help out the NxtGenUG boys by answering a few simple questions over here:

http://www.nxtgenug.net/Mix07UK/

Technorati Tags: MIX, MIX07, MIX 07, UK Community, Microsoft, NxtGenUG

Those kind folks over at afeeda have provided us with DDD5 content aggregation facilities once more. Huge thanks to them for that.

If you are blogging about DeveloperDeveloperDeveloper 5, please use the Technorati Tag DDD5 in order to have your content aggregated….here’s the URL http://technorati.com/tag/ddd5, just include it as an anchor and you’re done!

Technorati Tags: DDD5, DDD, DeveloperDay

If you’d like to attend the Developer Day Geek Dinner, please sign up via Zi’s web-site here:

http://www.zimakki.com/wiki

Technorati Tags: DeveloperDay, DDD, DDD5, GeekDinner, Geek Dinner, Zi Makki

Momentum seems to be building up for a DDD-style event north of Reading, possibly being held in Scotland or the north of England.

To that end, if you interested in submitting a session, offering sponsorship, suggesting a venue, etc. please send an e-mail to us at this address: dds AT scottishdevelopers DOT com, or leave a comment here.

Alternatively, leave a message over here:
http://www.scottishdevelopers.com/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?viewmode=flat&topic_id=848&forum=1100

Technorati Tags: DDD, DeveloperDeveloperDeveloper, DeveloperDay, Scotland, ScottishDevelopers

The Next EVO Community Day – June 21st: Microsoft Campus Thames Valley Park Reading

Event Agenda
09:30 Start
09:30 – 10:00 Keynote
10:00 – 10:25 Introductions to groups (Including LiveMeeting, Longhorn, Virtualisation)
10:25 – 10:55 Vista
10:55 – 11:10 Break
11:10 – 12:40 Office, SharePoint, Groove
12:40 – 13:25 Lunch
13:25 – 14:55 Break-out sessions
14:55 – 15:10 Break
15:10 – 15:40 OCS + UM
15:40 – 16:40 Exchange and PowerShell
16:40 – 16:55 Break
16:55 – 17:30 Q&A

Further agenda information can be found here.

Breakout sessions – these sessions will be 40 minutes long and will run twice with a ten minute turn around break in the middle
SharePoint
Groove
Exchange
PowerShell
Vista

Information and sign-up:
http://www.ukusergroups.co.uk/

Technorati Tags: EVO, TVP, UKUserGroups, Community, Event, Community Event, Exchange, PowerShell, Vista, Windows Vista, Office, Microsoft Office, Steve Smith, Nathen Winters, Simon Butler, Colin Byrne, SharePoint, Groove

A few of us have been pulling together a community-oriented developer event here in the UK – DDD5. One of DDD5’s key goals is to nuture community talent and provide a platform for new speakers. First time speakers, and I say this with the greatest respect, often need some tuition in order to deliver a good session.

If you are a new speaker, I believe that you’ll find Guy’s How to give great presentations an invaluable document! It’s full of top tips covering topic selection, preparation, expected slides, explaining things, demonstrations, use of PowerPoint, cheat or crib sheets, delivery, nervousness, humour, gadgets/pointing tools, drawing and zoom tools, mobile phones (what you can do to stop it from happening!) and how to close your presentation (bring it to an end).

I’m pleased to see Guy recommending ZoomIt – it’s a great tool that I use most of the time. It’s well worth taking a look at it if you are delivering a lot of presentations. Incidentally, ZoomIt is written and maintained by Mark Russinovich of SysInternals fame.

Technorati Tags: presentations, HowToGiveGreatPresentations, Guy Smith-Ferrier, ZoomIt, Mark Russinovich, SysInternals

What:
In this presentation Martin Bell, will be looking at the different ways to create XML query plans such as T-SQL statements, SQL Profiler and DMVs. He will look at using XML schemas and the schema used for XML Query Plans. Methods of loading XML Query Plans into a database including SSIS, CLR and T-SQL statements will be demonstrated. XML Query Plans with be analysed using XQueries to show how you can monitor and detect performance issues.

Martin Bell has been a freelance computer consultant in the UK for over 23 years. He has worked on many relational database systems and since the 1998 has specialized in SQL Server. He was first awarded Microsoft MVP (SQL Server) status in June 2003.

This event is run by Scottish Developers in conjunction with the Scottish SQL Server User Group.

Where:
Room 15
Continuing Professional Development Centre
Glasgow Caledonian University
Cowcaddens Road
Glasgow
G4 0BA

Room 15 is on Level 2 of the Continuing Professional Development Centre. The CPDC is on the left side (just past the bookshop) as you enter the university from the pedestrian entrance on Cowcaddens Road.

Map of event showing near by transport links

When:
Start : Wednesday 6 June 2007, 19:00
End : Wednesday 6 June 2007, 21:00

Further information:
http://www.scottishdevelopers.com/modules/extcal/event.php?event=33

Technorati Tags: SQL Server, XML, Query Plans, Martin Bell, BCS, British Computer Society

The boys over at NxtGenUG have been busy cleaning out their recording equipment – so much so, they’ve very kindly put together a short video teaser or trailer for DeveloperDeveloperDeveloper!

If you’ve never attended a DDD event, hopefully this will give you a flavour of what it’s all about: it demonstrates why the event is so popular that it can “sell out” (even though it’s free!) within 5 days of registration opening!

Download the video!

Technorati Tags: DDD, DDD5, community, video, trailer, teaser, NxtGenUG