Geek Festivus for the IT Rest of Us

[kong.yang]

September has now become a series of IT industry events. From VMware VMworld to SolarWinds THWACKcamp to Oracle OpenWorld to Microsoft Ignite, it seems like an endless procession of speaking sessions, in booth demo presentations and conversations with IT professionals in those communities.  That last aspect that is my favorite aspect of industry events. The work we do needs to have meaning and the people interaction is my fuel for that meaningful fire. Technologies, people, and processes will always change. Similarly, the desire to learn, evolve and move forward remains the constant for successful integration into any new paradigm. Be constant in your evolution.

Here's a brief recap of occurrences at recent events that I had the great privilege of attending and participating in:

VMworld 2016

SolarWinds Booth Staff at VMworld 2016	sqlrockstar kong.yang at VMware vExpert Party Mob Museum	chrispaap before he rocked the booth with his Scaling Out Your Virtual Infrastructure

THWACKcamp 2016

Head Geeks with their Executive Leader jennebarbour​	Radioteacher​ kong.yang​ DanielleH​ photo bombed by KMSigma​	sqlrockstar​ - it's make-up time #ChallengeAccepted w/ hcavender. Peace out brother 🙂

Coming soon to an IT event near you: IT Pro Day, Microsoft Ignite in HAWT-lanta, Chicago SWUG, and AWS re:Invent in Las Vegas. Stay thirsty for IT knowledge and truths my friends! Let me know if you'll be at any of these events, always happy to connect with THWACK community members and converse the IT day away.

[tinmann0715]

"Love what you do and you never work a day in your life!"

   Looking at these pictures and rarely do these words ever ring more true. Or, to be more accurate, all of those hours grueling away is worth it for events like these. The smiles are real when they are there before the camera is even raised. As said a 1,000 times before... Looks like a great time. I can't wait for next years. And I am going to try my best to come out to one of these events and finally meet you guys.

[jeremymayfield]

Best community on the planet and best people to Thwack with.   Great stuff. 

[Jfrazier]

I hope to be able to attend some of those events in the future...

[rschroeder]

Other companies should take note.  This is yet another way to be the "good-customer-company", encouraging people to beat a path to your door.

[tinmann0715]

Definitely... SAP uses Jive as well, the "SCN" (SAP Community Network". I've been trying to liven that place up as much as I can but man its tough. I am this >< close to saying, "Hey! Go look at Thwack to see how a site should be run! C'mon people! This is supposed to be fun!"

[network_defender]

La Familia SolarWinds

[mcam]

any opportunity to meet such a wonderful and committed bunch of folks should be grabbed with both hands - the opportunity, not the person, well maybe the person, but you know what I mean, I hope......

quitting now before the hole gets any deeper

[bleggett]

Great community!

[cahunt]

IT's like being on summer vacation for the rest of my/your life!

[shuckyshark]

I tell you, I'm never bored...

[sqlrockstar]

Me in a makeup chair? It's like putting lipstick on a pig.

[rschroeder]

sqlrockstar​, you'll ALWAYS be more than lipstick on a pig, in our book!

Although I DO rather like the Einstein quote:  "We can't solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them."  Which would sort of by like putting lipstick on a pig.

[byrona]

I am with Jfrazier​ in that I hope to be able to attend more of those types of events in the future as well.  Right now due to resource limitations I don't get out of the office much.  Right how THWACKcamp is my big event of the year. 

[ecklerwr1]

Crazy how many more employees SW has now! o.O

[fmasotti]

thanks for the article