In this issue of ColdFusion conference and training news: 1. CFUNITED News - hotel FULL, timely bird price ends 4/30 2. ColdFusion Live! launchs Thursday 4/21/05 12:30pm 3. Adobe to buy Macromedia 4. Win a ticket to CFUNITED - Last days... drawing Friday 4/22/05 5. "Project Management the /Joel on Software/ way" interview with Joel Spolsky 6. "Personal Branding" interview with Joey Coleman
Happy coding - Michael Smith, TeraTech, Inc http://www.teratech.com/ "Creating excellent custom software since 1989" "...this event really is the best gathering in the world for people developing or managing CF systems. It's here that we can understand what happened, hear what's happening, and learn what's going to happen. You can't beat it." - Chuck Hoffman 1. CFUNITED News **************** * The CFUNITED hotel room block is SOLD OUT for Tues, Wed and Thurs! This is a record early date for the hotel filling which show how popular CFUNITED has become. There are still rooms available on other nights before and after the main conference. We will announce a backup hotel room block next week. * Pre-conference classes are filling up fast. Check the schedule, descriptions and registration at http://www.cfunited.com/classes.cfm * Only 10 weeks until CFUNITED-05. Timely bird price $549 expires in 10 days on 4/30/05 * 415 people have already registered for CFUNITED-05! That is a lot more than this time last year for CFUN-04! * Figleaf is a new sponsor http://www.figleaf.com/ * The Mid-Atlantic Free Code Camp is on Sat May 7th. Covers Web Development, Smart Clients, Database, Process, Design, and Security. I will be speaking as will CFUNITED speakers Sandra Clark and Geoff Snowman. http://blogs.msdn.com/gduthie/articles/383561.aspx * Damon Cooper blogs CFUNITED .... Macromedia is now officially the sole Platinum Sponsor of CFUNITED-05! ... http://www.dcooper.org/blog/client/ * The MMUG Manager and Team Macromedia conference will be on Tuesday 6/28/05 for more details and registration see: http://www.cfconf.org/mmug_managers_2005/ 2. ColdFusion Live! launchs Thursday 4/21/05 12:30pm **************************************************** Announcing a new event for The Online Coldfusion Meetup Group! What: ColdFusion Live! A CFUNITED show with Jeff Peters and Simon Horwith When: Thursday, April 21, 12:30 PM EDT ... Tomorrow! This is the first in a weekly series of lunchtime events where presenters at the upcoming CFUNITED ColdFusion conference will preview their talks here at the Online ColdFusion Meetup Group in cooperation with the Maryland ColdFusion User Group. There will be 2 short presentations, about 15 minutes each. Part 1) Jeff Peters, book author and creator of www.grokfusebox. com will be discussing the Fusebox Lifecycle Process. Part 2) Simon Horwith, Editor CFDJ and CTO AboutWeb will be discussing the Adobe acquisition of Macromedia By now you've probably heard the news that Adobe is set to acquire Macromedia in a deal worth $3.4 billion. What does this mean to developers and to the future of ColdFusion? Of course, not much can be said for sure, and much of what is being said is under NDA, but there are some reasonable speculations. Join Simon to speculate, to talk about what has and has not been said, and to find out what all of this really means to you. RSVP here for the Breeze URL: http://coldfusion.meetup.com/17/events/4621303/ 3. Adobe to buy Macromedia ************************** As you may have heard Adobe is buying Macromedia. I think this will ensure the future of ColdFusion. Now more than ever it makes sense to talk with your peers and the ColdFusion development team at CFUNITED! Help Adobe understand why ColdFusion is so successful. I will be inviting some senior Adobe executives to CFUNITED to hear your feedback directly. Kevin Lynch has posted some info / thoughts http://www.klynch.com/archives/000078.html Good thoughts by Brooks-Bilson (I'll sleep better after reading this.) http://www.brooks-bilson.com/blogs/rob/index.cfm?mode=entry&entry=564866F9-F7AF-8F97-E5095D5FF4305678 Mike Chamber's informational post at http://www.markme.com/mesh/archives/007504.cfm 4. Win a ticket to CFUNITED *************************** The competition for a free ticket (a $549 value) ends Friday 4/22/05. http://www.cfunited.com/survey.cfm The winner will be chosen based on answering the questions correctly together with the best answer to the question "Why should people come to CFUNITED-05?" 5. "Project Management the /Joel on Software/ way" interview with Joel Spolsky ****************************************************************************** Michael Smith: This time we are talking with Joel Spolsky about his CFUNITED-05 talk "Project Management the /Joel on Software/ way". So why should a developer come to your session Joel? Joel Spolsky: Most people who have to manage software projects are software developers, not project managers, and nothing about writing code has trained them to put together large projects and ensure that they actually deliver a quality product on time. I’ll use this session to introduce my own simple philosophy of project management: running a team, picking the features to do first and the bugs to fix first, and deciding when to ship. MS: So what kinds of things can happen when an untrained project manager runs a software project? JS: All kinds of things. A common mistake is to hope, against all evidence, that the team members are smart and will be able to organize themselves, so the newly promoted programmer decides he or she can afford to spend 80% of their time writing code and only 20% of their time managing. The trouble is that without any kind of system in place to decide what to do and in what order, chaos ensues and you either get a death march project that’s never done, or an inadequate product that nobody wants. A typical manifestation of this is that team members work on the fun things first, not the important things, so when the schedule is running late and you have to cut features all the features left to do are important features that can’t possibly be cut. MS: Ouch that sounds painful! So how do you think the team should be run? JS: I would never have the chutzpa to say that I have the answer for all teams. However, in most cases, the key thing is to have a constantly-updated, real-time, highly detailed list of features and tasks, with priorities and estimates for each item. Then at any time everybody knows what they should be working on and in what order, and if you have good estimates, you should be able to say "if we do all priority 1 features, we'll finish on date X, and if we also do priority 2 features, we'll finish on date Y." Now it's a simple matter of setting a date that gets the optimal balance of features and shipping (shipping is a very valuable feature). MS: What about bugs - software always seems to ship with bugs - can that be stopped? JS: For the purpose of project management, a bug and a feature are the same thing: something somebody has to spend some amount of time on with some priority. If you can store feature requests and development tasks in your bug tracking system, all the better, because now every morning every developer knows exactly what to work on first. MS: Doesn't tracking bugs and tasks add a lot of overhead to the project? JS: Yeah, and hiring an architect adds a lot of overhead to your kitchen renovation, but they both save you a lot of time and money, in the short run and in the long run! You're going to be tracking bugs and tasks anyway, it's just a question of whether you do it in an organized fashion where everyone can be on the same page, or on a whiteboard in one person's office, where it's apt to be erased by the cleaning lady. MS: What about dependencies between tasks - especially things the client is delivering to the team. Any comments on how you handle that? JS: My experience is that when building software you don't have as many dependencies as you might think. In house building, you really have to build the walls before you can put in furniture, or it will rain and ruin the furniture. But in software the furniture programmer can just write "int wall(){return 43;}" as a placeholder and get all his furniture in place long before the wall guy has delivered his piece. Its so easy to move things around that you hardly have any dependencies, and those you do have are so clear and obvious it's almost not worth tracking them formally. MS: How do you estimate when the project will be completed? JS: Begging forgiveness in advance for a glib answer, you don't! What you do is set the date when the project has to be completed and then pick the optimal set of features to meet that date. Your schedule should have line items and estimate for every task, bug fix, and big line items for debugging, integration, buffer for new features that you forgot to mention, even line items for vacations and holidays. Then you can add up the number of hours you have for each person on the team, take the maximum of that, add it to today's date, and get your scheduled completion date, which, inevitably, will be two years too late. So then you start prioritizing and re-prioritizing until you can reach the date you have to ship on with only the top priority features. MS: Sounds good. See you at CFUNITED. You can see more interviews at http://www.cfunited.com/interviews.cfm CFUNITED-05 is Wed 6/29/05 - Fri 7/1/05 in Bethesda MD, just outside Washington DC. It costs $549 until 4/30/05 then $649. For more information on CFUNITED see http://www.cfunited.com/ --- Project Management the /Joel on Software/ way ************************* For over five years Joel Spolsky has promoted his ideas about developing software on his website /Joel on Software./ He even created a program that lets you put some of these sane ideas into place: the FogBugz project management system, which lets software teams coordinate themselves and lets them keep track of the millions of details it takes to deliver really great software. In this session Joel will introduce his ideas on managing projects and demonstrate how his software implements these ideas. He’ll also talk about some of the design decisions in creating FogBugz. Usually, paradoxically, /eliminating/ features and flexibility led to a product that worked much, much better in the real world, but the Fog Creek team also made dozens of tiny design decisions based on human nature and the sociology of software teams. This session tells the fascinating story of that design. Speaker Bio: Joel Spolsky is an expert on software development and the founder of Fog Creek Software. His website Joel on Software (www.joelonsoftware.com) is popular with software developers around the world and has been translated into over thirty languages. His latest book is Joel on Software (Apress 2004). 6. "Personal Branding" interview with Joey Coleman ************************************************** Michael Smith: This time we are talking with Joey Coleman about his CFUNITED-05 talk "Personal Branding". So why should a developer come to your session Joey ? Joey Coleman: Whether you freelance code or work in-house at a company/organization, the most important element of your career path is your "personal brand." In an ever-changing economy, you need to be able to show why you are the best person for the job. Everyone has a personal brand - what they need to be asking is "how am I promoting my personal brand." My session at CFUNITED-05 will address this question... MS: What do you mean by personal brand? It is not like we are all rock stars with image consultants behind us at our jobs! :-) JC: Actually, we all have the capability of being viewed as rock stars - at least in the world in which we operate. It's all about how you present and market yourself to managers, colleagues, and potential employers. Your personal brand is what you are known for - the special value you provide to a team or an organization. Your personal brand lets people know you are unique and valuable. If you don't brand yourself, someone else will. It is better to deliberately create a personal brand that represents you in the manner you desire than to leave this important task to another person. MS: What are some examples of what might happen if I just let someone else brand me? JC: You may get branded in a limited way when you actually have more skills: "Steve does ColdFusion programming for non-profits." You may get branded in a non-specific way: "Steve works on computers." You may get branded in a negative way: "Steve is a jack-of-all-trades, but a master of none." While some of these labels are better than others, you should be in control of your brand so that you can choose what you are known for... MS: Ok I am sold that I need to control my personal brand! But won't it be expensive for me to do that? JC: Not really... Not to mention that it is the best kind of money you can spend - an investment in yourself. Depending on the type of brand you want to develop, you can read books (several have been written on the topic of personal branding), attend personal brand seminars (offered throughout the country by a variety of experts), or hire a personal brand consultant. It just depends on the level of results you seek. MS: Ok, so the expense can vary depending on how much I want done - but won't it take me a long time to create a personal brand? JC: Building a brand is a life-long project. That being said, you can put together a solid personal brand profile in less than two months if you are working with a professional to assist you. MS: It sounds like a fair amount of work... JC: It is, but it can be a ton of fun. At the end of the day, you are refining your personal image and spending a lot of time evaluating what's most important to you and what you want your legacy to be - important stuff to say the least. The more you define your brand, the more successful you will be in your career. MS: What if I think I already have a well-established reputation and brand? JC: That's wonderful - and most people reading this interview probably do have an established brand. But I wonder if it is exactly the brand and image they want to portray? Every brand can stand a little more focus and attention - and as I mentioned before, this is an ever-evolving process so you should constantly revisit your brand and make sure it still aligns with your values and your life vision. MS: So everyone should come to your session? JC: That would be wonderful - everyone is welcome ;-) At the very least, if you are a freelancer, a business owner, or someone who anticipates needing to find a new job in the next five years, you should attend. Workforce shifts in the U.S., combined with off-shoring and increased competition from around the world, means that job security is a thing of the past - especially in the technology arena. Future jobs are going to go to the people who can distinguish themselves in an ever-crowding workplace. The best way to do that is to have a solid brand that promotes your skills and accomplishments. MS: I'm sold, what can I do to work on my personal brand? JC: Come to my session at CFUNITED and we will get you started! MS: Sounds good - I look forward to your presentation at CFUNITED '05! JC: Me too... I hope to see lots of the readers at the session! You can see more interviews at http://www.cfunited.com/interviews.cfm CFUNITED-05 is Wed 6/29/05 - Fri 7/1/05 in Bethesda MD, just outside Washington DC. It costs $549 until 4/30/05 then $649. For more information on CFUNITED see http://www.cfunited.com/ --- Personal Branding ************************* Do you need to sell yourself to clients or want to be hired for that dream job. Personal branding, business branding, creative marketing can help. JOEY'S BIO: Joey Coleman | Design|Strategy|Marketing Coaching|Promotions Joey’s greatest talent lies in developing creative solutions that build buzz around products and services. He is known for his ability to generate “cool ideas” and then build implementation plans to turn these ideas into business practices. From graphic design, to ad campaigns, to promotional products, Joey helps clients create a message that cuts through the noise. His design and artwork graced publications in the U.S. and abroad. He regularly serves as the Creative Director on projects for clients in the non-profit, technology, small business, and corporate arenas. Before founding Blue J Marketing & Design, Joey was a practicing trial attorney in Iowa. Prior to practicing law he served as Associate Director of Member Services at The Corporate Executive Board (NASDAQ: EXBD) and served in the “Pending Issues” section of The White House Office of Counsel to the President during the Clinton Administration. He has also held positions with both the United States Secret Service and the Central Intelligence Agency. Joey received a Bachelor of Arts in Government and International Relations from the University of Notre Dame (Dean’s List Honors) and a Juris Doctor from The George Washington University Law School (Dean’s Fellow). He is a regular speaker at national conferences and has served as a guest lecturer at several universities and colleges. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Washington Men’s Camerata (www.camerata.com) and the National Advisory Council of The Creative America Project (www.creativeamerica.us). Tell your friends about CFUNITED-05 - pass this email on ---- Check more about CFUNITED at: http://www.cfunited.com/ We have: * 3 days * 7 tracks * 20 sponsors * 64 sessions * 1000+ attendees * 100% nicer hotel * Includes lunch each day and open bar reception We have seven tracks this year: * Bootcamp - Basic ColdFusion and Flash topics * Advanced - Advanced ColdFusion topics (Blackstone included!) * Manager/Empowered - Fusebox and Project management topics * Integration - Flash, Flex and other technologies integrated with CF topics * Accessibility / usability - section 508, CSS and disabled access * Deployment - tuning, install issues, OS, picking a database * CF Platform Integration - interop with Microsoft and other technologies The timely bird price of $549 for CFUNITED-05 ends 4/30/05. Save upto $400 by registering now! * Early Bird $449 til 2/25/05 * Timely Bird $549 til 4/30/05 * Regular $649 til 6/10/05 * Late $749 til 6/28/04 * At the door $849 Register today at http://www.cfunited.com/ -- Michael Smith, TeraTech Inc - Tools for Programmers(tm) TeraTech voted Best Consulting Service by CFDJ readers! CF/ASP Web, VB, Math, Access programming tools and consulting 405 E Gude Dr Ste 207, Rockville MD 20850 USA Please check out http://www.teratech.com/ - email mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED], or call us for more information; in the USA at 1-800-447-9120, +1-301-424-3903 International, Fax 301-762-8185 Thanks! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~| Logware (www.logware.us): a new and convenient web-based time tracking application. Start tracking and documenting hours spent on a project or with a client with Logware today. 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