WordCamp Louisville 2012

Scott Hack, who participated in StartUp Weekend Louisville with me, was kind enough to point me to info about WordCamp Louisville-- All day on October 13 at the Holiday Inn Louisville East1325 South Hurstbourne Parkway. 

I'm a Blogger user, and even on Blogger, I am very conservative with what I do. But WordPress is used for all kinds of web development (even, I am told, our CityAnchor site... isn't it sad that I don't know for sure?). 

From the WordCamp website:

WordCamps are casual, locally-organized conferences covering everything related to WordPress, the free and open source personal publishing software that powers over 25 million sites on the web.... WordCamps are attended by people ranging from blogging newbies to professional WordPress developers and consultants, and usually combine scheduled programming with unconference sessions and other activities.

The schedule is packed and looks great for people with short attention spans:

• 8 to 8:45 Check in, Network, meet fellow attendees and nosh on a light breakfast.
• 8:45 to 9AM Opening Remarks from Organizer and message from Jason Clark with VIA Studio
• 9:10 to 9:45AM – WordPress and E-commerce ( Johnathan Davis )
• 9:50 to 10:25AM – Foundation of Plugins and Themes ( Tammy Hart )
• 10:30 to 11:00 – Deploying WordPress ( Jason McCreary and Nick Temple )
• 11:05 to 11:35 – Frameworks and Child Themes ( Bill Rice )
• 11:40 to 12:15 – How not to suck as a freelancer ( Drew Poland )
• 12:15 to 1:15 LUNCH
• 1:20 to 1:55 – WordPress Security ( Juston Jones )
• 2:00 to 2:30 – WordPress Mobile ( Hal Bugriss )
• 2:35 to 3:05 – 24 Ways to Make WordPress FAST ( Jason McCreary )
• 3:10 to 3:45 – The State of HTML5 ( Wesley Reitz )
• 3:50 to to 4:25 – bbPress : Plugin development done right ( Pippin Williamson )
• 4:30 to 5:00 –
• 5:00 to 5:10 – Wrap up!
• 5:30 to ???? – After party at TBD

I'll be working at Flea Off Market with my Louisville, Not Kentucky peeps, otherwise I'd go. It's only $20, and as Scott says, "like most conferences, material between sessions and networking are just as valuable..."

At risk of sounding like a broken record and being "that person" in the Louisville Tech/Start-up scene... I have to point out... eleven fantastic speakers/presenters... but only ONE woman. 

For more information, visit: http://2012.louisville.wordcamp.org/

Startup Weekend Louisville

A few weeks ago, lured by the "early bird discount" and a sudden loathing for the job-hunt process, I signed up to take part in Startup Weekend Louisville.

Startup Weekend is headquartered in Seattle, Washington, but held events in over 100 countries in 2011 and its event facilitators are located in more than 200 cities worldwide.

I still don't really know all that much about the event. It basically runs from 630p on Friday night til 9pm on Sunday. It's a team competition, but it seems a little less cutthroat and more creative. Check out the schedule here. But here's what the website says:

All Startup Weekend events follow the same basic model: anyone is welcome to pitch their startup idea and receive feedback from their peers. Teams organically form around the top ideas (as determined by popular vote) and then it’s a 54 hour frenzy of business model creation, coding, designing, and market validation. The weekends culminate with presentations in front of local entrepreneurial leaders with another opportunity for critical feedback.

Whether entrepreneurs found companies, find a cofounder, meet someone new, or learn a skill far outside their usual 9-to-5, everyone is guaranteed to leave the event better prepared to navigate the chaotic but fun world of startups. If you want to put yourself in the shoes of an entrepreneur, register now for the best weekend of your life!

Back in the summer before my Junior year in high school, my economics teacher nominated me for a place in a nerd summer camp. It was called Business Week or something like that, and it was a gathering of Connecticut economics nerds at Connecticut College. There we were to live in the dorms, take business and marketing classes, and -- in teams-- create an imaginary ballpoint pen company, finance it, and market the pens. All of this took place over the course of a nigh-sleepless seven days. 

I was accepted, but the tuition was too much. Just as I was about to turn it down, my grandpa swooped in and paid it for me. 

It was the Best. Week. EVER! (at least to 16 year-old me). I made fast friends with a bunch of nerds. Totally fell in ooey-gooey love with the cutest guy on my team, Dave, who lived all the way across the state (he might as well have lived in California for car-less Melissa). 

We pulled all nighters (no, not for teen hanky panky, although there may have been a smidgen of that-- for planning and marketing). We made a commercial for our pen that was set to the tune of George Michaels' "I Want Your Sex" and featured me and a couple of other of my female teammates dressed up like the women in Robert Palmer's "Addicted to Love" video. Because even at that age, we all knew what sells.

I had a blast. My team won. Dave and I dated on and off through freshman year of college (more off than on) until he became an intolerable stoner. And my entrepreneurial spirit was born.

I hope Startup Weekend goes as well. I don't need to "win," and I don't need a "Dave." But I do need a little nudge and a lot of inspiration. There are still spots available for Developers, Designers, and Non-Tech types (like me). The cost is only $99 and includes 7 meals. It's a steal. Maybe you can come join us?

NETSocial 2.0 Returns Tuesday 8/21

I have long professed my love of Twitter. It changed my life. Vastly improved it. Put me in touch with an amazing group of locals who share my loves and interests. They've become my "real life" friends, and my circle is ever-growing.

It also put me in touch with amazing people whom I probably would never have met under other circumstances. People who have become like family.

To whit: Richard Meadows, my Twitter Godfather. If you don't know @kycoffeeguy, you should. He's been a good friend and a big cheerleader for me. And he seems to have his fingers in a lot of fabulous puddings lately. So when he promotes an event, I am pretty sure it will be great. Unfortunately I can't make it (Ronnie Millsaps), but I'll let Richard's words explain what NETSocial 2.0 is.

Tuesday August 21 - 6:30 PM
Hometown Pizza - 4041 Preston Highway, Louisville, KY 40213
www.hometownpizza.com to look over their menu
They have a full bar and Falls City on draft.
FACEBOOK: http://goo.gl/e5rqn
RSVP - message on facebook or e-mail rmeadows@gmail.com

NETSocials were started in the late 1990's and ran until the mid 2000's. Now it is time to pick them back up and get even more people involved in having some good food and using your technology to its fullest. The idea behind NETSocials was to meet other geeks and nerds, everyday computer users and new people, out side of work for some sustenance and cross pollinate ideas to make your user experience better. The reason to bring them back is there are so many more people now using technology who need that informal help. Get a simple question answered or show off an Easter Egg.

This is a BYOD and order your own food meeting. Bring a web site address to share with everyone. Bring you questions and there will be someone there who can answer it or point you in the right direction. Call up a friend and invite them to come with you.

Why Louisville Is Awesome...

This a snippet of an awesome infographic was tweeted to me last night and then emailed to me this morning. The sender must have known that if anyone would agree that Louisville is Awesome, it would be me. Unfortunately, I can't get it to embed properly, but clicky the linky, and you'll see the whole thing.

Very nice work by local tech company DBS Interactive featuring ten or so fun facts about Why Louisville Is Awesome.

Do you have more reasons why Louisville is Awesome? Contact them, and maybe they'll add your idea to their infographic.

I wish I'd had this when I was sending Flat Stanley back to Boston. Miss that guy.

Louisville Library Technology Boot Camp

Yes, I know I'm a teacher and that means I stand in front of a group of people four times a day every workday and speak. I don't think twice about it. Ever. Not even on the first day of school. But that doesn't mean that I don't share most people's greatest fear: speaking in public.

But tomorrow, I will be speaking in public at the Main Branch of the Louisville Public Library. The LFPL is launching their Technology Boot Camp with an event featuring local bloggers, and I am honored to be included in that group.

From their press release:

Technology Boot Camp is a free, self-guided program delivered online. Participants access the Technology Boot Camp website from a computer with Internet connection at home, work, or any Library location. Each week the program website will feature a different topic: blogging, cloud computing, social media, photo sharing, and more. Easy-to-understand explanations build knowledge and fun hands-on exercises apply new skills. A series of classes at library branches will offer extra support, if needed.

The speakers tomorrow include:

10:30 - 10:45 a.m.                 Ashlee Clark11 - 11:15 a.m.                      Linda Park11:15 - 11:30 a.m.                 Melissa Chipman11:30 - 11:45 a.m.                 Mike Slaton11:45 - 12 p.m.                      Deborah Boyer

So if you know someone who needs a little technology TLC (I'm imagining that YOU don't, seeing that you're reading this blog) send them our way!

NDTWL: In Search Of Computer Advice

Gentle geeks,

I mean Gentle readers,

I was wondering if you could help Mama out with a conundrum.

Do you have a minute? You do? Thanks, you're the best.

Here's the skinny: I just realized today that I am not taking advantage of a fairly significant benefit offered by my Meatspace Workplace. Namely, once every three years the Workplace will loan its employees a rather significant sum of money at 0% interest rate for the express purpose of purchasing a new computer.

Don't get me wrong-- I love Clarabelle, my four year old Gateway laptop. But she has seen four years of very heavy use from a user who, let's face it folks, isn't particularly well-versed in computer maintenance and upkeep. She has her issues.

But I'll be honest; I kind of just want a new computer. And knowing that my Workplace will make it easy for me (the loan will be deducted from 24 paychecks), this "want" has become a "desperate yearning."

So help a sister out, geeks. I mean, "readers." I want a shiny new pretty, but I don't really know where to begin.

The ease of this loan program makes me think that I might want to rejoin the Apple cult. My first two computers back in the 90's were Macs, but I've had a fairly large number of PC's (desktop and laptop) since then.

But this begs the question: Do I want to be a Mac owner only because I want to be one of the "cool kids" or is it really the best choice for me?

Here's what you need to know about my computing life: I spend w-a-a-a-y-y-y-y too much time on the internet. But so it goes. I am not a gamer. I do nothing with design or graphic work (though I would like to at some point). I do watch a lot of my tv and movies on the interwebs through Netflix and Hulu and the like. I have a lot of pictures and music stored on my computer, but it doesn't have to be that way-- pure laziness dictates that. As it is my intention to get back to "real writing" sometime in the very near future, the second most important function of my future laptop (next to being an interwebs machine) will be word processing. I am organizationally challenged, so something with an intuitive filing system is super important.

Other things to consider: If it will be a gigantic pain in the tuchas to make the move from PC to Mac-- and I mean shuffling more than fifteen years of writing from one platform to another-- it ain't worth it to me. Also, the #1 benefit I see to getting a new computer (besides: "pretty, pretty, new!!") is finding one that is lighter than Clarabelle. She's kind of a bear.

I'm not saying money is NO object, but the 24 payments taken straight out of my paycheck lighten the burden significantly, so I'm able to shop beyond my usual means. That's why I could afford to make the move to the more expensive Mac-- as opposed to Clarabelle who was cheapo-- at this time.

Your thoughts? Advice? Please? Do I want to make the move to a Mac laptop? Which one? What's the Mac alternative that would best suit my needs?

Duke it out in the comments or email me at lou [at] loueyville.com. I'll be super grateful and may even name my next computer after you...

I thank you for your support. May the Fourth be with you.