When an event like SQL Saturday #190 in Denver is announced, people listen. Speakers such as Steve Jones (B|T), Wendy Pastrick (B|T), Tim Ford (B|T) and Tim Mitchell (B|T) draw crowds. When I found out that I was chosen to speak, I was ecstatic.
SQL Saturday #190 – Denver CO
My topic was boring ol’ SQL Server encryption but I decided to try and spice it up with a variation of “buzzword” Bingo. I created a 3×3 playing card with phrases and pieces of code from the presentation. Attendees had to get all 9 squares to win a Starbuck’s gift card. The idea was to help reinforce the topic and subject matter. My plan was working until 6 players raised their hands (BINGO!) but I only had 5 cards to give away. Next time, I’ll bring a bag of candy.
The feedback I received from attendees was overwhelmingly positive, with some very good constructive criticism. Everyone loved the BINGO…most wished we had more time to dive deeper into the subject. I’m thinking this may be the perfect opportunity for a pre-con…
My favorite presentation of the day was Doug Lane’s (B|T) “SQL Server Murder Mystery Hour: Dead Reports Don’t Talk”. Attendees were grouped up in teams of 5 and were tasked with deciphering the mystery of some missing reports. Character actors Jason Horner (B|T) (“Lon E. Wolf”, the developer), Tim Ford (“Grant Essay”, the app vendor), Wendy Pastrick (“Pat Locke”, the DBA) and Bill Fellows (B|T) (“Bill Freeley”, the consultant) were interrogated by Doug to find the culprit. Mock emails were passed around giving more clues to the actions of the various players. In the end, it was determined that Lon acted nefariously….Lon chose to run screaming down the halls rather than face the consequences of his actions.
Hats off to the Denver SQL Server users group (http://denver.sqlpass.org) for a well run, well organized event. And thanks to them for choosing me to present. I’m looking forward to next year.
