SharePoint Technology Conference (SPTechCon) Wrap Up
Where to begin? I can’t believe that I haven’t gone to any SharePoint conferences before. It was a tremendous experience on many levels.
First and foremost, I was able to meet many of the SharePoint folks I’ve been tweeting with and following on the Interwebs over the last few years. It’s one thing to think you know someone from their avatar and 140 character bursts, and it’s entirely another to be able to sit down and talk.
Secondly, it was a very affirming experience to hear how much my jQuery Library for SharePoint Web Services is doing for people. It’s another case where the in-person discussions are so much richer than the emails. Not only did people come up to me to talk about the library, I was even introduced in several sessions. I don’t say this to blow my own horn, but more to thank all of you for the recognition and appreciation. It feels incredibly good.
Of course, I attended great sessions where I learned quite a bit more about SharePoint 2010 and got new perspectives on SharePoint 2007 as well. As I told Laura Rogers (@WonderLaura) too many times, it’s fantastic to see how someone else approaches a similar challenge differently than you do. With SharePoint, there are almost always multiple ways to do things, and to see those other approaches live is invaluable.
You can bet that you’ll see me going to more SharePoint conferences in the future. The exposure, the immersion, and the depth available was just fantastic. And with the next SPTechCon right here at home in Boston, I really have no excuse. I’m hoping that I’ll also get the chance to present, as there seems to be lots of interest in using jQuery with SharePoint, as well as doing more with the Data View Web Part (DVWP), which is my other hobby favorite SharePoint tool.
I’d try to mention all the people I had the pleasure to chat with, but I know that I’d miss too many. Thanks to all of you for making it a memorable experience.
UPDATE: 2010-02=15 – I can’t believe that I didn’t explicitly thank the folks from BZ Media. They did a great job with the conference. It’s a nice conference because the smaller size makes it manageable for all of us, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t just an incredible amount of work going into it to make it run well.
Marc,
I was a great pleasure and honor to finally meet you, and I look forward to working with you in the future :-)
.b
Marc,
So glad you enjoyed it and will go to more conferences. Sorry I didn’t make it, but I look forward to seeing your presentation at an upcoming conference!
Tom
Your blog is rapidly becoming my informational go-to spot. Thanks!
One specific aspect of 2010 I have not been able to find much info about is whether there is any OOTB external access functionality.
We run SharePoint 2007 and have been told that to add extranet or external access functionality, we must purchase a costly MS add-on. Is that still the case? What (if any) external goodness comes standard with 2010?
Nancy:
Yes, we do seem to “chat” frequently in one place or another, don’t we? I think that the Internet site story is much the same with SP2010 as it is with MOSS. Your best bet is to talk to your Microsoft rep because I know if no human being who can understand all the licensing variations.
M.