Robin Edwards is the leader of the Roanoke Valley .Net User Group. They did something really cool for their last meeting (July 2008). As Robin describes it: Some of the members of RV.NUG tossed around a way to get more involvement during the meeting AND deal with the low summer attendance by coming up with something fun and easy.  We were ...

No one panic - I'm still a Solid Quality Mentor. :) I am honored to accept the responsibilities of PASS Regional Mentor for the US Southeast! What does this mean? Well, I get to work with SQL Server User Groups and PASS chapters from Texas to North Carolina. If you're interested in starting a SQL Server Users Group - regardless of ...

Dear Google,    I am not a spammer. I'm a guy trying to inform 500 people in the Richmond .Net and SQL Server Developer Communities about upcoming meetings and events of interest to them. To protect their privacy and my sanity, I keep their email addresses in a Google Email Group and BCC that group each time I send them an ...

Can you say it out loud? You might have known the capital was Boise, but if you pronounced it Boy-zee, you were wrong. I was there last Wednesday for the kickoff meeting of the Boise SQL Server User Group, and was told that if I didn't pronounce the name correctly, everyone would know immediately that I wasn't from around there.  The correct ...

I haven't fallen off the planet, I am still alive and kicking! I've been on the road the past couple weeks - first in Kansas City, MO and this week in Bellevue, WA. I got to meet a bunch of cool people at the classes in Kansas City and Bellevue, and at the Kansas City SQL Server Users Group. I've been working on this, which will be ...

  Adam Machanic has already blogged about Craig's visit to New England coming up on May 8th but I wanted to re-iterate some points for the benefit of the folks planning to attend. Due to the large crowd expected we really need you to RSVP if you plan to attend to ensure we have enough chairs and Pizza for everyone:).  Red Gate Software ...

Richmond Code Camp 2008.1 is Saturday, 26 Apr 2008! This is our fifth Code Camp in two years - we're so excited! They just keep getting bigger, better, and more fun. Kevin Israel and the gang have done an outstanding job organizing this event - kudos to the entire team: G. Andrew Duthie Robin Edwards Kevin Hazzard Kevin Israel Frank La ...

Introduction  One take-away from the MVP Summit last week is: We're doing some pretty cool stuff in the Richmond (Virginia) Developer Community. I attended a breakout session on Developer Communities and found the room divided into roughly two groups: Those who were active in a thriving local developer community Those wanted to ...

Adam Machanic is addressing the Richmond SQL Server Users Group tonight! In fact, I have to go now and pick him up from the airport. Now if I could only get this other SQLBlog guy to present... :{> Andy

If you're in the area and available, I'll be giving my first 2008 presentation on Tuesday April 8th. It's a general overview of the new features in SQL Server 2008, starting at 4:30 (I think the presentation starts at about 5:30). It will be held at the Microsoft office in Waukesha, WI. The address is: N19W24133 Riverwood Dr., Suite ...