In spite of the fact that the Kaleidoscope Early Bird Registration deadline has passed, you still have time to register for the conference. Advance rates are now in effect, and will save you $300.00 off of the Standard registration rates. Be a part of the training event of the year – Kaleidoscope 2010!
My next interview is with another Oracle Ace Director, Chris Muir.
Chris helped select the content this year for the Middle Tier and Client Side Development track. This was a part of the expanded track content management initiative this year, strengthening the quality of content selected for the conference.
So, without further ado, here is is the interview…
MR: Which presentation of yours is a “can’t miss” session that Kaleidoscope attendees should plan on attending, and why?
CM: “So-ADF” by Lucas Jellema – Lucas consistently proves to be one of the best speakers at every Oracle conference I attend, with a huge amount of enthusiasm that rubs off on delegates, the ability to think laterally and extremely wide around many contemporary IT & Oracle problems, and in the case of this particular presentation I’m sure a great lead in to why ADF programmers need to be interested in ADF as well as the “real” issues they’ll hit. Having attended Lucas’s SaaS presentations from 2009, what I learned has been extremely useful in talking to my own clients and customers.”
MR: Who else should Kaleidoscope attendees plan on seeing a session from, and why?
CM: “Developing Large Oracle ADF 11g Applications” by Andrejus Baranovskis – the average interpretation is there are “no” production based ADF applications in the wild and ADF is far too complicated. What a misconception. Andrejus will prove exactly the opposite showing a “real” case study of an ADF application that not only hit production, but brought significant development efforts to fruition showing ADF is, and has been a real development contender for Oracle development for a long time.”
MR: What differentiates Kaleidoscope as a conference from other conferences out there?
CM: “First and foremost for myself is it’s an Oracle ‘developers’ conference. Oracle IT specialists tend to get pigeon holed as database enthusiasts, or applications specialists. When I go to a conference I want to talk to people who are interested in ‘developing’ with Oracle technology, learning from the challenges they’ve faces and solved. At Kaleidoscope I can have a good ol’ chin wag about something I do every working day with other people who do exactly the same, who are in enthusiastic about what they do, and aren’t constrained by the mindset ‘Oracle, it’s just as database isn’t it?’”
MR: If you’ve been to Washington before, can you recommend one thing that a first time visitor should take advantage of while visiting during Kaleidoscope?
CM: “I was last there 20 years ago as a whippersnapper. As a slightly more ‘mature’ tourist I’m looking forward to geeking it up at the Smithsonian and the museums again. Having traveled a fair part of the world, one thing the US does well is ‘big’ and ‘lots a dosh’. Washington being the US capital has this in oodles and the museums certainly left a dent in my memory from last time.”
MR: Can you tell us what your best memory is from a Kaleidoscope conference that you’ve attended previously?
CM: “For an Aussie living many miles away from the US, Kaleidoscope certainly gives me the opportunity to visit and enjoy many US locations (with special thanks to Oracle Technology Network that sponsors my attendance). Yet my key memories from Kaleidoscope are usually a head down discussion with a bunch of Oracle ACEs and a delegate who has come up and asked “how do I solve this?” The fact that everyone is so willing to discuss issues and find solutions without the fear of asking dumb questions, or asking a bunch of (what can appear to be) intimidating experts how to do something is pretty damn cool.”
MR: If you are comfortable in doing so, please give us a quote that we can use in the marketing campaign for Kaleidoscope.
CM: “I’ve been to several large Oracle conferences around the world including Open World, where I met and spoke to many people. My visit to Kaleidoscope, New Orleans and last year Monterey was where I solidified strong friendships with people who are “super-keen” about what they do. This is an incredibly refreshing attitude which on return to work keeps me going with a buzz for many weeks. At least until the next pay check.”
Thanks for your time Chris! I hope to see all of you at Kaleidoscope 2010 in Washington DC June 27 – July 1.
