How’d You First Get Involved with ODTUG? - Part 6

I wanted to know how people first got involved with ODTUG so I sent out an email to some of my fellow ODTUGgers. Due to the sheer volume of responses I'll be posting multiple blogs to share their experience with you. Today's post highlights David SchleisTony Miller, and Andrejus Baranovskis.

dave schleisI was attending an Oracle Education class on Designer 2000 in 1997 when I first heard of “The User Group” from the instructor. I joined ODTUG shortly thereafter. While I was not able to attend the conference in 1998, I did purchase the five pounds of conference proceedings. The content of those papers and the lineup for 1999 was enough to convince my manager to send me to the conference. My experience at the conference was like nothing I expected. It began at the general session, when I learned that I was there to “work hard and play hard.” Oddly enough, I managed to do both. Not only was the content exceptional, but being able to meet the people who wrote the books I was reading, and having them talk to me like a peer was actually life altering. In addition to the “experts,” all the attendees were willing to share their experiences and ideas.

While the conference experience was great, it was the people of ODTUG that got me hooked. From the attendees, to the presenters, to the board and the support staff, it seemed everyone wanted to help make me a better developer.

The only way I could get my work to send me back to the conference was to present. So that is what I did, and kept on doing.

~David SchleisWisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene

I initially got involved by looking for APEX information, blogs, and presentations. Now I go there weekly to check for new blogs and once a year to register for Kscope!!

~Tony MillerLuvMuffin Software

andrejus baranovskis.jpgI was actively participating in an Oracle ADF community, presenting different ADF technical topics on the local user groups. Once I saw the ODTUG Kaleidoscope advert for the 2008 conference in New Orleans, I decided to submit my abstract and, luckily, it was accepted. Just imagine the perfect mix of Oracle technical content and New Orleans jazz. During that conference, I made lots of good friends and learned a lot about Oracle.

~Andrejus Baranovskis, Red Samurai


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