SQL Server, PASS, and other data mishaps
Posts tagged Volunteer
Best of PASS Summit 2010
Jan 19th
The results are in!!!
After tabulating over ten thousand distinct session evaluations for the 2010 PASS Summit we are pleased to release the top 10 sessions overall and the top 5 sessions per track.
What it feels like after doing this for a while
Getting these session results generated and out to the speakers in a timely manner is always challenging. After taking until the second week of January 2010 to return Speaker Evaluations for the 2009 Summit we put in sweeping changes to prevent that from happening again in 2010.
Fortunately we were very successful in getting the data, We (Community Volunteers) designed and built a database to house the eval info, and designed a system that could be used to enter the evaluations quickly during and shortly after the Summit. This was a resounding success. Unfortunately where we fell short was in executing on delivering the data to the speakers and the community. When we designed these systems, the process to send out the evaluations wasnt really discussed, or possibly just wasnt finished (the perils of distributing work include less insight into exact issues). Either way, I wound up in the 23rd hour reworking last years SSIS package to fit the new database schema.
Success
We delivered Speaker evaluations to the speakers a full 3 weeks earlier than last year. This included additional info about overall speaker scores that we had never provided in the past. I realize a success to me (3 weeks sooner) is still a failure to others (4 weeks after the summit to get the data to the speakers) We’re going to be working on improving this for next years summit but for now, Ill take the wins where I can get them!
Failure
Getting the top 10 sessions posted has taken an extra 3 weeks. I take full responsibility on this one. I had the data on my laptop for the entire time, at first it was the holidays, then it was something shiny, after that I kept running into issues trying to make queries that werent just usable for this years summit, but would be able to generate similar results for any event we enter into this database. In the end though, I have a set of queries for this process that will be reused.
Future
This database/process was one of the projects a large group of OUTSTANDING Community members chipped in and worked on under the umbrella of the program committee in 2010. I have big plans to round up another set of volunteers and put a web based front end on the db and push its use out to all SQL events that would like to use it. The information that we’re gathering will be invaluable to both the speakers and to the community in the future.
Oh, Hey, Dear reader if you’re still reading this far into the babble I guess your looking for the Best of PASS Summit 2010 Link right? Without further ado…..
http://www.sqlpass.org/events/bestofpasssummit2010.aspx
PS: No, Adam Machanic it didnt take 257 weeks to get this out 
PASS Community Choice Session Change
Nov 1st
Ive been too busy lately mashing out the final details of the PASS Summit 2010 to spend as much time blogging as I intend too… But, thought Id take a few minutes to alert the 3 of you that read this slop about a change in the Community Choice sessions in the PASS Summit lineup
Unfortunately, 1 of the community choice speakers had to bow out of presenting.
Joe Kuemerle couldnt make the sumit this year so, we had to swap his encryption session with the second place session in the App Dev category. Luckily for us, the decision was easier because appdev race was the closest in the voting with only 2 votes seperating first and second place. The replacement session, Flush With Cache: What Really Happens Before That Query Runs by Chris Leonard, should prove to be very popular and is currently scheduled on Thursday from 4-5:15 in room 613-614. Because of this session replacement there was a cascade of 3 additional schedule moves that had to occur because Chris was already scheduled to present another session in the existing time slot. You can see the complete current schedule in xls here
Looking forward to seeing everyone at the Summit next week!!
Please PASS the Awesomesauce
Sep 24th
Recently, the 3 of you that read this stream of (un)consciousness may have noticed a lot of posts about PASS and the Board of Directors elections. I was pleasantly surprised to see the news last Friday that I had indeed been elected to a 2 year term on the PASS board.
I’d like to start by thanking everyone who voted, even if you chose not to vote for me. We need more community involvement in all things PASS, and voting is a very important part of that!
This election was not without its fair share of controversy and while overall it was a difficult process for the community to go through, I think a lot of good can result from it. I hope that everyone who had an opinion about the “process” stays involved. Staying involved & interested is the easiest way the community can shape the future of the organization.
I’m very excited to have the opportunity to serve the SQL Server Community in a larger role than in the past. As always, if you’ve got ideas feel free to send em to me. I cant make any promises except that I will read and respond but, Im a fan of stealing borrowing others ideas for PASS and making them happen.
Other recent PASS info
Weve had a literal whirlwind of activity in the program committee leadership in the last month+ So, I thought I’d list some of the stuff thats been happening
Some highlights
- We gathered a large group of volunteers to proofread abstracts before publishing in the program guide
- Also, we hammered out all the details for 3 new session types for the Summit : Chalk talk sessions, Best of sessions, and lightning sessions
- Published a Session preferencing tool to help us build a good schedule (awesome data gathered here!!)
- We built the summit schedule – this is always fun, if you have any complaints, its on me
- We gathered a team of volunteers to review session powerpoints so I wont be doing them alone on the last day (YAY!) in doing this we updated the review guidelines to be more relevant/current
- I had hoped we would nail down the Microsoft speakers & sessions a little better (earlier) this year but, it seems like we’ve been getting more changes & cancellations than Id have liked.
- We worked on Coordinated with VC’s & pre/postconference speakers to try and setup livemeeting previews of their sessions — Marketing & free community education –thats like Bacon wrapped Bacon Win-Win!
- Lots of discussions with our Summit software vendor about availability of ppt updates, demos, etc during the summit. Updates soon
Upcoming releases
- The Summit Schedule builder *should* go live on Monday the 27th Also, realize this is an expected date but things occasionally happen so dont scream too much if its a lil late (or someone will let me know their displeasure with my tipping of the due dates)
- Community experts summit session lists – we’ve asked some experts for their opinions about which sessions to attend, I cant wait to see what these lists look like!
Other Interesting Discussions happening
- Whether we’re going to record/stream a session room at the Summit and what we’d do with those recordings
- Whether we should switch back to 2 days of Preconference sessions or stick with 1 day pre and 1 day post
- Whether we should be providing desktops in the session rooms for speakers (most don’t seem to use them)
- PASSion award & expanding PASS’s recognition of outstanding volunteers at all levels
Of Procrastination and Voting
Sep 9th
If you are reading this, you probably haven’t decided on who to vote for in the PASS Board of Directors election. You’re not alone! Here’s a secret [Shhh: don’t tell] I haven’t decided who I’m going to vote for either. Have no fear though, for the first year in the history of PASS, there is a literal plethora of information on the PASS Elections Site about the candidates and their stances on “the issues”
So, consider this to be my personal invitation to you to follow my lead and stop procrastinating!! Go now to the PASS elections site, read about the candidates. If you want to know something about us, use the forums, and ask. I know at least 1 candidate that will answer your question. Once you’ve done all that come back here, Ill still be waiting. Now, do what I’m going to do: I’ll be finding the PASS BOD email ballot, then Ill be selecting the link and clicking on “Allen Kinsel” & 2 other candidates then hitting submit!
I’ve never been known to be the subtle type, so I figure no sense in starting now. If you need a little more subtlety about why I think you should vote for me, look here. The #1 thing though, is you, PASS Member, you need to vote. It matters a great deal to our SQL Server community, even if you must vote for someone other than me [I disagree but, understand]..
Its PASS V Day… you know what that means!
Sep 1st
According to the official timeline today is the big day. No, it’s not Valentines Day, but rather an even more important day. Today is the day when we, the PASS community, get to vote for and elect our new leaders. Today is the opening day of the PASS Board of Directors Election. This is our communities chance to have a say in the direction of the PASS organization.
Hopefully if you’re taking the time to read this you are in the process of deciding which of the 5 candidates for the PASS Board of Directors you’d like to vote for. I want to thank you for being an educated PASS member and taking your valuable time to vet the candidates on their stances with relation to PASS. To hopefully help make that process easier, I’m going to aggregate all of my views about the PASS election at the bottom of this post.
I had hoped to come up with some terrific tagline that would convey what I bring to the table in this election but, I just couldn’t make anything fit without it become 4 paragraphs so I decided to instead leave this picture since it does a better job.
At some point today you should get an email ballot from I would be honored If you would cast one of your votes for me. I’m running for the PASS Board of Directors, and I need your help to make a difference.
–Additional information about my candidacy –
5 changes I’d like to make while on the PASS board
How I want the Program Committee to evolve
The Evolution of the Program Committee
My answers to questions on the PASS Elections forum
Here are a few responses in particular
The infamous PASS election process
Increasing the number of (female) speakers
Promoting PASS (or increasing PASS’s Value)
A few other posts where I have been mentioned
