The Lotusphere Blog

Archives

December 2008

• Share your story - Charles Reid

  December 30 2008

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  Charles Reid of C&R Associates gives us his Lotusphere story

• The Lotusphere Blogger Open

  December 30 2008

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  Yet another example of a member of the Lotusphere community thinking 'outside the box' and coming up with a wonderful idea...

• How do you transfer Lotusphere knowledge/experience to others?

  December 30 2008

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  A new discussion has been posted over at the Lotusphere group on LinkedIn: How do you transfer Lotusphere knowledge/experience to others in your organization? Many Lotusphere attendees will be sel

• Share your story - Julian Woodward

  December 30 2008

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  Julian Woodward gives his Lotusphere story

• Social bookmarking for Lotusphere 2009

  December 28 2008

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  With Lotusphere 2009 now less than a month away, the Lotusphere community is steadily covering the bases for collaborating around the event - there are Twitter streams, tags, blogs, wikis, LinkedIn gr

• A blog to follow during Lotusphere 2009

  December 27 2008

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  Here's another blog to add to your feedreader or to track via PlanetLotus during Lotusphere 2009

• Share your story - John Head

  December 27 2008

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  John Head gives us his Lotusphere story

• Share your story - Chris Toohey

  December 27 2008

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  Another story to share - next up we have Chris Toohey.

• Share your story - John Roling

  December 24 2008

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  John Roling is Senior Groupware Administrator for Czarnowski and a Technology Columnist for Intranet Journal.

• Share your story - Ben Langhinrichs

  December 24 2008

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  Next up to tell their Lotusphere story is Ben Langhinrichs.

• Share your story - Mary Beth Raven

  December 24 2008

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  Mary Beth Raven. Mmm, What do we know about Mary Beth?

• Share your story - Mike Smith

  December 23 2008

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  One of the Directors of the Turtle Partnership shares their story.

• Share your story - Darren Adams

  December 23 2008

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  Darren Adams is IBM's Messaging & Collaboration Business Unit Leader for UK & Ireland.

• What are the key topics at Lotusphere 2009?

  December 23 2008

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  The breadth and depth of the planned content this year really does look better than ever.

• Share your story - Mikkel Heisterberg

  December 23 2008

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  Another community member shares their Lotusphere story - this time it is J2EE and Notes plug-in guru Mikkel Heisterberg who takes time out to tell us why Lotusphere is such an important event in his y

• Share your story - Mitch Cohen

  December 23 2008

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  Next to share their Lotusphere story is Mitch Cohen.

• Lotus User Group interview with Bob Picciano

  December 22 2008

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  This is great. We've already had pre-Lotusphere 2009 podcasts from Taking Notes and IdoNotes, and now the Lotus User Group is joining in.

• Share your story - Keith Brooks

  December 22 2008

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  Next in the series, Keith 'LotusEvangelist' Brooks outlines his Lotusphere story

• Share your story - ’Wild’ Bill Buchan

  December 22 2008

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  The third in our ongoing series of interviews with Lotusphere organisers, speakers, bloggers and attendees. This time we have one of the most highly-rated Lotusphere speakers ever, 'Wild' Bill Buchan, who is one of the stars of every Lotusphere eventl. Take it away, Bill:Is this your first Lotusphere? If not, how many have you attended in the past? Phew. I think this is 13 or 14. I've only missed two or three - the first one or two, and one at the start of the millennium. Every time I walk into the Dolphin atrium, I feel I've arrived 'home' again. Its a very strange and comforting experience Why are you attending Lotusphere in 2009? Our company - HADSL have a product - FirM - which we resell to large corporates and service providers. And since they're all at Lotusphere in one capacity or another, its a very intensive week long sales call for us. It also lets us catch up on the technology, certifications (which I've fallen behind on - the nd8 exams are *hard*), and catch up on our business contacts both within Lotus and in our customer base. Those of course are the official reasons. Unofficially - and don't tell my business partners - well, I like to party with my Lotusphere buddies - people I only see in other conferences during the year, or people I only see on IM. And since I've celebrated my birthday here for the last *cough* years, its became rather a habit. If you've seen a fat hairy man in shorts climb onto that piano on Jelly rolls, it was probably me. What has been your best experience of Lotusphere so far? I think presenting worst practices with Paul Mooney. Worst Practices was a presentation built upon a fantastic night in the pub when I first met Paul - I think it was outside the big river brewing company on the boardwalk. For some reason, the craic was flowing, everyone was laughing and we started telling our various war stories over the worst things we'd ever seen customers do to Lotus Notes. I remember howling with laughter, tears running down my face, as I listened to Paul deliver punchline after punchline. And so worst practices were born. And not to unduly flatter the wee Oirish Man, he is one of the best presenters I've ever listened to. He and the infamous WES MORGAN would read the telephone directory during the OGS, and we'd all be howling with laughter. So yeah, for the last few years we've stood on stage and abused each other and the audience. The waves of laughter coming back at you is like a drug - really. And people actually respond to it - "Oh - yeah - we did *this*.. ". Great material. Last year Duffbert stood on stage and abused Paul and I for breaking *all* the rules during iLug. And it was a good thing - because the audience has to understand that the folks on stage are just like them, and human like them and make mistakes like them. Lots of other things - watching Rob Novak propose to Liz on the deck of the Foultons Boat. He tried to do it secretly, but we'd spotted him... We all held our breath till she said yes... The best presenter ever for me was Neil Armstrong. That man really *is* a hero among men. And he related his story in such a straightforward manner - "I was only the delivery driver". It would be difficult for anyone else to better that performance - just because no other person could possibly say that they were the first person to step foot on the moon. How can a 'merely fantastic' presenter like John Cleese compete with that? BlackBerry/RIM throw a mean party. Tuesday is a blur to me, Wednesday mornings are *hard* What has your organisation gained most from your attendance at Lotusphere? We of course get our business presence topped up - important for an ISV. We also get to see everyone else's stuff - what's hot and what's not. This is the only place and time each year you can get a complete overview of the Lotus Notes business in one room. Okay, its a very very large room, but it's an overview. Some fantastic stuff down there. We also get to ask folks about the latest announcements. Lotus always has and always will announce a lot of product and capability at Lotusphere. Its what we want them to do, and its what they will always deliver. But from an ISV point of view, what do we invest in from our limited budget. What's hot and what will be dropped? And you get that level of knowledge by collaborating, talking, drinking with a wide range of people and forming an opinion based on that. And where else will you get the vast majority of Lotus Notes guys ? And we've gained a tremendous amount of knowledge of bar bills, restaurant bills, taxi bills, as we've entertained our customers around the various eating and drinking holes on campus. How about you personally? Personally, till 2003 or so I didn't speak on stage, and wouldn't have considered it. During the '90s I worked for a consultancy firm in the UK called Mica - ironically it was swallowed up and lost the *first* time IT factory imploded. We were there for a very specific reason - to learn the newest technology, who it should be used, what was hot - and then impart that back to our customers. And we did that very well. After I left Mica, I sat in an extremely technical session, cringing each time the presenter stumbled. and thought "I can do better than this". Please bear in mind that usually the folks on stage are subject matter experts on what they talk about - very very bright people. They just can't communicate well to a room full of bored, hung over, tired geeks. And so I put myself forward to Bob Balaban and Rocky Oliver - whom I owe a great debt to - and they got me on stage to talk about Object Orientated Programming in Lotusscript. Something that would be exceptionally dry and difficult to follow, but I think I kept everyone awake. And so the 'Wild Bill' Speaker personae was born. What are you particularly looking forward to seeing or hearing at Lotusphere2009? This is tricky. I work closely with Lotus (along with a large group of business partners) providing feedback on new stuff. To a certain extent, I've opened my Christmas Presents early - and have some insight into what's hot within 8.5 and 8.5.1. Basically, 8.5 is the hottest new release I've ever seen. See *all* of it. It'll blow your socks off. If your'e a developer, check out the new editors in 8.5.1. And remember to shout 'RON!' when Ron gets on stage to demo it during OGS. I'll be keeping half an ear on that stuff, and keeping attention on Foundations - finally Lotus attempt SMB - and keeping an eye on the AD integration. On sites where Domino and AD coexist, its important that Domino is a good citizen in the AD world, to break down the barriers with the Softies. This technology will be *hot*. And we have a new Lotus CEO, with a very different agenda and style from Mr Rhodin. I want to look him in the eye and see how he ticks - We've not heard much from him so far. Ed Brill has been promoted to a mysterious new position and I'd like to see how much we can beat Ed up these days.... What would be your top tip to someone coming to Lotusphere for the first time this year? Its not a holiday. Its a six days, 18-20 hours a day, lots of walking, listening intensive training boot camp. Think you'll see much of the Mouse ? Think again. Come with a list of questions to get answered, and come with a list of topics you want to deep-dive into. Bring two pars of shoes (or socks) per day, and keep grabbing water and coffee. You dehydrate quickly in those huge Floridian ballrooms. Every time you stand in a queue - say Hi. Every time you sit at a table. Say hi. Everyone else is *just* like you. And remember to have fun. If you find yourself sitting in your hotel room afterwards watching TV, you've failed. (Not least because American TV is crap) So get out there, talk to people. Learn. Waken up in the morning, fully dressed, smashing the alarm against the wall because you've only had four hours sleep, wondering how your going to do it all again.And of course, Bill being Bill, we couldn't restrain him to just the standard questions, so over the fold we have some bonus opinions from Bill on subjects such as where best to party:

• Share your story - Andy Dennis

  December 22 2008

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  Next in the "Share your story" series, Andy Dennis from LAN2LAN.

• Finding Lotusphere content on Twitter

  December 22 2008

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  How do I find Lotusphere content on Twitter, and join the conversation?

• Share your story - Warren Elsmore

  December 22 2008

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  Warren Elsmore takes time out to share his Lotusphere story.

• 10 Things Learned from Lotusphere 2008 to Help Prepare for Lotusphere 2009

  December 22 2008

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  Definitely one blog that needs to be added to your bookmarks or RSS feeds.

• Using the Power of the Community to Expand and Improve Technical Information

  December 20 2008

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  Joyce Davis tells us of the exciting plans the IDC has for Lotusphere

• The Lotusphere Sessions database just got even better

  December 18 2008

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  It's just got even better

• Would you stop reading a novel 10 pages from the end?

  December 18 2008

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  Lotusphere 2009 ends at 4:30pm on Thursday January 22.

• Birds of a Feather sessions dates/times posted

  December 18 2008

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  For many, 'Birds of a Feather' (BoF) sessions are one of the highlights of Lotusphere

• How to survive Lotusphere

  December 17 2008

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  Another Lotus blogger that has taken a lot of time and effort to help the Lotusphere community.

• Have an idea for Lotusphere?

  December 17 2008

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  If you're new to the Lotus community, you may not have come across IdeaJam?

• Hair or no hair, you should be a BALDy

  December 17 2008

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  Bruce Elgort puts out the word regarding the 5th annual Lotusphere BALD event

• What is the Lotusphere Blog? All is revealed!

  December 17 2008

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  The Lotusphere Blog is now one week old, and we thought to reveal all.

• Get Linked In to the Lotusphere community

  December 16 2008

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  The buzz surrounding Lotusphere 2009 is beginning to show in many different forms.

• We have a plan!

  December 15 2008

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  Always great when a plan comes together, this time for tagging on content generated around Lotusphere 2009.

• Lotusphere can help you Get Things Done

  December 15 2008

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  One of the most-anticipated sessions at Lotusphere 2009.

• The Lotusphere Cafe

  December 15 2008

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  An essential component of any Lotusphere is a visit to the Lotusphere Cafe.

• Lotus Solutions Development Lab

  December 15 2008

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  It's great to see everyone's plans coming together for Lotusphere 2009.

• Wanna be a Lotusphere speaker?

  December 13 2008

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  It is a dream for many in the Lotusphere community to climb up onto one of those big stages.

• Another excellent Lotusphere community resource

  December 12 2008

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  It is so exciting to see all these great contributions to the Lotusphere event - the "power of the community"

• Happy snappy Lotusphere!

  December 11 2008

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  Recognise this logo?

• Special Lotusphere 2009 session

  December 11 2008

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  A special extra session featuring that Legend of Lotusphere, The Turtle!

• Lotusphere 2008 - a story shared

  December 11 2008

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  For the first-time attendee, heading to Lotusphere can be a daunting experience.

• Get your organization recognised at Lotusphere

  December 10 2008

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  Upgraded a significant number of users to Notes/Domino 8.0.x already?

• An interview with Sandra Marcus

  December 10 2008

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  Another informative and entertaining interview from the Taking Notes podcast

• Lotusphere - Share your story!

  December 10 2008

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  This blog is all about the power of the Lotusphere community

• Lotusphere on Wikipedia

  December 10 2008

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  The Lotusphere page on Wikipedia is a great source of useful information.

• Teamstudio shine their Spotlight on the best Notes/Domino applications

  December 10 2008

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  Teamstudio choose this time of year to run the Teamstudio Spotlight Awards

• Not attending Lotusphere? Follow on Twitter...

  December 10 2008

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  Another example of the community collaborating around Lotusphere...

• Why did you go to Lotusphere in 2008?

  December 10 2008

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  Folks attend Lotusphere for many different reasons. Here's a great IBM montage of why some attendees travelled to the event in 2008: Good to see a number of the contributors to the Lotus community

• Lotusphere JamFest - bigger and better in 2009

  December 10 2008

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  JamFest has been one of my favorite Lotusphere events since it was introduced back in 2006.

• Gonzo Lotusphere - back and better than ever

  December 10 2008

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  The Turtle's Gonzo Lotusphere site is one of the real golden nuggets of community effort.

• Genii Software’s Lotusphere Agenda DB rides again

  December 9 2008

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  The Lotusphere Agenda DB is a classic example of the community complementing the IBM Lotusphere efforts.

• Lotusphere Hog Ride and Roast

  December 9 2008

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  Another great idea from the Lotusphere community.

• Lotusphere / Lotus Foundations special offer

  December 9 2008

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  Catch this one while you can!

• Lotusphere party location released

  December 9 2008

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  Another announcement that everyone is waiting for each year.

• Interview with Lotusphere track manager Carl Kriger

  December 8 2008

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  In the first of his annual Lotusphere Idonotes interviews, Chris Miller talks to Infrastructure track manager Carl Kriger.

• Welcome!

  December 8 2008

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  Welcome to the Lotusphere Blog!