I had an interesting question from someone that I respect and I’ve seen answering questions and writing a few articles on the WWW. This person asked if there was any point in them doing a presentation at the PASS Summit or some other event since most of their knowledge was already available on the Internet in posts or in a couple articles.

There is always something to be gained from doing a talk on something, even if you’ve written about it. How many people out there that are speakers go onstage and talk about their books? Quite a few, and I’ve seen some of them and their talks give you a bit more insight into what they wrote, and they touch people that would never read a book.

Most people are beginners, and even if you are one of the most widely known authors on the Internet, say a Kalen Delaney, there are plenty of people that have not read your work. Giving a talk touches new people that either haven’t had time or interest, or just didn’t see your work on the Internet.

If you have some talent, and an inclination, go for it. Speak at a user group and see how it goes. If it’s well received, then you’ll know that you have some talent for speaking and presenting, and it’s worth pursuing a bit more.

And most companies I know support this. It gives them some exposure and it’s a bit of a bragging point to their clients. They can show they have talented people in the company that give back to others.