July 3, 2011 at 3:49 pm
GilaMonster (7/3/2011)
Yup. MVPs get a massive discount straight off and we get a whole bunch of opportunities to help out with various of the summit events to get a complete conference comp. Very nice deal for those who aren't speaking there.
Oh, if only I'd decided to start a blog and contribute to sites like SQL Server Cenral a decade and a half or so ago, and do something useful for the (database) programming community instead of being a boring company man! I might never have become an MVP (working 169 hour weeks was probably a bad idea, and might have precluded serious community contribution) but on the other hand I might have. And then I'd have been able to attend PASS summits and things like that (spending many weeks a year at universities the from the late 70-s to the early early 90s was fun, and going to many conferences between 1967 and 1996 was fun too, but after 1996 I just worked, did nothing useful except my job and looking after my family, and from what I see here PASS events are much more lively than a typical conference or a few weeks high pressure work with academics, so I would rather have been involved insomething like PASS). Now that my brain is firing on only 2 cylinders instead of 6, and more brain cells are retiring evey day, I'm sure I no longer stand a chance - it will never happen; besides, being mostly retired (but not totally) means I have no time for blogging now - in the 169 hour week working days I could have fitted it in far more easily than now.
Gail, I'm jealous of you - - despite knowing that you certainly deserve it while I certainly don't!
Tom
July 3, 2011 at 3:57 pm
So why aren't you coming to Summit?
Believe me, I'm going to be working for my comp'd conference attendance (and so's Grant). Not all sunshine and roses...
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
July 3, 2011 at 5:09 pm
GilaMonster (7/3/2011)
So why aren't you coming to Summit?
A number of reasons: shortage of time (I had more spare time when working 169 hour weeks than I have now), shortage of money (being mostly retired has reduced my income a bit), and Ann needs my support (I left her to cope with her disabilities and illnesses on her own far too much while I was working full time, and have resolved never to let that happen again so unless I can fix things up for her to be looked after if the need arises while I'm away I won't be going off to any conferences).
Believe me, I'm going to be working for my comp'd conference attendance (and so's Grant). Not all sunshine and roses...
I understand that, fully. Doing (even more preparing) a conference session is a lot of hard work; and even when there's financial support and/or discounts (even 100% discount) of registration fees, you also have to work hard to earn the rest of the costs (eg travel, accomodation) or to persuade an employer to pay it for you (if you are stuck with that option; even convincing them they can afford to let you take time out of the office to go to the conference can be difficult).
Tom
July 3, 2011 at 8:53 pm
Tom.Thomson (7/3/2011)
[...] you also have to work hard to earn the rest of the costs (eg travel, accomodation) [...]
Exactly. I think Gail's in the same boat (so to speak) as I am - getting there and the time away from work dwarfs the cost of registration. If I go to the Summit, I'm looking at around NS$6000 out of my own pocket just for the travel side. Not looking for sympathy or intending to come off as ungrateful re: the free admission, just saying how it is...
Paul White
SQLPerformance.com
SQLkiwi blog
@SQL_Kiwi
July 3, 2011 at 9:33 pm
Tom.Thomson (7/3/2011)
GilaMonster (7/3/2011)
Yup. MVPs get a massive discount straight off and we get a whole bunch of opportunities to help out with various of the summit events to get a complete conference comp. Very nice deal for those who aren't speaking there.Oh, if only I'd decided to start a blog and contribute to sites like SQL Server Cenral a decade and a half or so ago....
Maybe MS should introduce an honorary "lifetime achievement" award similar to that given out at the Oscars. MSMHP - MS Most Honorary Professional? MSMVRP - MS Most Valuable Retired Professional?
Although perhaps a better award would be the SSCMVP, awarded only to those who are specifically not MVP's. 😛
Steve.
July 3, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Jim Murphy (7/1/2011)
Oh, in case everyone didn't hear: Congratulations Gail for making MVP again!
Congrats Gail!
But, er, "again"? Does this mean you are now twice the MVP you were before? 😉
Steve.
July 3, 2011 at 11:35 pm
Jeff Moden (7/2/2011)
GilaMonster (7/1/2011)
Thanks everyone. Wasn't actually planning on announcing it here.Congratulations, Gail. This means that the top two non-employee posters for SSC have been selected again. 🙂
Congrats to the both of you!
Need an answer? No, you need a question
My blog at https://sqlkover.com.
MCSE Business Intelligence - Microsoft Data Platform MVP
July 4, 2011 at 1:07 am
Fal (7/3/2011)
Jim Murphy (7/1/2011)
Oh, in case everyone didn't hear: Congratulations Gail for making MVP again!Congrats Gail!
But, er, "again"? Does this mean you are now twice the MVP you were before? 😉
It's an annual award, lasts a year only. I'm in the July cycle so each July I find out if I've been reawarded for the next 12 months or not.
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
July 4, 2011 at 1:10 am
SQLkiwi (7/3/2011)
If I go to the Summit, I'm looking at around NS$6000 out of my own pocket just for the travel side.
A little under $2000 USD here (and with a 7:1 exchange rate rand:dollar) unless I fly the torturous direct route (JHB-> New York, 16 hour flight)
Gail Shaw
Microsoft Certified Master: SQL Server, MVP, M.Sc (Comp Sci)
SQL In The Wild: Discussions on DB performance with occasional diversions into recoverability
July 4, 2011 at 1:27 am
GilaMonster (7/4/2011)
SQLkiwi (7/3/2011)
If I go to the Summit, I'm looking at around NS$6000 out of my own pocket just for the travel side.A little under $2000 USD here (and with a 7:1 exchange rate rand:dollar) unless I fly the torturous direct route (JHB-> New York, 16 hour flight)
about $1000 USD from Brussels to Seattle ( via Philadelphia )
Total budget is about $5000 USD.
One of the arguments I always like to use is: What would it cost to absorbe the same knowledge when following the regular courses, on that many topics, with that much directly usable info ?
Johan
Learn to play, play to learn !
Dont drive faster than your guardian angel can fly ...
but keeping both feet on the ground wont get you anywhere :w00t:
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press F1 for solution, press shift+F1 for urgent solution 😀
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July 4, 2011 at 2:38 am
Looks like I missed a lot of things during the weekend...
Congratulations to Gail, Jeff and everyone else who got renewed!!!
-- Gianluca Sartori
July 4, 2011 at 2:49 am
GilaMonster (7/4/2011)
SQLkiwi (7/3/2011)
If I go to the Summit, I'm looking at around NS$6000 out of my own pocket just for the travel side.A little under $2000 USD here (and with a 7:1 exchange rate rand:dollar) unless I fly the torturous direct route (JHB-> New York, 16 hour flight)
I'm telling you, we should start an Extra-US MVP Summit Speakers Fund. Give me a PayPal address and I'll send a contribution.
Jim Murphy
http://www.sqlwatchmen.com
@SQLMurph
July 4, 2011 at 3:21 am
Fal (7/3/2011)
Tom.Thomson (7/3/2011)
GilaMonster (7/3/2011)
Yup. MVPs get a massive discount straight off and we get a whole bunch of opportunities to help out with various of the summit events to get a complete conference comp. Very nice deal for those who aren't speaking there.Oh, if only I'd decided to start a blog and contribute to sites like SQL Server Cenral a decade and a half or so ago....
Maybe MS should introduce an honorary "lifetime achievement" award similar to that given out at the Oscars. MSMHP - MS Most Honorary Professional? MSMVRP - MS Most Valuable Retired Professional?
Although perhaps a better award would be the SSCMVP, awarded only to those who are specifically not MVP's. 😛
No, anything like that might divert attemtion from the MVP awards which I think are directed in the right direction - they go to those who educate the rest of us in practical ways of doing things using real available products.
Tom
July 4, 2011 at 4:44 am
ALZDBA (7/4/2011)
GilaMonster (7/4/2011)
SQLkiwi (7/3/2011)
If I go to the Summit, I'm looking at around NS$6000 out of my own pocket just for the travel side.A little under $2000 USD here (and with a 7:1 exchange rate rand:dollar) unless I fly the torturous direct route (JHB-> New York, 16 hour flight)
about $1000 USD from Brussels to Seattle ( via Philadelphia )
Total budget is about $5000 USD.
One of the arguments I always like to use is: What would it cost to absorbe the same knowledge when following the regular courses, on that many topics, with that much directly usable info ?
Travel from LZ to Seattle would be a real pain: the cheapest I found was ACE-MAD(overnight stop)-AMS-SEA on the way out, and SEA-CDG(overnight stop)-BIO-ACE on the way back wich runs out at about $1500 plus hotel costs in Madrid and Paris, but that wouldn't get me there in time for any precon sessions so I would have to travel earlier, which changes the cost a little. Adding in registration for the full conference and 2 precon sessions, plus hotel charges at the outrageously high rates organised by PASS (why are US hotels so outrageously expensive) the overall cost (excluding local transport in Seattle, food, ...) would be something above $5500.
Tom
July 4, 2011 at 5:29 am
ALZDBA (7/4/2011)
One of the arguments I always like to use is: What would it cost to absorbe the same knowledge when following the regular courses, on that many topics, with that much directly usable info ?
I can imagine someone countering that argument by offering to acquire the summit DVDs instead... <devil><advocate/></devil>
Paul White
SQLPerformance.com
SQLkiwi blog
@SQL_Kiwi
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