April 18, 2020 at 12:23 am
It was during a lunch break, I had my lunch, sat down with them, and just started talking about nothing in particular. After 10 minutes I realized they were both working for a state government agency, not in my state. Then after another 5 minutes or so I realized they had been working in Azure for quite a while, at least compared to where we are. Finally I asked them questions about how they used Azure, what difficulties they had run into, what advice they could give me, etc. In all we talked for about 45 minutes. You're not going to get that when you post a question virtually. At least, I'm not.
If you want that experience, you don't get it by posting a question - just as you didn't get that experience at a conference by asking someone a technical question first.
If you want the experience of just hanging out and getting to know folks, and you want that experience online, you go to places like the community Slack or the chat rooms at DBA.StackExchange.com. That's where folks just hang out and talk shop, gradually get to know each other, and then discover common interests.
April 18, 2020 at 1:58 am
Nah... I gotta agree... face time is better than any of that.
--Jeff Moden
Change is inevitable... Change for the better is not.
April 20, 2020 at 1:03 pm
If you want the experience of just hanging out and getting to know folks, and you want that experience online, you go to places like the community Slack or the chat rooms at DBA.StackExchange.com. That's where folks just hang out and talk shop, gradually get to know each other, and then discover common interests.
I get your point. Again. First time was the comment about using tools specific for online conferences:
I use Slack for my audience to chat, ask questions, post reaction gifs, share their code, etc.
Now that I'm using Slack & Twitch chats, it feels like my online sessions actually have MORE interactivity than the in-person ones. People are more comfortable asking more questions, and the attendees even answer each others' questions.
Trouble is: I am just not the kind of guy who hang around in chat rooms. But I do have lunch. Being present online requires much more dedication on my part.
So I am still more aligned with those who prefer face time. Not that I have been allowed to attend very many meetings over the years - and certainly not a single conference. My boss would rather fire me than having me asking silly questions about paying or even get the time off to go to those. If it is free and in my own city (i.e. no travel or accommodation), it can be negotiated if I am willing to work the missing hours in a later night or weekend.
In short: I am very used to online conferences and meetings, because that's the only kind I am allowed to participate in. But to be honest, I don't get very much value from them. On the other hand, I don't get very much value from the physical participation either, but I rule that off to the sessions being more like sales pitches than learning events, as had been said by others.
To answer the original question: I do hope the physical event returns! But I also hope that we develop a better habit of attending events without the need for travel and huge expense budgets. Concerning the ability to focus: that's on myself to learn and set up. But it is much harder to stay, mentally, when your everyday-work-life is all around you, compared to when you are dedicating yourself by going somewhere. On the other hand, how many haven't tried going somewhere to dedicate themselves, only to meet people who are more in their phone and mentally on their workplace than actually present here where we are? How many haven't tried sitting silently having lunch, while the group next to you are discussing confidential matters from their workplace? It requires a non-occupied mind in front of you to get into a change encounter resolving in some worth-having connection or information. Online as well as offline.
April 20, 2020 at 2:31 pm
One of the reasons we started SQL Saturday was to reduce the cost for most people to just time. Now it's the time+lunch cost at many places, but that's it. I hope we get back t physical events and more people appreciate (and volunteer) for SQL Saturday.
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