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Silicon Valley Code Camp 2012

October 16th, 2012 Comments off

After the exertions of JavaOne 2012, I was very glad of the relative warmth, wide-range green, autumn plucky country-side feel of Los Altos Hill. On Saturday, 6th October and partially Sunday 7th I was down at Foot Hill College for another dose of the Silicon Valley Code Camp.

For people in Silicon Valley, a weekend after JavaOne, and for a free event, this is training and education that is most affordable. The companies sponsoring SVCC including Microsoft, Box, Dice.com and others make it all possible.

 

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This is Peter Kellner being the Master of Cerenomies and reading the raffle-ticket winners

 

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This photos was taken during the speaker’s dinner late Saturday evening. Van Riper [R] and Kevin Nilson [L] organisers of the Valley Java User Group

 

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Wider focus view to the Foot Hills Campus, which is very well equipped for IT education, I thought.

 

 

DSCF4162 Another stunning view and memory of SVCC. What you cannot see is that the whole college on undergoing reconstruction, there are building works, trucks, pile heaps all around the campus as it is revamped.

 

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Saturday lunchtime. For October, it was rather warm during the day, the atmosphere definitely collegiate, relax and friendly. It was rather cold during the evening, bring a jacket and layers after 6pm!

 

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One lucky raffle-ticket proudly takes and loft over his head the XBox Console that he just won at the SVCC 2012! Am I regretful that I stopped running the JAVAWUG? In those moment like that one was, the easy answer is yes, because to see the joy of accomplishing something just by attending is priceless. However, an SVCC event is unlikely come to the UK any time soon, because we Brits need to adopt that Californian attitude of “What’s the worse thing that could possibly happen?”

 

I was very happy with the turnout for my talk on Saturday: Leveraging Java EE7 and the Cloud with the JavaFX, Room 4305. In the end, I talked for 35 minutes, and the rest was demonstrating JavaFX 2 to the attendees. A smaller audience than JavaOne, but nevertheless they appear attentive and appreciative.

The follow day, I bumped, into Dave Nielsen, of CloudCamp fame, whilst he was given an interesting talk about cloud computing. My ideas about PaaS being standardised next year, were way off, I learnt. There is so much disruption and innovating in Cloud, in his opinion, Dave Nielsen, reckons standardisation is more like two years into the future. Dave Nielsen is one of the member organiser of the OASIS CAMP, an effort to standardise cloud services.

 

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Microsoft brought there own XBox black Mustang muscle car, polycarbonate trim and folds, custom modifications were fitted by the infamous West-Coast Customs, yet another “Pimp My Ride” production. This particular car had a digital LCD dashboard, two screens, it was coupled with a Nokia smartphone app with the ability to remote start (disabled), a projector was installed into the boot and also featured two separate XBox console complete with controllers. Of course, the boombox sound was out of this world.

 

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Code Camp #svcc2012

 

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I started reading Joshua D. Sureth’s Scala in Depth book, which was the only book that I bought during JavaOne 2012. I used to buy lots in previous years, too much to read in so little time. Now I restrict myself to one, if any.

 

+PP+

The Collective Summer Camp UK Continues

July 26th, 2011 Comments off

 

In the first three weeks of July, I was super-busy, so The Collective Summer Camp UK had to take a backseat while I sorted out stuff. I am still pushing on with this event. I believe definitely that we should have this style of event happening in the UK. We have create the flaming green shoots of recovery somewhere in this land of Great Britain. We have be just the drivers and make sure that as software developers and designers make it happen!

I have no venue yet, but there are plenty of people really interested in taking part in a open-space conference and dojo combined all-dayer. I aiming to get a date of Saturday, 6th August 2011 in central London at the time of writing.

 

CollectiveSummerCampUK_512x384_logo

 

In the last weekend just gone, I created a Google Site Collective Summer Camp UK. The rewards are greater than the sum of parts, it would be great to crowd source some of this effort. Contact me directly please.

Register you interest here on this Google Form. The more people we have the more we can definitely push.

Weeks ago I brushed off my Wacom tablet and set about with the art in Adobe Illustrator. The logo features sun rays beaming through the sky. Notice there are no clouds in the sky to block the energy of Sun or mar our joy. It’s a new day. I believe rather that this symbology is exactly what we need in this world, today. Bloody hell! The least we can do in this life is improve and change the future outlook with education, finding the next direction, and learning new skills.

We are The Collective and we are busting loose, I guarantee it.

 

Collective Summer Camp UK Info (mp3)

The Collective Summer Camp UK

July 1st, 2011 Comments off

 

Hi Everyone!

I am sorry if this has taken longer to announce than when I first tweeted it on Twitter on Sunday 25th August 2011.

I am organising the first Collective Sumer Camp UK, which inspired by my experience of attending the JavaPosse Round Up for three years in a row (2009, 2010, and 2011). The Round-Up is an open space technology conference created by The Java Posse, four experienced Java developers and designers, famous in the community, who have a regular podcast, and also long time technical book author and thinker, Bruce Eckel. The Round-Up is a normally a five day event and takes place in Crested Butte, Colorado. Very recently, the Round-Up expanded to Summer Programming Camp.

I had a lot of fun attending the Round-Ups, as you can see here and here. I thought and asked the question, why can we not doing something similar to the Round-Up here in the UK? Why not? Indeed.

Let us do it, instead of dreaming about it! Here is an audio-boo, which I recorded a few days ago, that has my essential ideas. I apologise here if it is a bit rambling or fast.

Announcing "The Collective Summer Camp UK": Rock Bottom Reached (mp3)

 

START SMALL

Let us go for the low-to-medium risk. We scope the requirements small in order to delivery the best result.

 

BRANDING

I have tentatively called it THE COLLECTIVE for a very good reason. I am personally no longer in the business of organising or running user groups. I am in the business of networking with other people, getting functional programming adopted in the industry, and welcome continuous learning. We are called THE COLLECTIVE of Java platform, who are about pushing it forward.

 

THEMES

The content of the open space conference is up to those who attend. However, I strongly feel that we should be learning and educating ourselves about Functional Java, Scala, Clojure, JRuby and Groovy.

 

SPLIT CONTENT

Because we only a full Saturday. I thought it would be best to split the day into two halves. In the morning we have the open space sessions, then we would break for lunch. In the afternoon, we can have programming exercise for the new JVM language and /or including functional Java. (I went to the London Clojure Dojo on Tuesday night, and it was really well run and a good experience. I should like to model these Dojos for the Saturday afternoon [Experts or advanced coaches / users should apply w/ interest!] ).

 

REGISTRATION AND SURVEY

You will find a Google Form to register your interest in The Collective Summer Camp. Thank you!

 

DATE AND TIME

The day of the Conference will be a Saturday either 30th July, 6th August or 13th August. It will be full day. See the registration and survey form.

 

PAID

The UK is going through the most dire and severe economic recessions at the moment. So I understand many of you, like me, do not have loads of money. The Collective Summer Camp UK ought be low cost. However, we cannot expect every single event to be a free ride. Someone or something has to be paid for their time and effort. Venue and location to be decided. The money goes to the organisation and any thing left over will go to food, pizza and soft drinks, and we can decide what to do with the rest of the money, like donate it charity or something.

HASHTAGS

#CollectiveSummerCampUK and includes #BeyondJava, #ScalaLang, #Clojure, #Groovy, etc .

Please retweet #CollectiveSummerCampUK and self-promote the event.

 

INCENTIVE

I need at least 25 people to register to make the event viable. Please your register interest for the event with the Google Form.

HELP

I need help to organise this event. Please enquire with your ideas today!

 

That is it for now. I am so pleased to come out of stealth-mode. The next bit will be to decide on venue, which most likely looks like most people like central London and that will drive the cost. Stay tuned. +PP+

Twitter: @peter_pilgrim or electronically at peter dot pilgrim at gmail dot com

JavaPosse Round Up 2011 Closing Session Episode 343.5

June 6th, 2011 3 comments

 

Hello there!

This is a blog entry is just an embedded Vimeo Plug-in. It is my video recording of the JavaPosse Round-Up 2011 closing session. I edited it a couple of months ago and locked it privately and now it is time to unlock it.

I always take a video camcorder to Colorado for the Round Up and it was my third time in a row of attending this fantastic open space conference since 2009. I was very proud and fortunate to be able to go, organise yet another vacation rental house, meet all the house mates and the conference attendees, who were all nice to meet and greet. If you looking for deep Java related technology discussions with bright developers, designers and architects, then the JPR is the place to be. I am into snow boarding and you might be too. Crested Butte was one of the best half pipes and free style parks anywhere in the world, just make sure you invest in a decent helmet.

Fellow Java Champion, Bruce Eckel, deserves all the plaudits for organising such as splendid venue. It was the fifth round up for the JavaPosse.

I think Dick Wall has been very busy with doing this, that, and the other and may be this closing session episode got lost in the ether. So this is Episode 343.5. Note this the point five in the episode number as it could have been inserted in my opinion between 343 and 344.

Also I would like to tell you about the Scala Programming Summer Camp that is Bruce Eckel is organising in Crested Butte. Sadly, I am unlikely to make over to USA, in late July, and I would love to go and chew the Scala programming language fat. The cost of the open space Summer Camp is extremely low, only 200.0 USD! The biggest travel cost are the flights and the accommodation stay, but if you go, I think you find it was the best experience of technology / activity balance that you will ever have.

Enjoy my video and I gladly receive any feedback that you the reader/viewer may have.

 

JavaPosse Round Up 2011 Closing Session Episode 343.5 from Peter Pilgrim on Vimeo.

 

Thank you all!

PS: Hopefully I will find that future tech job and then also make to JPR12

-+-PP-+-

JavaPosse Episode 342 JPR 11

May 1st, 2011 Comments off

A short blog entry then …

Here is two video recordings of the Java Posse Round-Up 2011 podcast, episode 342, in to two parts. This JavaPosse and all of us who attending the Round-Up this year, Thursday night, 24th February in the parish church.

 

Please enjoy responsibility

JavaPosse Episode 342 JPR11 Part One from Peter Pilgrim on Vimeo.

 

and

JavaPosse Episode 342 JPR11 Part Two from Peter Pilgrim on Vimeo.

 

If you liked these videos, please retweet and relink on Facebook. Thank you

PS: Easter egg at the end of part two

My Lightning Talks Videos from Java Posse RoundUp 2011

March 11th, 2011 Comments off

After a very busy QConLondon 2011 this week, I almost forgot to mention that the lightning talks from JavaPosse Roundup were announced.

I did to two lightning talks of five minutes long on Tuesday and Wednesday nights over in Crested Butte, Colorado. Gosh! It seems like a decade ago or a distance life already. I suppose that is what fun memories of a great gathering do after all.

 

Scala Adoption for Business

 

Developing Your Personal Self-Awareness (Peter Pilgrim)

Enjoy! Thanks for the memories

Winking smile

 

(Feedback, suggestions and good uplifting greetings always appreciated)

The Java Posse Round Up 2011

March 3rd, 2011 Comments off

The things I enjoyed about this year’s open space conference.

  • Just the enthusiasm and the luck of the draw about being there again.
  • It was heart warming and uplifting to be part of the action
  • Meeting this year’s new people
  • Getting reacquainted with the previous JPR11 attendees
  • Diane Marsh’s Scala Koans
  • Sitting on Bruce Eckel’s easy massaging chair again and meeting Bruce again
  • Making a video recording of the closing session
  • Having the time to make screen cast of JavaFX 2.0 EA
  • Kate Ice House
  • The  Progressive Dinner
  • Doing a Technical Leadership session
  • 4 half days snowboarding

The things I regret about JPR11

  • I did not meet and greet every single individual
  • Missing the Make It Fast technical session
  • Missing my own Future of Client Java session
  • Not getting the Saturday flight for an extra snowboarding Sunday
  • Not knowing if I can make it back next year, and not having that ideal Job / Position

Enjoy the Flickr Stream

JPR11

JPR11

JPR11

JPR11

JPR11

JPR11

So heart warming. Thank you all participants at the Java Posse Round Up 2011. Everyone was great there. My heart swells with pride. It was an unbelievable and unmissable.

PS: My Flickr Photostream is here ;-)

PS PS: A Message from Bruce Eckel

http://www.reinventing-business.com/2011/03/roundup-2011-summary.html

If you blog about the Roundup, please add a link on this page:

https://sites.google.com/site/javaposseroundup/blogs-about-the-roundup

Also see here http://javaposse.com/ and  http://www.mindviewinc.com/Conferences/JavaPosseRoundup/