I am noticing a very disturbing trend in the Southeast US – the local Oracle User Groups are withering away. One of the questions I like to end a presentation with is to inquire about the presence of a local Oracle User Group. More frequently than not, the answer is, “Well, we used to have one.”
Now before I jump up onto my soapbox, I have a very big confession to make – I have never made it my MY local group here in RTP, the North Carolina Oracle User Group (NCOUG). Unfortunately it appears this is another OUG to be on life-support or worse. I have my excuse – I talk Oracle 8 hours a day and visit groups of developers and DBAs several times a month. But it’s just an excuse. I only have a few contacts locally here that I can rely on for feedback and sponsorship, and that’s REALLY pathetic.
So what’s your excuse?
If you have a local OUG, make an effort to attend a meeting. You’ll find really passionate people like @oraclenerd and @DBAKevlar, and learn a thing or two.
If you don’t have one, I recommend you do something crazy. Start your own user group. But start small! Organize a lunch and learn in your own department or company first. You’ll need sponsorship. Hopefully your company will give you some money to buy some food. If not, there’s always brown-bagging. Present about something you are passionate about. Maybe it’s the struggles you experience supporting the local Oracle application and the few tricks you have developed to getting around those roadblocks.
If you are already managing an Oracle User Group, and are in need of help, please let me know. A Quest person would love to come present at your local chapter meeting or big annual conferences. It’s the least we can do. And I promise to try to do more in the future!
Bad Data Models…Bad Applications…Bad Scripts
I think James Garner is officially off the talk-show circuit, but other famous folks like Cary Milsap and Tom Kyte have been known to make a stop to a local Oracle user group meeting. And your chances of being thrown in jail or worse are really quite low!
Wondering if you have a local Oracle User Group? Try looking here.
5 Comments
“A Quest person would love to come present at your local chapter meeting or big annual conferences.”
I wonder if anyone from Toad will be joining this year’s UKOUG conference. I distinctly recall a rather dejected Toad and two assistants being escorted from the conf by security 2 years ago! *{;-)
I promise to come only after being invited!
We had Quest’s Guy Harrison present to us at the Sydney Oracle Meetup. He’s coming back as part of a bigger group as Sydney is host for the InSync conference this year. Even Tom Kyte is coming.
PS. Cary Milsap did a presentation for us via video link. Distance doesn’t have to be a barrier. Our local Oracle ACE Yury is doing this month’s presentation on SCAN as a web event for people who have trouble being their in person. http://www.sydneyoracle.com.au
I’d love to present to your group, remotely or on-site. Remotely will be easier though 🙂
Suggest a couple of topics and I’ll raise it with the rest of the committee. The time difference can be challenging though. We generally meet early evening in Sydney, which is the middle of the night in the US. [Yes, we are that far ahead of you !]