PASS Virtual Summit 2020 #PASSSummit

(Introductory note: it’s been so long since I blogged, I couldn’t remember my login. Yeesh.)

Hello and welcome, y’all, to the 2020 PASS Virtual Summit! If you’re not signed up, and it’s before 11/14/2020, you’re not too late! Register today and you’ll have access to a holy crapton of recorded sessions and slide decks!

Is the VIRTUAL summit worthwhile?

I had the opportunity to sign up for the virtual summit at the last minute, and I’m going to say yes. Yes, it’s worthwhile.

PASS has done its best to make up for the “not in person” aspect of the convention with various offerings. The results are mixed, yes, but I think the value is still there…especially for the discounted price of entry!

Need to know

The basics are this:

  • Register here. The three day registration is just $399, plus you can find a discount code from any local or virtual user group.
  • A lot of the sessions are pre-recorded, and can be viewed at any time. Watch a recorded session at the scheduled time, and the speaker will be there for QnA near the end!
  • Download the app. Some things are only available in the app.
  • Sessions have chat and QnA tabs; the Community Zone has events throughout the day; you can connect with expo hall companies in live chat (and participate in PASS to Prizes)…and more.

MORE networking? You got it!

I personally miss the hangouts and chance encounters and events at the live Summit, so I put together a Discord server! We have rooms for networking, general chat, individual class”rooms”, and much more.

If the Discord link in this blog is out of date, hit me up on Twitter.

Even more networking:

  • Visit the Community Zone on the Virtual Summit website: https://bit.ly/3kqo1xf
  • Join our SQL Community Discord for Game Nights, discussion, and much more!
  • See the #PASSSummit2020 and #PASSVirtualSummit hashtags on Twitter.
  • There’s an ESTABLISHED SQL Community over on Slack: https://t.co/dbFzg0DkDr?amp=1
Image of the SQL Community server on Discord.

Join us at PASS Virtual Summit, y’all! It’s the next best thing to being there in person.

Prevent the next data breach – a MinionWare snippet

Dozens of major data breaches have occurred in the last fifteen years. Each one illustrates the massive cost – both in dollars and in reputation – of lax security. Consider:

  • Uber in 2016 – Hackers downloaded more than 25 million drivers’ and customers’ personal information; the cover-up and resulting claims alone cost $148 million.
  • Equifax in 2017 (more than once!) – Just one of the 2017 incidents cost Equifax 140 million American, British, and Canadian credit records, and a $575 million settlement to those affected.
  • MyFitnessPal (by Under Armor) in 2018 – Hackers breached 150 million user accounts, causing Under Armor stock value to fall by 4.6%.

There is so much at stake when it comes to customer – and company – data.   Let’s talk about how data breaches happen, and how to protect your data… Read more at MinionWare…

Remote communication for fun and profit! – a MinionWare snippet

We’re a large household with a small business, and we find ourselves with an interesting mix of tools for chat, screen sharing, and video conferencing. Here are our favorites!

Work Life

The tools we use for work include TweetDeck, Teams, Skype, and GoToMeeting.

I’ve been connecting with other IT professionals on Twitter since 2009. TweetDeck an excellent tool for networking, promoting events and products, and – of course – keeping in touch with friends and family…

Read more at MinionWare…