2018 marks 10 years (and a little of change, counting my 1999 stuff) of speaking in the tech community on a variety of technologies:
- Linux Administration (Samba)
- Squeak
- Python (and IronPython)
- SQL
- Silverlight
- Cross-Platform Development with C# and Mono
- PowerShell (for IT administration and for developers)
- HTML 5
I have spoken on other technical topics as well:
- ATDD
- Test-Driven Development
- General Debugging Tips & Tricks
- User Experience for Developers
- Responsive Web Design
I have also spoken on other topics:
- The History of Women in Tech
- Servant Leadership
- Mentoring
- Social Media and Marketing Tech Events
- Google Analytics
- Women & Diversity in Tech
I have done some major talks:
- Keynoted the 2011 Cleveland Software Freedom Day with “Keeping an Open Mind About Open Source”
- Lunch talk center stage at the Peabody Opera House at the 2013 Strangeloop Conference with “The History of Women in Tech”
And now I can add the badge of international speaking!
Why did it take so long?
There are many reasons why I haven’t submitted to speak internationally:
- My primary audience is within my region. I rarely need to leave here.
- I was honestly afraid because of language barriers. English is my primary language, though I have some basic understanding of Spanish. I don’t really have a secondary spoken language. I worried about having to deal with that.
So… why now?!
We were travelling to Hong Kong to visit family (and yes, #ancestraltrip for those following along on Twitter). I was curious about the technical communities over there, and since I know a little about Hong Kong’s background, I suspected that there may not be as big of a language barrier as I originally suspected.
When I reached out to their group, they offered to have me speak, and it seemed like a great opportunity that I couldn’t pass up.
How’d it go?
It was a wonderful experience speaking with the Microsoft Developers HK Meetup on “The C# Dev’s Intro to Python”! Their community is a great group of folks – islanders and main land folks. They’re enthusiastic and really enjoy learning more. It was great to see their energy and feel very welcome. Special thanks to Stephen Tung (cheers for bringing VLT!), Thomas Weiss (especially for meeting me in person at the MVP Summit – great to have a familiar face to meet again), and Bart Verkoeijen (getting me directions and set up at the venue)! These organizers were very welcoming, and my husband and I enjoyed going out with these guys and Michael (one of the group members) for pizza afterward!
For those who want to learn about what I presented:
Slides: https://www.slideshare.net/sadukie/intro-to-python-for-c-developers
Code for presentation: https://github.com/sadukie/IntroToPyForCSharpDevs
Will I do it again?
Absolutely! I would love to come back to Hong Kong to present, and I could be up to other locations as well, especially if I already am travelling that way. The tough part about international speaking is the cost (especially if visas and airfare are involved). So if I can coordinate multiple events, that makes it a bit easier to swallow.