code4you (even if Lawson hates the name)

August 19, 2008

So Steve Lawson posted about the idea of a practical conference around solving people’s coding problems. For people who are comfortable with the notion of coding, but may not have all the chops they need.

You can read his post for more details and some great comments.

Some questions that come to mind, some of which have already been raised

  • Better name than code4you?
  • Should it be online(and if so using what software, and synchronous, asynchronous or a mix of both)?
  • When?
  • Free? Fee?
  • If offline, where?
  • What topics?

Bonus points - check out Dorothea’s post, since she can actually write and has thought about (and done) this stuff before. And there’s a lively discussion on FriendFeed about what should be taught.

1 Comment | Conferences | Permalink
Posted by Steven Kaye

Maybe there is something to this Semantic Web thing?

August 19, 2008

I just saw the news on BUSLIB-L (as reported by Gary Price on ResourceShelf, and if you’re not already following DocuTicker and ResourceShelf you’re missing out on some great information sources) that the SEC is transitioning from EDGAR to IDEA.

EDGAR is the current database for corporate filings - annual and quarterly financials, significant changes, filings from foreign issuers, prospectuses, etc. and is based on receiving filings from companies.

It sounds like the new approach is based on tagging elements of financial filings (I assume using XBRL) so that users and vendors can scoop up the data and add their own processing. Expect a lot of excitement about this in Semantic Web circles. What do you think?

1 Comment | Miscellaneous | Permalink
Posted by Steven Kaye

Ask not what your association can do for you…

August 7, 2008

I’m brooding about my larger professional involvement these days.

Since I joined SLA, I’ve:

  • shamefully neglected my responsibilities for contributing to the SLA IT Division Blogging Section Blog
  • let the chapter blog I’m editor for deteriorate into something that’s largely a repository for event listings already posted to the mailing list
  • not gone to any events other than board meetings and one dine-around (which I was late to)

Admittedly, I have made efforts to drum up contributions to the blog, but obviously not hard enough. And the reason I haven’t attended events is because, without a car, I’m pretty much condemned to take multiple buses and/or trains to any given event starting several hours beforehand.

I also joined AIIP. And have since become one of those people they (rightfully) look down on, someone who dipped his toe in the water when he was unemployed and hasn’t taken the plunge and started his own business. I’m late with a book review I promised, the one solid obligation I had.

So while I’m learning at the new job, I feel I’m a failure in terms of the larger profession.

2 Comments | Associations, Meta | Permalink
Posted by Steven Kaye