Hi John...

Y'all are making the point. I for one get tired of seeing the same people present time after time. For one thing, as a presenter, you get burned out. Some folks don't know when to hang it up. As an individual, you have a few viewpoints. In the beginning, it is innovated and refreshing. After a while, it gets old, stale, and pathetic.

For me, it was time to step aside. After 4 years, it was time to let somebody else have a bite at the apple.

Finally, I got tired of the snobbery and the elitist attitude. I overheard somebody - who will remain nameless - when she/he was asked the question of how one becomes a speaker. The person responded with "You have to have the magic.." That is such bullshit..

The sad fact is, for many speakers, they pick a topic that interests them, do some research - write a paper and slides, and present. Relative to attendees, the speaker sort of qualifies as an expert. The speaker is on chapter 2 while the attendees for the most part have not opened the book yet. So, from a pure knowledge standpoint, the speaker has something to offer. However, pure knowledge, devoid of practical application - is useless.

In the law, there is the concept of ripeness. Sometimes, courts will not render a decision on an issue because it is too new. The issue is not ripe enough to render good common law.

The same goes for technology. SUre, it is cool to see the new shit. However, the stuff that has been out there is ripe enough that people can give presentations around practical usage. That is where you learn.

I have long been of the opinion that conferences need to afford the opportunity to learn something. Yes, you need to get a glimpse of the cutting edge. However, to let that drive the bus is letting the tail wag the dog. I have long said that "People need to be able to USE the info we pass along..."

Having people in the field present goes a long way to achieve this objective..

< JVP >




>Hey Tom,
>
>In addition to the usual suspects, I'd also like to see:
>
>George Tasker -- API,WSH
>Ed Rauh -- Anything. But since he's my biz partner, I'm biased :-)
>Craig Berntson -- Crystal Reports and related stuff. Another partner :-)
>Barbara Peisch -- On a variety of topics.
>JVP/Jim Duffy -- COM data components in depth.
>Andrew Coates -- Advanced Outlook integration.
>Nigel Coates -- MAPI
>Alex Feldstein -- VFP en general en espanol.
>Nancy Folsom -- Client/project management.
>Mike Levy -- VFP/SQL Server integration.
>Mike Stewart -- VFP and Win2K, Whistler, and Blackcombe.
>Ted Roche -- VFP and VSS integration.
>Roxanne Seibert -- Unbiased frameworks overview.
>
>And, last but not least:
>
>Mike Helland -- On being a punk kid in an old fart Fox world ;-D
>
>
>Of course, they'd all have to come up with submissions to Barry.