I visit a lot of IBM i and other computer shops in a year. In every one of them I learn things. Some of these things will become part of Worst Practices in Systems Management which I do with my friend Kevin Mort. You don't want to become part of that session! It's rather like it was to make "Headlines" with Jay Leno! In other shops I learn about new bits of hardware, new techniques, new software, and in some cases new attacks or other issues upcoming. No matter what though, it's learning. They say that smart people keep learning for their entire life.

In some of these shops though I learn that there is no learning there. As an example I was recently working with an administrator that did not understand QCMD and the F9 key. Rather than rolling up to the command they needed and retrieving it with F9 they copied it with the mouse and edit copy and then edit paste. Of course it was then incorrectly formatted and needed significant editing to be used. My suggestion to use F9 was rebuffed. You can lead a horse to water.....

In other shops I learn that they WANT to learn but they don't know how. Or they don't have time. Or they get no resources. Or, my favorite: "The boss won't pay." Yeah that one has baffled me for years. Now as an independent consultant I see both sides of that argument. I am the boss so I have to decide whether or not to pay for me to attend any education. Do I attend every conference out there? Of course I do not. There are some I'd like to attend but either time or overlap of education guides me to some and not others.

But where should I go? I would suggest that you check out COMMON to start. The variety of education there is the widest you will find. You'll also find a great display of goods and services from a wide array of vendors. You'll have several opportunities to chat with industry experts as well as others in situations similar to your own. The annual COMMON Conference might not be your cheapest option as it's a four day conference and is in Florida (which happens to sound INCREDIBLE right now as my thermometer reads 5.6 below zero F! in MARCH!) COMMON also has a three day fall conference that will be in Indianapolis this year at a lower price and perhaps closer to your home.

Is COMMON More than you or your boss' budget can afford? Then check out your local or regional LUG. Many of them do amazing conferences and I've spoken at a number of them. OCEAN, LISUG, NEUGC, OMNI, MITEC, WMCPA. Some are one day some are two or three day educational opportunities but either way the education is amazing. Time away from home is less but the enthusiasm is the same.

Next up is the WMCPA Spring Conference It's not too late to register and join us!!

Can you do webinars and other on-line education, check out wiki's, participate in mailing lists etc and learn things? Absolutely, without question and you should do those things. But the face to face education, the voice inflection, the questions from other attendees, the discussions afterword, the hints learned and the time away from the office to clear your head and focus on education can be priceless.

Whatever you do you must educate. Remember that industry and technology is moving forward in some cases at a pretty zippy pace! If you're not educating yourself you might think you're standing still but in reality you are falling back. I know I know your company isn't moving forward. Your employer is still working with traditional RPG apps developed in a green screen editor I get it, and your job is safe too. Bet that's what a lot of people that soon will no longer be working at IBM thought too. Oops! So who gets a job sooner the guy who's 'still developing RPG in SEU' or the guy with RDi skills that knows PHP, Ruby, and is strong in SQL? You know the answer. Now how will you become 'that guy'?

Remember too, the person in charge of becoming that guy is staring at you in the mirror, not across the boss' desk!


- DrF