Category Archives: MWLUG

IBM Social Business User Community – Where all the Cool Kids are going

Well that didn’t take long…

After my previous post about SocialBiz User Group’s site getting retired, I received a couple of responses on my Facebook page from Wannes Rams and Oliver Busse about the launch of the IBM Social Business User Community, the NEW and IMPROVED place for the IBM Social Business (and user group) community to go. It’s slick, and IBM will be giving it the continuing love and attention sites like this need!

Because it’s part of the whole DeveloperWorks environment (which is based on IBM Connections), that gives all of you ANOTHER reason to join us over there if you’re not already a member! Once you are a member, head over to the IBM Social Business User Community and become a member!

SBUC-SocialTile

I’ll see you all there! #IBMSocialUG

As Rafiki would say… IT IS TIME! MWLUG 2015 Abstract Submission is NOW OPEN!

MWLUG2015

The Master of MWLUG, Richard Moy, begins on his post

I am please to announce that session abstract submission is now opened for MWLUG 2015.  Abstract submission will close on May 22, 2015 so get your abstracts in.  To submit your abstract go to: http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2015.nsf/Abstract.xsp

I love the theme this year, “Transforming Collaboration Through Innovation”, as it speaks to what a lot of us are doing. We either change what we do WITH what we have (or can get) or we’ll get left behind!

If you are doing something different or new, submit an abstract! If you are doing something that could help others, submit an abstract! If you are doing ‘something’, submit an abstract! (Do you see a trend here?)

You have until May 22nd, so get on board and submit an abstract NOW!

MWLUG 2014: SA108: Homebrew Your Own Metrics-An IBM Domino Administrator’s Guide to SNMP

Tom Bilan and I would like to thank everyone for attending our session at MWLUG 2014Homebrew your own Metrics-An IBM Domino Administrator’s Guide to SNMP. (I also want to thank everyone that grabbed some of my homebrew as well!)

Here is our slide deck for the session:

Personally, I want thank Tom for speaking with me. He’s a great presenter, an awesome person, and one of the smartest people I know. I’m constantly learning from him, and hope to continue to work with him for years to come.

Please feel free to provide us with any feedback on the session, both from the session evaluations and by email/comments below. We have some ideas for additional sessions in the future, and we strive to be better every time.

Also, for those of you that took some of my homebrew, please feel free to provide me any honest feedback. I’m trying to get better with that every day as well.

Only 3 weeks left until MWLUG 2014 – Hotel Discount Expiring!

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There’s only 3 weeks left until MWLUG 2014 in beautiful Grand Rapids, Michigan at the even more beautiful Amway Grand Plaza Hotel from August 27-29, 2014!

I have some simple questions for you:

  1. Why haven’t you registered yet?
  2. Why haven’t you booked your room yet? (Hotel discount is expiring)
  3. Why don’t you want to be cool like the rest of us that are attending? (Yes, you can be cool simply by attending)
  4. Why don’t you like beer? (See Thursday Social Event at Founders Brewing Company)
  5. Why don’t you like Kramer Reeves? (He’s got the OGS presentation)
  6. Why don’t you support our veterans? (World War II veteran, author and inventor Virgil Westdale is giving a talk also)
  7. Why don’t you like culture? (See Wednesday Tour of Gerald R. Ford Museum)
  8. Why don’t you want to learn and be social, thereby helping your employer and you? (43 sessions and workshops plus 3 BOF user group meetings can’t be wrong)

Go register (http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2014.nsf/Register.xsp) and book your room (http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2014.nsf/Hotel.xsp) NOW, then when you get there, you can buy me a beverage as thanks for reminding you! See you in GR!

MWLUG 2014 Sessions and Workshops announced – What’s in it for you?

mwlug2014_banner As Richard Moy posted yesterday on his blog, the sessions and workshops for MWLUG 2014 have been announced. I am fortunate to speak with my manager, Dr. Tom Bilan, at this year’s event. This is our session:

Homebrew your own Metrics: An IBM Domino Administrator’s Guide to SNMP It’s important as an IBM Domino administrator to get metrics on your servers so that you know what’s going on in your “Brewhouse”. There are also many ways to obtain this very valuable information, like 3rd party tools and even the IBM Domino Administrator client. What many don’t know is that there is also another way to capture this very valuable information. SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol) is an Internet-standard protocol for managing devices on IP networks. In this session, you will learn more about it, what it can give you, how to set it up, and ways to ‘drink in’ or monitor the information. With proper configuration, administrators not familiar with IBM Domino can obtain and use key IBM Domino server metrics. Homebrew your own metrics by attending this session!

If you haven’t registered to attend this event in beautiful Grand Rapids, Michigan (selected for two years as Beer City USA and recent city to host the National Homebrewers Conference), you need to stop reading this and go register! For only $50, you get over 47 hours of technical and business training, plus the chance to network (collaborate) with some of the best and brightest in our industry!

Have you registered yet? No? Here… let me give you the link: http://www.mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2014.nsf/Register.xsp

Did you know that Kramer Reeves, the Director of Product Management for Collaboration Solutions at IBM, is the MWLUG 2014 Opening General Session Speaker? There also going to be some GREAT sponsors there, anxiously waiting to tell you about there products (and maybe give away an item or two).

NOW you want to attend, right? SO GO REGISTER!

Done? Good! Don’t forget to get yourself a place to stay, because you’re not staying with me!

Did I mention that there might be a beer or two there?

Looking forward to see you all there!!!

MWLUG 2014 Abstract Submission Extended until Next Friday, May 23, at 5:00 PM

From Richard Moy and the MWLUG Committee:

With the sad news of Tim [Tripcony] passing away, many of us have not had the time to absorb what has happened.  Given that, the MWLUG committee has decided to extend the abstract submission period for MWLUG 2014 until the end of next week, May 23.  MWLUG was the first time that I met Tim in person.  He was one of the first to volunteer as a speaker when we first started the MWLUG conferences.  He will be sorely missed.

Great idea…

There’s also a mention that Tim has allowed Red Pill to use his last presentation given publicly, and they have submitted it for MWLUG. If I had a vote, there would be no question… I hope to see that presentation at MWLUG!

MWLUG 2014 Call for Abstracts Now Open

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Ok, time to submit your abstract for MWLUG 2014, which is being held at the historic Amway Grand Plaza on August 27-29, 2014!

For those of you that want to be on the ‘big stage’ at IBM Connect, this is a great way to feel it out and see if it’s right for you! (I also hear that track managers look to regional user groups like MWLUG for future speakers.)

Go check it out now!

http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2014.nsf/Abstract.xsp

Deadlines for submission is May 16th at 6PM.

Registration for the conference will be open on May 1st.

P.S. – I hear that there may be some beer there…

Heading to MWLUG 2013? Don’t forget your best homebrew or favorite local brewery’s beer!

It’s not too late to sign up for MWLUG 2013, the Midwest ‘Lotus’ User Group Conference, in Indianapolis. Register HERE now!!!

One of my ‘brothers in beer’, Gregg Eldred, was scheduled to coordinate a new event this year, but due to scheduling/work conflicts, it’s been passed along to me. This gives you an opportunity to show your homebrewing skills! You don’t make your own beer? Why not? Seriously, if you have a beer from a microbrewery/brewpub by your house that you think is awesome, that will count also! Bring some to MWLUG 2o13 and compete. Here is the information from the website:

MWLUG 2013 Charity Brewfest Competition

04:00 PM – 06:00 PM – Conrad Room

Do you think you have created a great home brew or wine!!! Do you think your local micro-brewery beer is out of this world!!! Then bring them with you to MWLUG 2013 and lets find out.

We are happy to announce the MWLUG 2013 Charity Brewfest Competition. It will be held on Wednesday August 21, 2013 4:00 PM just before the MWLUG Wednesday Exhibitor Showcase Reception. This competition is open for all attendees. We would like to thank our sponsor CDW for making this event possible.

Ray Bilyk and his panel of experienced judges will taste the different entries and select the winners of this competition. [Original organizer] Gregg [Eldred] has selected some interesting prizes for this competition.

In order to participate in this competition, the submission fee is $10 with all proceeds benefiting the MWLUG Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund. You can submit as many entries as you would like. For each entry, please bring at least two 12 ounce bottles. All competitors will need to sign a waiver. All nationally distributed micro-brewery beer do not qualify. Registration for this event will be on Wednesday.

For every dollar that we raise in this event, our sponsor Phora Group will match a dollar. We are working with other sponsors for additional matching funds that will all benefit the Oklahoma residences that have been devastated by the recent horrific tornadoes.

Thank you to CDW and Phora Group for sponsoring and matching funds raised from this event! Thank you also to organizer Richard Moy for trusting me with this. I hope to live up to the high standards that Gregg set. Thanks also to Gregg Eldred for getting the prize for the big winner.

Hope to see you all there… Cheers!

MWLUG 2013 Agenda Now Online and Hotel Discount Expiring

MWLUG 2013 Banner

 

MWLUG 2013 Agenda Now Online

We are three weeks away from the fifth Midwest Lotus User Group Conference. We are please to announce that the MWLUG 2013 Agenda is now online with over 40 technical and business sessions and workshops. If you are looking to hear some of the best speakers and presentations available within our IBM collaboration community, MWLUG 2013 is the conference to attend.

MWLUG 2013 Workshops

The MWLUG 2013 workshops will start on Wednesday, August 21, 2013 in the afternoon. For administrators, there will be an intense 2.5 hr Linux Workshop “Building Your ICS Test Environment with Linux” hosted by our one and only William Malchisky. For developers interested in creating and mastering Managing Beans, Mike McGarel and Devin Olson will be hosting a 2 hour workshop “Build a Bean”.

Starting on Thursday after the OGS, there will be two full days of technical and business sessions that include the following topics:

  • Application Development
  • Best Practices and Customer Business Cases
  • Mobility and Web Security
  • System Administration
  • Social Business

For a list of MWLUG 2013 sessions go to: http://www.mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2013.nsf/Sessions.xsp

 

MWLUG 2013 Brewfest Competition

Don’t forget to bring your favorite home brew or microbrewery beer and compete in the “MWLUG 2013 Brewfest Competition” that will be held on Wednesday afternoon after the workshops. The donation entry fee is $10 which will be donated to the Salvation Army – Oklahoma Tornado Relief Fund. Our sponsor Phora Group will match dollar for dollar.

Hotel Discount

The guaranteed online hotel discount of $139.00 for MWLUG 2013 will expire on August 1, 2013. After August 1, 2013, your will need to call the hotel to see if they have available rooms at the discounted rate. So don’t miss the opportunity to get these rooms at a guaranteed discount. Unfortunately, train car room are no longer available. To register for the hotel go to: http://mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2013.nsf/Hotel.xsp

Registration

MWLUG 2013 is 3 full days with additional events and workshops on Wednesday along with two full days of sessions on Thursdayand Friday. Thanks to all the MWLUG sponsors, this three full days of events, technical sessions, and workshops is provided to attendees at no cost with the exception of a $35.00 donation. The agenda for MWLUG 2013 is:

  • Tuesday – TLCC TackItOn
  • Wednesday – Special events, workshops, and Welcome Reception
  • Thursday – OGS, technical session and Thursday Evening Event
  • Friday – Full day of sessions and CGS

 

To register for MWLUG 2013 go to: http://www.mwlug.com/mwlug/mwlug2013.nsf/Register.xsp

 

TackItOn at MWLUG 2013

Then be sure to take advantage of the TLCC TackItOn day on August 20th. Paul Della-Nebbia will lead this full day session which is based on TLCC’s Rapid XPages Development using Application Layout and Dojo UI Controls self-paced course! all for $499.

For more information and to register for the TackItOn XPages Training day on August 20th go to: http://www.tlcc.com/admin/tlccsite.nsf/pages/mwlugtackiton

 

Crowne Plaza Grand Ballroom 

Crowne Plaza Hotel – Union Station
Indianapolis, IN

MWLUG 2013 will be held at the historic Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown Union Station. The hotel is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and housed within America’s first Union Station. The Crowne Plaza Indianapolis Downtown is popular for its authentic Pullman train car rooms decorated after period personalities.