Tamera Clark (@tameraclark) is hosting T-SQL Tuesday this month (thanks!), and wants us to nominate something to put into a SQLCommunity time capsule. She says “What do you want others to know about the #SQLCommunity and #SQLFamily? What do you want the finders of this time capsule to know about our current goings-on? What would you like the finder to know about you, how would you like to be remembered? Even if it’s a piece of rockin’ code that you think should live on forever, include it.“
I had to think about this one. As much as I like the double OUTER APPLY (SELECT TOP (1)…) thing that I do, especially for protecting my base tables in warehouse loads, I’m not about to suggest that it would be worthy of a time capsule. However, when I think about the general SQLCommunity side of things, my mind goes to conferences and the things that go on there.
I’ve been speaking at conferences overseas for over ten years, and at conferences within Australia even longer. The learning that goes on there is fun, but people also make an effort to let their individuality shine through. I think of the costume parties at SQLBits (officially starting with the Robin Hood theme at Nottingham, although there were Viking hats at York – the photo below was taken by Martin Bell, and managed to capture the fact that I was keeping a doughnut for later), and the community area at PASS Summit, where people have been known to dress up in various things.
I haven’t been to too many costume parties at SQL events. The only SQLBits event I’ve been to since the themes really kicked in was the Magic one, and I learned a few tricks, rather than coming in a costume. That was fun. I suspect there should be something relating to costumes in a SQLCommunity time caspule.
But one thing that I often think about regarding PASS Summit is the ribbons. I had never seen conference ribbons before 2010 and my first PASS Summit, when I was given ribbons to indicate that I was an MVP, a Chapter Leader, a Speaker, and a FirstTimer. I don’t remember if there were others, but my mind immediately wondered why people didn’t just bring their own.
So I did.
The next year, I got a whole bunch of custom ones of mine own. Not to give away, just to wear. They were mostly red to go with my company branding, and I wrote anything I could think of on them. PASS gave me seven to wear that year, because I was on the PASS Board, delivering a precon, and was an author on the MVP Deep Dives book, but I added a bunch new ones each day of the conference. By the Friday it was down to my knees, and it was becoming hard to keep it from breaking. I only have a picture from early on though.
The idea seemed to catch on and by the following year lots of people brought their own, including plenty to give away. Nowadays it’s quite common for people to have a whole range of different ribbons attached to their conference badges, but I only wear the official ones. I figure it was my thing in 2011, and now my thing is to not have custom ones.
People (and sponsors) do a great job with what they put on the custom ribbons they make, and I think they’ve really become part of the culture of the PASS Summit. I see people collecting as many as they possibly can, and the creativity around them is terrific. I hear people saying “Ooh, where did you get that one from?”, which is a great conversation ice-breaker in itself.
So I think my nomination for inclusion in the SQLCommunity time capsule is a collection of creative conference ribbons. I wouldn’t be able to provide it, but I’m sure there are people who have kept them over the years.
