Now it's time to pick the one lucky member to receive the free pass. If you'd like to apply, please send an email to the group with the following information:
1. How will you benefit from going to ZendCon? For example, are you looking for a job and this conference will look great on your resume? 2. How will you bring what you learn at ZendCon back to the local group? This can be through a presentation, helping people on the mailing list/IRC, etc. You can get creative here. If you're not comfortable with giving presentations, that's fine, just think of some way that you attending ZendCon will benefit people locally. 3. What contributions have you made to the PHP community (either locally or elsewhere)? These don't need to be big contributions: simply answering a question on a mailing list is a contribution. 4. Anything else you think would be relevant for people to know in making a decision.
Remember, the point of this contest is to send someone who couldn't otherwise afford to go, so please keep that in mind when deciding whether or not to apply. In other words, if you or your organization could afford to send you to ZendCon then please let someone else who otherwise couldn't afford to go have a shot at it. Also, while the ZendCon pass is free there will still be costs: airfare, hotel, some food (I think breakfast and lunch is included), etc. so please be sure you will actually be able to use your ZendCon pass before applying (if you can't attend then the pass is not transferable: we will try to find a runner-up to use the pass). Applications are due 8/1/2009 (just over two weeks from today).
Hopefully we can reach a consensus through this mailing list once all applications have been received. Please keep the discussions cordial and focused on the selection criteria outlined above. If we can't reach consensus, we will have a vote with a simple majority choosing the winner.
Alternatively, we can have a cage match to determine the winner as Rob suggested ;-)
> Now it's time to pick the one lucky member to receive the free pass. > If you'd like to apply, please send an email to the group with the following information:
Sorry I won't be able to be at the PHP UG meeting tonight for the live discussion of the ZendCon pass. I'm currently out in San Diego visiting my girlfriend's family.
Again, thanks to Bradley for taking the initiative to apply for this free ZenCon pass. Awesome how a couple hours' work has produced this benefit for our group.
> 1. How will you benefit from going to ZendCon? For example, are you > looking for a job and this conference will look great on your resume?
Well, yes. :) I've been a PHP developer since 2001, most recently at Propeller Media Works, where I was a "Senior Interactive Developer", and also Head of Underwater Operations. Propeller has been forced to downsize by nearly 1/2 this year, and I was let go in April. Prior to being laid off, I was rapidly moving into a role which blended my interests in programming and technical management, becoming a liaison between clients and programming team on ongoing maintenance issues.
I'm especially interested in this ZendCon because of the track focusing on "Lifecycle Best Practices": http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356 While I'm still primarily a developer, my skill set and interests are leading me more toward a "Lead Developer" or "Team Leader" type role which blends programming and tasks like developing and documenting requirements, quality assurance, and managing workload. While I have a lot of hands-on experience in this type of role and have done a lot of reading on the topic, I've never had the opportunity to attend a professional conference on the topic.
As I'm looking for a new position, I'm focusing on roles that will provide this blend of coding and tech management. Attending a conference with a track that exactly matches my goals would be a great boost for my career.
> 2. How will you bring what you learn at ZendCon back to the local > group? This can be through a presentation, helping people on the > mailing list/IRC, etc. You can get creative here. If you're not > comfortable with giving presentations, that's fine, just think of some > way that you attending ZendCon will benefit people locally.
Were I to go to this conference, I'd be very happy to give a presentation at a PHP UG meeting on whatever topic(s) I find especially worthwhile. In reading about the sessions, I'd expect "It Works on Dev" about managing the development->deployment process for maintenance work to be especially relevant to the small web shop developers who make up most of this group: http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356#session-11669
I'd also like to take the opportunity to really talk up the Burlington, VT area as an emerging hotspot for quality web development. We have a pretty amazing situation here combining an extremely livable area with a lot of very high-quality businesses and individual developers. Other people around the country should hear about what we have going here.
> 3. What contributions have you made to the PHP community (either > locally or elsewhere)? These don't need to be big contributions: > simply answering a question on a mailing list is a contribution.
I've reported bugs on php.net as far back as 2002, when I first started becoming capable as a PHP developer.
I've only been a member of this group for a few months (didn't know it existed until then !), and I've not yet been able to make a meeting. I have answered a question or two in recent weeks, and plan to continue doing so.
One of my claims to fame as a PHP programmer is that I'm one of the seemingly few developers who have never written a CMS, thus I don't have any open-source CMS or likewise to my name. I generally focus on writing smallish libraries/utilities which do only a few things, but do them very dependably and with exceptional documentation. My "documentInfo" class is a component of the (aging) open-source SyntaxCMS. The focus is on generating information about PDF, DOC, etc. files uploaded to or linked from a website (type, size, URL of a free viewer, etc.) Although it was written in 2002, it may actually still be of use to folks: http://www.syntaxcms.org/docs/docinfo/
I've also just today posted two tiny utilities which are of use in working with uploaded/generated files when you don't have a full-featured framework to help you out. Both of these are items which I've seen implemented in half-cooked versions dozens of times over the years -- most of which fall down in overlooked fringe cases. A couple months ago I decided to write (hopefully) "bombproof" versions I could use for years to come. http://tinyurl.com/makeUniqueWithinDir http://tinyurl.com/santizeFilename
> 4. Anything else you think would be relevant for people to know in > making a decision.
I'm an all-around swell guy. :) I'd love to go to the conference, but definitely won't be going fully paying my own way (although I could justify picking up airfare and the other peripheral costs). I've spent several years in an employment environment which provided almost no opportunity for professional development other than in personal time, so I'd love the opportunity to make up for a bit of lost time.
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 5:19 PM, Jase Roberts<j...@jaseroberts.net> wrote:
> Hi All,
>> Now it's time to pick the one lucky member to receive the free pass.
>> If you'd like to apply, please send an email to the group with the following information:
> Sorry I won't be able to be at the PHP UG meeting tonight for the live
> discussion of the ZendCon pass. I'm currently out in San Diego
> visiting my girlfriend's family.
> Again, thanks to Bradley for taking the initiative to apply for this
> free ZenCon pass. Awesome how a couple hours' work has produced this
> benefit for our group.
>> 1. How will you benefit from going to ZendCon? For example, are you
>> looking for a job and this conference will look great on your resume?
> Well, yes. :) I've been a PHP developer since 2001, most recently at
> Propeller Media Works, where I was a "Senior Interactive Developer",
> and also Head of Underwater Operations. Propeller has been forced to
> downsize by nearly 1/2 this year, and I was let go in April. Prior to
> being laid off, I was rapidly moving into a role which blended my
> interests in programming and technical management, becoming a liaison
> between clients and programming team on ongoing maintenance issues.
> I'm especially interested in this ZendCon because of the track
> focusing on "Lifecycle Best Practices":
> http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356 > While I'm still primarily a developer, my skill set and interests are
> leading me more toward a "Lead Developer" or "Team Leader" type role
> which blends programming and tasks like developing and documenting
> requirements, quality assurance, and managing workload. While I have
> a lot of hands-on experience in this type of role and have done a lot
> of reading on the topic, I've never had the opportunity to attend a
> professional conference on the topic.
> As I'm looking for a new position, I'm focusing on roles that will
> provide this blend of coding and tech management. Attending a
> conference with a track that exactly matches my goals would be a great
> boost for my career.
>> 2. How will you bring what you learn at ZendCon back to the local
>> group? This can be through a presentation, helping people on the
>> mailing list/IRC, etc. You can get creative here. If you're not
>> comfortable with giving presentations, that's fine, just think of some
>> way that you attending ZendCon will benefit people locally.
> Were I to go to this conference, I'd be very happy to give a
> presentation at a PHP UG meeting on whatever topic(s) I find
> especially worthwhile. In reading about the sessions, I'd expect "It
> Works on Dev" about managing the development->deployment process for
> maintenance work to be especially relevant to the small web shop
> developers who make up most of this group:
> http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356#session-11669
> I'd also like to take the opportunity to really talk up the
> Burlington, VT area as an emerging hotspot for quality web
> development. We have a pretty amazing situation here combining an
> extremely livable area with a lot of very high-quality businesses and
> individual developers. Other people around the country should hear
> about what we have going here.
>> 3. What contributions have you made to the PHP community (either
>> locally or elsewhere)? These don't need to be big contributions:
>> simply answering a question on a mailing list is a contribution.
> I've reported bugs on php.net as far back as 2002, when I first
> started becoming capable as a PHP developer.
> I've only been a member of this group for a few months (didn't know it
> existed until then !), and I've not yet been able to make a meeting.
> I have answered a question or two in recent weeks, and plan to
> continue doing so.
> One of my claims to fame as a PHP programmer is that I'm one of the
> seemingly few developers who have never written a CMS, thus I don't
> have any open-source CMS or likewise to my name. I generally focus on
> writing smallish libraries/utilities which do only a few things, but
> do them very dependably and with exceptional documentation. My
> "documentInfo" class is a component of the (aging) open-source
> SyntaxCMS. The focus is on generating information about PDF, DOC,
> etc. files uploaded to or linked from a website (type, size, URL of a
> free viewer, etc.) Although it was written in 2002, it may actually
> still be of use to folks:
> http://www.syntaxcms.org/docs/docinfo/
> I've also just today posted two tiny utilities which are of use in
> working with uploaded/generated files when you don't have a
> full-featured framework to help you out. Both of these are items
> which I've seen implemented in half-cooked versions dozens of times
> over the years -- most of which fall down in overlooked fringe cases.
> A couple months ago I decided to write (hopefully) "bombproof"
> versions I could use for years to come.
> http://tinyurl.com/makeUniqueWithinDir > http://tinyurl.com/santizeFilename
>> 4. Anything else you think would be relevant for people to know in
>> making a decision.
> I'm an all-around swell guy. :) I'd love to go to the conference,
> but definitely won't be going fully paying my own way (although I
> could justify picking up airfare and the other peripheral costs).
> I've spent several years in an employment environment which provided
> almost no opportunity for professional development other than in
> personal time, so I'd love the opportunity to make up for a bit of
> lost time.
I should have added that I'm throwing my name in the hat only if Bradley doesn't want/need the pass. Given that he did all the work to get it, I'd consider it his if he wants it.
Thanks -- but I want to give someone else an opportunity to go. When I
went last year I thought it would be great to have a Vermont
contingent at ZendCon so when I heard about this contest it sounded
like a great way to make that happen. I'm not 100% sure I'm going yet
but if I do go then it would be myself, Matthew, and whoever wins this
contest. Does three make a contingent? :-)
On Sat, Jul 25, 2009 at 3:28 PM, Jase Roberts<j...@jaseroberts.net> wrote:
> Sure thing.
> I should have added that I'm throwing my name in the hat only if
> Bradley doesn't want/need the pass. Given that he did all the work to
> get it, I'd consider it his if he wants it.
> Cheers from California,
> Jase
> On Sat, Jul 25, 2009 at 1:59 PM, Bradley Holt<bradley.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> Jase,
>> Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough contest entry! Good luck :-)
The deadline for the free ZendCon pass contest was 8/1. We had one
application from Jase Roberts. I think his entry was very thorough and
made a good case for awarding him the free pass. Since we said we'd
vote on entries, we should probably follow through with the
formalities so: +1 for Jase Roberts. Any other votes? :-)
On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 5:19 PM, Jase Roberts<j...@jaseroberts.net> wrote:
> Hi All,
>> Now it's time to pick the one lucky member to receive the free pass.
>> If you'd like to apply, please send an email to the group with the following information:
> Sorry I won't be able to be at the PHP UG meeting tonight for the live
> discussion of the ZendCon pass. I'm currently out in San Diego
> visiting my girlfriend's family.
> Again, thanks to Bradley for taking the initiative to apply for this
> free ZenCon pass. Awesome how a couple hours' work has produced this
> benefit for our group.
>> 1. How will you benefit from going to ZendCon? For example, are you
>> looking for a job and this conference will look great on your resume?
> Well, yes. :) I've been a PHP developer since 2001, most recently at
> Propeller Media Works, where I was a "Senior Interactive Developer",
> and also Head of Underwater Operations. Propeller has been forced to
> downsize by nearly 1/2 this year, and I was let go in April. Prior to
> being laid off, I was rapidly moving into a role which blended my
> interests in programming and technical management, becoming a liaison
> between clients and programming team on ongoing maintenance issues.
> I'm especially interested in this ZendCon because of the track
> focusing on "Lifecycle Best Practices":
> http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356 > While I'm still primarily a developer, my skill set and interests are
> leading me more toward a "Lead Developer" or "Team Leader" type role
> which blends programming and tasks like developing and documenting
> requirements, quality assurance, and managing workload. While I have
> a lot of hands-on experience in this type of role and have done a lot
> of reading on the topic, I've never had the opportunity to attend a
> professional conference on the topic.
> As I'm looking for a new position, I'm focusing on roles that will
> provide this blend of coding and tech management. Attending a
> conference with a track that exactly matches my goals would be a great
> boost for my career.
>> 2. How will you bring what you learn at ZendCon back to the local
>> group? This can be through a presentation, helping people on the
>> mailing list/IRC, etc. You can get creative here. If you're not
>> comfortable with giving presentations, that's fine, just think of some
>> way that you attending ZendCon will benefit people locally.
> Were I to go to this conference, I'd be very happy to give a
> presentation at a PHP UG meeting on whatever topic(s) I find
> especially worthwhile. In reading about the sessions, I'd expect "It
> Works on Dev" about managing the development->deployment process for
> maintenance work to be especially relevant to the small web shop
> developers who make up most of this group:
> http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356#session-11669
> I'd also like to take the opportunity to really talk up the
> Burlington, VT area as an emerging hotspot for quality web
> development. We have a pretty amazing situation here combining an
> extremely livable area with a lot of very high-quality businesses and
> individual developers. Other people around the country should hear
> about what we have going here.
>> 3. What contributions have you made to the PHP community (either
>> locally or elsewhere)? These don't need to be big contributions:
>> simply answering a question on a mailing list is a contribution.
> I've reported bugs on php.net as far back as 2002, when I first
> started becoming capable as a PHP developer.
> I've only been a member of this group for a few months (didn't know it
> existed until then !), and I've not yet been able to make a meeting.
> I have answered a question or two in recent weeks, and plan to
> continue doing so.
> One of my claims to fame as a PHP programmer is that I'm one of the
> seemingly few developers who have never written a CMS, thus I don't
> have any open-source CMS or likewise to my name. I generally focus on
> writing smallish libraries/utilities which do only a few things, but
> do them very dependably and with exceptional documentation. My
> "documentInfo" class is a component of the (aging) open-source
> SyntaxCMS. The focus is on generating information about PDF, DOC,
> etc. files uploaded to or linked from a website (type, size, URL of a
> free viewer, etc.) Although it was written in 2002, it may actually
> still be of use to folks:
> http://www.syntaxcms.org/docs/docinfo/
> I've also just today posted two tiny utilities which are of use in
> working with uploaded/generated files when you don't have a
> full-featured framework to help you out. Both of these are items
> which I've seen implemented in half-cooked versions dozens of times
> over the years -- most of which fall down in overlooked fringe cases.
> A couple months ago I decided to write (hopefully) "bombproof"
> versions I could use for years to come.
> http://tinyurl.com/makeUniqueWithinDir > http://tinyurl.com/santizeFilename
>> 4. Anything else you think would be relevant for people to know in
>> making a decision.
> I'm an all-around swell guy. :) I'd love to go to the conference,
> but definitely won't be going fully paying my own way (although I
> could justify picking up airfare and the other peripheral costs).
> I've spent several years in an employment environment which provided
> almost no opportunity for professional development other than in
> personal time, so I'd love the opportunity to make up for a bit of
> lost time.
I did want to thank you Bradley for doing this work! I would apply -- but
the non-admission costs are still rather high (flight; hotel; time off from
work) -- and to be honest if I was motivated I could probably get them to
pay as well. If it was closer (Bos/NY) I would be applying.
On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 5:29 PM, Bradley Holt <bradley.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
> The deadline for the free ZendCon pass contest was 8/1. We had one
> application from Jase Roberts. I think his entry was very thorough and
> made a good case for awarding him the free pass. Since we said we'd
> vote on entries, we should probably follow through with the
> formalities so: +1 for Jase Roberts. Any other votes? :-)
> On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 5:19 PM, Jase Roberts<j...@jaseroberts.net> wrote:
> > Hi All,
> >> Now it's time to pick the one lucky member to receive the free pass.
> >> If you'd like to apply, please send an email to the group with the
> following information:
> > Sorry I won't be able to be at the PHP UG meeting tonight for the live
> > discussion of the ZendCon pass. I'm currently out in San Diego
> > visiting my girlfriend's family.
> > Again, thanks to Bradley for taking the initiative to apply for this
> > free ZenCon pass. Awesome how a couple hours' work has produced this
> > benefit for our group.
> >> 1. How will you benefit from going to ZendCon? For example, are you
> >> looking for a job and this conference will look great on your resume?
> > Well, yes. :) I've been a PHP developer since 2001, most recently at
> > Propeller Media Works, where I was a "Senior Interactive Developer",
> > and also Head of Underwater Operations. Propeller has been forced to
> > downsize by nearly 1/2 this year, and I was let go in April. Prior to
> > being laid off, I was rapidly moving into a role which blended my
> > interests in programming and technical management, becoming a liaison
> > between clients and programming team on ongoing maintenance issues.
> > I'm especially interested in this ZendCon because of the track
> > focusing on "Lifecycle Best Practices":
> > http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356 > > While I'm still primarily a developer, my skill set and interests are
> > leading me more toward a "Lead Developer" or "Team Leader" type role
> > which blends programming and tasks like developing and documenting
> > requirements, quality assurance, and managing workload. While I have
> > a lot of hands-on experience in this type of role and have done a lot
> > of reading on the topic, I've never had the opportunity to attend a
> > professional conference on the topic.
> > As I'm looking for a new position, I'm focusing on roles that will
> > provide this blend of coding and tech management. Attending a
> > conference with a track that exactly matches my goals would be a great
> > boost for my career.
> >> 2. How will you bring what you learn at ZendCon back to the local
> >> group? This can be through a presentation, helping people on the
> >> mailing list/IRC, etc. You can get creative here. If you're not
> >> comfortable with giving presentations, that's fine, just think of some
> >> way that you attending ZendCon will benefit people locally.
> > Were I to go to this conference, I'd be very happy to give a
> > presentation at a PHP UG meeting on whatever topic(s) I find
> > especially worthwhile. In reading about the sessions, I'd expect "It
> > Works on Dev" about managing the development->deployment process for
> > maintenance work to be especially relevant to the small web shop
> > developers who make up most of this group:
> > http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356#session-11669
> > I'd also like to take the opportunity to really talk up the
> > Burlington, VT area as an emerging hotspot for quality web
> > development. We have a pretty amazing situation here combining an
> > extremely livable area with a lot of very high-quality businesses and
> > individual developers. Other people around the country should hear
> > about what we have going here.
> >> 3. What contributions have you made to the PHP community (either
> >> locally or elsewhere)? These don't need to be big contributions:
> >> simply answering a question on a mailing list is a contribution.
> > I've reported bugs on php.net as far back as 2002, when I first
> > started becoming capable as a PHP developer.
> > I've only been a member of this group for a few months (didn't know it
> > existed until then !), and I've not yet been able to make a meeting.
> > I have answered a question or two in recent weeks, and plan to
> > continue doing so.
> > One of my claims to fame as a PHP programmer is that I'm one of the
> > seemingly few developers who have never written a CMS, thus I don't
> > have any open-source CMS or likewise to my name. I generally focus on
> > writing smallish libraries/utilities which do only a few things, but
> > do them very dependably and with exceptional documentation. My
> > "documentInfo" class is a component of the (aging) open-source
> > SyntaxCMS. The focus is on generating information about PDF, DOC,
> > etc. files uploaded to or linked from a website (type, size, URL of a
> > free viewer, etc.) Although it was written in 2002, it may actually
> > still be of use to folks:
> > http://www.syntaxcms.org/docs/docinfo/
> > I've also just today posted two tiny utilities which are of use in
> > working with uploaded/generated files when you don't have a
> > full-featured framework to help you out. Both of these are items
> > which I've seen implemented in half-cooked versions dozens of times
> > over the years -- most of which fall down in overlooked fringe cases.
> > A couple months ago I decided to write (hopefully) "bombproof"
> > versions I could use for years to come.
> > http://tinyurl.com/makeUniqueWithinDir > > http://tinyurl.com/santizeFilename
> >> 4. Anything else you think would be relevant for people to know in
> >> making a decision.
> > I'm an all-around swell guy. :) I'd love to go to the conference,
> > but definitely won't be going fully paying my own way (although I
> > could justify picking up airfare and the other peripheral costs).
> > I've spent several years in an employment environment which provided
> > almost no opportunity for professional development other than in
> > personal time, so I'd love the opportunity to make up for a bit of
> > lost time.
On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 6:10 PM, Stanley Brinkerhoff<s...@vtwireless.com> wrote:
> I did want to thank you Bradley for doing this work! I would apply -- but
> the non-admission costs are still rather high (flight; hotel; time off from
> work) -- and to be honest if I was motivated I could probably get them to
> pay as well. If it was closer (Bos/NY) I would be applying.
> Thanks!
> Stan
> On Tue, Aug 4, 2009 at 5:29 PM, Bradley Holt <bradley.h...@gmail.com> wrote:
>> The deadline for the free ZendCon pass contest was 8/1. We had one
>> application from Jase Roberts. I think his entry was very thorough and
>> made a good case for awarding him the free pass. Since we said we'd
>> vote on entries, we should probably follow through with the
>> formalities so: +1 for Jase Roberts. Any other votes? :-)
>> On Thu, Jul 23, 2009 at 5:19 PM, Jase Roberts<j...@jaseroberts.net> wrote:
>> > Hi All,
>> >> Now it's time to pick the one lucky member to receive the free pass.
>> >> If you'd like to apply, please send an email to the group with the
>> >> following information:
>> > Sorry I won't be able to be at the PHP UG meeting tonight for the live
>> > discussion of the ZendCon pass. I'm currently out in San Diego
>> > visiting my girlfriend's family.
>> > Again, thanks to Bradley for taking the initiative to apply for this
>> > free ZenCon pass. Awesome how a couple hours' work has produced this
>> > benefit for our group.
>> >> 1. How will you benefit from going to ZendCon? For example, are you
>> >> looking for a job and this conference will look great on your resume?
>> > Well, yes. :) I've been a PHP developer since 2001, most recently at
>> > Propeller Media Works, where I was a "Senior Interactive Developer",
>> > and also Head of Underwater Operations. Propeller has been forced to
>> > downsize by nearly 1/2 this year, and I was let go in April. Prior to
>> > being laid off, I was rapidly moving into a role which blended my
>> > interests in programming and technical management, becoming a liaison
>> > between clients and programming team on ongoing maintenance issues.
>> > I'm especially interested in this ZendCon because of the track
>> > focusing on "Lifecycle Best Practices":
>> > http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356 >> > While I'm still primarily a developer, my skill set and interests are
>> > leading me more toward a "Lead Developer" or "Team Leader" type role
>> > which blends programming and tasks like developing and documenting
>> > requirements, quality assurance, and managing workload. While I have
>> > a lot of hands-on experience in this type of role and have done a lot
>> > of reading on the topic, I've never had the opportunity to attend a
>> > professional conference on the topic.
>> > As I'm looking for a new position, I'm focusing on roles that will
>> > provide this blend of coding and tech management. Attending a
>> > conference with a track that exactly matches my goals would be a great
>> > boost for my career.
>> >> 2. How will you bring what you learn at ZendCon back to the local
>> >> group? This can be through a presentation, helping people on the
>> >> mailing list/IRC, etc. You can get creative here. If you're not
>> >> comfortable with giving presentations, that's fine, just think of some
>> >> way that you attending ZendCon will benefit people locally.
>> > Were I to go to this conference, I'd be very happy to give a
>> > presentation at a PHP UG meeting on whatever topic(s) I find
>> > especially worthwhile. In reading about the sessions, I'd expect "It
>> > Works on Dev" about managing the development->deployment process for
>> > maintenance work to be especially relevant to the small web shop
>> > developers who make up most of this group:
>> > http://zendcon.com/tracks?tid=1356#session-11669
>> > I'd also like to take the opportunity to really talk up the
>> > Burlington, VT area as an emerging hotspot for quality web
>> > development. We have a pretty amazing situation here combining an
>> > extremely livable area with a lot of very high-quality businesses and
>> > individual developers. Other people around the country should hear
>> > about what we have going here.
>> >> 3. What contributions have you made to the PHP community (either
>> >> locally or elsewhere)? These don't need to be big contributions:
>> >> simply answering a question on a mailing list is a contribution.
>> > I've reported bugs on php.net as far back as 2002, when I first
>> > started becoming capable as a PHP developer.
>> > I've only been a member of this group for a few months (didn't know it
>> > existed until then !), and I've not yet been able to make a meeting.
>> > I have answered a question or two in recent weeks, and plan to
>> > continue doing so.
>> > One of my claims to fame as a PHP programmer is that I'm one of the
>> > seemingly few developers who have never written a CMS, thus I don't
>> > have any open-source CMS or likewise to my name. I generally focus on
>> > writing smallish libraries/utilities which do only a few things, but
>> > do them very dependably and with exceptional documentation. My
>> > "documentInfo" class is a component of the (aging) open-source
>> > SyntaxCMS. The focus is on generating information about PDF, DOC,
>> > etc. files uploaded to or linked from a website (type, size, URL of a
>> > free viewer, etc.) Although it was written in 2002, it may actually
>> > still be of use to folks:
>> > http://www.syntaxcms.org/docs/docinfo/
>> > I've also just today posted two tiny utilities which are of use in
>> > working with uploaded/generated files when you don't have a
>> > full-featured framework to help you out. Both of these are items
>> > which I've seen implemented in half-cooked versions dozens of times
>> > over the years -- most of which fall down in overlooked fringe cases.
>> > A couple months ago I decided to write (hopefully) "bombproof"
>> > versions I could use for years to come.
>> > http://tinyurl.com/makeUniqueWithinDir >> > http://tinyurl.com/santizeFilename
>> >> 4. Anything else you think would be relevant for people to know in
>> >> making a decision.
>> > I'm an all-around swell guy. :) I'd love to go to the conference,
>> > but definitely won't be going fully paying my own way (although I
>> > could justify picking up airfare and the other peripheral costs).
>> > I've spent several years in an employment environment which provided
>> > almost no opportunity for professional development other than in
>> > personal time, so I'd love the opportunity to make up for a bit of
>> > lost time.
