Tim Mitchell : User Groups

North Texas SQL Server User Group Meeting on Thursday

Tim Mitchell — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 16:37:57 GMT

The monthly North Texas SQL Server User Group (NTSSUG) meeting will be held this Thursday, September 17, at 7:00pm at the Microsoft campus in Irving, Texas. Our guest will be SQL Server MVP and consultant Geoff Hiten, who will be presenting “Bad...(read more)

NTSSUG Meeting on Thursday: Brian Knight

Tim Mitchell — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 16:48:15 GMT

The North Texas SQL Server User Group (NTSSUG) monthly meeting will be held this Thursday, August 20th, at the Microsoft campus in Irving. The speaker for the evening will be my friend Brian Knight , a well-known author, co-founder of SQLServerCentral...(read more)

Speaking at North Texas SQL Server User Group meeting

Tim Mitchell — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 11:18:00 GMT

For those in or around the Dallas area tomorrow (Thursday) evening, I'll be speaking at the North Texas SQL Server User Group meeting at the Microsoft campus in Irving at 7pm. I'll be giving my talk on Scripting in SSIS, one of my favorite topics. Sean McCown will also be continuing his series on PowerShell in SQL Server at 6pm. If you're a reader of this blog, please catch me after the presentation and say hello.

Your Local User Group

Tim Mitchell — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 05:05:02 GMT

When I talk to other SQL Server professionals, I’m often surprised at how many do not have any involvement in their local SQL Server user group. As best I can tell, the problem is not limited to SQL Server types – many technical pros do not even know that there are user groups in their area, much less participate in any of them.

Local user groups are incredible and underutilized resources for technical professionals. Most active user groups meet monthly, generally in the evenings or on weekends, and most are free. These groups are not closed social groups as some may perceive, but are quite accepting of newcomers. In all but the largest user groups, everything is run by volunteers, so there are opportunities to get your hands dirty if you feel led to give back to the community. These groups offer a venue to share ideas, socialize with fellow techies, and some informal peer technical assistance. If you are looking to improve your presentation skills, most groups are open to new speakers at group meetings.

If you’re not already involved, I encourage you to check out one or more local user groups. I’ll take the opportunity to plug my local group, the North Texas SQL Server User Group, which meets at the Microsoft headquarters in Irving on the 3rd Thursday of each month. The PASS website also has a domestic and international list of recognized chapters of SQL Server users.