2005 Attendee Comments

First of all, let me say that you can tell that a product is becoming mature when the developers want to include their help data with yours.  I thought that folks that were wanting their stuff to be included with the VDF product may have been pushing it just a bit.

VDF has become a very strong foundation product along with the WebApp and Electos.   While comparing Data Access products to Microsoft’s, such as .Net can be useful to find commands/ideas etc that can be useful, lets not forget that Data Access is Data Access and that Microsoft and some of the other product developers out there should be, and probably
are, comparing their stuff to ours(yours).

Enjoyed the Thursday SQL thing a lot.   Primarily because Steve and I have to learn SQL to allow us to do some record manipulation/matching of a couple of large SQL databases we have in the shop.    At this very moment we extract pieces of the data we need and import it into a native dataflex file, do the matching and manipulation we have to do and output our results.     Using the connectivity kit or Riaz’s product we should be able to eliminate a couple of steps.  

Liked Ido’s (spelling) presentation on reports a lot too.  Good presentation.  


As usual John’s information is always useful (yeah for arrays and structs).   Also walked away with some useful data from each of the sessions.

Liked this years better than last years.   Preferred Pinon for Saturday night dinner over Glen Eagles.  

As always you did a great job.   Thank you.

Rick and Steve
JAHL Data

Which presentations were the most informative?
I liked hearing about VDF 11 and Dynamic AI.  The ones by John with XML and Oliver with security were also interesting. 
Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in
a timely manner before the event?
The agenda was so so.   I would like to have seen more in the way of gadgets and tricks we can actually use in our programs.  The timeliness of the materials was fine.
Would you make any changes for next year?
I would try to get more presentations from the VDF community and less from people selling stuff. 
This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?
I am not familiar with Glen Eagle but it appeared to work out.  Ito had some good content that was well received. 

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include.
I am a little picky on food so take it with a grain of salt: The meals were all but uneatable for me.  In fact the refried beans were definitely the worst I have ever had.  But I hear some good pasta was served up on Saturday night; I just wasn’t there to enjoy it.  The location and facilities were as good as I can ask for.  The bowling alley being in the hotel made my day.  Thanks for putting it on and I look forward to more in the future.

Dalton Pulsipher

HCSS

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in
a timely manner before the event?

Would you make any changes for next year?

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include.

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Which presentations were the most informative?

John Touhy was fantastic as usual.

Chip presented good overviews of Electos and Dynamic AI

Ido brought in a fresh new perspective. Very good presentation.

                       
Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in
a timely manner before the event?

The agenda needs to come out in time for people to make travel plans. Many old timer’s no doubt come to DISD each year unconcerned with an agenda, just knowing that they’ll get something out of it. But many others need to justify the trip, so the sooner the agenda comes out the better. Maybe having an agenda in progress on the web would help. Events pegged early could be listed as sure things, and others as tentative.

Would you make any changes for next year?

Maybe Bo can hold a class on how to open a Corona with a remote control. I got a quick tutorial, but failed to do anything but cut my finger!

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?

Yes

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

It was informative. Handouts or access to electronic ones would have helped.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include.

Good value.

We did find a new place to eat – Mo & Sluggo’s Bar & Grill  on Telegraph Street. A simple bar with Great Mexican food!

Dale Zach

McFarland Cascade

All good.  I guess I don’t miss Glen Eagle because I don’t even know what it is – the Saturday evening meal?

Seriously, I learned something from all the presenters – even Dan/Eric. Wouldn’t change a thing.

Jon K. Allen

Anasazi Software

Which presentations were the most informative?

Product technical info.  Touhy & Meely and the boss too.

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in a timely manner before the event?

Not sure what materials were available before the event.

Would you make any changes for next year?

Reduce the amount of "show the baby" line by line code presentations.  These can be printed and distributed with comments.  A short overview of how it works, what it does and why the audience should care would be better.

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?

I liked the Crystal presenter.  Good professional presenters would be an improvement over amateurs.

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

I missed the Thursday session but every comment I heard was positive.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include.

Meeting is a bargain at $200 with food included.   Bowling Championship of the Civilized World is a plus.

Bill Carpenter

Carpenter & Associate

All the presentations were great, but the vdf 11, crystal reports, and the
web security presentations were the most valuable to us.
 
The agenda was fine and since it was single track there were no issues as
far as prioritizing topics.
 
I very much enjoyed the CR presenter.  It was very valuable.  However, I
would say that cutting Glen Eagle was a poor selection.  Aside from being
something of a tradition, it is good to get out into a truly social
environment after two days of technical conferences.  I think most people
would rather keep Glen Eagle and just charge a little more.  I know I would.
 
I did not attend Thursday but wish I had.  Its sounds like it was extremely
valuable, and hope a similiar schedule is put together next year.
 
In summary, I thought DISD was a great this year.  Everything seemed to go
real smoothly and kept pace.  The only suggestion I can think of is the
posting of Presentations Slides and Workspace Code on an ftp site available
for immediate download either during or at the end of each days
presentations.
 
Rich Miller
Streamline Business Solutions

 DISD 2005 was great! The SQL presentations were right on target and informative. The Electos demonstration was also greatly appreciated. I really didn’t have any idea how to go about getting started with the Electos, now I know. The food was great, I never went hungry. My only complaint, in fact, is that the final agenda wasn’t known until the Friday morning.

David Martinko
Redeemed Software

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Which presentations were the most informative?
The most informative DAC presentations were the VDF11 product
overviews by Steve Meeley and John Tuohy.
The most informative on-DAC presentation was the reporting systems
presentation by Ido Millet,

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials
presented in a timely manner before the event?
Yes and yes.  It would have been nice to have the presenation slides
available by the time the conference starts, but this may not be
realistic.

Would you make any changes for next year?
Maybe start a little earlier and finish a littler earlier each day.

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and
cut cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?
Yes, the paid presenter offered us a different perspective (reports
from the academic point of view).  Not going to Glen Eagle saved us time
an money and was more convenient.

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the
content.
Outstanding.  Riaz and his group did a great job presenting.  His web
site was a great way to present the material and to provide "hands on"
experience.

Overall: a very good conference.  I’d like to see the format of the
St.Louis conference to be modeled after the DISD.

James Greulich

Japer Engines

Which presentations were the most informative?

I really enjoyed the Active X stuff and the Crystal report presentation.  I also liked Anasazi software presentation for the fact that we got see what could be done and not spend time on showing the code.  I think we get more out of it that way and leave the non lecture times to go over code if someone is interested.

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in a timely manner before the event?

Yes my only complaint is what I said in the previous question is that we spend to much time sometimes on showing code.  I know some presentations that is the purpose. Such as a JT demo, but some I just want to see what you can do then make the source available.

Would you make any changes for next year?

Move it to VEGAS!

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?

Yes, I didn’t stay for the last dinner this year, but I usually do and I never really like the Glen Eagle meal.  It took to long and the room was not a place for quit conversation.  It got way to load.

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

I didn’t make it to the SQL class but everyone I talked to about it loved it.  I thought it was going to be a DF SQL format but it turned out it was straight SQL I  wish I had know that I would have made it for sure.  The class they did for free would have cost several hundred dollars anywhere else, would have been worth the trip.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please

I like the atmosphere at Carson City in the Pinon Plaza, but I think we might draw more then we loose if we where to move it to Las Vegas or somewhere more convenient to get to.  I would love to do DataFlex the rest of my Career, I have invested 14 years of my life into it, but I am finding the only gigs I can get now are contract and out of So Cal.  If there is anything that can increase the visibility of DF I am all for it.  After now working in VB .NET for about 6 months, I see how much better the product Data Access puts out is.  Something that I can do in a couple of hours in VDF can take me a full day in VB .NET

The best thing I did get out of DISD this year is I made two new So Cal connections, but of course they are not looking for anyone full time.

Thanks Mari for all your hard work!

Mark Alspaugh

Which presentations were the most informative?

Those involving XML and Crystal were the mosr informative.

>>Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in a timely manner before the event?

Yes

Would you make any changes for next year?

It was sometimes hard to see the projection details. I would ask that speakers tweak their screen resolutions before hand. John Touhy changed his and it was a great relief. Others did not.  Also, details at the bottom area of the screen were often hidden behind audience members; but I could also see that the screen was about as high as it could go.  But it would be nice if the image was about 2-3 feet higher.

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

Very informative. Good to know more about SQL language

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include.

Just my permanent complaint... "why Carson City?". 

I get the sense that a core group of DISD people like to ski afterward or chill with James Parker at his dojo... and that’s why we all have to freeze our buns off every February flying to a city that guarantees having to make a connection that eats up most of the day.

Paul R made it very clear that "moving the meeting" is not going to be considered, with me hearing "not ever - no how" not so subtly between the lines.

Personally, I wish there had been a show of hands.  I think that it would be unfortunate if the majority of attendees actually consider CC to be inconvenient... but that the only opinion that counts is from the half dozen intractable old timers running DISD who go skiing afterward or play pool at the Parker dojo. 

Or maybe it’s all about hugs from the catering staff. 

My permanent vote is not for hugs... it’s for a hub (airport hotel), perhaps at rotating locations.

Nick Herlick

Herlick Data

I Think, at least from my experience, that this was the best organized since I started participating. Even the attention in the hotel was better, and the hotel itself seems to have improved its functioning. The timing of the conferences was surprisingly precise always  and the contents were very interesting withouth exception, more than usual, even most of the ones not related at all to my personal interests caught my attention. It looks that they were better prepared. DataAcces products seem to keep improving substantially although unfortunately not in the topics related to my activity, but that it improves is good anyway.

The event was very helpful, I enjoyed my stay and picked a lot of interesting information.

Thanks to the organizers.

Thank You.

Arturo Valdez

KEH Camera

Paid presenter was great
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes? I missed Glen Eagle but it was easy to talk during dinner - thats when a lot of info is exchanged

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content. Did not attend

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include. All good

We stayed at Tahoe until Monday and had a great time.

Thanks for your effort!

Jack Hirschi

Computer One

I, as usual, learned quite a bit.  My favorite talks were the one on Crystal (that was awesome!  I am making better reports now) and Oliver’s (leaned some stuff).

Judi Cushing
Stanford Research Systems

Which presentations were the most informative?

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in
a timely manner before the event?

Would you make any changes for next year?

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include.

Steve Shafer

DataLogic

Which presentations were the most informative?  I think they all had
their own information to provide and I got something out of everyone.
Even if the topic didn’t really apply to me...the reasons why they were
needing to do what they were did apply.

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials
presented in a timely manner before the event?  Agenda was good.

Would you make any changes for next year? 

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and
cut cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?  Glen Eagle
was good but the hotel was just as good and nobody had to drive.  That
was a plus for some.

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.
 I really liked the SQL class that Riaz did.  It is a powerful tool.
It’s all about the tools.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting
facilities please include. This was all ok by us!  I would make the one
suggestion that the conference start at 8 instead of 9.  It was tough
for us being 3 hours different to find something to do when we woke up
at 4 in the morning....and we were dead tired by the end of the last
class.

Julia Flynn

Jasper Engines

Anasazi - Deployment

Mertech - SQL

Yes

No

Yes

Binu Agrawal

Hi Mary, I though DISD was great as always (except maybe the bowling (). The best part was of course getting to see you again. And... yes you will see me (and likely a few other folks) in Miami. Please send me any details of the conference at your earliest convenience - we’ll make reservations early.

Eric D. Morris

I suppose I should email back as the next one you’ll probably be mean <g>...

Which presentations were the most informative?

Anasazi’s presentation gave me the most ideas to work with.  Ido was particularly good but we don’t do much Crystal (but it was still a good presentation).  Binu’s was interesting & fun.

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in
a timely manner before the event?

I would prefer more stuff on Dataflex for the desktop.  Web Services are cool but they are merely a layer for getting data to be displayed in some format to the end-user.  The desktop experience for the user should be given more play.  In other words, I would like to see more of ’look what I did/am doing’ type presentations (like Binu’s and Anasazi’s).

Would you make any changes for next year?

I would go to Glen Eagle on Friday instead of Carson & then stay in the hotel on Saturday (that way no driving & people still get to eat at Glen Eagle).

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?

I think bringing in someone from the outside world was a good idea & we should try to do it every year.  Maybe bring in a ’futurist’ of some sort (I can’t remember what the guy’s name one but I saw an interesting presentation at a Palm conference a few years back).  Plus, I’ve always wanted to be a futurist and if I can meet on face to face I can find out how to get that gig.

Kimmel

HCSS

 Which presentations were the most informative?

Anasazi deployment issues (spelling ?) made the biggist impression on me.  Always like to hear what Chip, Stephen, and John have to say.

Was the agenda to your liking and were the conference materials presented in
a timely manner before the event?

Didn’t look for them.
Would you make any changes for next year?

No

This year there were a few changes. We brought in a paid presenter and cut
cost by eliminating Glen Eagle, were these good changes?

No problem eliminating Gle Eagle.

If you attended Thursday please let me know your review on the content.

Any additional comments on location, food, accommodations, meeting facilities please include.

Jim Spence

HCSS

I’m finally getting the chance to send you my thoughts as a first year attender.
First of all, I was really pleased with the accomodations.  The hotel was nice, and relatively easy to get to...since I have no sense of direction, it took me a few turn-arounds, but I managed to get there.  I know that you guys have been there for a while, and I would definitely
stick with that place. 
The conference itself was great!  I loved it that different people showed what they were doing, and enjoyed pretty much all of the sessions.  It was exciting to see how people were using VDF, and learning what’s coming up in the next versions.
The other thing I was really impressed with was the people.  They were all very nice, and easy to get along with.  It can be pretty intimidating being there your first year alone, and being female (since there was only 4), but it really wasn’t a big issue.  I thought overall the conference was great, and I’m looking forward to attending next year.  Thanks for all the hard work you put into it to make it great!

Kerri Mongold

County of Rockingham

The most informative presentations were the Crystal RDC and Ido Millette on Crystal
The agenda was very good. Conference Materials before the event seemed good.
The paid presenter, I already said was one of the better ideas. I never liked Glen Eagles anyway.
I did not attend Thursday, but if they have it again next year, I would like to attend.
I like the Pinion Plaza and the service we get. I have to travel 12 hours to get there, but others travel longer.
I would be happy if they moved it to Dallas, since that is where I live. :-) The airport is an international Hub and central to the USA. Plus it usually is not as cold as Carson City. Drawbacks - No Skiing. No Gambling. (I don’t do either).
 
Tod Brannen

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