Simple Machines Forum Conference Survey

[Deaks]

Hello SMF users, admins and everyone else!

September 30th, 2013 will be the 10th Anniversary of the release of SMF 1.0 Beta 1 to charter members!

This is a HUGE milestone! Over the last 10 years, we have matured as a software and as a project. There have been periods of upheaval, but the project survived and has grown tremendously from the original (albeit impressive) piece of software released in 2003. To celebrate the 10th Anniversary, and possibly start a new tradition, Simple Machines is planning to arrange a large scale conference/convention event.

Unlike anything we have done previously, this event is planned to be of interest for ALL of the folks involved with SMF, whether they be project team members, admins of site(s) which run SMF or just interested users. In light of this, we have created a small ten minute survey to find out what kinds of activities you would like to see at the conference as well as help narrow down a possible region on where we will host the event. The survey is hosted via Google and the information collected is anonymous (unless you identify yourself).

We apologize to our multi-lingual folks, but the survey is in English and only answers in English will be tallied.

We thank everyone who has been involved with SMF in the last nine years, and the upcoming tenth year, from the team members to every user of SMF.

Regards
Simple Machines

[Gary]

Cool. I look forward to seeing how this pans out.

[Shambles]

Splendid idea - gonna get right on it.

[Deaks]

Should mention we are only in Market Research phase and this is no guarantee that it will go ahead

[Shambles]

I can confirm it takes less than 10 minutes to complete (took me 4 mins), and the questions seem highly relevant to the objective.

Good luck with the campaign.

[Night09]

Wow have we all aged so much ?  Doesnt seem that long ago when SMF appeared! 

Will do the survey later once im home.

[Deaks]

it has indeed been a long journey and its great to see a software meet 10 years as thats a long time for an internet project ... now remember this is just since we released the first charter release, SMF goes back to the days of YaBB heyday,

[Gary]

Something that should probably be mentioned is that the end result of this survey, if the results are favourable, that the event would be totally different from the Meeting of the Minds that took place in Tucson, Arizona in 2007/2008 (that event occurred over new years). Since that was exclusive to team members, whereas this would not, all community members would be invited to come participate.

[NanoSector]

Cool, voted

[Kindred]

And folks...   we're looking for REAL input on what sort of events to host at the conference.
panels on various topics, hands-on working, instructional lectures... etc...

[Arantor]

Well, I completed it but I'd be going to be sociable, I wouldn't be going for the events, so I didn't put anything in for the events

[Liam.]

While I'd prefer it be mid-UK, I'd definitely still consider going if it were in London. It's great to see this might actually happen, I certainly hope it does! I've submitted the form, but I may as well note this here so others can discuss too.

I'd like to see some hands-on things where people are put in the role of a real forum administrator, where something occurs and they have to figure their way out of it, much like an experienced forum admin would've but most admins hadn't had the chance yet. I'd also be interested in a coding/design panel, but I doubt everyone will be interested in that.

[Arantor]

London is much easier to get to than mid-UK for everyone else flying from outside the UK, due to multiple international airports in the vicinity.

[Kindred]

Liam, fill out the survey. We will not be searching this thread for answers, only the survey results

[Gary]

London is much easier to get to than mid-UK for everyone else flying from outside the UK, due to multiple international airports in the vicinity.

And the fact that a vast majority of the international flights to the other UK airports route through LHR anyway.

[Arantor]

Well, yeah, though I personally hate my experiences with LHR. Gatwick rules!

[Gary]

The only "bad" experience I had at LHR was trying to find Runic who was in the wrong terminal, but I know why that happened. LGW is easier to get around in sure. I once had a friend that worked there actually.

[Oldiesmann]

I submitted my response as well, though I'd prefer it to be in the US for obvious reasons, as much as I've always wanted to visit London.

[Deaks]

tbh i prefer Edinburgh for visit than London, and arantor plenty of flights to edinburgh from london

[wattie]

Online broadcasting guys, regardless where the conference is.

[Deaks]

wattie please fill in the survey with any suggestions you have.

[Gary]

I wont be surprised if the presentations are video recorded and uploaded, but I do doubt that they would be live streamed.

[Colin]

Submitted! Looks awesome.

[samozin]

its theme does not support rtl languages  looks not working good in rtl

[Kindred]

We apologize to our multi-lingual folks, but the survey is in English and only answers in English will be tallied.

[choloman05]

Very cool. Of course I would love it to be in U.S. as well, but that's bc it would be easier for me to attend. This is fun news.

[JBlaze]

Interesting. Filled out the survey.

Even though I mentioned it in the survey, I would like to point out here that any conferences/lectures/speeches/etc. should be broadcast online to a streaming service such as http://www.livestream.com or others. Just because someone can't attend doesn't mean they should miss out

[Gary]

Even though I mentioned it in the survey, I would like to point out here that any conferences/lectures/speeches/etc. should be broadcast online to a streaming service such as http://www.livestream.com or others. Just because someone can't attend doesn't mean they should miss out

I'm not too sure on livestreams personally, but I do hope that we can at least have them video recorded so that they can be uploaded to the site.

[whz1001]

Guys share the place?

[Colin]

Guys share the place?

If you mean the location of the event, it is undecided thus the poll.

[Deaks]

Correct, right now we are just gathering the data to know if its viable or not, when we close this survey we will look at the data and move on from there.

[nend]

I filled out the survey, I more than likely wouldn't attend anyways unless conditions are optimal, money is tight right now. Student loans, bills etc. 

[JXDavise]

Guys share the place?

when it will be clear?

[Kindred]

after we've collected much more input form people and talked with the various locations regarding timeing and price...   in other words, not real soon.

[Gary]

So for now, fill out the survey and tell us where you want it to be held. That might just be the place, who knows.


Only time or some sort of time travelling device will tell. (We accept DeLoreans, Phone Booths, a Tardis, a Toaster or Time Compression as valid modes of Time Travel)

[Deaks]

What about the robot time travel code thats found on the rear end of Fry?

[Gary]

The Universal Laguage Time Code is also acceptable I forgot about that.

[KensonPlays]

tinyurl? I dont trust those lol. but anyway grats!!

[Deaks]

KCmartz, its a link to a google doc that is all, I generated the link myself and I visit it to make sure it still works on a daily basis.

[KensonPlays]

KCmartz, its a link to a google doc that is all, I generated the link myself and I visit it to make sure it still works on a daily basis.

Just making sure, I don't trust shortlinks unless I generate them myself, at all.

[Deaks]

Do you honestly think that we would put a link on an official post that links to a suspicious site?

[KensonPlays]

Nvm..

[Gary]

Ugh. Here's the full URL if you're gonna be like that.

But seriously, you really believe that we'd place a malicious link in an official announcement?

[NanoSector]

People can't be trusted nowadays...

[Night09]

If any of you cant trust an official link from SMF then delete your account here and cease using the software designed by those you accuse of possibly supplying a malicious link. The logic of your thinking eludes me... 

[Conay]

I hope that it's in London.

Preferably at the ExCel Centre (for anyone in London, take the Jubilee Line to North Greenwich and go on the 'Emirates Air Line', it's awesome!) or the O2. The former is a great location for conferences, I was there for Paralympic Wheelchair Fencing, it was amazing.

[NanoSector]

I hope that it's in London.

^ This

[Gary]

While London as a whole isn't out of the question, though, I'd rather it weren't in London, after some reconsideration, given that I want out. (I've lived in London all my life) Places like the Excel center or the dome will certainly be out of the question.

If anything it'll be in a large hotel's conference room if it were in London.

We don't have millions to be able to spend on this y'know.

[BullsFan23]

I'm down for it in Chicago, I was in London last summer for the Olympics.

[gisfreak]

congrats

[Deaks]

Guys please fill this out we will be closing it at the end of this month!!

[Gary]

Okay. We'd like to thank everyone for their responses and support, the survey has been closed down so we're not taking any more responses.

Thanks again.

[Jade Elizabeth]

I wish you guys emailed this out. I didn't see it till now .