Comments on: Why I spent $4000 to attend free events last year http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/ Covering the blossoming startup industry in Portland, Oregon, and the Silicon Forest Wed, 08 Feb 2012 21:25:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Legion of Tech got screwed. Let’s help unscrew them. « Florist « Web Florist http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-35500 Legion of Tech got screwed. Let’s help unscrew them. « Florist « Web Florist Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:18:15 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-35500 [...] Why I spent $4000 to attend free events last year (23) [...] [...] Why I spent $4000 to attend free events last year (23) [...]

]]> By: Legion of Tech got screwed. Let’s help unscrew them. « Florist « Web Florist http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-35253 Legion of Tech got screwed. Let’s help unscrew them. « Florist « Web Florist Fri, 23 Sep 2011 02:25:26 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-35253 [...] Why I spent $4000 to attend free events last year (22) [...] [...] Why I spent $4000 to attend free events last year (22) [...]

]]> By: Legion of Tech got screwed. Let’s help unscrew them. « Florist « Web Florist http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-35117 Legion of Tech got screwed. Let’s help unscrew them. « Florist « Web Florist Wed, 21 Sep 2011 04:27:50 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-35117 [...] Why I spent $4000 to attend free events last year (21) [...] [...] Why I spent $4000 to attend free events last year (21) [...]

]]> By: Amber Case http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-25141 Amber Case Sat, 11 Dec 2010 21:58:41 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-25141 I was attracted to helping arrange, participate in and help build on these local volunteer events because it made Portland into a community for me and helped me grow. Most of the paid events I tried to go to were very unfortunate. They weren't very helpful (and that's not bad -- they were helpful to some, but not to me). These volunteer events are the core of the tech community. They are the soul. They are the slow growth that will help make Portland a major contender (and already has) in areas like mobile, analytics, and web development. There is tremendous talent here forging their own fields, and because of that, the model for development isn't a set one that can just be filled with funds. It's slow but strong. Already we've seen many successes here. I think in periods of 5-10 years, and I've seen rapid development of people and ideas from tiny capabilities to greater capabilities over time. Is it slow? Yes. Everything is slow. Is slow okay? Absolutely. Slow is great. Slow is strong. One can develop here, can succeed, fail and try again with support from people like them. People who don't make fun of them for long hours spent online and for strange clothes and habits. There's a lot of people who need that, who take a while to develop. So thank you to everyone who has helped produce these events. They help people to meet each other, they help people to succeed, and they help people to stay connected. And thank you, Rick, for spending much of your time chronicling this slow development. I was attracted to helping arrange, participate in and help build on these local volunteer events because it made Portland into a community for me and helped me grow. Most of the paid events I tried to go to were very unfortunate. They weren’t very helpful (and that’s not bad — they were helpful to some, but not to me).

These volunteer events are the core of the tech community. They are the soul. They are the slow growth that will help make Portland a major contender (and already has) in areas like mobile, analytics, and web development. There is tremendous talent here forging their own fields, and because of that, the model for development isn’t a set one that can just be filled with funds. It’s slow but strong. Already we’ve seen many successes here.

I think in periods of 5-10 years, and I’ve seen rapid development of people and ideas from tiny capabilities to greater capabilities over time. Is it slow? Yes. Everything is slow. Is slow okay? Absolutely. Slow is great. Slow is strong. One can develop here, can succeed, fail and try again with support from people like them. People who don’t make fun of them for long hours spent online and for strange clothes and habits. There’s a lot of people who need that, who take a while to develop.

So thank you to everyone who has helped produce these events. They help people to meet each other, they help people to succeed, and they help people to stay connected. And thank you, Rick, for spending much of your time chronicling this slow development.

]]> By: BarCamp Portland 4 could use your help « Silicon Florist http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-19708 BarCamp Portland 4 could use your help « Silicon Florist Thu, 14 Oct 2010 03:56:09 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-19708 [...] no secret that I believe in supporting the free events here in Portland. I firmly believe that companies who can step up to sponsor these events are fostering the [...] [...] no secret that I believe in supporting the free events here in Portland. I firmly believe that companies who can step up to sponsor these events are fostering the [...]

]]> By: Rick Turoczy http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-10205 Rick Turoczy Tue, 13 Oct 2009 15:21:52 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-10205 @Loyan Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it. ;) @Loyan Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate it. ;)

]]> By: Loyan Roylance http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-10199 Loyan Roylance Tue, 13 Oct 2009 06:16:19 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-10199 However many people read this post...I'm still sure it didn't get the attention it deserves. I want this to be the keynote for all community events in Corvallis. Thank you. However many people read this post…I’m still sure it didn’t get the attention it deserves. I want this to be the keynote for all community events in Corvallis. Thank you.

]]> By: Dear Web startups: Buying local isn’t just for food | Silicon Florist http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-7387 Dear Web startups: Buying local isn’t just for food | Silicon Florist Fri, 01 May 2009 08:52:03 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-7387 [...] This would be one such occasion. (And, fair warning, there’s another one coming soon. [UPDATE] And here that rant is.) [...] [...] This would be one such occasion. (And, fair warning, there’s another one coming soon. [UPDATE] And here that rant is.) [...]

]]> By: Dr. Normal http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-7371 Dr. Normal Wed, 29 Apr 2009 07:18:17 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-7371 Wouldn't it be great if we had a really large tech company here in town that also had a big marketing department and social media presence, who could kick in a little sponsorship for some of these events from time to time? ...oh, wait! Wouldn’t it be great if we had a really large tech company here in town that also had a big marketing department and social media presence, who could kick in a little sponsorship for some of these events from time to time?

…oh, wait!

]]> By: josh bradley http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/comment-page-1/#comment-7370 josh bradley Wed, 29 Apr 2009 05:49:53 +0000 http://siliconflorist.com/2009/04/28/why-i-spent-4000-to-attend-free-events-last-year/#comment-7370 PDXsays: It may not be about the tech community, but how can that (our) community benefit the larger communities we are a part of? That is the real question and you may not think that technology start-ups can have an impact on the other 80%, but you better hold on to your hat because there is conscious, sustainably-oriented, community biased start-ups getting ready to blossom- geared to fuel the small businesses that drive the real economy and make vibrant and happy communities. These start-ups are inspired by an outreach of community, innovation, a spirit of cooperation and are looking towards the future with an idea of what is possible. We may not be able to affect taxes, bail-outs, oil consumption, corruption or partisan politics, but we can shape what we create in this world and drive it with an intent to shift "business as usual" and birth "business as it should be". It's not a matter of looking at what can't be done and how little money we have to do it, it is a matter of looking what we can do and start doing it. PDXsays: It may not be about the tech community, but how can that (our) community benefit the larger communities we are a part of? That is the real question and you may not think that technology start-ups can have an impact on the other 80%, but you better hold on to your hat because there is conscious, sustainably-oriented, community biased start-ups getting ready to blossom- geared to fuel the small businesses that drive the real economy and make vibrant and happy communities. These start-ups are inspired by an outreach of community, innovation, a spirit of cooperation and are looking towards the future with an idea of what is possible.

We may not be able to affect taxes, bail-outs, oil consumption, corruption or partisan politics, but we can shape what we create in this world and drive it with an intent to shift “business as usual” and birth “business as it should be”. It’s not a matter of looking at what can’t be done and how little money we have to do it, it is a matter of looking what we can do and start doing it.

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