Posted by Please go to http://www.dbisoftware.com/blog/db2nightshow.php?id=425 and scroll to the bottom to fill out the “Show Survey” to vote.
If you’re reading this, chances are you’ve gotten something out of my blog. A tip when you needed it, a reminder when you weren’t thinking about something, or the answer to a problem when you were searching. Now I need you to give just a few moments of your time. I don’t make money on the blog – my tiny ads just pay my hosting fees. I don’t ask much of my readers. So I’m hoping that just now and one more time next week that you can take just a minute or two to help me.
There’s all kinds of good information in this week’s show. I’m constantly amazed how even as a contestant selfishly focusing on my own presentation, I still learn something every week that I can make direct use of. The link above can also be used to download the show, and I highly recommend it. This week, I was impressed with how simply Eric was able to cover the complicated topic of locking, and the level of detail that Chris put into covering restrictive databases.
If you listen in detail, you will learn that I did not get enough votes last week to be safe, and that the judges had to save me. Next week is the final round, and the judges will not be able to save me then. I think I have to get into the final 4 to even be eligible to present in the final round next week, and last week, I was clearly 5th (or 6th or 7th) in voting.
About the Competition
DB2’s Got Talent is an annual competion on the DB2Night Show. If you’re not familiar with it, the DB2 Night show is a weekly live webinar that covers a range of db2 topics, with a DB2LUW series and a DB2 for Z/OS series.
The DB2 Night show has provided hundreds of free hours of DB2 education – and unlike some vendor webinars, it’s not about the product the company sells. Each week in the regular season brings DB2 talent that you’ve likely heard of talking about interesting topics. I listen most weeks live, and not only learn a lot but hear hints about the future direction of DB2 as well.
DB2’s Got Talent involves 4 tryout shows and then 4 finals shows. Each show consists of a number of contestants presenting in 4-5 minute segments. Each week of the finals, 1-3 contestants are declared “not safe” based on the last week’s voting and the judges usually get the opportunity to save one of them.
Why I Compete
One of the great things I’m getting out of the competition this year is honing my presentation skills. It’s so helpful to be able to play back your own performance in front of a live audience. Earlier in the competition I found that I say “uh” and “um” as fillers a lot and have worked very hard in the last two shows to avoid them. This is helping me prepare for my very first time speaking at IDUG in Orlando this May.
I tell myself that these things and driving traffic to my blog are the reasons that I compete. I tell myself that it’s just a popularity contest and my speech-geek, computer-club school days taught me that was not my strong suit. But I care far more deeply than I want to. I may have even been jumping up and down and squealing when the judges saved me last week, though there were no witnesses since I work from home.
Well, bareing my soul in a blog entry – there’s something I never expected to do with this blog. The long and the short of it is that I really need YOUR vote, RIGHT NOW!
Well done Ember. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about The DB2Night Show and DB2’s GOT TALENT. Your blogs are terrific!
Way to go Ember! You’ve done awesome all along! (and you got a vote from me too.).