Microsoft has officially announced Windows Mobile 6.1 - and it looks like a number of devices will be able to get it as an update in addition to the newer devices coming out this year already having it. You can see tons of screen shots at Gizmodo.
While I was already planning to update the ROM for my Tilt (a known/reported start button issue - it's occasionally unresponsive), now I may just wait and see if I get the 6.1 upgrade at the same time.
The Rational Guide to Building Technical User Communities
By Dr. Greg Low
Published by Rational Press 2007
ISBN: 978-1-932577-32-7
Running and maintaining a user group over time can be quite challenging and rewarding at the same time. Having recently stepped into a new role as leader of our local user group I was looking for additional help and ideas that would provide me with the wisdom of others who have been far more successful at this than I have been in the past. I think it was actually through e-mail a couple months back that David Silverlight first recommended this book to me...and I've finally decided to buy the book and read it.
First off - it's a very easy and enjoyable read. I was able to read through it in an afternoon...so it's not going to take up tremendous time for you to read it. I was mistaken though in my first impression with the book - that is, I thought I might read it and then pass it on to another UG leader. Nope, not this one, it's staying on my shelf as an essential reference as time goes on.
This book cuts through all the craziness that can come with organizing, leading, or creating a user group and provides practical, tested ideas about topics such as providing better value for your user group members, realizing that "pizza does not make a user group", and the need to allow for more social networking time at group meetings (something that as I look back I realize was present in our last meeting and was quite welcome).
In short - if you're starting a user group, running one or want to find out how you can help an existing one, you should really check out this book. And if you don't want to buy it, I know of at least one other geek who's got an extra copy his wife wants him to find a new home for :)
An interesting read from the folks at Global Knowledge, their article 10 Signs that your project is about to be cut sums up several things I've seen a bit in projects I've worked on in the past though thankfully I've not witnessed #10 first hand. For me it's usually been #6 or #9 though I did have a #4 that I was able to successfully detach myself from.
Thanks to the good folks at Culminis and Microsoft I plan to start hosting some GC.NUG presentations on LiveMeeting in the somewhat near future...though I'm still going over the logistics of time and such.
I'd be interested to hear if anyone else is doing this so I can learn any potential pitfalls to avoid :)