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The PEI Devs Tech Talk FAQ

Background

As you probably know, our monthly meetings tend to consist of 1-2 presentations per night (with some variations). We are always on the lookout for new material; this doc addresses some common concerns.

For further questions, or to sign-up, please contact us at peidevs @ gmail or via our Slack channel. Also, see the GitHub issues (explained below).

Why should I give a talk?

  • It's a great way to give back to the group. Past speakers, planners, sponsors, etc put a lot of effort into this thing, and we need your help to sustain it.
  • It's a safe place to practice presentation skills, which will yield dividends in your career.
  • If you mention your employer in the intro, it is an advertising plug. The visibility benefits both you and your employer (tell them that you're giving a talk, even if the topic is unrelated to your day gig).
  • If you are fuzzy on topic X, and sign up for a talk on X, you're forced to learn about it quickly. The best way to learn is to teach!

I could talk on X, but I don't know if it applies.

  • First, check our log to see the diversity in talks. There's programming languages, hardware, Agile techniques, and a quadcopter demo. We're super-chill and open to almost anything.
  • Note that we're encouraging "beginner level" talks, so "Intro to X" is certainly an option.
  • If still in doubt, ask us. We don't bite! We can help shape the talk.

What's up with the issue-tracking on GitHub?

  • In an effort to spark dialogue about talks, we're using issues on this GitHub project.
  • (If you'd like to be in the peidevs organization, just contact us. You're absolutely invited.)
  • To submit a talk idea, create an issue and label it as Question.
  • You can do the same if you are interested in topic X, but don't want to give a talk on it. (i.e. so as to encourage others)
  • Vote on talks, ask questions, etc. Participate! (Note, this is an experiment: if you'd prefer to just shoot us an email, that's fine.)

Can you give me some example topics?

  • Intro to X, where X is a language, library, framework, tool, etc. We're open to beginner level talks, so "Intro to HTML 5" is perfectly reasonable.
  • Top tips for X. Share lessons learned.
  • Review of X. Have you read a good/classic book? Share your insight with us.
  • My Home Project. Do you have a side-project? (e.g. a mobile app) We'd love to hear about it.
  • Why I Hate X. Everyone loves a good rant, esp. if it is barbed yet tongue-in-cheek.
  • Open Forum on X. When in doubt, become a facilitator and lead a discussion among the group. Sometimes, the best convos come from this.

I don't really have a lot of time.

  • Believe us, we understand. If it helps, consider offering a lightning talk that is closer to 10 minutes than the typical 30-40 minute talk.
  • Also, the talk doesn't have to be 100% polished. See next Q.

I'm intimidated. Some speakers set a high bar (for a monthly meetup).

  • In 7+ years, we've never mocked anyone (unless they enjoy it) and will come down hard on anyone who is disrespectful. We've seen the full spectrum from simple "I've downloaded this SDK and played with it" to highly polished presentations. It's all good. We fully recognize that, to be sustainable, we need to encourage informal presentations.
  • If you are junior level, or English isn't your first language, that's fine. We aren't judging your performance. We are supportive and grateful to have you. We just want to geek out together!
  • There are ways to set expectations for the group. If you don't have time for fancy slides then the talk summary could read "in this informal talk, we'll look at X". Or it might read "I'd like to lead a discussion on X, but I don't have time for fancy slides".

My topic, X, is huge. Which parts of it are you interested in?

  • Good question. There is a tension between "intro to X" and "given that we all know X, here are some nuances". Ask the group on Slack, or send us an email, and we'll try to find out.
  • Consider inverting the question. What are you interested in telling us? Is there something cool/terrible that makes you want to stand on a table and shout? That's the good stuff. If the talk presumes prior knowledge of X, then set the expectations in the summary.

I've signed-up for a talk. What else should I know?

  • We want to ensure that no one is surprised. A simple checklist:
    • Provide a summary of your talk so that we can send it out (about 10 days in advance).
    • Confirm the length of the talk with PEI Devs.
    • Give us your A/V requirements (e.g. HDMI/VGA adapter).
    • This is optional for us, but in general: consider having your talk both avilable online and available on your machine (if the network goes down).
    • If you are shaving yaks, just ask us. e.g. If you have code examples on GitHub, and feel pressure to put the code into slides (which can be a lot of work), challenge that assumption. Is this necessary? (Sometimes speakers simply jump from slides into an editor to show code.)
    • Don't worry! There is always some stress in public-speaking, but remember that we are on your side, and truly grateful for your help. It is a fabulous feeling to receive applause at the end of the talk, and to know you made a difference. Thanks!