Published in TDAN.com April 2005
Questions and Answers, Information and Sharing
Since you are reading TDAN.com, you probably have read many of the articles searching for answers or additional information on pertinent topics. Or possibly you have submitted questions to be answered by many of the professionals that have given of their time and expertise in support of TDAN.com. Or, maybe you have participated in the discussion groups both asking and sharing information with peers.
TDAN.com, as you have not doubt often noted, is a well-respected publication. Hence, it has a wide area of faithful readers. It is informative, provides an avenue for people to share their ideas and concepts on areas of technology that is either in the early stages of development or has become the standard and you are looking for further insight and guidance. The point is that TDAN.com is very accessible and informative.
DAMA International has been one of the contributors to TDAN.com and vise versa. In fact, TDAN.com and DAMA International have shared mutual support for several years. Last year and just about this time I was privileged to write an article that celebrated the 7th anniversary of TDAN.com. And as I noted in that article, Bob Seiner has on several occasions spoken at our yearly conference or has provided expert information via presentations to local DAMA chapters.
There are a couple of reasons I have titled this article as I did. First, TDAN.com as a respected publication is a source that provides for questions and answers along with tons of information and the sharing of ideas and concepts. Second, the DAMA International Symposium and Metadata Conference this May 22 through 26, 2005 is the premiere conference that will also provide more concentrated exposure to your questions and answers, plus providing lots of information and certainly tons of sharing.
The conference, since its inception, and even more so in its affiliation with Wilshire Conferences, has taken center stage as the premier event of its type. Not only does the conference provide informative tutorials, workshops and presentations, it provides direct access to our industry’s experts. But there is more, as it also allows practitioners a platform and/or a forum to tell their story of how they have made things work in their organizations. I firmly believe that the mixture of provided by the conference makes it the premier event that it is.
More importantly, sharing takes place not only in the formal sessions and in “birds of a feather” type sessions, but also often over coffee or perhaps because someone had noticed that an individual’s badge says they are in the same industry as the individual reading the badge. To me it is the perfect mix of all types of professionals that make up our industry and the perfect venue in which to learn.
Not only does the conference draw expertise from all over the United States and Canada, but also it truly has international representation in its presenters and in the attendees. As an individual who works for an international company, I can’t tell you how valuable and important it is to meet with peers from South America, Europe and Asia Pacific. Not only do they share many of the same issues and problems but also often they are, as they work on their projects, faced with unique cultural and regulatory requirements that are sometimes more problematic to our work in the U.S. I can’t impress enough on you, how important getting that global insight and exposure can be to you and your organization.
One of the other elements that I believe makes the conference the great event that it is, is its ability to be innovative. This year we are introducing an academic track that will bring academics that have been working and researching many areas in our field in to share their accomplishments. I, and many others, have long felt that we (that being a collective we) need to bring academia and the business world closer together. The synergy that can be further developed should enhance the growth and sharing of information. Certainly universities having curriculum that more closely reflects business needs will only enhance our industry.
If you feel that I am excited about the conference, you are wrong, I am extremely excited about it. I urge you to either visit www.dama.org or www.wilshireconferences.com to review the agenda and the strong list of presenters. And lastly, I urge to attend the conference, I urge your to support your local DAMA chapter and I urge you to actively support websites like TDAN.com.
Larry Dziedzic
President, DAMA International
