Networking. It's important. We've all heard about the value of networking. Some even say that the real value of a Harvard education is the connections you will have made upon graduating, plus access to an alumni network. After all, are they really teaching math better than any other university?
As a software developer, I had originally thought the value of attending a tech conference came from consuming information about technologies in a classroom type setting. And I enjoy that. Oh cool, look, a talk on Clojure and functional programming! I don't get to use that at work, let's attend that one.
But, as the availability of information continues to proliferate, I find that I prefer to watch a Pluralsight video on a topic of my choosing, rather than sit in a lecture. I can focus better, and more efficiently consume the content. So, for me, the question becomes, "What value is there in attending a tech conference?"
On a side note, what percentage of attendees are developers? There is probably data out there somewhere. One can only speculate. 80/20 rule may apply here. I'd say at least 20% of attendees are not developers. That means that when they look at code, they may as well be looking at hieroglyphics.
Ok, so back to networking. As a developer, if you believe that networking is a worthy endeavor, and you are going to a conference, then who do you want to network with? Presumably someone with whom you can form a symbiotic relationship. What do you have to offer? Maybe your employer is hiring and you can offer a referral. Maybe what you have to offer is your own development expertise and services.
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