 | |
Deep in your heart you know that you need to network. Sure, in a perfect world your superb technical skills and project success would speak for themselves, but without professional and personal contacts your resume is just taking up space in a hiring manager's database. You might have to bite the bullet and "work the room" occasionally, but there are many more fun ways to make contacts, talk tech, and improve your social life, too.
Contents
Avant Garde: Events and Organizations
In San Francisco, art and technology trip the light fantastic almost every night of the week. Engineers, software developers, scientists, mechanics, video jockeys, disc jockeys, painters, dancers, actors, writers, musicians, and producers come together in events designed to promote and celebrate collaboration and creative fusion. So what are you doing at that (yawn) networking meeting? Drop everything and do something to liven up your social life, and maybe even land yourself a job doing something you love. Here, it's not unusual to find technology company founders, cyber punk writers, inventors, and university professors deep in conversation, completely ignoring the fire dancers. You don't live in a city known for the avant guard? No matter; the trend is spreading. Here are some resources for finding out what's happening near you:
Laughing Squid is an online resource for underground art and culture in San Francisco that also includes resources for finding events in many other cities. Check out the Robotics and Technology category, featuring a list of art and technology organizations and events where you can see a show, attend a lecture, or participate in a project. Look for events by The Lab, YLEM, QBox, Dr. Megavolt, dorkbot, and the San Francisco Tesla Society. QBox This organization says they "operate to extol the virtues of technology that doubles as art that doubles as technology (and sometimes the other way around)." For a small free you can share their shop, which is equipped with a variety of welders, metals benders, hoists for your heavy stuff, comfy couches for taking a break, and all the electricity you could want (within reason). They offer "fun, hands-on courses for children and adults, focused on introducing young and old to the exciting world of art and technology." dorkbot An organization for people "doing strange things with electricity," dorkbot has several chapters worldwide, and members are "artists (sound/image/movement/whatever), designers, engineers, students and other interested parties who are involved in the creation of electronic art (in the broadest sense of the term). Many of these people even have "normal" day jobs. Their stated purpose is to give artists/programmers/engineers an opportunity for informal peer review; establish a forum for the presentation of new artworks/technology/software/hardware; help establish relationships and foster collaboration between people with various backgrounds and interests; and give us all a chance to see the cool things that our neighbors are working on. Their monthly meetings are free and open to the public and feature up to three presentations. Seemen This group presents performances allowing audience members to directly operate and interact with their machines, robots and kinetic art. Lately they have been "delving into bio-morphic inputs, sensing the human body and using those signals to trigger the machines/robots/pyro." They even let the audience operate their machines... at their own risk.
A monthly meeting for people interested in doing cool stuff with electronics. The current format is two short presentations, followed by casual problem solving, napkin scribbling, and idle chit chat. There is always a bracing mix of the guru and clueless, with people often switching roles three or four times in the course of the evening. All skill levels are welcome; bring your friends, your questions, and your techno art projects, functioning or non. Sometimes there are cookies. And they have a foosball table. Burning Man A week-long event called Burning Man has a reputation for attracting geeks and artists of all kinds. Held in a remote Nevada desert, thousands of people participate in the ritualized burning of a 100 foot tall wooden effigy of a man outfitted in custom neon garb, but not before they've done a lot of work and partying. Think Mad Max meets Tinkerbell and a notable absence of the law. Interaction is key: a movie screen programmed to respond to movement; a 6 foot tall paper mache head that talks to you as you ride by (using two-way radio waves), electronic music, and, of course, flame throwing robots. You can connect with a local group to create structures, machines, and art, via their Web site. Art & Science Collaborations, Inc. (ASCI) Founded in 1988, ASCI is one of the few art and technology membership organizations in the USA. It was established primarily as a network for artists who either use or are inspired by science and technology, and facilitates the collaboration of artists and scientists/technologists via events and a searchable database with a matching function. ASCI programs and services provide members with opportunities for professional growth, increased public visibility, and a supportive community. If you think this sounds frivolous, note that among their funders are AT&T, SONY, Lucent Technologies, The Rockefeller Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. The next ArtSci symposium will be held on November 5-7, 2004 in New York City. Tribe: Organizations Based on Gender, Ethnicity, or Political Agenda
Birds of a feather flock together. When you attend an event where everyone has something in common, whether it's race, gender, or political agenda, it's simply easier to begin a conversation. Here are some examples of the kinds of organizations to look for:
CPER is a public-interest alliance of computer scientists and others concerned about the impact of computer technology on society that works to influence decisions regarding the development and use of computers because those decisions have far-reaching consequences and reflect our basic values and priorities. CPSR's work covers a wide variety of issues including the Internet, privacy and freedom of information, the demilitarization of national technology policy, cryptography, participatory design approaches to system development, and more. Chapters and activities worldwide. GraceNet GraceNet is for women and "women-friendly men," says founder Sylvia Paull, our always entertaining and witty hostess. In San Francisco we have a light meal served buffet-style in the lobby of Moscone Center's Zeum space, lounge around ad-hoc, then move into the presentation room for moderated update on what people are doing. Here's a chance to jump in to say you're looking for a job or to brag about your new project. The main feature, though, is a presentation by a prominent woman in technology. There are chapters in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, Los Angeles, and Madrid. Network of Indian Professionals (NetIP) This not-for-profit organization is dedicated to the professional and cultural development, community service, philanthropy and the overall advancement of South Asian-Americans and the communities in which we work and live. With chapters all over the United States. Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers HENAAC's mission is to enlighten the Hispanic community and the nation about the achievements of Hispanics in science and technology to motivate and educate more Hispanic students to pursue these careers and increase the role that the Hispanic community plays in contributing to the nation's status as a world technology leader. They hold an annual conference and publish a print magazine. There are chapters all over the United States. Neighborhood: Things to Do in Your Community
My Silicon Valley-based brother joked that the only networking he did these days was at PTA meetings, but added that he'd actually met some very interesting people there. Parent-teacher night aside, here are some ideas for local events where a good cross-section of geek-friendly people are likely to gather:
University and College Lecture Series Your local university likely hosts a lecture series with traveling authors, scientists, and entrepreneurs. You might be surprised at the quality of lectures and presentations at smaller colleges, too. For example, Oregon Health and Society University has a lecture series focused on the brain and technology. Community and Technology Efforts Every community wants to be wired, wants their young people to become tech-savvy, needs help in closing the digital divide, and is generally concerned about how technology affects people who live there. For example, the city of Seattle needs lab assistants, instructors, tech support people, marketing support, and people knowledgeable about technology to help citizen participation in telecommunications and technology decision making. Your community could probably use some help, too. The Community Technology Centers' Network a good place to find projects. Bookstores When Neal Stephenson came to read at Kepler's Bookstore in Silicon Valley's Menlo Park, it was standing room only and the geek-meter was off the charts. The crowd was lively, cross-cultural and cross-professional, and the business cards were flying while we stood in line to get our books signed. Check your local independent bookstore for talks and readings by authors that interest you. Conferences: Big Price Tag, Big Payoff
Some conferences are just more fun than others, and some draw a wide variety of attendees. Most conferences are a financial and a time commitment, but the payoff -- in your exposure to new ideas, new people, new companies, and potential connections that can lead to new and better jobs -- is huge. Check out conferences that bring together different professions, or conferences that present radically new technologies or conferences surrounding issues that are politically hot, meeting new people, re-energizing, or re-calibrating your career. Here are just a few (listed by date):
O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference February 9-12, 2004 in San Diego, California The O'Reilly Emerging Technology Conference recognizes that computing innovations are coming down the pike at an extraordinary rate, from not necessarily traditional sources, heading in unforeseen directions, and being used in unexpected ways. While the initial impact of these innovations -- from wireless technologies and location-based services to interfaces and social software -- may seem small, their ripple effects can have a huge impact in the larger computing arena. The Computers, Freedom and Privacy Conference April 20-23, 2004 in Berkeley, California The CFP audience is as diverse as the Net itself, with attendees not only from government, business, education, and non-profits, but also from the community of computer professionals, hackers, crackers and engineers who work the code of cyberspace. CFP2004 will explore the role of technology in providing national security and preserving individual privacy and freedom in the post-9-11 world; the impact of new legal and technical developments on the Internet's utility as a medium for disseminating and archiving information, interacting with individuals, and culture; the role of computer and telecommunications technologies in the political process, and much, much more. Computer-Human Interaction Conference (CHI2004) Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Vienna 2004 April 24-29, 2004 in Vienna, Austria This conference brings together people working on the design, evaluation, implementation, and study of interactive computing systems for human use. Emphasis is on Ambient Intelligence (AmI) which will shape EC-funded research activities on information and telecommunication technologies for the coming 10 years, as well as games, mobile communications, robots and transport. Participatory Design Conference Artful Integration: Interweaving Media, Materials and Practices July 27 -31, 2004 in Toronto, Canada The Participatory Design Conferences bring together a multidisciplinary and international group of software developers, researchers, social scientists, designers, activists, practitioners, users, citizens, cultural workers and managers who adopt distinctively participatory approaches in the development of information and communication artifacts, systems, services and technologies. Hot Chips and Hot Interconnect Symposiums Stanford University Campus, August 2004 The Hot Interconnects Symposium immediately follows the popular Hot Chips Symposium, providing a balance for the engineers involved in the software and hardware arenas. Hot Interconnects brings together designers and architects of high-performance chips, software, and systems at the university and global business levels, with presentations that focus on up-to-the-minute developments demonstrating leading-edge designs by engineers and researchers throughout the world. Three days of tutorials and technical sessions will keep you on top of the latest industry and academic laboratories. The Grace Hopper Celebration of Women in Computing October 6-9, 2004 in Chicago, Illinois The fifth in a series of conferences designed to bring the research and career interests of women in computing to the forefront. Presenters are leaders in their respective fields, representing industrial, academic and government communities. Leading researchers present their current work, while special sessions focus on the role of women in today's technology fields. IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers October 31-November 3, 2004 in Washington, DC ISWC 2004, the eighth annual IEEE International Symposium on Wearable Computers, will bring together researchers, product vendors, fashion designers, textile manufacturers, users, and all other interested parties to share information and advances in wearable computing. | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| |
| ||||||||||||
Print-friendly Version
Maribeth Back is a researcher and designer who builds real-world, socially informed exploratory applications for new technologies. Ubiquitous computing, embedded systems, augmented reality, and audio and dynamics for high-end simulation systems are her primary research areas, along with design methods for technology transfer. This often involves creating robust working prototypes that embody innovative ideas and technology in exemplar domains, such as: digitally informed reading and writing, experimental audio systems, or distributed applications for wireless, networked sensor/actuator systems. Recent projects include building and experimenting with new kinds of personal and collaborative instruments for data collection and interpretation; designing and building new kinds of reading devices; and designing innovative interfaces for wireless systems in everyday activity. Her background in design and systems engineering includes theory and audio system design for virtual and computational environments; informatics design for advanced medical research systems; sound design and engineering for live theatre, radio, museums and CD-ROM; and public interactive installations, both solo and collaborative. She is a nominating judge for the Webby Awards and is on the advisory board for QBox, a non-profit arts organization in the Bay Area.
Camera shy Scott Beale says that many of the events listed on his 
