Blog sosAssociates

Author(s):
Julie Smith, Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

PechaKucha Night Cleveland Volume 16

What is PechaKucha Night? "Drawing its name from the Japanese term for the sound of conversation ("chit chat"), it rests on a presentation format that is based on a simple idea: 20 images x 20 seconds. It's a format that makes presentations concise, and keeps things moving at a rapid pace."

On Wednesday, September 12, 2012, PechaKucha Night Cleveland had the following presenters (in no particular order): Barbara Tannenbaum, Curator of Photography, Cleveland Museum of Art (photography); Mike Polk (comedy); Devin Vandermaas, The Factory 2.0 (fashion); Kristen Baumlier, Food Fonts (design); Mark Schatz, Unstable Geographies (sculpture); Kim Jenkins, Rising Star Coffee (coffee); Justin Markert, Cellar Door CLE (music); Margaret Mann, Tuscany Wines (wine); Mary Fagans, City Year CLE (community); Valerie Grossman (ceramics artist); Chris Ronayne, Port of Cleveland; Lennie Stover, Rotary, Trains and Bikes, Oh My! (amazing new public space).

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

 

Cleveland Business Connects Magazine’s September 2012 issue has the overall theme of information technology and social media in Cleveland. An article, "Networking 2.0: Techies Harness the Power of Continual Education," was written about WebSigCleveland.org and its partner organizations, the Greater Cleveland PC Users Group and the Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group. These groups are headed by Jim Evans and Remington Phillips, respectively.

The article focuses on how these three Cleveland organizations provide face-to-face technology education. I love the title of the article, since I am a big supporter of continual education. This has led me to not only become the administrator of WebSigCleveland.org, but also to create my sosAssociates.com blog, which supports technology education groups in our community.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

As we leave the Labor Day holiday weekend and enter the fall season, it is great to see how many events will be happening in September. This week starts slowly, but watch as this month proceeds for many more meetings and events.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Here are the Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings in Cleveland that I announce each week. 

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Here are the Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings in Cleveland that I announce each week. 

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Here are the Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings in Cleveland that I announce each week. I have been using Twitter since October 2009 to announce these meetings. I think it is great that in Cleveland we have so many valuable resources to learn more about the technology and social media fields.

 
During summers in Cleveland, I also add to my weekly sos_jr tech tweets some special Cleveland cultural events. This week check out the free WOW concert.
Author(s):
Julie Smith, Michael N. Smith, Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Cleveland GiveCamp: Coding for Charity

One of the best Cleveland tech events each year is Cleveland GiveCamp. It is so great on so many levels that this blog post can’t truly express the feelings of the attendees. It is a weekend with a lot of very hard work, but this work yields benefits not only for the charities it serves, but also to those who attend. From the fact that it provides major support for Cleveland charities, to the fun environment and talented people, the third year of Cleveland GiveCamp, held on July 20-22, 2012, was an experience we recommend that all participate in and support. We (Michael N. Smith and Stuart O Smith, Jr.) have participated all three years, and are pleased to be able to share our insights about this great new Cleveland tradition.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

During summers in Cleveland, I add to my weekly sos_jr tech tweets some special Cleveland cultural events (free concerts, free Shakespeare). As we leave July and enter August, it seems that these have outnumbered the Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings that I announce each week. This week, I have also added some upcoming events of interest, and a discount code for a training opportunity.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Fun, free, outdoor cultural events! Yes, it is summer in Cleveland and I am adding to my weekly promotional sos_jr tweets special Cleveland cultural events (free concerts, free Shakespeare). This is in addition to the Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings that I announce each week. Enjoy!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Here are my weekly promotional tweets of Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings, plus the special Cleveland cultural events (free concert, free Shakespeare) that I promote over the summer. Follow me on Twitter at sos_jr for more.

This is Cleveland Give Camp week! Follow on Twitter @CleGiveCamp and Facebook for more announcements about Cleveland nonprofits receiving technical support! The Twitter hash tag of #CleGC will yield some interesting tweets to follow over the weekend.

Author(s):
Julie Smith, Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Ohio Blogging Association Theatre Tour with Playhouse Square Partners

On Wednesday, July 11, 2012, we were very fortunate to be able to participate in a private tour of Playhouse Square sponsored by the Ohio Blogging Association - Cleveland and Playhouse Square Partners. We saw parts of several theatres that the public normally does not see. It was a fun and memorable evening!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Slow week due to the 4th of July holiday, but still has some fun happenings. Did add two more events that I learned about on July 3rd.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

For the last two years, I have added some special Cleveland summer cultural events to my weekly promotional tweets of Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings. Well I missed one event last week, but luckily it continues this week!

I also want to make special mention of this week's @ClevelandDotCom @Indians #CleTweetUp on Wednesday, June 20th. 

Meeting topics this week include: Vim, Games, #CLEtweetup, Security, Ruby, Appcelerator, and more!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.
"Our" Cleveland Guitarmania #CleTweetUp Guitar

On May 26, 2012, I had the good fortune to see the final version of designer Garrett Weider's (@GarrettWeider) guitar at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum (RockHall.com - @rock_hall), along with other Cleveland #GuitarMania guitars displayed on Memorial Day Weekend. Garrett's design is special this year for those active on Twitter in Cleveland, since we were able to add our Twitter names to the art piece at a March 21st TweetUp sponsored by Cleveland.com (@ClevelandDotCom) and the United Way of Greater Cleveland (@UnitedWayCLE) at the Cleveland House of Blues (@HOBCleveland). As I said in my earlier blog post, it is "our" #CleTweetUp guitar!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

As I mentioned last week, for the last two years, I have added some special Cleveland summer cultural events to my weekly promotional tweets of Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings. One of the main events I have promoted on Twitter starts this week!  

Although it's summer in Cleveland, with lots of other things to do, this week's technology, entrepreneur, and social media meetings are heating up for a very busy week. Most of these meetings are free or low cost, so there are no barriers for all of us to further our tech education and enhance our networking.

Meeting topics this week include: Hadoop, Python, Blogging, .NET, Linux, Java, Security, and more!

Author(s):
Julie Smith, Stuart O. Smith, Jr.
 
Fireworks at West Side Market for centennial celebration

We had a great time at the June 2nd centennial celebration kickoff for the West Side Market, and decided to share these photos of the fireworks with you. Suggestion: Click through the photos really fast and make your own sound effects :-)

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

In Summer, for the past two years, I have added some Cleveland special cultural events to my weekly promotional tweets on Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings. This week continues the tradition with some of Cleveland's best summer events.

Meeting topics this week include: Blogging, MVC, SQL Server, Adobe Creative Suite, Startups, RStudio, Game Developers, Cloud, Hadoop, and more!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

 

This week, in addition to my weekly tweets on Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings I track, I have added one national event and continued my promotion of the Open Mic Shakespeare events. The national event is the American Hiking Society (@AmericanHiking) National Trails Day, which here in Cleveland takes place in our own Cuyahoga Valley National Park. 
 
Meeting topics this week include: MySQL, Blogging, Twitter, MVC, and more! As we go into the new month, I will update my calendar with more meetings, so watch for more on Twitter and on this blog. 
Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.
CDPUG Presentation Skills for the Graphic Designer

When attending the April 26, 2012, Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group meeting led by Spike Radway on Presentation Skills for the Graphic Designer, who would have thought I would be truly surprised . . . but I am getting ahead of myself . . .

The purpose of this meeting was to have Spike provide the tools to those attending to be prepared to do an Ignite presentation. CDPUG has a great practice of starting their meetings with a member sharing their design work using the Ignite presentation method at their monthly meetings, but for this meeting, the focus was the upcoming 8th Annual CDPUG Showcase on May 31, 2012.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Cleveland Clinic’s First Usability Study NEOUPA Meeting with Kaitlan Chu

I was very fortunate to be able to attend the  April 25, 2012, NEOUPA meeting on Clinical Trial: Challenges Faced & Lessons Learned Conducting Cleveland Clinic's First UX Study with Kaitlan Chu. This is the same presentation that Kaitlan will be presenting at the Usability Professionals Association International 21st Annual Conference.

Before Kaitlan Chu started her presentation, we were given a quick tour of The Cleveland Clinic, which I share information about in this blog post. 

Thank you to Kaitlan Chu for sharing her vast knowledge at this NEOUPA meeting. Be sure to look for her presentation at the Usability Professionals Association International Conference at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 07, 2012.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Due to the upcoming Memorial Day holiday, this will be a slow week for the Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings I track. I shared twelve technology and community events this week. Meeting topics include: LinkedIn, SharePoint, PHP, Blogging, and more!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

This week is very busy for Cleveland tech, entrepreneur, and social media meetings. Meeting topics this week include: GIMP, Bloggers, Bootstrap, Python, WordPress, Silverlight, Games, Node.js, Haskell, Facebook, Entrepreneurs, Joomla!, and more!

Please read this week's blog on meetings I track to learn more about all these Cleveland happenings this week.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Meeting topics this week include:  GIMP, WordPress, Cloud, SEO, Security, Facebook, Python, Ruby, Bloggers, Bootstrap, and more!

In addtion to this week's social media and tech meetings, I also promote Open Mic Shakespeare and PechaKucha Night Cleveland.

I want to also remind everyone that Cleveland GiveCamp started taking applications from Cleveland charities last week! 

Please read this week's meetings I track blog to learn more about all these Cleveland happenings this week.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

I thought this was going to be a slow week in Cleveland for tech meetings and other events I track, but then I updated my calendar! I promoted more than 18 meetings/events tonight! Go to this week's blog post to see the full list. 

Meeting topics this week include:  SQL Server, Coding Dojo, SEO, GIMP, Drupal, WordPress, and more!

Also, it is exciting that Cleveland Give Camp will start taking applications from Cleveland charities this week!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

You Too Social Media Conference

The Akron Area Public Relations Society of America and the Kent State PRSSA Chapter sponsored the fifth annual YouToo Social Media conference on Friday, April 13, 2012, at Kent State University. 

The conference sessions I attended included:

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Please look over this list of 17 tech meetings happening in Cleveland this week, and feel free to share with others. You can send others link to this blog or, if on Twitter re-tweet those tweets listed that you find interesting. Thank you for sharing the #HappyInCle experience!

Meeting topics this week include: Security, SharePoint, UX, F#, ExtJS, Sencha Touch, WordPress, Startups, and more!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Twenty-nine meetings/events that I track in Cleveland are happening this week. Please share these with others by sending them a link to this blog or, if on Twitter, by re-tweeting those tweets listed that you find interesting. Thank you for sharing the #HappyInCle experience!

Meeting topics this week include:  NEOSA Tech Week events, Windows Phone, bloggers, Arts Network, WordPress, TEDxCLE 2012, Game Developers, Shakespeare birthday party, and more!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.


Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group (CDPUG)
WEB / FONT / DESIGN You Don’t Have To Be Angry Any More: Part 2
Just Because You Can Doesn’t Mean You Should
March 29, 2012

Highlights of Jan Dregalia's presentation about web fonts including:

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

 

A lot is happening in Cleveland this week! There are thirty tech/social media meetings I track happening this week!

Meeting topics this week include: Java, .NET, GIMP, Python, Blogging, WordPress, Muse, security, startups, Notacon 9, social media, Windows 8, and more!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Cleveland.com TweetUp with United Way

Cleveland.com TweetUp with United Way

This #CleTweetUp was such a #HappyInCle event that I just had to share the experience on my blog! Members of the #Cleveland Twitterverse became part of GuitarMania by adding their names to a guitar. 

 

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Windows 8, SQL Server, YouTube, WordPress, Drupal, GIMP, Blogger, Python and more!

Don't think this is a joke on the first day of April 2012. There really are 15 meetings/events that I track this week! Meeting topics this week include: Windows 8, SQL Server, YouTube, WordPress, Drupal, GIMP, Blogger, Python and more!

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

 

Cleveland Digital Publishing Users Group (CDPUG)
Web F​ont Design: You Don't Have To Be Angry Anymore
March 29, 2012

In December 2011, Jan Dregalla and I were asked to do a presentation on how to use web fonts. This font design meeting was an outgrowth of a talk that two other CDPUG members and I did on January 27, 2011, called "Web Design, HTML and Beyond." At the end of the January 2011 meeting, there were many questions about the lack of control of fonts on websites, so CDPUG Program Director Spike Radway (@SpikeRadway) solicited our assistance to present: Web F​ont Design: You Don't Have To Be Angry Anymore

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

WebSigCleveland.org Javascript/Stylesheet Toolkits

At the March 17, 2012, WebSigCleveland.org meeting, Richard Schulte, a co-founder of the local tech worker co-op Flywheel Tech Collective, did a presentation on “Javascript/Stylesheet UI Toolkits - Why, Which and How?” He introduced attendees to the more popular and/or useful tools for developing Javascript and Cascading Stylesheets for website design, and Richard did not disappoint his audience.

 
Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Are you interested in: iOS Security, Tedxcle 2012 tickets, Hadoop, Windows Presentation Foundation, InDesign, game development, Cleveland tweetup, entrepreneurs, WordPress, Robocode, and more?

Are you interested in: iOS Security, Tedxcle 2012 tickets, Hadoop, Windows Presentation Foundation, InDesign, game development, Cleveland tweetup, entrepreneurs, WordPress, Robocode, and more?

There are approximately 19 tech, social media, and entrepreneur group meetings that I track taking place in Greater Cleveland this week!

Author(s):
Julie Smith, Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Social Media You Should Be Doing Now

On March 10, 2012, we attended the meeting of the Greater Cleveland PC Users Group (GCPCUG) on “The Most Important Social Media You Should Be Doing Now” with speaker Sage Lewis of SageRock.

Sage gave a dynamic presentation on the uses and purposes of social media. It has been said that people have become isolated by the use of computers and other technology, but Sage put social media in a different perspective by showing how it actually brings people together and fits in with people as “social creatures.” 

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Meetings I track this week

In addition to my WebSigCleveland.org meeting, there are approximately 20 other tech, social media, and entrepreneur group meetings taking place this week.  If you are on Twitter or Facebook, please share with your followers/friends those meetings you think would be of interest to them. We are very lucky to have so much going on in Cleveland. 

This is the second week of my new blog, where I post these weekly meetings.  People interested in Cleveland events who missed my Sunday or Monday night weekly technology/social media/entrepreneur tweets will be able to see them here. I hope you find this useful! 

Some of the topics this week: Hadoop,  tedxcle tickets, bloggers, Javascript, startups, Drupal, WordPress, and more...

Author(s):
Julie Smith, Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Cleveland NASA Tweetup

On March 2, 2012, people came from all over the USA to Cleveland, Ohio, to honor Senator John Glenn on the 50th anniversary of his orbital flight. To help in the celebration, the NASA Glenn Research Center organized a NASA Tweetup. The 75 Tweetup attendees enjoyed a day of NASA tours, and learned to appreciate the NASA program here in Cleveland.

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Meetings I track this week

In addition to my volunteer work running the WebSigCleveland.org meetings since 2006, I have been promoting tech meetings, social media events, and some entrepreneur group meetings weekly via Twitter since 2009 at: sos_jr

This week brings the premiere of my new blog, where I plan to post weekly meetings.  People interested in Cleveland events who missed my Sunday or Monday night weekly technology/social media/entrepreneur tweets will be able to see them here. I hope you find this useful! 

This week's list of 17 events includes these topics: TheStartupBus, SQL, internet marketing, WordPress, Security, SharePoint, JavaScript, Startups, Social Media, Game Development, Blogging and more...

Author(s):
Stuart O. Smith, Jr.

Hello, World! My First Blog Post!

While the sosAssociates.com newly designed website is not totally complete, it is at the point where it is ready for public viewing. I have a plan for adding more features, and dreams to do even more in the future, but for today, let me share with you my short-term vision.

Stuart O. Smith, Jr.