VM /ETC’s Birthday Party is VMworld 2008 in Vegas!

For those of you that don’t already know (or who haven’t read my About page), VM /ETC started last year during VMworld 2007 in San Francisco. I had just built a Fedora 6 “desktop server” in my basement and fumbled my way through the configuration of Apache, MySQL and Wordpress. I don’t even remember why I decided to take on that particular home project, but it was definitely nothing to do with this blog.

About a week later it was time to go to VMworld, and I made a last minute decision to try to use Wordpress to keep my notes from the conference. I made sure my Linksys home router was configured to auto update my DSL dynamic ip address at DynDNS.com and I created the treesum.homeip.net/vmworld2007 blog url. I did not even know that Wordpress is configured to update Pingomatic by default. I had no idea what I was about to start.

I took my notebook to the keynotes and my sessions, I logged on and began taking notes when I could. Most of the posts were in outline form for me to try to decipher what I meant later. I also created a few “diary” posts about some of the sights of San Francisco and the things that I wanted to remember. I was learning Wordpress as I went along. I had no idea anyone would even notice. I was completely surprised when I read on VMTN these words:

“treesum is doing great, in-depth coverage on his blog”

I remember my first thoughts were “that’s a link to my site and I need to shut down my little home web server as quick as I can”. I left it up, and now a lot has changed since this time last year.

treesum.homeip.net became VM /ETC
I registered the vmetc.com domain and moved the blog to Bluehost.
Planet v12n added my feed to it’s aggregator.
VM /ETC was picked as one of the Top 10 blogs for VMware admins to read
I’m hooked up with a press pass for this year’s conference!

So, VMworld 2008 is just over a month away again,

and just like last year I will try my best to provide a combination of live blogging and my notes summaries. I won’t be the only one doing this and definitely not the best that’s for sure, but I’ll try to provide my own unique perspective on the things I experience and learn. It should be a great event!

I want to thank everyone who has subscribed to my RSS feed, bookmarked my pages, and commented on my posts. Thanks for reading my blog and for all the encouragement and kind words. I truly appreciate it. It’s definitely too cool to have the VMworld conference as this blog’s birthday!

I’m thinking about coming up with some way to identify myself in the crowd. Maybe a button with my Virtually Insane Ugly Green image on it or something similar hanging from my badge? That way anyone who wants can stop me and say hello. I am looking forward to getting to see so many people I have had the privilege to meet online through running vmetc.com.

I will follow the lead of Scott Lowe and post my VMworld schedule when I get it finalized, and I will tag all posts with “VMworld 2008″.

Tags: Las Vegas, vmetc.com, vmware, vmworld, vmworld2008

This entry was posted on Thursday, August 7th, 2008 at 5:30 pm and is filed under vmetc.com, vmworld. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

dberk

Maybe you should visit the VMUG leader meeting on Monday.

and thanks for the oops that created the site.

rbrambley

DBerk,

I'd love to attend that meeting. Let me know if the group will have me.

Thanks!

Krishna

This post inspired me to try something similar. Let's see how it works out. Thanks!

rbrambley

Krishna,

Be sure to let me know the url of the blog or site you start and good luck!

Duncan

Thanks for all the great info you supplied us with over the last year, keep up the great work!

rbrambley

Duncan,

Thanks, and right back at ya! Thanks for your great blog at yellow-bricks.com!

Dave Convery

Duncan -
Happy BD!!! I like the big ugly pin idea...

rbrambley

Dave,

Thanks! Duncan is actually the webmaster over at yellow-bricks.com.

I think I am going to pursue the pin for my badge idea. I'll let everyine know for sure before next month.

vmguy

Congrats and Happy B-Day to VM ETC! I started my site only a few weeks ago and hope to have the same success. Perhaps for you B-Day party you can wear one of my new t-shirts "Go Virtual - Go Green". I created a line of t-shirts for the virtual geek in all of us. I will be wearing my "Saving the planet one VM at a time" t-shirt to vmworld, hope to see you there.

John Troyer

Rich,

Congrats & Happy Blog Birthday.

I had no idea I raised your stress level last year. You obviously were already a natural at this.

To everybody else, I will once again try to link to all the good stuff at VMworld. I am almost -- but not quite -- omniscient, so drop me a line (jtroyer at vmware) if you're blogging in Vegas.