I got some great feedback about Code PaLOUsa; everyone seemed to have a great time, and I really enjoyed the opportunity to meet up with some of you. So, along the same vein, the next community conference I'm headed to is Notacon. It's held in my home town of Cleveland, Ohio, and runs April 14-17.

Notacon ("not a con[ference]") is indeed a conference, but not of the typical variety: it's a community event driven by submitted presentations and projects. I realize that's not a very thourough description, but Notacon is a hard event to quantify. There are a handful of speakers and bunch of events including Anything But Ethernet and the PixelJam demoparty.

And speaking of speakers, I'll be doing a talk of my own. Actually, it's more of an anti-talk, but I guess that's the whole point: something different and something fun.

My Talk: Hacking the Workplace... How to Make the Most with the Least

Until someone figures how to hack their way to Free Living (and no, squatting at the parents does not count), we've all got bills to pay. And to pay bills, you need money. And to get money, you need a job. And a job means work... or does it? I've spent most of my educational and working career working hard to avoid work. Yet I've never been fired (well... except that one time), and I've managed to build a whole lot more bridges than I've burned. Not only that, I've made more money at each job than the last... and I've even been given raises.

What's my secret? Just the right of planning, persistence, psychology... and perhaps a dash of psychopathy. In this talk, you'll learn how to:

  • look like you're a hard working, ambitious, model employee
  • work like a lazy, under-zealous sloth
  • create and deliver believable excuses
  • sneak hobby and playtime
  • fill all those long hours
  • befriend the boss's boss
  • master performance reviews
  • jump ship before getting thrown overboard

 

Why climb the corporate ladder when you can just take the elevator?

 

Get a TDWTF Mug and a Drink to Put In It!

If you register with discount code DWTFMUG at checkout, you'll also get one of the elusive The Daily WTF mugs and $5 off, which you can then use to buy a drink at the hotel bar.

15oz of Awesomeness

And if you do register, let me know and I'll be happy to join you for that drink!

About Notacon

NOTACON, an annual conference held in Cleveland, Ohio, explores and showcases technologies, philosophy and creativity often overlooked at many "hacker cons". Our desire is not to supplant other events, but complement them and strike a balance that has gone unnoticed in our community for far too long.

With each new year we build upon the successes and knowledge of the previous years. Our goal is to enlighten, educate, and entertain attendees, presenters, and staff alike. We do this by finding new ways to apply technology to graphics, art, music, or social interaction.

Notacon espouses an ethos of exploration, participation and positive contributions. Hence, while some of the material we may cover is controversial or potentially "black hat" in nature, we feel it is important to openly discuss all topics so that others can learn from the experience and create something good, fun or interesting from it.

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