Although I don’t plan to start a career in game development, I attended the Game Loop Philly un-conference today. I thought I’d feel a little out of place, but I was pleasantly surprised by the breadth of topics. Each session was applicable to either my work or personal life and I met a lot of great people! Here are the highlights from the sessions I attended today.
First Android Alliance Meeting
I’m super excited to announce the first formal Android Alliance meeting!
Summary
What: Inaugural Android Alliance Meeting
When: Wednesday, May 25th from 6:00 – 8:00 PM
Where: 1701 John F Kennedy Blvd, Comcast Center, 45th Floor
Honeymoon Packing
Packing light is not a foreign concept to us – we’ve been dabbling in backpacking for years. However, most of that travel was only for weekend trips – nothing on the scale of our honeymoon!
We went through several iterations on the final list. We were concerned both that we wouldn’t bring enough and that we were brining too much. So far we’ve been happy what we brought – very little hasn’t been used yet (sewing kit, umbrellas, whistle, pack towels, squishy bowls) and I don’t feel that I’m missing out (… well a corkscrew and a European phone would be nice).
Check out the video and our final packing list, which was based heavily on Rick Steve’s list.
Event Report: Android Alliance Kick Off
The energy was palpable at the kick off of the Android Alliance at National Mechanics (the local geek bar) on Tuesday. We had a good mix of developers, testers, designers, recruiters, and companies. Several local meetup leaders attended and we’re talking about partnerships for future events!
I expected a decent turnout, but was stunned by the 50+ in attendance! I was also impressed by the female:male ratio, it was a much closer reflection to industry (approximately 20%) than other meetups I’ve attended.
We’re off to a great start and I’m looking forward to the next event!
Did you attend? Who’d you meet?
How often would you like meetups like this? What kind of events would you like to see in the future?
Strategies for Cooking Every Meal
In the last few years my husband and I have made cooking our own meals a priority – typically from scratch. Being open and willing to try new foods, recipes, and techniques for prepping food will help you discover (or rediscover) the joy of cooking.
Here’s a our strategies for getting through the busy week and still eating healthy, local, and organic.
Sign up for a CSA
CSA’s are wonderful! Where else can you get fresh in-season food at a good price from a farmer that you know? Also, the volume of food that you recieve at once helps you plan the following week.
Announcing the Android Alliance
Goals
- Create an Android ecosystem of developers, designers, testers, and other creatives in Philadelphia.
- Provide a supportive setting that encourages diverse perspectives and participants.
- Meetings will be open and community driven.
Beets Four Ways
TED-ish @ Comcast
I attended Comcast’s inaugural Ted-like event today. It was organized to fit into a lunch hour and featured four talks at 10 minutes each (plus a few TED videos). I enjoyed the content and hope they organize another one soon!
How to Start a Movement
I throughly enjoyed this short video How to Start a Movement by Derek Sivers.
- Leaders have the guts to stand out and look crazy, but leadership is over glorified. The first followers are key – they transform the lone nut into a leader.
- Leaders – embrace and nurture the first few followers as equals. Followers – Have the courage to join someone you find doing something crazy. If you believe in it too, join!
- The movement must be public.
- Momentum transforms into a movement – becomes less risky to get involved.
Importance of Civic Involvement
“We in America do not have government by the majority. We have government by the majority who participate.” -Thomas Jefferson
- Your vote and opinion do matter!
- All politics are local
- No matter where you live you are a constituent
- Get involved in your local community
- Talk to your local, regional, and national representatives
- Educate yourself on issues you are passionate about
- Advocate for something you believe in
Designing Immersive Online Environments for Kids
The most important aspects of virtual worlds that are relevant to children (6-8) are identity, self-expression, and community. Use technology as a tool to cultivate creativity and other skills.
- Identity – Give them lots of options (e.g. customizing an avatar); keep it simple, allow for frequent adjustment; encourage experimentation.
- Self-expression – Create environments and objects to interact with; allow for permeant and sharable object creation; create opportunities for exploration; and make it a game.
- Community – Complicated balancing act of privacy rights and safety; set broad rules that still encourage experimentation; balance collaboration and communication.
Other Points of Interest
- Check out Build a tower, build a team by Tom Wujec.
- Turn your vision into a mission statement. This statement gives you something to fall back on when times or situations get difficult.
- The time to forge relationship is always now!
- Getting it right for the customer: Even small percentages of your customer base can be hundreds or thousands of people – are you willing to jeopardize your campany’s reputation and ignore the needs of your customers? Is that really an acceptable risk?
- Elicit feedback. Respond to negative comments by meeting the customer’s needs.
Hello Philadelphia
Up until last year, I’ve always lived in the south and in the suburbs. In this now-foreign lifestyle, a car was a requirement. If you didn’t have one, you probably didn’t have a job. You drove everyday to work, shops, and even parks. Public transportation, bicycle paths, and safe sidewalks were non-existent. Conservation, recycling, and other green practices weren’t valued (and often mocked).
