Archive for the 'Meetings' Category

Why User Groups matter…and how to start one (Post #1)

By: Colin Keefe

Published on August 26, 2010. 7 Comments

So this guy walks into a San Diego hotel lobby…

I started thinking about this series of posts (yep, this is #1 in a series) after a few conversations I had with people at this year’s FileMaker DevCon.  I’d strike up a conversation with someone at lunch or at the bar, we’d exchange stories and experiences…and inevitably the talk would shift to why people come to DevCon in the first place.

Reason number 1: for the community.  Hands down.  The clear pleasures and advantages of meeting other people who are engaged in the same practice as you – with whom you can share ideas, learn from and teach –  always trump session topics, what’s on the lunch menu, what kind of swag you can haul back, or how many banners you can affix to the bottom of your convention badge.  One of the things that’s sometimes lost when you do a hand count of how many people in the room have iPads is how many people in the room are there because of the other people. Continue reading ‘Why User Groups matter…and how to start one (Post #1)’

Published in DevCon, DevCon, FMPug, FileMaker, Meetings, Other User Groups and Tips and tricks by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , , , .

Meeting Recap: Don Levan on Exceptional Interface Design

By: Colin Keefe

Published on April 28, 2010. 0 Comments

Many thanks to Don Levan (Vanguard Custom Software) for coming out and presenting to the group!

Don presented to a packed house (28 people) on the impact of successful user interfaces, working within the constraints of human psychology and physiology – and optimizing workflows and tools for humans (as opposed to developers :) ).  Drawing liberally from Edward Tufte, Alan Cooper and Donald Norman for background material, Don laid out some excellent groundwork for building the right software tools for the job that are easy to learn and efficient to use.

This is a topic he’ll be presenting at the 2010 FileMaker DevCon (in San Diego in August),  so it was great to get a preview of the material.

Here are some photos from the meeting.  Tried out my new cell phone’s camera…it is what it is.

Published in Conferences, DevCon, DevCon, FileMaker, Meeting Recaps and Meetings by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , .

Join us April 27th – Don Levan – The Fundamentals of Exceptional Interface Design

By: Colin Keefe

Published on April 20, 2010. 0 Comments
Our next Philadelphia FileMaker User Group meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday evening, April 27th 2010 at 6:00 PM.
Please RSVP here if you are planning to attend this meeting:
http://www.fmpug.com/rsvp.php?eventID=985
We’re very pleased to have Don Levan presenting this month – he’s been an active participant and presenter at both Pause On Error events, and will be presenting at FileMaker DevCon 2010 this August.  This is a great opportunity to get a preview of the kind of content he’ll be presenting at DevCon.
THE FUNDAMENTALS OF EXCEPTIONAL INTERFACE DESIGN
Presenter:    Don Levan, Vanguard Custom Software, LLC
Successful user interfaces are those that are easy to learn and efficient to use. Meeting these goals requires that you understand the people who will use your software.  This presentation will provide current information about interface and interaction design best practices, our shared human psychology and abilities, and the ways to leverage FileMaker tools to create exceptional user experiences.
The meeting will be held at the IT Solutions Fort Washington Office:
+  414 Commerce Dr., Suite 150, Fort Washington, PA 19034
+  Google Map: http://tinyurl.com/37mhhh
As always, pizza and soft drinks will be provided.
About the Speaker:
Don Levan, Psy.D., is president of Vanguard Custom Software, LLC., a New York FileMaker consulting firm. Dr. Levan is a FileMaker Certified Developer and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. He has been using FileMaker since the early 1990s and developing FileMaker applications professionally since 2002. He will be speaking at the 2010 FileMaker Developer’s Conference.
Vanguard’s mission is to “create simple applications which solve complex problems.” They incorporate software development best practices, interaction design, and cognitive psychology to create data-driven applications and websites that are efficient for business and easy for people.
About the Philadelphia FileMaker User Group:
The Philadelphia FileMaker User Group was founded in 2004 as an initiative by FileMaker Business Alliance Platinum member IT Solutions Consulting.  The group’s goal is to provide an open forum for FileMaker developers and those interested in FileMaker to meet, brainstorm and network.
We hold meetings the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6PM, in the office of IT Solutions Consulting, Inc., at 414 Commerce Drive, Suite 150, Fort Washington PA.
Meetings are open to all, regardless of background and there’s no charge to attend.
Please subscribe to our Mailing List to get announcements on upcoming meetings. The list is set to Announce only, so the volume is typically between one and 2 emails a month.
http://fmpug.com/mailman/listinfo/philly_fmpug.com/
You can read our blog to get updates and meeting recaps:
http://www.phillyfilemaker.org/
We’re also an FMPug Chapter:  http://www.fmpug.com/ Consider membership today, especially if you purchase training, plugins, 3rd party products, or web/filemaker hosting – FMPug membership affords considerable discounts across a range of offerings.
Finally, The Philadelphia FileMaker User Group is hosted by:

IT Solutions Consulting, Inc.
Employee ownership – fueling our innovation, strengthening your business.
http://www.itsolutions-inc.com/
- Learn about our new FileMaker support offerings: FMAssist and FMAssure!
- www.itsolutions-inc.com/our_solutions/application_development/fm_assist.html
Published in DevCon, FileMaker, Meeting Announcements and Meetings by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , , , , .

2/23/10 Meeting recap/video stream: David Hollander

By: Colin Keefe

Published on February 24, 2010. 0 Comments

Thanks to David Hollander for presenting last night!  It was great to have an overview of a real-world solution optimized with 10-specific best practices techniques.

David walked through some techniques we’ve seen applied elsewhere – extensive use of script triggers to drive the UI, modular programming, some real world examples of Set Field By Name.  There was one especially clever use of Custom Menus to create true modal dialog layouts that can’t be closed by clicking the X box.  I’ll ask David to share that one, maybe in an example file.

Video stream recording below.

Published in FileMaker, Meeting Recaps, Meetings and Video by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , , .

Please Join us January 26th 2010: Stump the Chump / Roundtable / PauseOnError Unconference Field Report!

By: Colin Keefe

Published on January 11, 2010. 0 Comments

Highlights:

January 26th Meeting:
- Extended Stump the Chump: Bring in your code for troubleshooting!
- Pause On Error UnConference in Portland: Jason Mundok’s first hand report

- About the Philadelphia FileMaker User Group

Continue reading ‘Please Join us January 26th 2010: Stump the Chump / Roundtable / PauseOnError Unconference Field Report!’

Published in Conferences, FileMaker, Meeting Announcements, Meetings and PauseOnError by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , .

2009 Bonanza Meeting Recap; 2010 Goals

By: Colin Keefe

Published on January 8, 2010. 0 Comments

Since a large part of our December meeting was given over to a discussion of the goals and direction of the group, this recap post serves the added function of discussing some of those goals and how we plan to work toward them.

Recap!

Two dozen FileMaker enthusiasts converged on the the IT Solutions office for the 5th Annual PFUG Year End Bonanza on December 15th.

We continued our annual tradition of vendor discussions and giveaways, of course – congratulations to Dan Stein, Todd Chronister, Walter Burns, Preston Cabe, Tim Lynott, Mike Ahern, Bryant Minard, Gale Raspen and Michael Reddy for winning bonanza prizes from our generous sponsors! And a big thanks to SolutionMakers, Ben Waldie, ProofGroup and Seed Code, Thorsen Consulting, 360Works and Real EVO for participating and contributing to our event.

Our 2008 predictions for 2009 were, as usual, mostly wrong, but I don’t think anyone can be faulted for not guessing all the twists and turns 2009 held in store for us.  We’ll have to wait until December 2010 before we can weigh in on the latest batch – though I somehow doubt “BJ and the Bear” will make it to the big screen this year (sorry, Jason).

Continue reading ‘2009 Bonanza Meeting Recap; 2010 Goals’

Published in FMPug, FileMaker, Meeting Recaps, Meetings, News and Uncategorized by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , , , , .

December 15: 5th Annual Year End Bonanza User Group Meeting!

By: Colin Keefe

Published on December 8, 2009. 0 Comments

Greetings FileMaker Enthusiasts,

Our next Philadelphia FileMaker Developer Group meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday evening, December 15th 2008 at 6:00 PM. The meeting will be held at the IT Solutions Fort Washington Office.

414 Commerce Dr., Suite 150, Fort Washington, PA 19034
Google Map: http://tinyurl.com/37mhhh

This is our Fifth Annual Year End Bonanza!

Please RSVP here if you are planning to attend this meeting:
http://www.fmpug.com/rsvp.php?eventID=947 Continue reading ‘December 15: 5th Annual Year End Bonanza User Group Meeting!’

Published in Meeting Announcements and Meetings by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

November meeting cancelled, 5th Annual Year End Bonanza December 15

By: Colin Keefe

Published on November 17, 2009. 0 Comments

Given that November falls close to Thanksgiving and the December Bonanza party follows closely after, we’re cancelling the November meeting.

The 2009 Year End Bonanza blow out party will be December 15th, so mark your calendars!  A usual the dining fare will be significantly upgraded, and we’ll be looking to stock up on giveaways for the event – more on that as the date approaches.

I’ll also note here that on top of this being our 5th anniversary of the Bonanza, someone that walks through the door December 15th will be our 1,000th PFUG attendee.  Whether you get a big honking special prize or a Burger King kids meal crown, we haven’t worked out yet.

Published in Meeting Announcements and Meetings by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , .

Meeting Recap: Matt O’Dell of FMI on Server Side Script Sequencing (Video)

By: Colin Keefe

Published on October 28, 2009. 0 Comments

Thanks to Matt for coming down from NY to present!  And to FileMaker Inc. for allowing us to present a recording of the session.

The uStream recording is here.

Matt’s presentation covered some of the advertised uses of Script Sequences – namely sequencing external batch or shell scripts with FileMaker scripts to extend the capabilities of FileMaker Server for things like imports/exports. Continue reading ‘Meeting Recap: Matt O’Dell of FMI on Server Side Script Sequencing (Video)’

Published in FileMaker, FileMaker Inc., Meeting Recaps, Meetings and Video by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: , , , , , , , , , .

Join us October 27: Matt O’Dell of FileMaker, Inc. – The Power of Automation – Exploring Script Sequences in FileMaker Server 10

By: Colin Keefe

Published on October 12, 2009. 0 Comments
Highlights:
____________________________________________________________________
October 27th Meeting:
- Matt O’Dell of FileMaker, Inc: The Power of Automation – Exploring Script Sequences in FileMaker Server 10
— About the Presenter
- Stump the Chump on holiday!
Other News:
- October 29th: FREE FileMaker Seminar from IT Solutions; iPod Shuffle giveaway (details below)
- New Training Classes from IT Solutions
- FMPug News: “The Everything Reference 3″ available to all as a FREE download, free PRINT version with new FMPug Membership
- About the Philadelphia FileMaker User Group
____________________________________________________________________
Greetings FileMaker Enthusiasts,
Our next Philadelphia FileMaker User Group meeting has been scheduled for Tuesday evening, October 27th 2009 at 6:00 PM.
The meeting will be held at the IT Solutions Fort Washington Office:
+  414 Commerce Dr., Suite 150, Fort Washington, PA 19034
+  Google Map: http://tinyurl.com/37mhhh
As always, pizza and soft drinks will be provided.
Please RSVP here if you are planning to attend this meeting:
http://www.fmpug.com/rsvp.php?eventID=945
____________________________________________________________________
Matt O’Dell of FileMaker, Inc: The Power of Automation – Exploring Script Sequences in FileMaker Server 10
____________________________________________________________________
Matt will be covering different ways of using the new FileMaker Server 10 feature of Script Sequences. This feature allows developers to schedule command line scripts in tandem with FileMaker scripts. The presentation will includes examples of setting up data files for a server import, managing performance monitoring within FileMaker, swapping a hosted file with a clone file, and more.
About the presenter:
Matt O’Dell is a Systems Engineer with FileMaker in the Northeast. He has 10+ years experience using FileMaker and building web solutions. Along with being a certified FileMaker Developer, he also is an authorized FTS trainer and a certified MySQL 5.0 developer. Prior to working for FileMaker, Matt was an application developer, trainer, tech support with Soliant Consulting in Chicago.
____________________________________________________________________
Stump the Chump – Sit down with an expert for advice/troubleshooting
____________________________________________________________________
The Stump the Chump session is on holiday this month.  If you’d like to be a Chump, please get in touch and I’ll slot you in; in the meantime if anyone has questions or challenges to present we’ll tackle them in roundtable fashion!
____________________________________________________________________
October 29th: FREE FileMaker Seminar hosted by IT Solutions:
“Streamline Work Flow & Increase Productivity with FileMaker”
FREE iPod shuffle; eligibility details below
____________________________________________________________________
Integrating fragmented data systems in an organization is one of the first steps in streamlining work flow for any organization. When the same data are entered in multiple systems, errors are inevitable. On the other hand, if all of your data reside in a single system ,but users don’t have access to it when they need it, bottlenecks can occur and work flow suffers. At IT Solutions, we’ve been working with our clients for years to increase productivity by removing road blocks in work flow. We have collected a number of different features that we’ve recently implemented in FileMaker systems and would like to share these features with you at an October 29th client seminar.
Streamline Work Flow & Increase Productivity with FileMaker will be an information-packed ½ day seminar at the Hub Cira Centre, conveniently located right next to Philadelphia’s 30th Street Station. The keynote speaker for the October 29th session will be IT Solutions’ Certified FileMaker Developer/Trainer Jason Mundok and topics will include:
System Integration: connecting FileMaker to other applications in your organization
Direct Communication: messaging and alerts from within FileMaker
Indirect Communication: dynamic onscreen alerts for “at-a-glance” status reporting
Transparency: queues and filtered lists for prioritizing next action
Streamline Work Flow & Increase Productivity with FileMaker will be held from 9:30 am to noon, with registration starting at 9:00 am, followed immediately by a Starr Events-catered buffet lunch at the Hub.  IT Solutions staff will be available during lunch to answer additional questions and provide more details on any and all FileMaker topics.
The first 10 people to register themselves and a colleague from another business will get a FREE iPod shuffle. Space for the complimentary seminar is very limited so sign up as soon as possible to reserve your seat. To register quickly and easily online visit: http://www.itsolutions-inc.com/who_we_are/events2.html. For more information contact Andrea Leadbeater at andrea.leadbeater@itsolutions-inc.com or 866.PICK.ITS.
We look forward to seeing you in October!
____________________________________________________________________
New FileMaker Training opportunities at IT Solutions Consulting
____________________________________________________________________
IT Solutions has announced its fall Training Schedule, available here:
http://www.itsolutions-inc.com/who_we_are/events.html
In addition to our 101 and Intermediate Training offerings, we’ve added new, more focused courses so you can selectively train on particular features or technologies – all of them single day trainings, which makes them much easier to fit into a busy work schedule. If you haven’t given our course listings a look recently, it’s worth a visit.  I’m especially excited about the FileMaker-In-Action Workshop!
11/2/2009 – FileMaker 101 for FileMaker 10
11/3/2009 – 11/4/2009 – FileMaker Intermediate for FileMaker 10
11/10/2009 – FileMaker Focus Series: Data Modeling (FTS curriculum)
11/17/2009 – FileMaker Focus Series: Working with Layouts (FTS curriculum)
11/19/2009 – FTS Extras: Advanced Techniques and ESS (FTS curriculum)
12/8/2009 – FileMaker Focus Series: Calculation Functions (FTS curriculum)
12/15/2009 – FileMaker Focus Series: Scripts (FTS curriculum)
12/17/2009 – FTS Extras: FileMaker Server and Web Publishing (FTS curriculum)
Dates to be announced – FileMaker-In-Action Workshop
____________________________________________________________________
FMPUG News: “The Everything Reference 3″ available as a FREE download!
____________________________________________________________________
The kind folks at FMPug have made The Everything Reference 3 available for free as a PDF download. The Everything Reference series was created to bring together the most needed reference materials for FileMaker developers into a single easy-to-use source. The Everything Reference 3 is completely compatible with FileMaker 10 and includes such useful tools as a modifier key cheat sheet, Unicode charts, FileMaker error codes, a FileMaker functions quick reference, and much much more. There are even articles from some of the top names in the business, such as John Mark Osborne and Steven Blackwell.
Visit http://ref.fmpug.com/ to download your free copy today!
As a bonus, if you register to become a new FMPug member before November, you’ll receive a free PRINT version of The Everything Reference 3!   Visit http://www.fmpug.com/ to become a member.
____________________________________________________________________
About the Philadelphia FileMaker User Group:
____________________________________________________________________
The Philadelphia FileMaker User Group was founded in 2004 as an initiative by FileMaker Business Alliance Platinum member IT Solutions Consulting.  The group’s goal is to provide an open forum for FileMaker developers and those interested in FileMaker to meet, brainstorm and network.
We hold meetings the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6PM, in the office of IT Solutions Consulting, Inc., at 414 Commerce Drive, Suite 150, Fort Washington PA.
Meetings are open to all, regardless of background and there’s no charge to attend.
Please subscribe to our Mailing List to get announcements on upcoming meetings. The list is set to Announce only, so the volume is typically between one and 2 emails a month.
http://fmpug.com/mailman/listinfo/philly_fmpug.com/
You can read our blog to get updates and meeting recaps:
http://www.phillyfilemaker.org/
We’re also an FMPug Chapter:  http://www.fmpug.com/  Consider membership today, especially if you purchase training, plugins, 3rd party products, or web/filemaker hosting – FMPug membership affords considerable discounts across a range of offerings.
Finally, The Philadelphia FileMaker User Group is hosted by:
IT Solutions Consulting, Inc.
Employee ownership – fueling our innovation, strengthening your business.
http://www.itsolutions-inc.com/
- Learn about our new FileMaker support offerings: FMAssist and FMAssure!
- www.itsolutions-inc.com/our_solutions/application_development/fm_assist.html
____________________________________________________________________

October 27th Meeting

- Matt O’Dell of FileMaker, Inc: The Power of Automation – Exploring Script Sequences in FileMaker Server 10
— About the Presenter
- Stump the Chump on holiday!

Other News

- October 29th: FREE FileMaker Seminar from IT Solutions; iPod Shuffle giveaway (details below)
- New Training Classes from IT Solutions
- FMPug News: “The Everything Reference 3″ available to all as a FREE download, free PRINT version with new FMPug Membership
- About the Philadelphia FileMaker User Group

Continue reading ‘Join us October 27: Matt O’Dell of FileMaker, Inc. – The Power of Automation – Exploring Script Sequences in FileMaker Server 10′

Published in FileMaker Inc., Meeting Announcements, Meetings and Uncategorized by Colin Keefe. Tags: Tags: .