CWUG officially moves to Mondays – Meeting this Monday May 19th

That’s right, the Chicago Windows Users Group is now officially meeting on Mondays.
Which can have a number of implications, one certainly of which is – we’ll be meeting on Mondays! :)

This coming meeting we’ll have some great sessions, with the master of Server – Jeff Gettis covering territory on Windows Server 2008 (Should be an amazing time!). Dan Rey presenting on the Windows Easy Transfer Companion (beta) in a hands on lab. And last but not least, Brian Vanderjack with an interesting and compelling session on Project management. This will be Brian’s first time presenting in front of the CWUG audience though he is no shy soul in front of an audience nor let alone in front of students. Brian is not only a professional project manager for a living, PMP but also teaches Project Management courses with the University of Phoenix, so it should be a treat to have a man of his caliber in front of the group of us!

I look forward to seeing you all at this months CWUG and to have a great time!

Below are the details of the meeting via the email Blast, and sign up information!

Thanks to Michael Niehaus for his presentation on the Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008 (previously Business Desktop Deployment or BDD 2007) and Bart Tubalinal and Tony Coppa for their presentation on SharePoint at our downtown Chicago meeting! Don’t forget we’re switching to the 3rd Monday evening every month for our in person meeting and will be in Downers Grove for May and June and back in Chicago for July. We will also be adding Live Meeting presentations that you can attend from virtually anywhere over the summer months (CWUG points awarded for participation on the Live Meetings as well!). Meeting sign up for Monday’s meeting included below.

When: Monday, May 19th

5:00 – 5:30 p.m. Food/Networking
5:30 – 6:00 p.m. Room Introductions
6:00 – 6:15 p.m. Welcome/Windows Vista Gadget Contest
6:15 – 7:15 p.m. Jeff Gettis – Windows Server 2008 Migration
7:15 – 7:30 p.m. Break
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Dan Rey – Windows Easy Transfer Companion (beta) Hands on Lab
7:30 – 8:30 p.m. Brian Vanderjack – Introduction to Project Management

Where: Microsoft Corp. 3025 Highland Pkwy., Suite 300, Downers Grove, IL 60515, (630) 725-4000

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/InviteOnly.aspx?EventID=3E-D3-87-C6-4B-C8-6D-81-2F-FE-E7-33-84-19-12-C4&Culture=en-US

For May, Chris Urban’s Management Track will be this Thursday at 6 p.m.:

Module 6 Preparing for and Managing Software Distribution

Lesson 1: Overview of the Software Distribution Processes

Lesson 2: Preparing the Site for Software Distribution Objects

Lab A: Preparing a Site for Software Distribution

Lesson 3: Configuring Software Distribution Objects

Lesson 4: Creating and Configuring Collections

Lesson 5: Creating and Configuring Packages and Programs

Lesson 6: Distributing and Advertising a Program

Lesson 7: Monitoring and Troubleshooting Software Distribution

Lab B: Deploying and Application Using Software Distribution

Module 7 Deploying Operating Systems Using Configuration Manager 2007

Lesson 1: Overview of Operating System Deployment

Lesson 2: Task Sequences in Operating System Deployment

Lesson 3: Capturing an Operating System Image

Lab A: Capturing a Reference Computer Using Configuration Manager 2007

Lesson 4: Deploying an Operating System

Lesson 5: Configuring Operating System Image Deployments Using PXE

Lab B: Deploying Operating Systems Using PXE

Christopher Urban has invited you to present at an online meeting using Microsoft® Office Live Meeting service.

Join the meeting.

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Choose one of the following:

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Toll-free: +1-8665006738
Toll: +1-2034808000
Participant Code: 4161075

First-Time Users

To save time before the meeting, check your system to make sure it is ready to use Office Live Meeting.

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Meeting ID: 9Z6GS3

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Location: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/microsoft

CWUG JUNE MEETING:

Monday, June 16th Downers Grove

Annual CWUG Computer Donation Drive

Microsoft Assessment and Planning Solution Accelerator

Sync Toy 2.0 (beta)

http://msevents.microsoft.com/CUI/InviteOnly.aspx?EventID=3E-D3-87-C6-4B-C8-6D-81-D0-A2-CD-23-FB-BD-21-F8&Culture=en-US

CWUG JULY MEETING:

Monday, July 21st downtown Chicago

Windows Live – production software and a look at betas

Windows Vista Gadget Contest Submission Deadline

Be sure to check out the user group’s website and Facebook group at:

CWUG Portal: http://portal.cwug.net

Facebook group (open to members of the Chicago, IL network): http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=4397556247

We’re adding another Team Microsoft ride this summer in a little less than a month! Join Team Microsoft for the Trek 100 on Saturday, June 7th (9:30 a.m. for the 20 or 42 mile rides) or the CowaLUNGa Bike Tour 2008 on Saturday, August 2nd. When you sign up just join Team Microsoft – we’ve already had a couple people register for both rides.

“Team Microsoft is a group of Microsoft employees, partners, customers, friends and family who all have the same goals: to give big, have fun and ride hard.”

So start biking, attend a meeting either virtually this week or in person next Monday in Downers Grove and enjoy the rest of spring!

The CWUG Crew

Crossloop Marketplace? Monetization and delivery mechanism to help you meet and deliver?!

Yes, that is indeed what I am talking about! This is quite absolutely one of the coolest things ever!

I’ve talked about Crossloop before, and their amazing Client for helping others with problems in an easy (and free) manner, the likes which is similar to WebEx, yet they’ve taken this ease of access a step further!

Now you’re able to actually connect up with other people who *have* problems, and be monetized in your own way to help them out!
I think it’s quite absolutely so cool – it has a system similar to Ebay’s for keeping track of success/failure, but beyond that; having this marketplace available in which you can help other people, and respectively be helped is definitely so cool.

That is not to say that I’ll utilize it as a venue for monetization but I love the idea! and I’m always game to help out with things when not absolutely swamped!

Taking it a step further, they even have the ease of access and ability for you to promote your own profile out on any number of networks in the world (further, another absolutely cool thing!)

I definitely encourage anyone to check this out, if you thought it was cool before, it has crossed new boundaries into taking a good idea, adding some extra value-add to it and exploding into a completely amazing model of success!

Some particular parts I’d like to note out specifically which raise this to its new level of ‘nothing ever before like it’ capacity.

  • Help Marketplace – Providing a mechanism to search for helpers and contact them through this marketplace
  • Enhanced Profiles – With rate cards, enabling you to specify your currency and costs for assistance
  • Robust User Support base – These qualified experts across all classes, searchable and available to the general public for assistance!
  • Ease of Access – The same ease of use as available in the past, has exploded in a new form; allowing for you to do more with less!
  • This is quite possibly one of the best things I’ve seen come about this year, greatly innovative, needed, and community focused.
    I’m personally going to reach out to them, see if perhaps they’d like to introduce this amazing system to our friends at the CWUG!

    This is truly very cool, So cool infact, I even created a profile on there!

    Competition is the father of invention

    With necessity being the mother of invention, his father indeed was competition.
    Speaking of competitions, I happen to be in one for this Friday, April 25th, 2008!

    Within toastmasters, I’ve recently been through a number of competitions. Starting at the club level where competition was fierce and then moving on to the area level with a similar stiff rivalry, only to be brought to triumph at the Division level against 5 other excellent and eloquent speakers of their kind. I battled at the Division level with the best of the SW Divisions clubs, only to see success shine through my eyes as I wowed not only the judges but the audience alike. And later this week it will come to its final battle for me at the District 30 (Northwest Chicagoland) to go up against the best of all of the Districts alike.

    The subject I’ll be speaking upon? Is unknown to me. Only to be revealed to me in the seconds before I am to speak upon it.
    This matter of extemporaneous speaking is called “Table Topics”, and it is an area in which I enjoy as I’m given the whole of a few seconds to prepare; worst case if I do not do well, the excuse commonly referenced is “I only had a few seconds to think about it”, however if I do indeed do well as I have in the past the reinforcement of my own training and educational I’ve invested in myself can be said “I only had a few seconds to think about it!” Yes, my downfall is also my uprising! All those years of having little time to prepare for something and having to act upon it certainly are doing their justice to pay off.

    However, it is not all easy-street, as “Table Topics”, revered as one of the hardest things to do in Toastmasters (and often in life as others have told me) does take a fair bit of preparation; and is something I’m constantly tuning and honing to try to improve it to be even better.

    I’ll further get to see how well my preparation has taken me when it comes down to the wire and I’m up against the best of the best in the Chicagoland this Friday at 7PM in Tinley Park, but I will do my best and bring out my best.

    Reportedly, the challenges in this (for me in particular) should the subject be something I have no interest in, or very little knowledge I am doomed to mediocrity and will not be at my best; furthering the reasons why educating yourself in handling these types of situation is wholly beneficial and will help you infinitely down the road.

    I encourage anyone to come on down and investigate this phenomenon of people talking on a subject they’re not aware of, seconds before hand with whatever level of mastery that can surmise; to discuss and relate no less than 60 seconds, and no more than 2 minutes and thirty.

    The future is here, and my journey to the next (and last available in this competition) trophy is only days away!

    Anyone interested in seeing me compete, or in this general Toastmasters event (Open to the public)
    I encourage you to come on down to the Spring Conference!

    It will be held at the Holiday Inn Select & Convention Center, Tinley Park, IL
    The Table Topics contest will be Friday Night, (Apr 25th) at 7:00PM

    You can find out more information at the District 30 Toastmasters site www.toastofchicago.org

    SW Division 30 Statue

    MCP Resources? Secret Squirrel Private Search Database?!

    Were you aware, that a number of options have been made available to MCP’s?
    And these features have been available for several months now!
    I missed the window as they introduced this in October, as I was very busy during October!
    But that doesn’t change them being viable now!

    One specific and most applicable to others:
    Partner-Level Knowledge Base available to any MCP!

    !If that’s not a OMFG moment!

    Partner-Level Knowledge Base (MCP only)
    Search a more comprehensive version of the Microsoft Product Support Knowledge Base than what is available to the general public.

    Books from Microsoft Press (MCP only)
    Read before you buy. Each month you will find sample chapters from the previous month’s book releases.

    Career Center (MCP only)
    Powered by CareerBuilder.com, the MCP Career Center gives employers an ideal place to find top technical talent by browsing resumés and posting job openings.

    Interviewing and Hiring Microsoft Certified Candidates (MCP only)
    This page provides information you need to know when you interview candidates who have Microsoft Certified Professional credentials. Find out how to gain valuable insight into a candidate’s skill set by asking targeted questions about certification.

    MCP Resource Center (MCP only)
    This library of resources offers links to information on featured Microsoft products and technologies.

    Resources:
    https://mcp.microsoft.com/mcp/resources/resources.mspx

    Partner Level Knowledge Base:
    https://mcp.support.microsoft.com/kbresources