COMMON 2009 annual meeting off to a running start
Posted by: Leah Rosin
I awoke today in Reno, Nev., to register and cheer on the participants in COMMON User Group’s first 5k run/walk for charity. Some were surprised by the brisk morning air, but the 20+ who participated enjoyed the opportunity to get out of the confines of the Grand Sierra and stretch their legs for a good cause.

First place runner Hany Elemary of Profound Logic Software (right), and event organizer, ringer and marathon runner Dan Kimmel (left), RJS Software and COMMON Treasurer finish up the last portion of the course near the Truckee River before heading to the finish line.
I stood somewhere close to the 4k marker and cheered on the participants while visiting with a couple of attendees who had volunteered to help monitor the course. As we were walking back, I found out I was talking to IBM i educator, Jim Sloan, who shared that his newest CL programming book was published in January. For my networking purposes, this was perfect, and we discussed getting a chapter excerpt for publication on Search400.com so you to get a preview of this resource. Based on some of the reader questions I receive, I know some of you may find this book really helpful.
Speaking of resources, I needed to see what sessions I should check out at the meeting, and started looking through the ambitious schedule of 500 educational events. Some at COMMON have used the term “technical information fire hose” to describe the event, and I have to say, it’s a fairly accurate analogy. I sat down to plot my course for Monday and discovered that there are two dozen concurrent sessions during each time block to choose from!
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