Company

…the award-winning IT and DevOps champion Gene Kim.

While a student of Purdue computer science professor and prominent Internet thought leader Dr. Gene Spafford, Gene Kim co-authored the open source tool Tripwire (talk about a project with good Genes). Five years later, Kim founded the information security software company of the same name and served as CTO for 13 years. This accomplishment contributed to Kim being named to the ComputerWorld list of “40 Innovative IT People Under the Age of 40.”

A popular speaker and author, Kim is something of a folk hero among the IT community. He recognizes that IT Operations is a critical but often overlooked asset in almost every organization. IT is not only responsible for running the infrastructure that vital business operations rely upon but also enables Development to release features into production quickly and without disrupting the customer. At Blackboard we rely heavily on IT Operations for both functions, especially with our model of small releases on a regular basis to be responsive to our users; IT Ops, along with Development, is key to that strategy.

Author of The Visible Ops Handbook, Kim’s latest title is the groundbreaking The Phoenix Project: A Novel About IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win. Mike Orzen, co-author of the Shingo Prize-winning book Lean IT: Enabling and Sustaining Your Lean Transformation, called The Phoenix Project “A must-read for anyone wanting to transform their IT to enable the business to win. Told through an absorbing story that is impossible to put down, the authors teach the essential lessons in an accessible way. Every business leader and IT professional should read this book!”

“When you’re doing things the right way,” Kim said, “there’s no wasted motion, you get hurt less, you’re healthier, and more efficient.” This was a reference to not one but two of his passions—IT operations…and yoga.

Register for DevCon by 5/31 for a reduced rate.

Here Comes Everybody, the bestseller by Clay Shirky, made nothing less than the Guardian list of the 100 greatest nonfiction books of all time. It explores how the Internet has enabled the public to do something hardly possible before: organize ourselves around an idea without the help (or constraints) of an existing institution. Power to the people, 21st century style.

It’s pioneering insight like this that has earned Shirky the status of Internet idol and icon…and that makes us thrilled to announce that he is the opening keynote speaker for BbWorld 2013.

Since 1996, Shirky has written about the Internet’s positive impact on society for publications including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, and Wired. (Prior to that, he even edited what is believed to be the first book on HTML.) The original Professor of New Media at Hunter College, he currently holds two positions at New York University: Associate Arts Professor in the Interactive Telecommunications Program and Distinguished Writer in Residence in the journalism department.

Shirky is a widely quoted expert on topics including the power of peer-to-peer networking, open source development, and crowdsourcing, known for his phrase “the Internet runs on love.” Based on his observation that “Institutions will try to preserve the problem to which they are the solution,” he’s even had a principle named after him.

His book Cognitive Surplus focuses on the observation that digital technology is transforming consumers into producers of content. Everyone who tweets, posts, or otherwise makes his/her voice heard online is a citizen journalist. They question they—we—ask now is not “Why publish this” but rather “Why not?”

“We have lived in this world where little things are done for love and big things for money,” Shirky said. “Now we have [cooperative group efforts like] Wikipedia. Suddenly big things can be done for love.”

So come one, come all—here comes everybody, we hope—to what is sure to be a thoughtful and memorable keynote. Register now for BbWorld 2013.

Guest blog post by Lacie Crone, Online Technologies Coordinator for Ivy Tech Community College and a 2012 BbWorld VIP Blogger.

Last year I had the privilege of being a BbWorld VIP Blogger. Now I have attended a good number of conferences over my careers, but this was the first time I had ever decided to blog about my experience. When you make the decision to share your conference experience with others through a blog, you find that events end up taking on a whole new and deeper meaning. At first when I started writing my “5 Best Things About Being a BbWorld Blogger” all I could come up with was: It was cool! After doing a little more soul-searching, I thought about some of the things I experienced while blogging last year and here is what I came up with:

Blogging gets you more involved. All of a sudden you start reading what your peers are writing and comparing their notes to yours. This not only instantly helps you meet a neat group of people, you start seeing conference activities in a whole different light which takes me to #2…

Blogging gives you the opportunity to share perspectives and experiences. Being part of the BbWorld Bloggers is a great way to develop professional relationships through a common experience of being one of the “team”.

Blogging gets you groovy seating for the keynote addresses. BbWorld bloggers have great seating for the keynote speakers, fully equipped with the ever-necessary power strips and tables to set up a computer. This gives you a guaranteed seat along with plenty of space to toggle between devices so you can blog, tweet, and charge your batteries all at the same time!

Blogging gets you lots of cool extras like a digital badge for your site, blog promotion on the Blackboard social networks, blogger photo shoot, and a special blogger T-shirt!

And the best part of being a BbWorld blogger….YOU might be chosen to be one of this year’s VIP Bloggers!

For the above reasons, and many more, July cannot come fast enough. I look forward to meeting up again with the people I met last year, and maybe even add YOU to my list of blogger friends!

Learn more about how to become a BbWorld Blogger at this year’s conference in July!

 

Guest blog post by Melissa Stange, Ph.D., Blackboard System Administrator at Shenandoah University and a 2012 BbWorld VIP Blogger.

When I started making my list of the five best things about being a BbWorld blogger, I quickly realized that this was going to be a difficult task. I’ve felt many benefits since winning last year’s contest.

But I forced myself to narrow it down, so here are my five best things about being a BbWorld Blogger:

1. You get priority seating at all keynote sessions – I did not have to rush from the previous session to get a seat that wasn’t in the nosebleed area and I did not have to walk over ten people’s feet to get to the last available seat in the middle of the row. BbWorld bloggers get reserved seats up front, which allows you to take some great photos.

2. You are recognized as a powerful voice – Bb is revolutionary by inviting BbWorld bloggers to expand on their blog as a guest blogger on Blackboard’s blog. Other BbWorld attendees look to the bloggers as a resource for details about sessions they could not attend, client opinion, and honest feedback. It’s so fantastic! Blackboard’s Social Team reads the blogs and reacts, so I believe my voice helped shape Bb outside of their standard client programs.

3. You learn a lot about social/new media – At BbWorld I saw that social media is so much more than Facebook and Twitter. I learned about new technologies and how to integrate these technologies. I applied this professional development to my own social efforts while using it to enhance my courses. Bb’s Social Team is very patient and helps beginners learn and advance their skills.

4. You help expand the reach of BbWorld – Whether due to cost or time commitment, not all of Bb’s clients who want to attend are able to attend…physically. As a BbWorld blogger, the feeling of helping others is always present. There’s something so genuinely heartwarming and fulfilling to share your conference experiences and have others comment “Thanks! I did not know that” or “That explains what is happening”.

5. You can validate the importance of BbWorld– If your boss is worried that you will be enjoying Vegas attractions instead of attending sessions, being a BbWorld blogger will correct that mindset. Your boss and co-workers (not to mention the rest of the world) will not only see the sessions you attend but also the level of attention you give to each session. The more people who see the wealth of learning that happens, the more willing people are to invest in attending. Participate in a Blackboard usability study or feedback session and make your institution’s voice heard. Remember, being away from the office sometimes clears the mind, promotes creativity, and allows others to appreciate you more. You can be assured Bb will show you their appreciation throughout BbWorld.

The VIP blogger benefits don’t end there. I also got to interview the keynote speakers, expand my professional network, and take home a great keepsake from Blackboard. While I may not be Bb’s VIP Blogger this year, I am hooked on BbWorld blogging and there’s no going back… See you in July!

Learn more about being a BbWorld Blogger at this year’s conference

…a person who, in 1985, predicted the rise of desktop publishing.

…a person who, in 1988, conceived of hyperlinking software…several years before the World Wide Web debuted.

…a person who sees young people as key engines in their own education.

…a person who won the $1 million TED 2013 Prize to fund his proposal for a technology-driven way to give students access to quality education no matter where in the world they live. (Incidentally, in his model, not all teachers are adults.)

This is clearly a person used to being ahead of his time, but you will soon be able to catch him in the here and now.

We are proud to announce the distinguished closing keynote speaker for BbWorld 2013: Sugata Mitra.