Categories
Career

Is maintaining a Stack Overflow developer story worth the effort?

Screenshot of the top my Stack Overflow story, as of May 24, 2020.
Tap the image to see the original.

In addition to updating my LinkedIn profile, I’ve also been updating my Stack Overflow developer story. I’m rather fond of the timeline that its Story View provides, and how it lets you highlight more than just positions, but applications you’ve released, your articles or videos, awards, certifications, and assessments, and other milestones:

Screenshot of my Stack Overflow story timeline, as of May 24, 2020.
Tap the image to see the full timeline.

As nice as its format is, I wonder if maintaining it is worth the effort. Does anybody else keep their Stack Overflow developer story up to date? Do people who are hiring look at them in the same way they look at LinkedIn profiles?

Categories
Current Events Tampa Bay

What’s happening in the Tampa Bay tech/entrepreneur/nerd scene (Week of Monday, May 25, 2020)

Greetings, Tampa Bay techies, entrepreneurs, and nerds! Welcome to week 9 of the Florida general stay-at-home order! I hope you’re managing and even thriving. There’s at least one online tech, entrepreneur, or nerd event each day this week. Keep an eye on this post; I update it when I hear about new events, it’s always changing. Stay safe, stay connected, and #MakeItTampaBay!

Monday, May 25

Tuesday, May 26

Wednesday, May 27

Thursday, May 28

Friday, May 29

Saturday, May 30

Sunday, May 31

Do you have any events or announcements that you’d like to see on this list?

Let me know at joey@joeydevilla.com!

Join the mailing list!

If you’d like to get this list in your email inbox every week, enter your email address below. You’ll only be emailed once a week, and the email will contain this list, plus links to any interesting news, upcoming events, and tech articles.

Join the Tampa Bay Tech Events list and always be informed of what’s coming up in Tampa Bay!


Categories
Humor

Programmer joke of the day

Don’t forget that there’s a really, really, really good deal on Python books for the next few days!

Thanks to Ryan Rossman for the find!

Categories
Deals

Get the best mobile development books for half price at RayWenderlich.com!

If you’ve been looking to set yourself apart by learning native mobile development — iOS development with Swift, Android development with Kotlin, or cross-platform development with Flutter — take advantage of RayWenderlich.com’s Learn at Home Sale and get the  best mobile development books on the market for half price!

Let me tell you about some of the books…

iOS Apprentice, 8th Edition — co-authored by Yours Truly!

This book is a very special one for me, because I learned iOS development from an earlier edition. I put my heart and soul — and a lot of hours — into this book, which teaches you how to write iOS apps by writing iOS apps. Whether you’re completely new to programming or have experience with other programming languages (remember, I learned from this book, and I have a computer science degree), this book is an excellent starting point for writing apps for the iPhone and iPad!

It normally sells for $59.99, but for a limited time, it’s on sale at $29.99. Get it now!

Want a free downloadable sample from the book? Get it here.

Android Apprentice, 3rd edition

Want to learn Android development in Kotlin? This is the book for you. Like iOS Apprentice, this book teaches you how to make apps by having you make apps. You’ll build 4 apps, starting with a simple game to get you warmed up, and then you’ll go on to make a checklist app, a map-based app, and a podcast manager and player.

It normally sells for $59.99, but for a limited time, it’s on sale at $29.99. Get it now!

Want a free downloadable sample from the book? Get it here.

So many books and bundles!

Right now, all the books are on sale for half price at RayWenderlich.com. You can save even more by buying bundles! Check them out, get the books you need, and start upskilling!

Categories
Deals

Get 14 Python books for as little as $15 for a limited time only with the Humble Bundle!

If you’re looking to learn Python or boost your Python skills — either as planning for the future or dealing with a laid-off present — you’ll want to capitalize on Humble Bundle’s “Learn you some Python” book bundle, which gives you 14 Python books from No Starch Press for as little as $15!

Need some convincing to learn Python? Check out these recent articles:

What’s in the bundle

If you pay a mere one dollar, you get these first four ebooks: Teach Your Kids to Code, Invent Your Own Computer Games with Python, Black Hat Python, and Gray Hat Python:

Pay at least 8 dollars, and you get these in addition to the previous four ebooks: Mission Python, Python for Kids, Cracking Codes with Python, Python Playground, and Math Adventures with Python…

And finally, for you high rollers willing to part with at least 15 dollars, you get the previous 9 ebooks plus: Python Crash Course, Automate the Boring Stuff with Python, Python Flash Cards, Serious Python, and Impractical Python Projects:

A limited time offer

As I write this (Wedensday, May 20th at 3:00 p.m. EDT), the offer is good for another 11 days and 23 hours. Once this deal expires, you’ll have to pay almost $400 for all these books. If you want these books on the cheap, get them now!

All these books are DRM-free, and you can get them in PDF, ePub, and mobi format. Better still, some of the money goes to charity. This is your chance to do good for yourself and for others!

Categories
Current Events Tampa Bay

LinkedIn Local Tampa Bay — online tonight at 5:30!

Don’t forget that LinkedIn Local Tampa Bay is on later today — between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., online! Under normal circumstances, this is a monthly get-together where Tampa professionals can get to know each other, make friends and connections, and even have a drink. They’re still happening, but for the next little while, it’s online — register here.

Categories
Career Tampa Bay

Why Connections Matter More Than Your Resume: This afternoon on Synapse’s “Libate and Learn”

This afternoon from 4:30 to 5:30, Synapse is hosting a “Libate and Learn” session titled Why Connections Matter More Than Your Resume.

Here’s the abstract:

When looking for employment, we all know how to build a resume. But what else can we do? How important is your network and utilizing your connections? How can we build these connections in a virtual world? Are you wondering how to get in with the right company? Grab a drink, relax, and join us remotely for a FREE virtual event with Synapse’s next episode of Libate and Learn with Rich Heruska, Leigh-Ann Buchanan, and Jill St. Thomas, moderated by Synapse’s CEO Brian Kornfeld. They’ll share best practices for building your network and maintaining connections with the right stakeholder. We will then open up the discussion for Q&A.

Participating in this session will be:

  • Rich Heruska, serial entrepreneur, former accelerator director at Tampa Bay Wave, and Synapse Board Member, who’ll talk about…
    • What small and medium sized businesses are looking for
    • Why building a network during a downtime or recession is important
    • How a network can take you to the next steps of your career
    • What can someone building a network expect out of an entrepreneurial support organization and how can they maximize their benefits
  • Leigh-Ann Buchanan, Founding Executive Director of Venture Cafe Miami, who will cover:
    • Connections matter, particularly to build an ecosystem and with the right stakeholders
    • Ecosystems are built entirely on connections
    • Multiple ways people can get value from connections
    • Who are the important people and stakeholders to network with
    • How networking at in-person events or online can differ, and be similar
  • Jill St. Thomas, Executive Director of Tampa Bay Tech. She will cover:
    • Radical connectivity is the key to a thriving ecosystem
    • How connectivity can lead to jobs and opportunities
    • Connectivity between organizations can benefit everybody, it is not a zero-sum game
    • Continually getting and staying connected can be the difference between success and failure
  • Brian Kornfeld, CEO and Co-Founder of Synapse. He’ll moderate and will also cover
    • How to effectively build a network and promote yourself
    • What to look for when networking
    • How to continually add value to the community, and how that brings value to yourself
    • Things to be prepared for when building a network
    • When is the right time to make an ask

This session is online and free to attend, but you have to pre-register! Pre-register here.