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Current Events

How it’s been going since “the bird’s been freed,” part one

Tap to view at full size.

It started with this rather clever observation…

…and ended up in the closing of her account.

The most likely scenario? Given that she’s a woman with an opinion about Elon Musk, she probably got harassed off the platform by his rabid fanbase.

Categories
Current Events Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events (Week of Monday, October 31, 2022)

Here’s the list of tech, entrepreneur, and nerd events for Tampa Bay and surrounding areas for the week of Monday, October 31 through Sunday, November 6, 2022.

Every week, with the assistance of a couple of Jupyter Notebooks that I put together, I compile this list for the Tampa Bay tech community.

As far as event types go, this list casts a rather wide net. It includes events that would be of interest to techies, nerds, and entrepreneurs. It includes (but isn’t limited to) events that fall under the category of:

  • Programming, DevOps, systems administration, and testing
  • Tech project management / agile processes
  • Video, board, and role-playing games
  • Book, philosophy, and discussion clubs
  • Tech, business, and entrepreneur networking events
  • Toastmasters (because nerds really need to up their presentation game)
  • Sci-fi, fantasy, and other genre fandoms
  • Anything I deem geeky

By “Tampa Bay and surrounding areas”, this list covers events that originate or are aimed at the area within 100 miles of the Port of Tampa. At the very least, that includes the cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, and Clearwater, but as far north as Ocala, as far south as Fort Myers, and includes Orlando and its surrounding cities.

This week’s events

Monday, October 31

GroupEvent NameTime
Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!In person at Fords Garage St Pete11:00 AM
Christian Professionals Network Tampa BayLive Online Connection Meeting- Monday11:30 AM
Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.netSt. Pete Networking Lunch! Fords Garage! Monday’s11:30 AM
Network After Work Tampa – Networking EventsThe Trust Equation Masterclass3:00 PM
Tampa Bay TabletoppersMonday Feast & Game Night6:00 PM
Board Game Meetup: Board Game BoxcarMonday Weekly Board Game Night! (Lazy Moon Colonial Location)6:00 PM
Critical Hit GamesMTG: Commander Night6:00 PM
Toastmasters District 48Wesley Chapel Speaks Toastmasters6:30 PM
Toastmasters District 48North Port Toastmasters Meets Online!!6:30 PM
Tampa – Sarasota – Venice Trivia & Quiz MeetupTrivia Night – Off the Wagon Kitchen & Brewery Smartphone Trivia Game Show6:30 PM
Orlando Poker Tournaments Meetup Group.25/.50 Online Texas Holdem Cash Game7:00 PM
Light Study PRO – A Photography Workshop for Emerging ProsMembers as far back as 2008 can access their photos7:00 PM
Meet New People As Adults – Which is Harder Than ExpectedTrivia Night to Meet New People7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!Board Game Night at Armada Games7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Card Room.25/.50 Texas Holdem Cashgame Online7:00 PM
West Orange Comics & Video GamesMagic The Gathering Halloween Party7:00 PM
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards GuildWorld of Greyhawk: 1E One-Shots7:30 PM

Tuesday, November 1

GroupEvent NameTime
Business Strategy Meetup GroupBusiness Networking7:15 AM
UiPath RPA TampaAutomation Hub – Engaging users to contribute to the automation program9:00 AM
Orlando Melrose MakersIn-Person: Makerspace Open Lab10:30 AM
Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & MixersUpper Pinellas,Oldsmar,Westchase Networking Lunch -Wild Rover Brewing Company11:00 AM
Tampa / St Pete Business ConnectionsWestchase/Oldsmar Business Networking Lunch ~ All Welcome11:00 AM
Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.netNew Tampa RGA Chapter ~ Glory Days Meet your next referral partner!11:30 AM
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI)NPI Seminole Referral Pros Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals11:30 AM
Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All WelcomeProfessional Business Networking Lunch Glory Day’s New Tampa11:30 AM
Manatee River Business Exchange ClubGreat group for referrals – Several new members – WE are growing!!!12:00 PM
Tampa Bay Card Room.25/.50 Texas Holdem Online Cashgame12:00 PM
Global Networking SummitNetworking Brunch12:00 PM
IBM Cloud South East Meetup GroupTechTuesday DemoDays: Virtual Private Cloud (VPC) on IBM Cloud12:00 PM
Block Co-op – Bitcoin Crypto Blockchain OrlandoBitcoin/Crypto. Buying, Selling and sharing ideas. Small group atmosphere.1:00 PM
Orlando Unity Developers GroupVirtual: Unity Fundamentals4:00 PM
Free Video Production Classes – TV/InternetSocial Video Marketing Tips(ONLINE CLASS)-FREE for Hillsborough County Residents4:15 PM
Tampa Cyber Security Meetup GroupCyber Security Happy hour5:00 PM
Girl Develop It OrlandoReact 2 Cohort – Build an eCommerce Web App5:00 PM
Crypto & NFT Investor’s Club–Sarasota/Bradenton ChapterHow to Get Started With Cryptocurrency, NFT, and Metaverse5:30 PM
Jetsetters & Fine Things in LifeDinner Over Investment in Web3.0 Real Estates5:30 PM
Crypto & NFT Investors Club–Tampa Bay ChapterHow to Get Started With Cryptocurrency, NFT, and Metaverse5:30 PM
Florida Center for Creative PhotographyMeet & Greet at O’Keefe’s Family Restaurant6:00 PM
Orlando Poker Tournaments Meetup Group.25/.50 Texas Holdem Cashgame Online6:00 PM
Adventures On Tap DnD and Board GamesNerd Night at Deadwords Brewing6:00 PM
Orlando Adventurer’s Guild[IN PERSON] CCC-TRI-22 On the Baron’s Trail (Tier 3, FR, historic)6:00 PM
Tampa HackerspaceWeekly Open Make Night6:00 PM
Critical Hit GamesMarvel Crisis Protocol Night6:00 PM
Ironhack Orlando – Tech Careers, Learning and NetworkingThe Basics of UX UI Design6:00 PM
West Pasco Toastmasters Club Weekly Meeting6:30 PM
Shut Up & Write!® OrlandoShut Up and Write near Howell Branch6:30 PM
Suncoast Developers GuildWordPress St Pete Meetup at SDG6:30 PM
Toastmasters District 48West Pasco Toastmasters #28246:30 PM
The Sarasota Creative Writers Meetup GroupThe Sarasota Creative Writers6:30 PM
Pinellas WritersWeekly Group Meetings – All Writers Welcome!6:30 PM
WordPress St. PetersburgAsk Us Anything: WordPress Support Crowdsourcing Meetup6:30 PM
Tampa – Sarasota – Venice Trivia & Quiz MeetupTrivia Night – Moose Lodge 2117 Smartphone Trivia Game Show6:30 PM
St. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games for Young AdultsSt. Pete Beers ‘n Board Games Meetup for Young Adults7:00 PM
MakerFX MakerspaceMakerFX Makerspace 3D Printing Basics7:00 PM
Orlando Crypto MeetupCrypto/Trading/Online Business/Entrepreneurship Nights7:00 PM
Agile OrlandoBYOD (Bring Your Own Drink) – Lean Coffee7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!D&D Adventurers League at Armada Games7:00 PM
Tampa HackerspaceTHS Member Meeting7:00 PM
Chan’s Book Club of Tampa BayVerity (by Colleen Hoover) Book Discussion7:00 PM
TB Chess – Tampa Bay – St. Petersburg Chess Meetup GroupLet’s play chess at 54th Ave Kava House!7:30 PM
North Florida Stock Investing EducationTuesday Training Workshop: Beyond the SSG: What Compels me to Buy a Stock?7:30 PM
Shut Up & Write!® TampaOnline Event: Shut Up & Write on Zoom7:45 PM

Wednesday, November 2

GroupEvent NameTime
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI)NPI Profit Partners Chapter – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals7:30 AM
Business Networking for Entrepreneurs of ColorVirtual Business Networking – Entrepreneurs of Color7:30 AM
Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & MixersDOWNTOWN ST PETE YOUNG NETWORKING PROFESSIONALS BREAKFAST AT THE HANGAR!7:30 AM
1 Million Cups – Orlando1 Million Cups – Orlando Weekly Meetup8:30 AM
Suncoast Credit Union Micro Enterprise Development MeetupMicro Enterprise Development Program Orientation9:30 AM
Florida Startup: Idea to IPOHow to Build a Unicorn11:00 AM
Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.netIn Person Networking BRANDON! Just Love Coffee Cafe – Brandon FL11:15 AM
Bradenton/Sarasota Networking Meetings and MixersBusiness Networking Lunch11:30 AM
Entrepreneurs & Business Owners of Sarasota & BradentonSarasota Business Networking Lunch All Welcome, Just purchase Lunch!11:30 AM
Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!Brandon Business Professionals Just Love Coffee11:30 AM
Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & MixersBrandon Networking Professionals Networking Lunch11:30 AM
Success Strategies for Business OwnersChampioning Confidence in the Workplace12:00 PM
Web Design And SEO/SEM Three Sixty DegreesWeb Design And SEO/SEM Three Sixty Degrees12:00 PM
Board Game Players ClubBoard game playing1:00 PM
Free Video Production Classes – TV/InternetDigital Video Editing Class (ONLINE CLASS) -FREE for Hillsborough residents only1:00 PM
Orlando Poker Tournaments Meetup Group.25/.50 Online Texas Holdem Cash Game2:00 PM
Work From Home -Online Business Opportunities and NetworkingLearn How to Deal In Stocks And Shares – Tips & Insider Knowledge From Trader3:00 PM
Brandon BoardgamersBoard Gaming – In Person5:00 PM
Orlando Adventurer’s Guild[HISTORIC] Storm King’s Thunder Tier 2 – DM Robert5:00 PM
The Tampa Chapter of the Society for the Exploration of PlayPlaying Games in the Alley5:00 PM
Ironhack Tampa – Tech Careers, Learning and NetworkingNov. Workshop: Learn the Basics of Python Programming from an Industry Expert5:00 PM
Power Gals of BrandonPower Gals of Brandon – networking meeting5:30 PM
Tampa Gaming GuildWednesday Board Game Night5:30 PM
Greater Tampa Business and Real Estate Strategy GroupInvesting Meetup5:30 PM
Board Game Meetup: Board Game BoxcarBlood on the Clocktower & Board Games! (Deadwords Brewing Location)6:00 PM
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!Hobby Night – Minis Painting Tips & Tricks at Armada Games6:00 PM
WordPress TampaTo be announced: Scheduled Talk6:30 PM
Bradenton Photo GroupBasic Editing and Composition6:30 PM
Crypto & NFT Investors Club–Tampa Bay ChapterCrypto Investors Club (5 STAR RATED)6:30 PM
The Pinellas County Young “Professionals”Happy Hour: Season 2 – Avid Brew Company6:30 PM
Florida Writer’s Association / OrlandoOrlando Florida Writer’s Association6:30 PM
Toastmasters District 48Carrollwood Toastmasters Meetings meet In-Person and Online7:00 PM
Nerd Night OutGames & Grog – Party Games Social Night7:00 PM
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards GuildNew Beginnings & Old Rivalries7:00 PM
Communication Skills for Quiet PeopleHow to Open Yourself Up and Connect with People7:00 PM
Tampa – Sarasota – Venice Trivia & Quiz MeetupSmartphone Trivia Game Show at Wilders Pizza7:00 PM
Port Charlotte Writers GroupNovember 2nd Zoom meeting7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Amazon Sellers E-commerce Meetup2 Hugely Successful Brands & Exiting the 1st to Focus on the 2nd w/ Radu Oboroc7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Card Room.25/.50 Texas Holdem Cashgame Online7:00 PM
Communication Skills for Interviews and LifeHow to Increase Your Confidence and Communication7:00 PM
Orlando Lady Developers MeetupCode challenge bi-weekly coding session8:00 PM
Critical Hit GamesWerewolf9:00 PM
Tampa / St Pete Business ConnectionsBrandon Business Professionals IN Person!!!!11:30 PM
Tampa / St Pete Business ConnectionsCarollwood Professionals Networking Lunch!11:30 PM

Thursday, November 3

=== Blog ===

GroupEvent NameTime
Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All WelcomeHappy Hangar Early Bird Professionals Networking7:30 AM
Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.netWesley Chapel/Lutz networking breakfast7:30 AM
Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All WelcomeHappy Hangar Early Bird Professionals Networking7:30 AM
TampaBayNetworkersSuncoast Networkers8:30 AM
Orlando Melrose MakersIn-Person: Makerspace Open Lab10:30 AM
Block Co-op – Bitcoin Crypto Blockchain OrlandoCrypto Set-up Class -Limited to 5 Seats Only11:00 AM
Tampa / St Pete Business ConnectionsClearwater/Central Pinellas Networking Lunch11:00 AM
Hyperledger TampaBuilding Hyperledger Fabric Smart Contracts using Solidity and the EVM11:00 AM
Business Game Changers GroupClearwater Professional Networking Lunch11:00 AM
Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!The Founders Meeting where it all Began! JOIN us! Bring a guest and get a gift11:00 AM
Florida Startup: Idea to IPOHow to Cut Product Development Costs by up to 50%!11:00 AM
SWAT Networking – Successful Women Aligning TogetherSWAT Networking Parrish Luncheon11:30 AM
Pasco County Young Entrepreneurs/Business Owners All WelcomeWesley Chapel Professional Networking Lunch at Chuck Lager America’s Tavern11:30 AM
Wesley Chapel, Trinity, New Tampa, Business ProfessionalsWesley Chapel Professional Networking Lunch11:30 AM
Network Professionals Inc. of South Pinellas (NPI)NPI Power Lunch – Exchange Qualified Business Referrals11:30 AM
St Pete NetworkingProfessional Positioning Workshop: Why People By You (+Open Networking)12:00 PM
Toastmasters District 48TAMPA NOONSHINERS Toastmasters Club – Join us on Thursdays at Noon12:00 PM
“Learn and Earn” Millionaire Mind Secrets & NetworkingOnline Zoom! Millionaire Mind Lunch; Book Club and Networking!12:00 PM
Network After Work Tampa – Networking EventsHow to Maximize Social Media Virtual Summit3:00 PM
Free Video Production Classes – TV/InternetYouTube Basics (ONLINE CLASS) – FREE for Hillsborough County Residents3:00 PM
Orlando Unity Developers Group✨🥽 Join Circuit Stream’s Unity Dev BootCamp Pitch Day – ⏰ NOV 3RD @ 4 PM EST4:00 PM
Tampa / St Pete Business ConnectionsAfter hours Networking & Tasting, Food By 3’C’s Catering5:00 PM
Florida Center for Creative PhotographyFCCP Weekly Photo Assignment 95: Squirrel5:00 PM
Tampa – Sarasota – Venice Trivia & Quiz MeetupTrivia Night – Bunkers Bar of Sun City Center Smartphone Trivia Game Show5:00 PM
Tampa Bay Google Cloud User GroupInaugural Tampa Bay Google Cloud Meet5:00 PM
Summerfield Board/Card Game NightSummerfield Tabletop/Board/Card Games6:00 PM
Tampa Bay Business Networking Happy Hour/Meetings/Meet UpAfter Hours Networking Happy Hour! Food provided by 3C’s Catering6:00 PM
Critical Hit GamesWarhammer Night6:00 PM
Orlando Board Gaming Weekly MeetupCentral Florida Board Gaming at The Collective6:00 PM
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games6:00 PM
Tampa SEO & Internet Marketing Meetup with Steve ScottDon’t Wait! Get Google Analytics (GA4) Setup on Your Website Now6:00 PM
Orlando Tech and BeerTAB | Orlando Tech and Beer6:00 PM
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and Rifts (Palladium) Group1st ed AD&D Campaign.6:00 PM
Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!Business Happy Hour ~ Cafe Delanie 1st Thursday Every Month 6pm to 8pm6:00 PM
Elite Business Professionals and EntrepreneursBusiness Professionals Network and Mingle6:00 PM
Sarasota Strategy Board Game LeagueTerraforming Mars – November 3!6:00 PM
Geekocracy!Trivia Thursday at the Brass Tap6:30 PM
Live streaming production and talentLive streaming production and talent7:00 PM
Tampa HackerspaceGirls Who Code for Grades 6-127:00 PM
Tampa HackerspaceShopbot Safety and Usage (Members Only)7:00 PM
Sunshine Social Deduction GamingBotC night at Hourglass Brewery at the Hourglass District7:00 PM
Tampa Bay Drupal User GroupTampa Bay Drupal & Web Technologies Q&A. Everyone welcome!7:00 PM
Business Networking for Entrepreneurs of ColorVirtual Business Networking – Entrepreneurs of Color7:00 PM
Books & Brews!November – The Nightingale7:00 PM
NFT and web3 Meetup GroupGetting familiar with NFT and Web3 meet and greet.8:00 PM

Friday, November 4

GroupEvent NameTime
Winter Park Toastmasters – Learn while having FUN!Improve your communication, listening, and leadership skills7:15 AM
Entrepreneurs & Business Owners of Sarasota & BradentonA.C.T. Acquire Connections Today Morning Business Networking All Welcome!7:45 AM
Brandon Biz ProsBuild your Business with Brandon Biz Pros8:30 AM
Entrepreneurs & Business Owners of Sarasota & BradentonA.C.T. Acquire Connections Today Morning Business Networking All Welcome!8:45 AM
Tampa / St Pete Business ConnectionsA.C.T. Acquire Connections Today Morning Business Networking All Welcome!8:45 AM
Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!Tampa Young Professionals Virtual Networking Friday Morning All WElCOME8:45 AM
NTi Port Richey, FLNTi New Port Richey – Business Referral Network9:00 AM
Hosted By Toastmasters District 48Real Talkers #73069:15 AM
Christian Professionals Network Tampa BayImprove Speaking Skills & Build Confidence9:25 AM
West Orlando WordPress MeetupWordPress Collaboration Meetup ONLINE ONLY10:00 AM
Tampa Bay Business Networking Happy Hour/Meetings/Meet UpInternational Networking Westshore McAlisters Deli11:30 AM
Tampa Bay Business Networking Meetings & MixersFriday Business Introductions!11:30 AM
Professional Business Networking with RGAnetwork.netFriday International Business Introductions at McAllisters Westshore11:30 AM
Young Professionals Networking JOIN in and Connect!Friday Business Introductions JOIN us at Cafe Delanie All Welcome11:30 AM
“Learn and Earn” Millionaire Mind Secrets & NetworkingWomen’s Spa Day with Wellness Lunch and Learn11:30 AM
Tampa / St Pete Business ConnectionsInternational Professionals Networking Meeting11:30 AM
Power Gals with a Latin TwistPower Gals with a Latin Twist Luncheon12:00 PM
US Azure Virtual Desktop User GroupUS Azure Virtual Desktop User Group: November Meetup12:00 PM
Orlando Unity Developers GroupVirtual Event: Importing Assets into Unity4:00 PM
Clermont Nerd GamesBoard Game Night!5:00 PM
Tampa Gaming GuildFriday Board Game Night5:30 PM
Meeple Movers Gaming GroupLet’s Play Games ONLINE on Fridays!5:30 PM
Toastmasters District 48MESSAGE CRAFTERS5:30 PM
Dunnellon Area Board GamersFriday Night Board Gaming6:00 PM
Nerd Night OutTaps & Drafts6:00 PM
Amazon Made Simple Launch Grow Sell RepeatValidating Your Product and Reducing Your RISK Prior to Launch6:00 PM
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!Board Game night at The Strange Realms in Carrollwood Friday, 6 PM6:00 PM
Critical Hit GamesMTG: Commander FNM6:00 PM
Toastmasters District 48Positively Speaking Toastmasters6:15 PM
Tampa Japanese MeetupFL JETAA Tsudoi7:00 PM
Orlando Adventurer’s GuildCanon’s Custom Campaign Moonsea Tour – DM Canon (Tier 3)7:00 PM
The Non-Non-Non-Fiction Book ClubFirst Book Club Meeting at Southern Brewing: Sexographies by Gabriela Wiener7:00 PM
MakerFX MakerspaceMakerFX Makerspace Soft Arts Guild7:00 PM
Tampa Area Crypto And NFT IRLNFT Pity Party at Seminole Hard Rock7:00 PM
Gen GeekThe Price is Right (Come on Down!)7:30 PM
Tampa – Sarasota – Venice Trivia & Quiz MeetupTrivia Night – Daiquiri Deck on the Island in Venice7:30 PM
Data Tech FloridaGlobal AI Developer Days8:00 PM
Indica Cafe EventsFriday night game night9:00 PM

Saturday, November 5

GroupEvent NameTime
Central Florida Philosophy MeetupWake Up and Think Clearly Saturday morning share and discuss.7:00 AM
Toastmasters Division GEarly Bird Ocala8:00 AM
Entrepreneurs & Startups – Bradenton Networking & Education10th Annual Veterans Entrepreneurship Training Symposium – Partner Event8:30 AM
Pinellas WritersMonthly In Person Group Meeting – All Writers Welcome!9:00 AM
Chess RepublicCoffee & Chess: Tampa Midtown9:30 AM
Toastmasters Division EHunters Creek Toastmasters9:30 AM
Learn EntrepreneurshipInaugural SRQ Entrepreneurship Meetup & Unity Creative Center9:30 AM
Writers Group at the Haunted Antique ShopWriters Group at the Haunted Antique Shop9:30 AM
North Florida Stock Investing EducationDiscounted Cash Flow Series10:00 AM
Orlando Lady Developers MeetupCode with me – learning sessions weekly on Saturdays10:00 AM
NSB Maker SpaceNSB Maker Space is Exhibiting at Maker Faire Orlando!10:00 AM
Tampa Alchemist Nation – Real Estate and Wealth BuildingDouble Your Income in 52 Weeks: Millionaire Wealth Principles10:00 AM
Florida Gulf Coast Chapter of Sisters in CrimeIN-PERSON & ONLINE: “Before You Write the First Word” with Susan Klaus10:30 AM
Orlando Melrose MakersIn-Person: Makerspace Open Lab10:30 AM
Spellbound Bookstore EventsGrand Opening11:00 AM
Tampa Options Trading Group for Monthly IncomeHow to Hedge a Stock or Option Portfolio!11:00 AM
Florida Center for Creative PhotographyContinue the Learning over Lunch at O’Keefe’s11:00 AM
Oviedo Middle Aged Gamers (OMAG)Bravo Group Campaign Continues11:00 AM
Gen GeekZooTampa at Lowry Park12:00 PM
Soberish Hang Outs and Book ClubEscape Room at America’s Escape Game Tampa Soberish Hang Out12:40 PM
Suncoast MakersFREE Fab Lab Orientation1:00 PM
Tampa Amazon Seller Meetup GroupValidate Your Product Idea For an Explosive Launch1:00 PM
Central Florida Florida Foam Fighting (Fumetsu)Fighter Practice! (Newbies welcome)2:00 PM
Bradenton Photo GroupLight Basics – Working with Flash2:30 PM
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!Saturday MTG Draft at Hammerfall Games and Collectibles3:00 PM
Orlando Pokémon Fan MeetupGroup Welcome & Introduction [ZOOM]4:00 PM
The Historical History Book ClubBook Discussion: Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar by Simon Sebag Montefiore5:30 PM
Esports Players Club TampaFortnite Solo Tournament!6:00 PM
The Fun Time Meetup GroupGame time – back by popular demand6:00 PM
Nerdbrew EventsCommunity Hang-out Night7:00 PM
Nerd Night OutNB Community Hang-out Night!7:00 PM
Central Florida AD&D (1st ed.) Grognards GuildTHE ONE-SHOT GUILD7:00 PM
Orlando Horror Movie Fans 20s-30sPost Halloween Luncheon (Changed to a Dinner)7:30 PM

Sunday, November 6

GroupEvent NameTime
Florida Center for Creative PhotographyAdvanced Composition Make-up Class — Part 4 of 49:00 AM
Toastmasters District 48Clearwater Sunday Speakers Toastmasters Club9:30 AM
Suncoast Critical Thinking Discussion GroupCRITICAL THINKERS SUNDAY BRUNCH AT ROSEMARY & THYME10:00 AM
Soberish Hang Outs and Book ClubDiscussing Chatter by Ethan Kross10:00 AM
There’s A Book For That: Self-Improvement Book ClubFirst weekly meeting10:00 AM
SEO For AllSEO For All Kickoff Group11:00 AM
Tampa Japanese MeetupOrlando Japan Festival in Kissimmee11:00 AM
Board Games and Card Games in Sarasota & BradentonGames at Descent Into Gaming12:00 PM
Orlando Urban Professionals Meetup GroupBrainstorming Entrepreneurship Meeting!1:00 PM
Beginners Guide to D and DD&D Adventurers League1:00 PM
Critical Hit GamesD&D Adventurers League2:00 PM
Tampa Bay Gaming: RPG’s, Board Games & more!D&D Adventurers League at Critical Hit Games2:00 PM
Drunk’n Meeples West Pasco (Boardgames)Weekend Game Day2:00 PM
Orlando Digital Media Design MeetupVirtual Event: Adobe Design Coach2:30 PM
Toastmasters, Division DWeekend Toastmasters3:00 PM
Gen GeekTreeHoppers Aerial Park – ZipLines/Ropes Course3:45 PM
Brandon and Seffner area AD&D and Rifts (Palladium) GroupRifts5:00 PM
Hosted By Volusia Young Professionals Group (covers East and West)February West Volusia Networking Social6:00 PM
Tesla ChurchTesla Church Meetup6:00 PM
Nerdbrew EventsHidden Gems Night, Presented by A Duck!7:00 PM
Learn-To-Trade Crypto – Online (As seen on Orlando Sentinel)Learn-To-Trade Cryptos, Forex & Futures (ONLINE)7:00 PM
Learn-To-Trade Stocks – Online (As seen on Orlando Sentinel)Learn-To-Trade Crypto, Forex & Futures (Online)7:00 PM
Learn-To-Trade Forex – Online (As seen on Orlando Sentinel)Learn-To-Trade Forex, Crypto & Futures (ONLINE)7:00 PM
Nerd Night OutA Duck Presents NB Movie Night7:00 PM
Solana – TampaOffice Hours8:00 PM

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

Let me know at joey@joeydevilla.com!

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Categories
Current Events

Today’s tech news, captured in a single picture

You could read this Washington Post article, Elon Musk Acquires Twitter and Fires Top Executives (behind a paywall), or you could simply look at this photo, which provides a good summary:

Found via Alistair Morton.
Categories
Business Conferences Current Events Florida Tampa Bay What I’m Up To

Scenes from CyberX Tampa

Tap to view at full size.

Anitra and I attended last night’s CyberX Tampa event, an conference about the cybersecurity industry here in Tampa Bay. It was an extraordinarily well-attended event, with over 170 people gathered together to talk about technology, security, and the local tech scene.

Tap to view at full size.

The event took place at TheIncLab’s offices, located in one of the old warehouses in Tampa’s historic Ybor City neighborhood, which is largely made of repurposed cigar factories from the late 1800s. They have a beautiful courtyard which I’m familiar with — before it was TheIncLab’s place, it was home to The Undercroft, whose UC Baseline cybersecurity course I took in 2020.

Tap to view at full size.

CyberX Tampa opened with drinks, snacks, and networking, followed by two simultaneous panels.

The courtyard had the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion panel, featuring:

Tap to view at full size.

And inside, there was the panel titled Blackhat Tactics You Should Know, with:

Tap to view at full size.

The final panel of the evening was the big one — a discussion of the state of cybersecurity in Florida.

Tap to view at full size.

The panelists were:

Tap to view at full size.

It was a great evening all around, and I hope it’s a good sign for future events in Tampa Bay, and a sign that our tech community is active!

Tap to view at full size.

Of course, the events wouldn’t have happened without the sponsors. Click on their logos to find out more about them!

Categories
Conferences Security Tampa Bay What I’m Up To

CyberX Tampa: Tonight at TheIncLab in Ybor City!

Tap to view at full size.

The topic: Cybersecurity.

The event: CyberX Tampa, an evening conference with some pretty interesting speakers and topics, and a chance to catch up with some local techies and security nerds.

The place: TheIncLab in Ybor City, in the place where The Undercroft — the guild where I took a pretty intense cybersecurity course during the pandemic — used to be.

The cost: Free as in beer. $0. Just register on their Eventbrite page.

The agenda:

TimeEvent
5:30 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.Networking
6:00 p.m. – 6:15 p.m.Special honoree: Courtney H. Jackson, founder and CEO of Paragon Cyber Solutions and Global 2022 Cybersecurity Woman Entrepreneur of the Year
6:15 p.m. – 6:45 p.m.Breakout sessions

DE&I in Cyber Panel with:
• Moderator: Suzanne Ricci | Chief Success Officer @ Computer Coach
• Courtney H. Jackson | Founder & CEO @ Paragon Cyber Solutions
• Samantha Ramos | Information Security Risk Manager @ Nextech Systems
• Hugh Percy | Mgr, Cyber Security Threat Analysis & Operations @ Moffitt

Blackhat Tactics You Should Know
• Charlton Trezevant | Senior Application Security Consultant @ GuidePoint Security
• Robert Lubin | Security Operations Center Director@ Abacode
6:45 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.Networking
7:00 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.Panel Discussion: State of Cybersecurity in Florida
• 
Moderator: Larry Whiteside | CISO @ RegScale
• Jason Allen | CTO @ Digital Hands
• Kari Schori | CIO @ Office of the Public Defender 6th Judicial Circuit
• Rolando Torres | Co-Founder & COO @ Abacode
7:45 p.m.Thank you’s and good night

What you’ll get out of it: Well, that depends on what you put into it. But trust me, there are opportunities and a lot of potential there, and I can tell you that half of winning is just showing up.

I’ll see you there!

Categories
Conferences Current Events Editorial Tampa Bay

If you’re going to Florida Bitcoin and Blockchain Summit 2022, YOU’RE AN IDIOT

Did that headline get your attention? Good.

There’s a lot of local hype about the upcoming Florida Bitcoin and Blockchain Summit, and I’ve come to remind you that last year’s stars were these jerkoffs:

CELSIUS. Yes, that Celsius — the cryptocurrency lending company that filed for bankruptcy. The one who paused withdrawals in June, but not before its C-level people made big withdrawals themselves. The one facing federal investigations. The one whose data dump leaked half a million users’ holdings info.

Last year, they were the darlings of the Florida Bitcoin and Blockchain Summit, where they announced their decentralized finance arm, Celsius X, their CTO announced his moving to Tampa Bay (and became one of Tampa Bay Business Journal’s “25 people to watch in 2022”), they helped facilitate Tampa Mayor Jane Castor’s being paid in crypto (in a fit of crypto fever, she said she’d take two of her paychecks in cypto; she lost 67% of its value since then), and who threw a post-Summit community meetup so popular that there was a waiting list.

Hey, Tampa Bay! Did we learn nothing from Fast? Are we so desperate to compete against the Miami, Florida’s so-called “next tech hub,” that we’re willing to glom onto any grifter who comes along and promises to make us the next Silicon Valley?

As the one-person show behind the Tampa Bay Tech Events List, I will continue to list crypto events — people still want to attend them, and maybe “there’s a there there,” but I cannot in good conscience not stand by and not remind people that last year’s darlings costs some people dearly.

If you feel you must attend this year’s Florida Bitcoin and Blockchain Summit, remember last year’s hype and this year’s outcome.

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RayWenderlich.com is now called “Kodeco!”

“Distracted Boyfriend” meme, with RayWenderlich.com logo covering the ignored girlfriend’s head, a smartphone covering the boyfriend’s head, and the Kodeco logo covering the distracting woman’s head.

Kodeco (pronounced Koe-DECK-coe, or “code echo,” your choice) is the new name of RayWenderlich.com, the premier mobile development tutorial site!

Over the past decade, I’ve had the pleasure of not just learning mobile development at RayWenderlich.com, but also writing articles for them, doing presentations and workshops at their conference, recording a full video course, and even co-authoring a book!

Anitra Pavka professional head shot.

I even introduced Anitra to them, and she’s now a tech editor there, which is why we’re both on the team photo collage:

Photo collage of RayWenderlich.com team with arrows pointing to Anitra Pavka’s and Joey deVilla’s photos.
Ray Wenderlich.

The name RayWenderlich.com made sense when it was just a blog that its namesake, Ray Wenderlich, started when he’d quit his job to become an indie mobile developer. At the time, he was simply blogging and sharing iOS development tips as part of his business. As I mentioned earlier, I learned iOS programming from the original edition of his first book, The iOS Apprentice, where you learn by building four applications.

The site kept growing and became that classic internet success story where the side business became the main business. The site grew to add Android development tutorials (around the time I joined the team), and since then has expanded to add Flutter, Unity, and other mobile development topics.

A decade and thousands of articles later, the name change makes sense. It’s no longer an indie mobile developer’s side project, but a full-fledged publishing company in the same spirit as O’Reilly and No Starch Press.

Congratulations, Kodeco, and I look forward to writing more mobile dev tutorials with you!

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