CFP Q&A
Boolean submitted_devzone_presentation;
String why_not, my_reply;
if (submitted_devzone_presentation == true) {
my_reply = ‘Awesome!’;
} else if (why_not == ‘I am planning on it, but have not done it yet’) {
my_reply = ‘Awesome! Glad you are putting a lot of thought into it, but remember the deadline is May 10th. Details here: Dreamforce 2015 Developer Zone Call for Presentations‘;
} else if (why_not == ‘I am not an expert’) {
my_reply = ‘Everyone is an expert in something (e.g., I make fantastic over-easy eggs). Think of the talks that have helped you the most – often they are the What Not To Do talks that help you navigate a new technology. If you are new to the Salesforce1 Platform, you are an expert in being new, and your advice can help other newbies. If you are not new, consider the experiences you have had – what are your lessons learned about one of our tools or technologies? What are your tips and tricks? How did you conquer a tricky business requirement? Those are all things your peers want to hear. More ideas here: The DevZone Call for Presentations is Live!‘;
} else if (why_not == ‘Conferences tend to pick speakers they already know’) {
my_reply = ‘That is not how we roll. This year, in an effort to level the playing field and remove potential bias, we are doing our first round of submission reviews blind (meaning we will not know the name or any details about the submitter).’;
} else if (why_not == ‘As an underrepresented minority and/or a woman, I do not feel welcome at tech conferences’) {
my_reply = ‘You are welcome at Dreamforce. We have a clear Code of Conduct, and our Salesforce Developer community is amazing! New members are constantly pleasantly surprised by how helpful and friendly everyone is. Kieren Jameson, who jumped into coding at Dreamforce 2014, described it as meeting an old friend and Ashara Ekundayo, who presented in the DevZone last year, cannot wait to come back.’;
} else if (why_not == ‘My company will not pay for me to go’) {
my_reply = ‘Try this ROI letter and this post from Patrick Connelly (pcon), software engineer at RedHat. Also, tell them that as a speaker, your conference ticket is FREE. If none of that works, tell them I said you should come (no promises, but it might help).’;
} else if (why_not == ‘I need more experience speaking first’) {
my_reply = ‘Not true! We have had many successes with first time speakers (Dreamforce 13 DevZone Session Rookies FTW) in the DevZone because our session preparation process ensures you are ready. You can also get practice at your local Developer Group meetings (see tips from Mike Gerholdt, which apply to Developer Groups, too: How to give a great Salesforce User Group Presentation.‘;
} else {
my_reply = ‘We want everyone to participate in the DevZone Call for Presentations. Please leave a comment or email me (mscotton@salesforce.com) and tell us what we can do to help.’;
}
TL;DR
The DevZone Call for Presentations is Live, and we are actively seeking to increase the diversity of our speakers. Submit your session ideas now at Dreamforce 2015 Developer Zone Call for Presentations!