EduGeek@Microsoft 24th Feb 2011

Right, I am back home now and I'm feeling rather okay just a bit tired after an early start and the total #FAIL i made of breakfast this morning :( stupid smoothies!

I had a really good time as per usual it is great to get to catch up with everyone and meet even more new faces! It was a very good day, well planned and put together and best of all we actually got some freebies! :D

It has been a while since we have had a bit of a night out too! so that was great to get out and have a few beers :D and make even more funny memories that just give people reasons to rip the **** out of me ;) but it just would not be the same without it... DAMN Smoothie!

:)

I hope everyone else had a great time, i'm so glad you enjoyed the cake! I might have to do something for the EduGeek Conference in Preston Hmmm... :)

@Stuart - Nice one on the name change!

Ohh - not fair - I would have loved to have been there but I would never have managed the drive home later - had to stop for a nap as it was....:)

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Originally Posted by witch

Ohh - not fair - I would have loved to have been there but I would never have managed the drive home later - had to stop for a nap as it was....:)

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I'm not sure i was alcohol free this morning.. kinda worried me a bit.. but i was alright journey was fine just took it nice and easy :) had to be in work this afternoon that was the worst part!

you are not sure if you were alcohol free.... hmmmm, it was a crazy night!!

@witch - good to see you again, even though brief. yes - it is still me, just a new identity. everyone knows me for the scarf - so it made sense.

Thanks again DB, Ric, Russ (as your last admin event), Ellie at MSFT for a great day - and the mods for the hospitality.

ok, someone explain the smoothie?! lol

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Originally Posted by TheScarfedOne

@witch - good to see you again, even though brief. yes - it is still me, just a new identity. everyone knows me for the scarf - so it made sense.
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Well, most people know that I think that forum names should be interesting and NOT your own name - so I LOVE your new identity!:)

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Originally Posted by Little-Miss

ok, someone explain the smoothie?! lol

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check twitter :-p

EduTech topped up his coffee with smoothie rather than milk this morn! Epic fail :-p

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Originally Posted by witch

Well, most people know that I think that forum names should be interesting and NOT your own name - so I LOVE your new identity!:)

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Well thank you very much :-p hehehe. Posted on the SW Conf Thread

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Originally Posted by teejay

Finally got home after all the train delays (suicide jumper and an accident involving some graffiti artist idiots). Thanks for a great time all of you, special thanks to Dos_Box for the generous hospitality:D
Now, can someone remind me who it was you were googling in the pub :p

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Which night? The first night ?

Second night.

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Originally Posted by teejay

Second night.

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oooh those things! no idea I felt the need to burn my retinas after that lot! I found the first nights more comedy those were just eeer.... yeh not good!

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Originally Posted by teejay

Second night.

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I still have it in my history! ;-)

Having got home from Reading in exactly the time stated on my satnav... much to my amazement... I did start a 'thanks' thread, but that seems to have vapourised, so I'll say thank you again to Dos_Box, Microsoft and my fellow edugeeks for a thoroughly enjoyable time in Reading.

It's not often we get the opportunity to bend an international corporation's ear about how they target their products. I think they realised they'd said the wrong thing when they said "pay somebody else" and all of us pointed out that money was so short that paying somebody else to sort out an expensive product wasn't an option. These things just wouldn't happen!

Thanks also to James for the eduCake... it was very good :)

It would be nice please if someone in the Primary break out session could give us some detail on what was discussed for those of us who where in the secondary session.

Russ

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Originally Posted by russdev

It would be nice please if someone in the Primary break out session could give us some detail on what was discussed for those of us who where in the secondary session.

Russ

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And Vice Versa as the odd one of us (and yes, I am very odd) actually cover both Primary and Secondary.
What did we discuss - We made it clear that Primary and Independent do not have any spare money and often not the expertise or time (part-time techs) to administer some of the stuff we would like. His answer was to pay someone but we referred him to the lack of money. We made the point that some of the models used for charging, eg the licensing, does not suit smaller schools with few computers but many staff.
We discussed the fact that we do not get to hear about the innovations and products Microsoft are bringing out - he was disappointed as he works with such people as SWGfL and Microsoft Partners but they dont pass on the info. (SWGfL have now taken on live@edu but those of us dealing with them didn't know that)
Some of us don't buy anthing from offictial Microsoft Partners other than licensing, and that's just a question of asking Capita or whoever for the number we need - we don't get a discussion about whether that is the best method for us.
He referred us the the Schools Blog and did say that he would feed back the information we provided to try to get a better model for helping the smaller schools.
What else? Elsiegee, TheAngryTechnician, Superfletch, um um who else was there?? can tell you more