By P. Vilas Tulachan

Open Source Live! sprang from my ongoing frustration with the lack of quality training available for new open source software (OSS) technology that could benefit my clients. Unless I’m able to quickly learn how to use these new tools, I can’t implement solutions with the speed demanded by the market. I suspect you feel the same. I suspect that my frustration places me among the majority of developers and programmers like you.

I’ve a background in academia; I worked at California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California for eight years, first as a Computer Analyst and later as a System Manager. Throughout, I’ve been a big supporter of OSS technology. When I left academia and moved to Silicon Valley in the late ‘90s and started consulting, I was frustrated by not being able to quickly learn new OSS offerings. By quickly, I mean in a few days. And I knew that fast, effective training would give me an edge with the implementation of solution for my clients.

OSS is often first-rate and great. But just as often the documentation is sparse and for most OSS, support is non-existent except via an online forum and emails. Sure, Silicon Valley has plenty of strong, technically focused users groups where one can go to network and ask questions. There are also plenty of conferences where one can listen to experts armed with colorful slide presentations. But at the end of the day, I still didn’t gain the ability to implement solutions quickly.

Local universities have classes but then they are limited to the most mature and popular open source software in courses spanning ten weeks. As a consultant, I need to implement solutions for my clients in 10 days. Who has 10 weeks to learn new technology in our market?

These groups, events and courses don’t impart the ability to quickly implement solutions for clients willing to pay for great software development. They all talk around it but they don’t actually train developers to use the software.

Like you, I was seeking hands-on practical learning guided by experts in particular OSS technology, people who could answer my tough real-world questions. My big need – and maybe yours, too – is how to quickly learn particular OSS technology in a short time, maybe two or three days, and begin development immediately for an employer or client. And, I didn’t want the high cost or the hassle of travel. If I could acquire the skills and gain practical knowledge to implement solutions for clients quickly and at fair cost that would be cool!

Necessity, you really are the mother of invention. Unable to find this, I started Open Source Live! to deliver it. And now you’ve discovered it. Sign up now.

In one thought, Open Source Live! Offers hassle-free hands-on practical training by industry experts that you can put to work right away, at a great value!

Open Source Live! delivers specialized hands-on training for programmers on popular OSS technologies. Our trainers are qualified experts. They are working developers. Often, they are celebrated technical authors and lecturers with passion, zeal and flair for sharing their expertise and knowledge. They are the go-to people in OSS development.

Our typical seminar is a three-day event with a matrix of highly compatible course offerings. The premise is this: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember, I do and I understand.”

As a trainer and a developer myself, I passionately believe in learning by doing. So I’ve structured Open Source Live! courses to be compact and intense with plenty of hands-on exercises to help transfer the skills quickly. On completion, you will have acquired the skills needed to start implementing solutions when you return to work. Open Source Live! provides value and convenience by bringing our seminars to your local area. So sign up to learn!