KellyAnn Fitzpatrick

I do not give you permission to drop dead. That's not happening.

I do not give you permission to drop dead. That's not happening.

One thing I think that you mentioned, the whole point of the pumpkin, there's a pumpkin circumstance, but then there's also that element of can you get feedback on your talk? Which if you're looking at conferences from like the more kind of academic point of view, talks are almost that they can be that thing that you're kind of maybe even still working on.

One thing I think that you mentioned, the whole point of the pumpkin, there's a pumpkin circumstance, but then there's also that element of can you get feedback on your talk? Which if you're looking at conferences from like the more kind of academic point of view, talks are almost that they can be that thing that you're kind of maybe even still working on.

So if nobody's going to your talk and nobody's giving you feedback on your talk, that's a big change from, I think, how things were many years ago.

So if nobody's going to your talk and nobody's giving you feedback on your talk, that's a big change from, I think, how things were many years ago.

I am.

I am.

Okay, well... 2011, according to the history of Redmond.

Okay, well... 2011, according to the history of Redmond.

There is a question in the chat about what the hallway track is. Is that a Gen X term? No, but I think that's a really good point because like those of us who go to conferences all the time and like Steve clearly has been running like Monctober Fest for a while. Like we've privileged the hallway track, but like the question of like, what is it if you're not used to that term?

There is a question in the chat about what the hallway track is. Is that a Gen X term? No, but I think that's a really good point because like those of us who go to conferences all the time and like Steve clearly has been running like Monctober Fest for a while. Like we've privileged the hallway track, but like the question of like, what is it if you're not used to that term?

Your grad student conference experience was just very different and much better than mine is what I'm hearing.

Your grad student conference experience was just very different and much better than mine is what I'm hearing.

Okay.

Okay.

Oh, I love that Fantasia. What a, what a nice word that would have been.

Oh, I love that Fantasia. What a, what a nice word that would have been.

Two hours in is also when the beer, I think, is served at lunch.

Two hours in is also when the beer, I think, is served at lunch.

You actually sound unwell. This is not like pretending to be unwell.

You actually sound unwell. This is not like pretending to be unwell.

I want to weigh the lanyards that I have, though. Instead of counting the number of conferences, just the weight of conference lanyards and badges.

I want to weigh the lanyards that I have, though. Instead of counting the number of conferences, just the weight of conference lanyards and badges.

My first, so I was an academic before I was in tech and I was a medievalist. So when we talk about the history of Red Monk, that's why I'm willing to talk about it. Because, you know, for me, decades is not that long. Sorry, Stephen. And so my first conference was with Medievalist and they have a very different view of the world, even compared to say like other folks in the humanities.

My first, so I was an academic before I was in tech and I was a medievalist. So when we talk about the history of Red Monk, that's why I'm willing to talk about it. Because, you know, for me, decades is not that long. Sorry, Stephen. And so my first conference was with Medievalist and they have a very different view of the world, even compared to say like other folks in the humanities.

So you would go to a Medievalist conference and be like, you talk your papers and you talk and then there'd be like a party, there'd be a banquet, there'd be wine, there'd be beer, there would be actual need, right? So going from that to the tech industry wasn't too bad. But my first actual tech conference was Monctoberfest 2015.

So you would go to a Medievalist conference and be like, you talk your papers and you talk and then there'd be like a party, there'd be a banquet, there'd be wine, there'd be beer, there would be actual need, right? So going from that to the tech industry wasn't too bad. But my first actual tech conference was Monctoberfest 2015.