Summary: Guest blogger and PowerShell MVP Don Jones talks about the 2013 Scripting Games.
Microsoft Scripting Guy, Ed Wilson, is here. One final conversation with PowerShell MVP Don Jones was about the 2013 Scripting Games. As I have mentioned recently, the Scripting Games will be run by the community instead of by the Scripting Guys. It has just grown to more than one person can handle—which is great, just not manageable by one person. Without further ado, here’s Don.
The Scripting Games: Under New Management
By the PowerShell.org Team
The 2013 Scripting Games will kick off in April 2013 at the PowerShell Summit North America in Redmond, WA. For the first time ever, the Scripting Games won’t be run by the Microsoft Scripting Guys. Instead, the entire community, through the community owned-and-operated PowerShell.org, will be hosting the Games.
The simple fact is that the Games take a lot of work. Coming up with the events, rounding up sponsors, prizes, publicizing, and judging—even with the help of dozens of volunteer expert judges—is a ton of effort, and it was just getting to be too much for Ed Wilson. So, he asked us to help out, and we jumped on the opportunity!
Ed will, of course, still be involved, as will many volunteer judges who have worked past Games. We’re building an all-new platform from which to host the Games, so that both event submission and judging can be more efficient and scalable. We’re still planning both Beginner and Advanced tracks. In fact, we’re hoping to run a very short “Winter Scripting Camp” in early 2013 as a trial run of our new software and as a way of getting some early training to help everyone prepare for the real Games. Keep an eye on http://ScriptingGames.org for details! You can also tune into Twitter for the #SG2013 hashtag, which is what we’ll start using at the Games Opening Ceremonies.
(Yes, there will be an Opening Ceremony with all the pomp and pageantry you’d expect. Windows PowerShell MVP Sean Kearney is the Master of Ceremonies, and it’s going to be sick. Like, mentally sick. Possibly outright insane.)
The Scripting Games is an awesome opportunity to learn new Windows PowerShell skills, fine-tune your existing ones, and learn a lot. In 2013, we’re going to really focus heavily on the educational possibilities, running the Games at a slightly slower pace to allow for more involvement by expert commentators, so that participants can truly learn as they go. Plus, there will be prizes. Cool ones. And you’ll be able to buy coffee mugs with the Games logo. Nothing could be better than that, right?
So, stay tuned. The 2013 Scripting Games are coming, and we hope you’ll help us make them one of the most exciting events to date!
I invite you to follow me on Twitter and Facebook. If you have any questions, send email to me at scripter@microsoft.com, or post your questions on the Official Scripting Guys Forum. See you tomorrow. Until then, peace.
Ed Wilson, Microsoft Scripting Guy