As an IBM Champion I can provide you with a discount code for $100 off the full registration to IBM Connect 2017.  All you have to do is ask for it.  Just post a comment here.  When you do, it will prompt you for an email address that won’t be visible to anyone. I will connect with you and get you the discount code.  See you in San Francisco!

Verse is the new way to work with email communications.  It was first made available in IBM Connections Cloud and is now available for your Domino mail server on premises.  To save you some time searching at Passport Advantage for the download, the part number is CNGD8ML

More later when I have a chance to install it.

There are many online resources for connecting with administrators, developers, and IBMers to get your questions answered, find resources for hire, discover integrated products to extend your software environment, and learn about what new software or the next version will bring.  IBM customers tend to be very collaborative, so you can find them in just about any social media forum.  Being connected to them is invaluable.  Knowing where to find them is the hard part.  Here is a list of top resources.  There are many more out there. Start with the aggregators.  Please post your own contributions in the comments and I will add them to this list.

Blog aggregators & RSS Readers & Search Widgets
CollaborationToday.info
PlanetLotus.org
Chris Miller’s RSS
Chris Miller’s search widget

List of ICS User Groups from around the worldBleedingBlue (Pacific Northwest IBM user group)

Linkedin Groups
Lotus Notes and Domino
IBM Messaging & Collaboration Professionals

Facebook Groups & Pages
IBM Collaboration Solutions Support Page

Exceptional websites
OpenNTF.org

Watson Workspaces (under development. Soon will replace Skype chats)

Skype chats:
(to make Skype URIs work, copy the link and paste it in your browser address bar. It will then prompt to open Skype)

IBM Notes & Domino (pending getting the group open)
IBM Linux (pending getting the group open)

IBM Connections Cloud Community: skype:?chat&blob=9a8owk7xhR_Sp0aIiXWhGKH_zPVztRPIEgXmCVkqiatYXR9-_-8MO4WYvLSp2MpSqw_dnzqGmM0CpCNoMZCq3QigAvVJgpUALOld4V60nFENf6DF_8kSXgrScDLBmhLUEsdcRJQVQxfhAhARjb9cG8fP0LqFPA

IBM Sametime Community:
skype:?chat&blob=V0xqy1dcyaq6mjzOY_dnRyH0kHIf5WrNpLrGIRyfg2WtISHQhhG2bcAIC__hcwEqGqBz4esx1hb5d4wRMKqgtCCHLdQOrnl_c3bLj85Dy1c

IBM Connections Community:
skype:?chat&blob=YwKh-Coeo12vdnkB0DvmJi64oIc25A3lIpJmAK0J9OR1WKV2G2CDNMCqGKG4-LbxAAwgWjtJSNM2JSXGdalRqnz6nbp4280oIug-9Q4UcB7gJ7VEXquWC4Sk-f_FzkWrzIojNPPw

Docker and ICS:
skype:?chat&blob=FtEKB1aPt1TXmRiU2yIP0m7Qi1k05KHJfQlB3Y2dgr-r0qp4P37zU9yMS9zhLVfnBrqNvFHa

Slack chats:
xpages.slack.com (register here)

IBM just announced the list of people who have earned the title of 2017 IBM Champion for ICS (IBM Collaborative Solutions).

What is an IBM Champion?  To quote the champion of the Champions, Amanda Bauman:

These individuals are non-IBMers who evangelize IBM solutions, share their knowledge and help grow the community of professionals who are focused on social business and IBM’s Social Solutions. IBM Champions spend a considerable amount of their own time, energy and resources on community efforts — organizing and leading user group events, answering questions in forums, contributing wiki articles and applications, publishing podcasts, sharing instructional videos and more!

Congratulations to all of you IBM Champions on your achievements.  I am honored and humbled to be included again this year in such great company.  I believe your achievements as IBM Champions is just an indicator of the kind of leaders and top performing individuals you are.  You all set a very high standard to live by!  I also want to make a shout out to my friend and neighbor to the North (Vancouver, BC), Graham Acres of Brytek Systems who as also been recognized as an IBM Champion for ICS 2017.

Here is the complete list:

* = New IBM Champions for 2017

You can find links to many of their blogs at PlanetLotus.org  You can view more details about the Champion program at the IBM Social Business User Community.  And if you aren’t a member, consider joining the conversations in this user group community.  Also, we have a local user group for IBM technology here in the Pacific Northwest.
Visit our meetup page for more information.  See you at IBM Connect 2017!

A raw footage, behind-the-scene glimpse into what is in store when CYSO hosts the TSMA in concert November 19, 2016, 2pm at Benaroya Hall, Seattle.  This is what happens when dedicated young musicians intersect with gifted Gospel vocalists.  The recording on my phone does not do it justice by any means. You’ve got to experience this in person.  The voices of the Townsend School of Music and Arts Choir were so powerful, I felt they almost drowned out the orchestra. And in concert they will be mic’ed!  The impact of this combination is going to bring tears of joy to your eyes.

OK, I might be a bit bias because my daughter is playing cello, but this orchestra is the real deal.  While she is first chair in her high school orchestra, there are 5 cellists ahead of her in this orchestra.  Talent runs deep in this group!

This concert will be performed in one of the most amazing music auditoriums in the world: Benaroya Hall, home of the Seattle Symphony.  If you live around the Seattle area, please come and support these young musicians. Nothing would please them more than to get to play to a sold out crowd.  Tickets are only $22 at http://www.benaroyahall.org   If you reach out to me, I can connect you with one of the students who can sell the tickets at a discount and it helps them out.

For more about these two organizations, visit
http://www.cyso.us/
http://www.thetsma.org/

Thanks for listening to this public service announcement.
–The Notes Guy in Seattle

There is plenty going on this month including:
Nov 10 -11 – SUTOL Technical Conference in Prague (wish I could be there!)
Nov 17 – Cross Canada Collaboration User Group event with – you guessed it – multiple sites across Canada as well as live streaming.
Nov 17 – The usual monthly online meeting of IBM Social Business User Community (log into developerWorks)
Nov 24 – DNUG “Domino Day”in Dusseldorf
Nov 30 – ISBG in Oslo

Support your user group communities and see how they can empower you and your organization.  Collaboration is what makes us so successful!

The IBM Champions for Social Business have been included in the beta (alpha?) of IBM Watson Workspace.  I am able to invite friends to join too.  I just need your IBM ID.  It should be an email address.  If you still have the old-school ID that was whatever username you wanted, you need to create one that is an email address.

Once logged in, you can follow the new features that are getting added here.
Looking forward to exploring the new technology driven by Watson.  I will share more about features after I get familiar with it.

As both an IBM business partner and a transportation technology enthusiast, it is exciting to see #IBMWatson getting into the transportation game. Transportation is a huge industry and everyone wants to innovate to capture that revenue. Google, IBM, Detroit and countless startups are racing in. Transportation is about to change in ways unimagined.

Here is a list of webcast events for the IBM Collaboration Software community. If you aren’t a member of this community on developerWorks, create an account while you’re there so you can participate in the discussions and keep your knowledge sharp.

(Note time zones are listed in Pacific Time Zone, because that’s where I live.)
18 Oct, 8:00 AM PDT (GMT -7) Open Mic Webcast: Common Issues on IBM Traveler Push Notifications

20 Oct, 7:00 AM PDT GMT(-7) Monthly Community Meeting – Every 3rd Thursday

If you are lucky enough to live in Brussels, here is a meeting at IBM Oct 27th on the future of Verse and Toscana Get the latest news!

Nov 10, 11: If you are anywhere near Prague, don’t miss SUTOL Technical Conference with IBM Champion Jan Valdman

Nov 17 1:00PM – 5:00PM PDT My friends just north of me are hosting Cross Canada Collaboration User Group with Champion-worthy Graham Acres.  This is a combination webcast/in-person session that will be broadcasting live from multiple locations in the Great White North.

And if you missed these from last month, go watch the recordings:

(Note time zones)
7 Sep, 8:00 AM PDT (GMT -7) Tips and Tricks for Managing Communities Effectively

14 Sep, 8:00 AM PDT GMT(-7) IBM Client Application Access (ICAA)

21 Sep, 8:00 AM PDT GMT(-7) Rename best practices for SmartCloud Notes hybrid administrators

22 Sep, 7:00 AM PDT GMT(-7) IBM mail support for Microsoft Outlook

Remember that you can overlay the Social Business User Community calendar onto your calendar to have all these dates automatically added to your calendar. Just visit the community calendar on DeveloperWorks and click the button below the calendar to Add to Personal Calendar.

IBM Champion nominations are open.  Do you know someone who has shown expertise and advocacy for the IBM Collaboration Software community?

If there is someone you feel is worthy (including yourself), go here and post your nomination.  The deadline for submissions is November 14th. You can also  Watch the webcast replay explaining more details.

Here is a list of webcast events for the IBM Collaboration Software community. If your company doesn’t use this, check these out to see what you are missing:

(Note time zones)
7 Sep, 8:00 AM PDT (GMT -7) Tips and Tricks for Managing Communities Effectively

14 Sep, 8:00 AM PDT GMT(-7) IBM Client Application Access (ICAA)

21 Sep, 8:00 AM PDT GMT(-7) Rename best practices for SmartCloud Notes hybrid administrators

22 Sep, 7:00 AM PDT GMT(-7) IBM mail support for Microsoft Outlook

You can also overlay the Social Business User Community calendar onto your calendar to have all these dates automatically added to your calendar. Just visit the community calendar on DeveloperWorks and click the button below the calendar to Add to Personal Calendar.

Urgent:  The Navajo Nation is moving forward with building a tourist village and tram into the Grand Canyon at, of all places, the confluence of the Colorado R. and Little Colorado R. They are receiving comments on the proposal until TOMORROW, September 2.
This 60 sec video explains the proposed project:

Please do the following 3 steps:
1. Share your comments to the Navajo Nation
Urge them not to spoil this natural resource for generations to come.
And contact Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell.
Remind her of her duty to work with the Navajo to protect and preserve the Grand Canyon as the 1975 Grand Canyon Enlargement Act requires.

2.  Sign one or more of the petitions:
– SaveTheConfluence.com petition
– American Rivers petition

3. Spread the word.  More signatures and comments amplify your voice.  Share this post on social media and forward it to your friends. Here is a shortened URL:
http://bit.ly/savethegrand

4. Like this page if you did these so everyone can see how many are joining in.

Remember this is due by tomorrow September 2nd, but even if that date has passed, keep sharing, sending comments, signing the petitions.

Escalade Project Photo

Watch this video to get a feeling of why this all matters:

THE IMPORTANT PLACES. from gnarly bay on Vimeo.

My personal story is this: Five years ago I led a rafting expedition down The Canyon and I brought my 12-year-old daughter along. (You can read about our journey here.)
She says one of the most amazing parts of that experience was how we were so totally, completely away from all signs of civilization and able to truly become one with nature. She only had enough time to go as far as Phantom Ranch before hiking out to get back to school. But she knows she will return to run the entire river.

So now the Navajo Nation has a decision to make: Will my daughter ever get the chance to return to the river and complete the journey unspoiled as it was in 2011?

Heartbreaking to think that we have no one but ourselves to blame for the loss of the Native American culture that cherished the concept of Seven Generation Sustainability and Seven Generations – The Role of Chief

More information can be found at:
https://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/Article/view/articleid/32621/
American Rivers on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanRivers/?fref=nf