Last year on Twitter, I posted this simple tip for those attending AU and since I am luck enough to be going this year I want to stress the importance of the tip from last year.
Tip: LOOK UP AND MEET THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU.
When you watch old videos from previous Autodesk University sessions. People talk about how great it was way back when (back in the good ol’ days) because they met new people and made connections that they wouldn’t have had done so easily on their own. Think about how many thousands of people attend this “CAD Nerd Conference” and their vast experience and knowledge. If you meet a few people and then follow up with them after the conference you may end up making a friend or at least someone who might be good at something that you may need help with later on down the road.
At my last AU in 2012, I arrived early to the exhibit hall. It was prior to the doors being opened so there was a lot of people waiting around for the doors to open and I noticed how eerily quiet it was considering the amount of people there were in that hallway. The one common thing i noticed is that most everyone had their eyes peeled on their phones or tablets. I was convicted because I was doing the same thing. So I put my phone down and shoved it in my pocket and approached a couple of people to start some small talk and I noticed that they didn’t want to talk or quickly looked around for someone else…
These devices are not bad in and of themselves but I am afraid that people are loosing their people skills and their desire to meet new people. If you are interested in reading an article that discusses this called “Alone in the Crowd” (READ HERE).
This year, I will be checking my emails through the day while at the conference, but I am making the decision to keep it to an minimum and meet as many people as I can. And I suggest that you do the same. If you are Attending the conference and happen to see me. Please stop and say “hi”. I would love to meet you and talk “CAD Nerd” stuff with you.
I would really like to meet some of the people that visit my blog as well. I hope that it has served you in some way.
Below is a picture of me: My name is Greg Battin and my email address is greg.battin@gmail.com I don’t care that I posted my email address because I do it all the time and I am excited to meet you and I don’t want to feel “Alone In the Crowd”.
~Greg
AutoCAD Tips 
Dear Creg,
This is a wonderful blog! I couldn’t imagine something this thorough could exist. I came across it a few days ago when I was looking to annotate rectangles and I found this post:
https://autocadtips.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/autolisp-make-a-real-rectacgle/
I have a question: is it possible to modify that true rectangle object to contain an auto-updatable (in case of rotate, move and resize) text inside for example upper top middle showing the size (110×50)? Can you give me clue on how to approach it? I am a programmer but very new to autolisp.
Thanks!
I agree with you entirely! Although I will not be at Autodesk University (I AM a small engineering firm and I have to support myself with AutoCAD and everything else), I’ve noticed that I haven’t enjoyed recent conferences I have gone to as much as previously. I chalked it up to getting old and grumpy, but I think you have identified the issue – people are just too darn involved with their smartphones to make a human connection. And isn’t that the point of conferences?
From what I have seen, there is too many people looking down at their smart phones and the classes haven’t really started yet. I am here for meeting people and building connections more than the classes. Things are-a-changin’ and I see that this conference has become too big.
I live in Denver and there is no AutoCAD user group ( there is a Revit user group) but I see that there might be more benefit in being part of a local user group than coming to this conference.
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I didn’t get any replies while I was at AU so hopefully others were meeting because of my post. but next time – INCLUDE ME!!!
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