Book Image

Developer, Advocate!

By : Geertjan Wielenga
Book Image

Developer, Advocate!

By: Geertjan Wielenga

Overview of this book

What exactly is a developer advocate, and how do they connect developers and companies around the world? Why is the area of developer relations set to explode? Can anybody with a passion for tech become a developer advocate? What are the keys to success on a global scale? How does a developer advocate maintain authenticity when balancing the needs of their company and their tech community? What are the hot topics in areas including Java, JavaScript, "tech for good," artificial intelligence, blockchain, the cloud, and open source? These are just a few of the questions addressed by developer advocate and author Geertjan Wielenga in Developer, Advocate!. 32 of the industry's most prominent developer advocates, from companies including Oracle, Microsoft, Google, and Amazon, open up about what it's like to turn a lifelong passion for knowledge sharing about tech into a rewarding career. These advocates run the gamut from working at large software vendors to small start-ups, along with independent developer advocates who work within organizations or for themselves. In Developer, Advocate!, readers will see how developer advocates are actively changing the world, not only for developers, but for individuals and companies navigating the fast-changing tech landscape. More importantly, Developer, Advocate! serves as a rallying cry to inspire and motivate tech enthusiasts and burgeoning developer advocates to get started and take their first steps within their tech community.
Table of Contents (36 chapters)
34
Other Books You May Enjoy
35
Index
36
Packt

Making use of Twitter

Geertjan Wielenga: It makes sense in our tech space that if you follow a certain number of people on Twitter, you only focus on 20 or 30 people out of that group, and you get all the information that you need from those people. Do you find that getting information from a few knowledgeable people, by following their posts, is more valuable than reading some anonymous article by somebody who you have no connection with at all?

Ivar Grimstad: In some ways, but at the same time, you have to be a little bit careful that you don't fall into this bubble that means you only ever listen to people who are like you.

Getting influenced by ideas from all around you is always good and that's where the conference side becomes important.

I go and listen to other talks at conferences still. I never go to a conference with a particular narrow focus in mind; I just look at the schedule and think, "Okay, what's cool here?" I might select a talk on web tracks...