I was talking to Cary Millsap last week about the beneficial effect the Symposium has had on the wider community over the past several years.
I had a chance to take a look at a paper recently that someone had almost completed for presentation at last year’s Symposium and it reminded me how inspirational it had been for me to have a conference dedicated to performance. I think the Symposium has prompted quite a few people to experiment with some aspect of Oracle performance for the education of themselves and others. It gives people something interesting to aim for.
I remember the closing speech from Cary at the last Symposium I attended, during which he emphasised the importance of seeing new people present new ideas from new perspectives rather than just the same old faces. I agree. Even though there are a small number of slots and so it’s tough to get in, you should consider it if you’re into Oracle performance.
Cary blogged about the Call for Papers here. The two years presenting there were some of my better presenting experiences, so I recommend you give it a try if you have a good idea floating around in your head.