Recently Niklas Heidloff posted a lot of sessions related to XPages /IBM Domino application Development.
There are Thirty-Six (36) sessions listed. The majority appear to me to be directly related to XPages itself.
There’s simply a TON of great XPages content at the conference and there will be lot of great IBMers from the XPages team attending. I see IBM is sending some big names right off the bat: Martin Donnelly, Padraic Edwards, Eamon Muldoon and Tony McGuckin. I see Phillippe Riand, who to me will always be awesome and inspiring. I consider him the “Father of XPages”. Hanging with him beats hanging with Ray Ozzie the “Father of Notes” any day of the week.
But today I want to talk about Paul Hannan.
In my experience Paul Hannan is without a doubt the most visible “IBM XPager Community member”. He reaches out all the time to people in need. When I have a problem he’s first in line to ask for a demo so he can take a look. Heck he asks to help more often then I can accept his help. Usually by the time he finds out there’s a problem and contacts me, I’ve been so frustrated I just move on and do something a different way. So I don’t get a proper demo built for him for him to look into. That’s actually one of my New Year resolutions. To get better at tracking problems down.
Paul has been a friend to me and NotesIn9 since the earliest days. While I’ve been unsuccessful at getting him, or ANY member of the core XPages team on the show***, Paul has given me behind the scenes help on several episodes. I think the first time he had involvement with the show was 5 years ago, in episode #007:
If I recall correctly, Paul heard about my issue of the day, got involced and even went to another IBMer, Marie Kehoe, to get a really good answer that I was able to share back out. Back then we all struggled with XPages and it was amazing to get any help, let alone help from inside IBM.
Paul once even sent a problem I was having to Phillipe Riand himself. Unfortunately that was not an XPages bug that I thought it was. It was a bug with my code and that embarrassment has haunted me ever since. haha
Paul has also been involved in the original and recently updated XPages Mobile Controls Tutorial as well as the XPages Extension Library demo database. I’m sure he’s done tons more that I don’t even know about.
He even was kind enough to give assistance to my daughter, who was in 4th grade at the time, for a report she had to do on Holiday traditions from Ireland.
His biggest contribution to the community may have been in the writing of the XPages Extension Library Book. I recall that during a Lotusphere, Phillipe Riand made some tweet about needing a book. Then Paul got involved along with some non IBM XPages community members and made it happen.
I wonder if that could have happened if Paul had not attended the conference that year?
I ask this because it’s my understanding that Paul is NOT going to IBM Connect this year. I’m not sure why. I would hope that it would be a job requirement for at least him to be there. I can understand that the whole team can’t always go. Heck I’ve no idea how big the team even is. But Paul is the only one that I know of the consistently connects with the community.
Another great IBMer that reaches out often is Simon O’Doherty. I really hope he’ll be there.
The “IBM Champion” program excludes actual IBMers. If IBM’ers were allowed to participate I would gladly give up my place for Paul. He’s a true champion in every sense of the word. He’s the XPagers Champion!
You’ll be missed sir. We will drink and code in your honor!
*** Oh yeah XPages Team. Fair warning! We’ll be discussing that issue! haha