 |
YDKM 6 Master of Ceremonies:
Our MC To Be Announced 2010
|
| Omug often keeps our special guest MC "under wraps" until officially confirmed. Check back here for the details on who our YDKM 6 MC will be in 2010. |
|
|
Who will our special Master of Ceremonies be for YDKM 6? Omug is working on bringing another outstanding personality, so stay tuned.
BACK TO TOP
|
|
 |
YDKM 5 Master of Ceremonies:
Andy Ihnatko America's 42nd most beloved industry-figure
|
| Andy Ihnatko is the "thinker for the rest of us." Armed with quick wit, a press pass and a 12" Aluminum PowerBook, he made his first trip to Oregon for YDKM 5. |
|
|
Andy Ihnatko Andy Ihnatko describes himself as America's 42nd Most-Beloved Industry Figure, because "It's vaguely credible-sounding but impossible to really prove or disprove, and thus is exactly the sort of tag I'd been looking for."
Ihnatko graced the YDKM Event Day stage at YDKM 5 in Canyonville (southern Oregon), which also marked his first visit to Oregon.
Ihnatko is The Chicago Sun-Times' technology columnist. A regular columnist for Macintosh magazines for over a decade (and currently Macworld's opinion columnist), Andy has been named to the Power 25 list of the Macintosh industry's most influential people every year since the list's inception, and has written two books. His writings have been incorporated into college curriculum and been licensed by NASA. Though proud of the above accomplishments, Ihnatko is nonetheless resigned to the fact that he'll probably be best-known for creating "The Original MacQuarium," a 50-page book of plans and instructions for converting any Classic-style Macintosh into a functional 2.5-gallon aquarium.
Published in 1993 as one of the Internet's first e-Books, it's provided Ihnatko with a steady stream of emails from new and happy MacQuarium builders.
Andy is also a regular on the MacNotables podcast panel. He lives in Boston with his two goldfish, Click and Drag. His website (and well-thumbed blog) can be found at <http://ihnatko.com/>.
BACK TO TOP
|
|
 |
YDKM 4 Master of Ceremonies:
Guy Kawasaki (the legend) |
| Guy Kawasaki, former Apple Evangelist, author, industry speaker, CEO of Garage Technology Ventures, Alltop.com and now blogger. |
|
|
Guy Kawasaki is, indeed, a legend to Apple fans everywhere and within the technology industry. A show of hands revealed only one person among hundreds in attendance at the 2002 User Group University reception during MacWorld Expo who did NOT know who Guy is! That person was allowed to leave the room alive. Guy continues to impact several industries today -- the entreprenuer and investor fields with his Garage Technology Ventures, the business and technology industries with his experiences as evangelist and president, the book industry as author, and the speaker arena as... well, just being Guy.
Set your bookmarks or home page, his most recent adventure and venture is the intelligent and customizable online magazine rack Alltop.com
Kawasaki continues to amaze Apple fans with his support of Macintosh User Groups, long after leaving Apple. Although his work schedule leaves little time for outside ventures, he even journeyed to Taiwan and attended the Singapore MUG meeting.
He has been a special guest of the Corvallis, Oregon MUG 3 times and the Portland MUG twice since 1986. And he once again demonstrated his support of all Oregon MUGs with his MC appearance at YDKM in Bend. Guy also added his own brand of questions and answers to that year's trivia! Those who were there know why those who have heard Kawasaki in person keep coming back for more.
Now you can catch a dose of Kawasaki almost daily at his blog, too. And be wise in any business by getting Guy's latest book, "Reality Check" ...as wise Garr Reynolds did (below):
BACK TO TOP
|
|
 |
|
YDKM 3 Master of Ceremonies:
Garr Reynolds Apple UG Chief
|
| Former Apple worldwide User Group Program Manager, presentation expert, Beaver alum, and now author, Garr Reynolds. |
|
|
Garr Reynolds took over the reigns of Program Manager for Worldwide User Group Relations at Apple from Diane Cohn in early 2001. One immediate, special link we have with Garr is that he is a native Oregonian. (Pssst... don't tell Duck fans, but Garr played football for the Beavers, too). Garr worked for 10 years as a communications specialist and trainer with Sumitomo Electric in Osaka, Japan. In 2003, Garr left Apple to return to Japan to teach and develop his professional presentation business. He still understands how valuable the user group concept is. And to keep his feet in that water, he created an Apple user group focused on design in Japan called Design Matters.
In Japan, Garr has also served as President of Osaka's Kinki Macintosh Users Group (KMUG). Garr could also be seen on weekends playing drums in a few jazz bands. A jazz fan at heart, he still enjoys playing music with friends in Japan, the Bay Area, and back in Oregon when visiting family.
"I think YDKM is a fantastic idea and event," Garr says. "The purpose of bringing together all the active groups in Oregon can only help each of those user groups. And it's a fun event, too. I think YDKM is an inspiration to other groups looking to create a statewide event. I had a wonderful time as MC, and look forward to being there again in 2002." And he was.
No soup for you if you don't pick up a copy of Garr's outstanding book on the zen-like skills of presenting: "Presentation Zen: Simple Ideas on Presentation Design and Delivery". And keep up on the World According To Garr by checking in often on his Presentation Zen blog. Friend Guy Kawasaki does both:
BACK TO TOP
|
|
 |
|
YDKM 2 Master of Ceremonies:
Steve Wozniak The father himself
|
| Woz after the trivia contest, holding the Golden Apple Trophy, YDKM 2, in Newport, at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. |
|
|
I'm sorry, but if you don't know who Steve Wozniak is, then excuse yourself from the room and substract a thousand points on your Apple history score. OK, we'll give you a hint: He was one of the 2 co-founders of Apple Computer.
Okay, that was big hint. If you need further educating, visit the founder at his website.
"The Woz" (as he is affectionately called) surprised even our YDKM founder when he said "Yes" to our request to be the 2000 YDKM Master of Ceremonies -- and the wide eyes stayed wide in awe when Steve flew up on his own dime and did an outstanding job on stage, orchestrating the trivia event and giving a Q&A session afterward. He even happily signed autographs and chatted with Mac users after the event. It is just that kind of giving, especially of his time, that continues to make the Woz a legend to MUGs and Mac users. We tried to reciprocate: a private helicopter ride from the Eugene airport to Newport, and a night on a sternwheeler houseboat, among other appreciations.
To state the obvious, we were VERY fortunate to have him support Oregon MUGs and the YDKM event. And we are still smiling. He said he had a great time at YDKM, and wants to come back again. I don't even think we need to take a vote, do you? Thanks, Steve.
Didn't get to see the Woz in Newport? Don't cry. The next best thing is his autobiography, "iWoz" -- pay attention to that man behind the curtain by soaking in the life of Woz.
BACK TO TOP
|
|
 |
|
YDKM 1 Master of Ceremonies:
Craig Hickman Oregon's own
|
| Father and son effort: Craig and son Ben helped launch the first "You Don't Know Mac!" Event Day in Corvallis. |
|
|
Who could we get to MC a spankin' new statewide event that was soaked in Mac and Apple trivia, had a homegrown flavor and planted its roots firmly in the Oregon soil? We felt it would be special to have a fellow Oregonian be the first YDKM Master of Ceremonies in 1999. Fortunately, CMUG had the answer when a special guest speaker graced the CMUG stage one meeting a year before -- Craig Hickman. His name would ring a bell to anyone who had fallen in love with a creation of his, the software art tool Kid Pix.
A professor of art at the Univerty of Oregon in Eugene, Craig and his son Ben (whom Kid Pix was created for) blessed YDKM with a journey into Beaver country -- a brave venture, indeed, for any Duck. But they did it because they are big Mac fans and Mac users. Craig was outstanding on stage, forging the protocol of directing the trivia event. He also provided some insights to various topics throughout the trivia, and said he really enjoyed himself. Ben even pitched in and handed out event agenda pamphlets to attendees before the event. It was a father and son effort, indeed. We would be honored to have them both back at YDKM -- and they WILL be invited.
BACK TO TOP
|
|
|