Today’s post comes from my colleague Barbara Cooney. Here she reports on the PauseOnError 2018.

It was nine years ago that I attended the very first PauseOnError (PoE) in NY at the Ace Hotel. We crammed into each other’s hotel rooms, some sitting on the floor. There we presented and discussed new techniques sharing the challenges and accomplishments we had encountered in our effort to improve our FileMaker skill set. I was an independent developer, and somewhat isolated. So I was encouraged to meet the people behind the screen names with whom I’d exchanged countless discussions on the forums. It recharged me.

PauseOnError Hits the Big Leagues

Two weeks ago, I attended a much more structured and larger PauseOnError, sponsored by the WomenOfFileMaker.  The event was held in the welcoming and creative city of New Orleans. The hotel we stayed at was lush and extravagant and a perfect setting for an intimate gathering of FileMaker pros.

The hotel for PauseOnError was extravagant. Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/LauraJBetz

The hotel for PauseOnError was extravagant. Photo Credit: https://twitter.com/LauraJBetz

The Theme

PauseOnError was organized by the Women Of FileMaker, and the theme they choose was “Stand Tall”.

Martha Zink, Susan Dean Fennema, and Lisette Wilson kicked things off.

Martha Zink, Susan Dean Fennema, and Lisette Wilson kicked things off.

We stood tall by telling our stories from our name tags to an entire session called “Tell Your Story”. Many of the sessions included this theme in their discussion. It was inspiring to hear of others’ journey too and through FileMaker.

Our nametags gave a little insight into who we are.

A Wide-Range of Presentations

The sessions encompassed many topics. The range spanned growing your FileMaker business to leveraging its position as a platform that can integrate easily with other systems. Since joining Geist Interactive, I’ve already been involved in several API integrations. Here I choose to both validate and expand my knowledge in those integrations sessions.

Lots of API topics

In one of the first sessions, Jeremy Upton’s curiosity led him to explore the developer tools available from Amazon to integrate Alexa. Imagine being able to ask your FileMaker database “what were last month’s sales?” And have Alexa answer back!

Sol Rodriguez demonstrated the use of RestFM with Google’s JavaScript Framework, Angular, to quickly provide web-based access to a FileMaker system. His enthusiasm for how approachable this world is for FileMaker developers was contagious. I plan to sign up for the Udemy course he highly recommended.

Chris Irvine introduced us to an alternative to REST, GraphQL, created by FaceBook. This language lets the user limit the data received back from an API call and in doing so, improve performance when latency is a concern.

Overall, what struck me about each of these sessions is each developer used tenacity and trial & error to push through that initial learning curve hump. The message is clear:

  • You can do this too the tools are out there.
  • It’s achievable.
  • You’ve got a community of developers that will support you.

And Other Topics

Taking a break from API approaches, I attended Anton Anderson’s session. It offered instruction on the use of graphical tools such as FlowCharts and ERDs to communicate complex workflows and relationships, so that you and your client share the same understanding.

Mike Beargie demonstrated how to build modular files which allow you to reuse functionality across several solutions, using JSON to pass parameters and results.

Women of FileMaker

The last session that I attended was dedicated to Women in FileMaker. Here, Martha Zink interviewed several community leaders and asked them to share their challenges, achievements and how their attitudes have changed during their careers.

 

Photo Credit: Credit: https://twitter.com/LauraJBetz

I was struck with the similarities to my own experiences in my 25 years as a women developer in a male-dominated industry. I gained a sense of confidence listening to how they too overcame the need for perfection and crisis of confidence with which many women are burdened. The top developers, as I saw first hand in the sessions I attended, and witness at Geist, learn by trying, making mistakes, revising and ultimately accomplishing their goal. No one gets it right the first time and expecting to do so is self-defeating. As Dave Ramsey of FMPerception fame explained, “errors allow me to see how it can fail, and that is important info to have too.”

A Fulfilling Pause

Poetically, I ended PauseOnError by running into Ernest Koe, one of the founders of the first POE, in the elevator. He was curious of my reaction to this experience of Pause. I assured him that the camaraderie was still there and the excitement of interacting with community leaders hadn’t diminished. I’m more than ever optimistic of FileMaker’s future and my ability to help my clients accomplish their goals. I’m looking forward to DevCon.