I'd like to recount my experience leading up to and during the BPCF class.
I've been coding ColdFusion for about 18 years, ever since Jeremy Allaire
first etched out a <cfset> tag in a big stone. I've built everything from
massive XML manipulation scripts and data transformation serives using CF to
(most recently, thanks to Stan Cox) tables in colors and the blink tag. But
I always wondered things like:
what is request scope?
how do you get the debugger to work?
what does the design tab do in CFStudio?
how do I set up development mappings?
how come the scheduler doesn't work?
where can I find a keygen for Allaire products?
While I was sharing a cigar with Stan Cox at last year's Allaire Developer
Conference, I mentioned my question list to him. Lo and behold, the almighty
Mr. Halbert H Helms Incorporated was standing next to us (smoking his own,
far more expensive Cuban number), and he overheard my comment. Well to make
a stupid story short, I ended up at the first ever BPCF class in Atlanta a
few months later.
Although the class was a little pricy, I honestly believe it was worth more
than the $2500 charged - more like $2600 would be appropriate.
Hal and Adam are absolute geniuses. Their combined programming experience
exceeds the lifespan of an average housecat, and it shows. The pace was
fantastic in the class. We had lots of hands-on practice, and the materials
presented were wonderfully prepared. I got so used to successfully getting
individual attention that at one point I asked Adam for some help dressing a
turkey. You all may not know, but Adam is about as good a cook as his hair
is long (and it's quite long). Luckily for me, Adam had a turkey in the
refrigerator at the training center, so we spent a good 30 minutes
discussing the intricacies of cooking fowl.
I had one defining moment in the class when I asked Hal a complex question
about nesting structures. It was immediately apparent that this topic was
something that he was hoping no one would ask, because he let out a sigh
before diving into a full 45 minute explanation on the comparison between
structures and arrays with regards to nesting, sorting, and manipulation. He
even had a powerPoint presentation on the topic on a diskette in his pocket.
Obviously, this guy was well prepared.
It is with this in mind that I think anyone looking to transition from a
moderately-experienced developer into what my friend Steve Nelzian calls an
"uber-programmer" should take this course. I believe this so strongly, that
I've teamed up with Steve to offer knock-off classes of the BPCF class that
Hal and Adam offer. Thanks to a concealed video camera, we're going to be
reproducing the class word-for-word, slide-for-slide, exercise-for-exercise,
and lecture-for-lecture for a radically reduced cost - $2495!
As a sneek preview to what's ahead in our classes, Steve and I have been
working intensely with the cast of genetecists from Jurassic Park to clone
Hal. You see, after Hal flipped his fine Cuban cigar into the trash last
November outside the Wardmann Park Marriott, I picked it up and sealed it in
a ZipLoc bag. We have his genetic makeup mapped, and it will only be a few
short months while we grow a new Hal (with a few directive modifications
like total obediance to us) in our regrowth chamber (which looks remarkably
like the thing that Milla Jovovich came out of in The Fifth Element). So
stay tuned for updates!
Hope this helps,
NAT
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Hal Helms [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 1:46 PM
> To: Fusebox
> Subject: RE: Best Pracices with CF and Fusebox course
>
>
> I took it. It was FANTASTIC!! ;-)
>
> Seriously, in response to another person asking about it, I asked
> the people
> who took the class to write directly to that person. They were kind enough
> to copy me and give me permission to use their quotes. Here they are,
> unedited: (If you'd like to contact the list, it's [EMAIL PROTECTED])
>
> These first ones were taken from feedback after class. We
> deliberately don't
> ask for names so that people feel free to be honest.
>
> "I am really impressed with both Hal and Adam's training methods
> and skills.
> I got MUCH more than I was hoping for at my level."
>
> "This course kicked ass and took names! It is hands down the
> best technical
> training I have ever attended. ...I received enough practical,
> immediately
> applicable information to advance my knowledge of ColdFusion development
> ten-fold. Outstanding!"
>
> "You guys rule! This was an absolutely mindblowing tour de force through
> some nasty territory, but I can't remember the last time I felt
> invigorated
> after sitting through eight hours of code-talk. Excellent."
>
> "Good job. I really thank you for the attention you paid to our questions
> and areas where we requested more information."
>
> This next set were the ones people copied me on and I have
> permission to use
> their names:
>
> From Hank West:
> I took Hal's Best Practices Class Last month. I had already taken
> Allaire's
> Advanced CF class but was looking for some help in getting me to the "next
> Level" of CF Development. I had also bought the FuseBox book and was
> looking for help pulling that together.
>
> The class was of well worth the price. Even though there were some
> 20 students in the class it was like getting a private mentor. Both Hal
> and Adam work with every student individually. They go over a lot of
> material (some of which could be a 2-3 day class by itself) but it all
> builds on each other and by the time you are finished with the class you
> have the confidence that you can handle the development of a major CF site
> using multiple developers. They teach CF practices and methodologies that
> solid and well proven.
>
> This class is definitely not a typical Instructor Lecture, do the exercise
> and on to the next topic. It was more of a Knowledge transfer from
> experienced professionals who have "been there and done that".
>
> As a side note, the people who attend the class are also a cut above the
> average CF developer and become valuable resources on down the road. Hal
> maintains a CF Best Practices discussion group so the training is on
> going... beyond the classroom.
>
> //
>
> And this one from Lars Blackmore:
>
> I attended Hal and Adam's BPCF training in Atlanta a while back,, and I
> would recommend it without reservations. I am a one-main in-house CF shop
> for a large non-profit, and I've got more work on my table than I
> know what
> to do with. My requests from users are poorly structured,
> ill-informed, and
> the planning and implementation of a sound solution is entirely
> up to me. My
> back-end support consists of exactly no-one in particular, so I
> also have to
> know how to manage the nitty-gritty of a SQL server, tweak IIS to serve up
> my intranet stuff right, and deal with our ISP when our hosted site goes
> kablooey. I've been working with CF for a little over a year, and only now
> am starting to feel in control of the beast.
>
> Enter BPCF.
>
> Not only will you learn what the curriculum tells you will be taught, but
> you will also have unlimited access to two amazing minds and their broad
> knowledge of real world web design. They actually go out of their way to
> ensure that your questions are answered, and their one-on-one work with
> attendees ensures that you leave with all the knowledge you came for. It
> boggles the mind how many of those little "I've always wanted to know if
> there's a smarter way to do..." questions they will be able to answer for
> you.
>
> Most importantly, the course will have a real impact on your productivity.
> I'm still waiting to get around to implementing most of the amazing (but
> simple - and free) tools that were presented to me at the course, but I am
> already cranking out better code faster than ever before. I feel more in
> control of the stuff I'm doing, because I know I'm doing it right
> this time
> around - not least the Fusebox of course, which is no trifling matter. And
> if you manage other coders, you will be in a position to ensure a much
> higher level of quality control while working towards a detailed,
> realistic
> production plan (I know, I know, this sounds like we were doing drugs and
> hallucinating heavily, but...).
>
> So again, please go. Convince your boss this is the best $2500 he
> will ever
> spend on training, because you will actually come back envigorated and
> roaring to code.
>
> Disclaimer: Hal & Adam did not pay me for this feedback - I just happen to
> think they deserve it.
>
> //
>
> From Lisa Wilson:
>
> I am an intermediate level CF programmer who attended the Best Practices
> course in Atlanta in January. I found the course a great experience,
> covering
> SQL, Fusebox and database design. I was already familiar with
> some areas of
> the course, so those parts were a good refresher. Other areas
> were known but
> unfamiliar, so I got a lot out of that training.
>
> The best part was being with a group of students from all knids of
> businesses who are grappling with some of the same problems. The benefits
> of the course snuck up on me in the weeks after returning home,
> when I found
> myself using techniques I had learned almost without conscious
> thought. The
> overall experience of creating a website and considering EVERYTHING -
> database design, customer's business requirements, logical application
> structure, application code details - was invaluable.
>
> //
>
> From Rob Seebach:
>
> This class was jammed packed with great information. Hal really makes
> learning these practices very easy. What is very unusual is that the
> academic learning (traditional) is a very small portion of the class. I
> left the class with the knowledge to start programming using Fusebox and
> have implemented it when developing our corporate intranet. Well worth the
> money!!!
>
>
>
> Hal Helms
> Team Allaire
> [ See www.halhelms.com <http://www.halhelms.com> for info on training
> classes ]
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Rob Schuff [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
> Sent: Thursday, March 22, 2001 2:47 PM
> To: Fusebox
> Subject: Best Pracices with CF and Fusebox course
>
>
> Has anyone taken this course? If so how was the experience?
> What was best?
> What could have been better?
>
> thanks
>
> rob
>
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------
> Robert Schuff Bull Run Software
> [EMAIL PROTECTED] Portland, OR USA
> ------------------------------------------------------------------
> ---
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Structure your ColdFusion code with Fusebox. Get the official book at
http://www.fusionauthority.com/bkinfo.cfm
Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/
Unsubscribe: http://www.houseoffusion.com/index.cfm?sidebar=lists
