Category: Microsoft
Category Archives: Microsoft
Partner Blog | New Copilot+ PCs bring partner opportunity
Our guest contributor for today’s blog is Mark Linton, Vice President, Device Partner Sales at Microsoft.
Today on our Microsoft campus we introduced the world to an entirely new category of Windows PCs designed for AI, Copilot+ PCs. Our device partners joined us at the launch event to showcase their latest PC designs. After years partnering together on the design and engineering of this amazing portfolio, I am incredibly proud of the innovation on display today. The new scenarios, experiences and solutions for customers enabled by this new AI generation of computing will be transformative, as are the partner opportunities created for our ecosystem around the world.
Copilot+ PCs are the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built. With powerful new silicon capable of an incredible 40+ NPU TOPS (trillion operations per second), they offer efficient AI workload processing at the edge. Today, we featured designs powered with Snapdragon X Elite and Snapdragon X Plus processors. We’re thrilled to begin this journey with Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. on their latest processors for the Windows platform — and we’re excited for the innovation coming from our partners at AMD and Intel over the coming months.
These Copilot+ PCs are a game-changer, and we’re leading the industry with the scale only the Microsoft ecosystem can provide. The partner opportunities created by this technology shift are significant.
With Copilot+ PCs, device partners can build next generation hardware equipped with on board capability, enabling customers to benefit from AI software, tools and experiences running at the edge, as well as in the cloud. Here is the device portfolio our partners announced today:
Continue reading here
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
How To Control Azure OpenAI Models
The first step is to choose the correct model and configure its parameters appropriately. Depending on your use case, you need to determine which model can deliver the best quality. This requires knowledge of the available models and their capabilities. Once you have selected the right model, focus on the parameters. For instance, setting the temperature to 0 will prevent the model from generating creative responses. Another important parameter is the max_token parameter which is crucial for optimizing latency performance. For retrieval-augmented generation use cases, it can be set a value between 500 to 800 tokens as a best practice. This parameter also affects the number of API calls you can make per minute, so finding the optimal value is essential. Additionally, the stop_sequence parameter allows you to define when the model should stop. You need to review and adjust other parameters as needed to ensure they meet the requirements of your use case.
After selecting the correct model and configuring its parameters appropriately, the next step is prompt engineering. What is prompt engineering? Prompt engineering is the process of improving the quality of prompts through various techniques. It is essential to understand prompt engineering techniques thoroughly and how to refine your prompts iteratively to achieve the best results.
The quality of the input prompts we send to Azure OpenAI models directly influences the quality of the responses we receive. Prompts are the text inputs that define our expectations, and the output generated by the model depends on the prompt. Outputs can include completions, conversations, or embeddings, depending on the Azure OpenAI model used. Azure OpenAI models use natural language instructions and examples in the prompt to identify the task. The model then completes the task by predicting the most probable next text. This technique is known as “in-context” learning, which operates without altering the actual weights of the model.
Let’s explore the best practices:
There are zero-shot, one-shot, and few-shot learning techniques:
Zero-shot: Predicting with no sample provided.
One-shot: Predicting with one sample provided.
Few-shot: Predicting with a few samples provided.
When using the few-shot learning technique, the models are not retrained in the traditional machine learning sense. Instead, they calculate predictions based on the context included in the prompt. There is no change in the model’s weights; the examples are learned on the spot.
2. Place instructions at the beginning of the prompt, and use ### or “”” (any special characters) to separate the instructions from the context.
3. Be specific, descriptive, and detailed about the desired context, outcome, length, format, style, etc. For instance, you have to use responsible ai instructions in your meta prompt.
4. Break complex tasks into simpler subtasks.
5. Instead of merely stating what not to do, clearly specify what to do.
6. Prompt the model to explain its reasoning before providing an answer (chain of thoughts).
7. Expand the model’s knowledge by integrating other tools.
After executing these two steps, evaluate whether you are satisfied with the outputs and accuracy. If not, consider whether your use case involves Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG). Specifically, ask yourself if you need to use your data to answer questions or generate content. If the answer is yes, then you need to implement the RAG pattern. RAG is a feature that enables you to harness the power of Large Language Models (LLMs) with your enterprise data. With RAG, you can use Azure OpenAI (AOAI) to generate text, summarize information, and chat in the context of your customer’s knowledge base, effectively grounding the data. This technique allows the same LLM model to function as a reasoning engine over new data, enabling in-context learning. By providing the context in your prompt and instructing AOAI to answer based solely on the given context, you ensure more accurate and relevant responses.
Lets assume that you’ve tried all three steps: selected the correct model, set the appropriate parameters, and applied proper prompt engineering techniques and also checked if your use case is suitable for RAG. However, if you still struggle with accuracy, it may be necessary to modify the behavior of the LLM through supervised fine-tuning (SFT). In these situations, you will need an SFT dataset, which is a collection of prompts and their corresponding responses. These datasets can be manually curated by users or generated by other LLMs. Your fine-tuned Azure OpenAI models will be available exclusively for your use, ensuring tailored performance to meet your specific requirements.
Furthermore, you may also consider using RAG with your fine-tuned model. Combining RAG with a fine-tuned model can help you achieve higher accuracy and better performance tailored to your specific needs.
In light of this, when presented with a GenAI utilization scenario, it becomes imperative to methodically contemplate each sequential step as part of a structured cognitive process. This approach aims to identify and implement the most effective solution with a focus on achieving optimal performance metrics.
Microsoft Tech Community – Latest Blogs –Read More
Microsoft 365 Updates Monthly Channel
We are currently experiencing challenges with updating our devices via Intune using Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows 10 and later. Initially, our update channel was set to “Monthly Channel.” However, upon attempting manual updates by users, the system would unexpectedly roll back to version 2311. In response to this issue, we reverted the update channel back to the “Current Channel” in alignment with Microsoft’s recommendations.
Subsequently, some users who remain on version 2311 are encountering difficulties updating to the April 2024 or May 2024 versions. Despite attempting manual updates, the system erroneously indicates that the software is up to date.
We urgently seek clarification on the following matters:
Why are users on version 2311 unable to update to the latest versions for April 2024 or May 2024?
Why does the system incorrectly report that users are up to date when attempting manual updates in the Monthly Channel, leading to rollbacks to older versions?
We are currently experiencing challenges with updating our devices via Intune using Microsoft 365 Apps for Windows 10 and later. Initially, our update channel was set to “Monthly Channel.” However, upon attempting manual updates by users, the system would unexpectedly roll back to version 2311. In response to this issue, we reverted the update channel back to the “Current Channel” in alignment with Microsoft’s recommendations. Subsequently, some users who remain on version 2311 are encountering difficulties updating to the April 2024 or May 2024 versions. Despite attempting manual updates, the system erroneously indicates that the software is up to date. We urgently seek clarification on the following matters: Why are users on version 2311 unable to update to the latest versions for April 2024 or May 2024?Why does the system incorrectly report that users are up to date when attempting manual updates in the Monthly Channel, leading to rollbacks to older versions? Read More
Enable OME encryption button in Outlook
Hello
Please i need your help on this issue.
I would like to enable Enable OME encryption button in Outlook,
Have followed several TIDs and guides from Microsoft and others on enabling the OME encryption button in Outlook 365.
We just need the “Encrypt” button in the new email window.
Hello Please i need your help on this issue. I would like to enable Enable OME encryption button in Outlook, Have followed several TIDs and guides from Microsoft and others on enabling the OME encryption button in Outlook 365. We just need the “Encrypt” button in the new email window. Read More
Which rules was active?
I use many rules. The rules are stored in ascending order by name. The rules are not logically independent (although I tried to make them independent, but I can’t guarantee this beyond the 500th rule)! It would often be nice to know which rule was active for an incoming eMail? Is there any tracking facility to test my rules in test mode while they are running?
Thanks in advance for your help!
Best regards. LőrIst
I use many rules. The rules are stored in ascending order by name. The rules are not logically independent (although I tried to make them independent, but I can’t guarantee this beyond the 500th rule)! It would often be nice to know which rule was active for an incoming eMail? Is there any tracking facility to test my rules in test mode while they are running?Thanks in advance for your help!Best regards. LőrIst Read More
Can you make your calendar Public on Bookings?
I notice all the calendars on my Bookings Page are just listed as “busy” but I would like to make them actually list what event my employees have. How can I do this or have them enable this?
I notice all the calendars on my Bookings Page are just listed as “busy” but I would like to make them actually list what event my employees have. How can I do this or have them enable this? Read More
New Regular expression (Regex) functions in Excel
Hi, Microsoft, 365 Insiders!
Calling all Excel enthusiasts! We’re excited to introduce three new functions that use Regular Expressions to help parse text more easily: REGEXTEST, REGEXEXTRACT, and REGEXREPLACE.
Jake Armstrong, Product Manager on the Excel team, takes a look at and shares insights on each powerful function in our latest blog: New Regular expression (Regex) functions in Excel
Thanks,
Perry
Perry Sjogren
Microsoft 365 Insider Social Media Manager
Become a Microsoft 365 Insider and gain exclusive access to new features and help shape the future of Microsoft 365. Join Now: Windows | Mac | iOS | Android
Hi, Microsoft, 365 Insiders!
Calling all Excel enthusiasts! We’re excited to introduce three new functions that use Regular Expressions to help parse text more easily: REGEXTEST, REGEXEXTRACT, and REGEXREPLACE.
Jake Armstrong, Product Manager on the Excel team, takes a look at and shares insights on each powerful function in our latest blog: New Regular expression (Regex) functions in Excel
Thanks,
Perry
Perry Sjogren
Microsoft 365 Insider Social Media Manager
Become a Microsoft 365 Insider and gain exclusive access to new features and help shape the future of Microsoft 365. Join Now: Windows | Mac | iOS | Android Read More
Pivot Table Creation
How do I create a pivot table of the data in the “data” tab to where it then created a clickable pivot table, as exampled in “example pivot table” tab. Here it will search the columns (Estimator PM Mktg Assist Acct Rep EMS), and if a persons name is in the “row”, it counts as 1 towards that person.
Once I click on the name of the person, or number of “jobs”, it opens up an organized file full of just the jobs (rows) with their name on it.
I have included 2 “organized data” sheets to show you what I’m looking for. If I click on “Daniel” or “Larry” on the pivot table, it would generate those organized sheets.
How do I create a pivot table of the data in the “data” tab to where it then created a clickable pivot table, as exampled in “example pivot table” tab. Here it will search the columns (Estimator PM Mktg Assist Acct Rep EMS), and if a persons name is in the “row”, it counts as 1 towards that person. Once I click on the name of the person, or number of “jobs”, it opens up an organized file full of just the jobs (rows) with their name on it. I have included 2 “organized data” sheets to show you what I’m looking for. If I click on “Daniel” or “Larry” on the pivot table, it would generate those organized sheets. Read More
finding the least cost number from a group of reference numbers
Hello, I am looking to have excel return the results of the lease cost option from reference number 1, then 2 then 3 etc.. We are trying to get optimal results using multiple vendors.
Please advise how this can be done.
Ref number Results
1 FXFE $133.21
1 CNWY $418.98
1 DAYF $418.98
2 FXFE $210.71
2 CNWY $411.85
2 DAYF $234.88
3 FXFE $334.26
3 CNWY $135.71
3 DAYF $114.46
Hello, I am looking to have excel return the results of the lease cost option from reference number 1, then 2 then 3 etc.. We are trying to get optimal results using multiple vendors. Please advise how this can be done. Ref number Results1 FXFE $133.211 CNWY $418.981 DAYF $418.982 FXFE $210.712 CNWY $411.852 DAYF $234.883 FXFE $334.263 CNWY $135.713 DAYF $114.46 Read More
Microsoft Authenticator
Os usuários estão recebendo uma notificação no e-mail que o authenticador será obrigatorio para acessar o e-mail coorporativo, duas duvidas?
1 – Se após esse prazo os usuários não iram conseguir conectar ao e-mail.
2 – É possível autenticar a conta de outra maneira sem precisar instalar o aplicativo no celular?
Os usuários estão recebendo uma notificação no e-mail que o authenticador será obrigatorio para acessar o e-mail coorporativo, duas duvidas?1 – Se após esse prazo os usuários não iram conseguir conectar ao e-mail.2 – É possível autenticar a conta de outra maneira sem precisar instalar o aplicativo no celular? Read More
How do I import a tab delimited text file into Excel?
Years ago it was a built in feature but the previous automatic detection of TAB and COMMA delimited files are no longer there. Is a third party text editor required?
Years ago it was a built in feature but the previous automatic detection of TAB and COMMA delimited files are no longer there. Is a third party text editor required? Read More
Trying to create a shared contact group
I am hoping I can get some help for this, but it’s driving me insane.
In the newer version of Outlook, and I am trying to create a shared contacts list that can be viewed, and edited by everyone with access to it. We had one, but it somehow got deleted and I have to create a new one.
I also need to be able to create contact groups WITHIN the shared contact list so we can send quick e-mails en-masse to different client companies. Anyone know how to get this done?
Thanks!
I am hoping I can get some help for this, but it’s driving me insane. In the newer version of Outlook, and I am trying to create a shared contacts list that can be viewed, and edited by everyone with access to it. We had one, but it somehow got deleted and I have to create a new one. I also need to be able to create contact groups WITHIN the shared contact list so we can send quick e-mails en-masse to different client companies. Anyone know how to get this done? Thanks! Read More
New Blog | Increased security visibility through new Standard Logs in Microsoft Purview Audit
By
Microsoft Purview Audit provides an integrated solution to help organizations effectively respond to security incidents, forensic investigations, internal investigations, and compliance obligations. As announced in the previous Microsoft blogs in July 2023 and October 2023, Microsoft Purview Audit is expanding access to wider cloud security activity logs. As part of the changes, Audit (Standard) license holders will be able to access an additional 30 audit logs that were previously generated only for Audit (Premium) license holders. Eleven new Standard logs under Stream and Viva Engage workloads became Generally Available in November 2023.
We are excited to announce that the remaining 19 new Standard logs under Exchange, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint Online workloads are now available in Public Preview to all Worldwide and Gov cloud customers. To learn more about when these logs will become Generally Available in your tenant, please visit the Public roadmap.
Overview of New Standard Logs
19 new Standard logs are now available in Public Preview under Exchange, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint Online workloads. The following table provides details of these logs.
Workload
Operation
Description
Exchange
send
A message was sent, replied to or forwarded.
mailitemsaccessed
Messages were read or accessed in mailbox.
searchqueryinitiatedexchange
Triggered when a user searches for items in an Exchange mailbox.
Teams
meetingparticipantdetail
Teams added information about the participants of a meeting, including the user ID of each participant, the time a participant joined the meeting, and the time a participant left the meeting.
messagesent
A new message was posted to a chat or channel.
messageslisted
Messages from a chat or channel were retrieved.
meetingdetail
Teams added information about a meeting, including the start time, the end time, and the URL to join the meeting.
messageupdated
A message of a chat or channel was updated.
chatretrieved
A Microsoft Teams chat was retrieved.
messageread
A message from a chat or channel was retrieved.
messagehostedcontentread
Hosted content in a message, such as an image or a code snippet, was retrieved.
subscribedtomessages
A subscription was created by a listener application to receive change notifications for messages.
messagehostedcontentslisted
All hosted content in a message, such as images or code snippets, was retrieved.
chatcreated
A Teams chat was created.
chatupdated
A Teams chat was updated.
messagecreatednotification
A change notification was sent to notify a subscribed listener application of a new message.
messagedeletednotification
A change notification was sent to notify a subscribed listener application of a deleted message.
messageupdatednotification
A change notification was sent to notify a subscribed listener application of an updated message.
SharePointOnline
searchqueryinitiatedsharepoint
Triggered when a user searches for items in SharePoint sites of the organization.
Read the full post here: Increased security visibility through new Standard Logs in Microsoft Purview Audit
By
Microsoft Purview Audit provides an integrated solution to help organizations effectively respond to security incidents, forensic investigations, internal investigations, and compliance obligations. As announced in the previous Microsoft blogs in July 2023 and October 2023, Microsoft Purview Audit is expanding access to wider cloud security activity logs. As part of the changes, Audit (Standard) license holders will be able to access an additional 30 audit logs that were previously generated only for Audit (Premium) license holders. Eleven new Standard logs under Stream and Viva Engage workloads became Generally Available in November 2023.
We are excited to announce that the remaining 19 new Standard logs under Exchange, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint Online workloads are now available in Public Preview to all Worldwide and Gov cloud customers. To learn more about when these logs will become Generally Available in your tenant, please visit the Public roadmap.
Overview of New Standard Logs
19 new Standard logs are now available in Public Preview under Exchange, Microsoft Teams, and SharePoint Online workloads. The following table provides details of these logs.
Workload
Operation
Description
Exchange
send
A message was sent, replied to or forwarded.
mailitemsaccessed
Messages were read or accessed in mailbox.
searchqueryinitiatedexchange
Triggered when a user searches for items in an Exchange mailbox.
Teams
meetingparticipantdetail
Teams added information about the participants of a meeting, including the user ID of each participant, the time a participant joined the meeting, and the time a participant left the meeting.
messagesent
A new message was posted to a chat or channel.
messageslisted
Messages from a chat or channel were retrieved.
meetingdetail
Teams added information about a meeting, including the start time, the end time, and the URL to join the meeting.
messageupdated
A message of a chat or channel was updated.
chatretrieved
A Microsoft Teams chat was retrieved.
messageread
A message from a chat or channel was retrieved.
messagehostedcontentread
Hosted content in a message, such as an image or a code snippet, was retrieved.
subscribedtomessages
A subscription was created by a listener application to receive change notifications for messages.
messagehostedcontentslisted
All hosted content in a message, such as images or code snippets, was retrieved.
chatcreated
A Teams chat was created.
chatupdated
A Teams chat was updated.
messagecreatednotification
A change notification was sent to notify a subscribed listener application of a new message.
messagedeletednotification
A change notification was sent to notify a subscribed listener application of a deleted message.
messageupdatednotification
A change notification was sent to notify a subscribed listener application of an updated message.
SharePointOnline
searchqueryinitiatedsharepoint
Triggered when a user searches for items in SharePoint sites of the organization.
Read the full post here: Increased security visibility through new Standard Logs in Microsoft Purview Audit
How are you using Copilot for Microsoft 365?
Check out this new blog series “Grow with Copilot for Microsoft 365” developed to share insights that relate to small and medium businesses and spotlight some of our customers. This month is focused on the latest Work Trend Index Survey, as well as chatting with a medical writing services business. Take a read, and share in the comments below how you are bringing AI into your business.
Check out this new blog series “Grow with Copilot for Microsoft 365” developed to share insights that relate to small and medium businesses and spotlight some of our customers. This month is focused on the latest Work Trend Index Survey, as well as chatting with a medical writing services business. Take a read, and share in the comments below how you are bringing AI into your business.
https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/copilot-for-microsoft-365/grow-with-copilot-for-microsoft-365-may-2024/ba-p/4140175 Read More
Best way to auto Update SQL Tables based on Source files
Hello,
I am wondering if someone could provide some advice/insight for a problem I am facing. I am somewhat new to SQL but have a decent knowledge foundation. The company I work for is not very tech centered and I was recently asked to put some of our Data into SQL Server. Our source information is in Excel (excel 2013…….). These excel files get updated daily, multiple times a day.
What would be the easiest way to get set the tables in SQL to auto update based on the changes made in the excel files?
I run a fair amount of Power BI and am able to do this by simply hitting the refresh button. Is there an equivalent for SQL?
Thanks in advance!
Hello, I am wondering if someone could provide some advice/insight for a problem I am facing. I am somewhat new to SQL but have a decent knowledge foundation. The company I work for is not very tech centered and I was recently asked to put some of our Data into SQL Server. Our source information is in Excel (excel 2013…….). These excel files get updated daily, multiple times a day. What would be the easiest way to get set the tables in SQL to auto update based on the changes made in the excel files? I run a fair amount of Power BI and am able to do this by simply hitting the refresh button. Is there an equivalent for SQL? Thanks in advance! Read More
Mouse gestures in PDF
I use mouse gestures a lot to navigate in my browser but when I’m on a pdf opened in Edge I can’t make the gestures anymore.
Is there a way to make it possible to use mouse gestures on pdfs?
I use mouse gestures a lot to navigate in my browser but when I’m on a pdf opened in Edge I can’t make the gestures anymore.Is there a way to make it possible to use mouse gestures on pdfs? Read More
Guide: Creating an exception to your organisations sensitivity label policies
Why Create an Exception?
Creating an exception to your sensitivity label policies can be essential in certain situations where these labels interfere with automated processes.
For instance, in a recent incident I managed, a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) system faced an issue due to the Default and Mandatory label policy. The process involved an SAP automated workflow that needed to create a new Excel document. However, the process was interrupted because the policy required a sensitivity label to be selected for the document, something the automated system couldn’t do. By creating an exception for this specific process, we were able to ensure smooth operation without compromising the overall security and compliance framework.
This is very similar to what this SAP user has encountered: https://community.sap.com/t5/technology-q-a/how-to-setup-sensitivity-level-label-while-sending-an-email-through-sap/qaq-p/12692890
How to Set Up an Exception (Step-by-Step Guide)
Scenario: Your organization has a standard set of sensitivity labels (example: Public, Internal, Highly Confidential) and Default and Mandatory label policies turned on for the entire organization.
The requirement is to turn off the Default and Mandatory policies for a small set of specific users (in my case RPA users). In the steps below, assume that the policy has already been created and we need to create a “duplicate” policy and make it rank higher than the current policy but without the offending policies.
Step 1: Create a Duplicate the Existing Policy
Recreate the policy that you need to create an exemption
Step 2: Modify the Duplicated Policy
Name and Describe: Provide a new name and description for the duplicated policy, such as “Exception Policy for Specific Users”.Users and Groups:Remove the current users or groups.Add the specific users or groups that will be exempt from the Default and Mandatory label policies.Policy Settings:Turn off Require users to apply a label.Turn off Apply a default label to documents and emails.Click Next.
Step 3: Review and Submit the New Policy
Review the configuration details of the new label policy to ensure accuracy.Click Submit to create and apply the policy.
Step 4: Adjust Policy Ranking
Return to the Label policies section.Locate the new exception policy you just created.Use the Reorder or Priority settings to move the new policy above the existing standard policy. This ensures that the exception policy is applied first for the specified users. Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/sensitivity-labels#label-policy-priority-order-matters
The last and very important step to make sure that this is a success is:
Inform the selected users of the change.Monitor the application of the new policy to ensure that the Default and Mandatory label requirements are turned off for the specified users.
Why Create an Exception? Creating an exception to your sensitivity label policies can be essential in certain situations where these labels interfere with automated processes. For instance, in a recent incident I managed, a Robotic Process Automation (RPA) system faced an issue due to the Default and Mandatory label policy. The process involved an SAP automated workflow that needed to create a new Excel document. However, the process was interrupted because the policy required a sensitivity label to be selected for the document, something the automated system couldn’t do. By creating an exception for this specific process, we were able to ensure smooth operation without compromising the overall security and compliance framework. This is very similar to what this SAP user has encountered: https://community.sap.com/t5/technology-q-a/how-to-setup-sensitivity-level-label-while-sending-an-email-through-sap/qaq-p/12692890 How to Set Up an Exception (Step-by-Step Guide) Scenario: Your organization has a standard set of sensitivity labels (example: Public, Internal, Highly Confidential) and Default and Mandatory label policies turned on for the entire organization. The requirement is to turn off the Default and Mandatory policies for a small set of specific users (in my case RPA users). In the steps below, assume that the policy has already been created and we need to create a “duplicate” policy and make it rank higher than the current policy but without the offending policies. Step 1: Create a Duplicate the Existing PolicyRecreate the policy that you need to create an exemption Step 2: Modify the Duplicated PolicyName and Describe: Provide a new name and description for the duplicated policy, such as “Exception Policy for Specific Users”.Users and Groups:Remove the current users or groups.Add the specific users or groups that will be exempt from the Default and Mandatory label policies.Policy Settings:Turn off Require users to apply a label.Turn off Apply a default label to documents and emails.Click Next. Step 3: Review and Submit the New PolicyReview the configuration details of the new label policy to ensure accuracy.Click Submit to create and apply the policy. Step 4: Adjust Policy RankingReturn to the Label policies section.Locate the new exception policy you just created.Use the Reorder or Priority settings to move the new policy above the existing standard policy. This ensures that the exception policy is applied first for the specified users. Reference: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/purview/sensitivity-labels#label-policy-priority-order-matters The last and very important step to make sure that this is a success is: Inform the selected users of the change.Monitor the application of the new policy to ensure that the Default and Mandatory label requirements are turned off for the specified users. Read More
Create formula by combining two formulas
I have two similar IF formulas which are populating two columns. They are mutually exclusive. Both give the results I want. I want to combine these formulas so the results of the one that is TRUE populates the column. I can’t get this to work. I think it may only be a case of structuring or punctuation. I am trying to use the OR function nested in an IF.
My formulas look like this, where Bank, Month, IntroRate, and Prime are defined for use in formulas:
IF(Bank=”DSB”,IF(Month<7),IntroRate,Prime)
IF(Bank=”CCB”,IF(Month<13),IntroRate,Prime)
Thank you for any suggestions.
I have two similar IF formulas which are populating two columns. They are mutually exclusive. Both give the results I want. I want to combine these formulas so the results of the one that is TRUE populates the column. I can’t get this to work. I think it may only be a case of structuring or punctuation. I am trying to use the OR function nested in an IF. My formulas look like this, where Bank, Month, IntroRate, and Prime are defined for use in formulas: IF(Bank=”DSB”,IF(Month<7),IntroRate,Prime) IF(Bank=”CCB”,IF(Month<13),IntroRate,Prime) Thank you for any suggestions. Read More
Five Tips for Starting a New Developer User Group
As we continue to get further away from the events of 2020 that stopped in-person events and meetups in their tracks, we’re starting to see a resurgence of local developer user groups (or “meetups”). But what if your area doesn’t have a local user group or meetup? Or, what if there is no meetup that covers topics interesting to you?
No problem! You can start your own! And it’s not as hard as you might think, especially if you follow the advice outlined in this post.
In this blog post, we will share 5 tips, pulled from our own experience starting and running local meetups, that can help any aspiring community member start (and sustain) a successful developer user group. Whether you want to start a small informal meetup in your office or grow a larger community meetup, these tips will help you get started on the right foot.
Tip 1: Define your audience
The first (and arguably most important) thing you need to do before you start a developer user group is to define your audience. Who is this for? Is this a meetup centered on a specific technology, like .NET or Python? Maybe even more narrowly “.NET Web Developers” or “Python Data Scientists”? Or is it a meetup for a wide variety of topics that can appeal to many different technologists, like a “Cloud” or “DevOps” meetup?
Narrower focus can help a meetup attract people with highly aligned interests, but it can also limit the potential appeal and topic flexibility. If possible, try to gauge interest from other developers in your area to figure out what would be most helpful.
Next, who do you want to participate? Coworkers? Professionals? Students? Both? Most meetups tend to be flexible enough to accommodate many different profiles, but there can be value in specializing your meetup activities to cater to a specific group. For example, groups focused on students might optimize around school schedules and meet in a convenient location for students. Groups aimed at professionals might periodically do networking events.
Tip 2: Choose a time and place
The next thing you need is a time and place to meet.
Most user groups and meetups establish a consistent, regular meeting time so it’s easy to remember and becomes a regular part of participants’ calendars. There is no one “correct” cadence, but many groups tend to meet monthly, creating 10 to 12 opportunities to meet in a year. For example, “the first Thursday of every month” or “the third Tuesday.” Just try to avoid picking a cadence that “competes” with other local meetups in your area so developers have the opportunity participate in both.
If your group is for professionals, picking a weekday time after work helps people get to the meeting. If it is for coworkers, it may make more sense to run the meeting during working hours. Weekends can work, too, but there is more competition for time over the weekend, and many people view technical user groups as “professional development” activity.
With a day and time picked, now you need a location. This can be one of the hardest parts to starting a new user group. If you already have available space through your employer or school, that’s a huge head start! If not, talk to your office manager or boss. For companies, hosting a community meetup can be a great way to improve awareness of the company among developers in the area that can benefit future recruiting.
If you do not have a school or company sponsor for your space, you have a few options:
Try to find a local company interested in providing space. This doesn’t have to be your employer, though you will likely need to connect with developers in that company to act as sponsors for the meetup (so they can help with accessing the space on meeting nights). There is a real benefit for local software companies, so ask around.
Use a local community center. Many places have local community centers that make space available for things like user group meetups. Some make the space available free of charge; others may require a small fee to use a meeting room. Free space clearly is easier to manage as a new user group, but as your group grows and gets sponsors, paid space can work, too. Local community colleges/universities will also sometimes allow use of classrooms after hours for local community meetings.
Meet at a local restaurant. If your meetup is small, local restaurants that have a private dining space can work for meetups. It’s important to find a restaurant that has space you can use without disturbing other diners, and that isn’t too loud for your group to meet. This can work especially well if you’re just getting started, and you use the space as a springboard for building your early attendance and then finding a larger, more permanent space.
Go virtual! While there are many benefits to meeting with local developers in person, virtual meetups remain a great option for working around the problems and costs related to finding space. Just remember, when you go virtual, you are now “competing” with all other virtual meetups around the globe for developer time and attention, so make sure you have a plan for differentiating your meeting.
Finally, choose a format for your meetings. The “typical” user group meeting is 1 to 2 hours, with some time built-in for networking. Some groups will just have one main topic and speaker for each meeting. Others choose to feature several topics and speakers delivering shorter “lightning” talks. Some do both. As you get started, picking a format that is easier to manage (with one speaker) is usually the best choice. Over time, you can experiment with other formats, especially when you have a larger roster of potential speakers.
BONUS TIP: If you do choose to host your meetings in the evenings, don’t forget to provide some food! Evening user groups frequently cut across diner hours, so food makes it easier to attend (and stay). The most common user group meal is pizza, and to control costs as you’re starting, providing water or another low-cost beverage is fine. Assuming you’ve found free meeting space, food and beverage is usually the highest cost associated with running a meetup and where sponsorship dollars can help!
Tip 3: Find speakers, sponsors, and partners
One of the main functions of a meetup is to learn from speakers, so, where do you get speakers?
In the beginning, it’s not uncommon for the speakers at your meetup to be…you! Or you and your other user group members. You don’t have to be the preeminent expert on a topic to speak at a user group – you just have to share something you’ve learned that you think other developers might find interesting or useful. In fact, speaking at a user group is a great forcing function for learning something new so you can share it with others.
As your group gets established and grows, your roster of possible speakers will grow, making it easier to ensure you’ve always got someone booked for future meetings.
BONUS TIP: If there is ever a tech conference in your area, it’s a great time to reach out and see if any of the speakers at the event are interested in making a stop at your user group. Software companies (and speakers) love to make the most of any travel, so if they can extend their trip and visit a few user groups, they often will. This is also a good opportunity to synchronize with other meetups in your area so you can line-up a few meetups for a speaker to visit (or even combine a few meetups so the speaker has a larger audience to address).
Partners are also essential to running and growing a user group. In this context, “partners” refers to a “core” group of members that can help share the burden of the regular tasks that must be done to keep your group ticking: finding speakers, finding sponsors, updating social media and websites, handling food and “prizes” for meetings, and more. If you’re sick or out of town, they can ensure meetings still happen. It may take a few meetings but identify those “committed regulars” and ask for help so you can create a durable group that lasts.
Sponsors, meanwhile, are not strictly required before you start a developer user group, but they can help cover the costs your group will likely incur. Even assuming you find free meeting space, many user groups offer free pizza and drinks to help create more incentive for people to join (frequently right after work…at “dinner” time). Groups also tend to raffle prizes at the end of a meeting to further encourage participation and keep people around to the end. And for these costs and prizes, sponsors and partners are key.
There are a few common places to find sponsors and partners for local developer meetups:
Local companies: Local software companies (the kind that might want to hire the people attending your meetup) or local recruiting companies frequently sponsor user groups by providing space and/or money for pizza and drinks.
ISVs/Vendors: Independent Software Vendors (ISVs) – aka “software companies” – that serve the market aligned with your meetup (like .NET or Java or DevOps) are often great sources for swag and prizes to raffle at your meetings. Some companies have a structured offer for user groups, so all you must do is establish your group and apply to participate. Others may be willing to provide free software licenses or even sponsor food for a meeting if you reach out, in exchange for some promotion to your members.
Foundations/Conferences: There are various software foundations and conferences, like the .NET Foundation or DevNexus, that support user groups. In the case of foundations, supporting user groups is aligned with general promotion and support of a specific ecosystem (with larger corporate sponsors working directly with the foundation). For developer conferences, sponsoring a user group can be a low-cost way to promote their event to a highly qualified and aligned audience.
As you find sponsors, make sure there is a clear understanding of what you’re offering and what the sponsor expects. Some sponsors may only want to support a single meeting. Others may be willing to support an entire year (or longer)! And most will want at least some promotion during your meeting, but it’s up to you to decide how and where that fits.
And as you grow and begin to have more sponsorship, make sure you’re carefully managing the sponsorship money so it all gets used for the right purpose! You’ll eventually want to create a bank account for your meetup, so the sponsorship funds aren’t co-mingled with your personal accounts. That will also make it easier for the other “core” members/leaders of your group to use those funds to run meetings without always coming to you.
Tip 4: Establish a safe and inclusive culture
It’s important to ensure you’re establishing a new user group on a foundation that cultivates a safe and inclusive culture. You want to create a sense of belonging, trust, and engagement among your members and the community, and foster a positive and inclusive environment for everyone. The following practices and policies can help build community and culture for your user group:
Code of conduct: Create a code of conduct for your user group and events, where you state your values, expectations, and rules for your members and the community, and how you handle violations and complaints. You can use a template like the Contributor Covenant or the Berlin Code of Conduct to create your code of conduct.
Recognition: Recognize your members and the community, where you acknowledge and appreciate their contributions, achievements, and support for your user group and events.
Feedback: Solicit feedback from your members and the community, where you ask them for their opinions, suggestions, and testimonials about your user group and events, and how you can improve them. You can use a tool like Microsoft Forms to create and distribute your feedback forms.
Grounding your new user group in culture built around safety and inclusivity will help grow your membership and strengthen the connection between members. The community that forms around your group can be much more than “co-learners” at a monthly meeting – they can be a professional network for finding new jobs and an active support system for working through challenging problems.
Tip 5: Promote your user group and events
You’ve defined your audience. You’ve picked your time and place. You’ve got a speaker (you!) and a sponsor. And you’ve defined your Code of Conduct. It’s finally time to promote your new user group and make sure developers in your area know it exists!
Promotion will be an ongoing task for you as a user group organizer. You want to spread the word about upcoming meetings to attract and engage your potential and existing members. There are many potential channels and strategies to promote your meetings:
Word of mouth: Nothing is better for local meetups than word of mouth. Social media and online promotion can help (especially for reminding repeat members to attend), but it’s hard to get the kind of hyperlocal targeting online that your meetup likely needs. SO…ask your friends, colleagues, contacts, and networks to spread the word about your user group and events and encourage them to invite others who might be interested! You can also ask your speakers, sponsors, and members to promote your user group and events to their circles.
Meetup: Create a meetup page for your user group, where you can list your events, collect RSVPs, and communicate with your attendees. You can use a platform like Meetup or Eventbrite to organize your events and registrations. This is especially helpful when working with sponsors as it gives them a place to see your upcoming meetings and meetings that have occurred in the past.
Social media: While less effective at attracting new members, social media accounts for your user group are useful for sharing updates, news, announcements, and highlights. You can use platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn to reach and interact with your audience.
Email: When you start, you have no email list, so ask local companies or colleagues to send emails on your behalf to their software development groups to help spread awareness of your new group. Then, as your group grows, create an email list where you can send your invitations, reminders, and follow-ups. You can use a tool like Mailchimp or SendGrid to manage your email list and campaigns.
Website: This is optional, especially as you’re starting. A website requires upkeep, which is another job for you, and platforms like Meetup can cover the basics. But once you’ve established your “core” group of leaders that can help share the maintenance tasks, a website for your user group can showcase your purpose, audience, format, events, speakers, sponsors, and testimonials.
Get creative! And whatever you choose, don’t forget to keep doing it. Every meeting is an opportunity to grow your membership and make sure previous members don’t forget to join! This is a perfect task for a “core” member or co-leader of the meetup to own.
Now what?
Starting a developer user group can be a rewarding and fulfilling experience, both for you and for the community. You can share your passion, knowledge, and skills with others, learn new things, meet new people, and have fun! We hope that these tips will help you plan, launch, and grow your user group, and make a positive difference in your local developer community.
And remember: it only takes two people to have a meetup! Don’t be afraid of starting small and growing.
If you have any questions, comments, or feedback, please leave a comment below! We would love to hear tips from other people that have started user groups and support new community leaders on your journey. And don’t miss our directory of developer user group meetups to find meetings that may already be happening in your area!
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