SUSECON and the Total Solar Eclipse

On Monday August 21, a total solar eclipse will travel across the United States starting in the Northwest and ending in the Southeast. In many ways, this eclipse is a lot like our upcoming SUSECON, and luckily I am here to provide these very relevant and interesting parallels:

It’s very important to have the right tools.

More than important, in the case of a solar eclipse it’s absolutely imperative. The number one warning about the eclipse here in Oregon is “Never look directly at the sun unless you are wearing officially approved protective glasses.” That may seem obvious, but apparently there have been cases of counterfeit eclipse eyewear being sold which is not strong enough, and can cause major problems. Make sure you’re getting the official, approved stuff to keep you safe.

Similarly, if you’re a decision maker in your company, you need the right tools. You wouldn’t make decisions about the technology direction of your company without making sure you’re up to speed on the latest information from a credible source. This is what SUSECON is all about. A chance for you to find out about the latest industry innovations like containers, platform as a service, security, availability, cloud, software defined infrastructure and more. More than 150 sessions and 100 hours of hands-on labs make SUSECON the year’s premier open source learning event.

It only comes around occasionally, so don’t miss it.

If you live in Oregon like I do, your next opportunity to experience a total solar eclipse without traveling somewhere is 2169, which is a long time to wait, even if you have Netflix.

SUSECON comes around a little more often, but still only once per year, which is a lifetime in this industry considering the pace of innovation. You’ll get the latest information on innovations in Linux, containers, OpenStack, software defined storage, Cloud Foundry, and a host of other great open source technologies now available from SUSE and our technology partners. And if you’ve been thinking about getting that Linux certification, why put it off? The exams are free at SUSECON.

It can be a spiritual, life-changing experience.

The experts say that being in the path of totality of a total solar eclipse is one of the most awesome and sublime nature events. The temperature drops. The wind picks up speed. The sunlight slowly dims, bathing the surroundings in an eerie twilight that produces colors with shades rarely seen in the natural world. The difference between 99% and 100% totality is everything.

Will you achieve oneness with nature at SUSECON? OK, maybe not. But check with others who have attended SUSECON in past years about their experience, and you will get glowing reviews. You’ll be able to network with open source technologists and experts in their field, gain new skills in deep dive hands-on technical sessions, gain insight through talking with peers and attend compelling keynote content that inspires, informs and invigorates. And above all, you’ll have fun.

So don’t miss it, register now to attend SUSECON September 25-29 in Prague. It could be life-changing.