Jim Priest is a husband, father of two, developer, and avid motorcyclist. He currently works for SRA International as a Configuration Manager and Senior Software Development Analyst. He works primarily with ColdFusion, JIRA and Ant, but also dabbles with Powerbuilder, as well as creating handheld applications in Visual CE. Jim is an active participant in the ColdFusion community; co-managing the Triangle Area ColdFusion User Group (TACFUG) in the Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina area. In 2009 he helped organize CFinNC, the first ColdFusion conference in North Carolina. He posts regularly to his blog: The Crumb
CFUnited session: Digging into the Developer Toolbox
1. Have you spoken at CFUnited in the past?
No. This is my first time and I am very excited to have been selected to speak (and slightly terrified!) :)
2. Why should people attend your sessions?
I watch a lot of developers code and it always frustrates me that people do things 'the hard way'. Computers are supposed to make our lives easier, yet people fail to leverage available tools and techniques that can save them time and effort.
3. Do you have any projects in the works that you will be revealing at CFUnited?
Hopefully I will have a new CFEclipse site up and running. We are trying to improve our communication with the CFML community and remind people of our free alternative to other CFML IDE's. :)
4. Besides your topic, what other sessions are you looking forward to?
All of them? :)
5. What are some of the hot topics you'd like to see at RoundTable discussions?
I'd like to see continuing discussions of CFML, how the three CFML vendors can work together to strengthen the core language and how we in the community can better spread the word about CFML. We need to end the "ColdFusion is dead" rumors but do it in a positive way - not by bashing other languages on Twitter and mailing lists.
6. Where can people find you at CFUnited?
Before my presentation: Hunkered down in my room practicing my presentation. After my presentation: At the bar.
7. What's the latest news with you? Has anything changed since last CFUnited?
No news is good news?
8. What is unique about CFUnited?
I think it's the perfect mix between the big conferences like Max and the more technical events like cf.Objective. Last year was my first conference and I had a great time. It was great meeting so many people I've known online for years but never met in person.
9. What do you like to do in your free time?
I'm a father of two so that keeps me rather busy! In my spare time I can usually be found on my motorcycle heading west to the mountains for some camping and relaxation. My other hobbies are building and flying remote control airplanes and dabbling in music.
