[PLUG] ASK MIKE ROGOWAY

[Michael Dexter]

Hello all,

Keith tells me that he's submitted a few questions about Portland's 
quantum mechanics scene to Mike directly for the first Thursday meeting 
and I would like to add these to the mix:

Q: What key changes have you seen in Oregon's tech scene over the last 
decade or two? Start-ups are getting a lot more ink than the Tek's, MG's 
and Intel's of the community.

That said, what have you observed about the Silicon Valley/Silicon 
Forest relationship? What will never happen here that routinely happens 
there? Is a significant and truly-local VC scene in our future?

What key differences do you see surrounding Oregon's open source 
start-ups like Puppet Labs and proprietary software ones? The funding? 
The management? The hiring? Do you see people working for an open 
source-oriented start-up for a lower salary in exchange for other rewards?

Why aren't we hearing about Tripwire or WebTrends the way we hear about 
the current generation of smaller, local tech companies? What 
generational (economic or personal) factors might be at play?

Do you think Oregon's educational institutions are meeting the needs of 
Oregon's tech industry? Does the geography of the larger schools impede 
their reach? What can be changed from K-12 on up to better meet current 
and future needs?

Do you regularly attend any tech meetings found on Calagator? Which do 
you find valuable for reporting? Do you feel Portland is missing any 
cross-pollination between the different communities you engage?

What does the SAO (Software Association of Oregon or perhaps they have a 
new name) mean to you and open source users and developers?

Mac, PC or open source for you? iOS, Andriod or other?

Thanks!

Michael