Scriptember 2024 – Celebration of PowerShell and its community

Welcome to Scriptember! We are thrilled to announce the launch of a unique, month-long campaign dedicated to celebrating PowerShell and the incredible community that surrounds it.

Throughout September, we will be hosting a variety of activities, online events, and challenges designed to highlight the power and versatility of PowerShell, while also fostering learning, collaboration, and innovation within the community.

What is 'Scriptember'?

Scriptember is an online campaign that aims to bring together PowerShell enthusiasts from around the globe to share knowledge, improve skills, and celebrate the diverse and dynamic community. Whether you are a seasoned PowerShell pro or just getting started, Scriptember offers something for everyone.

Why celebrate PowerShell?

PowerShell has become a fundamental tool for IT professionals, developers, and system administrators. Its ability to automate tasks, manage configurations, and streamline workflows makes it an invaluable asset in today's tech landscape. By dedicating a month to PowerShell, we hope to shine a spotlight on its capabilities and the creative ways it is used across different industries.

Scriptember highlights

Here are some of the exciting activities we have planned for Scriptember:

• "Shorten the code"

Together with Xavier Clinquart from the Belgian PowerShell User Group, we bring the "Shorten the code" contest to you. The goal is to take an existing PowerShell script and reduce the number of characters as much as possible, while still keep the script working.

Who produces the shortest code? 

• PowerShell challenges

Participate in weekly PowerShell challenges and win cool prizes. 

• Kick-Off live stream

Join our Scriptember kick-off live stream on Monday, September 2nd, 16:00 CEST | 10 am EDT | 3 pm BST. We will talk to members of the PowerShell community about all things IT automation. 

• "PowerShell is fun" live streams

Learn new PowerShell tips and tricks from Microsoft MVP Harm Veenstra. We will host three live stream sessions during Scriptember.

• "The Story of PowerShell" - A conversation with the inventor of PowerShell Jeffrey Snover

PowerShell changed the lives of many IT professionals, system engineers and automation architects around the globe. Let's meet Jeffrey Snover. The man who had the vision, the team and the perseverance to bring this wonderful technology to life. In this talk, you will learn about the history of PowerShell and how it helps IT teams to automate tasks and processes today and tomorrow.

• "PowerShell in the age of AI" – A conversation with Microsoft MVP Doug Finke

AI is, of course, an important topic when it comes to IT automation. Doug Finke has not only created a PowerShell module to directly interact with OpenAI/ChatGPT, but is also on the leading edge of technology when it comes to the latest and greatest AI solutions. Don't miss this insightful conversation.

• "PowerShell and Graph – The good, the bad and the ugly" – A conversation with Microsoft MVP Damian Scoles

In this interview, Damian talks about the strengths and weaknesses of using PowerShell and Microsoft Graph. We talk about real-world applications, and hear his insights and tips. This episode offers valuable perspectives on the evolving possibilities of Microsoft Graph and PowerShell.

• "Learning PowerShell with Lego" – A conversation with PowerShell trainer Bruno Buyck

Combining PowerShell with Lego sounds fun, right? Well, Bruno has developed a PowerShell module, that he uses to teach PowerShell. In this conversation, Bruno will demonstrate how the module works and what the learning experience looks like.

• PowerShell tips – Blog series

Throughout September, we will publish practical PowerShell Tips, written by Dr. Tobias Weltner and Microsoft MVP Aleksandar Nikolić.

• Giveaways

Win cool prizes like the latest PowerShell books, Star Wars Lego sets and more.

How to get involved

Getting involved in Scriptember is easy and open to everyone. Here’s how you can participate:

• Visit our Scriptember calendar page: Here you find the details about all the planned activities. 
• Follow us on social media: Keep up with the latest updates and announcements by following us on X (Twitter), LinkedIn, and Reddit. Use the hashtags #Scriptember and #PowerShell to join the conversation.
• Join our live sessions: Register for our webinars and live coding sessions to learn from experts and ask questions in real-time.
• Participate in challenges and contests: Take part in daily challenges, submit your scripts for review, and enter our contests for a chance to win prizes.
• Share your knowledge: Contribute to the community by sharing your scripts, insights, and experiences. Write a blog post, create a tutorial, or participate in discussions on our forums.

A special note from ScriptRunner

As the leading PowerShell-centric IT automation platform, ScriptRunner is proud to introduce Scriptember. We believe in the power of automation to transform IT operations and are committed to empowering the PowerShell community. Throughout the month, we will be offering product demos, new PowerShell cheat sheets and resources to help you get the most out of PowerShell and ScriptRunner. In addition, our latest ScriptRunner release 7.1 will be launched during Scriptember.

We would also like to thank our Scriptember sponsors and supporters. Packt, Leanpub, and Manning Publications provide PowerShell-related print books and e-books as prizes for our PowerShell challenges and quizzes. PSConfEU and the Belgian PowerShell User Group (BEPUG) also help us make the event possible.

Conclusion

Scriptember is more than just a celebration; it’s an opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together as a community. We invite you to join us in making this inaugural Scriptember a memorable and impactful event. Let’s come together to elevate our skills, share our knowledge, and celebrate the power of PowerShell!

Stay tuned for more updates, and #KeepOnScripting!

Related links

• Calendar showing all activities 
• Belgian PowerShell User Group (BEUPG)
• Discover ScriptRunner
• Get in touch with Heiko directly