Introducing the o11yday Bootcamp

Getting started with observability (o11y) is now easier than ever with the new step-by-step o11yday Bootcamp guide. Now’s a great time to try out Honeycomb, get help if you’re stuck, and pick up a few holiday presents along the way.

Tinkering over the holidays

Being in the office during the holidays was always a fun time to see what folks were working on. The quiet time made a good opportunity to go play with things that had been on my to-do list for months. Walking around the office and chatting with folks was the best way to get a preview into what might be happening in the new year. Some of the most interesting things I’d learn would come from what others had to share during that time.

We may not have shared offices in 2020, but we can still get in that tinkering, learning, and sharing time.

Of course, not everyone wants to do work-related things during the holidays. If you’re feeling the need for a much needed holiday break to rest and recuperate, we’ll be here for you in the new year. Here’s a fun little holiday jingle for you to enjoy in the meantime:

Happy #o11ydays from our hive to yours.

✨🍯🐝✨https://t.co/ydt2XhAWaT

— honeycomb.io (@honeycombio) December 17, 2020

Getting started with observability

If you’re feeling the need to tinker, we’ve got you covered.

You’ll want to set aside about one to three hours of time. The setup should be easy, but you’ll want to allow ample time to explore what your data has to tell you. You’ll need access to an application you own, can make changes to, and can run in a local dev environment. Ideally, this should be an app you can also deploy to production (that’s where the best data is!). If you don’t have that you can get started with a sample app, but the data will probably be less interesting to you.

You’ll also want to join our community Slack workspace, Honeycomb Pollinators, and pop into the #o11ydays2020 channel. If you get stuck or have questions, that’s a great place to get help specific to the bootcamp material. While you’re there, I encourage you to also ask questions in #general and see what other folks are discussing.

Pay it forward for the #o11ydays

In case you missed it, we’re also having a bit of fun with the o11yday spirit this season. We’re asking those who’ve learned about o11y to pay it forward by sharing those lessons. In turn, Honeycomb is paying that forward with charitable donations: the more you share, the more we donate. To date, contributions generated by community shares have raised just over $2,000! Check out #o11ydays on Twitter for a bunch of great stories (there’s also still time to participate--we’re continuing donating through the end of the year).

Our o11yday Bootcamp continues that theme. Spend some downtime tinkering with observability and share what you’ve learned with others. We’ll pay that forward by throwing in a few gifts like exclusive Honeycomb swag, customized personal consulting, or a chance to win a $500 gift card as you complete steps along the way.

Give it a shot and let us know what you think!

Follow the steps in the o11yday Bootcamp guide, get started with observability, join us in Pollinators, help others by sharing what you’ve learned on social. Happy tinkering during the o11yday season!