*Join us at the NANOG 81 Virtual Hackathon* *Saturday + Sunday, February 6-7, 2021* Hackathon Registration is now open 🎉 An essential part of our conferences, NANOG Hackathons are designed to be both fun and engaging, as well as a platform to build community and foster greater networking knowledge. The theme of the NANOG 81 Virtual Hackathon <https://nanog.org/meetings/nanog-81/nanog-81-hackathon/> is Configuration Modeling. Utilizing collaboration services from Zoom and Slack, participants can work individually, or self-organize into teams to work on software passion projects. All levels are welcome. And as always, registration is FREE. We hope to see you there! Learn More <https://nanog.org/meetings/nanog-81/nanog-81-hackathon/> Register Now <https://events.nanog.org/event/e3b346c8-0e5a-4188-a732-1d9525cd2c81/summary?environment=P2&5S%2CM3%2Ce3b346c8-0e5a-4188-a732-1d9525cd2c81=> *Mark your calendars* *Registration for the NANOG 81 Virtual conference opens Jan 4! * Join us online February 8-10, 2021 for a three-day virtual program of talks, tutorials, keynotes, and panels, presented by some of the industry’s top minds. The fee to attend NANOG 81 Virtual <https://nanog.org/meetings/nanog-81/> will be $100, which helps offset our costs to build a virtual platform, and plan + execute the conference. We’re committed to ensuring NANOG Virtual events are accessible and welcoming to all. Complimentary Conference Registration will also be available to anyone who’d like to attend NANOG 81 Virtual for free. Stay tuned for more information! *Submit a talk proposal for NANOG 81 Virtual* Interested in sharing your research + ideas with the greater NANOG community, but missed the NANOG 81 submission deadline? The Program Committee (PC) is always looking for new + interesting talks, and there may still be time for your presentation to be scheduled for NANOG 81! The PC accepts proposals for all other future conferences on a rolling basis. *Topics of interest:* - Automation - SDN - Traffic analysis - ISP Issues: sharing lessons learned / what to watch out for - Cloud-related topics: scale concerns, etc. - Routing - Best current practices - Career development skills - Tutorials: 101, deep dives, etc. Learn More <https://www.nanog.org/meetings/nanog-81/nanog-81-call-presentations/> Submit Now <https://www.nanog.org/meetings/submit-presentation/> *Connect with us on LinkedIn * As of December 11, the NANOG Communications LinkedIn account is no longer active. But we'd love to stay connected! Be sure to follow us on our LinkedIn Business page <https://www.linkedin.com/company/nanog/> to keep up with all the latest NANOG news, events, and stories (and don't forget to tag us in your LinkedIn posts, so we can re-post and share the love!). Looking to join a community forum? Check out the NANOG Community-Moderated Group <https://www.linkedin.com/groups/40718/>, a LinkedIn group managed and moderated by members of our community. Follow Us <https://www.linkedin.com/company/nanog/> *“I love to be part of a community that continuously works to grow and improve the Internet.” * NANOG is, and always has been, dedicated to the people who make up our community. That's why we love to highlight the stories and experiences of the most exceptional people we know. The innovators, change makers, and mentors who embody our mission to advance an open, secure, and robust Internet, through inspiration, education, and empowerment. Keep up with our amazing community on NANOG Stories, where we regularly feature new interviews! Read More <https://nanog.org/stories/>