I just finished fettling my "Developing with the V-Model" paper for SAS Global Forum (SGF) in Seattle in April, 2010.
If you're still thinking about submitting a paper yourself, it's not too late. Contributing a paper offers benefits to you, your employer and the SAS community. Submitting a paper is not hard and can be done until Monday, October 26th (you need to submit a draft by October 26th, not the final version).
Everybody has something to contribute. Don't assume that you know nothing of interest to anybody else! The Call for Papers page tells you everything you need to know, and even has a link to a page full of suggestions for paper topics. This year I've submitted a paper on "Software Development Using the V-Model".
Presenting a paper at SGF (or a local SAS user group) gives you a great opportunity to show your employers and the SAS community what you can achieve. It's also a fantastic personal development exercise that will help you hone your presentation and communication skills in addition to making you think very carefully about the detail of your topic. There have been many times where I've doubled my knowledge in a subject area because I've had to re-appraise my comprehension of the subject area as I have tried to write in a clear and detailed fashion.
Your employer will benefit from your participation because, in addition to raising awareness of your employer and presenting them as possessing knowledgable staff, you can present your paper in-house, share knowledge and encourage debate.
So, what are you waiting for?...
