Hybrid Cloud Group.org™

realigning for our 20th anniversary … meanwhile, this site is preserved as Proof_of_Past

Hybrid Cloud Group™

a.k.a. HCCUG.org™ / HybridCloudGroup.org™
continues HCCUG.org™ logo, url, rep, pro-privacy values, spirit, etc., … since 2008
community effort started with support from our community, friends, patrons, and sponsors (e.g., Microsoft)

… more in About Us

our prayers continue for those suffering …

in a world filled with noise & wag-the-dog … Politics & Religion is used to divide … whereas Faith & Beliefs unite.
our community efforts are about giving-back & sharing (paying it forward), beyond just Houston.

UPDATES ( as recent as 2026-H2 )

This community effort continues to be rooted in our shared_hUmaNITY

for 15+ years we have given away freely & for free — to anyone, any faith, anyhere (Houston & beyond)

— per our simple common-sense NOTICE (in the footer of this page)

thanks to our selfless volunteers, speakers, supporters & sponsors — from various faiths & beliefs — we APPRECIATE Y'ALL!

~~~~~~~

DISCLAIMER: our pro-privacy is about learning the holes that comes from using BigTech, and educate ourselves about risks in Tech (non-obvious, invasive, and worse), and hopefully mitigate & lookout for the ones we care about (family, friends, community, etc,) ... nothing we have been sharing is meant to hide or evade any gov.

~~~~~~~

(1) Previews ... as we focus on "Living_with_AI"™ series … for our community … ongoing updates (as recent as 2026-H2 )

Life_beside_Tech™ (PREVIEW) ... the non-tech
Life_without_BigTech™ (PREVIEW) ... includes Simple_Safety™
Life_with_BigTech™ ... has been under Caieus Moreign's Simple_Safety™

NOTE: all this is at no-charge for our community members. yes, membership is also at no-charge. we do not sell your info.
do not take our word for it, just read our site and you will find our stance on data privacy in execution, even with sponsors :-)

(2) Co-Founders ... Valentino & Caieus …

yes, the kids who grew up over the decades in our Houston's professional computing community
thank each of the folks have been mentioned in our about-us page for many years
~AND~ the many others who have been a part of their computing journey ~to~ now both doing their PhD

Zane is going by his first-name Caieus … as of 2024.oct.24

Zane is in his middle-name preserving continuity with his past achievements ... so, when you see "Zane Moreign" remember he now goes by "Caieus Moreign"
more info, see his article www.linkedin.com/pulse/class-2024-hello-new-era-caieus-moreign-s34zc/

(3) this is part of us continuously evolving & realigning ... with what we deem as best use of our time & effort ... for our 20th anniversary :-)

this accelerated in 2018/our 10th anniversary ... paused public events for 2020/covid ... and resumed after 2024-nov-6
… based on ongoing feedback + live situations (covid) + seismic shift in Tech (AI & Quantum)
… we transitioned to "non-disclosed" efforts during covid ... and now we are gearing up for our 20th anniversary
sunset all social media ... yes, closed out ALL social media ... meetup, facebook tested for a few months only, X/twitter, etc.
... though we do not advertise + do not sell our member info to anyone, and proof is on this site … :-)
this site ― Hybrid Cloud Group (HCCUG.org™) ― is the single point of contact for everything we share ... as we gear up for our 20th anniversary :-)
click here to apply for membership ... as we are phasing towards more member-only events ... if you want to be in the know ... and if you want the benefits ...

gradually making updates as we realign for our 20th anniversary
... to accommodate the seismic shifts impacting all of us and our way of life
... meanwhile, the rest of the site preserved as-is as proof_of_ past

instated event registrations|confirmations|cancellations only on this site, to better cater to specifics of a given event (e.g., no press at certain events, type of food for certain events, etc.);
collaborated with and had some amazing fun times (pre-covid) with those who built Houston's tech communities/user-groups over the decades (e.g., Houston TechFest, Houston .NET, Houston SQL Server, Houston SharePoint, Houston C++ User Group (founded by David Cravey, MVP of MVP's, who brought his group under our HybridCloudGroup.org™) … shout out to the ol' guard ... and kudos to those who have taken over from the ol' guard, since covid;
outreach: this is our community and we support efforts of our members, even in areas that are not our primary focus, and when we see new efforts by others helping our Houston community well, in our non-primary areas, we gladly step back and direct queries to them (unbeknownst to them) … as it is about helping our Houston community … here's just 3 examples:
1. accommodated Google's request to Valentino to run their Houston Google Cloud User Group (a.k.a. GDG Cloud Houston) … 2018 until 2022;
2. PostgreSQL with the support of PostgreSQL.org leadership, who were so supportive that they even sent swag … 2018 until 2019;
3. though Zane was asked by GoLang.org … suggested they contact the existing Houston GoLang user group and make them their official for Houston.
stood by our standards (e.g., pro-privacy) … even when Google's GDG instated new policies … and appreciate Google for recognizing it.

- sunset Houston Google Cloud User Group (a.k.a. GDG Cloud Houston) details here
  — shout out to Kubra for being consistently awesome, wishing you the best on your promotions!

- sunset Houston Kotlin User Group (a.k.a. GDG Cloud Houston) details here
  — shout out to Kubra for being consistently awesome, wishing you the best on your promotions!

the rest of the site preserved as-is as proof_of_ past

Cloud Computing is the backbone of our interconnected world. We cover pretty much anything of importance within this world. The 2021+ Offerings breakdown & focus on the adoption/breadth functions of technologies for non-techies + most requested specific/depth technology for techies … still, at no-charge for those who value & support us :-)

this preview image is being preserved to show where we were

some important details … and the importance of enjoying while achieving :-)

0) new tier of offerings: Lighthouse — to focus on non-techies & techies navigating precarious & perplexing digital waters

Simple_Safety™ … for non-techies & techies … Pro-Privacy & FREE tools for staying safer online
Simpler_AI±Quantum™ … those who are trying to get their head around AI & more
Showcase: Success Stories … to recognize those who otherwise may go unrecognized
tidbit for non-techies: starting at zero is a tribute to our C programming roots … so is the use of {curly braces} … (techies, enjoy the easter eggs :-)

1) new tier of offerings: Computing & Business Focus Groups — to focus on function (e.g., adoption, startup, grow existing business) … in addition to our Technology Focus User Groups

Hybrid_that_AI™ … All about Businesses leveraging AI (ethically, responsibly, & other criteria) with strictly restricted events
Hybrid_that_Business™ … All about Businesses leveraging Computing & the Business of Computing (startups & existing businesses) with strictly restricted events
Hybrid_that_Cloud™ … All about Businesses leveraging Cloud, (multi & hybrid) Cloud Adoption, High-Availability & HP Clusters, Cloud Productivity, etc.
Hybrid_that_Data™ … All about Businesses leveraging Data, Data Security, Data Privacy/GDPR, Data Science, Databases, etc.

2) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Private-Time … 1:1 time for consult/whatever, be it business or individual

folks can request 1:1 Private-Time with leadership and/or other members, for consult at no-charge during registration of in-person events
folks can request for 1:1 Private-Time outside the no-charge dates

3) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Membership-Program

grandfathering the no-charge/FREE for local & international membership (anyone can apply, not all are confirmed)
a lot more details on the Membership Application page

4) some new Member-only Benefits … to help members grow … e.g., grow their personal brand & generate revenue for themselves

HybridCloudGroup.org™ platform : our offerings & expertise that members can leverage to generate revenue for themselves :-)
HybridCloudGroup.org™ outreach : expand our outreach now via our members (e.g., beyond the 1:1 direct assistance that exploded in Mar-2020/covid)
HybridCloudGroup.org™/HCCUG.org™ bump : GDG Houston (not GDG Cloud Houston) had failed twice before Valentino accepted Google's request to run the new GDG "Cloud" Houston. Looking into ways to give a similar bump to our members, so they can grow :-)
HybridCloudGroup.org™/HCCUG.org™ funding : we have been funding upfront & in-full all events & now meetup.com of the official/recognized Google Cloud User Group for Houston, GDG Cloud Houston, as Google's GDG Team had budget constraints, and this group is being run by our members. Similarly, we are open to help select members grow/startup/accelerate, etc.

DISCLOSURE: Houston Google Cloud User Group (a.k.a GDG Cloud Houston) is an example of our effort to support our members' efforts (click here for more info)

5) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Digital Assets & nomenclature …

new site logo and other logos (e.g., recognition badges/logos for members) with digital use rights, e.g., for use on linkedin & elsewhere
shift to HybridCloudGroup.org™ nomenclature from HCCUG.org™, given the slew of offerings & programs, plus the clarity in the name

6) some new Event & Segments … in addition to our Exclusive (restricted, strict security), Special (collaborations), and Christmas events

launched NEW event multi-segment format (2021-H1) that are quite different from user-group type meetings, especially since we cater to our multiple Computing & Business Focus Groups ~AND~ multiple Technology Focus User Groups

new multiple-segment event (not meeting) format, as our events are quite different from regular user-group type meetings
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Private-Time — dedicated time-slots to reserve in advance 1:1 Private-Time for no-charge consult
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Social-Time — relax, network & connect ~~~ folks are welcome to come in earlier :-)
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Focus-Time — multiple segments, varies by event ~~~ hard start, as we have folks online
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Showcase — the little-things with life-changing impact, e.g., showcase non-techie who entered the tech world via us
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Discussion — a collaborative conversation about something, e.g., FREE 30 days of Machine Learning event happening in 2021-Aug
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Labs — bring your laptop & walk-throughs, e.g., use Zane Moreign's Simple_Safety™ Digital_Privacy_&_Survival_Kit™
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Workshops — by members for members, to support individual members' efforts to grow their brand …
HybridCloudGroup.org™ Conference — followed by the HybridCloudFest™ after-event (details to be announced at that time :-)

7) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Focus-Space … dedicated space within this site, for each focus area (Computing & Business Focus Groups, and Technology Focus User Groups)

so each group can focus on their respective technology/function/use/adoption

8) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Phone App, social media, and more … (being gradually phased in)

reviving Facebook as most non-techies are on it, and are the most in-need of PRO-PRIVACY (this is a community effort, we have to reach out)
all social media is for 1 way communication only (our announcements), comments/ questions/etc. will not be answered on their respective sites
www.HCCUG.org/contact-us is the ONLY way to reach us

9) newly revamped existing tier of Technology Focus User Groups (details to be released soon) — to continue our ongoing focus on technology tier of offerings … in addition to our Computing & Business Focus User Groups

click here to read about our user groups

2021 ♦ we are going even further … NEW Offerings + NEW Programs + a whole lot more … to nurture a vibrant & helpful (local & non-local) community!

2019 ♦ Houston TensorFlow & Applied AI/ML user group (TensorFlow.org recognized for Houston) … Valentino Moreign (founder & primary organizer)

… with support from Microsoft, AWS, Google, etc., … NOTE: Caliber of Speakers ⟹ 19.10.19 and 19.02.20
… 2021 UPDATE: this group has been scoped to just TensorFlow as it is the official/recognized for TF, and the Applied_AI is now part of the larger new Hybrid_that_AI™

2019 ♦ Houston Kotlin user group (KotlinLang.org/JetBrains recognized) … Zane Moreign (founder & primary organizer)

… with support from Kotlin/JetBrains & Java champions, etc.,

2019 ♦ Houston PostgreSQL user group … Zane Moreign (founder & primary organizer)
... with support from PostgreSQL leadership, etc.,

… 2021 UPDATE: this group has been assimilated into the larger new Hybrid_that_Data™

2018 ♦ Google requested us to launch & run Houston Google Cloud user group (a.k.a. GDG Cloud Houston)
… Valentino Moreign (founder & primary organizer) obliged Google, as part of our outreach.
NOTE: ⟹ you can Speak/Attend any of our events knowing your PROFILE data will NOT be given to Google :-) ⟹ click here for details

2017 ♦ HCCUG.org™ revamp … and exploded from a cozy <300 members to ~1K in 1 year … see about us

2010 ♦ Houston C & C++ user group … to focus on what {Tex} calls Crux Computing (covering Rust, D, etc.)

… ORGANIZERS: C++: David Cravey, and C: Zane Moreign & {Tex}… Houston C++ user group was founded by Microsoft MVP of MVP's, our friend, & all-round great guy, DAVID CRAVEY, … expanded focus , with David's blessing, to include more C lang efforts of Zane Moreign

2008 ♦ Houston Cloud Computing user group … has always focused on Computing & Business
… 2021 UPDATE: this group has been expanded as the larger new Hybrid_that_Cloud™

just 1 example of our steadfast outreach + funding + bump

… as recent as 2021-Apr … that affects (y)our go-forward

GDG Cloud Houston (a.k.a., Houston Google Cloud User Group) is still the only Google recognized GDG Cloud community in Houston —AND— per our pro-privacy standards, our GDG group is exempt from having to report the gender/sex of attendees and speakers of our events.
NOTE: We may be the only GDG group with this exemption in North America, and we thank Google for honoring our PRO-PRIVACY practice!

Issues with MEETUP.com and clarifications reg. Google's GDG Team (not to be confused with the other teams in Google)

1. 1. 1. 1. Google's GDG Team ENDED sponsorship of the MEETUP.com/GDG Cloud-Houston on Mar-31, 2021 due to budget constraints
      2. Our group’s Meetup.com page disappeared from Meetup.com on Apr-9 until Apr-15 … [email protected] was of no help … until Google intervened

Thanks to HCCUG.org™

stepping up to now also sponsor the MEETUP.com/GDG-Cloud-Houston,
in addition to already sponsoring every single GDG Cloud Houston event in-full upfront, and giving GDG Cloud Houston the bump
doing more, e.g., giving GDG Cloud Houston space on this site

Long story short — you are aware of the Meetup.com ISSUES, and the resulting immediate steps that HCCUG.org™ is helping you/me with.

▹ click here for NEXT Event

▹ click here for past Featured Events

▹ click here for our Not-Yet-Announced Events

Report abuse

UPDATES ( as recent as 2026-H2 )

(1) Previews ... as we focus on "Living_with_AI"™ series … for our community … ongoing updates (as recent as 2026-H2 )

the rest of the site preserved as-is as proof_of_ past

some important details … and the importance of enjoying while achieving :-)

0) new tier of offerings: Lighthouse — to focus on non-techies & techies navigating precarious & perplexing digital waters

1) new tier of offerings: Computing & Business Focus Groups — to focus on function (e.g., adoption, startup, grow existing business) … in addition to our Technology Focus User Groups

2) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Private-Time … 1:1 time for consult/whatever, be it business or individual

3) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Membership-Program

4) some new Member-only Benefits … to help members grow … e.g., grow their personal brand & generate revenue for themselves

5) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Digital Assets & nomenclature …

6) some new Event & Segments … in addition to our Exclusive (restricted, strict security), Special (collaborations), and Christmas events

7) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Focus-Space … dedicated space within this site, for each focus area (Computing & Business Focus Groups, and Technology Focus User Groups)

8) new HybridCloudGroup.org™ Phone App, social media, and more … (being gradually phased in)

9) newly revamped existing tier of Technology Focus User Groups (details to be released soon) — to continue our ongoing focus on technology tier of offerings … in addition to our Computing & Business Focus User Groups

just 1 example of our steadfast outreach + funding + bump

👏 Thank & Support those who support you via us 👏

Hybrid Decisions® — Founding Patron, since 2008

Microsoft — since 2008 … and their multiple teams across Redmond (HQ) and South Central (e.g., Houston, Austin, & Dallas)

Google — specifically OCTO & PR for clearing Massimo to speak!

NOTICE (Terms & Conditions, including code of conduct and disclaimers)

▸ BY PARTICIPATING IN THIS GROUP YOU AGREE,

(a) to be decent, polite, helpful, and respectful of others,

(b) the views, opinions and positions expressed or implied by the individuals (e.g., presenters, attendees, organizers, volunteers) are theirs alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views, opinions or positions of HybridCloudGroup.org™ and/or its sponsors or patrons,

and (d) give HybridCloudGroup.org™ and those who support/help us (e.g., sponsors, patrons, organizers, admins, volunteers) at no-charge unrestricted non-exclusive rights to all that is presented/disclosed/discussed for whatever purpose (e.g., stream, record, and/or store).

For clarity, PARTICIPATING includes using or attempting to use any information gleaned from this site, our other online sources, conferences, events, or in-person.