Is it okay to say where you work - the name of the company? Or is it better to leave it out? Can it be considered rude and something like trying to get some free marketing for the company? I am asking because I am not sure, and I heard both opinions so far...
- It's relevant to the question (i.e. the question has to do with a particular application at work).
- You're at an industry/trade show (where "where you work" is more important to fellow attendees than "who you are").
- It provides information the speaker needs (i.e. so that she'll know you're a colleague/partner/competitor).
It's not okay if:
- You waste any more time on your employment than "I'm So and So, developer at Initrode, and I'd like to know..."
- You're going to hijack the time to talk about your company.
- You're trying to "get some free marketing".
It's also an opportunity for you to challenge the speaker if there was something you disagreed with. Phrased correctly, a question can make both the speaker and the audience re-think something that was stated earlier.
One thing I see missed sometimes is proper form when asking questions. Standing up, stating your name and where you're from, and thanking the speaker for coming and for taking your question add just a few seconds to your question, but they can go a long way to making the speaker feel welcome. From the tech conference videos I've seen, I think this is something we can improve on in the hacker culture. We know what it's like to offer up our work without appreciation to people who don't understand what we do -- but I want to work on being more appreciative of my fellow developers.