Join Us InChicago
DevNation is coming to Chicago! So far, we've held events up and down the east coast, in Texas, and in Colorado – it's about darn time we hit one of the best tech scenes in the country, Chicago!
We're very excited to be bringing a tremendous set of local speakers to the stage on May 15th. Sign up today to guarantee your seat for cutting-edge content and an unparalleled opportunity to connect with other developers in the area.
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8:30 - 9:00
Registration, Breakfast, and Welcome -
9:00 - 9:40
Not just a big freaking iPod TouchDaniel Steinberg
Here in Chicago, half a continent away from the famous Reality Distortion Field we'll take a look at the iPad and see how this device differs from the iPhone and the laptop. We'll take a quick look at the language, the tools, and the techniques for targeting this new toy.
On the Web
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9:50 - 10:30
Doubling Down on Isolation TestingDavid Chelimsky
Test doubles (stubs, mocks, fakes, spies, etc, etc) can be effective tools for specifying and testing the behavior of objects in isolation. They can also be confusing and misleading when used carelessly or inappropriately. This talk will empower you with a better understanding of different kinds of test doubles and the jobs for which they are intended.
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10:30 - 10:45
Break -
10:45 - 11:25
Around "Hello World" in 30 DaysDavid Eisinger
A little over a month ago, feeling overwhelmed by all the new technology filling the pages of my favorite tech blogs, I decided to commit myself to spending an hour with a new technology every day for a month. In this talk, I'll share my experiences and explore the nature of motivation and what it takes to stay ahead of the programming curve. You can follow along at http://techmonth.tumblr.com.
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11:35 - 12:15
F# for People Who Like to CodeAmanda Laucher
So you think you’re too cool for languages that are packed up with Visual Studio or that C# is the only language worth considering? Not anymore. F# isn’t like other languages where you are constrained by arbitrary “paradigm” limitations. This is what happens when you build a language with freedom in mind. You have access to functional and object oriented design techniques and the text editor becomes an amazing playground. This isn’t a sales talk, it’s a place to come watch me play with code and learn some cool things about F#.
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12:15 - 1:00
Lunch -
1:00 - 1:40
Lightning Talks -
1:50 - 2:30
Ruby and the Unix PhilosophyMatt Yoho
Ruby and Unix clearly are interrelated, from Matz's championing of open source, to the large swath of the Ruby standard libraries that mirror the standard Unix interfaces, to the hacker culture that breathes life into both. This talk will look at the themes shared between the two, how Ruby and its community has been influenced by the Unix philosophy and ecosystem, as well as ways that both sides can further influence each other. We'll look at particular examples and high-level concepts and put Ruby in the context of ideas that have been evolving since the late 1960s.
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2:40 - 3:20
The Art of the SpikeAaron Bedra
Exploring new technologies can be both challenging and rewarding. A good spike can make or break a new feature for your application. Have you ever thought that a technology or practice your company isn't currently using is the perfect fit for your next iteration? This is your time to shine! In this session you will learn how to treat new technologies as first class citizens and prove that it fits your needs. You will also learn how to provide concrete evidence supporting your decision. By the end of this session your fear of introducing new technology will simply melt away leaving you with a hunger for new ideas.
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3:20 - 3:40
Break -
3:40 - 4:20
Why MongoDB Is AwesomeJohn Nunemaker
NoSQL has caught on as a term and a movement, but the lack of SQL is not what has people excited about MongoDB. From embedded objects, including arrays and hashes, to dynamic queries and storing files, MongoDB has the goods that most any developer will fall in love with. Warning: you may leave with a new appreciation for databases.
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4:30 - 5:10
Closing KeynoteJason Huggins
Jason Huggins co-founded Sauce Labs and currently leads product direction. Prior to Sauce Labs, Jason was a Test Engineer at Google where he supported the grid-scale "Selenium Farm" for testing Google applications such as Gmail and Google Docs. Jason's experience also includes time at ThoughtWorks in Chicago as a software developer. While at ThoughtWorks, Jason created the Selenium testing framework out of the need to cross-browser test a new in-house time and expense system.
When not programming in Python or JavaScript, Jason enjoys hacking on Arduino-based electronics projects. Jason has spent time in New York City, LA, and the Bay Area, but Chicago is his kind of town.
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5:10 - 7:00
Happy Hour
Daniel Steinberg
Daniel Steinberg has spent the last three decades programming the iPad. OK, he hasn't. But he's put a couple of good solid months into the device and is co-author of the book "iPad Programming" from the Pragmatic Programmers and author of their book "Cocoa Programming". Daniel presents iPhone and Cocoa training for the Pragmatic Studio and loves to talk about coding for the Mac, the iPhone, and the iPad.
David Chelimsky
David Chelimsky is the lead developer of the RSpec project, author of The RSpec Book, and also a software developer at DRW Trading.
David Eisinger
David is a web developer at Viget Labs, building web applications for companies ranging from startups to established brands, as well as internal and open source projects. After several years as a PHP developer, he made the switch to Ruby in 2006 and hasn’t looked back. He specializes in Ruby on Rails, jQuery, and RESTful web services. A Washington, DC native, David now lives and works in Durham, NC. He writes online at www.davideisinger.com and www.viget.com/extend.
Amanda Laucher
I'm one of the passionate developers at ThoughtWorks. In my free time I write code for non-profits or speak at conferences around the globe. I'm also author of F# in Action. I like to be around other passionate people who can teach me as well.
Matt Yoho
Matt Yoho is an agile development enthusiast happily working for Hashrocket, possibly the most opinionated Ruby and Rails shop around, in Chicago. He's a recovering karaoke addict and one fairly hep cat.
Aaron Bedra
Aaron brings the ability to quickly ninja any application. His passion for spreading the security word via his blog is kicking off a new wave of security consciousness throughout the Ruby community and creating an avalanche of better development practices. His passion for exploring new technologies and traveling new roads has quickly shot him up through the Ruby industry and on to the Relevance team.
John Nunemaker
John Nunemaker is passionate, driven and addicted to new. He is the CTO at Ordered List, where he creates simple, usable websites and web applications. When not hacking on open source projects, such as MongoMapper and HTTParty, he authors a well-known blog, RailsTips.org. He lives in South Bend, Indiana with his wife and two cats. Riding his motorcycle and playing NCAA Football on his PS3 are just a few things that help him achieve a work-life balance.
Jason Huggins
Jason Huggins co-founded Sauce Labs and currently leads product direction. Prior to Sauce Labs, Jason was a Test Engineer at Google where he supported the grid-scale "Selenium Farm" for testing Google applications such as Gmail and Google Docs. Jason's experience also includes time at ThoughtWorks in Chicago as a software developer. While at ThoughtWorks, Jason created the Selenium testing framework out of the need to cross-browser test a new in-house time and expense system.
When not programming in Python or JavaScript, Jason enjoys hacking on Arduino-based electronics projects. Jason has spent time in New York City, LA, and the Bay Area, but Chicago is his kind of town.
ThoughtWorks - AON Center
200 E. Randolph St
25th Floor
Chicago, IL
As the third tallest building in Chicago, security at the Aon Center is rather tight. All guests are required to show proof of identification through valid picture IDs, and all bags will be subject to search. Once you arrive at the building, please enter through the South lobby doors located on Randolph Street and proceed to the Guest Registration Center. Building Greeters will welcome guests, locate their names on the I-Visitor system, request photo identification, and print guest badges. Guests will then be directed through the automatic portals, allowing unescorted access to the building elevator banks. Please use the elevators in the lower lobby labeled Levels 21-37. Exit the elevator on the 25th floor and proceed to the reception area.
