guod.net

Well, we're all back from RailsConf '06 now. We had a really easy flight home, although getting up at 4:30AM to make the flight nearly killed me.

For me, the conference was a success. I felt like my talk went well, and I got a few new beta testers for WalkingBoss. Most of the feedback I got was pretty positive, and I found that a lot of fellow geeks were really excited about getting a GPS and giving this thing a try for themselves. I guess I was encouraged by the response.

Some interesting highlights for me from this past weekend were:

• Martin Fowler saying that, in a sense, we had failed by having a RailsConf at all, since the goal of Rails is to reduce all plumbing to the bare minimum, thus obviating the need for a technical conference to talk about said plumbing.
• Learning a little bit about Open Laszlo and Rails thanks to Mike Pence
• Meeting my friend and fellow MOG veteran Josh Sierles in person and chatting about everything from MOG to PHP-to-Rails conversions.
• Meeting and hanging out with other Ruby/Rails guys from my area, like Fernand, Greg, Dave, Chad, Bruce, and Marty.
• Writing the Facebook Mashup.
• Eating at Chili's for every other meal.

I'll leave you with a pic from Elly. More can be found on her RailsConf photoset.

So, we're here at RailsConf, having a blast. We just got out of a great keynote by Paul Graham, and now we're waiting for why the lucky stiff to rock out with the Thirsty Cups.

Since my talk tomorrow (Saturday) is on the topic of mashups, I thought it was only appropriate that I sit down yesterday afternoon and mashup the Facebook. If you're at RailsConf and you're interested in the topic of mashups, I'd like to invite you to attend my talk about my GPS/photo mashup Saturday morning at 10:15 in the Grand Central conference room.

See you there!

We're heading out to RailsConf this morning! Tova has an ear infection, so our flight should be very exciting. I can't wait.

In other news, WalkingBoss is looking for beta testers! If you have a GPS and a digital camera and you want to play with the coolest new web-based trip logger, head over to WalkingBoss.com and fill out the form. I'll send you a beta user account as soon as possible. Be sure to let me know what kind of GPS you'll be testing with and your location in the comments section of the form.

I wanted to say thanks to the Denver Ruby/Rails Users Group and their fearless leader, Fernand Galiana, for having me as a presenter at their June meeting last night. It was a lot of fun and it was really helpful for me in preparing for RailsConf next weekend. After the talks were over, about 15 of us headed to the Rock Bottom for some enchiladas and beer--a great way to end a fun night.

If you're interested in Ruby or Rails and you live around Denver, I'd highly recommend checking out this group. They meet at the Tattered Cover in LODO, which has a nice meeting/conference room in the back of the store. Plus, since it's in LODO, there's lots to do if you get there a little early or want to stick around afterwards.

Thanks DeRailed!

Just got an email from "the MOG Brain" that MOG will be open to the public by the end of this month. Rad. I can't wait to see the reaction. And it's going to be a big moment for Team MOG, and a well-deserved reward for all of their hard work. Go MOG!