Attending jQuerySF 2015:
This week I had the pleasure of attending jQuerySF 2015, held in San Francisco, CA.
Despite the name of the conference, the range of web-technology topics included far more than just jQuery.
The conference spanned two days, with each day featuring a series of 20 minute presentations by charismatic representatives of diverse web technology subject matter. If you couldn’t make this year’s jQuerySF, and are wondering what you missed, fear not! Below is a quick outline of the conference, a short list of my favorite presenters, and links to full conference video from both days.
Presentation Content:
Due to their 20-minute length, presentations were less about diving into details of code, or in-depth under-the-hood explanations.
Instead, presentations often followed one of two basic themes:
- “Here is the product/framework/technology that I represent, and here is why I think it is great, and why you should consider using it.“
Examples: Ember 2.0, Angular 2.0, React, Sandstorm.io
- “Here is a topic that we’d like more developers to be thinking about as they learn/grow/work in the industry.“
Examples: TLS, A/B Testing, User Support & Empathy, Accessibility
Day One Closing Presentation:
Day one ended with an engaging and inspired presentation entitled “JavaScript State of the Union”. This presentation painted a stunning picture of web technology possibilities for the not-too-distant future, and was infused with hopes and ideals for how such technology can enrich our lives by eliminating all variety of contemporary boundaries (technological and otherwise).
It included some beyond-amazing demonstrations which — even quite recently — would have seemed out of reach in a web browser. For those interested in what happens when you combine WebGL, a Physics Engine, and unwavering determination, I suggest watching the recording of this presentation.
Returning Home with Great Inspiration:
Thanks to all of the wonderful contributors, both on stage and in the audience, I left with a hefty dose of inspiration. Particularly meaningful to me were the presentations on accessibility (Karo Caran, Jon Kuperman, Victor Tsaran), as well as John Resig’s talk. Each of these speakers set a terrific example for why blurring the distinction between being a great developer and a great person is a wonderful thing.
My Personal Favorite Presentations:
- Ember (Eric Bryn)
- React (Pete Hunt)
- John Resig
- Emotional Design (Kelly King)
- All of the Accessibility speakers (Karo Caran, Jon Kuperman, Victor Tsaran)
- JavaScript State of The Union (Steve Newcomb)
Experience it for Yourself:
The agenda of speakers, as well as recordings of the conference are freely available online. If any of this summary has piqued your interest, I highly recommend that you take a look for yourself…
http://jquerysf.com/agenda.html
Watch day one of jQuerySF on YouTube