SoCal Code Camp presentation

The SoCal Code Camp event took place yesterday and today. I presented an updated version of my PyCon '05 talk, "Agile Testing with Python Test Frameworks". When I submitted my talk proposal, back in October '05, I had no idea the Code Camp will be so much Microsoft-centric. At the time, it seemed like a get-together of coders of all kinds. However, it seems that a lot of Microsoft user groups got involved in the organization, with the inevitable result that it felt like a Microsoft-sponsored event (which it might have been, for all I know). To be fair, the schedule did include a number of Java talks, but it did feel like the overall tone was of the "ode to Micro$oft" type.

Anyway, my talk attracted no less than 5 people! Pretty amazing, isn't it? Joking aside, as the common wisdom goes, if only one person took something away from it, even then it means my goal was met, etc., etc. I did have time to demo Selenium, so I hope that people took that away at least. The other bright side, as I look at it, is that Python got represented at the conference. The only other non-Java, non-.NET language represented was Ruby, with one session on Ruby 101 and the other one on the inevitable Ruby on Rails.

I did enjoy the free "geek dinner" sponsored by a few Microsoft-affiliated companies, where I ran into a couple of fellow xpsocal members, Paul Hodgetts and Paul Moore, who also presented a session on TDD using Java and Eclipse. The dinner sported live rock music, an idea that apparently originated with Das Blonde herself (if you don't know the name, then you haven't been to many Microsoft events/conferences; me neither -- but you and I are in stark minority compared to the people at that dinner...)

Anyway, maybe next year the organizers will split the conference into a Java track, a .NET track, and a "off-the-wall as far as Java/.Net programmers are concerned" track, where my presentation clearly belonged.