Tuesday May 13th Ruby on Rails Project Night

I’m looking forward to my first solo effort at the Ruby on Rails Project Night, and remind you all that you’re invited to join us next Tuesday May 13th, 2008. This event will continue to be held in the TSOT development office, located at 151 Bloor Street West, Suite 1130, Toronto. We always draw a great crowd and I’ve seen a tremendous outpouring of support from Toronto’s tech community as I took on the hosting of this event. Although the Project Night is free, space is limited; please make sure you reserve your spot by emailing me at corina.newby@tsotinc.com or submit an RSVP on facebook.

The May Ruby on Rails Project Night will open at 5:45pm with presentations at 6pm. This month the Ruby on Rails Project Night will feature:

Steven Baker (quarter-turn.com), who will launch the evening by exploring “Behaviour Driven Development with RSpec“

Andrew Burke (shindigital.com), who returns to discuss what I termed ‘Using the “Command” Design Pattern Elegantly”… however he has revised the title to “Keeping Your Sanity With the Command Design Pattern” (haha, guess ‘elegantly’ is too tongue and cheek to carry over the web)

and Leila Boujnane, co-founder and CEO of Idée Inc. and feature presenter, who will demonstrate her company’s highly successful image search APIs.

May’s evening is a BYOB event, but some people usually proceed to a nearby pub after the presentations. I thank everyone for their ongoing support and interest – as always, if you would like to get involved as a presenter or sponsor, please email corina.newby@tsotinc.com or call (416) 809-9673.

To see reviews and presentations from past Ruby on Rails Project Nights,

please visit TSOT Inc. or continue to visit this blog!

 

Web 2.0 Expo-sure in San Fran

     I was lucky enough to score a free trip to San Francisco last week (first time there!) to attend the O’Reilly/CMP Web 2.0 Expo. An interesting event, even though the common theme seemed to be disappointment over the lack of end-customer contact at the Expo… However it was never really sold as a ‘consumer’ gathering. From what I understood, this was an industry-wide event giving new developers/ideas a chance to gain exposure in a VERY crowded market - and I suppose it delivered on that end!

    

In attending different social gatherings and sponsored sessions, I met tons of people from across the Western hemisphere who were looking for ways to expand their reach into the 2.0 market. The best part of the Expo for me was the encouraging feedback I received from most of the developers I met - many looking for a way to enter Toronto’s tech community and most actively seeking ways to promote their company and outsource their marketing/PR (hopefully, this will keep me in demand!)

Overall I wouldn’t recommend the Web 2.0 Expo unless your company has something clearly defined and ready to sell - although your end-users may not frequent these gatherings, most of your potential partnerships and widespread distribution channels have some sort of representation in attendance. It definitely takes more effort to make these meetings happen, but seeking out mutually interested businesses can help you to secure your position in the market by borrowing from the credibility of others. Everyone at the Expo seemed to come with open ears and were willing to lend them even to small fries like myself… whether or not you can afford to attend these events, they’re useful in creating a spirit of entrepreneurialism and excitement in an often jaded industry - that alone made my trip worthwhile

Off to San Francisco… *thaaaaaaaaaanks*

OK… well not everyone will have seen the South Park episode necessary to find humour in my title… but I’m off to San Fran for the first time this week, planning to give lots of Web 2.0 Expo-sure. My previous company, TSOT, Inc. is sending me along for the ride, and since I have not yet had the opportunity to attend any O’Reilly events, Web 2.0 seems like a good place to start!

Before all my ‘hardcore’ nerd friends chime in with their two cents, I realize that by naming it ‘Web 2.0′ the conference is going to see a lot of upturned noses and smugness - maybe that’s why it’s in San Fran ? (haha South Park again) However I’m going to try and leverage my way into some interesting conversations and fun parties at the event. It’s always good to see what the general business community thinks of web 2.0 technologies, especially when it comes to implementation; this conference is probably the one place where I can chat without being completely overshadowed by tech gurus… *crossed fingers*

 

Anyway, for those of you who attend the Ruby on Rails Project Night in Toronto, I’ll be trying to drum up some interest for our event as well. I’ve already spoken to a few Rails design houses who are interested in getting involved both as sponsors and as presenters - don’t forget to direct interest my way: corecorina@hotmail.com or corina.newby@tsotinc.com - so far things are looking good for May and June!

 

A bit of a boring post just to give an update… LOTS more to come once I arrive in the Bay! Not being much of a flower girl… I’ll just show up with my laptop/ipod/blackberry in hand. 

Another Cool TSOT Event for Toronto’s Ruby on Rails Community

This past Tuesday April 8^th, TSOT hosted the fourth Ruby on Rails Project Night in Toronto’s tech scene. The event was launched in January with the help of my (then) co-worker Joey DeVilla, and has since seen a great response from local programmer/developers. I’m really enjoying hosting these events, despite my lack of hard coding wisdom - I just happen to love technology and computers and all the people who work in webstuffs. April’s event continued in the spirit of innovative programming, this time offering ideas from both Java and Ruby on Rails together in the night’s presentations. Before anyone gets overly critical (you blogosphericals!) we’re trying to hi-light the ‘beauty’ of Ruby on Rails… the mashup is not intended to generalize

Mike Bowler, president of GargoyleSoftware.com, gave his third presentation in a series which, following last month’s lead, looks at meta-programming. Looking at Date.once, Mike explored more method dispatch and the notion of freezing objects.

Kristan ‘Krispy’ Uccello of Domainer.com joined us to introduce a little Java into the evening, and to explain “Web Development Demons: Why it can be hard to do something simple”. Using Domainer.com as an example, he looked at the challenge in building a new application that hosts and manages other web applications.

Luke Galea, past presenter and Technical Lead at mdlogix.com, returned to the TSOT stage to revisit the past and look at difficulties in using active resource. Luke was kind enough to re-address the migration number issue from his February presentation, and then demonstrated his recent project to replace active_record with active_resource.

I’m looking forward to TSOT’s next Ruby on Rails Project Night on Tuesday May 13^th, 2008, where Leila Boujnane of Idee Inc. and Andrew Burke of Shindig will join us. The event is free but space is limited; please email corecorina@hotmail.com to reserve a spot, or to inquire about becoming a presenter or sponsor.

A brief update to everyone re: April 8th TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night

A brief update to everyone registered for tomorrow’s TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night:

We are looking forward to a great evening, however there has been a slight change in our schedule for tomorrow night:

Mike Bowler (GargoyleSoftware.com) returns armed with a fist full of meta-programming as he looks at “Diving into meta-programming with Date.once”

Kristan ‘Krispy’ Uccello will examine the architecture and design of the Domainer.com platform as he investigates, “Web Development Demons: Why it can be hard to do something simple”.

And as part of our updated schedule…

Luke Galea from Medical Decision Logic, Inc. (mdlogix.com). Luke has agreed to revisit the migration number issue from his last presentation; but will also be presenting on ActiveResource, and his project to replace active_record with active_resource in the consolidation of Hospital research.

We regret that Leila Boujnane, co-founder and CEO of Idée Inc. (idéeinc.com), was called out of town. However, Leila will join us at our next event, May 13^th, to discuss and demonstrate her company’s highly successful image search APIs.

We thank you all for your ongoing support and interest – as always, if you would like to get involved as a presenter please email corina.newby@tsotinc.com or call (416) 908-6082.

See you tomorrow night!

Tuesday April 8th : TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night!

TSOT’s Ruby on Rails Project Night brings together the brightest minds in Toronto’s programming community for a night of dynamic presentations on the latest Ruby and Ruby on Rails projects.

This month we are proud to feature:

Mike Bowler (GargoyleSoftware) returns armed with a fist full of meta-programming as he looks at “Diving into meta-programming with Date.once”.

Kristan ‘Krispy’ Uccello will examine the architecture and design of the Domainer.com platform as he investigates, “Web Development Demons: Why it can be hard to do something simple”.

Leila Boujnane, co-founder and CEO of Idée Inc., will join us to discuss and demonstrate her company’s highly successful image search APIs.

We are also pleased to have Morph Labs and the Morph eXchange join us as our official drink sponsor for April’s event – therefore BYOB is only necessary in extreme cases! This event is free but space is limited; please reserve your spot by emailing corina.newby@tsotinc.com. If you would like to submit a presentation idea or learn about sponsorship opportunities at future TSOT events, please contact Corina at (416) 908-6082.

If you are interested in learning more about the Obie Fernandez workshops being offered on April 7th, please visit the TSOT events page to obtain your discount code. You can read more about these workshops at www.it360.ca

April 8th: TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night, April 7th: Obie Fernandez

 

This April is gearing up to be a fantastic month for Toronto Ruby on Rails Aficionados… TSOT, Inc. returns on April 8th with the fourth TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night, plus we have arranged an exciting opportunity for TSOT fans to attend the April 7th Obie Fernandez Ruby on Rails workshop! Our last event featured a host of dynamic presentations, and you can now view all past TSOT Ruby on Rails events on our website at www.tsotinc.com/events; we have also posted slides and links from our gracious presenters – Enjoy!

 

With the growing success of TSOT’s RoR event, we are pleased to announce that we have been invited to join the IT360 Conference being held in Toronto on April 7-9, 2008 as an “off-site” event (www.IT360.ca). TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night will be held on Tuesday April 8^th at the usual spot – the TSOT development office located at 151 Bloor Street West. We are also pleased offer two Ruby on Rails workshops hosted by Obie Fernandez, taking place at the IT360 Conference on Monday April 7^th. As a ‘loyal patron’ of the TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night, we are able to offer you a discounted rate for both the Obie Fernandez Ruby workshops, as well as the entire IT360 conference. Please see below for further details about the workshops and your TSOT discount code.

 

As for the TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night on April 8^th, we are pleased to have Morph Labs (www.morphexchange.com) join us as a drink sponsor (so BYOB is only necessary in extreme cases!) and the schedule of presenters will be released next week. We are expecting a great turn out, so please reserve your space TODAY by emailing corina.newby@tsotinc.com. We are also looking for future presenters; contact Corina at (416) 908-6082 if you are interested in getting involved.

 

Thank you again for your support and stay tuned for further details about April’s exciting event!

 

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Spend a Day With Obie Fernandez: Pioneer Ruby on Rails Developer!

It’s a Ruby on Rails extravaganza on April 7^th at IT360 Conference & Expo, the premier event for IT professionals. There are two educational tutorials (each 3 hours long) instructed by Obie Fernandez; read on for further details, including special pricing for fans of the TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night.

DATE: Monday April 7, 2008

PLACE: Metro Toronto Convention Centre (255 Front St. W)

===> Tutorial #1 ~ Ruby On Rails I

===> 9:00am – 12:00pm

Session Link: http://www.it360.ca/2008/session_detail.cfm?id=388

===> Tutorial #2 ~ Ruby On Rails II

===> 1:00pm – 4:00pm

Session Link: http://www.it360.ca/2008/session_detail.cfm?id=389

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COST and DISCOUNT INFO:

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As a TSOT fan, you receive a 25% discount.

So it’s only $373.50 to spend the day with Obie Fernandez! This includes both the morning and afternoon tutorials.

++ You must register with Code: EB25

++ Early bird rates have been extended for TSOT fans until April 6, 2008.

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MORE ABOUT THE TUTORIALS:

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Interest in Ruby on Rails has grown incredibly, as “Rails” has made its way into mainstream computing. Interest is growing in-part because of how much fun & productive programming can be when you use a framework that emphasizes common sense, elegance and readability. Obie Fernandez will present two tutorials based on his bestselling book, “The Rails Way”. The morning session provides a basic introduction to the main Rails concepts and programming techniques. In the afternoon, material will be given about effectively building and deploying real applications using Rails.

***Special Book Give-Away! Three attendees during each tutorial will win a free copy of Obie’s book, “The Rails Way”. Register today and you may be one of the six lucky winners.

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MORE ABOUT OBIE:

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Obie Fernandez, CTO of HashRocket, a boutique web consultancy and product shop in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Formerly, a senior consultant at ThoughtWorks, specializing in complex custom enterprise software projects, Obie is a pioneer Ruby on Rails developer and author of best selling book, “The Rails Way”. He contributes regularly to the Ruby on Rails podcast, and is editor for Ruby community portals.

TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night - March Success and April Update

TSOT recently held another successful installment of their monthly Ruby on Rails Project Night for Toronto’s tech community. The highly anticipated event was the third of its kind for TSOT, Inc., local developer of scalable peer-to-peer networks, and over 40 of Toronto’s ‘tech elite’ were in attendance. With a variety of dynamic presentations on a broad range of projects in Ruby and Ruby on Rails, the TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night delivers a unique opportunity for the Toronto programming and development community.

This month’s TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night welcomed a host of presentations from various Toronto developers, including both fun and functional applications being built in Ruby on Rails. Mike Bowler, president of Gargoyle Software and previous presenter, returned to share his technical wisdom on “Exploring the magic behind dynamic finders: diving into ActiveRecord::Base.method_missing”. Following this, local developers Robin Ward and Mike Drach brought their unique sense of internet humour to the table with a look at “RJS: a love and hate affair” in their work with the online RPG ‘Forumwarz’. Finally the feature presenter for the evening Ilya Grigorik, Chief Architect at aideRSS, Inc., demonstrated the challenges involved in “Taming the RSS beast” related to the launch of www.aideRSS.com. Given the balance between technical expertise and innovative ideas, the evening’s presentations struck a very positive chord, with audience members eager to take the opportunity to ask questions, share solutions, and discuss the challenges associated with each of these dynamic Ruby on Rails projects.

The third installment of the TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night this Tuesday was a great success and given the positive response from those in attendance, this unique event will continue to build a loyal following in the tech community. The monthly event takes place on the second Tuesday of every month, returning on April 8th, 2008 to the TSOT development office at 151 Bloor Street West, Toronto. Doors open at 5:30pm and presentations begin at 6:00pm. This event is free but space is limited; if you are interested in attending, please reserve your spot by emailing corina.newby@tsotinc.com. If you would like to submit a presentation idea or learn about sponsorship opportunities at future events, please contact Corina at (416) 908-6082

TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night Returns March 11th

A reminder to Toronto’s programming/development community:

TSOT Ruby on Rails Project Night returns Tuesday March 11, 2008
Doors and Snacks 5:30pm; Presentations 6:00pm; Pub After

This month delivers another unique opportunity to network with fellow
Toronto developers and see demos from up and coming Ruby/Rails
programmers. Last month we had over 60 people register and, despite a
BRUTAL snowstorm, about 30 of you made it out. This month we expect
another good crowd so please reserve your space TODAY by emailing
corina.newby@tsotinc.com - this event is free but space is limited!

(oh and p.s. feel free to BYOB)

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor or presenter at a future
event, please contact Corina Newby at 416-908-6082.

Stay tuned for our schedule of speakers, to be released next week!

FraternityLive and SororityLive at the MGCA/NBGLC

Greetings from the windy city!

TSOT and FraternityLive/SororityLive are in Chicago this week at the Mid-American Greek Council Association and National Black Greek Leadership Conference, alongside almost 2000 Greek students and advisors. With hot topic sessions ranging from recruitment techniques and risk management to relationships, there certainly seems to be something for everyone. FraternityLive and SororityLive have been getting a lot of attention as both Chapters and Greek Councils seek out new technologies to help them organize and communicate with their members.

In addition to getting to meet some incredible Greek leaders from all over the Nation, FraternityLive and SororityLive garnered a lot of excitement about the new Headquarters, Chapter, and Council level product packages, especially the Family Tree charting, SMS text messaging, and Page Builder applications. The reasonable pricing model also appeals to organizations of any size because it is based on membership numbers; meaning that even a small Chapter or modest Greek campus can benefit from the FraternityLive and SororityLive private networks. One of the best chords we’ve struck has been through the introduction of our facebook application, which allows any organization to capitalize on the popularity of the social network by using it to direct traffic to their private system.

From the great response FraternityLive and SororityLive received at this week’s MGCA/NBGLC, TSOT is looking forward to bringing the FraternityLive and SororityLive network tools to Greek organizations and councils; helping the Greek community to establish a stronger online presence and improve their member management and communications.

If you are interested in learning more about how TSOT’s private label networks can benefit your organization, email me: corina.newby@tsotinc.com