When DevCamp 2 was held in Bangalore this year, a lot of interesting presentations came up. Among others I particularly liked Neal Ford’s presentation on visualization tools for code metrics and productive programmer and also the presentation on Sahi which is a web testing tool. Each session was timed quite well and we had lots to take away after each session.

Sahi is a tool for automation and testing of web applications with record and playback feature and runs on any modern browser with javascript support. Mr. Narayan Raman, who is the founder of Sahi software, introduced the capabilities of Sahi by running through a live demo of automating GMail.  The tool comes with a hoard of exciting features and is available for free downloads.  A flash demo is available from Sahi’s website for getting a first look into the tool’s capabilities.

Following Sahi, Neal Ford gave a presentation on Visualization tools for code metrics.  To be frank, I have heard of all the jargons such as code metrics, cyclomatic complexity etc. but never really used them in practice or never really understood the real purpose of using such tools until this session. He talked in brief about a number of visualization tools like Source Monitor, Panopticode, Graphviz, JAR analyser, Toxicity chart, Code Crawler, Codecity , Citylyzer etc. What was interesting to learn was the kind of information we can decipher from the visualization information. The presentation slides are available for public viewing from Neal Ford’s site.

Neal Ford also delivered another session and that was on Productive Programmer. There is a book by that name authored by him. This session was really interesting not because of the content alone but also because of Neal’s sense of humor while dealing with repetitive and boring tasks. He talks about a few tips that we can employ in our everyday chores and become more productive.

The DevCamp chapter not only brings the ideas from people but also is a nice venue for socializing with a diversified crowd from hackers to programmers to architects.

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Guys, a quick reminder – DevCamp Bangalore 2 happens on Saturday; do
register now at http://devcamp.in if you’re planning to participate so
we can make appropriate arrangements.

At this point in time we have 330 registrations and 19 sessions.

These include sessions by at least 5 people who are core committers on
various open source projects, one internationally known speaker and
author, and two entrepreneurs; and this just among the people whose
background I’m familiar with, so I’m sure there are many more people
with very interesting backgrounds who will be present.

So do sign up, and please spread the word among all the hackers you know

Best,
Sidu.
http://blog.sidu.in

DevCamp is an un-conference by the hackers*, for the hackers and of the hackers.

It’s a species of BarCamp where anything a lover of computers and
technology would consider important or entertaining goes.

The first DevCamp ( http://www.devcamp.in/wiki/DevCamp_Bangalore_1 ) happened a little over a year ago and was a lot of fun; we’re hoping to keep that trend going with DCB2.

If you’re planning to do a session at DCB2, do keep in mind the fact that everyone at DevCamp is a hacker, a pro. Please assume a high level of exposure and knowledge on the part of your audience and tailor your sessions to suit. Avoid ‘Hello World’ and how-to sessions which can be trivially found on the net. First hand war stories, in-depth analyses of topics and live demos are best.

Do forward this to any of your friends, colleagues or classmates who might be interested.

* Hacker as in http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~bh/hacker.html

DevCamp Bangalore 2

• Date: April 11th 2009
• Time: 10:00am to 6:00pm
• Venue: ThoughtWorks Bangalore
• DevCamp Mailing list: http://groups.google.com/group/devcamp-bangalore

ich möchte auf 2 events für software entwickler verweisen:

1. die .NET Beginners Roadshow richtet sich, wie es im titel steckt, an beginner. erste erfahrungen im programmieren sind gemacht und ev. auch auf der .NET plattform wurde der erste schritt schon gemacht – dann bist du hier richtig. das event findet in innsbruck, salzburg, graz und wien statt, start ist in 2 wochen. ich bin wahrscheinlich in innsbruck, salzburg und wien anzutreffen
2. das DEVcamp richtet sich an erfahrende entwickler auf .NET technologie. das event wird von 3 microsoft partnern veranstaltet und findet mitte oktober in wien statt. auch microsoft ist als sponsor mit dabei und wird mit einem stand am event als auch mit vorträgen mitwirken.

beides sind kostenpflichtige veranstaltungen, anmeldung über die jeweilige website.

Wer generell an offenen, verteilten sozialen Netzwerken interessiert ist, ist herzlich willkommen, am 13./14. September in Köln am NoseRub DevCamp teilzunehmen.

Was ist NoseRub? Dirk Olbertz, Kopf und Architekt von NoseRub erklärt es in einer Mail so:

NoseRub zeigt, wie mit den bereits vorhandenen Standards hCard, OAuth, OpenID, RSS und XFN die soziale Netzwerke aufgebaut werden können. Der Content und die Kontaktbeziehungen einzelner geschlossener Plattformen werden aggregiert und erlauben dem Benutzer somit einen zentralen Anlaufpunkt all seiner Aktivitäten und Kontakte im Web 2.0 zu erschaffen.

Zwischen den Ideen und Konzepten von NoseRub und Microblogging gibt es einen starken Zusammenhang. Ganz deutlich wird das bei der Open Source Software Laconi.ca (aka identi.ca & Co.) und beim OpenMicroBlogging, die ja auf ähnlichen Grundsätzen und Technologien basieren, aber einen etwas anderen Schwerpunkt haben. NoseRub und Microblogging ergänzen sich gut. NoseRub kann verteilte Microblogging Server und Netzwerke mit weiteren Technologien des Web 2.0 verbinden. Es kann als Kitt (“glue”) dienen aus der Perspektive der User und so reichhaltigere Welten schaffen.

Dirk hat vor, auf dem NoseRub DevCamp eine praktische Arbeitsatmosphäre zu schaffen, wo insbesondere auch ganz konkret an NoseRub gearbeitet und entwickelt wird. Hands-on für Developer. Die Stunde. wo das Produkt weitergetrieben und neue Ideen eingebracht werden können. Super!

NoseRub DevCamp ist für Macher.

[Mehr über NoseRub hier in der "Sprechblase"]

So, we have finally completed a year in our job and also in Bangalore. From young graduates right out of college to software professionals, its been an amazing transformation. A transformation which includes an experience like never before.
I still remember the day I was coming to Bangalore. Right after my final semester exams and after just a week’s break, I had set out on the flight from Kolkata to Bangalore. It was my first experience of a flight and was full of emotions. My mom had tears in her eyes as she bade me goodbye at the airport and my grandmom could hardly speak. I was about to set foot out of my safe zone and face the world to make my mark, to become a man.
So when the flight touched down at Bangalore’s HAL Airport, the first thing that caught my notice was the weather. It was cold; really cold. From the hot and humid high 30 degrees in Kolkata to a low cold 20 degrees in Bangalore on June 30th, the weather change was dramatic. This actually lasted the entire time from July – September and we got used to wearing jackets which we could never imagine in Jamshedpur or Kolkata during this time.

Apart from the weather, what also I noticed was the language and the culture change. But Bangalore is a very open-minded city and you can easily manage here without knowing the local language, a very unlike Chennai. But yes, the culture change was evident everywhere. From a very laid-back approach in Kolkata, you are into a highly professional culture of Bangalore. Every morning when you board the bus to office, you can see a huge crowd of people wearing tags and waiting for their buses to take them to their workplace.
Now talking about workplace, the experience at MindTree has been phenomenal. First 3 months of C2 training – the Orchard experience, House activities, PALs, inter-house competitions, Ethnic Day to sessions, lectures, assessments and finally allotment into projects; it ensured our transformation from college to corporate was smooth and actually enjoyable.

Trip To Savandurga

It was also during the C2 training that we had our OBL trip to Savandurga. 120 Campus Minds on a one-day trip. Savandurga is famous as the largest single rock structure in Asia. From garbage collection drive to walking on ropes, from getting thrown off a rock in Trust the team to playing dodge ball in the mud; it was amazing fun. But the enjoyment in Bangalore didn’t remain confined to team outings only.
In August, Payal Di had come down to Bangalore from Cambridge for Rakhi. And the 3 days she was here, we had awesome fun. I had my first experience of late night movies at a multiplex when we watched ‘Heyy Babyy’ 10:30 pm show on the day of Rakhi.

In Front of City Palace

Now it took me 2 months since coming to Bangalore to make my first trip out of Bangalore. On 15th Sep morning, I boarded the Volvo bus to Mysore for which was to become the weekend trip I would never forget. From visiting the Infy campus (which was simply breath-taking) to Brindavan Gardens, I had an awesome time with my friends. We managed to offer puja at Chamundeshwari Temple, lunch at Rice Bowl and even make a trip to City Palace in the rain. A whirlwind weekend and a truly cherishable experience; an experience which I was to revisit two weekends later with my MindTree mates.

Durga Puja

Then came the Pujas and my first trip back home. It was so uncertain that we had to go by train from Chennai. The trip by bus to Chennai was pathetic and the weather was worse. But our eagerness to reach home made me forget all those hardships faced. Pujas were great and I had a beautiful time home. It also made me realize how important it was to spend time with your family and relatives.

ABG Team at Value Lanes

We came back refreshed after the trip and ready to face the next months which went off in a fly. The Avis Redesign project, the host of sessions & lectures we attended as part of the ramp up sessions and whole new team feeling. It was amazing. What really went in my favour was that I had about 15 Campus Minds from my batch joining along with me. I had a group at the very start.
The project time has been a total learning experience. Apart from learning a whole set of new technologies, I also learnt how to actually work in a team. How to coordinate, cooperate and share knowledge so as to benefit everyone. And being part of a huge group had other benefits too. Frequent outings, team outings and even over-night trip to Value Lanes in January. It has been a rocking time being part of ABG and Avis Redesign.
Bangalore also got me in touch with another thing I truly liked – Blogging. And it was being part of Blogger’s Community that took me to these camps being held in Bangalore – DevCamp and BarCamp. A truly enriching experience, I got to know a whole new side of the city. I met up with a lot of people who shared similar interests and really enjoyed the concept of knowledge sharing and open-source community.

At the Convocation

In between all this I managed my second trip back home. This time, it was for my convocation. On 16th february, when I received my Bachelor of Engineering degree, I finally graduated from college. I was an Engineer. That day was truly enjoyable. Lunch at Rich (I realized how much I missed it; especially Chamki’s food) and then party in the evening at Park Street with friends. Then I went for a trip to North Bengal with my parents. A week at home and I was back to Bangalore.

At Angeethi

It was only in March that we managed to form our Loyola group in Bangalore. It took some special effort from some of us but we were back together. Then a host of parties at various hangouts in Bangalore. Suddenly, life was no more only work. It was enjoyable. From watching IPL matches at Mojos to listening live music at Java City, from bearing Sayantan’s jokes to celebrating birthday at Barbeque Nation; its been masti all the time.

At Barbeque Nation

Now a year has passed and I have supposedly grown one year wiser. Can’t confirm that but have certainly confirm is that I have definitely become a lot more independent and a lot more informed. Hopefully it will stand me in good stead for a lot more years in the future.

There is so much to talk about…

This was the punch line with which the first DevCamp in Bangalore was promoted. There certainly was a lot to talk about.

Following were the sessions held

• Designing Phishing IDS : Bipin
• PoshZones – A baazaar approach to the semantic web : Sriram Narayan
• DTRACE : Sanjeev
• CallGraph Skype Indexing : Rajeev Poddar
• Adobe Integrated Runtime (ATR) RIA’s on Desktop
• Lightning Talks : Random talks by participants in 3 minutes
• Easy Software Development : Prasanth
• Getting Started with Mercurial : Biju Chacko
• Intruder Alert PoC to Sig Snort IDS : Akash
• Eclipse Plugin development and Android Plugin Internals
• BDD: Learn from JBehav, do it in JUnit
• Working with Data in a Natural Way : Bijoy
• RORR – Zero to Beta of a Publishing Platform : Gokul
• Nintendo DS Homebrew Hackery – Siddu
• Writing wargaming aids in DJango – Manoj Govindan
• A discussion of Ruby
• MONADS : Ravi M
• What really is “enterprise” grade app? Open Discussion : Pradeep BV
• Mobile Eco-system : Janakiram
• AAKRAMAN – The Ruby war : Chirag/Akshay
• MOOSE – A Biological simulation system
• Building Social application on Facebook/Orkut : Himanshu Baneja
• Enhancing Firefox, Password Manage with OpenID
• Load Testing webpps with ERLang : Kartik SR
• Bringing web application to desktop : Suresh
• Develop voice/speech enabled web 2.0 application using TringMe API
• Tye in any Language – on any website
• Twitter API + WordPress Plugin API: Ujjwal
• Automation testing for win apps : Vivek Singh
• Fault tolerance load balancing in JMS : Sandil
• Mobile application made easy : Mobisy
• BDD – Liz is painting during this time
• OpenSolaris virtualization : Ajesh
• Programming with ANDROID : Selvan
• Lets Develop a J2ME Game : Zarina
• API manipulation Rest & JSon : Sebastin
• Web Security – A Discussion
• Clutter – Fun with Building Interfaces : Shreyas
• The state of JavaScript
• Semantic Web : Harish

The USP of the event for quite a few people, definitely, was the presence of Martin Fowler, every one was hoping he would do a session.

Unfortunately that was not to be. He said he just wants to see what we talk about.

Although the wiki mentioned that the speakers should assume extensive exposure on the part of the audience and refrain from “Hello World” stuff, there was still a lot of beginner stuff going around. I hope that will improve next time.

Overall a good experience, next time I will most definitely present a talk.

Looks like Mumbai and Bangalore Barcamps will be very close to each other. Bangalore planners met this morning while the Mumbai ones met in the evening. Given the usual lead up time needed, both are likely to end up being close to each other.

This will be very interesting for me; being on both teams. Bangalore one is the larger, older and more mature one while Mumbai one is just starting out. Also Bangalore is a city where one can’t throw a stone without hitting a techie. In Mumbai, there is an mazing variety even though the financial world dominates the mindscape. With the schedules matched up too, it’ll be easier to observe and compare.

This also seems to be the time when techies reassert themselves. We’ve already had a Devcamp. Now both Barcamps are highly likely to have a codecamp as well.

I attended the Mumbai planners meet. The planners group has expanded to include several BCA1 folks and some folks from BCM2 participants. Looks like an awesome party already.

BarCamp has opened doors for un-conferences around the world (FooCamp started the movement though). In Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of the East, BarCamp has had a profound effect on how conferences are being organized.

DevCamp – A Developer unConference is born to be an annual meet for all the Developers.

Today, I am here at DevCamp. The wiki had more than 600 registrations and only the first 225 are allowed. I rushed in the morning forgetting that the weekend has just begun. I reached here at around 9 AM thinking that i might not be allowed, but I was on time

One of the attractions to this camp is that Martin Fowler is here in person. My expectations were high and was looking forward for some good discussions on open source and technology. When Siddu introduced him to the participants, he just spoke about his participation with other unconferences and did not intend to involve himself here, rather wanted to see how we participated and what we speak. Disappointed a bit….

Sessions began at 10 AM in the four rooms provided at the ThoughtWorks venue. Here is the list of sessions which happened/happening at the event today:

• Designing a Phishing IDS : Bipin
• PoshZones – A baazaar approach to the semantic web :  Sriram Narayan
• DTRACE : Sanjeev
• CallGraph Skype Indexing : Rajeev Poddar
• Adobe Integrated Runtim (ATR) RIA’s on Desktop
• Lightning Talks : Talks in random by participants in 3 minutes
• Easy Software Development : Prasanth
• Getting Started with Mrcurial : Biju Chacko
• Intruder Alert PoC to Sig Snort IDS : Akash
• Eclipse Plugin development and Android Plugin Internals
• BDD: Learn from JBehav, do it in JUnit
• Working with Data in a Natural Way : Bijoy
• RORR -  Zero to Beta of a Publishing Platform : Gokul
• Nintendo DS Homebrew Hackery – Siddu
• Writing wargaming aids in DJango – Manoj Govindan
• A discusson of Ruby
• MONADS : Ravi M
• What really is “enerpris” grade app? Open Discussion : Pradeep BV
• Mobile Eco-system : Janakiram
• AAKRAMAN – The Ruby war : Chirag/Akshay
• MOOSE – A Biological simulation system
• Building Social application on Facebook/Orkut : Himanshu Baneja
• Enhancing Firefox, Password Manage with OpenID
• Load Testing weapps with ERLang : Kartik SR
• Bringing web application to desktop : Suresh
• Develop voice/speech enabled web 2.0 application using TringMe API
• Tye in any Language – on any website
• Twitter API + WordPress Plugin API: Ujjwal
• Automation testing for win apps : Vivek Singh
• Fault tolerance load balancing in JMS : Sandil
• Mobile application made easy : Mobisy
• BDD – Liz is painting during this time
• OpenSolaris virtulization : Ajesh
• Programming with ANDROID : Selvan
• Lets Develop a J2ME Game : Zarina
• API manipulation Rest & JSon : Sebastin
• Web Security – A Discussion
• Clutter – Fun with Building Interfaces : Shreyas
• The state of JavaScript
• Symantic Web : Harish

Well, the boards are full and so are the rooms. Am heading off now for a session…

I have DevCamp pictures on my Flickr account. Pradeep has few, check them out.

One Day, I would love to co-ordinate in organizing or be part of Burning Man in India. Hope the day is not far away

I’ve (mostly) enjoyed the stuff that I’ve done in WPF but I haven’t had a chance to dig into Silverlight quite yet so I’m really excited that we’re hosting a FREE Silverlight DevCamp on November 10th. Given the recent announcements and the fact that it’s cross-browser and cross-platform, I really believe there are some things coming out of Redmond that show they’re listening. Now it’s up to us to figure out the best ways to use them. In case you’ve not heard about Silverlight, here’s the standard pitch:

Microsoft Silverlight is a cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in for delivering the next generation of .NET-based media experiences and rich interactive applications for the web. It offers a flexible programming model that supports AJAX, VB, C#, Python, and Ruby and integrates with existing web applications. Even more, Silverlight supports fast, cost-effective delivery of high-quality and rich multimedia to all major browsers running on Mac OS, Windows and soon to be on Linux as well.

So join us for an all day event on Saturday, November 10th and get your learn on. We’ll have experienced developers to help answer any questions you might have and to show off a few of the cooler bits of the technology. We’re even going to build our own applications to compete for prizes. Bring your laptop, bring your ideas and let’s see what shakes out.

Details:
Event ID: 1032353469
November 10, 2007 from 8am to 8pm
Improving Enterprises
15950 Dallas Parkway
Suite 500
Dallas, TX 75248
Register on Microsoft World Wide Events