Program
Conference Schedule
Edge of the Web Workshops
The Edge of the Web Conference will take place on Thursday 6th November at the University Club of Western Australia followed by four of half day post-conference workshops on Friday 7th November. The conference will open at 8.20am with a keynote address by international speaker Derek Featherstone. The program will then break into two conference tracks - Technical (Code monkey) and Business (Monkey Suit) followed by closing address by keynote Chris Messina and ending with Conference wrap up drinks.
The Edge of the Web Conference will be as a hallmark event in Perth, Western Australia set a benchmark in the Australian Web community. On behalf of the AWIA committee and our speakers we look forward to seeing you at the WA University Club, Perth in November 08!
Conference Schedule
Edge of the Web Workshops
Download the Edge of the Web brochure (PDF, 2.6MB)
See: Key note speakers | Code Monkey Stream | Monkey Suit Stream
Keynote speakers
Derek Featherstone
Journey to the Edge of the Web
“Looking back to all that has occurred to me since that eventful day, I am scarcely able to believe in the reality of my adventures. They were truly so wonderful that even now I am bewildered when I think of them.” ~ Jules Verne, 1864
Great things happen at the edge of the web. Brilliant design. Compelling experiences. Functional elegance. Join us as we explore what the edges are made of and how going there can transform the way we think about and create for the web.
[read more about Derek Featherstone]
[Workshop with Derek Featherstone: Real World Accessibility for Ajax and Web Apps]
Chris Messina
Breeding Success through Openess
A common trend that unites Chris’s work is ensuring openness through the design of small, reusable building blocks or structures that are offered for free or under a liberal license. Not only has this resulted or contributed too many of these ideas taking on lives of their own, but it has also enriched Chris’s life.
Chris will talk about what it means to be open, how to design for openness and reuse, as well as how to think critically about open source. He will share valuable lessons from his extensive experience in this area which may be applicable for to your future work and projects including; how your work could contribute to, or affect, the continued development and success of the Open Web.
[read more about Chris Messina]
Code Monkey Stream
Ben Buchanan
Hacking Humans: Advocating for a better web
As geeks we tend to focus a lot on how we code, but not so much on how we do everything else. This can be a problem, since the human factor can create just as many problems as the code. Why did the manager glaze over? Why did the client say no? What’s going on here?
It’s time to take a look at how we advocate for a better web. How do we take our high falutin’ web standards ideals and turn them into reality, when managers and clients don’t care? Let’s reset our thinking!
[read more about Ben Buchanan]
Cameron Adams
Designing with Creative Code
Programming has long been the domain of logic and order, but with the evolution of programming languages on a multitude of platforms and devices there has come a growing freedom in the ability for self-expression and creativity through code.
Cameron will be exploring the creative aspects of coding and how coding relates to and influences design. With a focus on visual and interactive design, Cameron will look at the many ways in which you can stay creative with code of all sorts — JavaScript, Processing (Java), HTML, CSS, ActionScript and BASIC — and put the fun back into the technologies you work with everyday.
[read more about Cameron Adams]
[Workshop with Cameron Adams: Frontiers of JavaScript]
Kai Koenig
Adobe AIR: The desktop actually matters
Rich Internet Applications are the current hype and RIA is the number one buzzword when it comes to new development undertakings. There are plenty of offerings for building RIAs from various vendors such as Adobe and Microsoft but also open source platforms such as OpenLaszlo.
Adobe’s Flash Platform has just recently been extended by a new technology that allows developers to leverage their skills in building web applications to build RIAs that would run on the desktop: Adobe AIR. At this stage, AIR can be used to develop desktop applications in Flash, Flex as well as in HTML with JavaScript and AJAX - and one could even combine those technologies in one app.
This session will introduce AIR and talk about why this is NOT just another way of creating an executable Flash projector but is much more powerful. We’ll have a look into AIR development metaphors for both Flash/Flex and HTML/JS/AJAX, the toolset and the new possibilities arising from desktop integration: Network API, File API and even a local SQLite database.
[read more about Kai Koenig]
[Workshop with Kai Koenig: Adobe AIR Bootcamp 101]
Nick Hodge
This is not your father’s Microsoft
In February 2008, Microsoft released its Interoperability Principles. Text is one thing but where is the evidence? In this session, Nick will provide an update on key projects at Microsoft and exploring the new world of Microsoft through the eyes of:
- The Dynamic Language Runtime (DLR)
- Silverlight and Mono’s Moonlight
- IronPython, IronRuby: including demonstrations in ways that you probably will not expect!
- Touch on ALT.NET and the MVC model
- exactly what does all this have to do with LOLCODE, anyway?”
Tim Lucas
Developing for the iPhone
The release of Apple’s iPhone brings new opportunities for web sites and web apps on handheld devices, though not without it’s share of challenges and best practices. Tim will look at the best examples out in the wild and share their experience creating iphone.news.com.au - one of Australia’s largest news sites, news.com.au, tailored to the iPhone.
[read more about Tim Lucas]
Lisa Herrod
Usability for Designers, Developers and Decision Makers
This presentation is directed at those who suddenly need to start including usability in their work and also for those who are managing web projects and want to know more about how and where a usability evaluation fits in. This session will explore how to conduct fundamental usability evaluations and how to better understand the work that’s being done for you. It will also look at practical tools, tips and tricks that designers and developers can integrate into their typical work flow.
[read more about Lisa Herrod]
Monkey Suit Stream
Laurel Papworth
How to Develop a Social Marketing Campaign
Ever wondered what a social media marketing campaign would look like? How is engagement different from push? Why do some things go “viral” and others die a horrible death? How do you measure and monitor all that information out there - thereby justifying the campaigns to senior management and the board? This presentation will give you an overview of how to engage with content networks, connect into distributive social networks, and monitor metrics through social media monitoring tools.
[read more about Laurel Papworth]
Stephen Collins
Enterprise 2.0 — Is it the new Age of Aquarius for Business?
Social media and social networking inside the corporate wall - Enterprise 2.0 - is being touted as the next major paradigm shift for business. Certainly, major benefits to your business can be seen by successful adoption of these tools, techniques and business practices, but there is risk involved. This session will provide a detailed look at some of the latest Enterprise 2.0 tools and platforms, trends, current and cutting edge practices for your business, benefits beyond the technology, and an exploration of successful Enterprise 2.0 rollouts.
[read more about Stephen Collins]
Donna Spencer
Involving Users: Why is it so hard to do the right thing?
Why is user involvement in projects the exception rather than the rule, despite the fact we know it is the ‘right’ thing to do? Taking a practical standpoint and without the boring and irrelevant theory, this presentation discusses the role of user involvement in web projects covering:
- What types of projects need (and do not need) to involve users
- Determine the value of involving users or the risks of not involving them
- Methods and techniques appropriate for different situations
- Low-contact, quick methods you can use to learn about users with little effort
- Tips to help other people understand the value of user involvement
[read more about Donna Spencer]
[Workshop with Donna Spencer: Information Architecture: Just the Essentials]
Russ Weakley
Pushing the boundaries on content-rich websites
The Australian Museum recently implemented a number of open-communication devices such as commenting, tags, user-generated content to their website. Integrating these devices on large, existing websites is not easy task. The diversity of audience, as well as indexing large amounts of existing data presents a number of challenges, however with more customers expecting an open information ecosystem more large sites are adding these tools. This presentation looks at some of the trials and tribulations that arose during the integration - information that can help other organisations embarking on a similar projects. It also looks at new navigation methods that allow multiple pathways to and from content.
[read more about Russ Weakley]
Marc Lehmann
SaaS as an Ecosystem
Software as a service (SaaS) is helping many organisations get online but SaaS it is not just about anywhere, anytime access to banking, education, email and now accounting. SaaS is also having a positive social and environmental impact along with the more obvious economic ones.;
[read more about Marc Lehmann]
Sonja Bernhardt
Women in ICT — The Global Failure of Intervention Programs
A controversial look at significant women in ICT programs and their spectacular global failure to attract and retain female to technology studies and careers. The skills shortage debate suggests increased hiring of women into technology careers as a solution. Given the spectacular global failure. Will this work? Why does it matter? Why has there been a failure? What have we been doing wrong? Why is it bad business? What are the real reasons/causes behind this and what can we do about it? In this reality based probing session these questions will be investigated.
[read more about Sonja Bernhardt]
