O'Reilly
November 1, 2006

RailsConf 2007: Harnessing the Power--and Joy--of Rails

Call for Participation Is Open; Speaking Proposals Now Being Accepted Until November 27, 2006

Sebastopol, CA--The Call for Participation has just opened for RailsConf 2007, the largest official event for the Rails community. Program chair Chad Fowler and his Rails core team cohorts Rich Kilmer and David Black are actively seeking proposals from Rails hackers, Rubyists, trainers, web developers, entrepreneurs, and other interested, qualified practitioners with insights and stories to share with other Rails developers and IT professionals. RailsConf happens May17-20, 2007 at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Oregon. Proposals will be accepted through November 27; registration for the event will open in January.

A popular platform for building database-driven websites quickly, Rails is increasingly becoming the technology of choice for implementing Web 2.0 sites. Launched to meet the increasing demand for skills building, RailsConf will feature the most innovative and successful Rails experts and companies in a spirited, welcoming environment. Participants will examine business models, development paradigms, and design strategies to enable mainstream businesses and recent arrivals to the Web 2.0 world to take advantage of this new generation of services and opportunities.

The program will spotlight particularly creative experts, leaders, and under-the-radar innovations, while allowing ample opportunity for all participants to connect, contribute, and collaborate throughout the event. Session and tutorial proposals should focus on helping attendees by teaching from experience. Any and all Rails-related topics are welcome, though some specific areas the program committee is particularly interested in exploring are:

The conference will also feature an exhibitor gallery showcasing the latest Rails-related products and services, as well as volunteer and community projects; sponsored sessions illustrating Rails in action in the enterprise; after-hours events to encourage networking and interaction with experts, alpha geeks, and the core Rails team; and official Rails announcements. Last year's RailsConf sold out in only a few days, and demand for the next event is expected to be even greater.

RailsConf examines the current state of Rails and related technologies, providing a framework for understanding how Rails fits into the Web 2.0 architecture and beyond. The event provides a comprehensive educational experience for all participants--no matter what their experience level--including web and open source developers, IT managers tracking emerging technologies, tech-savvy entrepreneurs looking to implement web-based start-ups quickly, and anyone interested in web technologies and strategic implementation. A place for face-to-face interaction and inspiration, RailsConf breaks down barriers to adoption, puts developers on the fast track to productivity, and shares the latest updates and information with the growing worldwide Rails community.

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