Greater Atlanta Software Symposium - No Fluff Just Stuff
NFJS2011

Greater Atlanta Software Symposium

September 16 - 18, 2011

Keynote: Abstraction Distractions

Friday - Sep 16 7:15 PM EDT -

Computer science is built on a shaky tower of abstractions, but we've been distracted by other things until we believe it is reality.

This talk teases apart some of the tangled abstractions that have become so common they are invisible yet impact important decisions. I cover languages, tools, platforms, and burrow all the way down to fundamental concepts. This wide-ranging keynote answers these questions and more:

* Which language should I learn next? And should I bother?
* Why is the iPad is the most revolutionary device in the last 30 years?
* Why do some people hate Maven so much?
* How can I choose technologies with long shelf lives?
* Is hiding always a good thing?

Oh, and some jokes too.

Neal Ford

Neal Ford

Director / Software Architect / Meme Wrangler

Video Preview

About Neal Ford

Neal is Director, Software Architect, and Meme Wrangler at ThoughtWorks, a global IT consultancy with an exclusive focus on end-to-end software development and delivery.
Before joining ThoughtWorks, Neal was the Chief Technology Officer at The DSW Group, Ltd., a nationally recognized training and development firm. Neal has a degree in Computer Science from Georgia State University specializing in languages and compilers and a minor in mathematics specializing in statistical analysis.
He is also the designer and developer of applications, instructional materials, magazine articles, video presentations, and author of 6 books, including the most recent The Productive Programmer. His language proficiencies include Java, C#/.NET, Ruby, Groovy, functional languages, Scheme, Object Pascal, C++, and C. His primary consulting focus is the design and construction of large-scale enterprise applications. Neal has taught on-site classes nationally and internationally to all phases of the military and to many Fortune 500 companies. He is also an internationally acclaimed speaker, having spoken at over 100 developer conferences worldwide, delivering more than 600 talks. If you have an insatiable curiosity about Neal, visit his web site at http://www.nealford.com. He welcomes feedback and can be reached at nford@thoughtworks.com.