Some Reflection On Node.js
Node.js is a strange beast. It's a technology that might just be worth the hype surrounding it. In this day an age, when everyone expects ‘viral' to be part of their marketing campaign, when something actually does become popular rapidly and ends up with a bunch of people talking about it, it's easy to discount the validity of the hype. Especially when it's something as unexpected as serious developers being outspoken about how amazing JavaScript is.
It's almost like you're living inside of a bad joke… But I gotta tell you all, this is no joke. Node.js really is all that and it doesn't matter what the business folks say, what the marketing folks say or what the jaded developer to your left snidely derides. This is serious technology and it's relevant.
Why Portland?
So you all have seen Portlandia, right? Well, it's true. We here in Portland are a bit off our rockers and we're passionate about a lot of things. We're living proof that even though idealism may not apply globally, it can certainly live in a bubble and work here. As you might expect, we have a very idealistic software development community here.
This is the land of fancy beer drinking beardos and blue haired pierced-'n-tatted gender-benders who crank out wicked bleeding-edge open source code on their sticker-encrusted macbooks and who look at you like you're speaking a foreign language when you talk about LOB apps, COM+, or "enterprise solutions". It's only natural that Portland would become a center for innovation and adoption of emergent technologies. We may not have the vibrant start-up culture of SF or NYC ( or do we ? ) but I guarantee you we care about technology more than your average bear.
NodePDX == Node.js + Portland
Portland was a natural environment for hosting the two main conferences of 2011 for JavaScript and Node.js. Apparently the weather scared them away. While NodeConf will be returning this summer, NodeSummit took place in sunny business-friendly San Francisco and JSConf has chosen the dusty and dry environs of Scottsdale, Arizona this year (yep, PDX has 384% the rainfall, and we deal with love it!).
Well, we still admire JavaScript here in Portland. Business interest or no business interest, we want to share, talk and hack together as a community indulging in our excitement for what has already been called the "Technology of The Year" for 2012 (who decides these things anyway?).
That's what NodePDX is all about. This is a grassroots, independent, non-commercial conference. That means that everything is donated. Everything, including the event venue (thanks NedSpace), the screen, the microphone (thanks PIE), the projector, the t-shirts, the on-site massage therapist (thanks AppFog), the logo (thanks Julie), and even the hosted open-bar after party (thanks New Relic)… oh, and all the speakers, and the volunteers, who are doing this out of their passion for legit technology, without even thinking about money (not that we have anything against money. We love money. It allows us to buy beer, laptops and food… Without those things we couldn't hack on JS all day and night, duh).
So, put on your thinking cap (and if you're not from here, grab your umbrella) and come join us for a couple days of raw geekery. I guarantee you'll learn something and have a good time doing it.