Open Tech Calendar

This month we're getting a sneak-preview of some talks Team Sheffield will be taking to Scotland JS, so be sure to give our speakers some friendly and constructive feedback :)


"Chrome DevTools, Front to Back" - Katie Fenn (@katie_fenn)

I have a confession: I used to debug my scripts using alert(). I didn't know about the console, about breakpoints or profiling. I didn't know there was a better way.

We shall see how to debug code line-by-line, how to optimise HTTP requests and how to profile the performance of your code. Finally we shall introduce DevTools to the server, inspecting Node.JS scripts with node-inspector. You'll never need alert() again.


"Adaptive and evolvable applications" Ben Longden (@blongden)

RESTful web design is the current best practice model for building an API. This talk will focus on how we should be approach building clients for those services. Hypermedia is a powerful tool in the box for buildings clients that do not also happen to be web browsers and I'd like to take the opportunity to present a way that focusses on building a client that can exploit this power. Approval times for an App Store need not be a blocker for introducing new functionality and you don't have to force everyone to upgrade to the latest client all the time if you follow a few rules. Keep as much logic out of the client as possible, and focus on link relations and their meaning. This session is recommended primarily for anyone who builds clients for HTTP web services but also those on the server side - looking to see how the other half live.


"How I went from forklift driver to developer in 9 months" - Lewis Cowper (@LewisCowper)

Moving up the ladder from forklift driver and general labourer, to front end developer, with a stint in manual testing, was a big challenge. However it's exactly what I did, and I couldn't have done it without following a few core principles.

Getting up the nerve to go to local usergroups, and conferences, and discovering a new found love of public speaking, was a huge leap from labouring. Similarly, I discovered contributing to open source wasn't that big a deal, and some things certain projects did made it really easy! Also, learning about things like source control was super integral to being where I am today.

The most important part was trying to learn something from everyone I met. It didn't matter where I met you, if I saw an opportunity to learn more, or try a new thing, I was there.

I'd love to tell you how I went from forklift driver to developer in less than 9 months, and show you how you can help anyone wanting to make a start.


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And, as usual, we'll be heading to the Pub afterwards for more JavaScript banter!