Oracle Code Chicago... I'm going...

For developers in the Chicago area, I’d like to put Oracle Code Chicago on your radar. It’s next Tuesday. I’ve decided to go. Initially, I was on the fence because I’m not a Java developer, and I don’t work heavily with any Oracle products - at least not enough to warrant interest in a conference. I’m pretty busy with a sprint, and not really interested in much other than finishing it. But I think it’s important we support events like this. It’s free, relevant, and shows industry leaders there’s a serious development community in Chicago.

We want these companies to know we’re here and active. Anyone seen what’s going on with Amazon’s second headquarters? 50,000 jobs gets my attention. Chicago is on the list, by the way! And that kind of shit attracts top talent. So you get more, and better jobs, with better networking opportunities. It’s a cycle that benefits everyone, but it requires participation. Companies need the turnout numbers.

That’s just the start, though. What if companies like AWS, Salesforce, and Google started regularly throwing smaller, free conferences? You could learn more about the technologies that interest you, for free, and with other interested devs in the area. Sounds promising to me, and I bet it could happen. We just need to prove we have the audience for it.

Anyway, I’ll cut my radical speculations short. If you decide to check it out, maybe we’ll run into each other. I’m interested in the following tracts:

• Offline-first Apps with WebComponents
• Modernize Your Database Development Process with Open Source Tools
• Serverless Everywhere with the Fn Project
• Resilient Microservice APIs with REST and API Gateway

I’ll probably tweet what I attend while I’m there, as well.