I'm back in Chicago. RailsConf 2007 was a good conference. I'll blog more about my experience later this week. One of the highlights was a dinner on Saturday night for twelve of us Softies at Old Town Pizza. Like an idiot I forgot to take a picture. It was a great chance to discuss Microsoft, the DLR, Rails, Macs, and Ruby. Blogs and email and forums are great, but there's nothing better than sitting around the same table talking about these issues together.

One of the topics that came up was book publishing. Brian Hogan has just published an O'Reilly "shortcut" book, Rails on Windows; Mike Gunderloy has been around the publishing block more than a time or two; and Geoffrey Grosenbach is doing some exciting things with his new PeepCode Press venture. I hadn't had a chance to talk with Geoffrey in person since our appearance on the Ruby on Rails podcast during RailsConf 2006. It was great to hear all these guys talk about their experiences.

I was also delighted to be able to talk with Hirano Koichi of NRI, who came to our Softies class back in January. We threw around some ideas for how we might collaborate on a Japanses version of our blog (not just a translation), and I'm excited to think about the possibilites. And NRI graciously sponsored our dinner! Thanks Koichi!

Thanks again to Brian, Mike, Geoffrey, Koichi, and everyone else who came. I hope we can do it again one day.

If you're coming to RailsConf in Portland this year, and want to talk some Ruby, Rails, or .NET, or just say hello, come find me! The photograph of the dumb-looking guy below is, well, me.

Perhaps we can create a miniature Softies Convention during one of the meal times, perhaps lunch on Saturday? Leave a comment below if you're coming and I'll try to meet up with you.

You can also try to email me: jeff [at] luckymonk [dot] com (and hopefully the internet connection at the conference will allow us all to be checking our email.)

I've also posted my RailsConf schedule at http://www.myconfplan.com/users/jeff/conferences/RailsConf2007, in case that helps us (I'll probably keep changing my choices, so check it once in a while).

And if you still can't find me, just look around for the only guy with a new 13-inch white MacBook that still can't figure out how to take a good picture with PhotoBooth (snap dang! snap rats! snap wait, ok snap dang!...)

I'll follow Ryan Daigle's example and use Dr. Nic's cool new site to share my RailsConf plan. I'll be there for all of Friday and Saturday, but probably won't be there for much on Sunday.

Beware that it's all tentative, as I tend to change my mind up until the last minute. If any fellow 'softies will be there and want to sit together or talk turkey during one of the meal break, just let me know!

(Oh, for those of you wondering where the next REST article is, I've been sick and am just now getting around to the next article... hopefully I'll get it done real soon).