[Boost-users] BoostCon - Call for Sessions

From: Jeff Garland (jeff_at_[hidden])
Date: 2008-02-01 10:24:54

The second annual Boost conference will take place in Aspen, Colorado, May 
5-9. BoostCon is the main face-to-face event for all things Boost, from 
generic-programming techniques to Boost community, from using Boost libraries 
to writing Boost libraries, from deployment considerations to promoting the 
use of Boost more widely, from TR1 to TR2. Given the range and interests of 
last year's participants, the event again promises to be intense and in depth. 
We invite you to propose a session.

See the BoostCon home page at www.boostcon.com for more information.

Session formats

Presentations focus on a practitioner’s ideas and experience with anything 
relevant to Boost and Boost users.

Panels feature three or four people presenting their ideas and experiences 
relating to Boost's relevant, controversial, emerging, or unresolved issues. 
Panels may be conducted in several ways, such as comparative, analytic, or 
historic.

Tutorials are formally prepared sessions at which instructors teach conference 
participants specific Boost-relevant skills.

Workshops provide an active arena for advancements in Boost-relevant topics. 
Workshops provide the opportunity for experienced practitioners to develop new 
ideas about a topic of common interest and experience.

Author's Corner Presentations focus on tips on usage and design. In addition, 
we're looking to uncover the hidden design gems hidden in boost libraries -- 
see below for more.

Other formats may also be of interest. Don't hold back a proposal just because 
it doesn't fit into a pigeonhole.

Session topics

Topics of interest include, but are not restricted to, the following:

     * General tutorial sessions introducing one or more Boost libraries
     * In-depth sessions on using specific libraries
     * Case studies on using Boost
     * Experts panels
     * Advanced sessions on implementation techniques used within Boost libraries
     * TR1 (and TR2)
     * Development workshops to extend or enhance existing Boost libraries
     * Workshops on design process
     * Infrastructure workshops
           o Build tools
           o Website
           o Testing
     * C++0x and how it will change life for users and library writers
     * Concepts and Generic Programming
     * Other topics likely to be of great interest to Boost users and developers

Interactive and collaborative sessions are encouraged, as this is the nature 
of both the online Boost community and the style of learning and participation 
that has proven most successful at such events. Sessions can be tutorial 
based, with an emphasis on interaction and participant involvement, or 
workshop based, whether hands-on programming or paper-based, discussion-driven 
collaborative work.

Author's Corner Presentations

Based on user feedback from last year, we'd like to encourage Boost library 
authors to do short sessions (typically 30 minutes) providing an overview of 
their libraries, tips on usage and design. In particular, we're looking to 
uncover the hidden design gems that underlie so many boost libraries. Standard 
outline for a presentation is as follows -- feel free to deviate as needed.

     * Library Purpose / Motivations
     * Library Genesis & History
           o why you developed it
           o when it was accepted
           o how it has evolved
     * Library Concepts
     * Library Usage Overviews and Tips
     * Library Design Decisions / Design Gems
     * Question / Answer

Submitting a proposal

Standard Sessions are 90 minutes. You may submit a proposal for fractions or 
multiples of 90-minutes. Fractional proposals will be grouped into 90 minute 
sessions covering related topics. Longer sessions, such as tutorials and 
classes, will be assigned 90 minute, three hour (i.e. half day), or six hour 
(i.e. full day) time slots.

Please include:

     * The working title of the session
     * Type of session: presentation/panel/tutorial/workshop/other
     * A paragraph or two describing the session, suitable for the conference 
web site
     * Proposed length: 45/90 minutes, half/full day
     * Alternate length, if any: 45/90 minutes, half/full day
     * Audience: users/developers/both
     * Level: basic/intermediate/advanced
     * A biography, suitable for the conference web site
     * Your contact information (will not be made public)

Please submit via email to conference at boost-consulting.com, with a subject 
that begins "BoostCon proposal"

Timeline

Proposals due As soon as possible. Proposals will be accepted on a 
first-come-first-served basis.

Proposals acceptances sent As soon as accepted.

Session materials due April 15, 2008. The session material go on the BoostCon 
CD handed out to attendees.

Other arrangements

Like Boost itself, BoostCon is strictly non-profit. Conference organizers are 
not paid for their time. Any surplus money will be rolled over into the 
succeeding year BoostCon budget.

BoostCon provides free admission for all 90 minute and longer session 
presenters. This year we also hope to have enough revenue to pay presenters of 
longer sessions a small honorarium.