General talk about software patterns

[Ralph Johnson <johnson AT cs.uiuc.edu>]

OOPSLA registration is open.  See http://www.oopsla.org/2005/

OOPSLA is my favorite conference.  I've been to every one since 1986.  It is
the leading conference on object-oriented technology, a place where people
meet to compare notes about competing approaches and many new ideas have
first seen the light of day.  This year I have the privilege of being
conference chair.  OOPSLA'05 will be in San Diego, and we have a great
program.  As always, there are too many things to see or even to describe in
a brief message.  There is a strong set of papers, a wide variety of
tutorials by leading experts, workshops, panels, demos, poster sessions,
DesignFest, and lots of talking in hallways.  This year we are introducing
essays, lightening talks, and a film festival.

I want to brag about the one part of the program that I am responsible for,
which is invited speakers.  Our first keynote speaker is Robert Hass, a past
US Poet Laureata, speaking on creativity.  Martin Fowler and Grady Booch are
speaking, as is Jimmy Wales, the creator of Wikipedia, Gerald Sussman, MIT
professor and educational innovator, David Reed, one of Croquet's
architects, and Mary Beth Rosson, who has gone to OOPSLA almost as long as I
have, and who is this year's "Onward!" keynote.  All of these people are
great speakers, and they have a range of topics that will stimulate you and
stimulate conversation at OOPSLA.  They will be a major part of why, once
again, OOPSLA will be a great place to get new ideas.

The San Diego Town and Country Resorts is a different kind of location for
OOPSLA, more of a garden spot than a typical hotel.  There are swimming
pools and flowers all through the facility.  The rooms at the conference
center are much less expensive than OOPSLA has seen for years.  You should
register early to make sure you can stay in the Town and Country, else you
might end up staying in the Motel 6 a dozen blocks away and not really
saving much money.

-Ralph Johnson