General talk about software patterns

[Till Schümmer <till.schuemmer AT FernUni-Hagen.de>]

                           EuroPLoP 2008
                    13th European Conference on
                   Pattern Languages of Programs
                          July 9-13, 2008
                 Irsee Monastery, Bavaria, Germany
                 http://www.hillside.net/europlop/

                Call For Thematic Tracks and Papers

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                          IMPORTANT DATES

December 12, 2007: Proposal of Thematic Tracks
December 20, 2007: Acceptance Notification on Thematic Tracks
February 18, 2008: Paper Submission Deadline
July 9-13, 2008:   Conference
********************************************************************

        [we apologize for duplicate receipt of this message]

EuroPLoP is the premier European conference on patterns. The
conference offers a variety of tracks and workshops that allow you
to learn about patterns, to receive feedback on your own work, and
to discuss with fellow enthusiasts. It is a unique venue to exchange
knowledge about best practices and learn from other experts in
various fields. EuroPLoP 2008 will be held July 9-13, 2008 in the
Irsee Monastery, Germany. Join us for an experience that will
combine outstanding technical events with a visit to the lovely
Bavarian countryside.

EuroPLoP accepts papers containing patterns or pattern languages as
well as experience reports and other papers related to the theory
and use of patterns. For the first time, EuroPLoP 2008 will offer
thematic tracks allowing practitioners and researchers from a
specific domain to exchange knowledge.

In previous years, thematic clusters evolved implicitly including
areas like:

- Software development
- Software design and architecture
- Software management and development processes
- Human computer interaction
  (e.g., user-interface aspects or novel modes of interaction)
- Education
  (ranging from professional training to classroom teaching)
- Business and organizational questions

This year, we like to invite you to champion one of these thematic
areas or propose new topics by submitting a proposal for a thematic
track.

Several open tracks will be retained to provide for new topics and
topics outside the thematic tracks.

            *******************************************
                      CALL FOR THEMATIC TRACKS
            *******************************************

EuroPLoP would like to give delegates the opportunity to set the
conference topics by proposing themes for dedicated tracks.
Proposals should come from two (or more) potential organizers for
the thematic track, one of whom should be an experienced pattern
author while the other one should have a solid domain background in
research and/or practice.

The proposal should include a short abstract of the theme (no longer
than 200 words), a short biography of the organizers. Organizers of
a thematic track will be expected to interact with the conference
programme committee in reviewing papers for their track. At least
one organizer is expected to chair the workshop for the track. The
organizers may also propose a focus group related to the theme (see
below for focus group details.)

Following acceptance of the thematic track proposals this call for
papers will be re-issued with details on the selected themes.

Please send your proposal directly to the chairs of EuroPLoP2008,
Till Schuemmer 
(till.schuemmer AT fernuni-hagen.de)
 and Allan Kelly
(allan AT allankelly.net).

            *******************************************
                       SUBMISSION CATEGORIES
            *******************************************

Submissions should fall into one of the following categories:

Pattern papers

Short papers (5 to 10 pages) containing one or more patterns, longer
pattern languages (about 15 to 20 pages) or sequences and
work-in-progress papers.  All accepted papers will receive in-depth
shepherding by an experienced pattern author before the conference.
Newcomers papers may receive further shepherding at the conference
itself.

Proven practices papers

Papers about the craft of writing software or patterns, papers about
the concept of patterns and proven practices in general, case
studies of patterns in action, or papers about software development
communities of practice.

Focus group proposals

Focus groups are free-format discussion groups or workshops lasting
between 3 and 6 hours.  They are designed to bring together people
who are interested in a challenging topic related to patterns or
proven practices. Non-conventional ideas such as goldfish bowls are
welcome. Organizers of thematic tracks are encouraged to submit a
focus group proposal that covers parts of their topic.

            *******************************************
                        CONFERENCE STRUCTURE
            *******************************************

The main track of EuroPLoP will be organized as a series of writers'
workshops where authors work together to improve their papers.
Before pattern or other papers are accepted for a writers' workshop,
they are shepherded (non-anonymously). This means that an
experienced author will discuss your submission with you, so that
you can refine your paper prior to the conference. All submissions
will be peer-reviewed.

The EuroPLoP proceedings are published in book form after the
conference.

Papers discussed at writer's workshop at this conference qualify for
submission to the new journal "Transactions on Pattern

Languages of Programming" published by Springer. See
http://hillside.net/tplop/ and
http://www.springer.com/home/computer/lncs?SGWID=5-164-2-470309-0
for details of this journal.

            *******************************************
                              SCHEDULE
            *******************************************

December 12, 2007: Proposal of Thematic Tracks
December 20, 2007: Acceptance Notification on Thematic Tracks
February 18, 2008: Paper Submission Deadline

March 10, 2008:    Start of shepherding

April 18, 2008:    Review Version Due
May 12, 2008:      Paper Acceptance notification

May 26, 2008:      Closing date for Early Registration

June 20, 2008:     End of shepherding and conference version due
July 9-13, 2008:   Conference
December 2008:     Final Publication Version Due

            *******************************************
          SUBMISSION PROCEDURE and CONFERENCE ORGANIZATION
            *******************************************

To submit your paper, please visit the submission page at
http://hillside.net/europlop/submission. This page will be available
in January.

Program Chair:     Till Schuemmer, FernUniversitaet in Hagen,
                   Germany, 
till.schuemmer AT FernUni-Hagen.de
Conference Chair:  Allan Kelly, Software Strategy Ltd.,
                   UK, 
allan AT allankelly.net
Focus Group Chair: Tim Wellhausen, IT-Beratung Wellhausen,
                   Germany, 
kontakt AT tim-wellhausen.de
Web Chair:         Michael Weiss, Carleton University
                   Canada, 
weiss AT sce.carleton.ca

For more information, please visit http://hillside.net/europlop

--
=============================================
Dr. Till Schuemmer

FernUniversitaet Hagen
Department of Mathematics & Computer Science
Cooperative Systems

Till.Schuemmer AT Fernuni-Hagen.de
---------------------------------------------
Learn more about patterns for
computer-mediated interaction:
http://www.cmi-patterns.org/
=============================================