Roku Developer Program

[EnTerr]

There is this event - Silicon Valley Code Camp (http://www.siliconvalley-codecamp.com/), a free developer conference* happening annually in SF Bay Area, over a weekend in the autumn. The "largest free event in the world for the technical community", i recon this year it will have 200+ sessions and around 3000 people. I am a big fan - have been attending for many years (apparently 2014 is the 9th year of it) - and will recommend to any developer (or alike) that can attend it to mark the dates - October 9-10, 2014 - on their calendar.
[spoiler=blurb:1qxwunpb][/spoiler:1qxwunpb]
They haven't set the schedule and main tracks yet but you can muse at the cloud of buzzwords, here. Skimming the 100+ sessions proposed so far, i summarize the topics at-large as:

• Web development: Javascript and JSON (Douglas Crockford!), HTML5, REST, Dart


• Mainstream programming: Java, C++, C#. Also: Python, F#, Swift


• Data: SQL, NoSQL, analytics


• Methodology: agile; best practices; security/hardening; build & deploy


• Internet of things etc: smartwatches/wearware, Google Glass, Arduino, Chromecast


• Careering: hiring interviews, product and project management, life mgmt, productivity; startups: incorporating, licensing, marketing, funding


• Kids, games: Lego Mindstorms, Raspberry Pi, Cocos2D, Scratch, Greenfoot, Minecraft

The reason i am writing this 2.5 months in advance is last week i received some email from SVCC that they'll accept new session submissions for only a month more (so till mid-August) - and i thought this is good opportunity to present Roku development to the very people that do the software development.

I know RokuCo lacks "proper" developer advocates but it won't be hard to throw couple of sessions, say one each day - one on BrightScript development and one on everything else... RokuPatrick, RokuChris, anyone? It doesn't have to be a person from the company** even - an established indie developer can throw a hat in the ring too. I believe session interest by attendees is taken into account of which sessions get green light, so is better to submit proposals earlier.



(*) Actually, per wikipedia it is an unconference, for being a grass-roots "by developers, for developers", participant-driven event.
(**) although SVCC takes place close to Roku HQ - at Foothill College grounds, Los Altos Hills

[RokuJoel]

This is a good idea.

I don't know we lack proper advocates.

- Joel

[EnTerr]

"RokuJoel" wrote:
This is a good idea.

I don't know we lack proper advocates.

So will there be a session by RokuCo?

Re "proper" advocates - that was not a jab at you, Joel. Maybe i should have said "evangelists" instead of "advocates" (naming is debatable).
What i meant here is someone who can* - and actively* does - promote Roku platform to the developer community at-large*. By ways of talks/blogs/demos/sample code. And in order to increase platform popularity and to accelerate production by independent developers. If there was someone doing such a job - i would know it by the public nature of the work, wouldn't i?  😎

(*) That does not account for those who
- can but don't (e.g. charged with other tasks or no interest of popularizing)
- want but can't (i.e. no knowledge or skill)
- can and do... but only privately (i.e. "confessional priest")

[EnTerr]

The Silicon Valley Code Camp is this weekend (today and tomorrow, 10/1-10/2)!

This unconference has been happening annually for 10 years already. Attended by thousands of the brightest software developers in the valley, it would have been great opportunity for RokuCo to evangelize the Roku platform. With almost no red tape and expense, and with potential to grab the attention of some of the most enterprising techies in the Valley. Did i mention the event venue is only 15mi away from Co's HQ? 

Earlier this year (June) I tried to recruit RokuChrist to participate the Co in SVCC. All i got was an absent-minded "hmmmmm interesting"... but in fairness, it was me who dropped the ball on poking since then (i should know by now, that roWanda Co needs lots of reminding) - just remembering this week when SVCC popped on my calendar.

So anyway - people that are in San Francisco Bay Area - check it out and consider attending a session or nine (there are over 100 different topics), i highly recommend it!

Some of the subjects i'd even recommend to Roku engineering themselves  - for example there are talks on concurrent programming that i feel would be most helpful to the RSG makers. Or - as Web is my witness - the klutzy RokuCo web developers would benefit greatly by attending "Get Rid of Your Web Site's Love Handles For Good"