John | Web Directions - Part 5

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Google Developer Day

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• April 11, 2007

May 31, google worldwide is having a developer day, including one in Sydney. We are big fans of a lot of what google does here at Web Directions (afterall, Maps started in Australia, and we were privileged to have Lars Rasmussen, one of the founders of maps speak at … Read more »

Aussie startups revisited

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• April 11, 2007

A few weeks back I posted here asking “Where are the Aussie Startups?”

There were quite a few who posted comments, or responses at their blogs, who argued that the startup culture was pretty healthy, but others, particularly in offline conversations, who generally felt that we just don’t have this … Read more »

Web Directions South 2007

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• April 3, 2007

Hard to believe, but it’s already been six months since Web Directions South 2006. Which, if you do your sums right, means only 6 months until Web Directions South 2007. That’s right, plans are already well under way for the next installment.

Each year we’ve tried to get a little bit … Read more »

What do you want?

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• February 27, 2007

Sorry if we appear to be trolling for comments of late — you know it’s not our style.

We all know user generated content is all the rage. So here is your chance to help generate a conference — Web Directions South. We’ve done a lot of work thinking about the … Read more »

Upcoming Search conference

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• February 26, 2007

Martin Kelly runs some excellent local conferences, including TravelTech, which I had the privilege of kicking off last year, and which demonstrated to me that the travel industry gets tech in a big way.

Martin also runs Search Engine Room, on the 20th and 21st of March.

Now, search, particularly … Read more »

Where are the Aussie Startups?

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• February 26, 2007

18 months ago, Tom Coates over at Plastic Bag asked “Where are the UK startups”? The question is being asked over at the Guardian of late, all of which prompts me to ask — what about the Aussie startup scene?

A recent post by Vishal Sharma at Read/​Write Web … Read more »

Official Jeremy Keith News

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• February 25, 2007

Jeremy Keith has spoken twice at our conferences now, in both Sydney and Vancouver. He’s a wonderful, smart, lovely person, a fantastic speaker and teacher, and always a crowd favourite. It’s been an honour to have him at our conferences, and I hope that he comes to many more.

Jeremy’s … Read more »

Web Directions North wrap-​​up

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• February 19, 2007

In a crazy moment on chat in the middle of last year, Derek Featherstone, Dave Shea, and founders of Web Directions South (then just called Web Directions), decided to bring the Web Directions experience to the Northern hemisphere, and chose the least freezing place in Canada in February to do … Read more »

Douglas Bowman interview in Digital Web Magazine

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• January 24, 2007

One of my very favourite web designers, in fact thinkers, writers, and speakers about the Web is Douglas Bowman. Web Directions actually owes a lot to Douglas. He, Joe Clark and Dave Shea were all speakers at the first conference that Maxine and I helped organize, WE04, way back … Read more »

Microsoft parties at Whistler

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• January 23, 2007

Let’s face it, we tech folk tend to often be indoors types, and social side of conferences is often indoor-​​focused parties.

That’s one of the main reasons with Web Directions North we decided to add some adventure — trips to Blackcomb Whistler after the formal part of the conference is over.

The … Read more »

Video Interviews with Web Directions Speakers

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• January 17, 2007

During Web Directions South, Japanese web standards powerhouse Kazuhito Kidachi, who has attended all of our conferences down under, did an interview with John Allsopp about all kinds of things, but with a strong focus on microformats. Part one of the interview is here, and part two, here … Read more »

Pricing now staying at $895! (and check out the closing night party from Media Temple)

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• January 17, 2007

As record snow falls continue in Whistler, Web Directions North is really heating up.

We had planned to raise the price to $CDN995 this week, but because we have had some great support from sponsors (more news on that soon) and because interest has been so strong, we’ve decided to keep … Read more »

WDN Student Scholarships

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• January 12, 2007

I’m very proud of this, and very much hope we can do it for all our conferences.

As conference organizers, speakers and attendees, Dave, Derek, Maxine and John have long been aware that while a good conference can be an unbeatable benefit for your career, they are definitely out of the … Read more »

Mark Pesce on the iPhone

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• January 11, 2007

It should come as no surprise to anyone who heard Mark Pesce speak at Web Directions that he’d be excited by the iPhone. The reality, people who have beendead for several years are excited by the iPhone. Anyway, Mark is one of the web’s deep thinkers, and excellent writers, and … Read more »

Digital Web/​Web Directions design competition update

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• December 1, 2006

You’ve got until just Monday to get your designs in for the Digital Web design a snowboard competition, to win a ticket to the conference, trips to Whister on the after conference ski trip, as well as a tonne of other great prices, including 50% off for life on … Read more »

Web Directions North Affiliate Program

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• November 28, 2006

Want to come to Web Directions but not sure whether tyou have the budget? We’ve just made it a bit easier for you. We’ve created an opportunity for you to get yourself a free ticket, as well as hotel accomodation and places on the ski trip.

Join our affiliate program … Read more »

Get creative and win a ticket to Web Directions North with Digital Web Magazine

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• November 21, 2006

Our very good friends over at Digital Web Magazine are giving away a ticket to the conference (including a post conference day skiing or snowboarding at Whistler), and two runner up prizes of a day’s skiing or boarding at Whistler.

To win, submit your very own snowboard design! In the … Read more »

World Usability Day

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• November 8, 2006

Last year the usability community very cleverly started “World Usability Day” to promote the profession, practice, and importance of usability. This year, WUD is next week, November 14th, and Events are planned around the world, including in Sydney, at the State Library.

The focus is communicating ways of improving the user … Read more »

More podcasts and resources online

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• October 17, 2006

As promised, as they come to hand, more of our podcasts are going online.

We’ve just uploaded, Ben Barren’s “RSS will change everything” and Thomas Vander Wal’s “Information architecture for the come to me web”.

Follow this link to subscribe to our RSS feed for the podcasts.

We also have … Read more »

Laurel Papworth — upcoming courses

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• October 12, 2006

One of the meany fabulous local speakers at Web Directions this year was Laurel Papworth (whose collection of user generated video content was fantastically entertaining, but whose presentation on building online communities was all the more interesting) is giving two courses in the coming weeks. If they look remotely relevant … Read more »

Podcasts and more coming online

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• October 10, 2006

Now we’ve all had a little time to recover after the whirlwind of the conference (one day I hope to be able to just relax and enjoy it) we are putting together the resources that emerged from all the marvellous speaker’s sessions.

The first two of our podcasts, recorded and edited … Read more »

Announcing the McFarlane Prize winners

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• October 4, 2006

Last Thursday, at the end of day 1 of the conference, we announced the winners of the inaugural McFarlane Prize for Excellence in Australian Web Design.

We were very honoured to have Nigel McFarlane’s parents at the ceremony, and the Prize was awarded by Nigel’s sister, Colleen.

Congratulations to the web development … Read more »

Web Directions and Web Standards Group presents Jeremy Keith in Melbourne this Thursday

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• October 2, 2006

Fresh from sellout shows in Sydney, Ireland’s best export since Guinness, Jeremy Keith will be appearing for one night only, in Melbourne, presented by Web Directions and the Web Standards Group.

Centre for Innovation & Technology Commercialisation

Level 1, 257 Collins Street

Melbourne VIC 3000

For more info and to RSVP, see the … Read more »

Introducing Web Directions North — Feb 6–10 2007 Vancouver

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• September 26, 2006

Dave Shea, Derek Featherstone, Maxine Sherrin and John Allsopp are proud to annouce Web Directions North 2007. Workshops, a two day conference featuring an amazing lineup of speakers, and two days of skiing and boarding (or just relaxing) at Blackcomb/​Whistler.

All the details are available right now at the … Read more »

Wanted! Technical Editor (Web Design & Development)

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• September 25, 2006

Sitepoint, Melbourne based publishing company, and platinum sponsors of Web Directions South, are looking for a web design and development expert technical editor to join their team. Read on if you are interested.

Technical Editor for Sitepoint

Want to work with the team behind one of the most popular web sites in … Read more »

It’s coming — Monday

• In: cool, events
• By: John
• September 22, 2006

Make Connections at Web Directions

• In: cool
• By: John
• September 21, 2006

For a good while now, Cam “the man in blue” Adams, and Tim “toolman” Lucas have been toiling away on a a killer webapp to compliment web directions, “web connections”. To prove the adage “great minds think alike” only a couple of weeks ago d.Construct’s, Backnetwork … Read more »

Web Directions T shirts and T shirt slogan competition

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• September 18, 2006

We announced our “Web Direction’s design your own web 2.0 t shirt slogan and wear it to the conference” competition a few days ago. Sadly, because a trailing slash is sometimes important (well, the absence of it is), the link in that post was broken. So one more time, here … Read more »

Port80 event in Sydney on the eve of Web Directions

• In: events
• By: John
• September 17, 2006

The indefatigable Miles Burke, of Bam Creative, and one of the founders of the Web industry association Port80, along with a whole tribe of sandgropers (that’s folks from Western Australia for our non Australian audience) are once more heading east for Web Directions. Each year more of them … Read more »

Got the developer skills? Then you can “name your price”

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• September 15, 2006

Yesterday I was having a chat with someone from a large Australian site who do all kinds of interesting work. They’d have to be close to one of the largest Australian sites in terms of traffic, and do lots of innovative stuff. We were talking about how easy, or … Read more »

WE05 podcasts — back online

• In: podcasts
• By: John
• September 9, 2006

Last year the conference we were associated with, WE05, was almost fully podcast within hours of the close of play — one of the first, if not the first fully podcast conference we know of.

Sadly earlier this year, the podcasts went AWOL, but as a means of … Read more »

First ever Web Directions Tee Shirts

• In: cool
• By: John
• September 5, 2006

The last couple of years, the number one request has been for conference tee shirts. So we are excited to announce the Web Directions Tee Shirts, featuring our new logo, designed by guru and web superstar, Dave “CSS Zen Garden” Shea, available online now.

… Read more »

Job Post: gnoos​.com​.au looking for a developer

• In: jobs
• By: John
• September 4, 2006

Ben Barren of gnoos​.com​.au, recently launched aussie blog search engine, are looking for a developer. If you are keen, drop him a line.

In fact, lots of people ask us for recommendations of freelance or potential in-​​house developers, and from what I can tell, demand far outstrips supply.

So, if you are … Read more »

Announcing the Sitepoint closing party for Web Directions

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• September 4, 2006

Last year, our impromptu closing night drinks at the Pumphouse Hotel Darling Harbour [1] was a great success. Tired but elated after three days of workshops and the conference, having packed up and left the venue, I walked down to the pub expecting to see a few people having … Read more »

The Australian Office of the W3C

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• September 4, 2006

I think to those coming to or interested in Web Directions, the W3C, or World Wide Web Consortium, founded by Sir Timothy Berners-​​Lee, will be very well known. We’ve had great presentations by Dean Jackson from the W3C the last two years, and this year he’s the coding judge … Read more »

Welcome Crumpler as a supporter

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• September 4, 2006

If you’ve got a lot of portable digital gear, laptops, cameras, ipods, game machines, tamagotchis, then you soon realize you need really good bags for keeping it in one piece while lugging it to and from the office, on places, in cars, where ever.

A couple of years back, when I … Read more »

McFarlane Prize nominations close August 31

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• August 29, 2006

With all the other things going on round here in the lead up to Web Directions and more, the closing date for nominations for the McFarlane Prize has almost come by unnoticed. Nominations close this Thursday, August 31.

If you missed the announcement, the Prize is for Excellence in … Read more »

So just what are these microformat thingies?

• In: site-program
• By: John
• August 27, 2006

Web Directions organizer, John Allsopp, who’ll also be speaking on microformats at the conference, has just published a detailed introductory article at Think Vitamin.

He’s also just started a blog focussed on microformats, microformatique, for news, events, ideas, articles, interviews and more from the world of microformats.

John’s presentation is … Read more »

Web Directions presents Ben Barren of gnoos​.com​.au in Melbourne August 10th

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• July 5, 2006

Following the tremendous success of our recent evening with Lars Rasmussen and Dean Jackson in Sydney, Web Directions is excited to announce our first ever event in Melbourne, an evening with Ben Barren of gnoos​.com​.au, speaking about the trials and tribulations of setting up an Internet business in … Read more »

Early Bird Pricing finishing Tuesday July 4

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• June 29, 2006

A quick note to let you know that early bird pricing of $750 for the conference finishes next Tuesday July 4 at midnight (we’ve extended it for a few days to let you take advantage of the discount for the next financial year). But, you do have to register … Read more »

Web Directions: what’s in a name?

• In: Uncategorized
• By: John
• May 26, 2006

Quite a few people have asked about the name change for the conference. Web Directions is something of a new start, but most importantly, we wanted to capture both the continuity with WE04 and WE05, and something of a change in focus reflecting the change in the web development world … Read more »

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