HotSoft

Agile is getting big. The Agile2008 conference in Toronto this year had something like 1700 people, and it felt like it. I was there 3 days and there were some people I wanted to talk to that I never found. And it was diverse. We had a UI track this year for the first time, and it was only one of about 14 parallel tracks. Overall, the feeling was good, if a little disconnected at times. I was especially happy to talk to people from many companies who were just hearing about the ideas for the first time. I had a great conversation with Steve Freeman about Test-First Development, and how coming up with a test framed ideas about the implementation differently. I had hoped the closing keynotes by Alan Cooper would better connect UI work and Agile Development. Cooper said many things that might lead that way, but I heard lots that confused me too. For two processes that have so much in common, I am always puzzled how often UI and Agile manage to remain out of touch with each other. -Robert Biddle

Several of us drove to Pittsburgh for SOUPS. Each year, it gets a little bigger but so far still retains its friendly and approachable atmosphere. It’s nice to see familiar faces each year as well as meet new people in the area. On the first day, we participated in the Symposium on Accessible Privacy and Security (SOAPS). It was an interesting and informative discussion, especially for those of us who had little previous experience on the subject. During the main SOUPS program, there seemed to be a focus on authentication, which gave us much to think about and figure out how these other approaches fit in with our own work. We had a very nice conference dinner at the Phipps Conservatory, where one of the highlights was rubber ducks, oddly enough. Next year, SOUPS is moving away from CMU for the first time. It will be held at Google in Mountain View, California.