Aral Balkan

I'm going to cut down on my speaking engagements in 2008 as there are a lot of other things I want to do but I will still be speaking at several events, one of which is FITC Amsterdam where I'm presenting a session titled Beyond the Buttons:

Learning new programming languages, development tools, and technologies is a fun (and essential) part of what we do but they are not ends in and of themselves. Integrated Development Environments like Flash and Flex Builder, scripting languages like ActionScript 3, and technologies like AIR are merely tools, like the painter's brushes, easels, and paints, the animator's lightbox, and the photographer's camera. In this session, Aral looks beyond the tools to what you can make with them.

Aral's session will take you on a tour of cutting edge Flash and Flex and journey beyond the Flash world to find inspiration in the trends and trendsetters from the greater web. Video, 3D, open data, APIs, mashups, accessibility, development processes, application architecture, usability, social networks, open source, and tons of links for you to continue your own inspirational journey are just some of what you will experience in this talk.

This session will not teach you new tools or programming tricks but will widen your horizons and provide you with ideas and inspiration to spark your own creative endeavors.

I trialled this talk at FlashBrighton's Big Day Out and it went down really well so I'm going to expand it for FITC.

FITC Amsterdam is February 25-26th.

Comments

• Correction above: Do you've any tips on how to.... Sorry, Alex

  by Alex on 2007-12-14 12:30:44

• Hi Aral, how are you? I just got all the stuff sorted that I can attend the ITFC in Amsterdam. You've been one of my main motiviations to go there, as I've seen the presentation from the Flash Konferenz in Germany. As this is going to be my first time, I've a few questions and I was wondering if you could help me out? Are most of the people going to stay in the hotel mentioned on their website (Hotel: NH Grand Kapolsky)? Do you've any how to get the most out of such events? Thanks in advance. Greets from London, Alex

  by Alex on 2007-12-14 12:28:32

• Hi Aral, had a good weekend? Sure will do and thanks for the answer. I thought the same with the discount for the hotel, FITC writes 169 euros when you tell the hotel you're from FITC and when I want to book a room on the hotel website it also costs 169 euros without saying that I'm from FITC. Any ideas? Thanks again, Alex

  by Alex on 2007-12-17 13:21:55

• Thank you very much for the great information- Thanks

  by Cool Myspace Layouts on 2008-10-20 19:12:06

• Hi Alex, That's so cool -- come by and say hello :) It's usually best to stay at the conference hotel if you can. Apart from most conferences negotiating discounts, it's also the best way to be in the thick of it as speakers will no doubt be staying there and hanging out at the hotel (and we usually don't bite... too hard!) Definitely attend the social events -- as much (if not more) goes on outside the sessions as in them. Looking forward to seeing you in Amsterdam!

  by Aral on 2007-12-15 20:33:37