Modeling Application Usage Visually
Google engEDU
37 min – Apr 24, 2006

Google TechTalks
April 24, 2006

Scott Barber
Scott Barber is the CTO of PerfTestPlus, Inc. and Co-Founder of the Workshop on Performance and Reliability (WOPR). Scott’s particular specialties are testing and analyzing performance for complex systems, developing customized testing methodologies, group facilitation and authoring instructional materials.

ABSTRACT
Modeling application usage is more than just parsing log files and calculating page frequencies. Whether we are analyzing navigation path effectiveness, planning for scenario testing, documenting performance test workload models or mapping services or objects to user activity having a single, intuitive picture to reference makes the job easier.

In this session, we’ll explore a highly adaptable method for visualizing application usage and how to use this model to improve cross-functional team communication without requiring team members to invest time learning some new fad of a modeling language that they’ll probably never use again. This method references UCMLâ„¢ which has been described as "what collaboration diagrams should have been." Read the rest of this entry »

Salesforce.com AppExchange Overview and Q&A
Google engEDU
1 hr 3 min – Aug 15, 2007

Google Tech Talks
August 18, 2007

ABSTRACT

Wondering why developers are talking about Salesforce.com and Appexchange?

What’s the big deal? Software for sales teams? Big whoop?

Salesforce.com has pioneered a business application development and delivery model and they have proven it to the tune of thousands of business customers of all sizes who swear by them.

And why do developers care?

Because Salesforce has opened up their infrastructure for developers to leverage in building their own applications. Bang! Instant scalability and reliability!

Wow! So developers save thousands by not having to build their own data center?

Ah, but there’s more! Salesforce has created a revolutionary platform for developers to market, sell, and distribute their applications!

All On-Demand, no infrastructure required!

Now that is a big deal!

Come hear the Salesforce developer relations team talk about how it all works…

Their pioneering distribution platform: the Appexchange Their On-Demand developer platform: Apex Their developer network: Apexdeveloper network Read the rest of this entry »

Ruby Sig: How To Design A Domain Specific Language
Google engEDU
1 hr 3 min – Oct 5, 2006

Google Tech Talks
October 5, 2006

David Pollak has been developing commercial software for 28 years. He founded Athena Design and wrote Mesa, the first real-time spreadsheet. David wrote Integer, the first online, collaborative spreadsheet. Since 2000, David has been developing domain specific languages for security and general web development.

ABSTRACT
David will describe a framework for developing DSLs which includes:

* Identifying the constituents in a development project;
* Determining the costs and benefits of a DSL for a particular constituency vs. hand-coding functionality for that constituency based on interviews and specs;
* Identifying the ‘thought leader’ in a given constituency and interviewing him or her to determine the semantics of the domain;
* Determining syntax of the DSL;
* Mocking up the DSL and ‘test driving’ it with the thought leader;
* Finding appropriate integration points for the DSL into the application;
* Defining the process by with the Domain Experts will update code in the DSL (e.g., they have a web page where they can change tax calculation rules vs. they make a change to particular Ruby files as part of a development/staging/production cycle.); and
* Iterate over the semantics, syntax, and process to fully integrate Domain Experts into the development process. Read the rest of this entry »

Thinking Beyond Borders
Google engEDU
33 min – Sep 27, 2007

Google Tech Talks
September 27, 2007

ABSTRACT

Our global society faces great challenges such as Global Warming, HIV/AIDS in sub-Saharan Africa, wide-spread hunger, and poverty. To effectively address these issues in years to come, we must re-envision how we prepare our next great leaders to be conscious agents of change. Thinking Beyond Borders is a 35-week program to educate Gap Year students about the economic, political, and cultural realities of our world while empowering them with the tools to create proactive social change. Through varied service learning opportunities, the itinerary immerses students in cultures and communities around the world to provide experiences with various issues of International Development. The curriculum challenges students to synthesize academic research and their collected observations into powerful conclusions about the nature of globalization, world hunger, human rights, cultural change, and political systems. The most unique aspect of this program is that students return to the US to meet with international policy makers and share their conclusions with student and philanthropy groups to raise awareness and funds for the NGOs they worked with abroad. In these ways, Thinking Beyond Borders seeks to create a community of conscious agents of proactive change, equipped to tackle our world’s greatest challenges. Read the rest of this entry »

Stanford Experts on Climate Change and Carbon Trading
Google engEDU
1 hr 42 min – Jan 27, 2006

Google TechTalks
January 27, 2006

Thomas C. Heller and Stephen H. Schneider

Abstract
Please join two distinguished Stanford Professors, Dr. Stephen Schneider and Professor Thomas Heller, for a discussion on climate change and the emerging carbon trading markets. Dr. Schneider is one of the world’s leading scientific experts of climate change (his name is cited on all those climate change charts and graphs we’ve seen so far). Dr. Heller has extensive experience with policy and negotiations surrounding climate change and sustainable development. Professor Heller also recently served as Sergey’s host at the recent UN Climate Change Conference meeting in Montreal where Prof. Heller proved his indepth knowledge of thenuances of legislative works, such as the Kyoto Protocol, and the mechanisms that are currently being employed.

This tech talk will be different than our previous climate change talks. These men have helped steered the international course of policy, scientific verifications and the overall consensus on the existence of climate change. They both have plenty to say about what the failures and successes have been along the way, and what their predictions for the future of climate change policy will be. Email me if you have any questions. Read the rest of this entry »