JA-SIG Denver... In Boulder

The best part of my Denver JA-SIG conference experience was in Boulder.

Conference sessions and information are good and useful, but what I enjoy most about project conferences is meeting people face-to-face. To be able to put a face to the name I have seen on the mailing list, to match the voice I have heard over the phone (or Breeze meeting), and to get to know the person behind the role and title.

I am also curious to discover how the real person compares to the mental avatar my mind had created for him or her.

The JA-SIG conference in Denver did not disappoint. I had the opportunity to meet in-person several people whom I had only known previously in the abstract, along with refreshing in-person interactions with people I had not seen since the previous conference. Even with all of the advancements in technology, nothing compares to conversation, discussion, heated debate, or even a Smackdown, in-person.

"So Gary," you may be asking, "How did your Denver conference end up in Boulder?" I’m glad you asked.

Colin Clark and Clayton Lewis were in attendance at the JA-SIG conference as representatives of the Fluid project. I had previously met Colin at the convergence of the JA-SIG, Sakai, and Fluid face-to-face events in Atlanta last December. Clayton I had only seen by name and writing on the Fluid and Sakai lists and heard by voice in a few Fluid meetings, but I was immediately impressed by his knowledge and experience in the area of accessibility.

Clayton is a Professor of Computer Science and Scientist in Residence of the Coleman Institute for Cognitive Disabilities at the University of Colorado. As the University of Colorado is in Boulder and Boulder is a short drive from Denver, Clayton graciously invited me and a few others for a tour of Boulder after the conference sessions on Tuesday.

Thus my Denver JA-SIG conference extended to Boulder. Why was it the best part of my conference experience? Another good question.

As it turns out Clayton has a wonderful knowledge of the history of Colorado, Denver, and specifically Boulder, and shared that with his passengers as we drove along. We toured the University of Colorado campus, learned about its architecture, heard many stories (like the visit from Fidel Castro to the campus complete with machine guns and how a huge statement of "Viva Castro!" may still be hidden under the roof tiles of a U of C building), and saw photos of the University when it was just one building in an expanse of wilderness, among many other historical gems.

We completed the trip with a grand view of Boulder from the Rocky Mountains followed by dinner downtown. It was altogether a wonderful treat.

And that’s how the best part of my Denver JA-SIG conference experience was in Boulder.