The Identity group where Im working now is going to be launching some stuff soon, and I want to go out and talk to the world about it. Im looking for input on good developer-focused meetings and conferences that I should be at to talk and, more important, listen.
Subject Matter
At the moment, heres what I believe:
The username/password dance sucks and doesnt scale, particularly on mobile.
People putting up apps and sites regard identity getting people signed up & signed in purely as a tax; something they gotta do, but unrelated to what they care about.
Most developers dont understand identity standards like OAuth, or the related crypto and signing technologies, dont want to learn them, and shouldnt have to.
If you can get new arrivals signed up quicker with less work, thats a good thing.
If you can get people you know signed in quicker, ideally with one click, thats a good thing.
People are paranoid and really dont want to be in the headlines for next weeks embarrassing password leak.
People dont want to think about privacy and tracking and transparency, but the risk of not doing so (just) exceeds the pain.
People like the notion of outsourcing the icky identity work, but are nervous about putting all their eggs in the Facebooks or Googles or Yahoos or whoevers basket.
On the other hand, having a cluster of Sign in with... buttons on your landing page dilutes your brand and feels like watching NASCAR on TV.
So, those are the problems I want to talk about. And I want to hear whether what were doing sounds sensible, and what the other problems are that we havent been smart enough to spot or address.
What Kind of Events
Theres a whole Identity Ecosystem subculture out there, check out Identity Commons and the IIW meetings. These people have been doing the thinking behind the technology that Im now working with, and Im grateful to them.
But I want to go where the app builders are, not the Identity wonks. My heart is with the Web-centric/startup/open-source cultures, but Enterprise developers hold up half the sky and I need to talk with them too.
Basically, Im looking for the kind of event where code samples are expected.
What I Can Offer
Organizing something for developers? I bet theyre worried about identity. Maybe theyre not terribly interested in it, but they know its an ugly problem thats not going away, and I bet theyd want to hear where the technologys going.
Ill drop an identity-session proposal into the CFP of events that look interesting. But hey, if youre also interested in an uptempo Google-looks-at-life or Internet-stress-points session, or fire-em-up keynote, I can do those too. Lots of people think Im entertaining; its mostly because I get super-energized when Im hanging with my tribe.
And hey, I dont have to talk. If theres something thats really cant-miss, Ill just go. Anyhow, most good events have BOFs and unconferences and so on.
Concretely
Im already signed up to talk at Devoxx; giving a Googley keynote and an identity session. Its exactly what Im looking for; thousands of developers, every kind of them.
But my 2013 calendar is open. Im thinking I gotta hit some Web-centric events like Railsconf and the PHP-oriented meetings but, to be honest, Im a bit out of touch with whats good, after two years of tight Android focus and doing mostly Google events.
I look at Lanyrd and I feel like my heads going to explode. I mean, wow.
Ping Me
If you know of an event that you think needs an Identity injection Id love to hear from you. You can comment on this piece, but Ive also asked for input over on G+, and its a way better place for free-form discussion; if a few suggestions get a lot of +1s from people I respect, Ill take that seriously.