Coding the Future: Inside GOTO Chicago 2024

GOTO Chicago, running from October 21st to 23rd at Convene Willis Tower, will host an exciting range of talks and workshops designed for developers, architects, and tech leaders. Highlights include Ryan Dahl on the future of JavaScript with Deno 2, Andy Greenberg exploring the dark side of cryptocurrency in "Tracers in the Dark," and Dave Taht sharing groundbreaking insights into reducing internet latency. The conference covers AI, cloud-native architectures, security, and much more, including lightning talks that provide quick, impactful insights across a variety of tech topics.

This podcast is AI-generated as part of an experimental format, offering a fresh, innovative way to explore conference content.

GOTO Chicago 2024:
https://gotochgo.com/2024

Speakers:
https://gotochgo.com/2024/speakers

Newsletter:
https://blog.gotocon.com/newsletter

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Transcript

Hey there, tech enthusiasts!

We're diving deep into GOTO Chicago this time around. Oh, yeah. GOTO Chicago. It's happening October 21st to the 23rd at Convene in Willis Tower, which, you know? Yeah, that's pretty cool. It's pretty cool in itself. But, um, we're not here to gawk at architecture. Right. We're here for the tech.

Exactly.

And from the looks of this schedule we've got some seriously juicy topics lined up. Yeah, they've got some big names for sure. Ryan Dahl talking Deno 2. I bet some people tuned in just to hear about that. That's a big draw for sure. But, yeah, that's just the tip of the iceberg.

When you look at this conference, the range is incredible. We're talking AI, security, cloud-native, even some good old-fashioned web dev. Nice. So a little something for everybody. It's like they're trying to hit every corner of the tech world, whether you're, you know, knee-deep in code every day or just want to kind of understand these forces that are shaping the future. There's something here for you.

I like, it's like the sampler platter of tech conferences. Ok. Well, let's talk keynotes. It feels like every tech conference worth its salt these days has at least one keynote that makes you go, "Wait. Really?" At least one. GOTO Chicago definitely does not disappoint in this department for sure.

What really jumped out at me was Andy Greenberg's talk, "Tracers in the Dark." Ok. He's diving into the world of cryptocurrency, but not in the way you might think. We're talking about the underbelly, the digital black markets, the stuff that most people don't even know exists. The underbelly, the scary stuff.

Well, Greenberg's great. He's got this knack for taking these complex, often shadowy subjects and making them accessible, and he's built relationships with these key players on both sides of the law, which gives him this unique insider perspective. You're going to walk away from this keynote with a real understanding of how cryptocurrency is being used, not just for, you know, innovation, but also for things like money laundering and cybercrime.
Yeah, I was going to say it's fascinating and a little unnerving, to be honest. It's like a true crime thriller, but for the digital age. Exactly.

Ok. So after that wild ride, we've got Dr. Imran Rashid offering a very different but equally important perspective with his keynote, "There’s No AI in Human." And you know, we hear so much hype about AI taking over the world, but Rashid brings us back down to earth here and reminds us that technology should be a tool to enhance our humanity, not replace it.

I like that. I like that a lot. So what's refreshing about Dr. Rashid is that he's not anti-technology, not at all. He just wants us to be mindful of how we integrate it into our lives.

Exactly.

Yeah, he's going to be exploring the potential downsides of our increasing reliance on technology. Yeah. Like what? Addiction, the erosion of privacy, and challenging us to think critically about how we use these powerful tools.

Yeah, it's easy to get caught up in it. It is. Just kind of go along for the ride. And then the next thing you know, who's in control, right?

OK. And speaking of challenging assumptions, Matt Welsh is set to deliver what could be the most provocative keynote of the entire conference, "How AI Will Bring Computing to Everyone." And get this. He's predicting the death of classical computer science as we know it.

Wow, that's a bold statement. That's a bold statement. I like it.

Matt Welsh is not someone to throw around bold statements lightly. He's got the credentials to back it up for sure. We're talking about someone who's worked at Apple, Google, and Harvard. Wow. So when he says something like "the death of computer science," it makes you sit up and pay attention.

It does. He's talking about a fundamental shift in how we interact with computers, with AI at the forefront. It's not that coding is going away entirely, but the rules of the game are changing, and that's something that every developer or aspiring developer should be aware of.

Absolutely.

Wow. From digital detectives to the future of computing, those keynotes sound intense. I do. But let's be honest, the real meat of any tech conference is in the breakout sessions.

Oh, absolutely. And GOTO Chicago has curated a lineup that is bursting at the seams. It is. This is where you can really dive into the nitty-gritty and maybe even, like, discover your next obsession.

Next obsession. I like that. Speaking of obsessions, anyone who's a fan of JavaScript or TypeScript has to be excited about Ryan Dahl's session on Deno 2.
OK. So I'm going to confess something here. I know enough about Node.js to sound dangerous at a cocktail party, but that's about it. So for me to even be familiar with Dahl's work, Deno must be a really big deal.

Oh, it is. It's huge. Yeah. Think of it this way: Deno is like the Marie Kondo of JavaScript/TypeScript development. You know, it's all about simplifying, decluttering, streamlining the toolchain.

So for us non-developers out there, explain what a toolchain is. Oh, right. Yeah. So a toolchain is basically just a set of tools that work together to build and run their code. Got it.

And so Deno comes in and says, let's make this whole process cleaner and more efficient. And with Deno 2, they've added expanded npm support. OK. Now I'm lost again.

What's npm?

Right? npm is like this giant library of JavaScript packages, which are basically pre-written code that developers can use in their own projects. So now Deno plays nicely with all those packages, making it even more powerful and versatile.
Wow. Deno 2 sounds like a game changer for JavaScript and TypeScript developers. It is. It's a big deal.

And speaking of things that can change the game, how about a session dedicated to the bane of every developer's existence: slow systems? Jonathan Magen’s talk, "Swimming Through Molasses," sounds like it's going to hit close to home for anyone who's ever stared at a spinning cursor and wondered if their computer was about to take flight.

Oh, yeah, we've all been there. So what's Magen's take on this? What's causing all this molasses?

So his talk is going to delve into those hidden bottlenecks that can bring even the most powerful systems to their knees. Specifically, he's going to be talking about something called coordination and synchronization protocols.

Oh boy, here we go. Now, these protocols are essential for making sure that different parts of the system can talk to each other effectively, especially in distributed systems where you have multiple computers working together, right?
So you're trying to get a large group of people to agree on something. The more people involved, the more complex the communication becomes, right? And the longer it takes to reach a decision.

These protocols, while essential, can also create overhead and slow things down.
So what you're saying is these seemingly small details about how systems communicate can have a huge impact on overall performance. Exactly. And often these issues are overlooked because they're not always obvious. So Magen's going to help us shed light on these hidden performance killers.

Exactly. And give developers the tools they need to optimize their systems for speed and efficiency. It's like giving your computer a good shot of espresso.
OK. Next up, we have a legend in the world of software development, Kent Beck. OK. With a session that's sure to spark some debate. "Tidy First." Hm. Interesting.
Now, we all want clean code, right? I mean, who wants to wade through a digital dumpster fire every time they need to update a feature? You'd be surprised. Yeah, it's easy to get caught up in this pursuit of perfect code.

But as Beck brilliantly points out, software development isn't just about writing elegant algorithms. It's about people. It's about understanding the human impact of our code both on the developers who have to maintain it and the users who rely on it.

I've never thought about it that way. But I like that perspective. How does technical debt become a form of communication?

Think of it like this: every time you make a compromise in your code, every time you take a shortcut or leave something less than perfectly optimized, you're essentially leaving a message for the next developer who comes along.
It's like leaving sticky notes all over the code. Exactly. And those messages can add up, creating a form of technical debt that can be difficult and costly to repay down the line.

Technical debt. Got it. And Beck argues that sometimes it's ok to accrue a bit of technical debt if it means shipping a feature faster or meeting a critical deadline, but it's crucial to be aware of the trade-offs involved and to communicate those trade-offs effectively.

So we're not just writing code for computers to understand, we're writing it for other humans to understand as well. Exactly. And that communication or miscommunication can have a ripple effect for years to come.

Precisely. And that's what makes Beck's session so compelling. Yeah, he's challenging us to think beyond just the technical aspects of coding and consider the human element, the social dynamics, and the long-term consequences of the decisions that we make.

I like it. It's like he's bringing the human touch back to software development. Exactly. It's true. You know, it's easy to get caught up in the technical weeds sometimes.

But at the end of the day, software development is a deeply human endeavor. It is. You know, it's about solving problems, communicating ideas for sure, and building something that ultimately improves people's lives.

And it sounds like Kent Beck's session is going to be a powerful reminder of that. It seems like it, but we've got a few more stops on our GOTO Chicago journey.
Right. We do. And this next one is for anyone who's ever had to grapple with the challenge of legacy systems. Oh, boy, Dave Thomas, a true veteran of the software world, is tackling the topic of "Efficient, Reliable Database Migration: A Legacy Innovation Story."

So you might be thinking, legacy systems? Isn't that a bit, well, old news? You know, but the reality is a huge amount of critical infrastructure still relies on these older systems.

So it's like that thing. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. But at some point, you've got to modernize, right? You do. And that's where things get tricky.

You've got these systems that have been running for years, maybe even decades, and they hold a wealth of valuable data and business logic, but they're often built on outdated technologies.

And migrating them to newer platforms without breaking everything in the process can feel like performing open-heart surgery on a moving train. That's a scary thought.

Yeah, but Dave Thomas is a master of taking these complex problems and breaking them down into manageable steps. He's going to share real-world strategies for making these migrations as painless and efficient as possible.
I like it. So from the high-level philosophy of software design to the nitty-gritty of database migration, GOTO Chicago really does have it all.

It does. There's something here for everyone. Speaking of getting down to the fundamentals, I see that Matt Godbolt is doing a session on what every programmer should know about how CPUs work.

Oh, nice. Now, I'll admit I've always been a bit intimidated by the hardware side of things. Give me a good algorithm over a circuit board any day.

Yeah. But understanding how CPUs work, even at a high level, is like having a secret weapon in your developer arsenal. Really?

Yeah, it can help you write more efficient code, debug performance issues faster, and just generally make more informed decisions about the tools and technologies that you use.

I like it. Matt Godbolt has this knack for taking complex technical topics and making them approachable and even entertaining. This session is going to be a fantastic opportunity to demystify the world of CPUs and gain a deeper appreciation for the magic that happens at the hardware level.

All right. So sign me up for CPU boot camp. There you go.

OK. Last but not least, we have Maximiliano Furtman waving the banner for simplicity with his session, "Vanilla Web: You Don't Need That Library."
Yes. In a world obsessed with the latest and greatest JavaScript frameworks, it's easy to forget that you can build incredibly powerful and performant web applications using just core JavaScript and the browser's built-in APIs.
You had me at powerful and performant. Tell me more.

So Furtman is a big proponent of this back-to-basics approach. He argues that by relying less on third-party libraries, you gain a deeper understanding of the underlying technologies, you have more control over the performance of your application, and you often end up with cleaner, more maintainable code.
OK. So less is more. There you go. Plus, there's a certain elegance to building something with minimal dependencies.

It's like the difference between ordering a fancy coffee drink—Exactly. And brewing a perfect cup at home.

I like it. Yeah, that's a good analogy. Furtman is challenging us to rethink our assumptions about what it takes to build great web applications.

I think that's a good summary of the whole conference, actually. It really is. You know, from the dark side of cryptocurrency to the elegant simplicity of vanilla web development, GOTO Chicago has something to offer every tech enthusiast.

Absolutely. The sheer variety and depth of the sessions are a testament to the dynamic and ever-evolving nature of the tech world. It's clear that this conference isn't just about keeping up with the latest trends.

It's about expanding your horizons, challenging your assumptions, and connecting with a community of passionate individuals who are shaping the future of technology and having some fun while you're at it.

Exactly. So for anyone listening, who's lucky enough to be heading to GOTO Chicago, consider this your personal invitation to dive in, explore, and let your curiosity lead the way.

Who knows what groundbreaking ideas you'll encounter or what inspiring connections you'll make.

And for those of you who can't make it out to Chicago this year, keep an eye out for our post-conference wrap-up where we'll be diving deeper into the biggest takeaways and most thought-provoking moments from the event.

Until then, happy coding and keep those curiosity engines firing.