The Glass Ceiling at Rails Conference 2008

It’s that time of year again. Everybody that’s anybody has been in Portland this weekend. I guess that makes me a nobody.

And that makes you clueless if you do not know what has been going on in Portland for the last 4 days. Hello. Anybody home? Can you say Rails Conference 2008? You know - as in where a couple of thousand of the world’s nerdiest men gather to eat, drink and sleep rails. I know what you are thinking – these guys already eat, drink and sleep rails. And you are right but this is in Portland of all places and at a minimum cost of $1,500 or so - unless you drive up from San Francisco and spend 3 nights in your car.

I can also say the world’s nerdiest men with a great deal of certainty. Because who else goes to a conference in Portland where there are less than 2 women for every 100 men in the room?

Did you see the list of featured speakers? There’s Thorsten and Dan and Jimmy and Jamie and Ben and a couple of Joshes. There’s Rick and Wilson and Scott and a trio of Brians.

There are more than 100 men lined up to speak but there’s only one woman - Andrea O. K. Wright. What’s with that? Is there only one woman in the world to whom they entrust a sacred Rails podium? Only one woman they respect enough to sit and listen when she whispers scalability and other sweet nothings into their nerdy ears?

That’s what I call the ultimate glass ceiling!

Oh well. As I said, I did not go. But that does not mean there was nothing of value to be heard. You might want to click over to the website next week and listen to some of the presentations. I will. I always learn something. And you probably will too

ps – Rails Conference Europe in Berlin is coming up this September for those of you who would like to visit Europe and do not care what the US$ exchange rate is.

cs