If you haven't already registered for the AdminDev2012 conference in Washington, DC, you only have two more days before the $100 off early registration discount is gone. They've already posted the session list, and they've got some great topics (and great speakers) lined up.

I'll be delivering two sessions there: Java debugging, and an introduction to OpenSocial for developers. I'm really looking forward to both sessions, but especially the OpenSocial one. I did a lot of research and work to try to nail down not just the "hows" but also the "whys" on that topic.

I have to admit, in the past when I've seen demos of gadgets and activity streams and embedded experiences, I just didn't get it. What I saw kind of looked like... an email inbox. Sure, there were embedded videos or buttons or links to collaborative documents or whatever, but in the end it didn't seem to be much different than a well-crafted HTML email or an RSS feed.

After spending a lot of time working with OpenSocial gadgets and the Shindig server, I have a much better understanding and appreciation of what's going on, and how it's different, and why it's useful. I feel good about the fact that my presentation will give the technical knowledge about how to get started with this stuff; I'm very curious to see if I'll also be able to explain why you should use it.