A couple of days ago, I posted an antry on my private blog about the size and success of RailsConf, and wondered how it would impact RubyConf. I was pretty sure that Ruby Central was going to keep it small (based on chat's with Chad and an email from David Black.

One of the things I mentioned was that keeping RubyConf small might lead to more local events (I was thinking about last year's FOSCon, this Spring's Silicon Valley Ruby Conference, and the upcoming Michigan Ruby Conference.

When I posted that entry I didn't mention anything specific because the Michigan Ruby conference hadn't been officially announced. That all changed when one of the conference organizer's posted a comment to my blog, so I think this is the right time, and the right forum, to mention them.

The Michigan Ruby Conference has announced some of there speakers — I'll be one of them and so will David Black. I'll be talking about development related libraries from the Ruby Standard Library, but I don't know what David's topic will be.

There's a lot of room for local activites beyond just a hacking night or a Ruby Brigade meeting. You and your Ruby hacking friends can make a difference in the Ruby community. Take a look at your calendars, and start thinking about what, when, and how — I hope the why is obvious!