Aral Balkan »

Clarifying SSL: Google App Engine still doesn’t support it, appspot.com does.

Aral — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 11:49:03 +0000

I'm seeing a lot of misinformation out there that Google App Engine has SSL support. It doesn't.

If you read Google's announcement from last month carefully, you will see that it is titled "Announcing HTTPS support for appspot.com", not "for Google App Engine" .

"What's the difference?", you may be wondering. It's quite big.

What google supports is SSL for subdomains for appspot.com. So, if you're happy with hosting your application only from your appspot.com subdomain, then you can use SSL in your application. For example, I have several simple open source apps that I host on Google App Engine, like opencountrycodes and isvat. Since I'm not worried about having custom domains for these, I host them on appspot.com subdomains (e.g., opencountrycodes.appspot.com). If I wanted to use HTTPS on these apps, I could and you could hit, for example, https://opencountrycodes.appspot.com to get to the secure version of the site.

The issue arises when you want to use your own domain for your App Engine application. The conference web site, for example, resides at http://www.headconference.com. It also has a subdomain on appspot.com but I don't publicize that. Currently, there is no way I can use SSL on the Head Conference web site as Google App Engine only supports SSL for appspot.com subdomains (so, if the headconference subdomain on appspot.com was headconference.appspot.com, I could use SSL on that subdomain).

"So", I can hear you ask, "why don't you just use headconference.com for everything and headconference.appspot.com for the SSL connections?"

The answer: sessions and usability.

Take this example:

I want to use PayPal to process a payment. My user hits www.headconference.com, signs in, and starts the checkout process. I forward the user to PayPal and pass the secure URL of my notification script to PayPal (e.g., https://headconference.appspot.com/my/notification/handler/). When the user returns from PayPal, they are no longer on the headconference.com site, their session is no longer valid, and they need to sign in again.

In other words, this is not a usable solution for custom domains.

The problem is that implementing SSL on Google App Engine is not a trivial solution. One possible methodx that has been suggested several times in the forums is to use the Server Name Indication (SLI) extension to Transport Layer Security (TLS).

So what is the current state of SSL on Google App Engine? It's still not supported, with the exception of applications that are hosted only at appspot.com subdomains. In other words — given that most real-world applications, whether commercial or not, will want to be hosted under their own domains — SSL is still not supported for real-world applications on Google App Engine.

What a 4-track virtual conference really looks like!

Aral — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 17:58:51 +0000

Here's a sneak peek into how our techadmin team saw the web conference. Our nifty 4-up view helped us keep an eye on things and step in to help at the first sign of trouble.

I have to say that there's something supremely cool about watching four presentations at the same time. And, with practice, it's almost possible to zone in and follow just one.

Multiply the above by seven timeslots and you'll get an idea of what just the second day looked like (the other two days were three-track!) :)

(And yes, that's four Adobe Connect instances running in a single browser window. woot!)

2008 opening video from the London hub

Aral — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:15:14 +0000

We kicked off 2008 at the London hub with a short video I threw together using Animoto. Those of you who weren't at the hub missed out on that bit so here it is! :)

Aral — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 15:38:51 +0000

Last week, we made a little history when over 70 speakers and 500 attendees from around the world congregated on the Interwebs for the web conference and, in doing so, took part in creating the world's first virtual web conference. Last week, thanks to you, we proved that there is a new model for conferences that is engaging, environmentally-friendly, and affordable.

Voil�, l'�ge de la Conf�rence 2.0 commence

Presenters spoke from home, from hotels, from our local conference hubs in London, Brighton, and San Francisco, and, in one case, from a car parked on a street-side in downtown New York City.

I'm overwhelmed by the wonderful reviews I'm reading from attendees and speakers alike, as well as the lovely feedback we've been receiving directly. I'd like to share some of this with you here, starting with this gem from my friend Jeremy Keith, who opened the conference with his excellent talk on The Long Web:

It spanned three days and as many continents. It was a preposterously ambitions undertaking and, incredibly, it worked! (Read the full post.)

One of the things that I loved about the conference was finding out more about the things I had heard of, but knew nothing about (both Richard Rutter and Ann McKeekin's talks come to mind) . . . Thank you again for a wonderful conference, I'm looking forward to next year. (Jonathan Ferguson, attendee.)

I had great time interacting with the crowd by telling my stories, answering questions, giving away books and hopefully instilling some inspiration to the one hundred in my apartment. (Christopher Schmitt, speaker; read the full post.)

I really enjoyed the conference sessions last weekend. Congratulations on a great event! (Stuart Giles, attendee.)

The Head Conference was an ambitious, timely, and much needed creative exploration of the potential for "green" conferencing using Adobe Connect Pro, Second Life and local conference hubs in various cities. (Tish Shute, read the full post.)

Great job with the Head Conference. I had a blast . . . Was surprised how interactive and social and online conference could be. Already looking forward to next year. (Mark Grossnickle, attendee.)

All by all, it turned out to be an amazing experience, that not only made you realize again why you love internet, but also contributed to your sense of commitment to the . . . community. I guess the best thing I like about is that you can come together, interact and learn from the cracks, sitting in your lazy chair, no matter where you are! (Jeff Winder, attendee; read the full post.)

(I won't go on so this post doesn't turn into a testimonials page — suffice to say we got a heap more of lovely reviews on the web, on twitter, and in emails — thank you all so much for sharing them with us. We're wonderfully happy by the response, and we're listening to your feedback so that we can evolve the conference and make it even better for next year.)

Undoubtedly, following the success of , we are going to see more conferences embrace virtual aspects and I can only assume that we will see more virtual conferences popping up. , of course, will not be standing still. We have learned tons by staging this conference and I have very definite plans for where I want to see go next as we evolve and continue to explore the concept of Conference 2.0.

In closing, I want to once again thank our wonderful speakers, sponsors, micro-sponsors, and, of course, our attendees for breathing life into the conference and making a success — thank you all for your support and here's to an even better 2009!

Photos

first day was a hit! Day two begins in a few hours.

Aral — Sat, 25 Oct 2008 11:15:23 +0000

Stephanie and I are on the train back to Brighton for the second day of the web conference after hosting the London hub yesterday.

Everyone seemed to have a great time at the London hub yesterday and I can't wait for today's sessions to start.

The London hub for the web conference – schedule and last chance to sign up!

Aral — Thu, 23 Oct 2008 06:46:11 +0000

The web conference is going to be kicking off tomorrow (Friday, October 24, 2008) at 15:00 London time with the local conference hub in London, to be joined shortly thereafter with the hubs in Brighton and San Francisco.

Speakers like Tim O'Reilly, Richard Moross, Jeremy Keith, Gavin Bell, Gavin Starks, Stephanie Troeth and Simon Willison will be speaking live from the London hub at our awesome venue, The Magic Circle, in the heart of London.

The hub will conclude in the evening with a 1.5hr fully-catered cocktail reception (details below).

Here's the schedule of speakers and talks:

Time (London)	Session
10:00 - 14:00	Setup
14:30 - 15:00	Doors open - arrivals
15:00 - 15:10	Introductions
15:10 - 15:25	The Long Web Jeremy Keith
15:25 - 15:30	5 min conversation*
15:30 - 15:45	Disintegration of the persistence of identity Gavin Bell
15:45 - 15:50	5 min conversation*
15:50 - 16:10	Stephanie Troeth and Ann McMeekin in conversation.
16:10 - 16.30	20 min break
16:30 - 16:45	Simon Willison
16:45 - 16:50	5 min conversation*
16:50 - 17:10	Uplinks Manchester, Brighton, Switzerland, San Francisco, and Second Life hubs.
17:10 - 17:30	The State of Flash. Seb Lee Delisle, Steve Webster, Carlos Ulloa Moderated by Aral Balkan
17:30 - 17:50	20 min break
17:50 - 18:05	Your Energy Identity Gavin Starks
18:05 - 18:10	5 min conversation*
18:10 - 18:25	7 reasons why web development is running in circles Chris Heilmann
18:25 - 18:30	5 min conversation*
18:30 - 18:50	Richard Moross in conversation
18:50 - 19:10	20 min break
19:10 - 19:25	Why open matters from innovation to commoditisation Simon Wardley
19:25 - 19:30	5 min conversation*
19:30 - 19:50	Uplinks: Rafi Haladjian, Gary Vaynerchuk, Lynda Weinmann, Second Life real/virtual recital by Smily Raymaker (Sarah Ruddick)
19:50 - 20:20	Tim O’Reilly in conversation
20:20 - 20:30	Closing remarks
20:30 - 22:00	Cocktail reception Warm hors d'oeuvres, wine, and drinks to close off the evening.
22:00 - 22:30	End

The cocktail reception

And here's a selection from our menu for the cocktail reception:

A selection of freshly baked baguettes with various vegetarian and non-vegetarian fillings
Cocktail peking duck pancakes, with plum sauce
Smoked and fresh salmon and spinach cocktail fishcakes, served with tartare sauce
Little hot dogs, served with american mustard and caramelised onions (served warm)
Blinis with cream cheese and gravadlax
Bocconcini and cherry tomato lollipops
Grilled halloumi marinated in lemon, garlic and chilli
Exotic mushroom and fresh spinach frittata
Cocktail crepe roulades with various fillings: chive, asparagus, artichoke, homemade pesto and roast pepper etc

Wine, fruit juices, and mineral water will be served during the evening reception, and teas and coffees and soft drinks will be available during the daytime breaks.

To attend, simply buy a ticket for the conference (for just $149 -- that's only about £85) to attend the conference and register for the hub on the London hub page. (Don't forget to print out your tickets and bring them with you.)

Hurry, places are limited! Don't miss your chance to experience this wonderful speaker line-up in person.

For more information, please see the London hub page on the web conference web site.

Tim O’Reilly, Richard Moross, Jeremy Keith, Paul Boag, Simon Willison, …

Aral — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 18:06:07 +0000

... Chris Heilmann, Stephanie Troeth, Ann McMeekin, Seb Lee Delisle, Steve Webster, Carlos Ulloa, Gavin Starks, Gavin Bell, and Simon Wardley are going to be presenting live from the London Hub of the web conference at our awesome Magic Circle venue in Euston.

We are also going to be holding remote uplinks with Rafi Haladjian from France, and Gary Vaynerchuk and Lynda Weinman from the States.

See the full schedule here.

The event starts at 3pm. The event is fully-catered and the the evening will end with a 1.5hr cocktail reception with warm finger-food, wine, and drinks.

There are under a hundred tickets left and tickets cost just $149 (or about £85.)

What are you waiting for?

Don't miss your chance: get your ticket and sign up for the London hub now.

London conference hub schedule released

Aral — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 10:48:34 +0000

From the original photo by E01.

We've just released the schedule for the London hub on the conference web site.

The London hub will be streamed from Room 1 on the first day of the conference, starting at 3PM London time.

We are going to be added the London hub schedule to the main schedule page shortly.

Registrations for the London hub, and our other hubs (in Brighton, Manchester, Fribourg, and San Francisco) will be opening today (Monday, October 20th) at 15:00 UTC (8AM San Francisco, 4PM London, 5PM Switzerland).

local conference hub registrations start today!

Aral — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 09:58:22 +0000

Local conference hub sign-ups for the web conference will begin today (Monday, October 20th) at 15:00 UTC.

(That's 8AM in San Francisco, 4PM for the UK, and 5PM in Switzerland.)

This year, we have local conference hubs in London (UK), Brighton (UK), Manchester (UK), Fribourg (Switzerland), and San Francisco (USA).

(We also have a virtual Second Life hub but you don't have to sign up to attend that one!)

Attendance at the local hubs is limited to conference attendees, so get your ticket now — they're only $149 (or about £85/€110) — if you want a chance to attend at a local hub.

Please note that we have very few places at the hubs and places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. Being a attendee does not automatically guarantee you a place at a local hub so make sure that you sign up early to avoid disappointment!

pre-party in Second Life: you’re all invited.

Aral — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 15:23:40 +0000

We're having a pre-party bash for the web conference in Second Life in about an hour. It's going to last for about three hours and you're all invited (you don't have to be attending the conference to attend the pre-party!)

We will be on hand to give you an introduction to Second Life, the hub, and you might even get to see some of the speakers there.

To join, simply click this link to teleport to the web conference Second Life hub.

(If you don't have Second Life installed, don't worry, it will take you through the steps.)

Many thanks to We Are Here and Linden Lab who are sponsoring the Second Life hub.