East meets west: the influences of geography on software production

How do software development practices differ from coast-to-coast? What should practitioners learn about the influences of geography -- and why is it important? Each community of software professionals has its own technical biases: preferred programming languages, software tools, design paradigms, software testing approaches, and techniques for collaboration within a working group. Conferences like SPLASH provide an opportunity to compare notes, to learn from the successes (and failures) of others, to learn about new technologies, and to learn about how other groups communicate and collaborate. This panel will focus on the diversity of software development practices in North America and the broader influences of geography.