Two's Complement Conference Talks: Some Assembly Required
Oct 12, 2025
Matt shares his experiences from a recent conference, battling a cold while presenting three talks. He dives into the contentious title of his keynote that raised eyebrows on Reddit and defends its intent. The hosts explore C++ reflection, the challenges of live demos, and the art of handling difficult audience questions. They embrace the excitement around new C++ features and discuss the importance of community inclusivity. Networking tips include the quirky 'Pac-Man' stance to invite newcomers into discussions.
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Old Talk, New Projection Problems
- Matt presented a repeat JavaScript talk emulating the BBC Micro and refreshed slides from an older style.
- He discovered projector contrast issues and that retro black slides were unreadable in the room.
Live Demo Revealed Hidden Complexity
- Matt demoed Compiler Explorer features live and realized he had forgotten many merged-in capabilities.
- He noted the front-end config JSON grew huge and caused slow loads on conference Wi‑Fi.
AI Panels And A Controversial Keynote
- Matt participated on AI panels covering effective use and AI-assisted debugging with reverse-time tools.
- He gave a 90-minute keynote titled "C++: Some Assembly Required" that Reddit criticized for its YouTube title.