This will be our penultimate email about October Rules Fest 2009 - but, even though it follows closely on the heels of the previous email, it's necessary.  And it's a goodie.  

Our Keynote Speaker for ORF 2009 is Tom Cooper, co-author of "Rule-Based Programming in OPS5" by Tom Cooper and Nancy Wogrin.  (Thanks to Luke Voss and Andrew Waterman for making a last-minute agenda shuffle possible.)  The book is long since out-of-print but is still available in slightly used condition by many of Amazon's associated book resellers.   (I saw only four "used but in good condition" copies at Amazon itself.)  When Dr. Forgy and I were working on our first project together back in 1998, I asked him what would be the one book that a person might buy to get a good foundation on rulebased programming.  This was it and I have used it many times in my classes that I teach on the subject.  

Side note:  I also use Gary Riley's book - still in publication -  to teach CLIPS (and Jess) and many others for reference; such as "Jess In Action" by Dr. Ernest Friedman-Hill or the Buchanan-Shortliffe magnum opus on the MYCIN project.  You can see my comlete list at http://www.kbsc.com/aibooks.html for more of them.  Even though some (most?) of the books are out-of-print none are really out-of-date.

STUDENTS can now register for ORF 2009 for only $150 per person WITH a valid photo ID and a CURRENT student photo ID card.  Last year we priced the whole thing at student rates and did not get a single student registeration from the USA.  (We had one from the UK.)  We have had several inquiries this year, some from as far away as California, and decided to put the student rate back online.  Just click on the regular ORF registration link and it will give you the instructions for the special student registration process.

We have two (yep, 2 of them) BOOT CAMPS that are co-located with ORF in The Adolphus Hotel.  There will be the Jess Boot Camp (taught by Jason Morris) and the Drools Boot Camp (taught by Mark Proctor and Edson Tirelli).  Even though both boot camps are headed by their individual instructors, we are posting the curriculum of both on-line with the ORF agenda.  (Topics are subject to change.)  Both camps have done a lot of work the past few days one defining what to expect from each of them.  If you like, you really CAN attend just one of the boot camps (for a small fee to cover the cost of the meeting room and catered coffee) and not attend ORF - but why???  ORF attendees can attend either one of the boot camps free of charge.

I will try and send another email before the 15th but in case that I don't, remember that the special $129 / night room rate for October Rules Fest 2009 attendees at The Adolphus will EXPIRE on the 16th !!  So I urge that if you have not already registered for ORF as well as reserved a room at The Adolphus, please do so this week if possible.

BTW, thanks to ALL of you who have already signed up and/or have registered at The Adolphus.  The rooms are filling up.  Boot Camps are filling up.  And, thankfully, October Rules Fest is filling up with some great folks looking for answers to some really perplexing problems.  So, if you have NOT registered, do so now.  If you know of some students who want to attend, put them in touch with Chelanie who can get them registered.  If all you want is one of the two greatest boot camps in the world, you can sign up just for that.  But you need to sign up now!!