Jozi.js Sept - Reimagine

Jozi.JS has hit the ground running. Join us as we reimagine what's possible on the web platform.

Agenda:
• 18:00 - Food and blah blah.
• 18:30 - Unstyled components: The standard component library for the web - Thabiso Magwaza
• 19:00 - Is it really time to start using language models in the browser? - Simon Stewart
• 19:30 - More blah blah.

Talk 1: Unstyled components: The standard component library for the web

Accessibility has always been a first-class citizen on the web. However, with modern web applications, it has unfortunately taken a back seat to functionality. This is, in large part, because creating accessible components is hard, and web developers are unaware of the wonderful tools at their disposal that can help in this regard.

This talk is about shining a light on what it looks like to have accessible components, why it's so hard to create them, and how we can utilise the power of unstyled component libraries to supercharge our abilities to create accessible web components.

This talk is not so much to convince the audience of the importance of accessibility, but about empowering the developers who are already accessibility conscious with the tools that will make it easier for them to create accessible web applications.

About the first speaker:
Thabiso holds a qualification in electrical engineering and discovered his passion for software through web development. He enjoys creating websites and web applications, drawn to the flexibility and power of JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. A visual thinker with a strong appreciation for technical and analytical challenges, he thrives on building user interfaces and creating engaging experiences in the browser.

Outside of his professional life, Thabiso enjoys playing soccer with friends, listening to music, reading, and enjoying a good beer. He also loves engaging in tech discussions and collaborating with smart people to build innovative projects.

Talk 2: Is it really time to start using language models in the browser?
Queue up the gigabyte page loads! There is tech available for us to start using AI (insert your definition here) right inside the browser and this talk will show some genuine use cases for it while keeping things real and showing the trade-offs and decisions along the way. From Tensorflow to transformers to playing around with Chrome canary, this talk will cover what's been happening in the on-device AI space.

About the second speaker:
Simon is a seasoned technology leader. He is the co-founder of The AI Shop as well as the founder and organiser of the JSinSA conference; dedicated to advancing the JavaScript community in South Africa.

With a strong background as a former Microsoft MVP, Simon brings a wealth of expertise. His credentials include certifications in AWS, SAFe, and CEH Master, reflecting his commitment to staying at the forefront of the tech industry.

----------------------------------------------------
Important Notes:

Parking is available at The Zone, Rosebank. Parking will be validated so you do not need to pay for it.
The meetup will be streamed on JoziJS's YouTube account.