[karlhughes]

That's pretty cynical, but I'll admit there's some truth to it.

I take the optimist's view of it though: speaking is a good way to advance your career, but with so many new people getting into software development it's also a great way to teach others. Even if you can watch the video online, conferences allow you to actually meet and ask questions of others who know things you don't.

It's hard to replicate these interactions online.