Checking the Pulse

One thing I enjoy about Java conferences is that I can measure the pulse of the industry: what are the current best-practices, what's not in vogue, and the wonderful tech gossip.

Aside from the obvious (Digg, Slashdot, etc), I'm always looking for new sites. Here are some favorites:

1. Cafe Au Lait / Cafe Con Leche These sites are well-known, but I have to mention them. The "Daily Quote" is a great hook for a website, esp. since ER Harold is a master at picking provocative, eye-catching quotes.

2. Java Ranch This is an excellent Java community with useful, moderated forums and a panoply of resources for Java certification.

3. Java Posse A colleague turned me on to this site. Lately, I listen to the podcast while shaving and hopefully soon while driving. With its weekly podcast, these guys are on the edge. Oh, and they work for Sun, Google, and other bigtime outfits. (There is one podcast, #108, that is a "30-minute group hug"/conference review, so don't start with that one.)

Additions are highly encouraged!