Explore the concept of a JavaScript Platform as a Service (PaaS) in this JSConf talk by James Duncan. Dive into the history and development of the Smart Platform, understanding its advantages over traditional approaches. Learn how to get started with this innovative system, and discover why JavaScript was chosen as the primary language. Examine key components such as the request object, data storage, and HTTP response. Gain insights into various extensions and libraries available, and see practical examples of building and scaling applications, including a wiki implementation. Understand how the Smart Platform aims to make JavaScript development faster and more efficient than alternatives like PHP.