The week just gone was WWDC. It was my third, but my first working rather than spectating. I was looking forward to it, although not nearly as much as previous years – I guess without the excruciating flights, jetlag and exaggerated rumours it’s just actually a good place to meet people and work out development issues. ‘cept this time I was expected to know the answers, not the questions… scary. :D
All in all it was pretty good. I helped out a few people, and learnt a lot from lurking around while the trickier problems were solved. I was there every day, in the labs. It was pretty ad hoc getting there and back – I caught the train once or twice, which sucked – three hours each way – but mostly got a lift with Mike, and once or twice with Eric.
Most nights I was up there we went out for dinner at some random restaurant. Twice I went to dinner with the Blizzard guys, which was really cool.
The beer bash this year was held in the Yerba Buena gardens, on the block just northeast of Moscone west, rather than down on campus as in all previous years. I’m a little disappointed that the tradition with that has ended, but it does make more sense not to try to bus thousands of people down to campus and back, and it was just as cool anyway. There was a live band this year (as opposed to just a DJ, last year) although I can’t remember their name – some half-Mexican group from L.A. Apparently they were really good – I only caught a song or two before going up with Gus, Julien and two others – who’s names escape me right now – to the 39th floor in the Marriott, where they have a bar that looks out over the city. I returned the beer bash afterwards (and they all went home; pansies).
I didn’t get much time for anything else all week – typically I was getting up, doing misc. work stuff for an hour or so from home, heading off and up to the city, then with dinner and whatnot after the conference, getting back at around midnight. So yesterday to balance that out I didn’t do a whole lot at all – some reading, gaming, and plenty of sleeping. :D
Previous years it was just really cool being there, getting caught up in the vibe, seeing and playing with all the new stuff. This year it was more about getting down and dirty with particular areas and problems. I miss the old way, but, I guess it goes with getting old – you get all pragmatic and goal orientated and all that boring stuff. ;)
