Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!apple!ksand From: ksand@Apple.COM (Kent Sandvik) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.programmer Subject: Re: Mac Developers Conference Message-ID: <12650@goofy.Apple.COM> Date: 21 Mar 91 00:25:19 GMT References: <1422@radius.com> <50503@apple.Apple.COM> Organization: Apple Computer Inc., Cupertino, CA Lines: 47 In article <50503@apple.Apple.COM> keith@Apple.COM (Keith Rollin) writes: >>Nah, it's probably too late for them to plan a fast track... :-) :-) :-) >I talked to the person in charge of the WWDC concerning Robert's idea. >She thought it was a good one, and she'll think about it for next >year. For this year, she wanted to point out that the tracks will be >marked with expertise levels, and that novice questions in expert level >sessions would be discouraged. FYI, I've been twice involved in arranging a smaller DC in Australia, and both times I pushed for a technoid-stream that would have highly technical material during the three days. Both times *feedback* from developers said that they did not like the idea. I think it has to do with the size of the company, big companies send a lot of people to the Dev Conference, and the technoids want to hear tech talk only, and the marketing people want to hear about marketing. With small companies the person that will attend the DC is both a marketing person and technical lead, and maybe he/she is sent to the DC in order to gain as much marketing and technical information as possible. In Australia many of the companies were small, so we could not launch a technical stream only because the same people did not want to miss marketing sessions. This was the reason we had two half days dedicated to marketing talks only, and technoids could spend their time hacking or playing pinball. Anyway, I also support the idea of a technical stream in the next year's WWDC, but I just wanted to point out that many will attend the WWDC for marketing information as well. Another idea that we are maybe testing out this or next year is the concept of "Birds of a Feather" sessions - those who have attended USENIX conferences knows about the session type. I'm not sure yet about the outcome, but one idea is to have one about C++/OOPS programming. Anyway BoFs are very informal, and information about those are usually provided at the conference. And if you're really bored with the marketing blurb talks, get over to the MacDTS room :-). Regards, Kent Sandvik -- Disclaimer: Private activity on the Net, in no way connected to any company. Zippy++ says: END, END; or END. is sure clearer than "}".