@media2006
Thursday, 22. June 2006, 11:57:51
Fredrik, David and I travelled to London on Thursday and Friday of last week to attend the @media2006 conference. The timing was awful as we should really have been working on the Opera 9 campaign, but the plans had been laid a long time in advance and we really wanted to attend, so we just had to risk it.
I think I may be a bit of an oddball web developer as I'm not really that fascinated by technology. I observe with amusement all the development that happens, and become spectacularly unimpressed by terms such as AJAX and DOM (not that they're not useful, but it's a matter of time and place - let's not use tools and techniques only because it's cool). I find there's a lot of pretentiousness and that a lot of what goes on lacks perspective of what's really useful. Development just for the sake of it, as opposed to development because it's needed. Now that may make me a bit controversial at a conference such as @media, where so many bright minds converge to discuss web technology, but as it turned out, what went on there was well and truly hands-on. None of the pretentiousness I often observe was apparent there and it was a great relief to be in a group where everyone had a level-headed perspective on a pragmatic and useful Web.
It was a shame, then, that I was too knackered to reap the full benefit of the conference. The first day I didn't really tune in, I was so tired, but by the second day (when I had a lie-in) it became apparent that this was a place where the Web was beind made. So many industry experts were present and it was obvious that the event would in a very real way influence the direction the Web will take in the year to come. That was quite special.
After the event, we split up as I was seeing a friend of mine. David and Fred had never been in London before, however, so they went sightseeing. Fred got some really nice pictures, two of which can be seen below. I hope that I'll get the opportunity to do more of this in the future and that I won't be quite as tired next time. I realized at this conference how out of touch I am with the personalities that shape the Web - none of the speakers were familiar to me. I'd probably do well to pay some more attention in the future, despite the fact that I may be an oddball web developer.
I think I may be a bit of an oddball web developer as I'm not really that fascinated by technology. I observe with amusement all the development that happens, and become spectacularly unimpressed by terms such as AJAX and DOM (not that they're not useful, but it's a matter of time and place - let's not use tools and techniques only because it's cool). I find there's a lot of pretentiousness and that a lot of what goes on lacks perspective of what's really useful. Development just for the sake of it, as opposed to development because it's needed. Now that may make me a bit controversial at a conference such as @media, where so many bright minds converge to discuss web technology, but as it turned out, what went on there was well and truly hands-on. None of the pretentiousness I often observe was apparent there and it was a great relief to be in a group where everyone had a level-headed perspective on a pragmatic and useful Web.
It was a shame, then, that I was too knackered to reap the full benefit of the conference. The first day I didn't really tune in, I was so tired, but by the second day (when I had a lie-in) it became apparent that this was a place where the Web was beind made. So many industry experts were present and it was obvious that the event would in a very real way influence the direction the Web will take in the year to come. That was quite special.
After the event, we split up as I was seeing a friend of mine. David and Fred had never been in London before, however, so they went sightseeing. Fred got some really nice pictures, two of which can be seen below. I hope that I'll get the opportunity to do more of this in the future and that I won't be quite as tired next time. I realized at this conference how out of touch I am with the personalities that shape the Web - none of the speakers were familiar to me. I'd probably do well to pay some more attention in the future, despite the fact that I may be an oddball web developer.
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WIDGETIZE