Being here solo, you can’t help but notice things that go on around you. (Hey, you gotta keep yourself interested/occupied somehow, right?)
First off, it’s pretty easy to see who is actually working in the Web 2.0 world vs. those who are here more for interest. The adages of always in beta, constant small iterations, and constant movement are well in effect here. People chat on their phones while eating, check email amidst asking questions to a presenter, and cluster in hushed groups to quickly discuss the ideas in a previous session that might change their business model overnight.
Well, maybe I’m reading into that last one, but judging by the looks I got from one table I tried to sit at for lunch…
Second, and this is really a major peeve/rant more than anything else — where the hell are the electrical outlets, man? Perhaps someone didn’t really think about this, but this is a Web 2.0 conference! That means no less than 50% (I’d wager up 80%) are toting laptops. Tell me how the hell we’re supposed to stay juiced if we’re all doing iterative work and got no place to plug in? C’mon, there’s no way this should be anything but obvious.
Decent food though, that’s a first for a conference (for me, anyway). The pasta in the boxed lunch was actually good.
