Mac OS X

Well, it seems it's January again and that means it's time for Macworld San Francisco.

Don't get me wrong, Macworld is great! Super-cool to walk around and see what everyone's doing, really fun to get a chance to meet the developers, and interesting to meet people of like minds. That is, as long as you're attending it as a consumer.

Working at MacWorld as a representative of your company is a whole different story though. It's much like working a retail Christmas. People are everywhere. You are constantly talking (and your throat always ends up sore near the end) People are always telling you their problems (whether it's with your software or not) and you listen to people tell the same stupid jokes over and over again. The noise and activity all around you tires you out so quickly. It's loud, so people get up close to talk to you and inevitably spit in your mouth, right during flu season! Hooray.

It is a wonderful exercise to meet the people you've been designing software for. It teaches you many things and it is definitely an experience more developers should embrace. But, with all the good it does, it is a very taxing thing to do.

I'll see you there if you are a Mac person and use my company's software and I guarantee that I'll do my best to look enthusiastic.