Sun / Microsoft developer marketing

I just got back from the Microsoft 'Visual Studio 2008' launch event at the Hilton. I can't put my finger on it but a few things just really pissed me off about the whole thing. Maybe it's the hot weather we've been experiencing but I'm fired up.

The ASP .NET session wasn't too bad. Kudos for the Javascript debugging / code completion, but then again firebug has been around for how long? To the people in the audience that debug their Javascript in IE using alerts; you deserve the agony :)

The next session was on Team Foundation Server , in particular the source control and continuous integration features. The presenter was carrying on like Microsoft invented these things. Personally, I found it rather condescending but on looking around everyone was lapping it up. I suppose if all you know is VSS then these things might impress you. These are not bells and whistles! These are essential development practices that you already should have been using. There are already so many existing tools available, I get along just fine with cruise control and svn. I didn't see anything innovative in TFFS at all.

I cast my mind back to the Sun Java developer day I attended last year; oh so many contrasts. Firstly, the Sun event was free, the Microsoft one wasn't (but thanks for sending me work) :). The Microsoft one was full of buzzwords, marketing and testimonials, where the sun one was more developer-centric, presenting some really cool shit, like launching project matisse.

It's a real shame the Sun event was cancelled in Adelaide this year. I dearly hope this isn't indicative of a shift

Unfortunately the biggest highlight of my day wasn't attending the event; it was my taxi almost running over Ahn Do on the corner of Wakefield and Pulteney street.