This is the personal blog of Neil Ang. Simple and interesting technology articles written by a developer for developers. Feel free to comment on posts or link to this site. Constructive feedback is always welcomed.

Things to know before going to WWDC

Posted: 21 June 2008

As most of you know I spent last week in San Francisco attending WWDC ‘08. I had a great time thanks to the AUC, and highly encourage others to attend this conference next year if they have the opportunity. It is worth it.

Here are some tips for anyone who is thinking of going in 2009:

1. Bring a list of issues you want solved

The conference has sessions that run all day, but they also have labs where you can get Apple engineers to help solve issues with your software. These labs gave me a chance to talk with the actual engineers who work in the field of my software problems.

2. Take business cards

I didn’t take any business cards with me, but a few people asked for my email address and it would of been perfect if I had a business card to give them. You don’t need a business to have a business card. Just include your name, email address and website (if you have one).

3. Take your equipment

This one is pretty much a given, but if you have a laptop, take it along. If you have an iphone or ipod touch, take that as well. Apple set up a convenient website for the attendees with the latest session updates and news which I checked everyday. They also had a version of the site that worked on the iphone. Very handy.

4. Partition your hard drive

Before I left Australia, I backed up and formatted my hard drive to clear up some space. I also made a separate partition incase we got new software. After I got a copy of snow leopard I was able to install it straight away alongside leopard.

5. See San Francisco while you are there

The AUC had arranged a bus tour for the Australian delegates, and we had an awesome day seeing all the highlights of the area. We checked out the Googleplex, Apple HQ and the computer history museum. Silicon valley is a great place for nerds to site see.

6. File bug reports before you attend

A common response to questions in sessions and labs was “file a bug report”. The engineers are not able to fix things on the spot, so if you have found a major problem with an API or system, its better to file a bug report before you attend.

7. Prepare to get up early

Jet-lag along with early morning sessions and late nights out will leave you feeling tired most of the week. Luckily there are plenty of starbuck stores around and other coffee outlets.

8. Attend parties

During the week parties are held by various organisations to celebrate WWDC. If you are thinking of attending any, make sure you RSVP. I would also recommend going to the “Stump the experts” event and the Apple design awards.

9. Don’t be afraid to meet people

At the conference you are surrounded by developers, engineers and Apple enthusiasts. It is a great chance to make contacts and spread your own name as well (again, take business cards).

10. Don’t feel bad about missing sessions

A lot of interesting sessions and labs are run concurrently at the conference which means you will miss sessions that you wanted to attend. If there is a conflicting lab and session, attend the lab as the sessions become available on video after the conference.

And finally, enjoy the time there as much as possible and take lots of photos. The week will go by very quickly.

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