The technical program for TheServerSide Java Symposium 2009 is starting to take shape.

Ted Shelton: "Frankly I felt that BlogOn was a waste of time and money."

I think the BlogOn conference was overproduced. In the name of professionalism the organizing firm turned off potential speakers, oversubscribed sponsors, etc.

I would have liked a debatable topic (aside from *blogging = journalism*. Two people slugging it out. Or a devil's advocate taking challenges from the floor.

I would have liked more hard numbers. Facts. Charts. Diagrams. We have the analytic tools to BS-check them; harder on vague opinions and single-points-of-observation.

I found it disturbing how much money was being commanded (from both attendees and sponsors) for a conference at a university. Maybe it was because it was at Berkeley? Maybe we should have taken over a community college or a Cal State or a DeVry. The facilities costs would have been cheaper at least. I heard an organizer apologize and say the next one would be at a hotel, like that would have been better.

Cost wasn't the whole problem. We're at a stage where early adopters are meeting folks who want to leap the chasm. Huge gaps in knowledge, experience, context, culture, vocabulary. It's the gap.

There are huge ideas to be explored, even in the world of applying blogs to media strategy and the enterprise. And most of the big ideas weren't even on the agenda at BlogOn. Probably because it was catering to those who want to commercialize, fund, and otherwise exploit (excuse me, "get in on") the emerging medium.

Let's fork these conferences so advanced topics on business and technology and culture fit the participants. 

[a klog apart]

Every year, The Onion sells boxes for fake, horrible-looking products to prank unsuspecting gift-receivers with. They've got two new one's this year: the iFeast and Kleen-Stride.

What makes these so great is just how close to real they look. Trust me, I've seen plenty of absolutely idiotic products with iPod docks in them, and the iFeast isn't the dumbest. As for the Kleen-Stride, well, aren't there slippers designed to clean your floors? In any case, these are awesome and a good way to gauge just how your fiancé will react to your legitimately crappy gifts in the future. [Kleen-Stride and iFeast]