Digital Earth Weblog

Sydney was the first Google Developer Day 2007 event out of sixteen that were held around the globe on 31 May 2007. With seven hundred attendees it was also the second largest event, exceeded only by the final event at the Googleplex in Mountain View, CA. It was a good day out.

The entire day was very well run, from the lovely ladies who greeted us at the door with a smile, to the presentations, to the after event drinks. James O’Loughlin (ABC Radio and The New Inventors) did a great job as master of ceremonies. The seven huge screens, thumping sound system, and professional audio visual crew certainly helped. We were all fed in pretty quick time, and there were quite a few interesting displays to look at. Plus, of course, free wifi and charging stations.

However, the standout factor was the Google people themselves. The red shirts. Those that I spoke to were very friendly and helpful. The problem was that there wasn’t enough of them to go around during the breaks. There were small queues of people waiting to talk to some of them.

With 700 people in the audience it’s difficult to open up the floor to questions. That meant that the information flow was one way during the presentation, with a passive audience (not my favourite way to acquire information). No doubt this increased the demand for red shirts during the breaks.

Feedback on GDD07

Given that it was a developer day I was expecting two angles:

1. Some brief marketing on why developers should use Google tools.
2. How to make those tools really sing. e.g. Tips and tricks.

There was some low key marketing, which was fine, but some of the presentations weren’t as advanced as expected. It’s more useful to know what can be done with the technology, and what the key factors are in making it work. Showing people KML samples is fine, but we can all view source. The stuff presented on KML regions was at the level I’d like to see more of.

The only technical issue was that the two screens in the centre used to display presentations and code samples weren’t up to scratch. I think they were rear projection screens, and they didn’t have the resolution or contrast required to display small text. Luckily, the two screens on either end were very readable from a distance.

Suggestions for GDD08

Some quick thoughts:

• More mini case studies. Who, why, what and how. Inspire us.
• More technical sessions where people can ask questions.
• Promote partner programs (when available in Australia).

NB: I realise that the event only goes for one day, and that the Sydney office only has staff working on a few Google projects. Perhaps more international guests would be required.