PDC location

Phil Scott  wrote:

Pascal, not even being in America would have to spend a small fortune to attend.  Now, neither of us wouldn't have much of a problem with this if we could somehow purchase the DVDs of the confs, and get whatever code/software is released to the developers.  Heck, I'd pay around $500 bucks for that.

Phil totally agree. So Robert, why not having a PDC in Europe for example (or in Israel for Roy) ?

And no I can't believe it's expensive to do so. And as a fervent MSDN subscriber, why I can't have a DVD with the good stuff shown at the PDC.

Why do we have, all the 'poor' developers, to share some very low and bad video qualities about Whidbey (don't remember the link anyway)?

UPDATE: that's it I found the link for the Whidbey video

4 Comments

  • One problem: there can only be one PDC. Why? Because the PDC only happens when Microsoft is going to unveil a big new platform. Or, in the case of this year's PDC, three new platforms (new VS, new SQL, new Windows).



    Also, what makes the PDC the PDC? Microsoft employee participation. Do you realize that every Microsoft employee has to justify attending to their boss (and their boss has to pick up the cost?)



    Turns out we're not expecting to make a profit on the PDC, even with Microsoft paying for employees to attend.



    For a Microsoft employee, it's already hard to justify going to a conference like this. If you add in a 19-hour flight somewhere, it'll be even more difficult. And, there can only be one PDC, not a series. So, no matter where we put it, people are gonna gripe about having to fly 19 hours to come to it (if it's in Europe, Asia, for instance, would have to fly, and most of America). If it's in Asia, then everyone else won't come. It's a real hard problem.



    When I planned the VBITS conferences we held them all over the world, but the ones in San Francisco were always better than the rest (and demonstratably so). Why? Most of the world's Microsoft developers live within a five hour flight of San Francisco. Our European and Asian conferences were always about 1/5th the attendance, and not as good technical content.

  • Phil, believe it or not, this conference +is+ that expensive. Did you realize we're not expecting to make a profit on the conference? Even at a $1800 price tag. Translation: attendees will get a lot of value out of this event, even though the price is high.

  • So Robert, if I understand what you say.

    1 - PDC is only for the rich elite who can afford it.

    2 - Microsoft is a company in trouble which can afford to promote their own strategy and line of products.

    3 - Microsoft outside the US don't have good technical employees.



    LOL

  • And Robert when you say attendees will get a lot of value out of this event, you are seriously thinking that a couple of DVD, a T-shirt 'I was at the PDC' and a bunch of pencils worth the money :-(

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