Webmaster Jam Session
Published 17 years, 5 months pastForty-eight hours after landing in Cleveland, I took off again. I’d come back from AEA Seattle, and was leaving for the Webmaster Jam Session in Dallas, Texas.
I was interested to discover how much Dallas reminded me of my home town. Both cities have urban downtowns of moderate stature and minimal residence. Everyone lives in the suburbs, it seems, and at night the city center goes quiet. People in other cities might read that as a slam, but it honestly doesn’t bother me. A teeming, noisy nightlife is not the only (or even the primary) indicator of a healthy city.
As for the conference, it was a great time. The gang at CoffeeCup Software understand something critical: that webmastering is not just about code and layout. There were sessions on branding, for example. I got a lot out of the excellent presentation given by John Moore, which drew on his long experience in the marketing department at Starbucks. I believe that what I learned there will be of use in guiding the evolution and growth of An Event Apart. There were also talks on finding the right hosting provider, ways to promote your site, and more. And then there was the keynote, from that Eric wotsizname, you know, the CSS dude. It seemed to go just fine, given that he was trying to pack ten years into an hour.
The other thing I noticed was that, for a first-time conference, the whole thing was run very professionally. I know how hard that is to do, and I was quite impressed. Kudos all around!
Like Seattle, I only was able to contribute a few pictures to the general pool, both because I was often too busy to haul out the camera and because my PowerShot S45 was approaching collapse. Still, I got a nice picture of the twilit Dallas skyline, so even in near-death, the old battlewagon came through.
Comments (6)
Hmmm…I think this would make a perfect pic for the Back Cover of your next book: http://www.flickr.com/photos/tektactic/251693035/
Cheers,
-Erica
Hey Eric,
Thanks for coming down to Texas and chatting up CSS with us! Excellent presentation! The podcast of your presentation has been posted at http://www.quesocompuesto.com. Pictures for your loved-ones can be found on my flicker account: http://www.TheAgencyBlog.com > click on the flicker badge.
Enjoy!
-giovanni
Eric,
I enjoyed your keynote, and it was nice to finally have met you. And I promise, I will actually purchase one of your books soon!
Thanks for everything!
Ryan
Starbucks is a fascinating study.
As a first time commenter (I think?), I must say I’m a big fan. I’ve listened to several podcasts and I own a book of yours (in hopes to buy more). I’m a young web developer who really finds inspiration in reading good, solid web standard practices, and I’m glad you are able to provide the content.
That pic of the Dallas skyline is really nice. I checked out your other pictures, and the blend you’ve collected in your “artistic” set is all inspiring in itself. I’m starting to be able to find web design inspiration through colorful/artistic pictures. I think realizing it’s often better to not seek the web for inspiration is a good start.
Hey Eric!
Glad ou enjoyed Dallas. You should have swung over to Fort Worth (I know…only if you had time). Nothing against Dallas, but Fort Worth is really the gem of the DFW metroplex.
Anyway, big fan. Enjoy your work…keep it coming and I hope to see you at many many more functions.