TechEd Developers 2007 Barcelona: Day 5

TechEd Developers 2007 is history, but not before an eventful last day.

 

My day started with my last presentation of the conference, the Version-stamping of Database Objects talk. There were about twenty-five attendees, and they were very receptive to the talk. I spent almost half an hour answering questions after the talk, and the scores were quite complimentary.

 

After my talk was done, I worked the SQL Server booth on the convention floor for a couple of hours. I then attended three more presentations, Pat Helland's The Irresistible Forces Meet the Movable Objects, Software Plus Services by Clemens Vasters and Steve Swartz, and Dude, Where's My Business Logic? by Chad Hower.

 

Pat Helland's talk was commended to me by a current colleague of his who happens to be a former colleague of mine, Scott McCraw, and Scott's counsel to attend this session was very well taken. Pat presented an exciting and inspiring vision of the future of our industry, and how our practices as developers will evolve as that future manifests itself.

 

Clemens and Steve offered and excellent description of the Software Plus Services environment, and Chad Hower presented his vision of where we should be placing our business logic -- the middle tier. Up to this point, I've been a proponent of relatively light-weight middle tiers; it's going to take me a little time to process Chad's ideas. I'll keep you posted on my reflections on them.

 

After the convention, the speakers were bussed to La Principal restaurant in the old part of the city for an appreciation dinner. The surroundings, the food, and the company were all first-rate.

 

As I prepare to bring my first sojourn to Europe to a close, I find myself very grateful to my family for allowing me to make this trip, to my colleagues in Redmond for taking on some of my other tasks while I'm gone, and to my new friends and colleagues in EMEA, who have been incredibly gracious and supportive of my efforts in these, my first external presentations as a Microsoft employee.

 

Several people I spoke with tonight, including Gunther Beersaerts (who did an excellent job coordinating the Database Development track) and Mark White (who managed content and speakers for the entire event), went out of their way to encourage me to return with my wife next year.

 

If the deities are kind, we'll be here.

 

This has been a most remarkable experience, on both a personal and professional level; one I'm grateful for and humbled by. The idea that I might get to repeat it is truly awe-inspiring.

 

More from the States next week..

 

     -wp