Webstock was even better the second time around. It was entertaining, thought provoking, and most important, full of good ideas. …
One unexpected pleasure was the presence of disabled people. Not many of us, but still we were there and our needs, along with dietary requirements were generally accommodated. Most obvious were the NZ Sign interpreters. …
For those of us looking for inspiration there was some seriously good stuff. It was great to see a greater emphasis on people as well as the cool technology. …
I sense a growing maturity in the geek community, with what I always call the “gee whiz technology” culture being tempered with a more balanced and healthier focus on the people factor.
Robyn also pointed out some difficulties caused by our lack of experience working with NZ Sign interpreters. I agree with her that the signers were heroic in their work — they have an extraordinarily difficult job, and in future we can make it a little easier.
Rachel (like so many of us1) needed a post-Webstock rest before she could snap, crackle and pop:
My own response was to not-blog. I was exhausted by all this external cerebral stimulation. I had an urge to hide away and absorb all these new facts and thoughts. To revert to (my) type, which is introvert. Which means no blogging. Which brings an obvious risk of forgetting all the terrific Webstock input.
But the buzz goes on regardless, fortunately. Those synapses have had their little snooze and are now ready to snap crackle and pop again at the slightest provocation. …
Webstock is a playground stocked with great ideas, food, design and especially people. It’s been said before: a conference like no other.
I want to shout out a thanks to this wonderful group, who work, for free, to pull Webstock off.
This is the finest event I’ve been to in quite some time.
Webstock restores my faith that not everyone involved in conference organizing is concerned with profits these days, and in fact people, and the passions of our industry are still going strong.
I’m immensely impressed with the style of the conference. The people behind it have correctly deduced that you don’t get a bunch of tech conference stars to fly across the Pacific by being ordinary. It’s not just the organisation, it’s the richness of the branding around it. …
The branding extended even to the speakers’ dinner, at Martin Bosley’s Yacht Club Restaurant, where we arrived on Wednesday night to find personalised pounamo carvings for the first-time guests and lovely little framed works for the returning speakers. The table was set with Webstock-branded menus. The food was fabulous.
“These people,” said one of the visitors, “put more effort into the speakers’ dinner than O’Reilly puts into an entire conference.”
