atomicbird

SFMacIndie LineupLast night the SFMacIndie party finally came off. And it was great. This was the first major WWDC event specifically aimed at independent Mac developers like myself, a chance to get together with others in the business and have some fun. Holding it on Sunday was a good idea because now everybody recognizes people they might have previously only known online.

SFMacIndieChuck Soper was visibly stressed from organizing it, but it all came together well. After Chuck recovers I'm sure this will become an annual event.

Today: The Keynote! I'm writing this while I sit in line on the 2nd floor of Moscone West. I'll probably be right here for the next hour or so until they let us go upstairs. After that, lunch with eSellerate at Maya so they can (a) pick my brain and (b) tell me what cool stuff they have brewing.

DJ Chris Moulios (a.k.a. Suboctave): At Buzz Andersen's WWDC party in 2006Next week of course is WWDC. Right now everyone's falling all over themselves to second-guess Steve Jobs' keynote in advance. I'm more concerned with the extra-curricular activities that keep developers busy after hours.

I've been a regular at WWDC since 2002, the last year it was held in San Jose. That year I knew nobody and therefore didn't make it to any events not on Apple's schedule. I still learned a hell of a lot though, and it was only a few months later that I launched Macaroni. The rest is Atomic Bird history.

By now though, owing in no small part to MacSB, the Mac Software Business mailing list (and its associated IRC channel), WWDC is as much about networking and meeting online friends as it is about technical sessions.

Sunday night is the new SF Mac Indie party, a new event that looks to be great. Sunday night has always been the calm before the storm of WWDC, and last year some of us from MacSB got together for dinner. This year though Chuck Soper has taken the lead in organizing a major event for independent Mac developers. Chuck has done all the legwork on this and I'm really looking forward to it. I'll claim a small amount of credit for having recuited my buddies at MacISV Accelerator as sponsors and for giving eSellerate the extra nudge they needed to sign on. If you're an independent Mac developer anywhere near San Francisco, you need to be there, because everyone else is and we don't want to miss you. You don't actually have to be going to WWDC to attend, but if you're not, you're missing out.

That's followed on Monday by Buzz Andersen's legendary WWDC party (see pic at right). Last year DJ Chris Moulios's performance distracted me from what would otherwise have been an excellent opportunity to meet & greet, but I was so amazed I didn't care. I don't know the DJs Buzz has planned for this year but I can't wait.

That's just the start, though. If you're going to WWDC, Colin Barrett has put together an iCal calendar of after-hours events that'll help you plan. But even that just scratches the surface by listing events that are actually planned. Some of the best events are in the restaurants and bars around Moscone where you can find groups of developers eagerly trading notes and having a good time.

Should be a great week, regardless of what Steve has up his sleeve.

Mac developers going to WWDC 2007 should check out the SF Mac ISV dinner event planned for Sunday, June 10. It's a sponsored event mainly aimed at the kind of people who read the Macintosh Software Business (MacSB) mailing list. But anyone going to WWDC is welcome, even those who are more developers than ISVs (Independent Software Vendors, like me).

I know who the sponsors are going to be, but I'm sworn to secrecy until they actually cough up some dough.

Since the big WWDC keynote is always first thing on Monday, most of us going to WWDC try and get into town the day before. But there are no official WWDC events on Sunday, so it's a good time to get together with friends who you might normally only meet online.

The primary organizer is Chuck Soper of Vela Design Group. I'm really pleased that Chuck is taking the lead on this. Last year I organized an informal MacSB dinner on the Sunday before WWDC. But since I'm not located anywhere near San Francisco I couldn't do much organizing. It was fun but low-key. If WWDC ever moves to Colorado I'll organize something bigger. Chuck, however, is in a position to make things happen in SF, making him the ideal person for the job.

If you plan on going, please sign up on the web site. Chuck needs to get an idea of how many people might attend so that he can finalize the details.