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Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

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Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#61
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is how Burning Man did their tickets this year. It didn't work out very well for them but I think it would work well for something like this. You'd get a better distribution of devs and people just looking to get "free" devices.

The problem I have with this is that Burning Man and the festivals are general-audience events. I'm okay with not getting tickets for Coachella because there are only so many of them and everyone wants to go. Such is life. I'm not okay with attending a low-quality I/O because bad people were able to purchase tickets. My proposed fix was make people code something simple in JS and then run an automated it before allow…

But then you're discriminating for developers who know JS (I don't).

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Why do you want them to revoke the ticket? Is it because he acquired a limited resource and is now profiting from the demand? Is it because you want to go, but don't want to spend $2000?

Registration is for people who want to attend, not scalpers.

Why do people hate the free market when it doesn't suit them?

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#63
post #60
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, that was really annoying. I've become a minimalist in regards to personal property, and the last thing I need is another gadget -- I'm already busily cutting down on what I own, to the point where my fiancee is getting a little annoyed. It's just more cognitive load to manage that much stuff. Is a Galaxy Tab bundled in with the admission that much of a draw for people, or is this more a way to offload i…

I think the gadget gifts is more about making sure developers have the hardware to develop for. If I don't have an Android device there is next to zero chance I will write a Android app.

But there are enough Android developers that I/O seems better targeted at existing devs who already have the devices.

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#64
post #62

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Registration is for people who want to attend, not scalpers.

Why do people hate the free market when it doesn't suit them?

Since when does the free market mean Google can't say "non-transferrable ticket, intended for developers only"?

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#65
post #46

It looks more like it was lottery than anything else. If you clicked on it at the right time and got lucky in a 30 minute window. I have been to a number of them since I went to the first one (part of the android challenge before there was an android phone) I have really enjoy the conference every time I have gone. This year I mainly wanted to get some time in with the Go group and reconnecting with friends I have ma…

Hopefully the London GUG will host an IO Extended this year.

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#66
post #47
post #24

"Lets create a conference where the swag is easily resellable items worth more than the conference admission. Nobody will figure out how to arbitrage that..." I've heard great things about I/O, but the device giveaways seem to always turn registration into a circus...

And things are getting worse by the year! The registration lottery system they did was frustrating but I see no other way of handling it. But they definitely need to rethink the swag thing, or I/O will become irrelevant soon (if not already so).

Are there any number about the percentage of attendees only interested in the gadgets and not in the talks/workshops?

I remember people complain every year during registration, but then during the conf it never surfaces.

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#67
post #63
post #60

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think the gadget gifts is more about making sure developers have the hardware to develop for. If I don't have an Android device there is next to zero chance I will write a Android app.

But there are enough Android developers that I/O seems better targeted at existing devs who already have the devices.

To an extent. Last year not many people had tablets or Chromebooks and the gadgets are usually top of the line or running an OS that is no consumer ready devices are running yet.

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#68
post #61
post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The problem I have with this is that Burning Man and the festivals are general-audience events. I'm okay with not getting tickets for Coachella because there are only so many of them and everyone wants to go. Such is life. I'm not okay with attending a low-quality I/O because bad people were able to purchase tickets. My proposed fix was make people code something simple in JS and then run an automated it before allow…

But then you're discriminating for developers who know JS (I don't).

, then. I don't think expecting developers to know enough JS or Python to write FizzBuzz is unreasonable.

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#69
post #60
post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To be honest, that was really annoying. I've become a minimalist in regards to personal property, and the last thing I need is another gadget -- I'm already busily cutting down on what I own, to the point where my fiancee is getting a little annoyed. It's just more cognitive load to manage that much stuff. Is a Galaxy Tab bundled in with the admission that much of a draw for people, or is this more a way to offload i…

I think the gadget gifts is more about making sure developers have the hardware to develop for. If I don't have an Android device there is next to zero chance I will write a Android app.

If I don't have an Android device there is next to zero chance I will write a Android app.

If you can't stomach the minimal cost of Android devices, you also aren't going to write an Android app. Barriers to entry have seldom been a problem (just look at Apple -- they neither give out free iPads or iPhones, or the Mac computer stack necessary to develop for it).

Re: Google I/O Sells Out in 30 Seconds

#70
post #66
post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And things are getting worse by the year! The registration lottery system they did was frustrating but I see no other way of handling it. But they definitely need to rethink the swag thing, or I/O will become irrelevant soon (if not already so).

Are there any number about the percentage of attendees only interested in the gadgets and not in the talks/workshops? I remember people complain every year during registration, but then during the conf it never surfaces.

I think that might be in part because the people that attend solely for the gadgets probably only show up to pick up the freebies, so you aren't likely to run into them at the talks.

In my group of friends alone, I know of at least 10 people (non-developers with no interest to start) that got tickets last year, went up to I/O as a SF vacation, stopped by Moscone to pick up the freebies, then sold them off to pay for the trip and then some. While I, as a developer with an Android app published, didn't manage to get tickets last year nor this year.

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