DISQUS

Heck, yes, I can relate. Two recurring themes this week:

1) "Planes, Trains and Automobiles": Haven't watch the movie in years. In fact, I find it to be a little irritating. However, I've been seeing snippets all week - TV, in a movie theater ad, even a quote in a podcast.

2) O.A.R.'s tune "Hold On True": I heard it for the first time in months at my nephew's Bar Mitzphah last Saturday. Heard it on Internet streaming radio twice this week. Heard it again last night due to a glitch in the Smart Playlist I set up for my iPhone.

Still trying to figure out what these two things have in common and what it means (okay, so it might not mean anything but it's still fun to speculate).

Jake,

Your original post hints at a point that's been floating around in my head for the past two weeks: I'm not sure the new SDK is all that relevant . The value I get from the iPhone is threefold: 1)a cell phone, 2)a Web appliance, and 3)a great UI experience. It's already a fine cell phone and provides a great UI experience. Most of the apps I want are already available so long as I consider the iPhone to be a Web appliance (you share a great example in your post). As I don't have any hard evidence yet that the SDK will improve any of those three areas (and "improving" is very different from "changing"), I'm not convinced that the SDK will be all that relevant. Going back to my Missouri roots: show me.

First, let me say it's a wise and welcome move to start a program encouraging relevant bloggers to attend OOW. Granted, many of us don't think it's perfect. That's okay, I'm sure we'll work out the kinks incrementally as things move forward. Nevertheless, this is a very good start - keep it going!

Second, I'd really like to attend that demo of the Reports Repository. Please blog the details as they become available.

Jake, no worries about whether or not I was on the list...no big thing either way. My post was more intended to talk about the issue of comps for bloggers and to point out that a person's perspectives on this issue could be influenced by their individual situation.

And we will definitely meet up at OOW...I'm looking forward to it!

I can also shine some sunlight on one important fact regarding my own blog...nobody's paying me. I did not receive a blogger's invitation from Oracle this year, so my decision was an easy one.
More thoughts that came after hitting the "Post Comment" button the first time...

I'm actually in a very fortunate position regarding to this matter. My employer (the Jet Propulsion Lab) considers my attendance at OpenWorld to be an important part of my job, so they're paying all my associated costs for attending as well as my salary while I'm there. So, I'm fortunate in my ability to combine my blogging with "just doing my job."

My perspectives might be more in line with Vinnie's if I were faced with loss of income and out-of-pocket costs in order to attend OpenWorld.

If I allowed Oracle to cover any portion of my T&E or registration costs, I would feel obligated to disclose that fact to my readers. They could then form their own opinions as to whether I'd become the "King's man" by accepting the "King's shilling".

I'm not sure just where I come down in regards to the "blogger invitation" issue. However, the discussion has led me to significant consideration of blogging and ethics. I don't know how my consideration will play out in relation to my own blogging, but thanks to all this discussion's contributors for getting my mental gears turning on the subject. Good stuff!

You left out the quote from my favorite ThinkGeek t-shirt:

> SELECT * FROM users WHERE clue > 0
> 0 rows returned

I don't mean to sound bitter about my own user support experiences (both as a customer and a provider), but I am, so that's the way it comes out. As you pointed out, this is hard stuff - most users don't have a clue about the inner workings or the complexity of the technology they're using. Until we change that, the frustration is likely to continue.