
Seethe and Grin: My Life Going to Tech Events - pchristensen
https://medium.com/p/9b14f05a9832
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ScottWhigham
I'm about to lose -100 karma but holy crap that was some serious tripe.

 _This only gets worse with the addition of alcohol, which is always
plentiful._

What tech conference are you going to where they serve alcohol at the actual
conference?!?!? Hell, I've been to no fewer than 30 conferences in the US over
the past 15 years and not one has served alcohol. They serve alcohol at the
pre-conference networking events, and they serve alcohol at the get-togethers.
So don't go to those things. Problem solved.

 _The reward for winning the conversation seems uncertain except that everyone
thinks you’re an asshole but can at least admit you are not ignorant about
whatever obscure aspect of computing is on the table at the moment._

That's just absolutely absurd. There is no "winning" and for her to think
there is just implies a lack of understanding of "the point" of tech
conferences. The point is "to learn stuff" and, for some, "to network". Those
are the two and only reasons to go as an attendee. If you are a speaker, the
only reason to go could be summed as "To raise my consulting rates" or "To get
more customers". If it's the latter, then the situation explained describes
every single conversation in which a guy/gal wants to be "The Man" in front of
the consultant.

 _On the way out, they’ll turn to me and ask for a t-shirt._

Bull$#%(. That's just not happening. Zero chance of actual occurrence in real
life.

 _“I am just blown away that someone that looks like you knows so much about
these things.”_

Holy jeez, you've won the genes lottery and you're complaining that people are
complementing you? Wow. Ridiculously small minded things.

