I'm in San Francisco for the Google I/O conference/geekgasm. It's too awesome for words. I'd almost forgotten how much I love this city and the West Coast in general. Gorgeous. Careful Maine, you just might loose me!

The Wednesday morning keynote was an introduction by Google Engineering VP Vic Gundotra to the cloud availability, pervasive connectivity, and ease of deployment strategies Google is trying to realize with products like Google App Engine and Android.

I followed this up with a couple of sessions, one by Python creator Guido van Rossum and another by Google Fellow Jeff Dean. At the end of a fascinating trip under Google's hood, Dean announced that the after party should not be missed. Oh yeah, he also let slip that Flight of the Conchords would be playing. The room collectively w00t!!11!-ed its pants.


Jeff was right. The party was something to behold. The main room where the keynote speech was held that morning had been transformed into a Google playland. Foosball, pool, Wiis everywhere. And the food. Two words: Chocolate fountain. I'll say this, Google can throw a party. I've never seen so many developers in one place not bitching about work; and that's saying something.

Throughout the conference we've returned again and again to several core philosophies Google holds near and dear, but there were some blind-spots I wasn't expecting. Google is trying hard to be a good friend to developers and to humanity in general, but it's just too huge and too powerful; there's still an undercurrent of trepidation amongst many of the older and wiser attendees. And there's definitely more going on behind the scenes.

With any environment where there is a finely delineated inside and outside, there's going to be suspicion. And suspicion kills.

Unfortunately there's nothing for it. Google can't be what it is without holding some cards close to its chest, and we can't survive as users and developers without remaining vigilantly critical of its motives and methods.

More to follow once I've had a chance to digest and ponder.

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