The Real Decline of WWDC

Or why the food, the bags, and the room-monitors were a smokescreen

A number of people on the web have commented that they think WWDC is in decline — either the food wasn't quite right, or the bag was too flimsy, or the room-monitors were a tad over-zealous. Whatever. What no-one has commented on yet is the real decline in WWDC — a decline of such magnitude that it leads me to suspect that the food, the bag, and the room—monitors, were all part of a carefully orchestrated plot to distract attention away from it. And so, at the risk of breaking countless NDAs I give you the real decline: 2000.

That's right. WWDC2006 declined by precisely 2000 to become WWDC06. The evidence is there: first it was WWDC2006, and then all of a sudden it became WWDC06.

No fanfare, no explanation, no public statement, not even an email from Steve. Was it a mistake? Was it a change in number formatter? Was it simply to save printing two extra digits on four and a half thousand t-shirts? Interestingly enough, it came too late for the bags, which already had those extra two digits embroidered on, no doubt at vast expense where every stitch is charged for. The printed materials and the mug all had “06” on them, as did the t-shirt, but I don’t think that this would have saved any money — I haven’t met a printer that charges by the character since the days of manual typesetting. Maybe it was just to save money on printing the extra large digits to stick to the glass walls of Moscone Center West.

And, yes, if you follow that link you’ll find that ‘WWDC06’ has become ‘WWDC 2006’ — not only are those two digits back, but they’ve brought along a space for company! Now I really am confused.