They deceived us! While we all awaited invitations to Apple’s spring event (which is slated to take place in April), Apple instead announced the dates for WWDC 2021 in June. I’m lost.
Aside from the dates (June 7-11), the good news is that WWDC will go virtual again. As in 2020, it will take place in cyberspace in its entirety … in addition to being recorded in beautiful places in Apple Park.
Given the current situation in the United States, Apple had no other choice. I suspect the company took it reluctantly – obviously there will be repercussions for local businesses and for developers who, for yet another year, will miss workshops and in-person events. networking.
I don’t want to minimize the inconvenience. But I think the benefits of a virtual event are so valuable that with a few exceptions, Apple should now be making all of its announcements in cyberspace. We explain why.
Live events are very long
Tech events, in general, tend to drag on, either because the CEO loves their voice so much, or because the marketing team can’t resist the opportunity to bombard journalists with information.
But during Apple events, you also have to add pauses for the enthusiastic applause from the audience (which I will talk about in a moment) and the boring interventions of the partners of the firm. These are really like typical meetings that could have been just an email.
Video presentations, on the other hand, have the advantage of being able to be edited, re-recorded and the complete absence of applause. We were amazed the first time Apple went virtual: where is the rest of the keynote
The keynote The virtual has forced Apple to focus everything and maintain a good pace, which is not found in in-person events.
Live events are expensive and bad for the environment
I have said before that a virtual WWDC would cause financial problems for businesses in San José, which would otherwise be filled with journalists and developers. Software. (Apple last year requested that it be donated to local businesses; this year, it’s supporting San José through an educational initiative.)
I don’t mean to sound insensitive, and this is one factor to keep in mind: no one wants restaurants and airlines to be forced to close.
But we cannot forget that these gains come at a cost. They do not come without consequences. And in 2021, I think it would be better if we stopped sending thousands of people halfway around the world to listen to a two-hour speech that’s also available. online.
Live events are too enthusiastic
Let’s be clear: I’m British. And I find the enthusiasm a little suspect.
But seriously, journalists shouldn’t be cheering on a business they should hold accountable for. And shouting for joy, embarrassing others, and wasting your time, is far from it.
That’s not to say the journalists in attendance aren’t professionals, but Apple fills the room with its own enthusiastic people, and when half the room is clapping, others tend to join in and find it hard to tell. ‘express their first impressions. of a new product.
Live events make surprises less viable
Hosting an in-person conference like WWDC or the iPhone Announcement has to be a logistical nightmare, and takes more planning than a presentation. online. And that also limits the business when it comes to surprising, which doesn’t happen when you do it virtual.
For starters, you can have a virtual event on very short notice or add something at the end at the last minute if a product has finally been approved. If you want to do it in front of 5,000 people, you must have experienced weeks ago, as well as manufacturing and shipping test products around the world.
And that opens many doors to leaks.
Instead, at WWDC 2021, Tim Cook could suddenly pull an AirTag out of his pocket during the keynote virtual and it is likely that no one could have imagined it. (Except for people reading this article, of course.)
Virtual events are more inclusive …
In 2013, WWDC tickets sold out in two minutes and many developers who couldn’t get one weren’t happy at all. So in 2014, Apple launched a raffle – the fairest thing to do is to award 5,000 tickets to a community of millions of people.
In 2020, however, it was simply out of necessity. No one could attend, which meant that every developer had access to the same system of events and tutorials. online. It’s not the same as being there (we’ll discuss this in the next section), but the fact that no one was able to attend forced Apple to innovate in online methods and make them as effective as possible.
This year, the company promises “online sessions, one-on-one, technique-driven practices, and new ways to interact with Apple engineers and designers to learn more about our latest environments and technologies.” I might have developed these resources anyway, but I guess having to do it virtually for the second year in a row served as an incentive.
… but WWDC developer events are the exception
I’ll conclude with one exception: WWDC loses something by being virtual because it’s more than a press event. It’s also a gathering for software developers, who typically spend a week learning and networking at workshops and parties.
I’m glad Apple seriously wants to make this all work online, but it won’t be the same (it can’t be).
That’s why I sincerely want WWDC 2022 to be a face-to-face event (as long as there is a good alternative online accompany you). I wish Apple had left the rest of the events (the ones that are just product introductions) virtual. Because it has proven that they can work, and I have heard enough screams of enthusiasm for the rest of my life.
Original article published in igamesnews UK.
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