Two Pranks I Missed at SD West

In honor of yesterday, two classic prank opportunities I missed at SD West last week:

The first was at the show party, where in the din of conversation and darkness, I made my way through the crowd wearing my Tilley Hat because I was cold. (It's not much of an insulator, but it's something over my Milwaukee-sized bald spot.) A random show attendee accosted me eagerly: "Hey, you're Scott Ambler, right?" (Note the hat--a Tilley T3--in the photo, which he is rarely seen without at the conference.)

Oh, the possibilities. I mean, I started reading Scott...geez, must've been sometime the previous century. So I figured I could sound reasonably glib. I could have sold this guy anything from an earnest defense of the waterfall development model (inspired, of course, by Scott's wonderful waterfall2006 April Fool website, so it would be fair turnabout) on to a firm dictum to concentrate on your tools first, worry about the project later. But I restrained myself. I think the reason had less to do with decency than with the realization that I couldn't come up with anything funny enough to do homage to Ambler's wicked sense of humor. Not to mention that said sense of humor is a weapon I'd just as soon not see pointed my way...

Then there was the fellow from stpSoft who gushed about my wonderful posting about (mumble). Did he say "blog entry?" Wait, there was something about the Jolts in there; how the hell did he get access to private inter-judge commentary?!! And WHAT product is he talking about? So there was a priceless Inspector Clouseau conversational fumble, mutually genial but completely clueless. It wasn't until he wished me a safe trip back to Hawaii, by way of farewell, that the light dawned -- I had just missed an opportunity to masquerade as Larry O'Brien, too! It was he who raved about Storyboarding in his blog (after it won a Jolt, but in a category I didn't judge...oh yeah, it's all coming together now).

Neither Scott nor Larry looks anything like me (for which I trust they are duly thankful to a generous God), so what was with these guys at the conference? Must be that palpable aura of erudition and programming brilliance. I'm sure that was it.