Let's recap, for those that weren't in Las Vegas for MIX11...
The first day's keynote focused solely on HTML5, IE9/IE10, some bashing of Google Chrome, a hideous demonstration using goldfish, ASP.NET MVC, Razor and some inexplicable nonsense regarding an open source CMS. It all ended 30 minutes earlier than scheduled and throughout the whole nightmare, audience reaction was embarrassingly lacking - one heard only crickets in the distance...
In short, no significant response, no enthusiasm, no passion - because no one cares. I'm sorry, boys, but no one cares and it was undeniable, a palpable sense filling the hall that the trip had been a collosal waste of time and money.
Fast forward to the day two keynote address. A relentless, nonstop firestorm of that which comes to WP7 via Mango, all of which goes on for a full hour. This followed by a 45 minutes of Silverlight 5, including indication that with it comes 3D support, not via that which is so heavily flawed in WPF (yes, WPF is dead), but XNA instead.
And last of all, 15 minutes or more of Kinect and the announcement of the Kinect SDK (released today) and a free Kinect for all present.
Seemed a lot like being at a rock concert.
Day one? A funeral. Day two? A rock concert.
Day one? Day of the Dead. Yet on day two, for two solid hours, there was excitement, there was passion, there was - thankfully - even more of that for which we came to MIX11 and so much more.
Rogue Faction? To hell with them - and if anyone is still listening in Redmond, let's be clear - Silverlight is and remains, far and beyond, the GREATEST of all their achievements. They want to throw it all away on HTML5 and Javascript, so be it, but Silverlight dies and it's game over.
On a level playing field in which an entire world, gone mad, works only with HTML 5 and Javascript, Microsoft cannot compete - one can work with the same crap for a lot less money and a lot less hassle than dealing with Redmond. Might as well force feed ourelves Objective C and HTML5, thereafter crossing over into an arena in which the major player has market share that's unimaginable in Redmond.
So, go ahead. Let the faction(s) play their games, pretend they can see a future that accomplishes anything other than leaving the Microsoft empire in ruins at their feet. Let them believe that they know best, pretending that those of us who are the best of the best, well more than a million-plus strong, will throw aside that which was worthwhile, all that was powerful, all that was magic, for a fetid wasteland engulfed by the stench of HTML5 and Javascript.
And when the empire lie in ruins, may the 'factions' be the first pariahs thrown out on their asses...
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