Great Flash Expectations

When I was in Brighton recently, for a much loved Flash conference, I experienced the joy of having an anti-groupie. What's that? Well, it's a guy who gives you grief for a talk you gave last year.

Emphatically, he told me he's been "working on all this stuff" and expected me to bring him "to the next level...to make those connections" for him. Nearly a full year after I'd given my talk, he felt it necessary to corner me at a party and lecture me on how I failed meeting his expectations.

Generally, I wouldn't advise anyone to lower their expectations. However, isn't it a bit unrealistic to expect so much from a short presentation at a Flash conference?

I'm going to pull a Johnathan Harris now, and say some things you may not like.

• Don't expect specific answers to questions you haven't even asked, especially at a general Industry conference. Keep your mind open, and see what you can take away from the talk.


• Open up a conversation, instead of lecturing me on what you see as my failings. Nobody likes being told that they suck, even if it's true.


• Continue the conversation. We all have demands on our time, so be patient with responses. We're spoiled by the immediacy of email.


• Stop focusing on me, and explore the ideas instead.