I went to an eSoft seminar this morning. They introduced a new product. The InstaGate EX2 firewall appliance.
I was dressed better than most attendees, as I wore a black suit, a tie, white shirt, slacks, sneakers, and my "Got Root?" hat. (I always wear a hat.) Upon arriving, Tamara (the speaker) said "And who is this?" *looks at name tag* "CHRIS! Thank you SO MUCH for coming!"
She then turned to another attendee, looked at their name tag, and said "BOB! Thank you SO MUCH for coming!" She was a little too excited at every individual who showed up, as she said this same phrase to every person with the same bubbly inflections, but I can't fault her enthusiasm. I didn't care. I got up two hours earlier than usual, and I hadn't had breakfast yet. There was food, so I was making my way over.
I snared myself a bagel with some Cream Cheese, and I prepared myself a cup of Earl Grey.
The show went on, yadda yadda yadda, and as questions were asked, I realized that the product was shipping - before it was actually completed! There were a shitload of features that were planned, but not yet implemented. I turned to one of my co-workers who came with me and asked "Why is this thing shipping if it's not finished?", to which he replied "That's how they're sold."
Uh.... That's kind of dumb.
Anyway, I munched on my bagel as I listened to various forms of marketspeak, eventually concluding the seminar after a few hours. We eventually made it back to the office, where I was able to remove the noos--err, tie. I'm a lot more comfortable now.
I'm now back at the office, and I get to leave two hours earlier than usual. I got a free eSoft thermal mug out of the deal, so it was pretty cool.
UPDATE: I finally talked to the head of my company's division, and he understands my concerns! Score one point!
Lunch Log: Skipped Lunch. I'll probably have an early dinner.