This image was lost some time after publication.

Valleywag conference-season coverage kicks off with EDDRC. Looks like these poor folks could use a backchannel. Sez our source:

So Evans Data is holding their Developer Relations Conference here in SF at the fabulous Argent Hotel, site of many a drunken Java developer's undoing. Bill Roth from BEA keynoted in a rather muted way, refusing to elbo the competition in this mixed crowd, unusual for him. But the real excitement is that, as these valley execs navel gaze for the crowd, there's almost no one in the audience who doesn't have their email client open. With all the key clicks, you'd think that these people are taking copious notes. Wrong. Everyone is bored with hearing about how to form a develolper community. They'd much rather work.

And:

Dear god in heaven, Jean Elliott, Sun's director of developer marketing just told a roomfull of evans data attendees about the Underpants gnomes from South Park. Specifically, she referenced their business plan: Step 1: Steal underpants Step 2: Step 3: Profit!

Sounds an awful lot like Sun's current business model!