I just got out of a presentation on “Performance Tuning and XML Support in MS SQL Server 2005”.  Here are some high/low-lights:

• Zero discussion on performance tuning, except for “use showplan, it's great”.  Don't describe anything new about showplan either
• List various new and improved locking, query, and join hints, and....don't discuss them in any detail
• Provide almost no demos.  And then, they're demos that don't demonstrate anything; they're just one line queries
• Finally got into some depth on XML features, but don't describe how they work or what's new about them.  I think I now know LESS about XML support in SQL2005 than I did before this session
• End the session 30 minutes before the scheduled time, providing no follow-up on anything that was (more accurately, WASN'T) covered in the presentation

Don't worry, there were some REALLY good things going on, and I'll talk about them later.  But man, this one was hugely disappointing.

Gotta run, my idol Ken Henderson is speaking, this will ROCK!