South by Southwest is almost upon us and for those wondering what to expect, I don't have hot apps, just a sense of the conference's evolution as tech itself evolves.

Let’s do a quick pre-flight check for the would-be SXSW Interactive visitor heading to Austin. Do you have your ID, your umbrella (we’re expecting some rain on the weekend), your extra phone battery and the snack bars necessary to sustain you through the long concession lines and nosh-free parties?

Great. Now how about those business cards? Unfortunately, you’re going to need them because I’m pretty sure that — assuming it hasn’t happened already — this will be the year the marketing mavens at SXSW finally overwhelm those who are here to party and play with technology. In other words, expect to meet a lot more hucksters than engineers. ...