10 things I want to see on the THIRD day of SXSWi
Posted by drocolate on March 3rd, 2010
Day three is here!
Here’s the deal with what I’m doing: Every day this week I’ll be listing ten things that I think sound like can’t-miss events from a specific day at SXSWi. Unfortunately a lot of my selected events actually overlap in the schedule so I won’t be able to attend them all (unless my clone arrives before then), but I wanted to give them some love regardless. And that’s basically that.
If you’d like to check out what I had to say about day one, go HERE. And go HERE for day two.
Okay, let’s discuss SXSWi hump day.
Drocolate’s 10 things for Sunday March, 14th
Oh, and just like yesterday — despite being numbered, these are presented in no order of importance. I’m judging most of them based solely on a blurb on the SXSW website’s schedule maker, so it really wouldn’t be cool for me to start ranking them. Yet.
Ok, let’s do this.
1. Blah Blah Blah: Why Words Won’t Work
9:30am/Austin Convention Center Ballroom C/Dan Roam
Since the industrial revolution, we’ve judged human intelligence by our ability to talk. And just look at where that belief has gotten us: from politics to energy, we’re deeper in conceptual debt than ever. This session shows how combining our innate verbal and visual skills is the only way we’re going to solve the big problems ahead.
Before I get into this I have to admit something here.
Normally I hate things with titles like this. It’s just a blind hatred, but it’s strong.
My reasoning is that it seems like things with titles like “everything you know about Twitter is WRONG” and “social media is DEAD” (sorry, Colin) never manage to live up to the shock value their lead-in establishes. You know what I mean?
Wait… what am I talking about?
Wow. I’m doing a shit job promoting this panel. Let’s start over.
Go to this panel because it sounds truly interesting and, though I’ve never met him, I’m sure Dan Roam is a badass dude and a great speaker.
Yeah… that still sucked. I need to move on. Check this one out. Seriously.
2. Blamestorm: Who is Holding us Back?
11:00am/Austin Convention Center 9ABC/Brian Reich
Technology and the internet have the potential to change the world, to address serious issues. But its not happening. Why not? Because some people don’t understand and are holding us back. But who? This session is a blamestorm -- an opportunity to call out the people and organizations, the technology providers and communications folks, politicans and others who mis-use, mis-represent, or focus on the wrong things. I will facilitate, but everyone has to contribute.
Blaming people is pretty awesome. It really is. And that’s exactly why this session is going to be so much fun. From what I can tell from the description, it’s going to be a solid hour of pointing fingers and calling people out.
So now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to start my own little blamestorm to prepare.
First, I want to blame George W. Bush for our current economic situation. But if I’m going to blame him I also need to blame Barry Obama because the economy still isn’t “fixed” (whatever that means). But how can I solely blame our last two presidents?
Oh no, I need to blame deeper.
So to Joe Biden, Nancy Pelosi, John McCain, Al Gore, Rachael Ray, Oprah, Sarah Palin, Elmo, Will Smith, Will Smith’s son, Shuan White, Kobe Bryant, Jon Stewart, Osama Bin Laden, Jackie Chan, Tim, Eric, Cher, Popeye, anyone named Curt, my brother Karl, Billy Crystal, Optimus Prime, Dirk Diggler, that one congressmen who looks like he’s been painted orange… I think his name is something Boner (too soon?), Julia Roberts, Bjork, Mandy Moore, the entire cast of The Office (the American one), Dick Cheney, Jenna Jameson and Captain Morgan I say this:
“YOU ARE ALSO TO BLAME!”
Wow. I hope that list wasn’t as exhausting to read as it was to write. I got a little carried away.
Next.
3. Conversation with Michel Gondry
12:30pm/Austin Convention Center 18ABCD/Elvis Mitchell, Michel Gondry
I’m sure all of you reading this are familiar with Michel Gondry, but just in case you’re not, check this out:
Yeah. The guy is a total bad ass. Plus, he’s French, which is… awesome?
Go to this convo. Do it.
4. Kicking Recession Ass With A Killer Company Culture
12:30pm/Courtyard Brazos 2/3/Katie Laird, Kelsey Ruger
"Did you hear?!?! 14 people got laid off but we get free milkshakes on Fridays!!!"
Do your employees know how much you love them? We’ll talk on creative ways to keep morale up in a low economy, ideas on improving the lives and brains of your greatest assets and how to make it all work for your company’s bottom line (no matter how small).
This one could have simply been called “kicking recession ass” and I’d be interested, but then they added that bit about the “killer company culture” and it really put it over the top for me.
A lot of the other economy-based panels and convos at the fest seem to focus on people that have been laid off. This one is unique because it focuses on the people that haven’t been laid off. It’s all about what steps a company can take to make the work day NOT SUCK after a round of layoffs come through. It’s tricky stuff and I’m looking forward to hearing their thoughts.
5. Selling Subculture Without Selling Out
12:30pm/Hilton C/Richard Nash, Raymond Roker, Molly Crabapple, Jeff Newelt, Gala Darling
The online audience is increasingly fractured into passionate niches. Companies seek to infiltrate subcultures, and alt.tastemakers covet financial backing. But interactions between ”the underground” and ”The Man” have been marked with more distrust than respect. This panel will teach marketers have to work with subcultural tastemakers, and indie cool kids how to make money without selling out.
I heard a rumor that this panel was sponsored by Walmart. And Ford.
Yes, that’s a (horribly lame) joke, but it’s a good way to introduce this one. So much of citizen journalism (COME TO OUR CONVO!) relates to the idea that you are, for lack of a better word, legit. For example, if I were pulling down $5 milly a year from a trust fund I really wouldn’t be the most credible person in the world to be bitching about the economy, but since I’m not, I have a small shred of legit-ness (I hope).
Oh, and just in case you’re wondering, I only pull down $4 milly a year.
Times are hard.
6. From Trolls to Stars: The Commenter Ecosystem
This panel will explore the fascinating and often bizarre world of commenter culture. From trolls on 4chan to Star Commenters on Gawker Media blogs, panelists will discuss:
- The nuances of commenter/blog symbiosis (including the
benefit/detriment to the business side of ad-supported blogs)
- The nature of commenter hierarchies
- The sociology of self-policing/group determination of community
standards of behavior
- The implications of the shift from handle-based identities to
real-world identities (Facebook Connect)
I love commenters. I love the good ones and the bad and the Boondock Saints fans and the Creed fans and all the rest.
So, with that said, it should come as no surprise that this panel jumped out at me. Beyond my initial love, I’m really interested in finding out more about some of the keywords in the description. Things like “commenter hierarchies” and “commenter/blog symbiosis.”
It all sounds so advanced. And for me, a person who has been told by an angry commenter to fuck their own face, advanced sounds like a step up.
7. Writing Web Content For A Living
By now we all know that “content is king,” yet there’s still a dearth of knowledge about the mechanics and business of web writing. We’ll talk about how to write great copy, why web content is special, and how to make money doing it--whether you’re an independent, agency, or in-house type.
I’m writing web content right now and I’m not making any money.
Hopefully attending this panel can rectify that.
Yeah.
8. Funemployed -- Success Stories From the Laid Off Community
5:00pm/Courtyard Rio Grande B/Chris Hutchins, Matt Van Horn
This panel will explain how to deal with being laid off / unemployed, and showcase some unique ways that people have spent their time while unemployed. It will feature not only successful startups, but also touch on the various unique and exciting ways one can spend their newly found “free time”
I’m really excited about this one.
Where as the “kicking recession ass…” session highlighted earlier relates to the people who are left behind after a round of layoffs, this one is for those poor souls that got the axe. The description almost makes getting laid off not sound so bad.
Almost.
9. Why Self-Promotion Will Save the World
12:30pm/Hilton D/Peter Shankman
Self-Promoters are single-handedly saving the world. Without even trying, they’re becoming the “go-to” people when someone has a question. Twitter, Facebook, and whatever comes next is, for the first time, allowing the world to contact anyone, for anything, at any time. When other people know to go to you, and you give them the answer they need, you become beloved -- And then self-promotion turns into other people WANTING to promote you. The cycle starts again.
I love self promotion. So for a session to tell me that self promotion is a good thing is something really speaks to me.
Plus, I’m going to need this after that “Shameless self promotion without looking like an @#$%^&!” from the day before.
10. Everyone Can Be a “Professional” Photographer
5:00pm/Austin Convention Center 8A/Allen Murabayashi, Taylor Davidson
Everyone is a photographer: a camera in every cellphone, a powerful point-and-shoot in every pocket and bag, a digital SLR camera in every bag or home. With new platforms to create, distribute and sell to a wider range of clientele, everyone can be a *professional* photographer and sell photography in its various forms.
This is a great idea for a session. The idea to empower all of the people carrying a camera phone is awesome.
My hope is that after attending this, all the actual professional photogs will chuck their expensive equipment and start exclusively using their iPhone camera.
Yeah, maybe that’s not my hope… but the panel idea is still awesome.
Go to this panel. Do it.
--
YES! Day three is in the books.
We’re more than halfway done now so… yeah.
See you tomorrow!
GAH where is that freakin’ clone I ordered?! All these goodies are at the same damn time. I quit.
I hope Michel Gondry knows that his nationality is now known as “Freedom” in this country.
Also, Congressman Boner wrote a great Onion column this week:
http://www.theonion.com/content/opinion/my_constituents_care_way_more
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[...] to go back in time and check out what I had to say about day one, go HERE. Go HERE for day two, and HERE for day [...]
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