Gnomedex 6.0 Welcome Reception
SEATTLE — I just got home after attending the Gnomedex early registration/welcome reception.
The first thing that struck me was how popular and, at the same time, somewhat foreign, the concept of an “un-conference” was to my fellow attendees. Everyone I talked to agreed that the standard conference formula of having a “track” or “theme”, with the speakers choosen for how they support the track, is old and stale.
On the other hand, having the audience in control and steering the conversation, speakers being (essentially) a group of moderators that rotate out each hour, is a scary prospect. I suspect that this won’t be the case with the keynote speaker, John Edwards, however…
The other thing that struck me was the diversity of the attendees. At first I had trouble identifying the common thread of the various bloggers, marketing guys, activists, programmers, and journalists I ran into.
Eventually it dawned on me that we all believe in the power of conversation, and of technology to enable that conversation. Whatever our pet cause, or interest, we know this is the way for people to connect now.
So, whether you’re Bob Morris, talking about the antiwar movement and “leftie politics”, or Chas Martin, publishing thoughts on innovation, management, and collaboration, there is room for you at Gnomedex 6.0.
This is getting interesting.
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This is the first unconference I’ve attended. The reception did not disappoint. One minute I was sitting at a table with Werner Vogels of amazon.com, next I was talking to Dave Winer while he sat on the stairs, then I was eavesdropping on a conversation between Robert Scoble or Jeremy Zadodny while they chatted with attendees. I am really looking forward to the entire experience.
Question: I will be doing drive-by podcast interviews for MediaSwamp.com. You game for one?