Idea: hurling technology conference
posted: Mar 16, 2005 8:01:18 PM
I haven't yet attended an O'Reilly Emerging Technology (Etech) conference, or a South by Southwest Interactive (SWSXi) conference. And, I'd really like to attend both someday (maybe next year)—they seem like good places to meet interesting people who are doing interesting things.
But, in looking at the programs and various presentation transcripts, it seems like both have turned into "establishment" events with predictable topics / speakers that are like so 6-12 months ago. Even cool and interesting people seem to be presenting on the topics they already blogged about too many months ago.
Maybe it's just an artifact of how much effort goes into these big conferences, e.g., the presentation topics got picked 6-12 months ago. So, maybe what I'm imaginging as better is something that can only be done as a kind-of LobbyCon.
But, I'd like to go to a conference on new technology (and, new social / cultural developments enabled by technology) that covers topics A-list bloggers have never or barely even blogged about. Or, if an A-lister were presenting, it would have to be about their most controversial ideas that practically no other A-lister has agreed with.
So, if A-listers are widely quoting you / linking to you—um, maybe your topic is no longer representative of something emerging. Maybe this restriction would create too much of a "crackpot" conference. And, maybe that's a bad idea.
But, maybe it could be like: stuff you know people are experimenting with, but you know you don't grok yet—because you can't. Most presentations would not be about answers, but about still inconclusive, but interesting, experiments.
Anyway, I was thinking it could be called the "hurling technology conference"—the word "hurling" suggesting a sonic twist on the word "emerging", as well as having some interesting connotations.
Here are some interesting transcripts and commentaries about ETech and SWSXi presentations that suggest (to me) the need for a different kind-of conference:
I realize that it's probably dumb of me to criticize these conferences I haven't attended. As I said at the top, I look forward to attending these conferences myself in the future.
But, I mostly just wanted to see if anyone else was envisioning a conference with topics / presenters that were maybe even more quirky / off the beaten track. (Though, maybe there'd be a Groucho-paradox: what quirky-enough presenter would present at a conference that'd be willing to invite them to present?)
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Comment by: Justin Martenstein · http://www.livejournal.com/users/jmartenstein/
posted: Mar 17, 2005 10:45:53 AM
The problem with ETech is that, in order to get so many smart people all together at once, you have to plan ahead. So they set up their speakers and their tutorials, etc. six months ahead of time, and then everything is six months behind.
I think in order to something that truly encompasses "Hurling Technology", it would have to be assembled quick, cheap and locally. Essentially, I'm thinking of recurring meetings that are structured around one or more topics / presenters. From there, it just gives people a chance to gather, innovate and brainstorm on each other's ideas.
Ted Leung has actually been talking about something like that here in Seattle:
http://www.sauria.com/blog/2005/01/26#1198
The problem is, it's just talk right now and nobody's really done anything about it.