Maybe We're *ALL* Doing it Wrong

Photo: Final Signup Count: 105

I don’t know how many people came to the session, however many it was, the attendance and the chatter on twitter was incredibly gratifying.

Thinking about continuing the discussion here.

In case you’re wondering, yes I did check the analytics for this site and the Flickr views of the slides. Even though I proposed doing so may not be appropriate for personal publishing.

On Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/joshoakes/sets/72157623565869436/

As PDF: http://files.me.com/theoak/8li3tb

The first of three reasons that I decided to present at PodCamp 2010 was the desire to be part of the solution: part of the effort to make the Nashville Camp events as great as I believe they can be.

This sounds a little Hug-centric for someone like me, but it is born out of the observation that they’re good events, but not great ones. And I don’t mean to belittle the enormous effort put into the events by the volunteers, I was a volunteer for BarCamp 09, I know there’s a lot more work involved than one might speculate.

The reason I think they’re not great–yet–is this: We’re missing the Really Really Big Ideas®.

As Hugh Macleod (of Gaping Void fame) says in his fantastic article, random thoughts on being an entrepreneur:

Products are idea amplifiers. The molecules and/or bytes are secondary.

Which is to say, if all we do in the Nashville Tech Community is talk about how to make websites, debate the best publishing platforms, and analyze content strategy, we’ll never bring our game to the next level.

If we don’t have killer ideas, it doesn’t matter how many drupal developers, social media consultants or iPhone developers we have.

We’re off to a decent start. God knows there are smarter people with better ideas that I have around, but what makes a great Tech Community is that we all participate in the conversation.

So again, maybe what I’m doing will help. And next, I’ll talk a little about fear.

I said last week that PodCamp 09 was not everything I expected. Hell, I went so far as to call some of the sessions “eye-gougingly awful.” I stand by that statement (and I’m still not naming names).

To be clear here, am NOT saying that my session will not be eye-gougingly awful. I hope it won’t but fascination is in the eye of the beholder. I’m going to (try to) give a presentation that I would want to sit through.

Which is to say this:

If I want to sharpen my skills, become remarkable in my field, and do meaningful work, I don’t need to sit through a boring deck overstuffed with basic information I could scrape off google in 15 minutes.

If we want to develop Nashville as a center for technological entrepreneurship we can’t waste our energy talking endlessly about implementation details, or selling out our opportunities to try and drum up some leads.

I want to get sharper, be remarkable and do meaningful work. I want Nashville to be a kick ass center for amazing business ideas and executions that lead the way both technologically and creatively.

Maybe–maybe–this will help. If you’re wondering what I think we do in fact need (and at this point I have to assume you’re not), it’s the subject of my post tomorrow. If you’re following along (and again, assuming not) you know it’s this: Ideas.

When I read the email announcing that Session Creation for PodCamp Nashville 2010 was open I opened a new browser window, logged into the PodCamp Nashville site and clicked the “CREATE A SESSION” link in the site banner.

And then I left that browser window open on my laptop for 4 days.

I’d cycle through browser looking for something and flinch when the #PCN10 website zipped past. I’d watch the session page fill up and flinch. I’d sit and stare the form, unable to think, and unable to type.

During those four days I was being pulled in two directions (to present or not) by three different forces.

To Present:

1. Be Part of the Solution
2. Ideas are Powerful

Not to Present:

3. The Fear, Oh God The Fear!

So over the next couple days I’ll explain further.

I can’t really say why I joined the BarCamp 09 Planning Committee.

The how was easy. Around the time planning was to start ramping up the inimitable Ted Chapin put out a message through the Nashville Nerd Wire (DN, BCN/PCN, etc.) saying what I said in my headline: You Should Volunteer.

I attended PodCamp 09 on a whim. I was one of the myriad last minute-registrants as I learned of the event from a poster just 2 days before. I asked around and couldn’t find anyone I knew who was attending but figured What the hell, I’ll do it.

Was it everything I expected?

It was not.

I recall some sessions for how eye-gougingly awful they were and others for how interesting they were (and I won’t name names). I wanted TED on a smaller scale–in some ways I got it, and in others not.

So when BCN09 rolled around and I read Ted’s call for volunteers I figured once again What the hell, I’ll do it. The best way to predict the future is to create it, so maybe that’s why I joined.

I was “official photographer” for BCN09, I didn’t attend any sessions in toto. I saw just a few minutes of each to take pictures, but never spent more than 10 minutes in any given session. It was a lot like photographing a wedding: tons of people you don’t know, free booze, running around with camera equipment in the dark, and never a moments’ rest.

In addition to photographing, I also helped build out the website (see the BCN09 and PCN10 sites for my name in the footer). Working with Kate O, Brad and the Nashville Drupalers was rewarding and immensely enjoyable.

It takes people to pull these things off, not just skills, experience, and connections to work out budgeting, venue, production, planning, sponsorship, and promotions but also time on the days leading up to and day of the event.

The strength of the Nashville Camp events is that they’re community efforts. Which is also their weakness. The events are as good as we all make them. Attending is the just the first step.

Go now: http://www.podcampnashville.org/pcn10/help-produce-podcamp-volunteer

Here’s how I described the session on the #PCN10 website:

Pundits tell us that individuals have more power now than ever before thanks to the explosion of personal media from blogging to podcasting to video sharing to social networking to mobile apps to location-based services.

Are we using this power responsibly and effectively? Is social media growth sustainable? Why are we behaving in an anti-social manner on social networks?

No cribbed answers or parroted advice, just questions to start the conversation that we–the evangelists, experts, and early adopters–need to have.

When I say I don’t have answers, I mean it.

This isn’t a presentation designed to generate leads, establish credibility, or get my name out there. It’s designed to get us talking about what may be the most powerful force online for the next 5 years–if we don’t screw it up.

So, why am I doing it? Answer to that on Monday.

From the website (http://www.podcampnashville.org/):

If digital content is truly king, then PodCamp Nashville is a royal playpen for digital enthusiasts all unto its own. It’s Nashville’s top event for sharing expertise about new media creation, distribution and promotion—an opportunity to find your digital voice.

Podcamp is a free grassroots event put on entirely by volunteer effort and funded by sponsors. None of the organizers, staff, or speakers get paid. Is that a can of worms in itself? You bet your ass it is. What’s it like? Come see, and then join the committee for the next PodCamp Nashville or for the “sister event” BarCamp Nashville.

For me, PodCamp Nashville 2010 represents the last punch on my card: I was an attendee of PodCamp 2009, on the Committee for BarCamp 2010 (and official photographer), and at #PCN10 I’ll be presenting for the first time.

I’m presenting a session called Maybe We’re *ALL* Doing it Wrong: A Contrarian View of Social Media. If you’re in the Nashville area, check it out and mark your calendar for March 6.

More on the session soon.

This Tumblr will be the host of a presentation I am giving at PodCamp Nashville 2010 of the same title: Maybe We’re *ALL* Doing it Wrong: A Contrarian View of Social Media.

It will host pre- and post-presentation content as well as offer a forum for attendees to respond to the questions raised in the preso during and after the presentation.