I’ve spent the last 3 days at BlogWorld Expo in Las Vegas, Nevada, and being the good Mormon I am I’ve pulled out my Coke or Pepsi and I played a little drinking game. Maybe it’s because my Excedrin hasn’t kicked in yet, but I’m quite simply annoyed by several things so if you notice me on a sugar-high while at the conference that’s why. Hopefully you picked your beverage of choice and were able to join me. Here were the rules:
1. “Twitter” – every time I heard the word “Twitter”, I took a sip of my Coke. Let’s face it – this is BlogWorld Expo, not TwitterWorld Expo. I think every single presentation I’ve been to has mentioned Twitter in some way. No blogging. No microblogging. Actually, I’m not even sure I heard the word Facebook at the expo (except by myself in the panel I was on, in which I was quickly flamed for thinking it was a good conversations platform, oh, and Mari Smith’s presentation which was all about Facebook). Come on guys – Twitter is not the entire blogging world – it has its place, but it should complement your blog, not replace it. We should be talking about the fact that people are leaving their blogs and losing the previous quality of blogging and switching to Twitter, not the fact that Twitter is a quality platform replacing blogs. Or, what about the simple concept of “microblogging” – Twitter did not sponsor this conference (nor do they have representation in any form) at all. Why not talk about Laconi.ca, or some of the things Automattic or SixApart are doing int he microblogging space? Why not PubsubHubbub or rssCloud? Drink.
2. “Scoble” – I love Robert to death – check the last few articles on this blog and you’ll probably see quite a few good mentions of him. He’s also a good friend. However I’m sick of him being the only blogger people ever mention here. How about mentioning some of the things up-and-coming bloggers are doing, and how pitching a large group of them can often be a more effective technique in pitching bloggers than pitching TechCrunch or Mashable or Readwrite Web? Robert Scoble’s awesome, but there are so many other things to talk about as well. Drink.
3. “Louis Gray” – Last year it was Robert Scoble. This year it’s Louis Gray. Louis is one of my best friends as you can probably tell from some of my tweets, and our families are good friends with each other. If you’re not following him, you should (as I mentioned earlier here). However, again, let’s stop the fanboyism at these conferences. Yes, these guys have influence, but they’re all normal people like you and me. Maybe it’s deserved, but I’m just tired of hearing the same names in every panel or presentation I attend. Drink.
4. “What party are you going to?” – Every day I’ve been here that’s been the topic of conversation. Yeah, Vegas is fun, but BlogWorld has brought bloggers who had no fun in College to the city and they all-of-the-sudden go into “I’m back in College” mode again. It’s like a 4-day frat-party the week BlogWorld is in town, and I’m tired of attending these parties where all they talk about is Twitter and everyone is drunk or gambling. Is this really fun? Maybe I’m missing out on something. (Oh, and why do we call these “Twitter” parties at “Blog” World???) Drink.
5. “iPhone” – Okay, I’m guilty of this as well, but it’s still driving me crazy. Everyone at this place has an iPhone! I kind of feel bad for the Android or the Pre or the Blackberry phones out there. I’m sure they feel a little left out. And when we go places, it’s all about, “let’s check into FourSquare” or “What Twitter Client are you using on your iPhone?” Maybe I’m just a little out of place as a software developer that thinks the Android is cool (when my contract is up I’ll be getting an Android phone). Drink.
6. “FourSquare” – Yes, my last annoyance. People are obsessed with it here! Who’s Mayor of the Expo? Who’s Mayor of the Hilton? Who’s Mayor of the elevator in the Paris. I’ve tried to keep up but I just can’t! Please stop – you’re making me hyper! Drink.
Jesse,
I appreciate your insights on Blogworld. As a non-attendee, it helps to hear from someone who is not just talking about what party they are at or who is sitting next to them at the Blackjack table.
Behind every power Tweeter (with the exception of the celebrities) is a well thought-out insightful blog. (Yours is a good example!) I don't see people in the industry gaining traction just by tweeting.
Thanks for focusing on the substance.
-Michael
Substance is good. Drinking Diet Coke is good.
But… didn't YOU write a post about Louis Gray and didn't YOU check into Foursquare a few times? Seems a tad odd. This year is not about me any more than last year or next year. That's silly.
Louis, irony is good too, isn't it? 🙂 I'm as guilty as any of them. (Drink)
Jesse:
Thanks for the down-to-earth rant. I'm not at BlogWorld this year (have never attended) and precisely because I feared it would be much like you described. Having never attended puts me on the wrong side of the rant, but I have ample evidence what's it like; friends, colleagues, Cinch, and of course Twitter [drink] provide a fairly complete diet to get a sense of the gathering.
I'm sure there are some great sessions and some insightful knowledge trading hands (Dave Taylor should be mentioned more often). But the world of business and commerce runs along a slightly different path – businesses have no time to become “bloggers” or “tweet-freaks”; they simply want to understand how to communicate better on the web. I suspect that if BlogWorld was more focused on the business requirements and less focused on the parties, the technology, and the latest cool Cirque-like stunts possible with iPhone and web services, they'd probably see far more prospects with bulging pockets of cash roaming the trade show floor.
Just sayin…
Bill, despite my rant BlogWorld is always a great place to come and meet some amazing people. If I were a business this would be a great place to actually be at and get in the eyes of some very influential people. You may not get a blog post out of them, but you will still build a lasting relationship that could mean something for your business down the road. The sessions were still very interesting, and there were even some great sessions showing interesting ways you can make money using these tools. I wouldn't discount it yet.
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Hey thanks for the shoutout in your post here, Jesse!! Much agreed with all the fuss about Twitter – I do love the site but Facebook will *always* be my first love. Lol – I actually just read a post someone put up saying I always wear an article of pale blue clothing because of my loyalty to Twitter. Um, no!! Someone got their facts mixed up there. LOL!! It's my fave color and my brand… just so happens Twitter chose the same color. tehee!!
Mari LOL! It was subliminal. They saw your turquoise blouse and via
Freudian slip chose the Twitter colors out of it. That's how much they want
to be like Facebook 😉
Hey thanks for the shoutout in your post here, Jesse!! Much agreed with all the fuss about Twitter – I do love the site but Facebook will *always* be my first love. Lol – I actually just read a post someone put up saying I always wear an article of pale blue clothing because of my loyalty to Twitter. Um, no!! Someone got their facts mixed up there. LOL!! It's my fave color and my brand… just so happens Twitter chose the same color. tehee!!
Mari LOL! It was subliminal. They saw your turquoise blouse and via
Freudian slip chose the Twitter colors out of it. That's how much they want
to be like Facebook 😉
Hey thanks for the shoutout in your post here, Jesse!! Much agreed with all the fuss about Twitter – I do love the site but Facebook will *always* be my first love. Lol – I actually just read a post someone put up saying I always wear an article of pale blue clothing because of my loyalty to Twitter. Um, no!! Someone got their facts mixed up there. LOL!! It's my fave color and my brand… just so happens Twitter chose the same color. tehee!!
Jesse:
Thanks for the down-to-earth rant. I'm not at BlogWorld this year (have never attended) and precisely because I feared it would be much like you described. Having never attended puts me on the wrong side of the rant, but I have ample evidence what's it like; friends, colleagues, Cinch, and of course Twitter [drink] provide a fairly complete diet to get a sense of the gathering.
I'm sure there are some great sessions and some insightful knowledge trading hands (Dave Taylor should be mentioned more often). But the world of business and commerce runs along a slightly different path – businesses have no time to become “bloggers” or “tweet-freaks”; they simply want to understand how to communicate better on the web. I suspect that if BlogWorld was more focused on the business requirements and less focused on the parties, the technology, and the latest cool Cirque-like stunts possible with iPhone and web services, they'd probably see far more prospects with bulging pockets of cash roaming the trade show floor.
Just sayin…
Bill, despite my rant BlogWorld is always a great place to come and meet some amazing people. If I were a business this would be a great place to actually be at and get in the eyes of some very influential people. You may not get a blog post out of them, but you will still build a lasting relationship that could mean something for your business down the road. The sessions were still very interesting, and there were even some great sessions showing interesting ways you can make money using these tools. I wouldn't discount it yet.
Substance is good. Drinking Diet Coke is good.
But… didn't YOU write a post about Louis Gray and didn't YOU check into Foursquare a few times? Seems a tad odd. This year is not about me any more than last year or next year. That's silly.