It is 2:15am and I am just KNACKERED...
Yes, I'm at home now after dropping off a new friend I made at her flat in Islington.
Before I konk out here, just have to give you a final recap of the evening's crazy craziness!!!
There was some confusion as to the start time amongst the Word11 Committee and volunteers so things didn't start on time unfortunately. It gave all of us time to set up tents, a bonfire, and just mingle a bit while power and computers were being set up.
I joined in on Erin Marchak's "Hello Drupal: Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Build My Own Site". I'm quite familiar with Blogger and have a little familiarity with Wordpress but have absolutely no experience with Drupal. I thought it would be a good opportunity for me to understand what the big deal was with the new kid on the block (for me anyways!).
What a great talk and because it was getting late, we were all letting loose and just having a blast creating a new site in Drupal. On the other side of the parking lot, the Developers were busy coding away and paying attention to things like "Using Headway and other tools to Build a Better Blog", and "Intermediate Plugin Development Techniques", and "Building a Mobile App within Wordpress". Our group was just hollering and clapping and laughing away like we were getting high on Drupal...
CRAZY, I know...
At 11:30am we had the Likeable Awards and I won a $50 gift certificate to Grafas Eyewear!
After some publicity and press shots and a bit of an embarrassment for me as I tried to be the "o" in the letter "d" (Thanks a lot guys... thank god there's no pic of that!), I said my goodbyes and skipped off into the darkness of Toronto...
The rest of them headed to a local pub to kick off the late evening session. I was just too tired to continue!
Lots of laughs and some great bonding with like-minded individuals... I love hanging out with Social Media Peeps!
My tweets for the evening:
27 Aug: @WordCitizen @HonestEd #Drupal community
27 Aug: #drupal rocks! #WORD11
27 Aug: Intermittent power #WORD11 #notimpressed
27 Aug: #ubercart e-com module for #drupal. @erinmarchak fave
27 Aug: My most #inspiring exp @WordCitizen : #collaborating w/ amazing bloggers 2 create #drupal site. #sharing & learning #itsmypotty #WORD11
28 Aug: Winner of $50 gift certificate #gafas #WORD11 thanks TN!
28 Aug: @brentkobayashi haha very funny! You still at @WordCitizen ?!
28 Aug: Tweets to the last surviving #WORD11 peeps! I'll be thinking of u while sleeping in my nice cozy bed!
28 Aug: @thisismyurl I'm home now! #OriginalCin #CinCity
My area to rant and rave about my experiences in design, UX, and SM.
NOTE: Posts from 2008, 2009, and 2010 are missing due to migration to Wordpress. Trying to fix it!
8.28.2011
8.27.2011
Word 11 ... the first 12 hours @ CSI Annex
Ok, so we haven't quite hit the 12 hour mark, but it's been a blast so far so I just had to blog :)
Here's a recap of my tweets today (can't seem to figure out how to get the time stamps... anyone?)
27 Aug: @WordCitizen
27 Aug: #blog even tho no one is reading! #WORD11
27 Aug: Avoid the "dip" #blog #WORD11
27 Aug: I can't stress enough #tweet quality not quantity! We live in a time of fast food, fast content, fast incentives, & fast returns! #WORD11
27 Aug: Do things for others and they'll do things for you #reciprocity
27 Aug: @planningnotepad #blog like there's no tomorrow!
27 Aug: How is #wordpress different from #drupal? #WORD11
27 Aug: Sticker Me!! #WORD11, #gafas, #cg6, #cityevents, #greenchoicemoto!! Look for me in pink tank and black&white checkered pants! #WORD11
27 Aug: Sticker me #Padpholio @WordCitizen!!
27 Aug: Less than great service getting the bill @PaupersPub #WORD11
27 Aug: "A fail is a great content opportunity" #KobayashiOnline #WORD11
27 Aug: Engage your audience - don't have private conversations when your audience is giving you their undivided attention. #Presenter #WORD11
27 Aug: Quality content not important when you #blog? Don't agree. Good balance of the quality & quantity increases #trust #WORD11
27 Aug: QUALITY keyword and tagging! #WORD11
27 Aug: "Do follow and no follow... You need both" #RobCampbell #WORD11
27 Aug: Sticker me! #WORD11 @WordCitizen
A bunch of us are having dinner and a drink at the pub while we wait for them to set up Honest Ed's parking lot.
A brief recap of today...
Morning registration and ice breakers went well. We were a small group this year, which really made it easier for us to do some quality networking and hobnobbing. Some cards were exchanged as we mulled over our coffees and tried to wake our sleepy heads.
I joined the Entrepreneurship stream. The other stream's (Evolving the Casual User) sessions were held in conjunction with ours. The Hardcore Development stream ran in the evening.
The first session at 10:30am was with Promod Sharma, speaking on "Building Trust with Social Media". A great speaker and a very approachable individual, he imparted some great advice on how to build trust using your blog. He also talked about his start in blogging and how it has opened so many opportunities for him. A great inspiration to many of those new to blogging and to those who are in that "dip" he talked about.
At 11:30am I dropped in on Mukul Verma's talk on "Using WordPress for E-Commerce". An interesting talk but a bit disappointed in that it did not delve deeper into how to use WordPress for E-Commerce and what learnings there are to take from using WP for E-comm.
After geeking out with other bloggers after each session, we all headed to Pauper's Pub for lunch. A very unfulfilling experience as we waited what seemed like FOREVER for our set lunch and then even LONGER for our bills. Very unimpressed. Definitely will not consider them when I need to host a large group.
The afternoon session started late due to Pauper Pub's inability to handle us. I sat in on Brent Kobayashi's "Blogging for Small Businesses". A very interesting and eyebrow raising talk where he advised us to just blog and not worry about quality of our blogging. Hence my tweet, "Quality content not important when you #blog? Don't agree. Good balance of the quality & quantity increases #trust #WORD11", but he stated something which I thought was worth mentioning, "A fail is a great content opportunity". It sparks interest, and response, and maybe even laughter and advice!
I sat in on Jarvis Emerald's "Easy and Beautiful Video Blogging" and was impressed by his success in his blogs on gems he finds everyday. After an hour, I snuck into Rob Campbell's Story Funnels and Buckstops" presentation. Rob's a very dynamic and engaging individual with lots of great advice and stories to learn from.
Overall a great day so far. Can't wait for the evening sessions! I'm doing ok so far... not sure if I will stay the ENTIRE 24 hours.. guess it all depends how drunk I get ;)
Here's a recap of my tweets today (can't seem to figure out how to get the time stamps... anyone?)
27 Aug: @WordCitizen
27 Aug: #blog even tho no one is reading! #WORD11
27 Aug: Avoid the "dip" #blog #WORD11
27 Aug: I can't stress enough #tweet quality not quantity! We live in a time of fast food, fast content, fast incentives, & fast returns! #WORD11
27 Aug: Do things for others and they'll do things for you #reciprocity
27 Aug: @planningnotepad #blog like there's no tomorrow!
27 Aug: How is #wordpress different from #drupal? #WORD11
27 Aug: Sticker Me!! #WORD11, #gafas, #cg6, #cityevents, #greenchoicemoto!! Look for me in pink tank and black&white checkered pants! #WORD11
27 Aug: Sticker me #Padpholio @WordCitizen!!
27 Aug: Less than great service getting the bill @PaupersPub #WORD11
27 Aug: "A fail is a great content opportunity" #KobayashiOnline #WORD11
27 Aug: Engage your audience - don't have private conversations when your audience is giving you their undivided attention. #Presenter #WORD11
27 Aug: Quality content not important when you #blog? Don't agree. Good balance of the quality & quantity increases #trust #WORD11
27 Aug: QUALITY keyword and tagging! #WORD11
27 Aug: "Do follow and no follow... You need both" #RobCampbell #WORD11
27 Aug: Sticker me! #WORD11 @WordCitizen
A bunch of us are having dinner and a drink at the pub while we wait for them to set up Honest Ed's parking lot.
A brief recap of today...
Morning registration and ice breakers went well. We were a small group this year, which really made it easier for us to do some quality networking and hobnobbing. Some cards were exchanged as we mulled over our coffees and tried to wake our sleepy heads.
I joined the Entrepreneurship stream. The other stream's (Evolving the Casual User) sessions were held in conjunction with ours. The Hardcore Development stream ran in the evening.
The first session at 10:30am was with Promod Sharma, speaking on "Building Trust with Social Media". A great speaker and a very approachable individual, he imparted some great advice on how to build trust using your blog. He also talked about his start in blogging and how it has opened so many opportunities for him. A great inspiration to many of those new to blogging and to those who are in that "dip" he talked about.
At 11:30am I dropped in on Mukul Verma's talk on "Using WordPress for E-Commerce". An interesting talk but a bit disappointed in that it did not delve deeper into how to use WordPress for E-Commerce and what learnings there are to take from using WP for E-comm.
After geeking out with other bloggers after each session, we all headed to Pauper's Pub for lunch. A very unfulfilling experience as we waited what seemed like FOREVER for our set lunch and then even LONGER for our bills. Very unimpressed. Definitely will not consider them when I need to host a large group.
The afternoon session started late due to Pauper Pub's inability to handle us. I sat in on Brent Kobayashi's "Blogging for Small Businesses". A very interesting and eyebrow raising talk where he advised us to just blog and not worry about quality of our blogging. Hence my tweet, "Quality content not important when you #blog? Don't agree. Good balance of the quality & quantity increases #trust #WORD11", but he stated something which I thought was worth mentioning, "A fail is a great content opportunity". It sparks interest, and response, and maybe even laughter and advice!
I sat in on Jarvis Emerald's "Easy and Beautiful Video Blogging" and was impressed by his success in his blogs on gems he finds everyday. After an hour, I snuck into Rob Campbell's Story Funnels and Buckstops" presentation. Rob's a very dynamic and engaging individual with lots of great advice and stories to learn from.
Overall a great day so far. Can't wait for the evening sessions! I'm doing ok so far... not sure if I will stay the ENTIRE 24 hours.. guess it all depends how drunk I get ;)
Off to the first Word 11 Blogging Conference!
I'm off to the first Word11 Blogging Conference here in Toronto! It is going to be an EXCITING and fulfilling 24 hours for sure, as us bloggers descend onto downtown Toronto to hear more than 13 speakers and move between 3 streams to talk about blogging and social media!
I can't wait to talk shop and not be given a dirty look when I tweet tweet tweet!
I can't wait to talk shop and not be given a dirty look when I tweet tweet tweet!
8.25.2011
Blocking social media?!
Good article regarding the riots in the UK.
UK riots: the questions social media giants need to answer
Social networks are to face questions from ministers over their role in the UK riots – could they do more to stop unrest?
Facebook and Twitter to oppose calls for social media blocks
Dan Sabbagh
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 August 2011 13.11 BST
Tottenham riots
Should Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry messenger be restricted during riots?
David Cameron, speaking in the aftermath of this month's riots, said that he wanted to know "whether it would be right" to ban people from using Facebook, Twitter or their BlackBerrys "when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality". Tomorrow, Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry maker RIM prepare to head into the Home Office to discuss with Teresa May how they can help stop rioting and violent disorder (read here for more information).
What should be the right response? Here's a few questions to stimulate discussion.
• Should Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger be restricted or shut down in times of civil disorder? Do the police gather valuable information by allowing the services to stay up and running – or is it true that without them it would not be possible to plot violence on the scale seen this month?
• Can all three networks, and in particular the private Blackberry Messenger, do more to help the police? Could Facebook be more active in pages that incite violence or from groups connected to violence? Could Twitter do more to delete inflammatory tweets, or simply prevent them from being published?
• Should Facebook, Twitter and RIM give the police privileged access to their networks at times of civil disorder, or help law enforcement by providing more real-time data analysis that could help the police prevent rioting?
• Should mobile phone companies monitor phone calls in a riot situation – or be prepared to scan for inflammatory text messages sent over their networks? Can they be more responsive to the police in riot situations, without waiting for warrants to provide information about their customers?
• Should people who incite violent disorder be subject to four-year jail terms, or similar stiff sentences, as were handed down by Chester crown court to two men who posted messages on Facebook encouraging other people to riot in their home towns? Should writing a few words on a computer or mobile at home be as serious as encouraging people to disorder in the streets?
Let us know what you think below, or on Twitter using the hashtag #riotresponse.
UK riots: the questions social media giants need to answer
Social networks are to face questions from ministers over their role in the UK riots – could they do more to stop unrest?
Facebook and Twitter to oppose calls for social media blocks
Dan Sabbagh
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 24 August 2011 13.11 BST
Tottenham riots
Should Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry messenger be restricted during riots?
David Cameron, speaking in the aftermath of this month's riots, said that he wanted to know "whether it would be right" to ban people from using Facebook, Twitter or their BlackBerrys "when we know they are plotting violence, disorder and criminality". Tomorrow, Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry maker RIM prepare to head into the Home Office to discuss with Teresa May how they can help stop rioting and violent disorder (read here for more information).
What should be the right response? Here's a few questions to stimulate discussion.
• Should Facebook, Twitter and BlackBerry Messenger be restricted or shut down in times of civil disorder? Do the police gather valuable information by allowing the services to stay up and running – or is it true that without them it would not be possible to plot violence on the scale seen this month?
• Can all three networks, and in particular the private Blackberry Messenger, do more to help the police? Could Facebook be more active in pages that incite violence or from groups connected to violence? Could Twitter do more to delete inflammatory tweets, or simply prevent them from being published?
• Should Facebook, Twitter and RIM give the police privileged access to their networks at times of civil disorder, or help law enforcement by providing more real-time data analysis that could help the police prevent rioting?
• Should mobile phone companies monitor phone calls in a riot situation – or be prepared to scan for inflammatory text messages sent over their networks? Can they be more responsive to the police in riot situations, without waiting for warrants to provide information about their customers?
• Should people who incite violent disorder be subject to four-year jail terms, or similar stiff sentences, as were handed down by Chester crown court to two men who posted messages on Facebook encouraging other people to riot in their home towns? Should writing a few words on a computer or mobile at home be as serious as encouraging people to disorder in the streets?
Let us know what you think below, or on Twitter using the hashtag #riotresponse.
8.10.2011
SM Cafe #SMCafeTO
Joined other fellow social media geeks at the 2nd SM Cafe TO at Tequila Bookworm.
Great to see familiar faces and some new ones as I mingled about again talking about our favourite sweet and taking part in SM-OK. Some great questions re issues surround social media such as how to answer clients when they ask what the ROI is on the use of SM, anonymity when active in SM, consequences when interacting socially, and the most recent riots in the UK. Such a hot topic right now and unfortunately we are now seeing the ugly head turn.
I'm a bit knackered right now but will post more on these issues at a later date.
Great to see familiar faces and some new ones as I mingled about again talking about our favourite sweet and taking part in SM-OK. Some great questions re issues surround social media such as how to answer clients when they ask what the ROI is on the use of SM, anonymity when active in SM, consequences when interacting socially, and the most recent riots in the UK. Such a hot topic right now and unfortunately we are now seeing the ugly head turn.
I'm a bit knackered right now but will post more on these issues at a later date.