Comments on: Structured hallway conversations http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/03/structured-hallway-conversations/ My opinions only. I do not represent any organization in this publication. Thu, 08 Jan 2009 12:13:02 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Jon Phillips http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/03/structured-hallway-conversations/#comment-36918 Jon Phillips Fri, 06 Oct 2006 04:36:01 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/03/structured-hallway-conversations/#comment-36918 Yeah, basically, everyone knows the same things and reads the same feeds so the discussions are usually pretty lame because of no new blood. I think that is why it is so refreshing to see incursions by people outside-of-the-loop at conferences. I like how SXSW allows for anyone to submit a conference topic. Hopefully, they will allow for people to compete for spots on the panels as well. I think the reputation system has much merit and will promote based upon interest and status. However, I also think that more brainstorming is in dire need at these events in order to use the expensive face2face time wisely...I really don't need to hear more about identity or andy size of formats (aka, nano or macro), but would rather see large problems bitten off with specific goals and get people to focus on them collectively to hatch new ideas with current (and new) approaches (and tools). What is the point of meetings at all if everyone knows and/or the meeting could happen through email. Use the f2f for what's its good for: high data-rate communication between people. Yeah, basically, everyone knows the same things and reads the same feeds so the discussions are usually pretty lame because of no new blood. I think that is why it is so refreshing to see incursions by people outside-of-the-loop at conferences.

I like how SXSW allows for anyone to submit a conference topic. Hopefully, they will allow for people to compete for spots on the panels as well. I think the reputation system has much merit and will promote based upon interest and status.

However, I also think that more brainstorming is in dire need at these events in order to use the expensive face2face time wisely…I really don’t need to hear more about identity or andy size of formats (aka, nano or macro), but would rather see large problems bitten off with specific goals and get people to focus on them collectively to hatch new ideas with current (and new) approaches (and tools).

What is the point of meetings at all if everyone knows and/or the meeting could happen through email. Use the f2f for what’s its good for: high data-rate communication between people.

]]> By: Gordon Mohr http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/03/structured-hallway-conversations/#comment-36618 Gordon Mohr Thu, 05 Oct 2006 07:41:16 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/03/structured-hallway-conversations/#comment-36618 So many conference sessions are totally predictable, filled with stump speeches (or other rehashed material). When you're well-read on a topic, or even just slightly pre-research the speaker/panelists, it's common for nothing new to come up in a spoken session. I'd like to see conference sessions with more 'clash' and new formats that get speakers (and audiences) out of their routine. Have panelists compete somehow. Discuss vivid hypothetical scenarios. Force people to defend either more extreme versions of their usual viewpoints, or the opposite of their usual viewpoint. Incorporate live voting/etc feedback (via wifi) from the audience. The energy this could provide would also spillover into the hallway conversations. So many conference sessions are totally predictable, filled with stump speeches (or other rehashed material). When you’re well-read on a topic, or even just slightly pre-research the speaker/panelists, it’s common for nothing new to come up in a spoken session.

I’d like to see conference sessions with more ‘clash’ and new formats that get speakers (and audiences) out of their routine. Have panelists compete somehow. Discuss vivid hypothetical scenarios. Force people to defend either more extreme versions of their usual viewpoints, or the opposite of their usual viewpoint. Incorporate live voting/etc feedback (via wifi) from the audience.

The energy this could provide would also spillover into the hallway conversations.

]]> By: Evan Prodromou http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/03/structured-hallway-conversations/#comment-36523 Evan Prodromou Thu, 05 Oct 2006 02:06:51 +0000 http://gondwanaland.com/mlog/2006/10/03/structured-hallway-conversations/#comment-36523 I think the best thing to do is organize a conference with no conference rooms -- just hallways. I think the best thing to do is organize a conference with no conference rooms — just hallways.

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