Gnomedex
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
by Mark Carras
Is Gnomedex more like cheese or fine wine?
So nerd camp is over for this year, but why do I get the impression that I got more out of this year than I did last year? A few have said that the conference was better this year, but I think my personal gain in value might have had more to do with this being my second year. Now don’t get me wrong, I had fun last year. Last year was so good that it convinced me I should go this year. But I sincerely feel like this year I got way more value than I did last year. This is despite the schwag not being near as cool (gold water bottle anyone). Heck, there was even a communication error between the company that printed the official Gnomedex shirts and the Gnomedex staff, and they ended up with a massive shortage of shirts for us heavier set geeks. (Chris said that he will take care of us left without a shirt) So way less schwag, and no shirts that fit me, but yet it was better?
Some people that I met in very quick passing last year, ended up being great contacts this year. This has less to do with how the conference is run and more about it just being my second time. So Gnomedex is something that grows in value with each year you come! If it is just ok your first year, it will be great the next, and even better on the third I have been told. So get your tickets now because they are already going quickly!
Another thing that added value for me was when one of the speakers that gave a talk on something I am extremely passionate about. I passionately disagree with one of his points and that opened up a great debate between the two of us. It is not only growing into a mutual respect but also a friendship (despite one person being offended). Maybe not something most Gnomedexers will experience, but it made things better for me. Of course there was also the hotel situation that I already talked about in another post that made things better for me as well.
The final thing that added value to the conference for me was not ending so early on a Saturday night. Last year it was kind of annoying to be somewhat stuck in Seattle with nothing to do. It was so much better to end the conference with this great open bar party. It let us all say goodbye to Gnomedex for the year, increased the chances for face to face interaction (the real value of the conference), let things basically end on a Sunday morning where it’s less stressful to leave Seattle, and just gave the event more proper closure. This way I just added another day of hotel and left more relaxed. Last year my wife had to come pick up my stuff at 8 in the morning, hang out for 10 hours, and then leave the most insane part of Seattle on a Saturday night! This year was way better and I hope the plans are to continue this for Gnomedex 10. Much improved I say, open bar or not.
So what made the conference better for you? Does Gnomedex get better with each visit? My wife knows more about cheese and wine, but I know it got better for me. Now to keep this thing from getting too long, I am going to continue my review of Gnomedex with a second post later. see you all next year?
Get your tickets for Gnomedex 10 NOW! Click here for more info.
Sunday, August 23rd, 2009
by Mark Carras
Why Gnomedex attendees should stay at the Marriott instead of Edgewater
So this was my second time going to Gnomedex. Last year I stayed at Edgewater and this year I stayed at Marriott. Most people going to Gnomedex stay at one or the other because they are the two hotels within a 2 minute walk from the Bell Conference Center. Well I now want to strongly recommend that if you are going to Gnomedex (which all my readers should do) that you should just stay at Marriott.
What does Edgewater have going for it? They are a historical hotel where the Beatles took a very famous photo. They are also on the same street as the conference center. Well, those two things also go against the hotel. It was a great hotel back in the 60’s I’m sure. Times have changed and people expect a little bigger room. Those rooms are freakin’ tiny! The rooms at the Marriott are way bigger and more comfortable. The Edgewater being on the same side of the street go against it as well. Sure it’s the same side, but it’s way further (or it at least seemed to me). The street is very easy to cross and it is way quicker to go from Marriott to the conference center. The staff of Marriott have a much better attitude and seem to have a mental condition that makes them way to happy to serve their guests. I have never been treated so well as I was when I stayed at Marriott.
Edgewater seemed desperate. They seem more interested in packing their tiny rooms with things to rack up charges than making their guests comfortable. Both provide a fridge, but the one at Marriott was nice and empty. So I could bring the comforts of home more easy and not be worried about getting charged for something I brought. It’s not about me being cheap, but their are things that I enjoy that a hotel can’t be expected to provide. Having an empty fridge welcome me was a really nice thing I thought. It also made Marriott seem less desperate. Because of that I stayed an extra night and even had my first “room Service” experience. The food was great and even my dinner the night before was good. The night before I wanted to make sure I went to the open bar party with a full stomach. SO I had a burger and fries at the Marriott restaurant. I thought the bun was a little strange. What is so wrong with the traditional bun? Am I too white trash for wanting a traditional bun? The fries however were pure awesome! Too many times restaurants force me to eat these tiny shoestring things. I want nice think fries with the skins still on them dammit! Marriott did it right!
The shower head at Edgewater left me paranoid that I wasn’t getting all the soap out of my hair. I’m not sure if there wasn’t enough holes in the shower head, the holes were not big enough, or whatever else but it sucked. At Marriott the water pressure was better and it made me feel like I was actually getting a good shower. An extra thanks to the valet for helping me with my first big city taxi cab experience. I thought Eddie was going out of his way to help me, but I soon figured out that that is just the Marriott way…at least in the Seattle location. Screw Edgewater if you are going to Gnomedex people. Just stay at Marriott. I know I will. See ya at Gnomedex 10!
Get your Gnomedex 10 tix now at http://gnomedex10.eventbrite.com/
Friday, August 21st, 2009
by Mark Carras
So I just saw a very frustrating speaker at Gnomedex. You know the people that cross the line from confidence and into arrogance? This guy came very close to the line. He was talking about the art of the interview. The one thing that he said that got under my skin is that you should not prepare questions. I even called him on that. He told me I lacked confidence. At this point I think I proved that he lacks listening skills. Which is pretty scary for a person that does a lot of interviews.
Now I have not only done a ton of interviews but I have also of course watched a ton of interviews. Now if you want to make sure you go in depth, you need to do a ton of research and prepare about 20 questions. Why not just be spontaneous like Warren Etheredge thinks you should be? Well because every interview is it’s own creature. I have went through 20 questions just to get the artist to open up. One time I interviewed an artist named Anathema that just kept replying with “Don’t worry about that”. After getting through those 20 questions that proved to him that I had done my research and knew something about his band, he started to open up. If I didn’t have 20 questions I would have has a 30 second interview. Either that or I would have ended up asking him stupid crap like “What’s your favorite Pizza topping?” It was that framework that got the real meat of the interview going. About a month ago I was interviewing Raymond Herrera of Arkaea (ex-Fear Factory) and ended up with some info that shocked me. When doing my research I saw a banner for the energy drink Cocaine on his personal site. So I asked him what he was doing with them and how he hooked up with them. This was one of those prepared questions that Warren Etheredge tells you not to have remember. Well Raymond tells me that he is a co-owner! This ends up with a 20 minute conversation about the company, the name, the controversy the name brings, and how he benefits from it. It was a total “get” that would not have happened without that prepared question.
So was Warren Etheredge totally wrong? No. I think he made some great points in his minutes on stage at Gnomedex 9.0. Anyone who does as many interviews as someone like him or I end up doing, that person is going to know a little about doing interviews. However, he showed his weakness as a listener and interviewer. When doing an interview you have to understand that not only is every subject going to be a different beast, but every person doing interviews is going to be a different as well. We are human and unique within that. You need to prepare for that. Of course you should always do your best to listen to your subject and be able to “Tarzan” questions from what they say. Never zone out or you risk asking about their most comical moment right after they explain how a song off their new cd was about dealing with the death or their mother a few months ago. So listen yes, but prepare as well. Have that framework ready. Maybe Warren Etheredge was never a boyscout, but I was always taught to “be prepared”.
Tuesday, August 4th, 2009
by Mark Carras
Why Metalheads need to flood Gnomedex this year!
Gnomedex.com
As a metal loving geek, I am always asked what Gnomedex is and what bands are playing. Ok, first off Gnomedex is not a festival and no bands are playing. So why do I care? Because I am also a geek. Gnomedex is an annual tech conference in Seattle Washington (USA). It’s main focus is the social aspect of the internet. More then anything it helps put a real face to social networking. They have speakers get up and talk about things that social networking geeks are interested in, but where I learn the most from is just from talking with the other people there. The attendees always teach me more than any speaker could.
So why should Metalheads go? Because if you are in a band, work at a label, are an online music journalist, or just a fan that wants to help promote your favorite bands, this conference will tech you how to use sites like Facebook, Twitter, and FriendFeed smarter. It will show you how to get the word out on what ever it is you are trying to push. I have found that people in the music industry are either frighteningly behind the times or horridly misguided. Going to this conference will teach you how to do things right and stop spinning your wheels. Do you like wasting time? I don’t. So I go to this conference so I can learn from people way smarter than I am.
The biggest reason you should go this year is because they have greatly reduced the costs. For $300 you can get a full pass for both days. This includes includes two very classy lunches, seating in the main Auditorium, and access to your very own power outlet to keep that laptop running all day (internet connection included). If you feel cheap you can do just one day for $100, but once you pay to get there you might as well do the full experience. Plus that $100 only gets you the conversation in the lobby. Sure that is (in my opinion) the most important part of the conference, but there is not a ton of people to talk to when we are all in the main auditorium. So get the full access pass. It’s well worth it.
Who will be there? Well last year I met people from CNN, Google, Microsoft, and a ton of very high profile bloggers that are a hundred times more powerful than I am. The face time with these people combined with being able to pick their brains for knowledge was priceless. This year I notice that there will be people there from Intel, Jeff Barr from Amazon, Verizon Wireless, Network Solutions, CNN, Microsoft, RealNetworks, T-Mobile, Expedia, University of Washington, Go Daddy, Discover Magazine, Eric Schmidt, and tons more. Most of those are not speakers, but they are still there to talk to and learn from. Many of the people there you have not heard of, but are full of information that can help you.
My wish has always been that people in the music industry would get more tech savvy. I think this would be the best start. Plus it would really freak out all those Radiohead loving geeks if a bunch of us rivet heads showed up. I bought my tickets months ago, so who is going to meet me?
Gnomedex.com