I don’t see how you could “bastardize” Ani DiFranco. With all due respects to Zephoria, Ani DiFranco has to be one of the worst artists in the recording industry.

a) Adam and Vanilla are both world-class d*ckheads

b) the original poster is absolutely right

BTW Adam, if I ever met you in real-life, do me a favor and remind me to kick your @ss

Regards,
Steve Mohr

Looks to me like some dude created a post to help people out. Seems innocent enough to me. I’ve never been to SXSW but it sure seems intimidating. Unfortunately, this post with its retarded supporters only reinforces that impression.

I can’t believe that Ani DeFranco lyrics are being so horribly bastardized in support IM’ing while someone is speaking or that there are like 22 comments on this topic or that I was so pissed reading this post that I added one.

Danah, if you are so stressed, stay home and save your money. Co-Presence my ass.

David isn’t an sxsw employee. He’s not a sorority social coordinator making up rules, with the power to punish offenders with ostracism. He’s just some guy. It’s personal recommendation, not a mandate.

I like backchannels at conferences. At a conference where you meet people you’ve known only online, the backchannel helps find who you know in the room. But I’m not offended by David’s post, I’m amused, because I read it as one person thinking up ways to try to make sxsw warmer.

Disclosure: I’m a friend of David’s.

Wanting to unplug doesn’t make someone a luddite.

The real world will always be infinitely more interesting.

You and Danah could both stand to pull your head out of your asses for awhile and breath some fresh air.

FWIW, if I think someone is disturbing a panel (or me, during one), I will turn their laptop off for them. I have no problem bringing the real world to bear. You want to work? Go to your fucking hotel room, assholes. At LEAST go sit on the floor out of the audience seating where you are nothing more or less than an obnoxious distraction.

The problem with your “I paid my money” argument is: SO DID I, AND I DON’T AGREE WITH YOU.

So it was about a year ago – that danah boyd got real upset at me for posting an image of a host of a party (we were putting on) having fun. She felt as though it wasn’t a very professional way of promoting a ‘professional’ party. I stated at the time …

If you don’t want to be sociable, that’s fine. David is pointing out that if you’ve travelled N miles to a social event, you might as well get something out of the social aspects of that event, and is describing ways to go about that.

Me, I live in Austin. I don’t do SXSW. I’m going to be anti-social.

That sounds both condescending and not very open. Does your new mode of interaction include taking a ‘my way or the highway’ attitude ?

Come on. Asking people to stop typing and have face-to-face conversations isn’t some sort of crazy taboo here. There’s a reason why people like going to SXSW, and at least some of it is because it’s not a webcasted-only gigantic online event…it’s a place where you can physically go and meet and talk with people.

Not everyone has social awkwardness, and not everyone is the life of the party, either. There’s room for both.

The whole “disconnect” and “ewww, your laptop makes you unapproachable” attitude is simply conservative ludditism in disguise.

Guess what folks. We’re evolving. You want to stick with your old obsolete ways? Go right ahead. The rest of us are evolving better and more efficient and less “hung up on our own insecurities” ways of communicating and interacting at the drop of a fuzzy hat, and everyone is invited.

We don’t have everything figured out, but that’s the fun part. Leave the fears and insecurities behind and dare to be socially awkward and perhaps even learn new modes of interaction. Free your mind.