So, I just spent the last 5 days in Austin, at the SXSW Interactive conference. Here is the review, in superlative style
Panels:
Best Panel Moment: A lot to choose from here, but i have to go with the PMOG panel, which was both enthusiastic and interesting. PMOG is a passively multi player online game. the basic idea is that you install a Firefox tool bar and get certain points with your normal web play. totally interesting concept that i can see people taking advantage of. fits with a lot of the asynchronous stuff we want to do at work.
Worst Panel Moment: The Zuckerberg keynote got a ton of press, but i actually never saw it. Instead I have to go with the “Data as Art” panel, which i left halfway through after realizing it was basically going to be a portfolio show.
Bonus: Jared Spool doing magic tricks and tying it into user experience and illusion. really fascinating idea. would have been better if i didn’t already know most of the tricks.
Negative Bonus: Some of the questions were ridiculous. My favorite was the person who asked for a very detailed technical setup recommendation from a panel of creatives. It was somewhat akin to attending an Art History lecture and asking for advice on brushes for painting your house.
Food:
Best meal: Easily the Salt lick, where we got all you can eat barbecue, family style. when the 3rd plate of meat showed up, it was time to dig deep. When Dan P. finished off the huge pork shoulder, it was the time of legends.
Worst meal: Moonshine grill has good food, but it’s NOT a breakfast place on the weekdays. how then, did michael and I show up there at 11:30 for hangover food? i have no idea, but a waldorf salad was not my idea of a filling next day meal. at least i only ate half of it.
Bonus: It can’t be called good, but the microwave Red Baron French bread pizza that we bought out of the hotel’s commissary at 4AM might have been the most brilliant thing ever.
Parties:
Best Party: The gametap party was a ton of fun, as was the socialthing night at the PureVolume ranch. Most of the nights at the PureVolume ranch were fun, though i learned that 5 red bulls is too much for me on any given night. i turn into loud manlio, saying my normal stuff, but at 5x the volume and intensity. “SO!!! HOW IS YOUR JOB GOING??? GOOD?? GREAT!!!”
Worst Party: The sound system at the 16-bit party was atrocious, but the award has to go to the Facebook party which had a band that was screaming the words: “we love facebook!” into a mic like it was a brand new song. Sadly, this turned out to be the best song they played. i think we stayed for 7 minutes and i spent $9 on a jack and coke, which was about $9 more than any drink that weekend.
Bonus: Attending the FVRVRR party: great. Sneaking 8 people in VIP to the FVRVRR party: outstanding.
Random Moments:
Best: “Weave still slice”. KBR knows what i’m talking about.
Worst: Not changing into real shoes for the Salt Lick experience. flip flops in the rain and dirt = nasty
Bonus: seeing the full ITP + friends crowd and hanging out with them every night till my legs felt like goo. also, KBR grinding on the chain link fence.
Conclusion:
If i had to do it again, i would have gotten in Friday (not thursday), tried hard to be on a Panel (free ticket), and taken Sunday night off (needed a break, was brain dead the last 2 days). i guess i know what to plan for next year!