My Report from Webzine 2005
Yup, so I went to Webzine 2005. Mark and I staffed a table for Indybay yesterday in the "Master's Lounge." I still have to look up why they called it that- the Folsom Street Fair was yesterday, but I don't think that was where the name came from. Maybe it's a d+d thing. It was just the room where organizations and other vendors had tables. I got a free Blogger t-shirt, and I didn't get to talk to the folks from the other blog services.I met a guy from Audio Blog, the guy from DIY Colo in SF (formerly called "Ghetto Colo," what the hell? Mark and I had a big discussion later about hipsters and the use of the word ghetto. Anyhow, the guy had expensive clothes and gear and we were both rather disgusted- especially mark, since he works with Community Colo), Ryan Junell (one of the Webzine people), a nice guy named David who has a subscription to Faultines and bought an Indybay t-shirt, and Charlie Anders, who is a local bi/trans/queer writer and personality. I also chatted about Linux with a nice geek who reminded me a lot of my old friend Aryeh from college. Dear, dear Aryeh. What ever happened to him?
Anyhow, I of course felt out of place because I didn't have a laptop. Or any money. I do blog, tho, so I felt a bit more ok than I could have. Josh from NYC Indymedia, Sunny from Street Level TV, Pam Pam, a local activist, and Josh Wolf from the Rise Up Network (I still don't understand why he is using that name, when riseup.net does such great things with it), in a panel about using the internet to stick it to the man. Sunny wanted to use the panel to say that the net can't be used that way, but they really talked more about technology, including video (as opposed to the internet), to support activism. There was a bit of talk about access and people having equipment, but that got sidelined into more of a mutual aid discussion (who could help Pam Pam set up a Podcast? I elbowed Mark, and he raised his hand. Sorry, Mark, I know you already have a lot going on). That was the only panel that I got to see. Mark and I were both sick and had a meeting in the east bay, so we had skedaddled by 4:30. We had both spent all of Saturday inside, so it was great to get a bit of sun as we walked to the IMC space.
I'm not sure if it was worth it to go, since I missed the Folsom Street Fair, a garden meeting, going to the gym, and a needed 5 hour nap.
posted by mahtin @ 4:41 PM
