Some take-aways from Friday night’s Blogger’s party:
*Need to spend more time thinking about archiving, making it easier for folks to access the archives, and for all those folks who come from Google and elsewhere to find what they came here looking for. Good discussion with Kristin and Paul about this.
*Need to follow-up Adam Greenfield‘s lead about “metadata” and “faceted classification” and ensuring that what I create today is useable in the future. And I will try to heed Adam’s advice that I shouldn’t be so self-deprecating.
*There’s no answer to the question as to why some blogs get a ton of comments per entry, and some blogs (like this one) don’t. But a good discussion about that one all the same.
*I’m not the only one who feels pressure to maintain their blogs.
*Need to take more pictures. Thanks Mike for the push.
*Need to remember that if I’m going to post about the haircut I had the day before the party, it will surely come up in conversation.
*I have no idea how to pronounce the name of this site. Never envisioned that would be a problem until Friday night.
*Open your eyes when someone’s taking your photo, no matter how much you feel the photo will look (for it will look worse if your eyes are closed).
*A lot of talk about BBS’s and the old days, and the implied links to blogging. Sadly, most of it was over my head, having come to online communication after that.
*Thoroughly enjoyed a nice non-blogging conversation about parenthood with Mike’s wife, Karen.
*3½ hours was not nearly enough time to meet all the different bloggers there, nor to have quality conversations with all of them, especially when one isn’t Mr. Congeniality. There’s always next time (I hope).
Now, if I could only have taken away some of the food!
Big thanks to Mike and Nadine for organizing everything.
Other reads (some with photos) on the event can be found at:
Antipixel
Big in Japan
Cerebral Soup
Domo Domo
The Dynamic Duo
Japan Blog
Japan-Sync
Stuart Woodward
Wirefarm
UPDATE (March 3): Co-organizer Hunkabutta Mike has put up up his photos and comments (see 03.02.03 entry), and Mie has written up something as well, accompanied by shots from her cellphone.
“I have no idea how to pronounce the name of this site.”
That’s why I have you linked as “Kurt in Japan” instead of a moaning or whinnying noise.
I always thought it was a ponderous/curious “hmmn” sound.
Holy cow – I went in with the wrong attitude. I thought, okay, I’ll try and not bore people just talking about blogging.
But looking at what you took away from it – I totally missed out. Duh. I was in a room filled with bloggers!
Great to see you again!
-Jason
Kurt –
Like the site – even if I do not comment while passing through. Just be yourself and keep it real.
Otherwise, how are you enjoying Japan ? I recall you moved there about the same time I left for NYC – after some 14-years. I seem to remember you had mixed feelings about leaving Frisco. Now 1-year later what are you thoughts ?
Anita-
well, i never thought of it as a whine or moan (but maybe my writing gives that impression! 🙂 )
Jason, good to see you again too although we didn’t get much of a chance to talk. I did my fair share of non-blog-related talking too, but most of that I didn’t feel like sharing with the rest of the world.
Gem,
thanks for commenting. I don’t have any regrets about coming here, or leaving SF. If I had any mixed feelings a year ago, it was probably more about giving up an un-married lifestyle, and a great apartment with a great view. In point of fact, I had tired of SF, and I don’t miss it in the slightest, nor to I have any desire to go back (that said, I would love to bite into a $3 vegetarian burrito!) And after 1 year of marriage, I don’t miss my un-married life either!
Hey Kurt,
I’m the other half of the Dynamic Duo (the stateside version) and I just wanted to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed your Party take-aways. Also I like the way your comments show up right underneath your post, ours are currently under a link and not viewable in the standard load. Keep up the good work and thanks for the trackback!
It was cool to meet you dude!
I recently found my way here by way of Gaijinworld. I wasn’t aware you caught my blog as well. 🙂 I wish I could meet everyone mentioned at the gathering but, geographically, it’s a bit of a challenge at the moment.
In any case, keep up the great pictures and writing. All of this is, as always, fun/fascinating.
Hi Kurt,
Wow. What a great night and I’m really glad to have met you. Your site is full of so much information! Very helpful. Thanks for the feedback – I’ll keep chugging (at my own pace) and am quite honored to be part of all this. I’m sure I’ll see you around and look forward to talking more.
hey kurt, you went and got yourself some spam blocking software – unfortunately it cuts me out. i guess the server i use has a past i didn’t know about. but nothing to be done about it.
i like that picture of us, we look like mystics!