Now it seems that with the exit (ouster) of Jon Miller, Jason is moving on. I’ve been saying this a lot lately (Dave Winer, Salim, Steve Gillmor, Chris Pirillo), but the interesting thin about this story is what he will work on next.
Story here:

http://www.techcrunch.com/2006/11/16/jason-calacanis-resigns-from-aol/ 

Disclaimer: I am looking for a job as CTO or Chief Scientist at a professional publisher that wants to make a strong transition to the new environment. So here I practice what I preach, I’m floating ideas in advance of using them.

-Dave Winer 

Wonder if he ever thought of going back to WIRED. Especially now that the magazine and WiredNews are one group again.

BloggerCon IV tended to favor the most vocal people. I agree, and this is not the way it’s supposed to be. I don’t think the DLs took the guidelines seriously in this area, and unless they do, the unconference format suffers. They’re supposed to seek out people, to interrupt repeating and droning. The guidelines don’t say the DLs “may” interrupt, they say “must.”

Now Dave has been the evangelist of the format, and he has also run previous bloggercon’s, so he has a better idea of history and how the conference should be. That being said, I thought BloggerCon IV was AWESOME. The crowd was engaged and the conversation was both fast and fun. Everyone in the room took a turn at the mic (or so it seemed) and the format seemed to rock and roll. Now it may not have been everything Dave wanted (or expected) but a Bloggercon noob (me) actually loved the format (and would like to try it inside my company).

Could Bloggercon IV have been better? I dunno – I thought it was great.
I guess Dave will just have to throw another one to see

The Discussion Leaders did a great job starting things off and keeping them going. Dave Winer organized the conference (with help from Sylvia Paul, CNet and a ton of others), Doc Searls saved us all from carpal tunnel as the technographer (recording the discussions in OPML), the CNET/Jake Luddington team kicked butt on the stream/ MP3 version of the event and Kevin Marks provided video for the different sessions he attended.

I am putting together a compilation of links (mp3, video, transcript) below. It would be cool if you could have a timestamp associated with the opml technography file (I do not think this is built into OPML – not required but more like a nice to have). This would enable you to synch up the audio/IRC/technograph of the event (if you even wanted to).

Unconferences are more free form and open. Fewer rules, but also more participation (and direction from the assembled – see when Dave asked us to vote on whether or not).

Day 1 Notes:

National Anthem (Dave’s kickoff)

We started with the groundrules of Bloggercon and what was expected (Its a conference FOR users BY users – no product pitches, no shilling, everyone is a participant, no audience, discussions shouldnt be too technical, everything is _on the record_)
A tradition at Bloggercon is a song at the beginning. This year we opened the conference with the Hokey Pokey.
MP3

Notes

Tools with Phil Torrone
I actually missed most of this session due to a client conference call – here are the highlights from the notes (thanks again Doc!):

Phil is a Senior Editor at MAKE Magazine and writes How-To’s (I also think he used to work with the guys at Engadget). He did a great job last year at Gnomedex (during the conference and at the Friday night party) giving presentations and demos between the panels. During his session he and the crowd discuss screencasts and their value to users. The discussion went from hardware to training to software. Buzz Bruggeman discussed how he spoke with a law firm about Wikis and how the law firm didnt get it – the firm didnt really want the lawyers sharing data amongst themselves. We then were discussing the kinds of tools folks are using for recording and editing podcasts (hardware and software).
MP3

Notes

Citizen Journalism with Jay Rosen
Jay Rosen is an author and professor of journalism at NYU. His personal blog is Pressthink.org. His bullet points for the presentation are here:

http://journalism.nyu.edu/pubzone/weblogs/pressthink/2006/06/23/lv_blgrc.html

The main thrust of Jay’s presentation was: How do we actually do “Users know more than we do” journalism and break news with it, proving that social networks can provide kickass reporting?

Discussion covers collaborating with the readers, how the MSM is traditionally top-down. Ken Sands from a newspaper in Portland discusses how his paper has brought bloggers onto the team, podcasts from the editorial meeting, gets more horizontal and less vertical. Discussions about how the Wikipedia model, while not perfect is ‘helpful’. Also the issue of credit came up, and recognition of the role/support/contribution bloggers are making to the news process. Doc asks that the newspaper industry as a whole open their archives – its like a wikipedia over time, not another revenue stream. Discussions over how a story today is different, how it lives beyond its published date. How it is bigger than just the person writing the stories because _all_ of the perspectives have a stake.
MP3

Notes

Users In Charge with Chris Pirillo
Chris is the founder of Lockegnome, used to be a host of the Screensavers (damn you G4-surrender-monkeys) and runs my favorite conference Gnomedex. His discussion was about the user (you, me, my mom). His stance: “you have as much right to contribute to the product or service as the development team. Are you taking advantage of that right, that position?”

We talk about how sometimes we dont express our frustrations to developers to our ownwordpress or firefox). detriment (or because we dont want to criticize). We need to both call them out when we have a problem and we also need to evangelize when we find something we like (like

We then got into a discussion about user data, and what Lisa Williams calls “Roach Motels”. Users want their data, even if they might not be able to do anything with it – its giving them the choice/trusting them/having a relationship with users. We need to have a greater connection between users and developers (Dave Winer’s old saying – Users and Developers Partying Together).

We get into some discussions over blogging tools and software problems. Discuss the needs for users to be more vocal, more demanding. We get into a discussion of platform lock-in (iTunes and the iPod), Jay Rosen points out how MS dropped the ball with IE and tabs in the browser.

Bloggercon is run like a clock and this session ends on time.

MP3

Notes

Video

Standards For Users with Nial Kennedy
Nial Kennedy, ex-technorati, now-Microsoft employee lead the discussion on Standards for Users. This is meant as a discussion of what standards are, things we hate about standards, the things that we love about standards and what kinds of things that need to be standardized.
MP3

Notes

Video

Emotional Life with Lisa Williams
Lisa Williams has been blogging since 2000 and her discussion is about why people blog, whats the most personal thing members of the conference have ever blogged and the best personal experience the other attendees have had.

Some folks talk about Blogging as something that goes with their career. Terry Heaton, who consults for local TV stations on how to collaborate with their communiteis in social media efforts, talks about finding his wife dead, and how he blogged about it and how it affected him, and the response he got from the folks who know him in the blogosphere. He points out that blogging is a social phenomenon more than a technological one.

Chris Pirillo talks about he has led a pretty public and bloggish life (even before blogging was popular), and how when his marriage broke up, he took heat for it thorugh his blog (from his readers).

Others talk about how Blogging, while part of their life, is compartmentalized — they do it for work, or as their passion and dont let other aspects of their life get involved. Some dont talk about their families, or _only_ talk about their families. Doc discusses how when he ‘came out’ as a pacifist, he took a ton of personal attacks (up to maybe including stalking). He has since stopped discussing politics/pacificism for his own piece of mind. Nial discusses how he has stopped talking about members of his family on his blog.
Lisa discusses the rules she follows: “Dont blog what you dont own” – living up to the trust you have in your family and vice versa.

Some discussion of the darker side of blogging. Getting people in trouble. “Pre-firing” yourself for positions taken on your blog. “Permanent Record” and the google cache are mentioned as well as potential lawsuits which might result from what you have written.

Jay Rosen talks about how he doesnt blog about personal issues, but there is still a huge emotional aspect of blogging. He calls it his “little first amendment machine”.

Dave Winer calls it the “unedited voice of a person”.

MP3

Notes

Video

Day 1 Post Game Show with Doc Searls
Doc Searls (Cluetrain Manifesto, http://doc.weblogs.com/) does a wrap-up of the discussions for the day (Dave Winer does the technography).

Doc compares blogging to a snowball – once it starts rolling downhill it continues to grow – and once you let it go it is no longer yours.
Doc wants to know how we are going to change the world.
Chris Pirillo talks about empowering users – how he has an idea for Freedbacking.com – Free Feedback for everyone.

Kevin Marks discusses microformats. How they can free our data, and make it easier to protect and share.

Terry Heaton talks about how there is a sense that the institutions of our cultures have failed. We should be looking to building new things – not rebuilding these old institutions.

WIll Pate thinks these objects that we are talking about – RSS, blogging, video blogging need to get 500% less geeky. We are raising barriers with the geekspeak.

MP3

Notes

Video

Day 2

Haftime Show with Dave Winer
Dave discusses how developing software is hard. And how sometimes we put the people who develop the software on pedestals. Dave asks the developers in the room what they are looking for from users – what kind of feedback, what kind of loops.

We get into a discussion of jargon and language. How sometimes we use jargon as a kind of code to keep those out of the know. The ‘priesthood’ of development doesnt want to be transparent – like medicine, advertising or religion. We wrap what we do and say is words that are indecipherable to the layman. Sometimes on purpose. Sometimes by accident (or happy accident).

What happens when the people in the street figure it out – part of what we need to do is foster, encourage more transparency.

MP3

Notes

How to Make Money with John Palfrey
John Palfrey is a professor at Harvard Law and the Director of the Berkman Center – focusing on internet law, intellectual property and the power of technology to strengthen democracies. John’s entire presentation is about making money with blogging, whether it is direct revenue (advertising or sponsorship) or indirectly (improving a consulting career, connecting with new clients, getting a book deal, etc.).

We discuss making money on a hyper-local basis (big part of the conversation – both local blogs, local advertising and connecting with local businesses). Making money for non-profits. Making money on affiliate marketing deals, etc.

MP3

Notes

Building Bridges with Elisa Camahort
Elisa is a blogger and founder of BlogHer. Her discussion was about building bridges – specifically in the blogging community and conference system. There are tons of great women bloggers and speakers out there, and how do we get more of them into the system.
Discuss how blogging and conferences like Gnomedex, Bloggercon, BlogHer didnt exist a couple of years ago. We talk about how Mary Hodder, after a conference last year, set up a Wiki for women speakers (to communicate to the conference community – there are women out here and they are great for panels, etc.). Part of the discussion was about how women speakers need to get out there and let people know they exist.

Blog her is a big step towards all of that.

MP3

Notes

2008 Election with Lance Knobel
Lance discusses politics (non partisan, although there were a lot of examples used from the Dem election in 2004) and how blogging/social media can help/harm/enhance.
MP3

Notes

Video Blogging with Ryanne

Ryanne did a tremendous job discussing Video Blogging (vlogging) both from a high level and from a nitty gritty, tools perspective.

MP3

Notes

Core Values with Mike Arrington
Mike Arrington of TechCrunch discusses civility and standards of behavior in the Blogosphere. Both how we act and conflicts of interest.
MP3

Notes

Fat Man Sings with Dave Winer

Dave Winer closes BloggerconIV with a discussion of the success of this year vs. past years. Dave discusses the fact that he will quit blogging this year – maybe do something new, maybe write a book. There is some discussion of what Bloggercon V would look like. We discuss how in the beginning there were blogs (text), moblogs (mobile blogs via wireless handsets w/ cams, etc.), podcasts (audio) and now vlogs (video).

MP3

Notes

Net-Net

This event rocked. The room was energized, the discussions were great. The crowd was totally welcoming, and I got to hang out with a bunch of people who I see every day in my aggregator.

Flickr Feed for BloggerconIV

Flickr Feed for Bloggercon

Bloggercon official site.

Frappr Map for the attendees.

same growing pains as podcasting and blogging

what is bloggin doing to push the medium forward?

not just podcasting

what do you want to do?

really have the world open to you

what do you want to see happen

what does video add – whats exciting, whats the potential?
video adds experience

descriptions/pictures

do people need to have media wranglers

all issues – writing x 10

wants to start out doing things and then branching out

lots of ways to participate

some more comfortable to write or others done

tools to make videoblogging more prevalent

taking assets – dropping it in

adobe premier not easy for mortals

jmpcut, ispy, dabble, motionbox
itags? centralized way to coordinate tags between systems

First Bloggercon took place in 2003 – Dean and Republicans in attendance

blogging might move politics back from wholesale (big marketing) to retail (door to door)

blogging is neutral as an exercise

how can a candidate become involved?

congressional vs senate races

2008 election – if things havent been show to work in midterm – scale of candidates amplified

great for raising money – not so good for delivering votes

Advertising, consulting, sponsorships.

the IRC backchannel is awesome

blogging as an interchange

tempering personal and professional life

what you say has impact – on career, friends, family, discussions, relationships, kids

blog for freedom – say what we want to do on our terms

freedom to say what you want

Mary Hodder – interesting that 15 yrs before people were spying on each other in E Europe and now they put all this stuff in public thru flickr, etc

Terry Heaton discussing the loss of his wife, how he blogged about it, the support he received from the community

Chris and Ponzi discussing their relationship and blogging

the feedback loop – how do you keep up and maintain?

friendly stranger rule

dont blog what you dont own maxim

thats nuts

Tools:

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/z/e/200606/6-23-06_bloggercon_iv_session2.mp3

http://www.scripting.com/docNography/bloggerconIv/Day001/tools.html

Citizen Journalism

http://i.i.com.com/cnwk.1d/i/z/e/200606/06-23-06_bloggercon_iv_session3.mp3

http://www.scripting.com/docNography/bloggerconIv/Day001/citizenJournalism.html

More to come…

discussing citizen journalism – not in abstract

talking about the notion that users know more than we do

Discussion of how an op-ed disses blogging by saying that Investigative Journalism is diametrically opposed to blogging (and better) – all the things bloggers cant do

tools need to be simple to empower

proprietary services as an impediment to sharing

need to say to the audience that they can participate

get away from the fruitless bickering b/w journalists and bloggers – this is completely diff from the current notion

how do we tell ken what he can do in spokane

how do we actually go to a paper to recommend and learn

ken – webcasting the news meetings

35 active blogs

3-4 podcasts

tradition busting ideas

open the archives

citation and recognition to those who are doing it (citizens)

projects as a longer term program (campaign as opposed to one-offs)

breaking stories as well as comments

major media have absorbed the idea that the readers are in more places than we are

method for analyses, method for collection, grading, filtering – problems – and where does the money come from for such a project

need mechanisms and rules for anonymity

lack of diversity in opinion – problem – why community, why audience can bring intelligence to the analysis

knowledgeable focus and motivated

terry heaton – evil empire

story is the narrative – presupposes the storyteller has info we dont have

hard to tell stories if we all have access to the same info

rejecting of narratives – filtering at individual level

if we expect the final prod to look like a story – we wont get there because thats not what the product is

story and diversity

biggest success of blogosphere journalism was Rather

doing away with THE story – no single point of truth

building trust in contributors

tracking historical raw data

battery dying…