NEW YORK -- I'm at the Audience conference in Midtown Manhattan today... but, well, not right now. Right now, I've sneaked away to the nearest Starbucks, because in the actual conference there are no laptops allowed, nor is there WiFi access. There's also a rumor that if you're caught Tweeting, you'll be impaled on the flag pole out front.
But... maybe I started that rumor.
In any case, the Audience conference is unlike most of the Web-centric tech conferences we're typically blessed with because, well, first off, it's based on the belief that the audience still exists: a claim likely to offend anyone in the 2.0 club, where the term isn't relevant.
Moreover, the man in charge -- Loren Feldman of 1938 Media -- has actually reintroduced the very feeling of being in an audience (and in 1938).
This is the first event I've been to in quite a while where the "audience" is actually an audience. No one is Tweeting out the quotes, bit by bit; no one is live-streaming the sessions; there is no Twitter board to which people try desperately to post snarky comments.
Instead, we've been forced to just listen, to acknowledge that there is room for both a storyteller and a passive audience, even in the world of technology.
Of course, as a reporter here to cover the conference, my inability to use the Internet or the laptop I've uselessly lugged from the other end of the island of Manhattan is rather annoying. But Feldman doesn't care: "I don't need press, blog posts, or any of it," he said.
Still, we forge on, while the audience eats lunch.
While many in the Web 2.0 industry believe there's no longer a separation between creator and audience (we're all content co-creators, we crowdsource the news, we all are the president, etc., etc.), no one here at Audience seems to be under that impression. Rather, the focus of today's content is on how to maintain an audience -- particularly a monetizable audience -- in today's digital world.
Probably one of the most interesting insights so far has come from our prolific ThinkerNet contributor Andrew Keen, who spoke on how, as a real author, to develop an audience and about what he really thinks is going on in today's Web 2.0 world.
Keen admits that the audience has been politicized -- and that we're experiencing the empowerment of the "untalented, ignorant, and narcissistic" masses. But he believes this "empowerment" to be a farce, an attempt to replace the old media elite, not with a liberated "audience," but with a new elite group: Web figureheads like Michael Arrington and Robert Scoble who make the audience believe they are "collaborators" while still maintaining authority.
The key is to use the new tools (Twitter, et al.) and build one's own stage, says Keen. But do it so that the audience thinks it's on your level. These are the people who will succeed.
Those creators who will fail, however, he says, are those who fall for it. "If you really believe the audience is equal with you, you as a professionally creative person are dead."
We'll have more insights for you next week on what comes out of today's conference. I'd promise them this afternoon, but I anticipate being jailed for running away and finding this glorious Internet access in the middle of the conference.
Oh, and I'd show you some pictures of the day's great speakers, but video and photos are banned as well. We're supposed to just pay attention.
Nicole, trust me, it wasn't only Russian Conference, USA, Chezh Republic:))) not every Conference in the world has Wifi connection.So, if crisis influences America so much that there won't be WiFI on the most of tech Conferences( and if there is wifi, the organizers will sell the tickets for it:), I can teach a course: "How to entertain yourself on the boring conferences without the Internet". You will learn sea battle,tic-tac-toe and my favourite game "Bulls and Cows"- actually it is very good for the logic.
Re: "Is barring folks from using web 2.0 tools in conferences a violation of first amendment rights?"
No definitely not, Paul. There simply wasn't any WiFi access. Ubiquitous WiFi isn't a constitutional right. And this certainly isn't the first organized event in history to say "no laptops." What about at concerts where people are banned from taking photos?
Yes, we all paid to attend. Why wouldn't he want our 100% attention? Who wants to be speaking in front of a room full of people whose attention is elsewhere? The point of the conference was to stress that there's still room for an audience in the digital society, and to make that point Feldman told people not to use the Internet during the conference. It made sense to me.
But why for goodness sake does Feldman want your 100% attention? Did you pay to attend the conference? Is barring folks from using web 2.0 tools in conferences a violation of first amendment rights? People are even tweeting now from places we once regarded as worship centers, are now using web 2.0 tools.
But on the other hand... and I think this is what Feldman was getting at... it's also OK to just experience something, to be a passive member of the audience, without having to share everything online and create your own content.
Again, the only reason I had a problem with this is because it was my job to be there to cover the conference... and this was made difficult by the ban on laptops/WiFi. Otherwise, I see no problem with it whatsoever.
Katherine, I would like to go back next year. I hope he continues it. However, it was the first conference I've gone to ever where I had to pay rather than receive a press pass. It made sense afterward since the conference wasn't exactly organized in a way that it could receive a ton of press (no laptops, Internet access, etc.), and Feldman said he didn't care about any of it. So would I go back? I'd like to because it was enjoyable, but I'm not sure if I'd go back as a reporter. I guess we'll see!
I agree with you, tawnieknight. It was a nice change that people weren't engrossed with their laptops (even though, like I said, it was a bit difficult for me to do my job). However, there were still plenty of people tapping on their iPhones. Oddly, Feldman didn't verbally "ban" them the way he did everything else. I have a basic cellphone... not much of a distraction. So I just listened and took notes... on paper.
LOL Mashka... Glad to hear how you pass the time at conferences in Russia. But you bring up a great point, as usual, that ubiquitous WiFi is something we expect here. Arriving at a tech conference and hearing there's no WiFi is like hearing they've cut off the oxygen in the room. Fortunately the speakers weren't too boring, so I didn't have to play sea battle. :)
Nicole thanks again for the great insight. I am not as much in the Web 2.0 professional world as some of those who have commented. Professional meetings I attend still pretty much consist of a speaker and an audience - if we are lucky we get a powerpoint presentation. I have absolutely no attention span for this - the sessions that perk me up are the ones that are smaller groups and involve audience participation. I don't mind if I can't tweet or blog on a laptop in a meeting - what I can't do anymore (I used to be able to do it in college and grad school) is purely listen. I need to write something down or talk back to the speaker or my colleagues. I think it is just the way many of our brains are wired now with all the Web 2.0 around us, for instant response and interaction. So I think this Audience idea is very interesting. I don't know about the speakers involved like some on this post do but in my opinion they would have to be pretty amazing to hold my attention!
Nicole, I had to read this blog slowly too (as jwallace did), to understand it better (read it twice, not sure why; maybe because 5 hrs sleep/night MAY be catching up with me?). A $399 Audience Conference…ey? Hmm. “The audience.” “Thee” audience indeed. But what an audience. I mean their eyes might be open, even blinking, they might even be looking in your (orator) direction; but, ah…what about their thoughts? Just because the audience might be quiet and looking in your direction doesn’t necessarily mean you’ve captured their BRAIN attention. Are they REALLY paying (besides paying $399 to be there) attention? Surely…NOT…IF they had all of their electro-gadgetized-gizmos with them (reminds me of an old rant here….). I can see the possible need for conference rules here (at the “Audience” Conference) in this regard with turning off all the external sh*t (cell phones, PDAs, WiFi etc). PAY ATTENTION! EYES HERE (as I point two fingers in my eyes, motioning twice; then turn my fingers out to you to poke your eyes twice). I’m a Twitter critic too as some @ 1938, so, I’d be interested in seeing more info on what this conference wuz ALL ‘bout.
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