Comments on: Finding the value of social media conferences

By: Evo Terra

Evo Terra — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 13:04:44 +0000

Dan – That’s a huge challenge for the organizers of any event to overcome — appealing to the sophistication level of the audience. I certainly don’t envy them for the job they have to do.

But that’s good feedback the organizers need to hear, and I’ll pass it along.

By: Dan

Dan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 06:41:31 +0000

I just found the entire thing to be so 101 that I almost fell asleep and asked for my money back. An airplane is a complex thing. The subjects discussed were not.

By: Kristi Hines

Kristi Hines — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 05:34:33 +0000

@Dan I don’t think you have to pretend to be dumb to learn something you already know. Some people get hung up on the fact they are “experts” to the point they just assume anyone who is not an expert wouldn’t have any useful information for them. It’s a matter of not assuming you know everything, not closing yourself off from hearing other points of view, and allowing yourself to be reminded of things you may have forgotten along the way.

By: Evo Terra

Evo Terra — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 12:42:16 +0000

Spot on, Kristi. The fundamentals tend to stay true even as we mature. And it never hurts to have a refresher course.

I’m not sure how far I’d get with that approach, Dan. Rather, I’d approach it the way I approach watching Airplane for the nth time. What am I going to catch this time that I missed all those other times? It happens!

By: Dan

Dan — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:29:52 +0000

If you have to pretend you’re dumb to learn something you already know, then I suppose that’s a strategy.

By: Kristi Hines

Kristi Hines — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 19:50:27 +0000

I like to go in with a very open mind in hopes of always learning something new. If you go into a conference thinking you know everything there is, then you might now be willing to absorb something new, or let yourself be reminded of basic things that you may have forgotten in the path of becoming more advanced at a technique or technology.

With that mindset, I learned a lot of new things, and was also reminded of some things I used to do a lot in blogging and social media in the beginning that was crucial to building community.

I think one thing that is helpful is when you hear a good tip, you write it down, and then go back as soon as possible afterward and ask yourself how you can apply that tip today to what you are doing. Relating information to something that you can apply immediately helps cement it and make it a habit rather than just a good idea that you would like to do someday, but never may get around to doing.