I’ve had a chance to reflect on mesh 2009 and a few things struck me:
- The keynotes really stood out, especially the one by Toronto’s Mayor David Miller. He was funny, articulate, self-effacing and honest. He responded to questions quickly and credibly; spoke in plain English. He was not your typical politician by any means. That was refreshing. And while he can never please everyone, he seems open to a dialogue and new ideas (demonstrated in part by his presence on Twitter ). It appears as if he has a long term technology-based vision for Toronto; imagining the city as a creative and business hub; one that offers residents easy access to useful information/data and a viable feedback mechanism with which to engage the city. I wish him luck. Also, whoever is responsible for his PowerPoint’s does a great job with graphics.
Mike Masnick, with his concrete poetry approach to slides and ‘button-down’ case studies, comes a close second (you can download his presentation and see for yourself).
- I didn’t get as much out of the panels this time around. Yes, some of them had lively discussions, but for those of us who are actively involved in social media, many seemed a bit too tactically focused. Especially since we’re finding out about and sharing the latest trends, apps, etc. on Twitter or other web 2.0 platforms. I’d like to see more MSM and well-informed critics involved in the panels as a way of sparking some fresh thinking.
- Social media, like its name says, is all about people – and the ones I met and had an opportunity to talk with were intelligent, passionate and open. I had too many great conversations to note them all here, but I want to call-out Bryan Person, who I enjoyed meeting in person. Have a listen to Bryan’s post-mesh podcast for a Canadian perspective (and thanks for including me).
And thank you to the mesh organizers for putting it all together again.
