A Personal @media Experience

Tuesday 14 June, 2005 ( 3:16PM GMT)

As many of you know, I'm the one to blame for the @media 2005 conference. It's all over the blogosphere like a rash right now, which I'm personally finding quite awesome. It would seem only right that I add my own itchy red blotch. Here are a few of my personal thoughts...

My presentation was sub-par. I wasn't 100% happy with it anyway (but then I am about few things) - in recent months it was neglected for other "greater" conference issues. This is no excuse though - I had a year to prepare for this. Perhaps most obviously though, with the clear competency of the audience, its general thrust was aimed too low for most of the delegates. It's a learning experience, and my presentation at next year's conference, which I already have a title for, will be much more thought-invoking.

On the experience and high skill-level of the audience, I think this should be covered in more detail in the new @media blog sometime soon. I would like to say, though, that I think it took us all by surprise. Judging by the feedback (sooo much to go through!) it wasn't actually the case for as many of the delegates as some may think, but it will be addressed, with more highbrow presentations next year.

I really, really, REALLY wish I had more time to meet people. I had a great time talking to those people I did get to meet, but there's a long list of others I'm not sure I even laid my eyes on, let alone talked to (a lot of that has something to do with not knowing what people look like though!).

I had a great time. I've not heard from anyone who didn't. Planning for @media 2006 is underway...

Comments

Comment 1

I'll keep my eye's open for the @media 2006 conference since I missed '05. I've always wanted travel to the UK, epesically after meeting the brit pack at SXSW '05. You guy's seem really cool and easy to talk to. I think your conference might just give me the excuss I need to travel. Especially, if I was asked to speak! *wink*

So said Brent O'Connor on Tuesday 14 June, 2005 at 5:42PM GMT.

Comment 2

Patrick, you did a fantastic job with this conference, and I think the high level of competency only goes to show the eagerness of the community to partake in such (excellently prepared) conferences.

Sure, it rendered your presentation to feel redundant to many people, but you helped some people an awful lot, I can assure you. My friend learned many things from your presentation, for instance. I saw him scribbling away happily. :-)

As for the whole "all across the blogosphere" remark, it's true: http://kurafire.net/log/archive/2005/06/11/atmedia-2005-report I have linked Every single blog post on @media (post-conference) I could find there, and as you can see, it's a LOT!

To others reading this: if you have made a post about your @media experience and it's not listed on my site yet, please let me know so I can add it!

So said Faruk Ateş on Tuesday 14 June, 2005 at 5:57PM GMT.

Comment 3

You did a great job, Patrick. Calling your presentation sub-par isn't fair. It was a good one. Yeah, a large part of the audience already knew most of it, but it was probably great for those who didn't.

I had a fantastic time, and I didn't want it to be over. Coming back home was like waking from a dream.

I'm really looking forward to @media 2006.

So said Roger Johansson on Tuesday 14 June, 2005 at 5:59PM GMT.

Comment 4

Your presentation was really good. To set out common grounds is always useful and was needed. I'm sure it'll serve many as a good basis for their {in|out} house presentations.

As for the conference, well, all as been said elsewhere. I can only join the numerous people congratulating you for all the efforts that led to this milestone. On a more personal level, I suffered a mild backlash once I got home to my day-to-day reality. I was like waking up from a dream.

Nevertheless, we all, I'm sure, feel boosted by what we heard, whom we met and what we experienced during the course of those two days.

Thanks.

So said David Roessli on Tuesday 14 June, 2005 at 6:39PM GMT.

Comment 5

Patrick, thanks for an awesome conference. Considering the astronomically-high skill-levels of delegates really indicates that the UK/Europe desparately needed a conference of this quality.

Were any of the sessions recorded? If not, would you consider that as an option for next year - since podcasting is all the rave these days.

So said Isofarro on Tuesday 14 June, 2005 at 7:06PM GMT.

Comment 6

Not the first and not the last of the "Well done"s, but I felt I should say it, seeing as when I said it at the conference you seemed miles away.

Cannot wait for 2006. Hope it doesn't do a Glastonbury-style sell-out. Scratching around eBay for tickets etc...

Are you having pretty much the same speakers next year? They all seem to be talking about what they'll be saying next year...

So said Colly on Tuesday 14 June, 2005 at 7:27PM GMT.

Comment 7

Not by a long shot the first or last Well Done for the whole shebang but my 2p. It's nearly a week later and everyone who went as far as I can see is still 'wired'. If tickets where on sale now for next year I have a feeling they might sell out! Which is an impressive feat and lots of that buzz is down to you putting the show on.

Where else are conversations likely to spring up on XHTML mime types at 2 O'clock after a fair few drinks?

So said Gareth Rushgrove on Wednesday 15 June, 2005 at 9:36PM GMT.

Comment 8

An excellent conference, thanks. I found all presentations very informative - as a PHP developer for the past few years I certainly learnt lots of stuff. The new design for the Vivabit site looks very swish by the way.

So said simon r jones on Friday 17 June, 2005 at 9:20AM GMT.

Comment 9

Great work Patrick. I'm very much looking forward to @media 2006.

So said Andy Budd on Monday 20 June, 2005 at 12:43AM GMT.

Comment 10

Let me add my thanks to the long and growing list of grateful web-standards-type-people. When the only critism that can be given is that one of the microphones was bit dodgy, it shows that the conference was a true success. It really was well put together, and further more I've got this orange bag I can use to upset all those who didn't make it!

Here's to next year - hopefully I will be able to grab one of those hot tickets!

So said Paul Lloyd on Tuesday 21 June, 2005 at 1:09AM GMT.

A Personal @media Experience

Tuesday 14 June, 2005 ( 3:16PM GMT)

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