Dec 12th, 2008 |
The power of limits has always been an underpinning of Web 2.0. Consider Twitter, which opened up a whole new world by constraining users to 140 characters. But there are many other examples. Our “small pieces loosely joined” have allowed us to embrace a simplicity that’s changed the landscape.
And now it’s almost 2009 and many of us find ourselves coping with limits imposed not by design but by circumstance. Whether it’s fewer people, smaller budgets, or just less time, we’re being thrown a curve ball just when we were ready to hit it out of the park. How we respond will depend, at least in part, on how we see the opportunity presented by the web as a platform. We see it as a deeply powerful force, the effect of which continues to create opportunity, both in spite of, and in some cases, because of, our economic troubles.
These are some of our thoughts as we roll out the foundations of the Web 2.0 Expo San Francisco 2009. The community that will convene in San Francisco this April will be under renewed pressure to do more with less, to show return on their efforts, to truly innovate. With this in mind, the program will focus on concrete, real-world examples and useful insights into what’s worked for your colleagues, and what’s on the horizon. We’ll hear from people like Scott Monty at Ford, feverishly working to change the culture of this large and troubled organization and its relationship with its market through social media. At the other end of the spectrum, we have Jake Nickell and Jeffrey Kalmikoff of Threadless, which has built a t-shirt empire on the ideas of community, creativity, and co-creation.
Innovation cuts across organizational size and industry; it also cuts across function. That’s why Web 2.0 Expo is for designers to developers, marketers, entrepreneurs, business strategists, and everyone in the web community. While our main conference tracks target the major roles represented in Web 2.0, our mini-tracks devote attention to some key industries and platforms where we see significant opportunities: mobile, entertainment, security, and web operations. Look for more details on these tracks in the coming weeks.
Speaking of the power of less, we have an incentive for you. Be one of the first 100 people to register by Dec. 31 and take $300 off any conference package. Just copy and paste websf09emp51 into the discount code field on the registration form. We also have an invitation; let us know what you think of this direction and the program by adding your comments here and also on the individual session pages for more specific feedback. We look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Jennifer Pahlka and Brady Forrest, co-chairs, Web 2.0 Expo
Thanks for the invite. I enjoyed the Web 2.0 event in NYC but will have to pass on San Fran. Need to focus 100% on making MeetingWave.com the tool that helps people make new contacts for business or social purposes. It ain’t easy being me. Have a great time. John
You gotta know I can’t resist this topic. This is HUGE question!
Naturally running right to macro-economics…
And the “Power of Less!”
Okay, here’s the question…
Like a colony of bacteria in a petri dish, there’s a limit to consumption for humans and the rest of the life on our planet as well.
But unlike bacteria…
*We can think.
*And we live in an environment that has at least a potential for long-term equilibrium.
HOWEVER!
Aside from the economy’s other problems which are myriad…
the current economic structure of motivations and responses FREAKS OUT when consumption goes down. (Like NOW!)
And immediately the demand is “How do we INCREASE our consumption and buy more STUFF?”
SO the question is…
How does the “Power of Less”
OVERCOME for the long-term! (not just the current recession/depression)
The Power and especially Attraction of MORE!
It really is tougher than it seems!
It can ONLY be solved, if at all, by a true spirit of co-operation and change in cultural values to ones that are rather rare in history.
It CAN be done!
It’s time for Civilization to move from “Lizard Brain” economics (just greed and fear)
to, I don’t know… “Frontal Cortex” economics…
Which just means it’s time to start thinking about what these idiots in charge of things have been doing to our planet!
Fortunately, I have hopes that Mr. Obama has some good understanding of this. I believe he’s truly trying!
We need to build good systems of support underneath. It’s not a job only one man can do.
It’s a whole world job!
The discount code you have provided for registration for Web2.0 expo at SF, does not work.
Please send a correct discount code.
Thanks,
Vijay
The power of less… I think you’ve hit it on the nose. When you have the luxury of time or money, it’s easy, and common, to get distracted, lose focus & not advance and push forward. But when you have less of either or both, and the same goals still exist, creativity can’t help but be born. It’s easy to focus on what is lost, but I think we now have an enormous opportunity and look forward to seeing what good can be done through the power of less.
Do you need any more speakers
Hello everyone - thanks for your comments. To quickly provide answers to the questions:
1 - We appreciate your interest but are close to finalizing the program for the event. Our call for papers opens up months in advance of an event and for San Francisco we received over 1,000 proposals. You can see details on the ‘Submitting a Proposal’ page - http://blog.web2expo.com/submitting-a-proposal/
2 - The registration code should work for any conference package (not Expo packages). If you are still experiencing difficulty, please email confreg@oreilly.com and we will help you resolve your issue.
Please keep the comments coming! We love hearing your thoughts on our upcoming program and really value your input.
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