Haven’t really got my head on straight since #ukgc13 on Saturday, so many lovely people, so much happened, moved forward, settled into a comfortable space. So here’s my list of blurbages:
0. I miss posterous because it really made it easy to getting people blogging after an event – the follow-up posts have been fewer this year and I’m sure it’s something to do with not being able to just grab a space and do it even for people without a regular blog.
1. Spam twitterbots are ruining the use of Twitter as a backchannel for events in real-time. As a record afterwards it’s OK but something must be done if we want real-time conversation around a hashtag.
2. The conversations could have been edgier for my liking. I worry that there aren’t enough “let’s kill this sacred cow” sessions being pitched, not enough argument, fighting, death threats, throwing of furniture, etc.
3. I think this is partly related to the fact that many people in this community started out as rebels and now they find themselves mainstream. It’s a difficult shift to handle and each individual reacts in their own way. If you have a keen eye for what’s not right, and are ready for resistance, it gets really difficult when people keep saying “yes, you’re right, let’s get on with it”. It’s a nice problem to have, but that doesn’t make it any easier.
4. I want more slots on the grid so that the keen people can chat away while the rest of us have dedicated space for napping and playing ukulele together.
5. I really should leave the gags to Dave Briggs, he does a smashing job, I end up going down embarrassing rabbit-holes.
6. I’m glad I recapped on the principles of open space at the beginning. It’s easy for us to slip into thinking that some of the rituals and traditions we’ve accumulated over the years have to be part of the process, they don’t, we should always be questioning whether they serve us, today.
7. I missed having Paul Clarke and Jeremy Gould around.
8. I’m really glad to see service-specific camps springing up, I’ve been to a #librarycamp and #bluelightcamp. I’m looking forward to #housingcamp. I’ve also been talking to people recently about running unconference/open space for individual organisations as a means to stakeholder engagement or for organisational learning.
9. Please don’t make me choose between Chicken Curry and Bangers and Mash for lunch.
10. This will be remembered as “the one where Lloyd played his ukulele to an audience of stuffed rats while a man danced the Charleston.”