Social Media Café London February 19, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Events, Video, Trends, London, Social Media Events , 3 commentsMy last Friday in London was the cause for Likemind London and (directly across the street, 5 minutes after) Social Media Café. I’m pretty sure the idea is to eventually own a physical piece of “IRL” space - this goes beyond coworking - London has several coworking spaces already. We’re talking a place for social media nerds or pros, however they choose to label themselves, to get together and talk. Now taking place every Friday Morning near London’s glitzy West End, behind the theatre where you can see “Spamalot”.
Don’t believe me? Here’s a video by Mike Atherton (sizemore).
Here’s a bit from Lloyd Davis, the organizer, on Social Media Café as Platform:
“What I want to create is a platform that enables people to create value for themselves.”
The inspiration for this comes from the tech world - CP/M & MS-DOS, the IBM PC, the Internet, the Web, Amazon Marketplace, Craigslist, Ebay, Facebook - what they all have in common is that no matter how they get paid for or how they’re organised, or whether or not they make money for their inventors, they have also given other people the opportunity to create new relationships, markets and businesses that weren’t possible before
Also met some cool peeps there, they’ll be showing up in the blogroll on the left sidebar soon, and probably the daily Ma.gnolia summary in the RSS as well.
OLPC and other Sub-Notebooks as a Weapon for African Cyber-Crime? Nope. February 8, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Trends, Newspaper, London, Security, Africa , add a comment
As I was sitting in a café here in London yesterday, I picked up the Guardian’s Thursday Technology Section and saw this rather large story a few pages in - there is a picture of some cute African kids with XO laptops, but the headline read Crime fears as cheap PCs head for Africa
Initiatives such as the OLPC and the Classmate are intended to help bridge the digital divide. But security experts warn that there could be an unforeseen negative effect.
“There is the possibility of creating the largest botnet in the world,” says Yuval Ben-Ithak of Finjan, a computer security company. This view is borne out by a recent report by F-Secure identifying Africa as one of the emerging cybercrime threats.
Sidebar: The tinyurl link was printed in the paper, but the original URL was way too long and difficult - these British kids understand how to use the tools. Hopefully, the service is letting them track how many people actually type in the URL so they can understand conversion rates? PLZ?
As to the connection with OLPC, that was completely the reporter’s doing. I skimmed through the report, and there was no mention of cheap laptops. Example:
Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer at F-Secure, believes malware creation hotspots are defined by a number of socio-economic causes – particularly in terms of job opportunities.
“Within the last few years, Internet take-up in emerging markets has been phenomenal. For example, Brazil now has over two million Internet users,” says Hypponen. “And coincidentally, since 2003, computer crime has really taken off in Brazil, China and the former Soviet countries.”
“The trend is expected to continue and spread into areas such as Africa, India and Central America,” predicts Hypponen. “This is partly due to the limited IT job prospects in these markets. People are developing sophisticated computer skills, but have limited opportunities to profit from them legally.”
But the OLPC security guy they talked to, Ivan Krstic, easily squashed the possibility of OLPC’s default software having any possibility of easily becoming a botnet. The reporter then counters that OLPC’s are supposed to be able to run Windows XP, and that’s not secure - BUT XP is like 7 years old now, and I think the number of vulnerabilities and possible back doors has been addressed so many times that new exploits will be fewer and farther between.
The problem is interesting, but in my opinion not believable. I’d like to get Erik Hersman on the phone to talk about it, but he appears to be out of the country right now as well, so I guess it has to wait.
Interesting Brits and Aussies (and Floridians, Michiganders) February 2, 2008
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Orlando, Links, Quotes, Events, Trends, Travel, floridacreatives, London, Likemind.orl , add a commentI’ve certainly noticed the work of Russell Davies before, but somehow I thought he just blogged about food, because he’s written a book about 50 great cafés around the UK called Egg, Bacon, Chips & Beans with an accompanying café blog, as well as one called a good place for a cup of tea and a think.
Then I was talking to Chris Wojda (woidah) from Jacksonville Likemind today about Pecha Kucha Night (more on that later, I promise), and we talked a bit about Florida Creatives and Likemind and a few other fun things. Then I told him I was going out of town, and it came out that I am going to England tomorrow. He absolutely insisted that I email Russell and go have a chat with him while I’m in London, so I started looking into it a bit.
Looks like Russell is an advertising guy, and my friend Chris knew him/ learned about him via Portland, OR. Now Russell writes about all kinds of stuff and has a consultancy with offices in 4 different parts of the world, Sydney, Amsterdam, London and New York. Wow.
Why did Chris think I needed to talk to Russell? Because we have similar goals? Social change? bringing people together? building communities? exploring technology and the future? Yeah, I guess so, but Russell also organizes this event called Interesting. Here’s a great idea. It’s simple. It scratches an itch.
The TED conference has just finished in Monterery. Sounds like a fantastic lot of speakers. I was lucky enough to go last year and I’d put aside the money to go again this year. But, a while ago, it occurred to me that I could take that money and we could maybe organise a conference of our own here in the UK, which might be even more interesting. Or at least easier to get to.
So this is the plan:
We’ve booked the Conway Hall for the 16th of June. Which is a Saturday. It’ll be about £20 to get in. I want to make it something almost anyone can afford.
The plan is to have all sorts of speakers speak about all sorts of stuff. Not brands, advertising, blogging and twitter but interesting, unexpected, original things. I’m hoping to find fascinating people and to just ask them to speak about something they care about. I want to replicate the experience of clicking from one really good blog to another, ranging across sciences, arts, musics, jokes and whatever. There will be 20 minute slots and 3 minute slots. Some people will play music or sing. And some people who can’t be there will be asked to send three minute videos. Perhaps. I reckon we can squeeze a lot of interestingness into a day. And then have a party afterwards.
But it’ll all be down to the goodwill and enthusiasm of the speakers anyway, because I won’t be able to pay any of them.
There’s been the problem with most of my ideas to date, or the execution of group ideas: too much thinking, too many discussions, too much of everything. This event gets down to the core. No sponsors, nothing frivolous. Just interesting people talking.
Maybe that’s why Florida Creatives works so well. I used to go to these great events in Detroit, but the whole lecture and the product demos and the committee meetings and the agendas were so complex, people would sit at most of the events and then go home right after, but they were missing more than half of the experience by not socializing at the bar across the street.
At my first SEMAFX event, I was begged to come hang out at the bar, but I hadn’t made plans to, and to be honest, the talk was not that interesting. We all tried to get people interested about going to a conference we had all just returned from, but the next event was a year away. I met some cool people and I wanted to network and hang out, but they were asking me to go somewhere else with a group of strangers where I was an outsider, and I didn’t get it.
The next month I went to both parts - the lecture and the socializing at the bar - what a huge difference! There was time for talkback with the presenters, meeting the important people who ran the organization, drinking beer, eating exotic foods, it was great!
In Orlando, the local SIGGRAPH chapter holds 3-4 events a year. At least one of them involves people who work at huge public companies like Pixar, LucasFilm, Electronic Arts or NASA. Before the events they have an hour of socializing, but it feels more like a minature expo, because companies buy tables and there are soft drinks for a dollar and a nice college student smiles and reaches into the ice to grab you a Sprite or a Diet Coke, and people wear nametags and give powerpoint slideshows or bring demonstration hardware for their video compressor/decompressor. Then when the lecture is over, everyone drives home, a bit more educated, but none the more stimulated.
In late 2006 when I was talking to John about doing an important cultural event in Orlando, we soon realized that we had neither the time, the influence or the healthy community to pull off such a grand event, so I tried thinking smaller. What got me motivated about the events at SEMAFX and the local SIGGRAPH? Why had I joined 2 community service organizations at school? I wanted to socialize, I needed a safe haven to be surrounded by likeminded people and think things out, and I’m sure loads of other people had the same desire.
So Florida Creatives became an event where we didn’t care about whether you were a hacker or a filmmaker or a blogger or a photographer or an improviser or a poet or an advertiser or a designer or whether you didn’t professionally, or if you were just getting started, or… anything. Come as you are. Don’t wear a nametag. Join the gang. Feel the embrace of the community. Cory writes about it a lot, and I really appreciate that outspokenness.
Chris (remember, from Jacksonville) started talking about doing a Florida Creatives up there, so it’s been on my brain. I’ve spoken to a few other people about doing an event where they are, but I think in order to be qualified, you need to be missing the community you once had in another town or at another school, or even at a bigger company. Maybe that’s the only qualification: to have an empty place that only your peers, superiors and protégés can fill.
I’ve been noticing particularly this week that a good idea must get harder and stronger and bigger simply by sharing it with people: the idea of having to sell someone on a thought you had in a dream and the subsequent brainstorm becomes difficult if they are critical, or if they play Devil’s Advocate. I’ve always known Florida Creatives should go to other places, but I guess I haven’t had to sell too many people on starting their own, and particularly people that fill the only qualification.
Russell, Chris, John, Cory, Alex, Jake, Scott, Randy, Brad, Jason, Charlie and oh so many others, thanks for getting me here.
Photos from London November 18, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Site News, Travel, London, photos, flash , 2 comments
It was awesome. I’m going back at least twice next year. I have lots to catch up on, but it doesn’t feel like a chore. I’m getting some nice solidification of some of my crazy ideas, and some perspective on some of my old ones. 2008 will be the best year ever, and I have Kait and London to thank for it in part.
I have a few more photos to edit/upload yet, but that will be reflected in this slieshow when they’re ready. This player also has pics from my last trip to London in April as well. Cheers!
Coworking London, any takers? November 8, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Music, Coworking, Trends, Travel, London, Friends, Arts , 1 comment so farIf anyone has Google Alerts set for CoworkingLondon, they’ll come across this blog post and reply soon.
I am currently staying in Northern London, and I’m now an expert at the tubes and trains here, so I can get to anyplace I like. I have a day off tomorrow until around 1600 (that’s 4PM for you non-Europeans), and I’d like to co-work somewhere in town.
The easiest way to be in touch is by email < rprice AT ryanpricemedia.com >. I also have a phone, but I don’t have the number handy. I’m hoping to get a response from Noel, because I know he’s been here on a coworking expedition before.
This has been a fun trip, the other day we rode a boat down to Greenwich (as in Greenwich, Mean Time or GMT) where all time begins and saw the “Painted Hall”. Been to some other random places in town, and went to an awesome french horn concert the other night, followed by a “buttoned down” concert with period instruments and guys wearing trainers (sneakers). It was really neat, an event called The Night Shift, wherein the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment gets on stage for just such a no-collars-required concert every so-often. You can bring your wine and beer in the hall, get up during the performance, and actually hear a bit of talkback from the conductor and the host instead of having to read it all off the program (or have your girlfriend whisper it in your ear).
I’m 25 Today!! July 18, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Site News, Career, Podcasts, Orlando, Music, Events, Video, Trends, Travel, Mr. A for Effort, Entrepreneurship, London , 2 commentsOne birthday regret: I weigh more than 10 times my age. Hopefully this will be the last birthday I will ever have to say that.
Off to London until 4/30 April 18, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Blogging, Links, Travel, MySpace, Web Sites, London, photos , add a commentBy the time most of you read this, I will likely be on my way to the airport. I’m flying out on NorthWest (for the frequent flyer miles). Never flown with them internationally, we’ll see. I am pulling out my passport at this very moment…right.
If you have friends in London, send them here to the blog and the comments on this post or the contact form, or MySpace.
If you’re on Flickr, add me, I hope to be posting photos all along the way.
If you’re on Twitter, I’m going to see what I can do about that… I can at least post from the flat, but I might get my girlfriend to loan me her phone so I can text updates.
Skype will help, too. If you want to leave a message for me, it will be easier to call (321) 441-3964, which is my Skype voicemail.
Getting late and I have to take in my MacBook tomorrow! Later!
Play Didge — Hero in Bed — ComicJuice Comic Mash-up fun March 26, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Links, Drupal, Reviews, Trends, Design, Web Sites, London , add a commentI have been playing with ComicJuice - think ComicLife, but inside your web browser, and you can embed the content anywhere you can post an iFrame - NO FLASH!! Wow! Play Didge — Hero in Bed — ComicJuice Comic Mash-up fun
…and it was built with Drupal.
Fleeing the Country March 18, 2007
Posted by Ryan in : Tech, Site News, Blogging, Travel, Liberatr, London , 1 comment so farIt’s official: I’m emigrating to England for 12 days at the end of April. The main reason for this trip is to hang out with my super-awesome girlfriend. Bonus points for finally getting to meet Aleshia, one of my Liberatr bloggers, in person.
Any thoughts on where I should go, what I should eat, which brand of chocolate to bring home, which ales, lagers and porters to drink? I don’t really want to do the London Eye, and apparently the National Gallery is not as exciting as some people make it sound. I was there about 13 years ago, so I have seen Parliment, Tower of London, Dover, even a few castles.
I am excited about getting to go to shows - Wicked, Avenue Q, maybe Equus (or as I like to call it - “Harry Potter and the Wang of Destiny”). I will be very excited to see the public markets and gardens - that’s what I loved about Europe when I was a kid - the greenery, the history, the texture and the way that life operates on this completely different wavelength than America and especially Central Florida, where I have spent my entire developmental life.
Be certain I will be online, posting pictures, videos and Twitters whenever possible. I’ll drink a pint for you. Cheers!
