Orlando is already cool. You just have to know where to look. Just like every other city I've found. There are lame spots in Paris, France if you can believe it - and I'm not talking about the tourist bars.

@Eric

I should have qualified by saying that I already think Orlando is cool, but I'm not sure everyone is convinced.

Yeah, but it doesn't seem to reveal its coolness to everybody right away. Whenever I hear people saying how lame orlando is, I know that they just haven't tapped into the charm, energy and history of the creative class in Orlando. But then you find a few spots that light you up, a few people that speak your language and Orlando becomes homier; in every sense of the word.

I have to agree with Eric on the Orlando bashing I hear. It's surprising how many people are willing to dismiss this city as just an extension of Disney and nothing else. I always find there are very neat projects and people working here but it's difficult to get past the mouse stigma as it were.

And yeah, I've seen some really lame places in otherwise cool cities, too. They all have them. It's kinda like a balance of good and evil.

Ryan,

I am glad you spoke out about your company not being as active in the community. This is a big part of what I want to help within Doterati, to bring out the talented folks that work at "cool" companies and help those companies that aren't perceived as "cool," get hip and "cool" by those that are "cool" in the community.

Wow that was a lot of cool's in "".

But anyways, Orlando is amazing. From the time I started showing my face, let's say at BlogOrlando last year, in through BarCamp and into helping with Doterati, I have found more people that I could have ever imagined doing very special things. People like you and Florida Creatives and helping me with starting PodCasts for our clients and personally.

I think I told ya at BarCamp that the reason I was there on Tech Day was to feel a part of something bigger than I am. From my music background, you always had a bigger crowd when you played with 2 or 3 great bands, got Budweiser to pay for some beers and everyone got involved. The more people that are involved the better the community will be. Now we just have to get the word out!

I think what Alex said later in the same comment is what is needed more than broadcasting the cool factor. He mentioned representation at org.'s like EDC and such. I think that the major tech players [Lockheed and other major headline companies] already have personal inroads with the powers that be. I think Doterati could end up representing the bottom part of the tech population: the small startups, small web houses with a hand full of employees, the independent designer or developer. These are the ones that breed the cool but also are miserably unaccounted for their impact on the CFL economy.

After the 1st Barcamp I realized that I was looking at a roomful of small businesses that amounted to an economic player. But that was collective. Individually many supported themselves as self employed or a handful of employees. I had the chance to relate that there is plenty of money/life in the tech currently alive in Orlando in a conversation to a City Council member after she mentioned the City's drive to attract tech business. But she blew it off pointing out that that room was still a bunch of individuals, she wanted a company with 100 jobs that paid $45,000+. That is tech. Missed the point that the room held that plus some.

What is needed is an group that an active membership that gives power [through participation] to it to advocate for some of that economic consideration based on clear and solid economic data of its memberships activities and a solid relationship with the types of organizations that need to be aware what is already here and what is growing. The ability to say "We represent over 200 people with a combined economic impact of $X, we live and work in Orlando and if you don't help us stay we will leave for greener pastures".

I think Doterati has that potential. I think that focusing on the networking, socializing, sharing of ideas is wonderful but there is duplicity many times over for all of those things. Don't remove it, don't discourage it and don't worry if there is overlap. That stuff will work out organically.

The real power is the collective membership and their needs that are not being met despite being more than active participants in the economy of Orlando. Repping to the world is nice. But if the hometown boys don't know your playing, no one will come to the game.