Re: [projectvrm] SXSW is slowly moving in our direction

[Doc Searls < >]

On Mar 12, 2013, at 5:06 PM, Brian Behlendorf 
<
 >
 wrote:

> On Tue, 12 Mar 2013, Doc Searls wrote:
>> FWIW, I didn't go to South-by this year because I've said what I want to 
>> say any number of times there in the past, and it's too damn noisy anyway.
> 
> It has been a bit dispiriting how little progress has been made amongst the 
> attendees and presenters, judging this year compared to 2 years ago when I 
> saw you there, Doc.

Yeah, that's one reason I'm not there. I know what progress is actually being 
made, and it's not the kind that brags about itself at South-by.

> I went to a quantified self session, and the idea that the person this data 
> is all about should be in charge of where that data is and able to combine 
> it from different products/vendors was relevatory.

Meaning it was a dawning of realization for people there? If so, wow.

> I went to a Big Data meetup where we formed off into tables, and naturally 
> I gravitated to the "data sharing platforms" table, and the conversation 
> went from HBase and Hadoop to how to help the Microsoft ad developer and 
> the Experian executive at the table work together.  :(

Not surprising. When I'm at that kind of thing I feel like I'm in the 
antebellum South, listening to the plantation owners talk about how to get 
more productivity out of their slaves.

> Plenty of sessions that sounded right, and many of the same presenters - 
> but on the exhibit hall floor, and amongst the keynoters, a clear sign that 
> VCs want startups to hoard people's data and get as much consent (implicit, 
> explicit, or not) from users to do as thou wilt.

Not surprising. The focus now for many VCs is B2B: "enterprise" jive. And the 
bigcos are at one with those VCs in talking about Big Data the way they were 
talking about Big Computing in 1981, Big Networks in 1988, and Big Online 
Services in 1983. In every case individuals ended up doing more with the 
goods than the big players ever could. The same thing will happen with data.

> I'm hoping I just got unlucky and missed the right sessions.  But beyond a 
> gaggle of "there aughta be" moments in 1:1 conversations, little other sign.

Well, enjoy the crowd. There is still plenty of fun in the halls, the 
streets, the clubs and the restaurants.

> One hopeful sign - I had a conversation with Amit Kiran, an MBA and "Design 
> Strategist" with Maya (the design tools company):
> 
> http://www.maya.com/about/amit-kiran
> 
> He said he'd just worked on a book on the relationship between big data and 
> user-centered design; as in, how can we help individuals - more mortals - 
> understand how to relate to the universe of their personal data floating 
> out there, and design our apps in ways that address that.  Or something - I 
> can't find a link to the book yet, I'll email him and ask for it.

Love to see it.

> Aside from that, SXSW has been as noisy as ever.
> 
> Brian

Well, the good thing for me is that I'm getting a lot more done than I would 
have if I had been there.

Doc