The Blog That Ate Orlando <3

blogorlando3
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Just when you thought Orlando couldn't get any more backwards, along comes the third blogorlando. Okay, before you spin this the wrong way, I mean it in a positive manner. I spent the entire day with eager, like-minded individuals exploring the vastly expanding universe of social networking, blogging and entrepreneurialism.
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As much as I like to think of myself "at ease" with the world of blogging, I quickly found that there is more to learn....much, much, more to learn. Below are a few of my observations. Set comments to "SNARKY"
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Photojournalism
This class was basically about Editorial vs. Commercial photography in blogging. Many questions were asked and it appears there is a particular interest in finding out if something can come back to bite you after you post a picture online. I am thinking that the majority of the people in here post Pr0n. Let's be honest, how do you shoot up-skirt and make it legit?
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Based on the many nervously asked questions, we should see structure and legitimacy around BloggingHotties.com before long.
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WOM and Social Media
This is one of those classes where much of the session sounded complex but then you later realized how profoundly amazing the rhetoric sounds. In defense of the facilitator Spike Jones (no, not that one), he is pretty dynamic! I learned that 92% of word of mouth (WOM) comes from around the water cooler and only 8% comes from social networking, as hard as we all try to reverse that.
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He also talked about how companies are trying to become more transparent. Think well-placed viral videos that make it appear that the brand has been hacked and set free "by the people." But really, it should be less about transparency and more about transference. The analogy here is: If your building has transparent windows, it will still kill a bird when it flies into it. Wouldn't you rather get rid of the walls all together and achieve true transference, or sharing of brand, culture and information from client, to company, to serve a higher purpose? I agree completely.
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Let me also just say something else. Almost EVERY tech geek (and there are m.a.n.y) have wedding bands on. The percentages are mind-boggling. I'm thinking there's either money in the bank or extra RAM under the hood. Just saying.
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Towers and Tarmacs
Benet Wilson was the best thing at the blogorlando unconference. Picture if Frangela had a third sister and you would essentially have Benet. Her story was inspiring. Somone like me who began personal blogging about 4 years ago and is now speaking at conferences about leveraging social networks....well, except that I am not speaking anywhere near a conference. Nor do I have as much sass and class. Amen.
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Benet is a hoot and a lot of fun to listen to. It gives me great hope to realize that someone can embrace technology and not talk down or above everyone. Not only that, but I noticed that she was Tweeting on Twitter and I'm betting those are some sassy Tweets!
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Interestingly, Benet's role in blogging for Aviation Daily pertains to one of the oldest media sources out there (1939 in fact) to embrace technology. I am now scanning the room for people from the "oldest profession" trying to hone their blogging skills.
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Internal Training
Honestly, the entire session could have been in Klingon. There was some joke about Kryptonian Law that exactly five people pissed their britches over and the rest was Wah Wah Wah Wah. I felt as though I was in a Peanuts cartoon.
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There are Tweets going off like crazy in the room. I think the lady next to me is Tweeting her grocery list to her husband while she is in here.
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Flickr!
Finally! A class that I can sit comfortably in and not have that waking late-for-class-in-my-undies dream. Actually, I could clep out of this bitch, but I would really like to sit and listen to what Josh Hallett has to say. Plus, I am having a real meta moment logging onto his Flickr page as he is broadcasting it on the screen. I feel leaving a little smiley note on one of his pics to see if it shows up on the projector.
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Overall, the blogorlando3 unconference (I think I am supposed to keep calling it an unconference) was a lot of fun, and I did learn quite a bit.
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If I had to sum up the afternoon in just a few words:
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• There are some really hawt tech geeks, albeit married, roaming the blogosphere.
• The ratio of PC to Mac for "those in the know" is surprisingly light on the Justin Long side.
• College was never this cool.

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