Time for Voting!

The crowd-sourcing portion of the panel-selection for SXSW Interactive 2009 (scheduled March 13-17, 2009 in Austin, Texas) is underway.

The SXSW online panel picker is open for voting and commenting and you are invited (indeed encouraged) to sign-up (you know the drill) and vote for your the panels you think are most useful.

You don't have to be an attendee or planning to attend to vote - just be someone who's you know, interested. Questions about all this SXSW panel stuff? Check the SXSW Panel FAQ.

Stepping up

As the risk of shameless promotion, the topics listed here all seek to deliver solid practical skills along with discourse on the fundamental issues and the details.

If you have questions/comments/curiosities about the pitches, please consider leaving a comment on the SXSW panel picker - sure it takes an extra few moments but will help the selected panelists hone their messages if they are indeed picked. Also offering props publicly helps spread the voting goodness.

Do you have an awesome panel in the mix? Drop a comment and let's get the vote out!

Checking in from the basement of CBC's Vancouver headquarters as we kick off an event which is bound to be quite remarkable - the CBC Digital Development Labs.

This morning was introductions by the entrepreneurial-minded attendees chosen to display and refine their ideas for possible development by CBC. I'm participating as a mentor (along with others) here to advise, gut-check, collaborate with (and learn from) the emerging visionaries.

Our secret lair (which is very cool by the way - set up with a variety of workspaces, conversation breakout areas, Mac labs, gamer stations - feels like jPod) is also loaded with industry types acting more as observers to see how projects come together in the new media paradigm.

Suffice to say the Raincity Studios clan are pretty excited about SxSW in Austin, Texas.

Yup, I'll be rolling with a posse of Vangroovy SxSW veterans. The Raincity Studios "away team" consists of Scales, KK+. Erik, Roland "Mr. Furley" Tangalo, and me and we're hosting a 10x20 booth (I prefer to call it a lounge) with all sorts of activities in mind during the Interactive and the Music portions of the shindig.

As pointed out in the Tokyo Ramen and SxSW vidcast - social media lunatic Roland Tanglao and I plan to brew up a variety of coverage - live, on-demand, useful, incidental ... interviews with geeks doing neat things, bands, bloggers, labels, fanzines, you ... whoknows?

My first SXSW, I spent 10 days in Austin, Texas armed with a video camera, a digital SLR and my mac! In my hand a platinum and photographer pass giving me access to almost all events and venues in town for the film, interactive and music festival.

Raincity Studios and Bryght hosted a party with our friends at Blue Flavor and Newsvines.

Bryght had a booth in the Convention Centre, where I spent the best part of my afternoon chatting with geeks and rockstars alike. Helping Colin and kk to promote Backstage and our services.