Burnie Burns at SXSW 2010

Today at SXSW 2010, Scott Thomas interviewed Burnie Burns, creator of Red vs. Blue, and founder of Rooster Teeth Productions. We caught him in his Austin office this afternoon and talked about his newest projects, machinima, gaming, and the interactive gaming industry.

more about “Burnie Burns at SXSW 2010“, posted with vodpod

Technology For Results, Not Profits

Terry Storch and Bobby Gruenewald, pastors of LifeChurch.tv, talk user engagement for nonprofits

A nonprofit’s business model usually focuses on grants and personal donations. But what happens when the giving starts to wane, and you’re running out of resources? In their less-than-traditional panel, Technology For Results, Not Profits, “Digerati Pastor” Terry Storch and Head Pastor Bobby Grunewald of LifeChurch.tv opened discussion on ways nonprofits can maintain and even grow their support base. After about an hour of back-and-forth with audience members, engagement seemed to be the buzzword.

“Profit isn’t a bad thing. When you incorporate free tools to engage your users (like LifeChurch.tv’s youversion), you are funded from a philanthropic perspective – people donate to support the cause,” Grunewald said.

Collaborate.
Grunewald also mentioned the value in partnering with other “competitors” in the industry. Where most “for-profit” businesses might never think to collaborate with a rival, nonprofits often value their cause over anything. Audience members also shared their ideas and successes in trying to garner passionate users while still making money. Some talked up selling merchandise while giving everything else away for free. Others cited the Cafepress store as their moneymaker. Some people even develop software for other nonprofits to use. Any way you slice it, finding new and interesting ways to engage the audience was a running theme.

Watch this video of Bobby discussing the importance of collaboration with commercial and non-commercial organizations for nonprofit sustainability:

Quantify Results.
It can be even more important for nonprofits to use online analytic services to stay in touch with their communities. Because many nonprofits are local, it’s important for members to feel connected and to know that their organization is in touch with them. As a nonprofit, it’s important to see your measurable results compared to how your community is actually doing. Crunch the numbers. See if you’re making an impact.

How To Rawk SXSW: From the Pros

Whether you’re a Southby veteran or a nerd newbie, you’ll definitely want to know how to make the most of SXSW Interactive this year. And while we’ve had some preliminary posts on our own advice, it’s always good to ask some people who could probably write an entire book on it. In the panel How to Rawk SXSW, Min Jung Kim, Ben Huh, Denise Jacobs, and Jeremy Keith talked about how to put yourself in prime position here in geek heaven.

Kim:
Most of the important stuff that happens at SXSW happen between the panels – Don’t be afraid to strike up random conversations with strangers. I know, Mom always told you that’s a bad thing. And maybe it is most of the time. But, that’s what we’re all here for, so keep your eyes and ears open for impromptu plans and get ready to meet some friends!

Jacobs:
Go talk to your geek crushes! – People you’ve been stalking on Twitter, celebrities you thought were unreachable, and panelists you’ve always thought of as “too cool for school” are now within reach! Say hello, tell them about your ideas, ask them why they haven’t been tweeting lately.
Go to panels that are completely off the wall for you. If you go to something that’s completely out of your realm of expertise, you may get an idea you’d never have gotten otherwise. If the panel sucks, feel free to leave…and don’t feel bad about it. It’s about trying new thingsYou can leave a panel – if you’re not feeling it, don’t feel bad about it. Be comfortable, don’t try to look cute- Jacobs

Huh:
Pace yourself – With so much going on, you WILL miss something lots of things. Don’t worry about it, and just keep on truckin’. Go with the flow and don’t worry. You’re here to have fun.

Top 5: SXSWi Events for People Who Don’t Trust the Internet

There are those out there, like maybe your father or your conspiracy theorist next-door neighbor, who just don’t trust the Internet.  Sure, the Web has enabled a global revolution in communication and innovation, but, like the guy who’s way too drunk at a wedding, some people are out to ruin the party.  These are the panels for those who are always on the look-out for that drunk guy, for the people who are convinced that the Internet harbors danger.

5. RIP Jeff Goldblum: Truth vs. Web BS (3/13, 5:20 p.m.) – Everyone remembers where they were when they heard that Jeff Goldblum had died.  Wait, no they don’t, because it turned out to be completely false.  This interactive discussion aims to educate Internet users, i.e., everyone, on how to discern real news from fake, and how to cast a critical eye upon those “scientific breakthroughs” that enable enlargement of certain appendages.

4. Data Control: Who’s Nibbling at Your Cookie (3/16, 12:30 p.m.) – Any Facebook user can tell you that advertising programs are scarily good at targeting consumers.  So do those Rock of Love DVD Collection ads on your profile page mean that someone out there has the ability to spy on your every move?  This interactive conversation will tackle “how to balance the benefits of data openness with the need for privacy,” so that your questionable interests needn’t be cause for concern.

3. How I Lost My Job Through Twitter…Again (3/15, 5:00 p.m.) – Austin Baker and Jeff Moriarty, of Sitewire, will discuss how an unfavorable Facebook status can lead to an unfavorable employment status.  Ahh, if only doing two-story beer bongs and being hungover were job skills…

2. Sexting+Nudie Pics = Digital Violence Among Teens (3/16, 5:00 p.m.) – This panel is of a more serious nature, as Taras Wayner and Chloe Gottlieb, of R/GA, will address “digital dating abuse, a growing problem in teen relationships.”  The danger of sexually provocative online activity is the primary discussion point.

1. The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains (3/16, 11:30 a.m.) – Author Nicholas Carr will discuss how the Net has damaged our ability to concentrate and contemplate.  Once “book readers,” we have now become distracted “screen watchers.”  Damn I’m hungry.

First-timers guide to SXSW

The first full day of SXSW is today – and if it’s your first time to go, you may get a little overwhelmed. Here are some tips provided by Fazia Rizvi and Ernie Hsiung. Fazia has been to SXSW many times and is very familiar with how things work. Ernie is the genious behind the blog little.yellow.different and was a panelist on How to Rawk SXSW.

Before you even get to the Convention Center, there are some things you may want to keep in mind. Ernie says to get the pocket guide provided for you by SXSW and put it in your badge for safe-keeping. He says to do this because the pocket guide contains the full schedules. He also says to keep yourself hydrated. Keep one-liter bottles of water on hand. Ernie and Fazia both have technology reminders. Fazia reminds everyone to bring their cell phones and laptops while Ernie says to bring an extra power strip. “Bringing a power strip makes you popular…since a lot of geeks there like to go on their laptops in the hallways and lounges (this geek included).”

If you’re not sure about how to manage your time, check out the schedule provided by SXSW. It’s a good idea to know what you want to see before you go in. “Another strategy is to find a panel by a speaker rather than finding a panel by the topic,” says Ernie.  “Sometimes a really fantastic speaker can make the difference between a good and a great conference”. Fazia recommends having a backup or two just in case the session isn’t what you expected.

If you can only spend one day at SXSW, you can still have a lot of fun. “Keynotes are always good, and an important part of the SXSW experience,” said Fazia. She also says that many people overlook the gaming trade show. “I think that’s where al the new user interface and real innovations in social media technology are going to come from,” she said. She also recommends the core conversations because they are excellent networking opportunities. Ernie also recommends core conversations and the panels. “I’m a video game fanatic, so I always wander around the ScreenBurn for a little bit,” he said. Ernie also mentions the evening events. “I personally love the events during SXSW that have been created by the blogger/new media community – it’s a nice reminder that SXSWi parties aren’t just about standing around in bar trying to get into some generic web 2.0 party,” he says. He recommends 20×2 and Fray Café.

Keeping these tips in mind will help any first timer enjoy their experience at SXSW. See you there!

Interactive 412

For your viewing pleasure Buster Keaton drops “Interactive 412″, enjoy.

My.sxsw.com: Making SX Social

If you have a few hours to kill and you’re already registered for SXSW 2009, you should defnitely check out my.sxsw.com. Filled to the brim with every official music, film and interactive event at the festival, you can create your own personalized schedule so you don’t miss a beat when the conference hits Austin in just a few days. After signing up for it this afternoon, I’ve already added my faves to my profile. And yes, it literally took me about 20 minutes to parouse the overwhelming list of bands and interactive events, many of which aren’t on the sxsw.com schedule. I haven’t even begun looking at the film list.

After attending SXSW Interactive last year, I understand the imporance of planning ahead. Sometimes panels and events can be overcrowded, cancelled (rarely), or it just isn’t all it was cracked up to be. In those cases, it’s always good to have a backup plan, and my.sxsw.com is perfect for that. In addition to making a schedule, the site is also a great way to get the buzz going on cutting edge topics. The “My Groups” feature allows users to get to know other attendees based on similar interests, covering everything from social networking to web development and design. And networking with other professionals is a huge feature of this festival.

Other features of My.sxsw.com include uploading badge photos, creating contact lists of people to “follow,” commenting on each event and sending/receiving messages to other attendees. While the site could stand to be a little more interactive, it provides a great forum for getting those conversations started early, and it’s a helpful resource for making this SX experience your very own.

South By Morning Bits

Can you believe there are only 23 more days until SXSW Interactive? Believe me, we can’t, because the team at South By Texas State is in a frenzy to get you the information you need to stay SXSWi savvy.

OK, maybe we aren’t running in circles screaming for content, but we will start bringing you daily morning updates on tech news related to SXSWi in what we like to call South By Morning Bits. As the day rolls along, we will also give you a snapshot of what we at sxtxstate.com are looking forward to seeing at the conference. The Interactive schedule is finally up, so you can start googling that panelist, follow them on Twitter or take a gander at their Facebook page.

Onward with the news…

• Facebook has been in the headlines recently since they update their Terms of Service February 4, which has caused quite a stir among privacy advocates. However, Zuckerberg tried to calm fears by those saying Facebook owns your information now and forever in a blog post that attempts to clarify the changes. The issue of privacy will be one of the hot topics at SXSWi with panels focused on the topic, namely one on Saturday, March 14 titled Is Privacy Dead or Very Confused?. PC World: Facebook’s Zuckerberg Calms Privacy Fears Over TOS Change.
• Skype and Nokia are the latest pair to announce a partnership for mobile devices. Nokia’s N97, which is scheduled to be released later this year, will have the popular Internet calling software installed. This is just one of the many new developments in mobile technology, much like the recent Flash for mobile announcement  at the Mobile World Congress, that will be highlighted at SXSW. Rob Gonda of Sapient will discuss mobile technology at his panel March 14. ZDNET: Skype Strikes Deal With Nokia.