ApacheCon – Monday keynote

Random notes from the keynote.

Monday morning keynote, Wil Wheaton. Speaking about blogging, and how it is the fulfillment of what the Internet was supposed to be. Facilitating communication between widespread populations, but also giving the power of the press to the folks that usually don’t have that power.

He made a remark that any pictures or recordings must be released under a Creative Commons license.

I waited at the front door of the hotel for him for about 20 minutes, and then realized that they had spelled his name incorrectly on his speaker tag. D’oh! While I was getting that reprinted, he arrived, so I’m afraid he didn’t get a very good reception. But he was very gracious anyway.

Blogs are changing the way that people interact with each other, and the way that Big Media interact with those of us who they used to stand over and control our opinions.

And, yay, he referenced Thomas Payne as the original blogger. Rock on.

When we listen to the media, we tend to hear a lot of things that we don’t agree with. Blogs show us that there are indeed people around the country who hold the same opinions that we do.

Wil was kinda nervous at first, but he’s warming up as he gets passionate about his topic. His passion about how we, as bloggers, have the power to influence the Big Media, is very catching.

There’s an implicit agreement between the audience and the author that the author will tell the truth, and check their facts.

I believe there’s a bias in the media, but I don’t believe it’s a conservative or liberal bias, but a profit-oriented bias.

The Internet lets people get their message out to an audience, who would otherwise face only rejection from risk-averse organizations.

To finish up he’s reading “Where’s my burrito?” from Just a Geek. He’s a great reader, and it’s a great story.