well, they weren't lying. that wasn't your average tech conference. not that i would know - i've never been to a tech conference, let alone a nerdfest like vloggercon.
but ohhhh, what a nerdfest it was. sweet, scrumptious, rambunctious fun. you want panels? they had more than you can shake a stick at. who shakes sticks at panels, you ask? good question. perhaps i can find out for you at StickShakingCon. looking for workshops? this conference was drownin' in 'em. how about accusations of tastelessness [by this dude, directed at this dude]? yep, they had a little bit off that magic too. something for everyone.
anyway, it's over, and it's all very sad. the part about it being over, i mean. the experience itself was exhilarating, for several reasons. the biggest being that it's rather validating to be surrounded by 500 people whose presence proves that you aren't totally insane for feeling passionate about, well, what you feel passionate about. it's also great to put faces, handshakes & hugs to names. and to contemplate *accidental* falls into swimming pools, when surrounded by hundreds of people with recording devices. a certain video blogger from nottingham had my hopes up that he would seize the opportunity for a guaranteed spike in site traffic by taking a belly-first swan dive, off the upper balcony, into the pool. hopes...dashed.
i'll also note that the city of san francisco is chock full of dazzle. someone please tell me one thing wrong with that place? other than the transience of the population, and the apparent dearth of breakfast burrito guidebooks? besides those two things. there i was, expecting to engage with it on the kerouac/beatnik/jazz-club tip...and then i'm steamrolled by all these other crazy tips. like the fact that there's an ocean there. and a bay. and beautiful, lush, rolling green hills [mount tam/marin headlands] to hike/play around in...overlooking the aforementioned ocean and bay. did i mention they have an ocean? down by the bay, no less?
then there's the places with fun names - like sausalito, tiburon and bolinas. i'll be entertained for at least the next few weeks just saying the word 'sau-sa-li-to'. i'll actually go so far as to say that san francisco is such a powerful/magical place, that it can turn you into the person you've always dreamed of being. take hats, for example. i barely ever wear them and yet, in san francisco, i bought three.
there's so much post-conference stuff to do. i met an utter crapload of people, and now need to focus on reaching out to said utter crapload, to ensure that i don't drop the ball on this whole social networking/web 2.0/community revolution thing. please, vlog nerds, be my friends.
oh yes. days before heading west, i managed to throw together a promo for the event. if you do happen to check it out, and subscribe to my feed, and then erect a shrine to my presently mediocre vlogging skills in your home or office, i have this to say to you: thanks.
also, you can check out pictures of breakfast burritos here.