BarCampLA 4, Day 1

Back from BarCampLA, and I have to say it was quite refreshing to spend a day talking with people who are at least attempting interesting things with technology. And every single presentation gave me at least one idea for a project, which was my real motivation for going.

Anyway, some random impressions from Day 1:

Small-scale social networks can be used for small-scale social pressure. Thought from the lifehacking presentation. We've always seen this, of course, the idea that telling your friends you're going to do something makes you more likely to do it. But something about the idea of "publishing" that same statement, in however small a way...that seems even more motivating.

Is the mystery still essential for making an ARG compelling? Or can you do without puzzles? Of course, good storytelling always creates its own mysteries.

Marketing is all that matters now. I've said below this is true for the small filmmaker before. But it's also true for the major studios (and record labels). They don't really want to be in distribution any more than is absolutely necessary. They only want to be in production insofar as production transfers investor monies into studio pockets. But if they lost it, they would survive. But they can't lose marketing. That's the core competency, and in the end it's the only one that matters. (Yes, quality of product matters, but that's another topic).

Everyone wants a true metaverse, but no one wants to build it. Where's the business model that works? So much of a metaverse has to be user generated if it's going to be useful...

More on day 2 tomorrow.