Ignite 4
Mar 8th
Right, I’m blogging about this. I wasn’t going to, but I feel the urge to now, so here goes….
Firstly, I ask you to consider one thing. Could you stand on stage, in front of 100 strangers and talk about something that you are passionate about?
I suspect most of us would say “No way“. With that in mind……..
What is Ignite? Let me tell you (well, let O’Reilly tell you as it is….!)
Ignite goes global—from March 1-5, 2010, 50+ Ignites will take place in cities around the world. Upwards of 10,000 entrepreneurs, technologists, DIYers, creative professionals, and enthusiastic knowledge-seekers will gather in local pubs, theaters, and other convivial venues for an evening that is a unique blend of networking, information, and fun, encapsulated in the Ignite motto: “Enlighten us, but make it quick.”
In talks that are exactly five minutes long, Ignite presenters share their personal and professional passions, using 20 slides that auto-advance every 15 seconds.
Understand now? Cool. So this was Cardiff’s 4th Ignite, after 3 pretty awesome ones (2 in particular because of the speakers 
). I know how hard it is to get up on stage, in front of 100 – 150 people (most of them strangers) and talk about something that is passionate to you. You’re never going to please everyone.
The planning and effort that goes into organising these events is epic. My input was minimal (really, setting up the slides, and introducing people on stage. Oh and buying the speakers drinks if I could find them!). The effort that Claire Scantlebury and Neil Cocker put in, along with Rob Ashelford at the WMC was insane. And yes, it was all done in their free time, to make the evening good for everyone who came. Also a massive thanks to Ruby Samba, who kindly played at the after party in Ffresh, absolutely amazing.
And all in all, I think it was a good event. Ok, so some of the speakers were different. But if it was the same every time, then people wouldn’t want to come, would they? Variety is the spice of life. One of the best things about Ignite is that as the hosts, we get to see the slides before the event, but have no idea what people are actually going to stand up and say. It’s as exciting for us as it is for you!
So yes, after this event one journalist wrote an article that, in my opinion, was a bit harsh. But, that is my opinion on that article, and I’m entitled to it, just as they are entitled to write what they did. What upset me was that it got published on a popular website with such appalling grammar and spelling, even getting names wrong, and using old pictures from previous events. I just think if you’re going to be critical, at least get the basics right out of respect. But that doesn’t reflect badly on me, I didn’t write it. That’s all.
Personally, I think the only fault from this event was that we didn’t have more speakers. And to be honest, we were let down at the last minute with this, which is a risk you take when everything going on is voluntary.
And that’s Ignite, a free event, where 95% of the people there come for the social side of it, and to hopefully be enlightened by the speakers. If it doesn’t float your boat, that’s absolutely fine, and lets not be too harsh about Journalists, after all, it’s their job to spark opinions, get people talking etc, it’s just unfortunate that it’s Ignite that got picked on this time.
So that’s that. A massive thanks to all the speakers, and to everyone who came along. It takes a lot of guts and courage to stand up on stage and discuss something you are passionate about.
Now ask yourself, “Could I do that?”
If the answer is “Yes“, then get in touch, Ignite Cardiff 5 is already in the pipeline 
Why don’t we talk?
Jul 14th
“To jaw-jaw is always better than to war-war”
- Churchill
Recently it’s become apparent that in this day and age, we are losing our voice, and opting for instant messages, tweets and texts. This is, of course, moving with the times, and a way in which most of us are comfortable expressing our feelings and opinions.
But surely there comes a time when verbal communication is the only acceptable method? For example, if a quick decision is needed about a piece of work, a 2 minute phone call can solve the problem instead of waiting an hour for an email reply. Even if the phone call ends with “Can you pop this in an email for confirmation” to cover your ass, it has still solved the problem in minimal time (Unless of course your client can talk for Britain, in which case cross your fingers and hope for voice mail!)
I’ve noticed this a lot more over the past couple of weeks, where I’ve seen (and been a culprit of myself) people firing off emails / IM’s / Tweets to confirm vital information, or air their opinions about a specific subject. In fact, more recently, I’ve watched an entire conversation get completely convoluted – because it was too hard to keep up with what was being said visually. To be honest, it drove me insane at the time!
So why don’t we pick up the phone anymore, or get out of our chairs and communicate with each other face-to-face? Is it laziness? Or are we all becoming so attached to our PCs (or phones) that we just can’t bare to use any other form? Maybe its to avoid the uncomfortable scenario that is brewing, or just to delay the inevitable (It’d be good to see how many people are actually “Away” or “Offline”)!
One theory of mine is that we live in such an intense blame culture, we always need a record of what was said, by who, what time, in what context, and what the outcome was. Just *in case* something goes wrong. (I don’t disagree with having a record of communication, but sometimes its worth the risk to get things sorted quickly). It’s also far to easy to CC / BCC in a Director / Manager etc who would not normally be required in a situation, to escalate a scenario when it isn’t required. Always think, “would I ask that person to sit in on a conference call to discuss the situation?” If the answer is “No”, remove that CC!
Of course, this is just my opinion (and certainly not an analysis of the way things are carried out in my place of work. This is based on my personal opinions and experiences, and feedback from friends who encounter similar issues!)
Personally, I’d opt for a quick call to clear the air and solve problems instead of a long winded email or convoluted IM chat.
That is all, my rant is over