November 26, 2008
Bloggers at Lotusphere 2009
Vlad Tatarincevs asked an interesting question the other day:Would it be nice if people who BLOG can participate in Lotusphere for free? IBM could do this step .Actually, IBM is having a selected group of bloggers participate in Lotusphere 2009, under a pilot bloggers@Lotusphere program. We selected a small group of active Lotus community and non-community bloggers, based on a variety of criteria, to invite to this pilot program. So far, response has been positive -- so positive that we absolutely can't add anyone else to the program for 2009, so, uh, don't ask. :-)
It is sad, that I am as a DUAL PCLP certified 5.x, 6. 7.x, no longer have discount on registration to Lotusphere.
If some people From IBM read this, can they comment what can be done, so more people who share their knowledge can meet not only on http://www.planetlotus.org/ but also in Orlando.
What will these bloggers "do" at Lotusphere? Some of the activities set up include executive meetings, a behind-the-scenes look at Lotus Awards voting, a lab tour, and other events. It's a step up from the blogger Q&A we have done at Lotusphere the last couple of years, and recognition that the blogging community is an increasingly important voice in telling the Lotus story. We want to do more -- I'll be watching what Apple does at Macworld for their invited bloggers -- but 2009 is certainly a step up from the past events. I'm excited to see how this unfolds, and there will be surprises along the way!
I also wanted to note that nobody (myself included) submitted a Birds-of-a-Feather for Lotusphere 2009 for the Lotus Blogging Community. This has been a great BoF at the last several Lotuspheres, but I think this actually pushes the message that blogging and participating in the blogs has become more mainstream. Can we recruit more Lotus community members to participate? Absolutely, yes. One of the BoFs that was submitted (and will likely make the agenda) is "Getting Social in the Lotus Community", This session is designed to help people outside the online community get involved in blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn, PlanetLotus etc. I think this is the right body language for a BoF in 2009 -- the community within itself is established, but we need to bring in additional voices. The BoF should be a great "recruiting" effort...but I would encourage the veterans and leaders in the community to participate, learn, and share in this BoF as well.
Obviously, part of the excitement of Lotusphere is networking with the community face-to-face. I'm excited that there is a mix of opportunities for everyone -- blogger, commenter, reader, lurker -- to get more involved and build on the community success into 2009 and beyond.
Location: Highland Park, IL USA
VERY glad to hear this Ed - while we Lotus Bloggers all "bleed yellow", I think recognition in this way is an excellent way to recognize the blogging community that surrounds these products.
>> We selected a small group of active Lotus community and non-community bloggers
And I'm very proud that I am one of them. Many thanks to IBM for inviting me. Unfortunatly, I'm not able to come to Orlando due to the global finacial crisis. I have to spend all my rest holiday for the plant shutdown beginning on 15-DEC-2008.
I've already replied to IBM's invitation. Perhaps another blogger will now get my seat.
I'll volunteer to take Ulrich's seat :)
@Paul - Does that mean you are coming over from the dark side?:-)
on 11/26/2008 12:15:33 PM -
Welcome Paul, its always nice when someone "comes out"
Ed,
This is good to see! I've learned a lot from many of the bloggers on R8.x and I believe many others have also. Many of them like Victor Krantz, Steve Castledine, Alan Lepofsky, John Mackey, Vince Demasco, Rocky Oliver, Paul Robichaeux, Ulrich Kraus and many have had a positive effect on me.
I don't know who was picked, but am glad to see the positive efforts by IBM/Lotus! Keep it up.
Get the bloggers really loud highlighter-colored shirts so that people will know who they are, and thus can spend the week pestering them about rumors they heard. People have done this with me for years, so I hope these folks enjoy it. Kristin keeps claiming I'm the "original Lotusphere blogger," but that word wasn't invented until after Lotusphere '97.
Good idea... then people will be able to identify the short guy when the crowds smush him. :)
Fantastic idea. I suggest lazyboy recliners at the front of the OGS..
Good luck to those folks invited!
---* Bill
on 11/26/2008 9:23:45 PM -
It's a personal rule of mine to not to promote sessions -- but this is a new session idea is one that I've been toying with for years, finally convinced Scott to do it ---and it's relevant to the discussion.
So here it is:
The Turtle's Guide To Lotusphere 2009
Lotusphere's first blogger takes it live with this lively, tongue in cheek guide to all that is the culture of Lotusphere. Whether it's your first Lotusphere or your 16th, this is the place to find out where to be, what to see, and how to not look like so much of a geek. For the first time LIVE at Lotusphere, the Turtle will draw on his years of "Sphereian wisdom" and, with the help of special guests, will help you sort through the mountain of other sessions and get to the real techno-beans of the show. What's going to be the kewl tech? Whose sessions can you sleep through? Where do you get those cool beanies? And how do I score an invite to the best vendor parties? All this and more will be revealed, just be sure to check your modesty at the door. And leave the backpack in your room, already! (Note: Sing-a-long and food fight plans not yet finalized. Some assembly required, void where prohibited.)
We'll have a fun cast of characters participating, and hold the session at the end of the day on Sunday. Should be hilarious, see you there!
Wow, KK, if you are going to make an announcement like that, you gotta go big! Next time let me pass you the edbrill.com main entry pen!
Turtle, looking forward to a great session -- hope it doesn't conflict with my BDDay slot or the Notes 8 deployment reception...shoot, where is that calendar, things are getting busy already...
"and how to not look like so much of a geek."
Step 1: don't ever get on a Segway?
Oh... wait....
;-)
"Whose sessions can you sleep through?"
Kristin... surely you're not saying that there's any session at Lotusphere that can be slept through!
@7: Turtle, here is how you can find the bloggers:
"... badge will have a special blogger sticker on it"
Like @2 Ulrich, I am one of the selected bloggers and, also like Ulrich, I will not be in Orlando. I had considered making 2009 my first ever trip to Lotusphere but the worsening economic climate rules it out.
So Ed, that opens up a second empty slot, if you need one.
I'll gladly accept a similar invite for 2010, though.
on 11/27/2008 6:01:42 AM -
Aren't you afraid that people think that IBM just "buys" their community? I am not against sponsoring Bloggers for Lotusphere but am surprised that this is such a public process.
Not that I would not be for sponsoring Paul Robichaux a ticket (Exchange business seems to a tough job nowadays) but in my humble opinion his blogging performance about IBM is still not rewardable.
@16 I'm no more afraid of buying community this way than I am of the standard practice of providing free passes to industry analysts or reporters. It turns out there's a reasonable overlap between the bloggers and the Lotusphere speaker pool, so I'm not sure there are that we've "bought" anyone anyway.
As for @2 and @15, it's very kind of you to offer your slots to others, but we deliberately invited more people than we can manage in the program, because of the natural drop-off rate you get in inviting people to anything. We're pleased with the response and think it will be just the right size to manage well.
@9... They *did* have L-Z-Boy recliners at the Microsoft PDC for about 10 people. :)
@10... I have the drum shirt, and it will make it's first appearance at Lotusphere.
@16... If IBM pulled bloggers out of mid-air for this one, I might give some credence to that theory. But these are people who are already well-known in the Notes community, and have blogged over a long period of time. It's more a recognition of the roles they already play instead of an inducement to say nice things about Lotusphere.
Chris Toohey on 11/26/2008 8:51:48 AM - http://www.dominoguru.com