For the interactive part of the SXSW conference this month, I proposed a Geek Out session - a chance to delve into the audience by offering people a chance to present their projects.

Here are the Geek Out proceedings - a record of the fine folks who came up to share and maybe some details on the audience reaction. Many thanks to Nancy White who took notes and emailed them to me afterwards.

Here's what I wrote Hugh, a SXSW organizer, considering a future similar session:

The Geek Out was great fun - a draft run. I learned about a bunch of great stuff, including a "notes exchange" from people attending the show, as well as a number of personal and international scale projects. It makes a ton of sense to tap the audience at SXSW for content - the open format ensures that non-professional, non-practiced voices get added to the rich mix of speakers. Most of the people who attend SXSW are self-selected media makers and media thinkers anyhow - a great braintrust.

If you are willing to do it again, I'd very much enjoy a chance to "get it right" (or at least "more right"). If I had been more on the ball leading up to SXSW 2003 some of this might have come together this year. But nothing like diving in the community pool to help you realize you need a swimsuit.

You have me 2.5 hours and I thought holy smokes that's too much time! But we ran over - huh! I feel like I could almost do it all afternoon, but then I'd be broke sick exhausted and I'd miss a bunch of other panels. Anyhow.

All this is "if possible" - it would help transform the event into more of a media-riffic wired-up geek spectacular:

- two projection screens from two laptops
One screen has the web site of the person presenting, the other screen is a large visible list of who has presented (their URLs) and a list of who is to come.
- a few power strips scattered throughout for people with laptops who want to blog/write for the duration but don't have the battery life
- a helper person to take notes, sign people up. I could find this person by posting on the web in the weeks before the next event.

Now I gotta pick through these digital photos Nancy sent me as well!