I have a lot of mental work to do in order to turn the last week of my life into some sort of semi-coherent narrative.? some of it will go here, some will decidedly not.? (it’s not that it’s none of your business, but it’s none of the internets’ business.)
for now I’m back at Halcyon, digesting a cheese sandwich, and gathering enough solitude to be ready for the after party.? ’cause damn it, I haven’t been to enough parties.
I’m working on a massive “things I learned” post, and I’d like to write summaries for all the notes I’ve already taken, and then maybe a list of things I want to do because of the experience.
something I want to mention now, while I’m thinking about it (and was reminded by Shelley’s post), is the role of moderation in the success or failure of a panel.
one thing all the really good panels had in common was quality moderation, which consisted of….
- not letting the introductions go on too long.
- actively directing the discussion.
- adding an interesting spin to audience questions.
- keeping good track of time and proportionality.
- humor and curiosity.
good moderators: danah boyd, Carrie Bickner, Jeff Veen, Heather Gold. they all had those common factors, even with different styles.
I will not name bad/mediocre moderators, but there certainly were some.
more postprocessing to come, probably this evening even, assuming I’m awake after the party.? definitely tomorrow, while I goof off before flying back to the land of drizzle. (tomorrow’s forecast: 50 & rain.)