I recently had an argument with a fellow non-New Zealander who disagreed with me about how innovative New Zealanders are.
Me: "look, she is doing a business of china broke. I love how innovative kiwifruit are. "
He: "no they are not.
Me: "Yes they are."
It. "They * think * are, but not them."
Me: "two words for you: number 8 wire."
He: "that's three words".
Me: "Shut up."
Him: "Kiwis are too isolated to be innovative."
Me: "that is total crap! How the hell do you think they have become so innovative? They were forced to innovate because of the tyranny of distance, to quote Tim Finn. "
He: "who is Tim Finn?"
Me: "Please tell me you're kidding."
He: "is that someone you met on Twitter?"
Me: “#%%**&^!!”
He: "Ok then name some innovations that came from New Zealand."
Me: "I already did."
He: "something not related to agriculture".
Me: "SilverStripe. Weta workshops "
Him: "…"
Me: "the first iPhone app in the world."
He: "I didn't ..."
Me: "Jet boats … bungy jumping ... Pavlova ".
He: "that is not an innovation, which is a dessert".
Me: "a very innovative and complex dessert".
Him: "you're kidding."
Me: software ... "Xero. America's Cup yachts. "
Him: "you're forgetting the long drop toilet."
Me: "the long drop toilet …."
He: "Oh come on!"
Me: "Ski planes, egg beaters and ... ooh! I know – Webstock ".
He: "Ok, fine. You win. "
And that's pretty much why I'm here in Wellington this week. Webstock is both a celebration of kiwi ingenuity and bravado, because it is a web conference.
As I recently learned from the article Raising Webstock, the whole she-bang started out as a bunch of geeks gathered in the library to discuss web standards. This has progressed in regular concerts with guest speakers, which in turn led to discussions about organizing a proper web conference to be held in New Zealand. But organizers Mike Brown and Natasha Lampard were insistent that it is less a formal Conference and more than a amor-in geek where they could meet and mingle with legends of the Internet. They rejecting advice from types of important Conference, in a true spirit of Kiwi, forged ahead with his ingenious plan.
According to legend (well @ hadyngreen anyway) during the discussions on some wines one night, Natasha announced:
And get it done. Berners-Lee opened the inaugral Webstock in 2006 via video link and the rest is history. Serendipity may have played a role, but so did balls. This combination alegre created Conference (UN) world's best, which is now in its sixth year.
I don't say * best * the world lightly. I attended the web conference bags and can assure you that Webstock is the best of them all. You don't attract speakers like Amanda Palmer, John Gruber, Ze Frank, Bruce Sterling and Merlin Mann without a radical reputation. And you don't have speakers such as David Recordon, Tom Coates, Amy Hoy and Michael Lopp going back year after year, unless you offer an incredible experience.
And is the experience of SnagIt that I get the most from Webstock. Not so much the content of presentations, although they are usually incredibly inspiring. But no, it's the thrill of being part of something extraordinary that I cherish most about Webstock. It is the only conference I know where the buzz begins at least a month earlier – or, at least, that's when I feel the need to create a dedicated Web column for the hashtag # webstock.
Everything about Webstock screams Cool Geek. The barista coffee bar on the site, the icecreams Kapiti buffet, grapefruit and lemon Frujus (a new addition to 2011), Lego construction stations, the massage chairs, the luxurious prey, trading card game, not to mention the incredible after parties (and then-after). Absolutely no corners are cut for this event and the participants could not be happier. I've seen hugging complete strangers to each other on the street when they spot corresponding Webstock gear.
Program this year reads like viagra geek. Up the impressive list of speaker, Mike and Natasha somehow convinced Amanda Palmer & Jason Webley not only deliver presentations, but also to provide a private concert * only * for Webstockers on Friday night wrap party. News of this was enough to make me pay a fine, rate of change and change my domestic flight for the Sabbath.
Such is the reward of being a Webstocker that two Aussie he faces, desperate to watch after the 2011 event had sold out, turned to begging online this week to help in sourcing the elusive golden tickets.
I feel your pain. Don't really understand how much Webstock inspires me until I had to Miss 2010. I could just watch jealously from afar, scan the tweetstream, trying to understand the jokes back channel, leaving for twitpics of the ONYAs, oohing and aahing, dodgy YouTube version of the fantastic light show $ 40 thousand that I had lost. I was absolutely GUTTED not to be there. And I think my guttedness level made me love Webstock even more.
Then I deliver the pavlova-I'm back to the amor-in.
