We’re back! This morning, we kicked off #mesh11 at our brand new space, the Toronto Allstream Centre. The new space has allowed us to expand like never before, with an expected 700 attendees coming through the doors today and tomorrow. Not only do we have room for more people, but we’ve also added the “mesh village” – an interactive space that showcases our partners and all they have to offer – a place where you can: connect.share.inspire.
This year’s mesh started with a keynote from Emily Bell, the former director of digital content for the United Kingdom’s Guardian newspaper — who is now the director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University. During her discussion with mesh’s Mathew Ingram, Bell discussed the challenges faced by traditional media in today’s digital world. Bell noted that the new ways in which we are communicating with one another online will force media to adopt new models in order to cope with changing realities and that old models of journalism would likely become unsustainable in the years to come.
Notable Tweets:
@Meshconference: #mesh11 @Emilybell: Smaller sustainable network-driven model is the future of journalism.
@ThomKearney: Bell: future of media is many small news organizations with lower margins #mesh11
@Meshconference: #Mesh11 @Emilybell: Aggregate or die. Brands have to act as the web acts.
The second keynote of the day was from The Citizen Lab’s Ron Deibert, who provided attendees with a shocking look at how state control and surveillance of the internet is laying the groundwork for a ‘perfect storm’. According to Diebert, “States are adopting repression 2.0 just as quickly as activists are moving in the other direction.”
Diebert called on attendees to pay special attention to forthcoming open access legislation in Canada, noting that if we were to pass such legislation without proper oversight we would lose our moral authority to criticize other regimes that adopt such practices.
Notable Tweets:
@MGeist: Deibert: If we pass lawful access (disclosure w/out ct oversight), lose moral authority to criticize when others do it #Mesh11
@TJGoertz: We (Canada) should be leading the way as a voice for an open commons of information. #Mesh11
After some delicious lunch we changed gears and moved in to workshop mode. Here is a selection of sessions we attended this afternoon:
How Adult Entertainment is Reshaping the Internet – Allison Vivas, Peter Nowak and Patchen Barss
One of the more risqué sessions this year discussed the evolution of online adult entertainment. Allison Vivas, Peter Nowak and Patchen Barss took the stage to hash out what your business can learn from the online porn industry. Some key takeaways were to create a trusted online brand, engage with your community and foster human relationships online.
Notable Tweets:
christindal: Interesting parallels between porn and news: for one, consumers assume it should be free, so revenue model is broken. #mesh11
thehartley: One of the bright sides of the Web for the adult industry, it encourages porn stars to become entrepreneurs #mesh11 @peternowak
How to Handle Online Comments and Community – Jennifer MacMillan
Next up we had Jennifer MacMillan, Communities Editor at the Globe and Mail, who talked about the transformation of its online community and comment guidelines. Before undertaking this online transformation, the Globe and Mail crowdsourced its user base to see what features they wanted to see. Their response was astonishing and has shaped today’s version of theglobeandmail.com, which receives over 13K comments per day on various articles. Jennifer had great advice and shared five things she has learned about comments:
1. It’s all about the community (not you).
2. Engage. Listen. Respond. Act.
3. The more transparent and accountable, the better.
4. Keep an open mind.
5. Yes, people like options.
Copyright or Copyfight? What Lies Ahead for Canadian Copyright – Dr. Michael Geist
Following the yummy beer and nacho break, Dr. Michael Geist took the stage to talk about the evolution of Canadian copyright laws. Geist noted that although Canada is viewed as a “piracy hub”, we are amongst the 15 lowest rates for software piracy, at 28%. With a new majority Government in power, it’s hard to tell what the future holds for Canadian copyright laws. What we do know is that social media pressure is becoming more pervasive and will impact changes in copyright policy that will hopefully foster innovative work.
Notable Tweets:
@meshconference: “It’s hard to community-build when you’re community isn’t as big as you’d like it to be” @mgeist #mesh11
AvitaniaInTO: Excellent, inspiring talk by @mgeist at #mesh11 re: shifts in copyright protection and innovation. Makes me wish I could vote in Canada!
Hope to see you all tonight at the After-Party hosted by SMG taking place at The Lounge, 99Sudbury!
Edelman is a founding sponsor of mesh and proud supporter of Canada’s premier web 2.0 conference. Blog posts and Twitter updates are brought to you by @davidakermanis and @melissaretty from the @edelmanTO team. Edelman is the largest independently-owned communications firm in the world. For more information, check out Edelman.ca