Atlanta's Fat Ass

Jeff Haynie, a successfull web-based entreprenuer from metro Atlanta has a fascinating blog entry he's titled: How To Build A Successfull Startup Environment in Atlanta. Note his use of the critical word "environment." Jeff's really on to something here, something we need to help him grow:

I can’t even compare our environments to other major areas like the Valley or Boston - it’s just not much of a comparison. So, I won’t. Atlanta can become it’s own community and has the ability to not only do what others have done before us - but also innovate in it’s community environments. And, we need more people - “completely unknown” around town - to step up and make it happen. We need 100 Billy Payne’s passionate about making Atlanta a successful startup community, as much as the real Payne did for the Atlanta Olympic quest in the late 80s.

Full post here. I urge reading it carefully. There's just so much good stuff all through it. I've had to the good fortune to work with Jeff on media issues and making some cool new media. He's completely inspiring to be around. He gets things like, oh say, SoCon07 done. And Southern Fried Tech.

Like others who have come to get to know one another through SoCon07, PodCamp Atlanta or Atlanta Web Entrepreneurs, Jeff is anxious and willing to help build a strong e-entrepreneur community right here in the SE. Let's hope our entrenched media establishment, some of which he talks about in his blog entry, will keep the faith, the open mind and the initiative needed to help drive just this very thing -- a vibrant web-based entrepreneurial environment and community. Not only is it in our interest, their audience base and eyeballs, it would seem to be in their own self-preservation interests too.

FYI... Jeff's on to BarCamp Atlanta come October! I say... whatever was strong in Mr. Payne, is also strong in Mr. Haynie. Let's move beyond the entrenched way of doing things, the good 'ole boy network. Let's learn, create -- and above all -- share.

SoCon07 Blogger Un-Conference Happening

I'm at SoCon07. Where are you? Josh Hallett is live-blogging at Hyku. Nik from Augusta has thoughts here. Leonard Witt, a co-founder, has more poop here, and pics from last night's dinner and today's conference are here. Atlanta-based SoulPress posts a clip of keynoter, Chris Klaus. SOT from Josh about the use of social media is on my YouTube channel. (Audio was off-mic so you'll have to crank the volume on that one.)

And here are your Georgia Podcast Network hosts, Ladies and Gentleman, put your hands together for America's Bloggeratti Couple of the Year, capturing all your southern podcasting needs so you don't have to... Amber Rhea and RustyTanton:

And the Shelbinator captures me doing my video Diane Sawyer-Of-Social-Media thing:

And more of me, and then the glamorous Jen from Who Is Jen Gordon? Answer: She's the other gal from TrueGritz!


For SoCon08, let's add dancing!

Technorati tag: socon07

The Best Social Media Trend of 2006

Let's meme it up... Dan Greenfield, Communications Guru at Earthlink, and author of the excellent Bernaisource blog, asks: What was the most notable PR/marketing social media trend or event in 2006 and why?

Wow! Where do I begin? Web 2.0 about took over my life in 2006. I had to launch an entire company, WaySouth Media, Inc., just to keep up. (Site to be built-out when I can catch my social media breath.) It's all so astonishingly personal when I slow to ponder the question -- whether marketing my vlog TrueGritz, being caught up on the periphery of the Edelman/Wal-Mart fake blog scandal, getting serious about growing The Spacey Gracey Review, or seeing my friend Catherine wrangle with the roller coaster of success at Second Life, where she's Director of Marketing.

The biggest social media trend for me is seeing the Atlanta social media community begin to gel. We are establishing our own regionalized identity. We've read each other's blogs, we've come together at various meetings and seminars and social functions. We're starting to get an idea of who's who on the Atlanta social media scene, and we're casting our nets for bigger and better -- together.

And yes, we're still in the baby stages since we saw Creative Loafing's Best Of award for Best Blog go to a Big Media-sponsored blog, Rodney Ho's. Radio Talk is a good blog as Rodney's up on his beat in a big way; yet Radio Talk remains a non-organic blog in that it was created with a standard-issue, ready made audience, AJC.com. It thus had an assist of hugenormous, not easily overlooked, proportions, rather than put out there to grow and flourish and be marketed and build readership on its own creative merits. It didn't percolate to the top; rather, it was placed on the top by MSM, not the natural blogosphere.

Yet, we also saw Amber and Rusty recognized for their incredible hard work and devotion to creating, branding, marketing and sustaining the Georgia Podcast Network. They've been just amazingly supportive of the Atlanta social (and independent) media community, and I couldn't thank them enough, for instance, for coming out to the Punchline and podcasting Jeff Justice's Level II workshoppe graduation night performances. They are the future: energetic, smart, informed, open and community-minded, and incredibly techno-savvy. Yep, the sharpest knives in the drawer, as a good southerner would spin it for ya. (All I want for Christmas is a GAPN thong!)

All of a sudden there are plenty of social media conferences in the works for 2007: Podcamp Atlanta and SoCon (website coming soon) for starters. Who needs SXSW when we can roll our own!

Ultimately, my feelings about marketing and public relations for social media 2006 are entirely regionally focused: within the scope of the ATL, the Dirty South, the Old South, the New South, I see a sparkly, bubbly treasure trove of growth and possibility and fabulous new media creativity for 2007.

Here in Atlanta, we've given ourselves the gift of independent media. Talk about learning to love (and trust) yourself -- and one's own personal network! You built it, you've grown it, you own it. Let us go forth and use it wisely.

Happy New Media New Year!

ConvergeSouth

Attention all Atlanta bloggeratti, or however you'd spell that word: CovergeSouth is coming up soon. All Atlanta Media Bloggers on the Atlanta Social Media Conference committee should plan to be there Oct. 13-14.

It would be most great to have a strong Atlanta contingent in Greensboro for the conference. We need to go in laptops a'blazing. Several folks, including myself, are already registered. Sure hope to pow-wow at ConvergeSouth with our tribe and others. Register here.

Note Andrew Baron's (Rocketboom) blog entry about what videoblogging is doing to the Technorati rankings... as in sweeping 'em.