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Posted at 1:09PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

So, on at the same time as, and rather near this then.

Will you be disappointed if people go from one to the other, and arrive late to blend?

[or should I just make my mind up which to attend?]

Posted at 1:14PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

Go to the Blend. Download the debate on Saturday.

Posted at 1:21PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

Yes, very near. I won't be hurt if you want to go to the debate and then stroll over to the Boatshed.

Posted at 1:25PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

ouch. good clash there. might attend te papa and then bail before the more lunatic questions start up from the audience.

and yes, one of them may well be mine...

Posted at 1:30PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

So how does one RSVP? (Can't see an email address)

Posted at 1:39PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

So how does one RSVP? (Can't see an email address)

It's in the blog post, but here it is again:

Click here for Wellington

Click here for Auckland

Posted at 2:03PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

a bit OT, are all those Cunliffe's at baa camp related?

Posted at 2:05PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

Okay, if you tried for Auckland and got a message saying it was full, don't fret. We figure we can fit more this time, so try again in a few minutes (ie: about 2.15) and you will be served.

Posted at 2:42PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

I went to the new part of the museum on its open day, and it looks like a great venue, so I'm really excited about the Auckland Great Blend.

Also: Kiwi Foo Camp?! Where's my invitation, ow?

Posted at 7:44PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

Jeez, what a choice. Colin James on the Treaty or the Great Blend? I'll reserve choosing until after the first gig tomorrow night. Worst comes to worst, I'll ditto with Che.

Posted at 9:11PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

Also: Kiwi Foo Camp?! Where's my invitation, ow?

Yeah, really Robyn, I know some folk who are going and I just don't know what the fuck the criteria were.

Posted at 11:07PM on 31 Jan 07. Permalink.

Hi,

regarding the Wellington one, would it be OK if we had no music?

I enjoyed SJD at the last Auckland one, but found the music a bit distracting.

I was more interested in talking to people afterwards, but it was a bit hard to do that while a band was playing so loudly.

Posted at 12:19AM on 1 Feb 07. Permalink.

I enjoyed SJD at the last Auckland one, but found the music a bit distracting.

At all the Great Blends I've been to, it seems that people either want to stick around and listen to the band, or get away to a quieter spot and talk.

And usually this works really well. The last Auckland GB - at the Grey Lynn community centre - had indoor spaces where people could talk. But at the one before that - at Hopetoun Alpha, the talkers had to go outside, which wasn't so ideal.

The bands are usually awesome and very much appreciated, but sometimes it's nice to have a good old geeky conversation, and even better when you're not cast out with the smokers.

Posted at 8:04AM on 1 Feb 07. Permalink.

We'll go a bit differently with the music this time - I don't expect Isaac to drown out conversation, and it'll be a DJ in Wellington.

It's always a bit tricky, because it's nice to have performances, but you don't want people scattering either. It worked brilliantly when we had the Phoenix Foundation play at the Maritime Museum, not so well at the Hopetoun Alpha.

Smokers might find the Auckland venue a little challenging: it's quite a long way down and out from the museum events centre, and they don't have their roof garden open yet.

BTW, the museum's New Zealand Decorative Art gallery will be open when people arrive - if you haven't seen that, it's got some really cool stuff.

Posted at 10:16AM on 1 Feb 07. Permalink.

Yeah, really Robyn, I know some folk who are going and I just don't know what the fuck the criteria were.

To some extent, luck, and the logic you'd apply in inviting a mix of party guests: if it was done on pure merit I'd never have been invited to Foo in the US last year. It's a relatively small gathering and people do miss out. I put forward some of the names, but not everyone could be accommodated.

Posted at 1:53PM on 1 Feb 07. Permalink.

BTW, the museum's New Zealand Decorative Art gallery will be open when people arrive - if you haven't seen that, it's got some really cool stuff.

Including a fabric print by Public Address Great NZ Argument contributor ARD Fairburn!

Posted at 4:40PM on 1 Feb 07. Permalink.

Including a fabric print by Public Address Great NZ Argument contributor ARD Fairburn!

Heh. "Contributor" sounds like I went round to see Rex with a flagon of sherry and convinced him to giz something for my book.

I wish ...

Posted at 9:19AM on 2 Feb 07. Permalink.

If anyone RSVP'd for Wellington but now can't go drop me a line please. grabtharsblog[at]gmail[dot]com

I was in an all day meeting yesterday and missed out. Stupid public sector! Stupid kids needing to be educated! (note: just a joke not an official stance)

Posted at 3:33PM on 8 Feb 07. Permalink.

Should I have got an email confirming my RSVP? Or is it just names on the door?

Posted at 5:10PM on 8 Feb 07. Permalink.

You should have got a confirmation to print and take with you, according to what happened to me.

Posted at 2:29PM on 9 Feb 07. Permalink.

That was an awesome event last night!
Thanks Russell & Co, you did a great job. :o)

Cheers
Dave

Posted at 7:18PM on 9 Feb 07. Permalink.

so what happened to you greg?

Posted at 1:24AM on 10 Feb 07. Permalink.

Hmm? Me? I was there, lurking as ever. I even dragged along a generally unpolitical geek friend to see the smart people talk about the smart things.

Main thing to take away from it for me was a complete disagreement with the consensus reached that it was "unrealistic to think that you might change the number of people who are interested in politics in any given population". It wasn't those words, but it was there more or less. And me being the optimist, as far as people go, I'm going, well, maybe we can get there.

Far as I can see it, the problem is reaching the critical number of translation nodes. Ie, converting what is appealing to pol geeks, into what is conceptionally worthwhile to the majority of the people who live in NZ. It's a big thing, but the big web changes (tech is catching up to thought, we always need more Rob McKinnons) are really only enabling a small portion of the population at this point.

Tangential:And again, grating, for me, was the continual return to "the govt must do this" to make whatever we want happen. I'm a firm believer in, we do it. We are the public, we have to make it happen.

So yes - big challenge : make the geeks capable of being the activation points for the political conciousness of all their friends.
Major risk: the middle class gets fucked over enough that they react without being informed, and we get another revolution to put the same type of people in charge. With all the pain that goes with that sort of endeavour.

Chances are you're talking about a different Greg though, so you know, whatevers.

Posted at 11:32AM on 10 Feb 07. Permalink.

No I was wondering about the confirmation thing, I have recieved an email from some pr saying bring money, but nothing mentioned about printing anything to gain entry.
As far as translation nodes etc are concerned, I'd say that the central focus has to be conveyance of themes and ideas in terms that are easily digestible by joe and sharon lunchbox. It has to appeal to as many as possible to be taken on board, not just by digital natives and early adopters. Now as a disclaimer before the lefty hordes tell me that I'm a heinous racist for using the word native, the term evokes people of no specific ethnic origin who are indigenous to the digital age and its inherant technologies, so there.

Posted at 1:41PM on 10 Feb 07. Permalink.

Where the major pitfall to be avoided is moving to spin doctored talking points being regurgitated by ditto heads. It's engagement, of a sort, but there's not that much difference between being disempowered through lack of knowledge, and being disempowered through lack of unfiltered knowledge.

Posted at 4:51PM on 10 Feb 07. Permalink.

Main thing to take away from it for me was a complete disagreement with the consensus reached that it was "unrealistic to think that you might change the number of people who are interested in politics in any given population". It wasn't those words, but it was there more or less.

Eh? I honestly can't understand how you'd have taken that from the panel. It's certainly not my view.

The point I can't believe escaped me during the discussion is that it's all very well for geek-politics people to talk about the govt and the public sector as "they" - but who's putting their hands up to actually stand for councils or for govt?

I really wish we had a few more people like Cr Richard Simpson in politics.

Tangential:And again, grating, for me, was the continual return to "the govt must do this" to make whatever we want happen. I'm a firm believer in, we do it. We are the public, we have to make it happen.

Fer sure. I made the point that it's independent ventures - Scoop, the original They Work For You - that produce the leaps in engagement. The point - and it's kinda geeky - is that there are things the government can do in the way it presents public data that make a big difference to the way ventures like that can work.

And when it comes to things like copyright law, well, it's the people we elect to government who make it.

Posted at 4:54PM on 10 Feb 07. Permalink.

Oh, and if you didn't get an RSVP thing, don't worry, just turn up at the venue - south entrance, Auckland museum, 6.30pm (from 6 is okay if you're at a loose end), tomorrow.