Letzten Samstag fand das Startup Camp 2010 in Basel statt. Auch das Startup Camp wird in Form eines Bar Camps abgehalten und ist dementsprechend eine Un-Konferenz, bei dem das Programm durch die Teilnehmer selbst vor Ort organisiert wird.

Nachdem ich in Dominiks Wunschliste genannt wurde, war für mich klar, dass ich dem BarCamp-Gedanken folgend, nicht nur teilnehmen, sondern auch etwas dazu beitragen wollte. Leider war ich am morgen verhindert und da dort die Slots für die Präsentationen vergeben werden, gab es für mich nur die Möglichkeit, dies mittels eines Tweets mitzuteilen, in der Annahme, dass diese wohl auf einer Twitterwall publiziert würden. Gesagt getan und so dauerte es nicht lange, bis mir Daniel Ebneter, einer der Mitorganisatoren, meinen Slot bestätigte.

Wie hält man eine Präsentation über ein Thema, bei dem die Wissensunterschiede der Teilnehmenden grösser nicht sein könnten. Zum einen Teilnehmer, die gerade mit einer Idee für ein neues Projekt herumspielen, zum anderen Unternehmer, die konkrete detaillierte Problemstellungen im SEO Bereich haben?  Ich entschied mich, meine Präsentation, die sonst 45 minuten dauert, in 25 durchzupeitschen, damit wir anschliessend wenigstens 20 min für konkrete Fragestellungen hatten. Die SEO-Präsentation ist übrigens auf der Idealizer Seite aufrufbar.

Fotos von: X-Foto auf Flickr

Yesterday was the Keith Jared concert in Zurich. I had gone with a friend, with whom I had gotten to know the “Köln concert” (listen) by Keith Jared.

Jared is an pianist who improvises most of his concerts. So there’s a lot of tone-finding and experimenting going on, while he’s playing. So it was unsure what to expect during the concert.

I realized, that other than with most concerts I’ve been to, you normally know one or two pieces of music atleast and can be looking forward for them to be played. Well, with improvisations that’s a different story.

The concert was in two segments of each approx. 40 minutes and each segment consisted of 4-5 individual improvisations. The concert was recored and will be made available as a CD. Of all the parts played, I personally only enjoyed 3.

Non-the-less, it was fun to see, how Jared stands up and silenty sings along as he plays. One could get the impression, in his head, he’s a a way larger concert and it’s just the piano background, that the people in the audience get to hear.

And I must point out, it’s a great thing, he doesn’t sing any louder, than he does. He might be the greatest piano player ever, but at the same time, he’s the worst singer ever.

Another strange thing was, that after leaving the stage for the 3rd or 4th time and returning for an encore, someone seemed to take a picture of him and he happened to see the red light of the camera and went off, as “this being the rudest thing in 61 years of playing the piano…” asking the person to appologize and calling him an asshole.

Well, Mr. Jared, although I have complete understanding, that you do not want your music show up on platforms like YouTube, etc. you might still want to change your approach to the problem.

You might want to come to an understanding, that people want to take home a photograph or a sound example to show their friends and tell them, how great the concert was. Not granting your paying audience this wish, is about as rude as vice-versa.

So why not take a more pragmatic approach by offering a deal to your audience à la: “Ok, I understand you want some pictures and maybe even video, sound, etc.” so here are the first three mintues of the concert, that you can film, take pictures of, share on you social networks, etc. and give them a “released to the public” concert opening. Then after 3 minutes, stopp, ask everyone to turn of their phones, cameras, etc, and shut up and enjoy the concert with no more interruptions at all. I’m sure it would be of way greater value to you, as it would virally spread your concert and be like a free preview to your CD. Think about it. Calling your audience “asshole” is not the finest thing to do.

Streetparade as developed from a techno-festival to one of the coolest summer events in Switzerland. With nearly 1 Mio. people attending, dressing up and reinventing theirselves for one day, it is a party of friendship, tolerance and openness. And a bunch of fun!

Ein Highlight war jedenfalls das Fondue, dass ich für die Deutschen Besucher aus Berlin zauberte. Hat schon was, in Zürich am Strand Fondue unter freiem Himmel zu essen!

Sollte man wieder machen

I was very fortunate and won the free ticket, so I will be flying to Hamburg tomorrow. I am really happy to be meeting some of my friends there such as Mediadonis, Matt McGowan, and many many others.

Also, we happened to have a Ex-Scout24 Meetup by coincedence. But a bunch of fun as well! Interesting how many good people arised from Scout24, and how few are left there.

In this picuture, Niels, Ronjon, Ron, Marcus (yes I copied the picture off your blog ) and Pascal.

I have picked up posting on my Swiss Video Blog as of the beginning of August. On netznews.tv I interview a bunch of interesting internet decision makers and try to transfer some of their insights to the viewer.

Also I have purchased a couple of new domains and am now up to 421 .

I will post about my newest project in a few days here, but want to apply some of the know how I’ll be gaining here first.

So what am I doing in San Jose? I am registered press for the Search-Engine Strategies Conference, will be attending the Google Dance 2007 as well as AOL Search Lunch and WebmasterWorlds SearchBash. Today, I will also be at BarCamp Block and have an interview with a few interesting people there. Stay tuned

Also, last night, when I arrived at my hotel room, the fire alarm went off and we all needed to evacuate. Afterwards the building was cleared again. So why did the alarm go off? Some idiot urinated on the hot sauna stones… I guess I won’t be using the sauna, while I’m here…

It was fun and as always, a very entertaining weekend. Novalis, a student friend of mine, and I had a Suite at the Hotel Europe right on the Promenade in Davos.

Usually you get to meet cool people at their piano bar. Two years ago, when we were there, Arthur Andersen had an invitation only cigars & jazz event we snook in to… This year it was open to the public, by the time we got there.

I was great fun mingling among people like former Swiss ambassador to Germany, Thomas Borer, who was accompanied by Victor Vexelberg, one of the Russian oligarchs, who is now increasingly based in Switzerland.

Also standing next to Google’s Eric Schmidt, while entering the Davos Casino, and seeing him sent away, as he wasn’t carrying his passport with him, was kinda fun. Imagine a casino sending away one of the worlds most influential persons, because he could not present proper ID…

A great chat with a guy from the US Homeland Security Department, while having Fondue at a local Chalet was another unforgetable chat and allowed a new view on the current events in the middle east.

If you ever have time in January to attend, you should definitely plan a nice week of skiing vacation in Davos and while doing so, visit the WEF, you’ll really enjoy it!

Whoever knows me, knows that I am rather good at bullshitting myself into as well as out of things. Well, at PubCon, there was a special party, hosted by YAHOO! (use their services if you can).

Luckily enough and thanks to some SEO friends, I got an invitation and attended the party. It was in Hugh Hefner’s Las Vegas suite, at the Palms Hotel what a location, wow.Now of course I would love to give you all the juicy details, but I’m afraid you know the rules: ‘what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas’

Thank’s again YAHOO!

Not really my style of music, but it was quite fun being there.

After the concert, we went and played BlackJack at the Casino Lucerne. Easy way to blow CHF 200.- with nearly no fun components included…

But, what the heck. It was great spending some time and having a few beers with my friends.

Die Überbauung Erlenmatt lud zu einem Cross-Golf Turnier auf dem Baugelände ein. Organisiert wurde das Ganze durch Urbangolf. Pippo “T” und Andy “DunD” von Trashgolf sorgten für meine Einladung und einen unvergesslichen Event.

Gespielt wurde ein 6-Loch Turnier, bei dem nebst Autoreifen, Mülltonnen auch WC Schüsseln als Ziele galten, dies es zu treffen brauchte. Echt coole Erfahrung.

20min und BAZ berichteten darüber.

Thanks again Dudes!