Journeying to the Web 2.0 Summit

Heading to the Web 2.0 Summit (renamed from “Conference”) today and will be blogging from there. In some ways I’m stunned by how dramatically different this event is shaping up to be: stronger roster, announcements in the queue, A LOT more expensive (late registrants paid $3,295 this year) and I’m anticipating a great event (and to connect live with people I’ve only had email or Skype connections with over the last year).

There is a one day “counter” event happening in downtown SF Thursday called Web 2.2, an unconference that’s more along the lines of barcamp. When I think about all of the possible innovators creating the next Web out there that couldn’t cost-justify fees like the Summit commands, I feel torn. It’s usually not the thought leaders, pundits, journalists, bureaucrats, suits or those trying to wrest control of protocols and approaches that are inventing the future of the Web — but like anything else, it’s critical do what Deep Throat (of Watergate fame) recommended to Woodward and Bernstein: follow the money.

The money will be at the Summit.

There’s another venue coming (Web 2.0 Expo) that holds the promise of being a place for innovators and interested others to coalesce around FutureWeb and all that we intend the Internet to become. I intend to ramble on over to the Expo in April too.

If you’re out at Web 2.0 and want to connect, email me at sborsch at gmail.com. By the way, all the Mac OS X users with iChat open can be found quite often using Apple’s Bonjour (there’s great Wifi in these venues and everyone usually has their laptop open) so look for me there as well.