Colombia: The First Blogger Meetup in Medellín Results in Mixed Reviews.

Throughout the planning of the first blogger meeting in Medellín, a website, Medallo Bloguero [ES] was set up for bloggers from Medellín and others interested could participate in the planning process by giving their opinions and criticisms on the planned activities for the first roundtable/meetup.

The idea behind the meetup was to have a space where both bloggers and non-bloggers could take something of value with them, and to spread the blog love all around. This roundtable event was to take advantage of the National Internet Week and internet day as an opportunity to present Medellín Bloggers to the rest of the community.

Here are some comments from the Medellín Bloggers:

Diegoeche [ES]

Acabo de llegar del evento… me aburrí. La verdad había me hecho expectativas… pero no me gusta escuchar a alguien que no sabe de lo que esta hablando y que cree que diciendo siglas (CSS, XML RSS) va a hablar de cosas muy interesantes. Si se quería dar una introducción a que es blogging, o tratar de definir que era un blog creo que publicitaron mal el evento. Me imagine otra cosa.

Ademas un ambiente tan entusiasta resulta terriblemente perjudicial para la discusión jejeje.

I just got home from the event… I got bored. As a matter of fact, I had expectations, but I didn't like to hear from someone who doesn´t know what they are talking about, and who thinks that by saying acronyms (CSS, XML, RSS) thinks that one would talk about really interesting things. If the goal was to give an introduction to blogging or try to define what a blog was, then I believe the event was incorrectly publicized. I imagined something completely different.

Besides, such an enthusiastic environment is terribly harmful for discussion, hehehe.

Ayer fui al primer encuentro de blogger en Medellín, llegue cuando ya había empezado y me fui antes de terminar, solo estuve para el final de una charla en la que alguien hablaba maravillas de los blós y que todo el mundo debería bloguear, luego siguió una charla “técnica” sobre los blós y web 2.0, que no me gusto, o me daba risa la recitación descarada de wikipedia o me daban ganas de llorar ante las mismas palabras vacías y TLA, espero que se repita, pero ahora sea mas integración y menos charla.

Yesterday I went to the first Blogger meetup in Medellín, I arrived late and left early, I was just there for the end of a speech in which someone talked about the wonders of blogs and why all the world should blog, which was followed by a very technical speech on blogs and web 2.0 which I didn't like, or I found it funny to hear them blatantly read off wikipedia or I wanted to cry for the same empty words and TLA. I hope they do it again, but with more integration and less talk.

Angelfire [ES]:

Pues parce, yo ya tenia cierta experiencia con este tipo de cosas y estoy seguro que no nos fue mal, hablar de blogs en medellin no es tan fácil como hablar de futbol o cosas por el estilo, desgraciadamente a nuestra ciudad o al país en general le falta más cultura, y pues para eso estamos nosotros.

Well man, I already had some experience with this sort of thing and I´m sure we didn't do badly. Talking about blogs in Medellín isn't as easy as talking about soccer or things like that, unfortunately our city or country in general, lacks more culture, and well, that's what we are here for.

Frakasoft [ES]

Bueno quiero primero felicitar a las organizadores por la idea, creo que hay que repetirlo. Sin embargome parece e que hubo muchos cosas que se debieron mejorar, desde el objetivo del evento. Yo iba a socializar y a pasar un buen rato, no ha que me dieran clases y charlas interminables… pa eso la Universidad y mis profes :P. Creo que si lo que buscaban era gente que no blogueara le apuntaron a los que no debian. No logro entender por que lo llamaron encuentro Blogger si querian gente no-blogger. Creo que debemos reunirnos de nuevo pero en otro contexto, Sin charlas magistrales, mas bien con un conjunto de temas de los cuales conversar, en un contexto mas de conocer gente, tomarse unas polas y hacer amigos. Eso si sería un “encuentro” Bloggger .

Well, first I want to congratulate the organizers for the idea, I think it needs to be repeated. Nevertheless, it seems to me that there were several things which should be improved, according to the event's objective. I wanted to socialize and have a good time, not to be given classes and watch neverending presentations… that´s what the university and my teachers are there for :P. I think that if you were looking for non bloggers, then people signed up who shouldn't have. I don´t understand why it was called a Blogger meeting if you wanted non-bloggers. I believe we should meet again but in another context, without lecturing but rather with a list of topics to discuss in a context more in the spirit of meeting people, drinking beer and making friends. That would truly be a “blogger” meetup.

Jaime Humberto Medina Medina [ES]

Con suma atención he leido este post sobre Lo Bueno, lo Malo y lo Feo del Encuentro Blogger Medellín 2007, del cual también tuve muchas expectativas, en mi caso virtuales, por cuanto les escribo desde la ciudad de Pereira.

Lo de la norma bloguera de hacer una reunión para ir a tomar cerveza y hablar mierda, tiene mucho de cierto y en parte fue lo que sucedió en el Encuentro Blogscolombia el pasado año en Bogotá donde tuve la oportunidad de asistir.

Las diapositivas me parecieron excelentes porque muestran de manera clara nuestro “oficio” blogueril.

I´ve read with great interest this post on the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the Medellin Blogger Meetup 2007 for which I had many expectations, in my virtual case because I´m writing from the city of Pereira. It is true that the blogger norm is to meet to drink beer and talk crap. This is what, in part happened at the Blogscolombia meetup last year in Bogotá, where I had the chance to attend.

I thought the slides were excellent because they very clearly show the craft of blogging.

Galo [ES]

Es un gran logro haber realizado el evento y haberle llegado a los que participaron. A mí me gusto mucho que se haya vuelto un blog en el mundo real, los participantes comentando, compartiendo experiencias y debatiendo. El café le dio un aire mucho más informal al evento y permitió mayor integración.

It's a great accomplishment to have put on the event for all that participated. I truly liked how it became a blog in realtime with participant comments, adn the sharing and debting of experiences. The coffeehouse gave it a more informal feel to the event that allowed for more integration.

Noájida [ES]

Exito rotundo el conversatorio, pues se conversó, el que quizo habló, además hay tendencias muy marcadas que nos dan herramientas para asignar funciones. …En fin, es demasiado para un primer acercamiento, no importa cual sea el fin de cada bloguero, yo creo que lo importante es que cada uno lo alcance reconociendo al otro, a la diversidad, eso para mi es civilización.

Gracias a los organizadores, es un trabajo voluntario, que vale mucho.

The roundtable was a resounding success, since we chatted, and those that wanted to were able to speak. There were also very marked tendencies that give us tools to assign different tasks…Well, it's a lot for a first encounter, independently of each blogger's purpose in attending. I believe that the important thing is that each one recognizes the other, their diversity, and for me, that is civilization.

Thank you to the organizers for the worthwhile and voluntary work.

Patton

Pues por lo que leo fue un éxito, 40 personas para una convocatoria tan corta y para ser la primera … excelente. creo que te das mucho palo y te exiges demasiado. Ningún evento de bloggers al que haya ido ha tenido una parte “académica”, y tal vez en lo que pecaron fue en tratar de unir dos públicos distintos en un mismo espacio.

From what I can read, it was a success for attracting 40 people on such short notice and for being a first-time event… excellent. I think you are being a very tough critic and are demanding too much of yourself. No other blogger event that I've been to had an academic component, and maybe your only error was to try and unify two very distinct audiences in the same space.