A Week for Geeks

Technology gurus, SEO masters and connected consumers united last week in New York for Internet Week: http://www.internetweekny.com/. Did your heart skip a beat and mouse hurry to the hyperlink? If so, then you don’t need to be introduced or coaxed into understanding why this event, for most, Web 2.0 movers and shakers, is a great thing. Technology gurus, SEO masters and connected consumers united last week in New York for Internet Week: http://www.internetweekny.com/. Did your heart skip a beat and mouse hurry to the hyperlink? If so, then you don’t need to be introduced or coaxed into understanding why this event, for most, Web 2.0 movers and shakers, is a great thing. Last year, the Industrial and Technology Assistance Corp., a Manhattan-based nonprofit economic development organization, commissioned a report that found the city employed 165,000 high-tech workers – not to mention the countless PR and marketing folks that support and promote the companies where these high-tech workers are employed. In response to this report and the common knowledge about the growing Silicon Alley, Internet Week New York was created. Internet week kicked off on June 3rd at Gracie Mansion, the “home” of Mayor Bloomberg and has been running throughout the week and will end with the Webby Awards on June 10th. The Internet Week concept was initially organized by the Mayor’s Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting and the International Academy of Digital Arts & Sciences. It’s taken on a Wikipedia-like concept where anyone can create their own event or meet-up as well as attend any of the parties, roundtables or even yoga classes listed on the Internet Week roster. One interesting event was hosted by IWantMedia at NYU tackling “The Future of Media” where reporters David Carr-New York Times, Keith Kelly-New York Post, Kenneth Li-Reuters, Johnnie Roberts-Newsweek, Erick Schonfeld-TechCrunch and Michael Wolff-Vanity Fair/New York Magazine discussed how the internet continues to change the way we all consume media. Jonnie Roberts put it simply when he stated that “blogs are a megaphone for what he does for Newsweek.” The discussion which can be watched here, covers a range of topics including how new media is impacting almost all businesses, something that marketing and public relations executives have been conveying to CEO’s for the past few years. So will Web 3.0 be declared when the week-long event is over? Probably not, but this is if nothing else, an excellent effort to keep the internet social, with out having to create a new social network. Whether you can read HTML or just use the internet to browse celebrity gossip on PerezHilton, check out Internet Week and socialize off-line!