Mobile Social Network Brings SXSW Keynote to a Halt
March 11th, 2008 | by Brad King |Here’s my server-crashing account of what happens when the technology comes to public interviews. It’s a really good example of what happens when journalists aren’t aware of the Read/Write discussion going on.
A brief history. Journalist Sarah Lacy interviewed Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg at SXSW. The crowd (me included) became upset with the lack of substance to the interview, and using Twitter, the crowd of several thousand started a meta-conversation. Soon, hostilities bubbled over, with the crowd vocally interacting with Lacy — who became irritated, chastising the audience for their lack of understanding of her job.
Here is the piece I wrote for TechNewsWorld.
By the midway point, the crowd had grown vocally hostile, empowered by the ad-hoc Twitter network that had formed. Even Zuckerberg appeared rattled. He mocked a question about his propensity to use longhand journals for notes and he chastised Lacy for making a long statement instead of asking a question.
