Bringing the backchannel up front
I’m in Las Vegas at Ragan Communications’ Social Media Conference, which kicked off with a daylong unconference. I know that the concept of an unconference has a grassroots foundation and that there is something bass-ackwards about a company sponsoring one, but this is Ragan’s second and they seem to have gotten it right. (Disclaimer: I do paid work for Ragan.) The feedback from the 60 or so participants was extremely positive.
One of the things Ragan was able to do was bring a British company Crystal Interactive, to lend its technology to the unconference. A couple small terminals were situated at each table. At the beginning of the session, Crystal Managing Director Chris Elmitt asked each table to enter topics they wanted discussed. While the same action is feasible using a backchannel, Crystal’s technology allowed everyone to see what everyone else was entering—anonymously—on the screen at the front of the room. The same technology was used to narrow topics, add input to discussions, and generate a take-away with hundreds of ideas for each participant. It’s the second time I’ve seen Crystal’s technology in action. It reminds me of something my friend Arnold Kishi showed me when he worked for the East West Center in Honolulu—a very similar system used for conflict resolution among representatives of nations at odds with each other.
It seems that companies can employ the unconference model to great effect and lend their financial wherewithal to adding capabilities the grass-roots efforts simply can’t afford. Below is a one-minute video I shot (using my Flip digital video camera) at the session showing participants using the system. The use of the technology was a small part of the unconference, which mostly featured participants asking and answering each other’s questions about the business uses of social media. But Crystal’s technology sped along much of the process and really enhanced the overall experience.
03/05/08 | 8 Comments | Bringing the backchannel up front