Interesting

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We were at Interesting2007 today, the day were were hoping to launch a beta beta or rough, rough or half-baked or whatever version of the service. However, we had a few teething problems and the beta beta [or... ] will have to wait a week or so. Still, ‘Interesting’ was excellent. Freakish weather meant Rob and Debs didn’t get to London until 11am – when the conference started – so I [James] leant on Gabriel [Gabriel, thank you!] who was fabulous in helping me create the “craft concept retail space” in the gloomy oak lobby of the Conway Hall.

interesting2007

We set up our stall trying to create a living room environment which kinda worked, but what did work was our “make table” where we beavered away making blinkybugs [see below] and Rob being far more technical hacked a Nintendo controller to make an optical mouse and also made an “ambient orb light” which responded to ‘the internet’. What about the internet it was responding has not yet become clear.

interesting2007

interesting2007

Anyway, we had a great time, got lots of good feedback, not to mention loads of beta testers and a possible invite to do a big festival event this summer and I got to have a brief chat with Matthew D’Ancona [albeit unwittingly] which was marvelous. Thanks Russell :) and thanks to all those crafters who helped us to provide goods for the event [Lucia, Alice, Zoe, etc...].

interesting2007


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"Good with your hands"

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Russell kind of caught us on the hop today. He mentioned Folksy and also said some terribly nice things about me. All correct of course and I’ll sue anyone who says otherwise. So now we have over 100 people subscribed to our “shout” list where we have license to shout. Brilliant!

Next on the to do list is to think of another word for Beta which is a horribly overused and useless moniker now it’s a permanent fixture on any West Coast half-baked IPO / VC hungry thing. “Charlie” would be the logical next step and I have a friend with a dog called Charlie and it’s a nice dog, so that’s as good-a-reason as any. But I feel it tarred with the whole Greek alpha geek brush. So we need to think anew. Russell suggested “rough” which I like but makes me think of Martin Parr-esque images of kids in Northern sink estates. Ideas? We could start a whole new movement for services with “aren’t-quite-ready-but-we’re-going-to-shove-it-out-there-anyway” ethos of community led development.

Anyway, hello. Welcome to Folksy. In the next few weeks we’ll be learning and stressing. And we’ll share that with you in the run up to Folksy launching in some form or other.

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