Content Creators' Conference?

Is anyone going to attend the 2010 SL Pro! Conference? Is it worth the $99 USD? Anyone else have any opinions on this conference as a whole?

Just got my invite--- don't suppose they would care to hold it in SL?

would be interested to go and see what is said, but it's not just $99, would cost me a whole lot more than that to fly in and stay in a hotel, so sadly will just have to rely on hearing what goes on there from others

Wanna clue the rest of us in?

http://www.nmc.org/2010-slpro

It's being held inworld, I think....http://www.nmc.org/2010-slpro/venue

The SL Pro conference is a virtual event, to be held in-world, on a cluster of 4 privately-owned sims. It is a for-profit event that is run by Linden Lab, but it is managed by a resident-owned organization. The group LL is getting support from. for logistics and providing the venue, is a Gold Solutions Provider. (Note: This clarification on who is actually running the event only came to light with a blog post today, and is a 180 degree change from what I had thought to be the case as early as when this post was first made.)

From what I have seen so far, your $99 USD admission gets you membership in a land access group so you can enter the sims the event will be held in, and attempt to attend the live hour-long discussions each presenter will offer.

So far, it's a "pig in a poke". They mentioned a few names of presenters, but not what topics they will speak on, or what level each speech is aimed at. They are still soliciting presenters, and if you present a topic you get free admission to the event, plus a "stipend" of some sort (unspecified value).

There's no information so far about what experience level any topic will be aimed at. So you might find yourself an expert attending a beginner's intro class, or a beginner hopelessly lost in a pros-only class. My guess is that since the presentations are of short duration, none of them will be in-depth learning experiences.

It's also being held mid-week, during the normal working hours for USA attendees. Which means if you're in the Western Hemisphere and hold down a day job in RL, you need to take two days off from work to attend this event.

Given the lack of information on what will be presented, I'm not planning on attending.

{Edited to add} Correction: A partial list of conference speakers and topics has been posted, here:

http://www.nmc.org/2010-slpro/program

I am still very dubious that any of these topics can adequately be covered in a 45 minute discussion/presentation in-world.

Thank you for the info.

I find it interesting that they are holding this during the day, when many of us in the US (as already pointed out) work. I am concerned that this might be the first step in identifying "certified" content creators in an attempt to limit who will and won't be somehow "licensed" to sell inworld. Conspiracy theory? Perhaps, but the surprises from LL just keep coming.

I have received an invite but struggling at the moment to work out exactly what I would be paying for and what it would gain me.

Or it could be like one of those 'meet the NY Giants' autograph party invitations, and when you get there, you're hauled off to the pen.

Ok, I watch too much cable.

It sounds like an Amway Sales Meeting to me. Or the sessions they keep trying to get me to attend at my timeshare in Vegas.

I'll be going. Avie can do the meetings, RL will do the drinking. I love conferences.

If I could afford it right now, I'd definitely do it.

Well the email did not make it obvious it was an inworld event. That certainly is better- however, the hours are not accessible to me - so, nope - this "Content Creator" wil not be attending.

I received an invite, but i won't be attending. I'm not sure its worth 99$ to be honest. If i want any creation/building/scripting tips...I'd sooner ask my partner, who is a good all rounder!


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Thing is, they aren't even surprises anymore. Considering LL is now run by slick, oily salespeople, I don't think you are too far off in that possibility.

If I had the money and the invite, I'd do it out of curiosity the first time. Depending on how interesting the first one was, I might try to go to any future ones.

But $99 just seems a bit steep for me.

Also, I get the impression that if you're not a Voice Chat user, you may as well not bother. Every example that NMC showed of a presentation in their venue was of a spokesperson using Voice Chat to present their material. Not one example where the presenter was typing their presentation into text chat. So if you can't hear them, or if they aren't looking at text chat to hear your questions, why be there at all?

Based on what I see on their website, I would bet that any potential presenter offering a session proposal that stated they, as presenter, would only be using text chat and would have Voice deactivated for their session would likely get turned down flat, unless the session was specifically being taught by someone who is deaf in RL, and could prove it, and the topic was specific to dealing with deafness in SL.

Along the conspiracy theory line...

A lot of these conferences (in RL, not SL) are networking opportunities. The presentations are just an excuse to go and meet others in your line of endeavor, schmooze with them, discuss deals and projects.

Could be, if you don't go, you get left out of the loop.

It's like "publish or perish" in academia. You go to at least one event in your field per year, or you'll never be seen as a serious contender.

This...........I got my invite to spend more money and thought the same thing.

I didn't receive an invite. I'm assuming that having 3 stores, all filled with my own creations, that more than paid for themselves for the past 3 years (including buying and paying tier on a full sim) .... does not qualify me as a content creator.

Oh well...I would not be able to get off work anyway

$99 to attend is probably designed to make sure the hobbyist, the sort that clutters up xStreet, doesn't also clutter up their conference. Only serious creators need apply

I wonder if any of the money will be used toward ensuring a lag-free experience.

It would certainly be in LL's interest to give this impression--in order to sell as many US$99 tickets as possible.

Creators who receive invitations will be smart enough to have thought of the same objections listed in this thread---e.g. whether a 45 minutes session could really tell them anything they don't already know, etc.

The only thing that might induce them to come across with the cash, is the fear that NOT paying might leave them off LL's list of Possible Licensed Sellers.

Interesting that at the bottom of that page is found the statement "All content Creative Commons."

How many of the prospective US$99-payers will be fans of Creative Commons, I wonder?