the thing about sxsw

it’s just silly.

“are you going to sxsw?” “will i see you at sxsw?”

these are the questions that are floating around the internets for the past few weeks. they’re coming from people who aren’t really sure why they’re going to austin for the event, but really hope that they can find someone else to commiserate with.

the thing about sxsw is that it has become an “event” that has collapsed onto itself. you see, nobody really “pays” for a ticket. either a company pays for someone’s ticket (because that person has found a way to grease their boss), or you find a way to sneak into speaking at a “session” that nobody will really go to. you get your ticket for free if you’re a speaker. that free ticket is usually enough to get your company to pay for the rest of the boondoggle (flight, hotel, food, drinks, etc.)

i’ll save you from the “in my day, sxsw was….” bullshit. austin is a fun place, sxsw music and film are fantastic. interactive is a joke. it’s a joke because people actually spend months on trying to figure out how to “win it” which is exactly what “ruins” it. going places without an agenda is where it’s at, that’s why it’s fun to just hang out in san francisco, new york, etc. visit with friends, meet new people.

your agenda has partially ruined sxsw, while the rest has ruined itself.

big marketing dollars paid by big companies who are hoping that the little ants running around austin will pick up some schwag, maybe tweet about them or enter some contest have ruined it. it’s sad and it’s desperate.

sxsw reeks of desperation.

there’s no fixing it, because it has snowballed into thousands of people trying to justify their presence there. the second that you have to do that, it’s over. done. finished.

people don’t justify going to burning man. they just go. there’s no need to justify having some beers at a local bar and running into people.

when there’s no agenda, life is good.

sxsw feels gross. this isn’t me saying i’m better than anyone else, i’m just saying that i’d rather not go to a place in hopes of getting “something” to further an agenda out of it. it feels wrong, weird and awkward. even if i go with no agenda, i can’t handle being around people who do. it makes me feel like i’m participating by proxy.

i hope you enjoy sxsw. or at least talk yourself into thinking you did.