So in case you haven’t heard, our Black Blogging Rockstars panel at SXSW 2010 went really well. I’ve scoured Twitter and interwebz for feedback. So far, reviews have been so positive.

I’d be lying if I didn’t admit I’m proud of the outcome (although, there’s a fistful of things I’d do differently, given the chance). It was my first time speaking at SXSW and the experience was both nerve-wracking and rewarding.

Partly responsible for my wracked nerves: Thirty minutes before the panel, my MacBook Pro (with my moderator notes) suffered a hard drive failure. Even worse, my latest version of the notes on Evernote never synced with my iPod Touch and the Evernote servers weren’t responding properly to retrieve the latest info.

Yeah.

Despite those obstacles, my years on the web and attending panels provided enough guidance for my rockstar panelists to deliver worthwhile information. Of course, none of it would’ve been possible without my dynamic panelists Deanna “Dede” Sutton, Gina McCauley and Maurice Cherry (who submitted the panel idea). They rock!

I’ll admit I wasn’t prepared for the number of audio and video recorders pointed at me for an hour! Also, the amount of post-panel questions from people all over the world (Africa and London, holla!) was awesome. I’m still receiving emails. Clearly, this is a topic a lot of people are interested in discussing.

The phrase “Black Blogging Rockstar” could mean a lot of things. We approached it from how the average person can use blogging to either fulfill their personal life/interests or further/elevate their other pursuits.

Some key points:

• Determine what you want out of blogging (personal, business, etc.)
• Know your worth (don’t allow for-profit entities to take advantage of you)
• Stay consistent and stay focused
• Network with others in your local area as well as… everybody
• Help others (which, ultimately, helps us all)

If you weren’t able to attend our panel, Adria Richards (another blogging rockstar) was gracious enough to record it.

A few things.

As I mentioned two weeks ago, I’ll be moderating the Black Blogging Rockstars panel at SXSW Interactive ( Twitter hashtag #sxswbbr ).

If you’re attending SXSW this year, we’d love to have you. We’ll be sharing our experiences with blogging as a platform and career catalyst as well as topics like Haters, Crabs and the Black Tech Community (you know who you are).

As I prepare for the panel, I’m really enjoying the contributions at the companion Black Blogging Rockstars website. The question is simply: What makes you a Black Blogging Rockstar? Answers can be submitted in the form of a quote, pics, an audio file, or a YouTube video link with your reply. Please share your thoughts, if you’re so inclined.

On a related note, CNN Money has an overview of this year’s Blacks In Tech panel & meetup (BIT), hosted by Ogilvy. I’m cited as one of the “early thought leaders” regarding blacks in technology, along with some respected colleagues. I can’t even wrap my head around that. It’s a fairly detailed article, nonetheless. BIT is sure to be well-attended and doesn’t require a SXSW badge to attend.

Okay, back to deciding which suitcase to pack.

In two weeks I will be moderating the Black Blogging Rockstars panel at SXSW Interactive, presented by 3eighteen media. Panelists include: Maurice Cherry, Dede Sutton and Gina McCauley.

Friday, March 12, 2010 @ 3:30 (CST).
Rooms 9ABC (3rd level, Trinity Street side)

time/location subject to change

photo by Nate Steiner

SXSW Interactive hosted a networking mixer last night at Cypress Street Pint and Plate. It was very well-attended, possibly due to SXSW’s increasing visibility outside of the music, film and tech communities.

As a result, there seemed to be a lot more people out last night who had never been to SXSW; or who can’t make it this year.

One of the more interesting conversations I had centered around how the black tech community doesn’t appear to be as supportive of each other as they should.

Even when blog posts or articles are positive, there are often negative or elitist comments that follow, especially around individual. This behavior was likened to the “crabs in a barrel” scenario.

I admit to being somewhat ignorant of this because I don’t read a lot of comments unless the post is about something technical. Comments, especially those that are anonymous or aren’t linked to the user’s website, have become mostly useless to me. I’ve seen too many well-meaning topics turn into personal bitchfests. Wrong time, wrong place.

This is one of the topics that will be discussed on the Black Blogging Rockstars panel at 2010′s SXSW Interactive. I’ll be moderating the panel and will offer some ideas. But my panelists: Maurice Cherry, Dede Sutton and Gina McCauley, have strong opinions about this. Trust.