This past weekend I followed the happenings of GenreCon in Brisbane from afar, via twitter. I ended up following a whole heap of new people on twitter as a result but overall felt really connected to the event even though I wasn't there.
I learned two things over the weekend (or rather I had two things I know reinforced for me) while I paid attention to the twitter stream and engaged in the happenings at GenreCon.
1. writers tweet a lot, and well. I guess it has to do with that whole aspect of sharing and learning that writers seem to have in spades (and shovels and front-end loaders.... heck, they've got a whole truck load of sharing going on). Librarians like to share too but it seems we're a little less prolific in our sharing than writers, maybe that's because writers are always writing so tweeting to excess (not really) is simply an extension of that. They sure know how to exercise their writing muscles.
2. conferences are simply wonderful to follow when there are so many people tweeting (and posting photos). I've known this one for simply years and it's been one of my major bugbears at Library conferences. You know the ones, organisers set up FB and Twitter accounts and then don't use them or only use one and not the other (usually FB), and then also don't promote the use of twitter with attendees and then the attendees (who I know tweet) don't tweet 'cause the wifi access is crap etc etc etc. I could go on, I won't. It annoys me, a lot. A couple of recent library conferences (ALIA Biennial 2012 and ALIA Information Online 2013 as examples) have turned this around, but the smaller state-wide library conferences still seem to have a hesitancy to tweet - I think they often forget that tweeting includes those not there and that in some small way they almost have an obligation to tweet because libraries are all about sharing and only so many library staff can afford to go to library conferences/seminars so how else can they be included if not for following the tweets? There are some wonderful library tweeps though who do share and I for one am extremely grateful to them and for them (virtual hugs to @ellenforsyth as a starter).
Damn, I said I wouldn't go on about it and I did...... *apologies*
GenreCon was brilliant to follow. I really wish I was there and yet not being there I still felt included - because of the tweet stream. You guys rock.
I've noticed, over the years of following various authors, that writers are wonderful at sharing. There seems to be this inbuilt need to spread the writing love, to help build other writers up and collaborate in generating a community of writers that values and supports the various writing paths that each individual takes. This is true of Librarians too, at least the ones I try to surround myself with, we can do so much more, we have such a stronger, louder, richer voice when we support each other and collaborate with one another. And I for one am extremely grateful for that.
Tweets about "#GCoz"
