Kevin Breathnach mentions that both Fiona and Richard W are giving talks in colleges in the next while. He mentioned were they giving the talk at the same time, which is an interesting idea. There’s been some good debates on the Irish Blog O’Sphere in the past while and maybe we could have an actual in-person debate on certain subject matters?
Bring Bloggers together and have them debate Gay Marriage, Feminism, Iraq and Bush, Google in China, Open Source Vs Microsoft. One blogger on the for side and one on the against side. They will be allowed to prepare in advance and the subjectmatter would be topical. Host it in Dublin for now and maybe have this on once a month followed by some socialising after the event. Each event can be sponsored so it is free admission.
Thoughts?
EDIT:
Sinéad and Richard like the idea. Fiona does too and makes some suggestions. Simon in the comments has a good suggestion too.
Personally not really my thing. The socialising after the event sounds good though 🙂
why host it in dublin not all bloggeres are from dublin you know.
Start a chapter in another city and get it going then. Nothing stopping you. 🙂
The idea with Dublin (as you noticed I said Dublin first, I didn’t say for all of them) was because there are more people concentrated there. It is easier to get a bigger group when all people have to do is walk to where it takes place besides traveling 3 hours and staying overnight. Build momentum and online chatter using the Dublin gigs and then have other people suggest getting local bloggers to have their own ones and invite people along from other places.
Having Fiona and Richard debate would be easier in Dublin since they mostly reside there. Having a blogger debate on the North might be best done in Belfast. Having someone debate about Google might be best done in Dublin if you got someone from Digital Rights Ireland debating someone from Google Ireland. I would think given the population distribution that Dublin would get more people and more bloggers who are up to debating but this by no means makes Dublin the exclusive location.
I think it’s a super idea. You are the blogger god Damien
I think its a good idea.
But instead of one person on each side of a proposal- the college debate model- why not a general topic and then a panel with a range of views. A short opening statement each, and then a moderated discussion. (Need a stong moderator, mind). The whole shebang taking about 40 mins. Then a mixer.
And, you could record it in front of whoever wanted to come, and release the sound file to everyone who wasn’t in Dublin. Multiple voices makes for a more interesting and varied listen than long blocks of just one person speaking
Simon – an even better idea I think. Less adversarial but more productive perhaps. I like
I’ve noticed that, by and large, we remain fairly marginalised in terms of the worldwide blogosphere.If something like this were to take place and succeed, I think it would put the Irish blogosphere on the map.
Good suggestion Simon and it might be good to get the bloggers who are not used to public speaking to be at bit more at ease compared to going head to head with someone. The more viewpoints the better too.
Also, the podcasting idea would make it available for all and hell it could even be video blogged too if someone was bothered. Live blogging could also be catered for.
ya the panel discussion is better. some people have never done public speaking and the less formal thing of the panel is a good idea. could do this around the sunday bruch podcast richard delevan and gavin and mick did . as could do some of it over skype. never know maybe if it got really good debate maybe one of the radio stations might take it up. the video cast is an interesting idea not sure how easy it would be to do.
But could have the panel and a blue screen When someone gives their views over the skype they also are videoing themsleves. Then the compleated video of them is sent to the central point and super imposed onto the bluescreen.
Then when the thing is published could say when introducing the guest. and here is [blogger] from our back of beyond studio.
By the like fiona said maybe you should be eleccted presidant of the Irish Blogosphere
I don’t think its a good idea. Its all a bit college debatey for me – something that might interest me would be a bloggers versus MSM people type thing.
Saint: Oooh, now you’re making it sound like a version of Questions and Answers that could be put onto iTunes. I like this very much. If we had a theme and people lined up a few weeks in advance and then integrated some of the news topics from the previous week or two then it might be an entertaining event indeed and could have a broad reach.
Suzy: I doubt it would be for everyone. Bloggers versus MSM. Well there are a few MSM people who blog who could be on a panel about the death of MSM or something like that?
Sounds interesting – would love to see that although my anti-social tendencies might lead me out of the place before the mixing bit started.
Good idea but who’d come?
Maybe non-bloggers don’t comment on blogs as a rule but most of the commenting back and forth just seems to involve those with blogs.
Would be the panel and audience both be bloggers?
The idea is brilliant. I wonder though if many bloggers are like me. They compose stuff at all sorts of weird times (and in snatches) and post the composite much later. This is the only way that I’ve found to be able to post regularly.
I’d be afraid that the whole idea of an online community gets undermined somewhat by making people come to a certain location for discussion. (Although the social aspect does have attractions I’d admit) Some bloggers, I understand value their anonymity. Also it is likely that not all those who’d want to participate would be able to attend.
Perhaps it could work in blog space. Have a central blog site where a topic is posted for a limited time period. The case “for” could be opened for discussion for a period. Then the “against” side could. And so on. Bloggers would have to nominate themselves into the discussion at the outset and take a particular side. Could have a guest blogger as moderator. Perhaps could end the blog debate with a poll of how persuasive the arguments were made?
This might allow everyone to participate even those of us who aren’t comfortable with public speaking.
something that might interest me would be a bloggers versus MSM people type thing.
I don’t really sit comfortably with this whole “bloggers versus MSM people” business. Quite a number of bloggers are themselves journalists in their own right. And the Pajamas Media debacle has been a salutary leson.