Conference back channels have moved front and center – with a vengeance.

For those who don’t know, a back channel is the sub-conversation going on among members of a conference speaker’s audience. Conversations that used to occur as hallway banter now take place on Twitter, the popular microblogging service widely used on laptops and  mobile devices.

Birth of the back channel
The back channel gained prominence during the 2007 SXSW conference, as attendees used Twitter to notify friends and colleagues of key session points and topics during the day, and after-parties going on into the night. Twitter clients had yet to be developed, so most conference-goers were monitoring the stream on cell phones and laptops. The messages added value to the experience, as audience members tweeted confirmation of salient points, or appended the presentation with dialogue of their own.

But what started out nearly three years ago as value-added instant communication, has now turned into a forum for critique, and in one case, downright harassment.

The first notable back channel revolt occurred at the 2008 SXSW conference when veteran Fox News and Business Week correspondent Sarah Lacey lobbed softball questions to a reticent Mark Zuckerberg, founder of Facebook. In fairness to Lacy, it was most likely her friendly conversational interview style that drew the crowd’s ire, and Zuckerberg’s reluctance to open up. Regardless, the 23-year old billionaire didn’t bite, and the audience started tweeting a serious revolt.

Emboldened by what they were reading on their laptops and mobile devices, audience members started heckling Lacy’s questions, even breaking into a cheer when Zuckerberg (who was not monitoring Twitter comments) balked at one of Lacy’s feckless queries. Frustrated with the lack progress, Lacy turned questioning over to the audience and served as moderator for the remainder of the session.

Read more about the Lacy/Zuckerberg session here.

Senator 2.0
Back channel conversations are not limited to tech conferences, though. In a notable example that Twitter is more a part of the mainstream than some people think, several congressional representatives from both houses and both sides of the aisle went on a “decorum be damned”  spree and tapped out partisan Twitter comments during president Obama’s quasi state-of-the-union speech in February. The flood of tweets streaming out of the capitol might have gotten more press, had it not been for the famous “You lie!” protocol breakdown by Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C.

The back channel moves forward
The most recent case of back channel mutiny took Lacy’s SXSW experience one notch further. Thanks to a confluence of circumstances at November’s Web 2.0 Expo in New York, Danah Boyd, a veteran public speaker who holds a Ph.D. from Berkeley, failed to quickly capture the audience’s attention during her session.

The Twitter back channel revolted against Boyd in a much quicker fashion than with Lacy, but there was a stark difference in the two presenters’ episodes.

Whereas Lacy conducted her interview in front of a curtain backdrop, Boyd’s talk took place in front of a giant video screen scrolling the Twitter stream. As she spoke, every back channel comment showed up on the screen behind her. And as the session wore on, the tweets got nastier, including a few comments that would qualify as sexual harassment had they occurred in the workplace. (Boyd addresses the comments, the cause of the session breakdown, and pines for future civility, in a very frank and personal blog post here.)

Taking charge of the back channel
Several blogs have recently taken note of the back channel reactions, and now concern is rising about how future conference organizers, session leaders, and speakers will handle the flow. New Zealand based presentation trainer Olivia Mitchell guest-posted a blog entry on this topic, entitled “Three Stages of Presenting with Twitter,” on the blog of Twitter for Dummies author Laura Fitton.

Mitchell suggests that presenters take control by using timed Twitter breaks during presentations, a friend or co-worker to serve as a Twitter monitor, or new plug-ins for both PowerPoint and Keynote, that automatically tweets key points as you click on a specific slide.

So, what’s your back channel story? Are you a presenter that has had to deal with a not-so-positive Twitter stream? As a conference participant, do you think the back channel adds value, or just serves as another distraction? Lets hear about it in the comments.

Tabs are usually located below the Address and Favorites bar.

Do you constantly have several Web pages open at the same time? Many an Internet user has ended a browsing sessions with multiple open windows spread across the screen. Avoid this madness with effective use of your web browser’s Tabs feature.

A browser’s Tabs feature allows you to open many different web pages, all within one browser window. Navigation bars for tabs are usually located at the top of the browser, below the favorites or bookmarks bar.

Tab basics
To open a new tab in Safari, Firefox, or Camino, simply click on File, then select New Tab. Two tabs now display below your bookmarks, one showing the currently active web page, and a second tab showing either your home page, or a blank page.  You can easily switch between the tabs by clicking on the web page titles below the bookmarks bar. There is no limit on the amount of tabs you can open within a Web browser, but be careful not to let your tabs become too unwieldy . To close a tab, simply click on the “x” that shows next to the tab’s title. (A guide to tabs in Internet Explorer can be found here.)

Advanced tabbing
Tabs can be useful in several different ways. For example, with gift giving season approaching, you can use tabs to comparison shop between major retailers. If you are looking for a new power drill, open one tab showing Sears.com, and another showing Lowes.com. Click through to the power tool pages for each retailer till you find comparable products. Now just click on the corresponding tabs to look at each product page. If you don’t like what you see, you can always open another tab showing Homedepot.com, and continue to add tabs for other stores.

All web browsers allow you to save Tab sets, so you can use them at any time. For example, I have tab settings for all of my banking and credit card web sites.  When bill-pay time comes around, I simply activate that tab set and click through to check balances and make payments. Depending on your security level comfort, you can also set your browser to remember log-in names and passwords, thus allowing one-click access to your sites.

If you spend large amounts of time surfing the web, or if your web-surfing sessions involve several web sites and windows, understanding tab functions can help you be more organized and efficient. If you haven’t yet done so, take a few minutes to get comfortable with tabs, or ask a web savvy friend to show you how they use tabs. You’ll find it well worth your time.

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Bonus web browsing tip: Say goodbye to “www” addresses

Are you still typing “www” and “.com” into your web address bar? No need to any longer, as today’s web browsers are smarter then ever. If you’re ready to surf any major retailer or media web site, simply type in the name of the company and hit the enter key. For example instead of typing (or googling) www.sears.com, simply type “sears” and hit the “enter” key. Try it also with any magazine, television network, or social media website.

Eric Marienthal blasts through a tune with "The Rippingtons" on their recent visit to Scullers Jazz Club in Boston

A little over twenty years ago, guitarist Russ Freeman broke on to the jazz-fusion music scene with his band The Rippingtons. Three critically acclaimed, and commercially successful, albums between 1986 and 1989 set him on a course of musical destiny, as those recordings represented the very beginning of the genre we now define as “smooth jazz.”

Today, more than two decades later, his melodies have stood the test of time, and a list of Rippington alumni reads like a “Who’s Who” of the genre; Kenny G, David Benoit, and Dave Koz, just to name a few. Through it all, Freeman has remained a staple, defining the genre through its infancy, helping to guide it through to legitimacy and commercial success.

Freeman and his current lineup’s latest release, Modern Art, continues that tradition. The catchy melodies soar over lush harmonies and driving beats, an eclectic mix of acoustic and electric guitar, and sugary sax licks. (more…)

Anyone who has had regular interaction with me over the last few years knows about my lifelong, torturous, relationship with music. For most of my adult life, I was a full-time musician, first performing nationwide for corporate events, fairs, and festivals, then spending two full decades as an active duty and reserve military musician.

At one point, I counted myself proficient on five different instruments, and played in as many groups as I could. The genre didn’t matter; classical, jazz, rock, country, I wanted to play everything, everywhere, all the time. I spent two years majoring in music before embarking on this playing career, and while I never did complete a degree in music, I now possess a master’s degree level of knowledge in music theory, harmony, and ear training. My performance technique however has declined over the years, and today I am often amazed at what I used to be able to play.

My long retirement from music began when I first moved to the Boston area in 1998 to attend school at Salem Sate College. My intention was to put the horns away for good, but I needed to play in the state’s National Guard band in order to keep tuition benefits, and when the college’s music department got wind of my experience, they recruited me to play in their ensembles. Between school and the Army, I made a few contacts, and the gigs stayed constant.

I finally wrested myself from music’s hold a few years ago, when I retired from the National Guard band.

My current “day job” does not fit well with a musician’s lifestyle, so I have not actively sought any gigs over the last few years, but an opportunity recently surfaced that allowed me to dust off the horn and put the chops back to work.

Sandra Fowler was chairperson of the Communications Department at Salem State, as well as my academic adviser. In my time at the school, she became a mentor and friend, offering advice during some challenging times during my stay at the college. In 2008, Dr. Fowler succumbed to cancer.

To honor her memory, a scholarship was established in Sandy’s name, and the current Communications Department chair has put together a yearly fundraising concert, featuring not professional singers, but instead, talented members of the college’s faculty, and staff.

I was originally asked to play behind two of the faculty members, who performed a great rendition of the James Taylor/Carly Simon version of Mockingbird. I inquired about playing my own a-cappella solo, which was accepted by the show’s producer. At the rehearsal I was asked to accompany another soloist, and at the actual performance, I agreed to play behind a rockin’ country-tinged duet.  I also sang in the full cast’s final tribute song, Seasons of Love, from the long-running Broadway play, Rent.

For my solo, I played an improvised version of Carlos Santana’s Europa. The haunting melody is a longtime favorite of mine, one I’ve always wanted to perform, but never, before this, had the opportunity to do so.

The event was great fun. It was nice to reconnect with some friends and acquaintances that have fallen by the wayside, and it was nice to be in a performing environment once again. While I doubt that I will be seeking out any gigs in the near future, I’m thankful I was asked to perform for this one.

How would YOU like to Facebook and Twitter for a living? It could happen, as more and more companies, large and small, begin to post recruiting announcements  for online community managers and blogging staff.

Sounds cool, right? Well, not so fast. After analyzing a few recruiting adverts for social media staff positions, online community expert Amber Neslund points out that many companies are missing the mark when it comes to recruiting and hiring social media staffers. Read her insight here.

My question is this; if they miss the mark in recruiting and hiring, how on earth are they going to implement a social media plan?

Not all is deficient on this front though. Amber points out in this follow-up post that some enlightened companies understand that social media staffing is in its infancy, and that growing pangs could parallel social media growth and presence.

How about you? Do you think you have the social media chops to apply for one of these positions? Let’s hear about it in the comments.

Ed rocks the woodblock during a Podcamp session on improvisational music. Photo by Roger H. Goun

Podcamp. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

Last August I finally attended my first podcamp event, and discovered a sense of meaning for everything I’ve learned over the last decade, about the Internet, and using a computer. That August weekend in Boston inspired me to embark on a six-month journey to ascertain my role in the ever expanding world of social media, and carve out a niche where I can help netizens understand and grow their own Internet presence.

Those personal discoveries continued on a recent warm November weekend, this time in the mountainous region of central New England, where more than 100 Internet and social media practitioners met, gabbed, and shared ideas at the first ever Podcamp New Hampshire. The event took place at the well-appointed New Hampton School, a private prep school in the Lake Winnipesaukee region of central New Hampshire.

See Podcamp New Hampshire photos here and here.

Under the conference tagline of “Learn free or die,” organizers presented sessions on the rise of social media, its effect on personal lives, and its growing influence over business and marketing trends. Other topics included the growing list of tools available for developing and distributing content, demonstrations of Web-based live streaming technologies, and special interest themes such as social media involvement with local government, and the use of improvisational music to enhance a podcast or web video.

Participants are encouraged to speak freely and share experiences during the sessions, as well as use their own two feet to leave any forum not meeting expectations. Presenters also take part in other sessions, while attendees are encouraged to form their own sessions or discussion groups. At least twice during the weekend, participants took over workshops when presenters failed to arrive.

Next year’s Podcamp New Hampshire has already been booked at the same venue, this time in July. Get your reservations in early, because as word travels about the success of the inaugural event, the summer session will surely book fast.

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Want more info on Podcamp New Hampshire? Click here.