Category Archives: Web 2.0

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VidCon 2010 – In Pictures

Welcome to VidCon 2010 thanks to the Vlogbrothers.

Meeting the first YouTuber I ever watched, Caitlin Hill (theHill88).  You have no idea how excited I was meeting her. This was the first video I watched from Caitlin.  She’s the reason why I’m became involved with YouTube.

ZeFrank, one of the most amazing, influential & brilliant person that ever lived.  Anyone who make vlogs now or makes videos, you’re paying tribute to him.  He started it all and is the grandfather of vlogging.  He is the pioneer of online video.  If you want to know what amazing things ZeFrank spoke at the keynote of VidCon, you can read it in Ashley’s post.

Michael Buckley (WhattheBuckShow) was one of the most kindest and sincere YouTubers present.  He truly understands community because he was always surrounded by his audience and connecting with them.

ZeFrank speaks about the future of online video with other influential online video content creators.

What made VidCon extra special for me was interacting and connecting YouTubers who were present to those who couldn’t make it.  Terri (Tezzitoo), who I did a collab with, could not make it so I was hunting down YouTubers who she really wanted to meet.  I went out of my way to find Meghan (Strawburry17) for Terri because thanks to Meghan, Terri is where she’s at now.  Not only is Terri excited to remotely meet Meghan, Meghan was surprised that Terri went out of her way to introduce herself through me.  Thus, showing that the YouTube community outreach is beyond video but connecting friends.

Every time I saw Tay Zonday, I got Chocolate Rain stuck in my head.

Though 9 of the top 10 most subscribed people on YouTube are men, the women of YouTube play a powerful force in the community.  iJustine talks to the women of Vlogvetica about the imact of women on the community.

The Station is redefining online video by having powerful YouTubers coming together and creating their own production company.  Not only do they still produce their own work, but the produce videos together under the Station label.  The first of it’s kind, the Station is being closely watched by old and new media alike as they make an impact on online video.

Just like Terri, Kevin (BusanKevin), a dear YouTube friend of mine who have constantly promoted me could not attend either.  So I sought out Craig (WheezyWaiter) and asked him to sing the postcards that I was sending to them.  Just because they couldn’t attend VidCon, it doesn’t mean VidCon couldn’t come to them.

Molly Templeton (Mememolly) interviews Brittani Louise Taylor for Rocketboom.  VidCon was created and organized by the community for the community.  No one expected for it to be sold out or bring such attention in a way that old and new media sent delegations to LA to watch, observe and participate in the convention/conference.

However, the best time at VidCon was spending time with my fellow bloggers and 20SBers.

But now, I need to rest before I can truly do a proper writeup and make video about it.

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In 2009…

In 2009, I said to myself in the beginning of the year that I would do something different.  2009 was quite different and far from the norm than I expected.  But looking back, I couldn’t help but think what 2009 has been to me.

The year started off with the girl whom I truly loved breaking up with me.  What a truly shitty way to start the year.  This was not how I imagined things being different.  But sure enough, I asked for it.  Cue quarterlife crisis.

The next few months dragged.  There were very few highlights (Obama’s inauguration & John Green buying me a beer), but slowly I got my groove back.  I started to attend concerts again.  I began creating more videos for my personal YouTube channel and the collaborative running channel.  And overall, I began to smile again.

It was the middle of April with my German friend and old neighbor visited me from Germany.  He said me, “You should come visit some time.”  One week later, I emailed him and said, “I’m coming to Germany.”  And 5 other countries in a matter of fact.  My friend MAshley who was studying abroad informed me of RyanAir’s 1 Euro/1 GBP sale on the Tuesday afternoon of the 21st of April.  4 hours later, 6 flights were booked.  I was actually going to achieve the goal that I set for myself almost 5 years ago, backpack Europe before I turn 25.

The month leading up to Europe, I was busy not only preparing for the trip but also enjoying the company of many wonderful people.  From celebrating a graduation of a dear friend to celebrating friendship with an old teacher/colleague.  I filmed my most epic video and making more YouTube friends.  But the lines of the Internet also blurred because I attended my first tweetup and met my first 20sb blogger in real life.  However, the highlight of it all was celebrating life with a baptism of a new baby and the wedding of two dear friends.

June then arrived and I was hoisted off to Dublin on my own.  Not knowing what to excepted, I fell in love in people and life once again.  Next came Belgium and then Rome.  As things went wrong, I became happier.  Nothing could stop my joy as I continued onto Germany, England and then back to Ireland.  The trip flew by, but I savored every moment of it.  I made new friends and reconnected with ones of old.  I saw the world and the world left its mark on me.  I wasn’t sad when I came home for I was ready to start anew.

Upon my return to Chicago, with my new found love for life again, I encountered many wonderful bloggers during the fantastic 20SB Ultimate Chicago Meetup weekend.  The following week, I found myself in Washington D.C. meeting up with even more bloggers and more alcohol.  I’ve come to the conclusion that bloggers are hardcore when they party.  But let’s not forget my original plans for D.C. which was to visit dear college friends of mine.  It was my 5th time out there and I’ve come to call it home.

July was topped off with another wedding of a dear friend and my 25th birthday.  I celebrated it with a house unwarming party as I moved out of Rogers Park.  As much as I love the neighborhood, after 3 years, it was time to move on.  Though I truly miss having a coffee shop down the block.  My new home in Uptown has everything I want: character.  Now you may argue that the non-working fireplace, slanted floor and “is the foundation cracked?” is anything but character, but I love it.

August started off with a bang as I ran my 5th half marathon.  I have yet to PR again, but I did a first.  I ran all the way and never stopped (thanks Mandy!).  Another dear friend’s wedding followed and then the #nycmeetup.  I can’t recall ever doing so much or having so much fun in 48 hours as I flew into NYC to hang out with bloggers.  Tiger face, Baby Jesus and “You’re Dead to Me” filled the weekend.  But to cap it all off was seeing 2 college buddies and I winded down from such a wild ride.  August left a smile on my face.

The fall brought more memories, joys and triumphs.  I traveled to Minnesota and North Dakota for the first time during my trip to visit my best friend from high school.  I completed my first marathon, running most of the second half of the race in an injured foot.  (What? I was already half way done.  Might as well finished it off.)  I flew to Seattle and San Francisco to visit more friends and lots of breweries.  Only to come home ready for me.  Indy and Florida was on the radar, but I exhausted my resources.  Though traveling was done for the year, it didn’t stop me from having fun.

Friends, adventure and beer dominated this year.  Though the year started off slowly and miserably, I can’t help but smile and say that this year was fantastic.  2009 was wonderful.  I hate for it to go but tomorrow will be a new year.  2009, I’m going to miss you.   Cheers!

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Awesome Project Is Awesome

Thank you everyone who participated in the Project for Awesome 2009.

This year, all the combined efforts totaled in:

- 48 hours of promoting, commenting, rating & favoriting charities.

- Over 2,000 videos for charities were made.

- Over 1 million comments were entered.

- Over 3 years of combined time people spent promoting the Project for Awesome.

- The hashtag #P4A was the number 1 Twitter trend, beating Avatar (a $250 million movie)

Here is what YouTube looked like at the end of the Project for Awesome:

Want to know more?  John summarizes it all here:

Thank you again for making the Project for Awesome, awesome.

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Project for Awesome 2009

Happy December 17th!  Today is the 3rd annual Project for Awesome day!

What is the Project for Awesome?  It’s one day a year when nerdfighters and YouTubers work together to hijack the most discussed, top rated and most favorited page of YouTube.   How do we do that?  We use one thumbnail (see above) and make videos talking about our favorite charity.

Today is the Project for Awesome day.  If you see any videos with the thumbnail above, please watch the video, rate it (5 stars), comment it (multiple times) & favorite it.  Help use hijack YouTube and remove all the boobs on it as we decrease world suck by talking about our favorite charities.

Please, please help make it a success 3 years in a row.  This is all grass root efforts & volunteers who are doing this every year.  Still don’t believe me?  This is my YouTube subscription box as of 9:30 this morning:

Also, feel free to tweet about your favorite Project for Awesome video with this hashtag: #p4a

Below are some of hte #p4a videos already live:

Happy Project for Awesome Day!