…the peers you didn't know you had
The Rise of the Virtual Assistant
May 27th
Many small business owners and start-ups struggle to grow their business because they try to do too much. As business owners you seem to need superhero-like qualities to stay on top of your game, but it can be impossible to do everything – no matter how amazing you are. Outsourcing and working with a Virtual Assistant (VA) can allow you to leverage your time, become more productive, get organised and let you focus on your core business.
In broad terms, Virtual Assistants consist of either individuals or companies who work remotely as independent professionals, and use technology to deliver a wide range of products and services to clients. They’ve been around as a service for quite a while, but have only recently found a broad title for their services.
GAAD lightning talks on tech, empathy and social inclusion
May 2nd
We’re seeing an increased interest in the subject of empathy in design, and it’s about time. As creators of things that other people have to use, it’s always a good idea to be able to understand what people do, and how they do it.
This coming 9 May (Thursday) is Global Accessibility Awareness Day. Events are being organised organically in each city to mark the day, and Sydney has something special lined up for us to flex our empathy muscles.
So this coming 9 May, come to an evening of lightning talks at A11yBytes - a11y being the shorthand for “accessibility” (11 characters between a and y), and bytes because – ok, ok… You get it. It’s a community event focused on raising the profile of digital accessibility.
A11Y Bytes. 9 May. 7 lightning talks. 6 pm. Mr B’s Hotel at 396 Pitt St.
There’s a great line-up of diverse and mind-widening lightning talks around social inclusion, technology use, gamestoring and more. This isn’t just for web geeks – it’s for anyone who wants to learn what accessibility means in this day and age, and how systems and technology can affect and enhance life. The heart of accessibility is not about guidelines or codes or regulations. It’s about people, and life, and how we live, how we access information, and how our lives are affected by the technologies of today.
So what are you doing on 9 May? Grab your free ticket to A11yBytes, bring a friend, and come learn something new over a beer or two, and flex those empathy muscles!
The first webBlastSYD membership survey
Apr 9th
webBlastSYD has always tried to be about you, the web-working community in Sydney. Since we went quarterly in 2009 we never undertook a formal survey of you all, until now, that is.
As an incentive, EngineRoom Chippendale the co-working space for digital services, is offering two free weeks on the Shared Casual community desk, worth $100, to everyone completing the survey. For a few moments of your time, you’ll have the opportunity to discover the value of co-working for yourself.
It is important to us that webBlastSYD reflects the evolving membership. Please tell us a little about yourself, what you think about the event, and what you’d like to see at future events.
Thanks in advance for your input.
Vimily talks to you at webBlastSYD
Apr 2nd
At the last webBlastSYD, in the gorgeous Pumphouse, Darling Harbour a few crack interviewers from Vimily came along to ask a few questions and demo their innovative technology to record, edit and distribute interviews and vox-pops quickly and efficiently.
Each person was asked 5 questions, and each question was automatically separated out into 20-30 second video clips and published on the Vimily site. The amazing thing was that everyone knew they were there, recording, but they created no interference to the event, surreptitiously taking part in and encouraging the discussions on the floor but not disturbing the vibe of the evening.
if you’re interested, talk to Katrin after you’ve had a look at the vids to see if they’ll work for your event.
webBlastSYD March 2013 is on
Mar 14th
Be sure to register now for WebBlast March 2013 edition next Thursday, the 21st of March!
It’s a change of seasons, and with change comes an opportunity to network with like-minded professionals working and interested in all things web-related.
From conversations with past attendees, we’ve seen everyone from designers, developers, to legal-types, project managers, and entrepreneurs. A great opportunity to meet others outside of your circle and share ideas.
We’ll also be welcoming back the Australian SXSW attendees, who will no-doubt have much to share with us all.
Thanks to our sponsors Campaign Monitor, LaVolta, VirtualOffis, and EngineRoom, who will generously be providing drinks on the night.
Tickets available so register now!
We’ve got a policy of one ticket per registration. Let us know via email, Twitter, or telepathy if you can’t make it and we can free up your unneeded ticket.
So if you want to ensure your friends and colleagues are coming, Tweet/Facebook/LinkedIn or forward them this email so they can register for themselves.
webblast Autumn 2012
May 11th
We’re just getting the sponsors to sign on the dotted line and planning the ticket release for early next week, hopefully on Thursday May 16. But of course you’ve already blocked off May 31st in your calendar, right?
We thought you’d like to know that the last webBlastSYD was a top Sydney Twitter trend that night. Considering the Foo Fighters were in town and it was the anniversary of John Lennon’s assassination (and we all remember who he’s “bigger than”) I think that was very special of you all to keep mentioning us. Thank you.
The next morning, we were still in the top ten Trends in Sydney, which was full of you all reporting great times and sore heads and excellent post-#webBlastSYD dinners. I’m still waiting to hear about babies conceived on the night but maybe that’s asking too much!
Look forward to new sponsors, new activities and hopefully, a fresh stack of embarrassing photos tagged in flickr!
See you there!
WebBlast Xmas 2011!
Nov 18th
The populace is like the sea, motionless in itself, but stirred by every wind, even the lightest breeze.
- Titus Livius
The last WebBlast for 2011 will be on at the Pumphouse Bar in Darling Harbour on the 8th of December. Come join us to celebrate the start of Summer!
Thanks to our generous sponsors Campaign Monitor, Happener, Microsoft , and Stamford Interactive twho are providing the night’s cool drinks and refreshments, the stage is set for a wonderful evening of catching up with friends from the industry and finding new ones.
So what are you waiting for? Register Now!
We’ve got a policy of one ticket per registration. Let us know via email, Twitter, or telepathy if you can’t make it and we can free up your unneeded ticket.
So if you want to ensure your friends and colleagues are coming, tweet/facebook/Linkedin so they can register for themselves.
Cheers,
Alan, Joe, and Caryn
Spring into webBlastSYD
Sep 5th
The venue sorted, the sponsors lined up, the eventbrite listing almost ready to go and the mail-out poised for release. Full details to be published shortly but the tickets will become available on Wednesday Sept 7, midday, or thereabouts.
If you’re not already on the mailing list you might want to make sure you get on the list as the tickets for this upcoming webBlast, the webBlastSYD September 2011 edition is just around the corner. Sponsored by Campaign Monitor, Happener, Microsoft and Stamford Interactive the spring 2011 edition will be a very warming affair, in part from the drinks and nibbles the sponsors help with but also the fantastic atmosphere created by the attendees. J J Halans has some excellent pics from the previous webBlastSYD in June in case you want to spot yourself in the crowd.
Everyone is talking mobile this year, and while we’ve been noticing the huge wave of mobile activity for quite some time, it seems the field is quite mature now and the depth of understanding growing. The number of people I’m talking to who are involved in mobile projects has grown rapidly this past year, and I’m sure will continue to take up more of our attention as we get to the end of the year. Interestingly, the number of mobile sites and apps attracting ire has reduced, as more people learn to understand how to construct an experience that makes sense for people using the internet on the go.
All our sponsors this month are very interested in your mobile projects, and your opinions on their mobile projects, so be sure to bring your devices and betas to the party to share and get feedback.Oh and of course the back-channel at @webblastSYD, #webBlastSYD is always open to pre-, during- and post-event discussions as well.
See you there!
Just one more thing…
Oh, and speaking of mobile, one more thing, in the inimitable fashion popularised by Mr Jobs.
As some of you may know, I’m rather keen on two wheeled travel. I decided to put my wheels on the line and join up with 99 other people and raise funds for the very worthwhile organisation, The Black Dog Institute, who are in constant need of financial support due tho the current Australian government’s completely lacklustre investment in mental health. Full details on how to donate are on my own fund-raising site
To fundraise, I’ll be donning lycra and polyester and riding from Sydney to Dubbo, over The Black Mountains.That is 420kM, over three days, over a mountain. Day one: up a mountain, day two: further up the frikkin’ mountain, then over the other side, Day three: no more MoFo mountains thank you, but 115k still to go…. The full details of the route can be found on the organiser’s site, zoo2zoo if you’re interested.
The Black Dog Institute is an educational, research, clinical and community-oriented facility offering specialist expertise in mood disorders – a range of disorders that include depression and bipolar disorder (formerly called ‘manic depression’). The Institute is attached to the Prince of Wales Hospital and affiliated with the University of New South Wales.
Therefore I’ll be asking you to consider supporting my efforts and donate generously to the ride, in order to help the 50% of Australians directly affected by depression and mental health issues.
