Core Conversations: Improved Format for 2009

The informal discussions that pop up in the hallways between, during and after panel sessions have traditionally been one of the most productive parts of the SXSW Interactive Festival. In 2008, we formalized this process with the Core Conversation program -- thereby making it easier for more attendees to participate in these hallway-type exchanges of information by letting them know what kind of discussion is happening when and where. For 2009, each of these hour-long Core Conversation sessions will have its own room, which should eliminate most of the noise problems from last year.

We anticipate about 75 total Core Conversations for 2009, so check back to this page frequently for updates on additional sessions. A day-by-day schedule of when these Core Conversations will occur should be posted on this page in mid-December.

Panels marked with an asterisk(*) are those added to the lineup on January 8.

Advertising is Entertaining - Who's Selling Out?
(Felicia Williams, YouTube)

Aging, Cognition & Deafness: The Quirky Corners of Web Accessibility
(Lisa Herrod, Scenario Girl)

Are Virtual Worlds a Refuge from the Recession?
(Lauren Bigelow, WeeWorld)

Becoming Open: This Changes Everything
(Jim Stanley, CNET.com)

*Beyond Blogging: Using Your Skills For Bigger and Better Things
(Deborah Ng, BlogTalkRadio)

Blog Highways: Travel Blogging for the Wanderer
(Sheila Scarborough, Writer)

Blog on Company Time and Get Promoted
(Daniel Hope, Tracksuit CEO)

Bloggers: How Not To Get F___ed
(Zoe Margolis, Girl With a One-Track Mind)

*Bootstrap Your Startup
(Bijoy Goswami, bijoygoswami.com)

Brave New Dating
(Ryan McMinn, Microsoft)

Building Entrepreneurial Communities Outside the Valley
(Nick O'Neill, Social Times Inc.)

Change the World in 5 Easy Steps
(Sean Bonner, seanbonner.com)

Commu(k)nity: Lessons for Marketers From Online Crafting
(Stephen Houghton, Clif Bar & Company / YKNIT.com)

Creating Live Mobile Communities: Best Practices & War Stories
(Noel Chandler, Mosio.com)

*Digital Congregations & The Pixilated Personal Path
(John Halcyon Styn, Pink Broadcasting Company)

Digital Dating: Are the Internets Killing Your Game?
(Aubrey Sabala, AubreySabala.com)

Digital Narc'ing
(Michael Fertik, ReputationDefender)

Ditch the Valley, Run for the Hills
(John Erik Metcalf, Conjunctured Coworking / Startup District)

Do We Really Need VCs Anymore?
(Chris Tacy, Method Inc.)

DRM: The Fight Isn't Over Yet
(Fred Benenson, Creative Commons)

Friendship is Dead
(Russ Unger, UserGlue)

From Geek to Peak: Your First Year as a Freelance Geek
(Thomas Myer, Triple Dog Dare Media)

Happiness (or Not) In Startups
(Andrew Hyde, TechStars / StartupWeekend)

*How LA Has Built A Sucessful Tech Community
(Sloane Berrent, Causecast)

*How Not To Be Evil (Even By Accident)
(Danny O Brien, Electronic Frontier Foundation)

How Start-Ups Can Take Advantage of the Recession
(Rick Marini, MyRockstar Inc.)

How to Talk to Programmers
(Daniel Morrison, Collective Idea)

Is the Planned Life Even Worth Living Anymore?
(Melissa Pierce, Life In Perpetual Beta)

*Kick Ass or Suck - Escaping Internet Mediocrity
(Lance Loveday, Closed Loop Marketing)

Killing Us Softly: The Failure of Technology in Health Care
(Melanie Rosenthal, Sprigley)

Love in the Clouds: Online-Only Marriages
(Todd Moy, Capstrat)

Models For Real Agency Integration
(Pete Lerma, Click Here / The Richards Group)

Moms Who Tech
(Beth Blecherman, Techmamas)

Music 2.0 = Music Discovery Chaos?
(Elliott Hurst, Supernova.com)

Nerd Baiter: Using the Gadgets to Get the Geeks
(Tara Brown, Topspin Media)

Non-Profits: Be the Web You Wish to See!
(Stanley Jones, Rainforest Action Network)

Old Media Finds New Voice Through Twitter
(Robert Quigley, Austin American-Statesman)

Open Source Disability Gadgets: DIY for PWD
(Liz Henry, BlogHer)

The Organic Audience: Growing a Fanbase by Communicating
(Victor Agreda Jr, Weblogs, Inc.)

Out of the Bedroom and Into the Boardroom
(James Archer, Forty)

Playing to Learn - Educating Kids Through Gaming
(Divinia Knowles, Mind Candy Ltd)

Political Leadership in the Digital Era
(Julie Barko Germany, GWU's Institute for Politics / Democracy & the Internet)

Puppets, Theatre and the Conflation of ’Successful’ with ‘Popular’
(Ben Metcalfe, benmetcalfe.com)

Pursue Your Passion -- Leave the Infrastructure to Someone Else
(Eileen Gittins, Blurb, Inc.)

Queerosphere: Same Sex (Link) Love Interactive
(Deb Rox, 3 Smart Girlz)

Reduce MySpace Between Waist & Thighs So Wiki Live Longer
(Biray Alsac , FITTmaxx Institute)

Rewriting the DMCA: How to Improve Section 114
(Rusty Hodge, SomaFM.com)

*Security for the Social Set
(Alex Payne, Twitter, Inc)

*SEO for Startups
(Tony Adam, Yahoo!)

Sex Ed Online: How Teens Self Savvy
(Karen Kreps, Net Ingenuity Publishing)

Sex Lives of the Microfamous
(Rex Sorgatz, Fimoculous)

Should I Build my Startup on Ruby on Rails?
(Joshua Baer, OtherInbox.com)

Snappy Strategies for Selling Art & Crafts Online
(Rebecca Marshall, Avenue A | Razorfish)

Social Networking in Health: e-Patients, Data & Privacy
(John Grohol, PsychCentral.com)

Social Patterns and Antipatterns For the Win
(Christian Crumlish, Yahoo!)

Start-up Management: OMG I Have to Manage People?
(John Vars, Dogster, Inc)

Starting Up in Silicon Alley
(Nate Westheimer, Rose Tech Ventures)

Story is God
(Dan Shefelman, Dan Shefelman Studio)

Surviving Scandal: How to Manage Negative Attention in the Internet Age
(Megan McCarthy, Freelance Writer)

SXSW Year Round: Organize Groups, Maintain Your Buzz
(Alex Jones, Refresh Austin)

The Tale of Two Bruces
(Jim McCarthy, Goldstar)

Therapy 2.0: Mental Health for Geeks
(Keely Kolmes, Keely Kolmes Private Psychotherapy Practice)

*Tinkerers Unite: Let Me Show You How it Works
(Bhaskar Roy, Qik)

Too Much Text: When I Was Your Age, We Sent Email
(Jay Cuthrell, fudge.org)

Twitter for Marketers: Is It Still Social Media?
(Ricardo Guerrero, Dell, Inc.)

Venture Capital for Long Tail Entrepreneurs
(Taylor Davidson, Unstructured Ventures)

The Web In Higher Education: What's Different?
(Dylan Wilbanks, University of Washington School of Public Health)

*When Worlds Collide: Human Centered Design Meets Agile Development
(Maria Giudice, Hot Studio)

*Whitehouse.gov 2.0: Upgrading to Open Source Government
(Sarah Granger, FutureCampaigns)

Who Will Check My Email After I Die?
(John Romano, Capstrat)

Why Gen Y Won't Friend Your Brand
(Jesse Pickard, Avenue A | Razorfish)

Why Is Professional Blogging Bloodsport for Women?
(Rebecca Fox, mediabistro.com)

Why NonProfit is the Right Choice for your Startup
(Tony Shawcross, Denver Open Media)

Your Personal Blog is Dead
(Alain Schotland, Standard Insurance Company)

All Core Conversations are subject to change.