SXSW summed up by good design

Brilliance.

Random Social Connections

On the flight from JFK to Austin, my traveling buddy Hillary chatted up her seat mate, Mark, (or he chatted her up, not that it matters). They talked for the whole flight and by arrival in Austin had actually become friends. While in Austin for SXSW, we actually socialized with Mark. He’s interesting and fun and melded into our little social circle seamlessly. It’s yet to be seen if we will become friends in our day to day NYC lives, but I suspect we will. It’s pretty rare to meet someone so randomly but to actually have a true friend connection. This got me to thinking about how social connections happen in this internet age. Today people meet on dating websites and get married, but when’s the last time you made friends with someone you met at a coffee shop, bookstore, or museum? I just wonder how all of our technological advancements have really helped people interact in the off-line world. Have we lost our ability to interact face to face? Meeting Mark gave me a bit of hope that we’re not lost yet…

Posting has been light…

Things have been quiet on this blog due to a birthday (27!), illness (sinus infection), a trip (to Boston), and general ennui (winter in New York. *sigh). I’m healthy again and looking forward to my SXSW Interactive trip (and my first trip to Texas!). I’ll still be working while in Austin, but if I have free time, I’ll give little recaps of the panels I attend. At the very least, check out my flickr photostream here to see what I see.

Going to SXSW

I’m going to SXSW Interactive! If you’re going or have any tips for authentic Austin places to check out, let me know.