So, there’s been some changes going on at Webstock and we thought we’d tell you about them by way of telling you where we’ve come from.

Webstock didn’t start as Webstock. It started from Russ Weakley and Peter Firminger’s Web Standards Group mailing list and the idea of holding city-based meetings for people interested in web standards. This was in the days of battling over web standards, the days where you felt alone as a proponent of “standards-based” web development and needed all the support you could get.

I had the idea of seeing what interest there might be in a Wellington web standards group that met occasionally and so, late in 2004, emailed everyone I knew in Wellington to see who might be interested in a meetup. There were 70 responses to the email and around 40 turned up to meeting in December 2004. There was initial help from Terry Wood, who spoke at that first meeting, and also from Signify, my employer of the time, who generously allowed me to spend time during work hours on Web Standards Wellington and Webstock up until 2006.

It seemed at the time that we uncovered a need for people to get together and talk about this stuff. There was a buzz at that first meeting and even more so at the second one I organised in early 2005. We brought over Russ Weakley and John Allsopp from Australia and Jonathan Mosen up from Christchurch and had 75 people attend to hear them talk. In the true traditions of these things, a committee of myself (Mike Brown), Natasha Hall, Ben Lampard, Miraz Jordan, Siggy Magnusson, Elyssa Timmer and Susan Skelton was formed and we set ourselves up as Web Standards Wellington and then Web Standards New Zealand.

Through 2005 we ran a number of evening events, with speakers presenting on topics as diverse as a case study of the weta.co.nz site, data tables, social media, writing well, usability and government web standards. We really didn’t have any plans beyond this, although did look a little enviously at the Web Essentials conference that had been started in Sydney in 2004. We approached the organisers of this – Russ Weakley, Peter Firminger, John Allsopp and Maxine Sherrin – and asked if they might be interested in running the conference in Wellington immediately after it was held in Sydney. Or if that didn’t work, perhaps allowing us to approach some of their speakers to stop off in Wellington after the conference.

The word I’m searching for is rebuffed. We were rebuffed in those attempts and in true “screw those Aussies” fashion, we thought we’d have to do things ourselves. And so Webstock was born.

See, we’ve always been fans first and foremost. Perhaps the main motivation for Webstock was that we realised we’d never see or meet so many of the people who’ve inspired us unless we ran a conference and asked them here. Webstock literally started one evening when Tash turned to Ben and myself and said, “let’s just run our own conference and let’s invite Tim Berners-Lee to speak at it”.

We had no experience in running a conference. We had no money. We had no track record. Luckily, and amazingly, GOVIS provided us with a promise to underwrite any losses up to $10,000, and armed with that and our naivety, we started asking people to come to New Zealand and speak at our conference in May 2006. And they said yes.

Our first budget for that conference had a expected attendence of 150 people and we were going to hold it at the Paramount Theatre. That was the budget, but we always kinda knew it would be more successful than that, so we quickly moved venues to the Town Hall in Wellington. Some 400 people attended that first conference.

I remember calculating I had two weeks of buzz and walking round with good feeling from that conference before the grind of everyday work took it away. That’s completely meant as a compliment to how good the first Webstock was. Through the remainder of 2006 and 2007 we ran a series of Webstock Minis and one-day workshops. And planned for Webstock 08 in February of this year. The core Webstock team for that conference was myself, Natasha, Ben, Miraz, Siggy and Debbie Sidelinger. We ran it as volunteers, outside of work hours and, again and mostly, as fans. Around 500 attended in February, and again it had a wonderful feeling of community and being part of a wider New Zealand web industry.

What became clear to us after February though, was that things weren’t sustainable under the same model. Webstock had become too big, there was too much work involved to keep things running as they had been. What also become clear to both myself and Tash was that Webstock is where our passion lay.

So in the last month we’ve both quit our jobs to work on Webstock. Well, Webstock and whatever else is needed to keep us afloat, but in principle on Webstock!

What changes will this mean? Well, one is that we can now run a conference every year instead of every two. Aside from that, we hope not a lot. At least not in how we operate and what we stand for. If our passion for Webstock, and the community and the industry in New Zealand dies, or if we ever stop being fans and excited to bring really interesting people over to New Zealand, just tell us. We’ll either change or stop the whole show.

It’s an exciting time for us personally, but more importantly for what we hope Webstock can achieve and mean. We really hope you’ll enjoy the results.

The following email has come into our possession. In the public interest, we publish it in full below.

From: Webstock organisers
To: Webstock powers-that-be
Date: 9 June
Subject: Progress report

—————————————————-

Planning is going smoothly for the Webstock 09 conference. We’ve booked the Town Hall venue in Wellington again for the week of 16th – 20th February 2009.

We’re working on the format for Webstock right now, but it’s likely to be similar to this year – workshops and a two day main conference. Our aim is to raise the bar yet again in terms of quality and presentation and we’ve got a lot of ideas on how we can make this happen.

Budgets are fun as always. It looks like we’ll be able to keep costs at a similar level to this year, subject of course to there still being oil around so we can fly people here!

The hard part is choosing speakers. We’ll be bringing some back from this year, but we’re always conscious of the need to widen the net and bring in new people. Our aim of constantly trying to inspire, educate and delight the web industry in New Zealand remains our key focus.

All is on track for an official conference launch in August. It’s important to keep our plans “under the radar” so we can surprise people. Remember – loose lips sink ships.

We’ll report again soon.

Tash and Mike

We took the chance to ask Garr some questions leading up to his workshops at the end of the month.

Webstock: Should everyone learn to present better, or can we just leave it to the marketing people?
Garr Reynolds: Yes, of course. Everyone can get better. Whoever said that presentations were for the marketing department only? If anything, marketers have given presentations (and PowerPoint) a bad name. Understanding story and design and how to present data and evidence in a way that is engaging and compelling is perhaps even more important for those outside of marketing where the information is deep, wide, and critically important.

Webstock: “Good presentation skills and presenting well are well and good, but it’s really just the sizzle added on top of the substance. If you’ve got a good idea or the right information, that’s all that matters in the end.” What’s wrong with that viewpoint?
GR: Good ideas and information are a necessary condition, not a sufficient one. It is not about dazzle, and sizzle, nor slickness — these are words I abhor. But it is about clarity, and evidence, and engagement, and story. If the content has structure and is true and honest and designed with the audience (or end user) in mind, then chances are it will be a beautiful design as well. It’s not an issue of substance over style. The issue is how do we design visuals (and other messages) that are in balance and in harmony with our narrative in a way that amplifies and augments our spoken words. The best style is the one that is a result of careful reflection on the material and the audience and the selection of a creative approach that is the simplest without being simplistic. “Too simple” can be just as confusing as information overload. The key word is always balance. In all things: balance.

Webstock: Speaking in front of an audience is consistently rated as a fate worse than death. Why is that?
GR: For 99.9% of the population, public speaking is a scary thing, even for professional entertainers. There are many reasons for this. A lot of the stress arises out of our fears that we are not good enough, that we will not measure up. We see all the eyes looking at us and we worry about whether or not they like us or if they approve. We worry about being successful, and worry even more about failing. Through practice your confidence will grow and you will feel more relaxed which enables you to be your natural, engaging self. But more than anything else, it’s about being present in the moment — right here, right now. Once you stop the chatter in your head and the self doubt and your obsession with technique and your worry about failure or success, then you are able to simply tell your story and engage with the material and with your audience. It’s just a presentation and you can not do any better than you can do at that moment. You’re just human and so are they.

Webstock: Aside from reading your book and coming to these workshops, what are some things people can do to improve their presentations?
GR: The first step is to notice there is a problem and that the typical way of presenting is out of kilter with how people actually communicate and learn. Awareness is the first step. Learn about design, not from presentation books, but from books on graphic design, typography, architecture, and documentary film making, etc. As you learn more on your own, notice the world around you — design is everywhere. Most good designs go unnoticed (we usually only notice bad design), but now that you are learning about the principles, concepts, and techniques, you’ll begin to see them everywhere. There is a hole in our education. Most of us never got the design and visual communication education that we need. But it is never too late. To improve your own visual literacy, notice the world, read the books, and practice applying what your learn. You need not become a master over night, simply get better day by day. You’ll begin to find that improving your visual literacy will improve far more than just your presentations.

To improve delivery, volunteer to present as much as you can. You have a story (or skill, etc.) — share it with the world. Toastmasters is a great organization that has helped a lot of people.

Webstock: Do you see yourself on a mission? There seems almost a moral imperative in your rallying call around presenting well.
GR: It is indeed a mission of sorts. A lot of misunderstanding and misinformation has resulted because people have lost (or never learned) the art of presentation. I’m not talking about selling soap here, I am talking about — in your own way — changing the world. Leaders know how to communicate, period. But there is a lot of obfuscation and clutter in the world, which is why presentation is perhaps more important now than ever before. We need a new generation of people who know that credible information, research, and evidence are crucial to presentations. We need this generation to know too that design is not about decoration or what goes on top, but that design is fundamental and it’s about removing the superfluous and adding the meaningful. We need this generation to know that simplicity is not about making things dumb or simplistic, but that it’s about making ideas and messages more powerful, meaningful, and memorable. If your idea is worth spreading, then presentation matters.

Webstock: You’ve chosen to live in Japan for a number of years now. What keeps you there?
GR: We humans notice and are stimulated by differences. Without differences and contrasts we become bored. Since I am not from Japan originally (I’ve lived there for almost 20 years), I notice things that may seem quite ordinary to Japanese but are extraordinary to me. The language is different, the culture and customs are different. There is always something a bit unexpected that I learn. Not all the differences are pleasing (no society is perfect), but I am never, ever bored for even one second in Japan (except during 90% of the business and academic presentations I see). Japan is an ancient culture whose Zen traditions for simplicity and beauty run deep. Yet, this is juxtaposed with the craziness of today’s fast-paced Japanese cities and the clutter and noise that has crept into modern design. You can find lessons no matter where you live, but I find that the lessons and the differences and contrasts found in Japan are a wonderful and stimulating teacher. I love living in Japan.

Webstock: You can be honest with us on this question Garr. You really don’t get much work done under a palm tree on a beach in Hawaii, do you?
GR: Work is not always about “getting things done” or always having something to show for it at that moment. Creative thinking, for example, requires alone time, solitude, and even thinking about a problem by not forcing it — that is, by not thinking about it. So yes, under a palm tree in Hawaii or while going for a ride on my mountain bike around Osaka bay is working. That time is important and necessary and is all part of the process. Since I work for myself, I have a very understanding boss. I am lucky. I used to worry about “procrastinating” or “being lazy” because, for example, I spent the day alone on a long bike ride in the mountains thinking about the problem but while having a good time and not sitting inside my home office at my Mac. But it is my wife — a Japanese designer trained in the USA — who told me that that time away from the office and the computer when it seems like I am not “working” is all part of the creative process, it is part of the work. I needed, she said, to stop feeling guilty and worrying. It’s funny that I needed “permission” to just do what comes naturally: to play. Yes, work requires dedication and grinding it out. It’s hard. But healthy play makes for better work in the end, it is not wasting time. So “doing nothing” while sitting in a coffee shop or strolling alone on the beach is not wasting time, it is the best use of the time at that moment. It’s all part of the process. So, sitting in a boring meeting? Yes, that is wasting time. Sitting under a palm tree with a note pad…what could be a better use of time?

Intrigue aplenty for the Webstock Mini clash between the CodeBlacks and the Silicon Welly all-star team. Firstly, the teams.

The CodeBlacks have been hit with injuries and players signing to overseas leagues for exorbitant sums. In fact the team is down to only three original CodeBlacks – Steve Dennis, Jeff Wegesin and Mark Rickerby. Zef Fugaz is listed as “day to day” on the injured list and team management is tight-lipped about whether he’ll be competing. In a bold move, selectors have called up five new players to the CodeBlacks. Webstock’s own Natasha Hall will be joined by Sue Tyler, Sal Coe, Sarah Lewis and Bob Medcalf to reinforce the CodeBlacks. And if the internal team emails (leaked today to Webstock) are anything to go by, the CodeBlacks are not a team that’s intimidated.

Natasha Hall: “We’re certainly a far better looking team so we’re off to a great start.”
Bob Medcalf: “I’ve not heard of our opposition. Do you think they’ll be up to much?”

Tim Norton, on the other hand, has pushed the competition rules to the limit, only today announcing the line-up of the Silicon Welly team – a clear violation of the organiser’s requests! It’s a veritable who’s who of the Wellington start-up scene:

Tim Norton – PlanHQ
Phil Fierlinger – Xero
Dave Ten Have – Ponoko
Tim Copeland – SilverStripe
Greg Day – Get Staffed
Clare Tanner – Book habit
John Lewis – Ponoko
John Clegg – ProjectX

But with the big names comes the big pressure. One would think investors in all of these start-ups will be asking some hard questions should Silicon Welly come up second best.

And in one of those “battles within the game” scenarios, Sarah and John Lewis are married. But as always, these relationships take a back seat when the whistle blows. It’s shaping to be a fascinating battle, a presentation of two halves and the only thing certain is that the web will be the winner on the night.