It all started in 2008. A few folks from around the country, connected by Twitter, decided to get together with their mutual Twitter pals in South Florida. This happened in April, about a month after the acclaimed conference in Austin known as SXSWi (South by Southwest Interactive).
The event name SxSe (South by South East, rhymes with sexy) is simply a spoof; had we been located in Bum F*ck Egypt, we might've called the event BFE. SxSe has nothing to do with SXSWi whatsoever -- it's just a big-ass party taking place in the nation's dicktip. There are no panels, powerpoint or keynote addresses; however, there is plenty of great discussion, bonding and friendship. If there's anything professional about SxSe, it's a very high standard of olympic-quality mojito drinking.
What's up with the giant panties?
Well, in 2008, @annohio was traveling around the country going to many tweetups. She took a Giant Panty with her every where she went, to be signed by the many wonderful Twitter peeps she met along the way. The Giant Panty was kind of like a Flat Stanley, or as the geeks would say, "a social object." The first Miami Giant Panty signing took place in 2008 at a Jeff Pulver social media breakfast, where the idea of "social tagging" was already featured in the form of sticky notes.
The next day, more participants signed the Giant Panty at Monty's. At one point, @vicequeenmaria grabbed the panty and asked @dearyvette to hold the other end. It was at this moment that the Giant Panty Limbo Dance was born. Giant Panties, as well as bras, briefs and crocs, played a prominent role in SxSe 2009. It's most likely that the tradition will continue every year.
What should I expect at a SxSe event?
We have a bunch of fun things planned for the weekend. You can pick and choose; come to one or all. It's really up to you. You'll make new friends or reconnect with old ones. Laugh, dance, drink, eat and be generally merry.
Again, there will be no panels, unless you consider a "panel" to be the heavy-duty weaving on the crotch area of giant panty. As a matter of fact, we may well have an unpanel during which we impart no information whatsoever.
Important social media subjects such as ...
- how to properly hug someone you've only ever talked to on Twitter when you meet in real life
- fine-tuning your social media douchebag radar
- avoiding dating within your Twitter circle
- why your BMI is more important than your Twitter follower count
... and so on, may be discussed spontaneously poolside over cocktails.
SxSe is your blank canvas for fun. Nobody cares about pimping social media bullshit here, which is what makes it particularly, brilliantly and truly social media.
If there are no geeks and social media panels, what the hell am I gonna talk about?
Since the middle ages, clerics and wise men have asked: how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? At SxSe, we can discuss: how many mint leaves should be muddled in a mojito? ... and so forth. If you want to drop abbreviations like "SEO" and "ROI" all night, that's fine -- everyone is welcome to discuss what they please -- but we can't guarantee such talk will get you a lap dance. (Dropping trou won't guarantee that either ...)
Good grief. I hate dancing. Do I really need to know how to pole dance?
Ay caramba! We don't care if you want to spend the entire night like an ostrich with your head stuck in the toilet, although that kind of foolishness, admittedly, would not be fun. Chances are, however, that if you're reading this, it's because you're into social media, but that doesn't necessarily mean you need to hurry down to your closest Fred Murray studio. If you're choreographically challenged, no worries! Leave the ass-shaking and pole-grinding to those of us who thrive on the threat of blackmail!
Do I have to be on Twitter to attend?
No. But it sure as hell helps. Basically, the whole innernets is welcome to attend the events announced in the itinerary. If you're not on Twitter, you'll miss out on keeping up with all the great new friends you'll make in South Florida.
WTF is Twitter?
In a nutshell, Twitter is an online social space where people share information in short bursts of writing -- each message is no longer than 140 characters. You follow a group of people with whom you share conversations and over time, this motley crew of friends begins to care about each other and want to hang out.
