The essence of what @NorthernVoice #nv10 is to me

This past Saturday morning, as I was getting ready to head down to UBC, I began a self-reflection on what I had learned on the first day of Northern Voice 2010, looking forward to the second. It dawned on me that Northern Voice has a special place in my heart, and it’s hard for me to define exactly what it represents to me. I looked back on Flickr at my oldest photos, and I realized that the first photo of a Northern Voice event I ever uploaded was one my good friend Rebecca Bollwitt took of the two of us (now, these self-portrait photos have become a tradition for us).

This is my third Northern Voice conference in a row, and the first one in which I have spoken (at Government 2.0 and Teaching with Social Media). I am trying to find ways to define what Northern Voice 2010 represents to me, and I think the one way in which I can define it is

Northern Voice is the place, the space where once a year, I am able to bridge the “in between” (as my good friend Nancy White would put it), where I bridge the online and the offline space. Where, after the dust settles, after all the introductions are over, I get to see and hang out with good old friends.

Northern Voice, to me, means also talent, brains, sharing knowledge and ideas, collaborating. I was delighted to be part of two panels, and to listen in on other panels and talks by many friends to whom I am quite close.

Northern Voice, to me, is community and friendship. As the community grows, so do our families and it is important for the organizers of Northern Voice to realize that our generation is in the segment of the demographic pyramid where many of the participants at NV are parents.

And at the end of the day, for me, Northern Voice is the conference where we get to share knowledge, friendship and community. Let’s make the most of the future Northern Voice conferences. Let’s thank the organizers and volunteers for all of their hard work. Let’s give a round of applause to everyone who spoke at NV and to everyone who attended.

More importantly, let’s keep our community strong and not let anything divide us. Because, as you know, I think dissent is incredibly important in keeping the conversation going, but I also think it’s important to provide constructive criticism. In order to do that, please take this short survey (if you attended Northern Voice).

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Related posts:

1. Communities That Rock – Creating Kick-ass Online Communities by @arieanna and @hummingbird604 at @northernvoice #nv11
2. My #nv10 @NorthernVoice panel on Teaching with Social Media w @trishussey @ramcio
3. Liveblogging @ChrisMessina at #nv10 Northern Voice Keynote Saturday
4. The couch-surfing page for @northernvoice courtesy of @ramcio #nv10
5. I’m speaking at @northernvoice #nv10