Chris Heuer and Shel Holtz introduce the weekly New Media Release Podcast (‘NMRCast’) and explain the NMR working group; discussion of microformats and their role in the NMR; where we plan to go from here. You can download the podcast, or sign up for the RSS feed to get it and future shows automatically. (For automatic synchronization with your iPod or other digital player, you’ll also need a podcatcher such as Juice, DopplerRadio, iTunes or Yahoo! Podcasts, or an RSS aggregator that supports podcasts such as FeedDemon).If you would like to participate in the New Media Release conversations, please join the Google group.   Thank you Shel for all of your support!

Over the past six months we have learned a great deal about unconferences and the more general concept of bringing people together for conversations with their peers. We have experimented with different event formats and continue to innovate with events like our upcoming Rent an Expert on Wenesday July 19. We have affirmed our reasons for striking down the power of the podium and giving it to the people, but also have seen that there is a place for lectures and talks too – conferences can and have learned a lot from unconferences.

Ultimately, we have found that our original premise for BrainJams of connecting people from different communities to share experiences and insights is highly valuable and much needed – but the formats for facilitating these conversations are not the reason for people coming together. People come together to discuss, debate and work on shared passions – like Mashpits, Cyber Salons, Creative Commons Salons, Flickr Meetups, Third Thursday’s, Wiki Wednesday’s and Mobile Mondays. There is a common thread in these events – but it is not “Common Thread 2.0” – it is the intersection of people, technology and media – or social media as it has become popularly known.

Just a quick note on the presentation I gave at the NetSquared Conference today.  It felt like it went very well and I got some good feedback, including a kind word from one of the guys from Kiwanis International who also told me that the name for our hula hoop exercise is "helium hoops" - that is so cool to be able to connect with someone over something so silly, but also so deeply meaningful.

As it is, the entire day there was very worthwhile and I had a chance to meet tons of great people doing amazing things.  I am just so humbled to have opportunities like this to talk with such inspiring individuals - it reminds me of how little we have done so far and how much more there is to do across the board.  Which is why we need to all just keep showing up, every day, to whatever calls us...

I have more to say, but not a lot of time at the moment. I will try to add my photos of the event to Flickr shortly.  You can download the presentation from here. (5MB)