@Dan – It was great it meet you too! You’re absolutely right, PodCamp is definitely the most comfortable event you can attend! It’s one of the few conferences you can go to where everyone is headed in the same direction. I hope by saying jaded, it wasn’t construed as a negative comment, I think Jim put it better than I did in that PodCamp is growing up and we’re starting to take social media and the business aspects of it much more seriously.

It was nice to meet you at Podcamp and I like your synopsis. It was my first year at Podcamp and I must say that I had a much different perception and didn’t sense any ‘jaded’ energy. Actually, it was one of the most comfortable conferences I’ve attended. It’s possible that I’m still floating on the “free love” vibe as social media is still relatively new to me.

Thank you so much for the reviewing the some of the comments such as Chris Penn’s “be awesome.” I didn’t take very good notes and I simply acted like a sponge in an experiential way. I’m still going through the stack of cards of people I met (that’s how I found you as a matter of fact).

You write beautifully and I’ll subscribe right now. Take care!

With this increase in numbers there has been an increase in diversity of participants. There has also been a lot of spammers and scammers arriving and flooding the place. So the “new and few” in social media are having to adjust to the scene becoming a larger party.

The early on idea of following everyone back is wearing thin on a lot of folks. People are looking for value. For some that is business related content. For some it is more social and for most it is a mix of the proportion of their liking. It used to be that most folks that followed me were in a similar circle of interests, while today I honestly puzzle at why some follow me. And I don’t automatically follow back anymore based on subject matter mostly.

My simple observation is that #pcb2 was a lot of t-shirts and shorts, while I showed up in a sports coat being my first year. This year I was in shorts and a short and there were plenty of loafers walking the halls. I smartened up the second day.

I see these all as “growing up” changes in a young industry. I met plenty of new people and witnessed and participated with old timers welcoming newcomers by talking with them and answering questions and even offering phone calls after PodCamp was over.

I didn’t see anything jaded. I did see a maturing. More people are speaking, publishing and participating in other ways instead of just talking. And plenty are continuing to share freely.

And, yeah, I always thought that personal branding was a bit of an ego trip. Like Chris Penn said, be awesome. That is enough.