Next weekend marks the offbeat "tech et al." conference's first year, and it already stands in stark contrast to more established shows in the same sphere. Co-organizer Jeff Slobotski says that while the events are not solely about tech, they are definitely about passion and innovation. "We're not trying to be another South by Southwest or Web 2.0," he said. "Our goal is to have a tight-knit, solid event and to build a vibrant community."

"It's a vendor feeding frenzy," said blogger Peter Kretzman. "People look at your badge before looking at your face."

"The least value comes from conferences heavy with panels run by market research firms with charts and bullet points that repeat the most obvious of trends: We're in a participatory culture; media is fragmenting; it's the age of user-generated blah blah blah," said Baratunde Thurston, web editor for The Onion and a multidiscinplinary comedian/pundit who attends about a dozen conferences each year.

"If conferences don't facilitate real-world value, they should disband and just post lectures on YouTube."

Serial show attendee, and sometimes organizer, Shannon Clark said that while he enjoys purely tech shows, the networking can be limited and the atmosphere corporate. "The formal conference structure," he said,"is an excuse to gather a group of people together and a framework around which to connect with people."

In marked contrast, many who plan to go to BIGOmaha cited its culling of passionate, creative, and technical speakers and attendees as reasons attend.

"[BIGOmaha] is targeting the most creative and active people in the startup world," said Startup Weekend founder and TechStars community manager Andrew Hyde.

Hyde noted the palpable difference between standard business conferences and multifaceted shows that offer more than tech alone. "I think a great amount of good comes from creatives and entrepreneurs being engaged. If you offer quality, they will enhance it; if you don't have a good group, they will point that out."

Thurston said, "I think a really successful, idea-generating conference has to borrow from the magic of improvisational comedy: Throw interesting, diverse participants together, and leave room for spontaneous collaboration... For my money and time, the ability to exchange ideas with cool people is the highest value of a conference."

Thurston further noted that at a smaller conference, attendees stand a better chance of getting their money's worth; Clark also said that at smaller shows, "A single track creates a shared experience"

Although BIGOmaha won't have the same breakneck party circuit of larger competing shows, Slobotski said, "I encourage people to give it a shot and experience the uniquely creative culture here." After all, he noted, the flyover states have birthed enterprises ranging from Internet powerhouses (WordPress, Dallas) to entrepreneurial success stories (Chicago, Threadless) to creative entities (Omaha's own Saddle Creek Records, home to Bright Eyes/Connor Oberst and the Faint).

And the venues for the conference are far more chic than shabby. Main events will be held in a space recently renovated by two local artists; and the opening evening wine event, hosted by Vaynerchuck, will take place in Slowdown, Esquire's pick for Club of the Year 2008.

Tickets for the May 7-8 show are currently priced at $219. ReadWriteWeb readers can claim a 10% discount by using the code BIGRWW at checkout.

Speaking to the Ad:Tech audience in San Francisco today, Rose talked about Digg's future saying ads need to be more interactive, print can't be saved, online publishers are in an incredible position and the importance of power users may be underestimated.

Update: Digg starts rolliing out its own ads

Digg's advertising needs have changed. At the beginning, "we had lots of servers falling over," Rose explained. The deal with Microsoft saved the day, allowing Digg to outsource ad sales while continuing to work on the product. However, Digg is now four years old, and banner ads are no longer enough. It's ready to build its own sales team, which currently stands at 2-3 and Rose estimates it could grow to 10-15 over the next year.

The site will focus on larger ad campaigns, and according to Rose, turn to its users. "If anything, Digg has users that like voting,' Rose explained, "and I would love to see a world that if something is really crappy, it gets destroyed or thrown off the site." Either that, he said, "or we charge people more for crappy ads," he added with a grin.

While he says he can't "guarantee" this type of social advertising will make it to Digg, it's certainly an attractive ideal. Rose explains that Digg is looking at ways that people can engage with ads, "so the second [an ad] goes up, it's not just about click-throughs; it's more about watching and seeing what [people] think."

Social Advertising?

Rose pointed to the Chevy SUV campaign that invited visitors to create and share their own ad copy on video clips. "It's going to happen," Rose said, and "I'm happy to push it and make it happen sooner."

The caveat, of course, is that Rose doesn't want Digg to be a platform where the only discussion involves comments like "that ad sucks." "I'd hope [conversation] would be deeper," he added.

Although he likes the idea of user involvement when it comes to advertising, Rose noted that there are two problems with these forms of social ads; people are generally conservative and scared to expose their brand in that way, also, the tools aren't there to foster discussion.

But, tools could be coming, and they could be coming to Digg. Last week, in an interview with Mike Arrington, Rose explained that Digg is completely revamping its site and expects it will be seen as a "ballsy move" when unveiled.

Rose on Cool Hunters

Rose, who removed the Top Users list from Digg two years ago, today said that they may soon make a reappearance, but in a different form. "We have these amazing users who have an eye for what the masses will enjoy," Rose said, and "it's important to highlight those people because they are valuable."

"In reality, he said, "they take on what is cool - they're very good at finding high quality content that other people will enjoy - and I don't mind [emphasizing] that"

"I think you'll see us expose that data in the future," Rose added, saying you'll likely get to see who the "tastemakers" turn up to be under specific categories.

Note: If you're interested in seeing Digg top users, Social Blade, which is not affiliated with Digg, maintains a list.

Rose on Dead Tree Media

"Dead tree media is...dead," said Rose, who believes we are entering a world of the personal brand, much like Gary Vaynerchuck described [video link].

The landscape has changed. "It's not necessarily about destination site," Rose continued, like the Wall Street Journal or the New York Times, "it's about the person writing the article." Walt Mossberg, for instance, will continue to grow his audience, regardless of where he is published, and Rose sees that as power. "He can move his fans and readers in any direction."

And with the transformation taking place in the world of media, it's an important distinction.

Asked whether Digg can help save the newspaper industry, Rose gave a quick, but succinct "no." Although Digg can't help save print, Rose believes it can absolutely empower the sites. "We can help them understand where their traffic is coming from and let them know more about their users and what they like." "And if you know what people like, you can serve better quality ads."

Whether you're a blogger working in your basement or a journalist at the New York Times, it makes no difference. If your content is good, it will get noticed by Digg's cool hunters. Yet not every social site can do this. While many have tried, (Reddit, Mixx, Yahoo Buzz etc.), Digg has always been the leader in consistently leveling the media playing field.

Why Digg? Well, we can't quite put our finger on it, but as Rose told Arrington last week, "I just feel that we're heading in a different direction than them." And at ReadWriteWeb, we agree. What do you think?

Update: It appears Digg is already rolling out is own ads, with the ad below appearing tonight, after the site was taken offline for a couple of hours. This comes not 12 hours after Rose gave his keynote at Ad:Tech earlier today.

Photo Credit: Flickr Affiliate

According to Hathaway's 60 second trailer, the key to a cyber secure future lies in cooperation between the public and private sector and a united effort on both a hyperlocal front as well as globally.

Melissa Hathaway came across our radar recently when President Obama tasked the former Bush administration aide with leading a 60-day review of Bush's Comprehensive National Cybersecurity Initiative; a largely classified, purported $30 billion, multi phase plan to address cybersecurity issues that Hathaway was involved in developing. The initiative was promptly dubbed 'a Manhattan Project to defend cyber networks' by the then Secretary of Homeland Security, Michael Chertoff.

The CNCI, which began as a directive from President Bush in January 2008, received much criticism and, in part, led to Obama attacking the Bush administration during his campaign for not efficiently addressing cyber threats. "As president, I'll make cyber security the top priority that it should be in the 21st century," Obama said during a speech in July.

Unfortunately, as pointed out by Siobhan Gorman in the Wall Street Journal, the decision to hold a 60-day review suggests that any big move in the field of national cybersecurity was once again put off. Or was it?

Who is to Blame for Internet Security Problems?

"Despite all of our efforts," Hathaway began, "our global digital infrastructure, based largely on the Internet is not secure enough or resilient enough for what we need today and what we need for the future."

She explained that the original design of the Internet was driven more by considerations of interoperability rather than security, and as a result we are now faced with almost insurmountable issues. Some examples include online criminals who steal our information, mass bandits who have the ability to damage portions of our internal infrastructure, and the recent ATM scam that law enforcement sources claim is one of the most frightening and well coordinated heists they'd ever seen. "In a single 30 minute period," Hathaway said, "138 ATMs in 49 cities around the world were illicitly emptied of their cash." This can't continue she explained, "Our goals depend on trust and that cannot be achieved if people believe they are vulnerable to these types of threats."

The Trailer for the Path to National CyberSecurity

We need an agreed way to move forward which involves shared responsibility, Hathaway noted, if we are to have "trustworthy, resilient, reliable" cyberspace.

Describing cyberspace and its security as "a fundamental responsibility of our government that transcends the jurisdiction of individual departments and agencies," Hathaway explained that although each government agency has a unique contribution to make, no single agency can see the overall picture and they'll need to work together.

Additionally, the private and the public sectors need to join forces as they are "intertwined" when it comes to cybersecurity. "While it is the role of the government to protect its citizens, it is the private sector that in the main designs and owns the majority of the digital infrastructure," she said.

Finally, Hathaway sees this as a unique opportunity for the United States to work with countries around the world, and with organizations on an extremely local level. "We cannot succeed if our government works in isolation," she added. It requires "leading from the top" from the White House, to government departments, to the private sector, the C-Suite, and even deeper, to the local classroom and library.

Hathaway said that her report, the culmination of a 60-day comprehensive review to assess U.S. cyberspace policies and structures, will be made public in the next few days after the administration has had a chance to review the data.

The good news however, is that communities offer the best bang for your buck in this miserable economy and Wales sees return on investment (ROI) as an "incredible steal right now," when it comes to consumer generated media.

Wales, who led the user generated content movement three years before the term Web 2.0 was coined, today told a standing room only audience that people fail to get their corporations off the ground because they don't focus on community. And in a recession, your community could be your saving grace.

"Wikipedia was really born in the depths of the dot com crash," Wales said. "With no investment money available, we had to figure out our own solutions as a community." "If there had been [funds], when problems arose I would likely have hired people to try and solve them," he explained. And according to Wales, this led to innovations in social rules and social institutions.

Wikipedia, the largest encyclopedia in the world with over 2 billion+ words, is the fourth most popular Web site in the world, with 301 million unique visitors monthly according to comScore. Its success is largely due to its passionate community and the content it produces.

Wales pointed to the Marvel community as another great example of a growing consumer generated content phenomenon, with the Marvel Database Project consisting of 49,864 articles and 50,427 images (as of today). Much like Wikipedia, this community of volunteers is passionate and focused on building very high quality content.

Contrary to Popular Belief, Consumer Media is a Great Place for Brand Advertising

Although most brands have been afraid to get involved with user generated content in the past, Wales sees this as a thing of the past because sites like Wikia, Flickr, YouTube etc. are becoming more dominant.

"The modern Web 2.0 space is not about funny cat videos any more or about angry ranting blogs," Wales explained. "If you look at what is happening, you'll see quality content - equal to magazines and television."

But with the plethora of advice being dispensed on the Web it is no wonder brand marketers are confused. "'You need to interact, to blog, to Twitter' is the general advice given today," said Wales. "And for some brands this is absolutely the right thing to do."

The caveat of course, is having a brand that is information dense.

Using Doritos as an example of a brand that won't make it in the consumer generated world (due to the nature of its brand), Wales explained "I don't believe there is ever going to be 50,000 [user generated] articles [written about Doritos]."

Another brand Wales points to is Skittles and its recent campaign, and explains that while it's a good gimmick, it's certainly not the future of Skittles marketing. "Interacting with customers [for brands which are not information dense] is not helpful," Wales explained. "But, if you have a brand that's being talked about online, you need to understand that although you cannot control what is being said, you do need to be there."

Two themes stood out: sensors will surpass humans in front of their keyboards as the primary data source on the web and Moore's Law will need to be applied to humanity's greatest problems.

1. Google Voice Search on the iPhone

Google launched an iPhone app in November that lets you search by voice. It uses the iPhone's built in sensors in ways that other voice searches can't. It's not just voice recognition, it's also gesture recognition - the application starts listening when you put the phone to your face. O'Reilly asked, rhetorically, if the service was "a tipping point for the web" when it launched and it's still on his short list of key technologies today.

2. Gracenote's CDDB

The CDDB, or Compact Disk Database. This technology isn't new but it represents the kind of thing that O'Reilly expects to become much more common in the near term future. Their time has come, these tools for pulling patterns out of large and seemingly random sets of data. As he explained on stage tonight, the CDDB service identifies CDs by looking at the unique fingerprint created by the duration of songs in any collection on a commercial music CD. It doesn't identify individual songs but rather analyzes the aggregate data on albums in order to identify the collection. That's pretty cool.

See also the non-profit MusicBrainz.

3. AMEE Smart Grid

The AMEE smart electrical grid company tracks energy use in customers' homes and offers all kinds of valuable information based on what they see. TechCrunch UK called it "like an OpenID for your carbon footprint" in its coverage of O'Reilly's investment in the company.

O'Reilly said tonight that much like CDs in the CDDB, AMEE has discovered that the energy fluctuations of home appliances are so unique that they can tell what make and model of refrigerator you have by the way it acts when the motor turns on. Then it can suggest a more energy efficient appliance.

4. The NASA/CISCO Planetary Skin

NASA and CISCO unveiled plans last month to build what they call a Planetary Skin of sensors to monitor global climate change. The ability to process all the information that will come in through such a network of sensors is a good example of what O'Reilly called "applying Moore's Law to the world's biggest problems."

5. IBM Smarter Planet

O'Reilly highlighted the IBM Smarter Planet project in his talk about the future tonight. Smarter Planet is a broad body of initiatives by IBM to integrate efficient technology into a wide variety of systems around the world. Much of it is public infrastructure work.

Last week IBM announced that it would make bringing its channel partners into the Smarter Planet project a major priority and that it will be sharing the huge amounts of data it collects through the initiatives with channel partners as well.

Those are Tim O'Reilly's favorite examples of technologies that point beyond the last five years of the Web 2.0 era. Have you got other examples in the same vein? Perhaps you've got a different big picture vision of the next stage of the web. This fifth anniversary of the first Web 2.0 Conference is a great time to reflect on where we are as a web connected world and where we're going.

As a resident of Wellington, I don't have far to go to attend Webstock. Some of the sessions I'm looking forward to checking out include David Recordon on the 'Open Social Web', Fiona Romeo on 'Astrotagging bots and citizen scientists' (got to attend that for the title alone!), Heather Champ on 'Shepherding Passionate Communities', and Google Chrome impresario Ben Goodger on 'A retrospective of ballet classics' (witty titles galore in Webstock this year).

Also who can resist Bruce Sterling's talk entitled 'The Short but Glorious Life of Web 2.0, And What Comes Afterward' (!)

If you're local and want to attend, you can still pick up a ticket. It runs from 19-20 February, with workshops happening earlier in the week. If you can't attend, stay tuned for coverage on ReadWriteWeb later this week.

Speaking at the SMX Conference in Santa Clara, Cerf discussed his concerns about the current state of the Internet and gave us a glimpse into his hopes for its future.

While companies are competing to make a bigger, better, larger cloud service, fewer people are concerned with the basic mechanics of the inter-cloud and how we ensure that it all works efficiently, reliably, and securely.

"I'm seeing a possibility of inter-cloud problems mirroring the Internet problems we had thirty or forty years ago," Cerf said.

According to Cerf, and many others, inter-cloud communication issues such as formats and protocols, as well as inter or intra-cloud security need to be addressed urgently.

Analogous to the pre-Internet period when Cerf along with Bob Kahn were finding a way of connecting the ARPANET to other independent networks, Cerf points out that today, cloud computing brings similar challenges. "You build these clouds and they know about themselves and they know about their own resources, but they don't know about any other cloud. So the question is: how do you say 'send this information to this cloud over here' if there isn't any way to call it," Cerf asked.

And the challenges don't end with inter-cloud communication. There are other issues to consider, such as security and portability, particularly with financial and health services turning more and more to the cloud. What metadata needs to move with the data in order to protect it?

One of the biggest issues people have with the idea of the cloud is loss of privacy. But, according to Cerf, privacy is relative. "Let's suppose that our medical records are online and we're in a strange city and we have some medical problem and we came to the emergency room. At the moment that you're in the medical room, it's very likely that the last thing on your mind is the privacy of your medical records. And the first thing on your mind is making sure the doctors in that emergency room have every piece of information they could possibly need in order to fix your problem."

The caveat, Cerf explained is the ability to offer "finite time control over access to that information," for instance, giving the emergency room a limit of 24 hour access, while allowing your primary care physician to have longer access.

IPTV and the Future of Advertising

With IPTV, Cerf explained, most people assume streaming is the way of the future, but he's not convinced. "I'm still thinking that as we get higher and higher speed access to the Internet that downloading and playing back might turn out to be just as easy and perhaps more convenient."

Comparing video to audio, Cerf pointed out that you don't listen to music while downloading a song onto your iPod; you store it and play it back whenever you want.

This might in part explain YouTube's recent announcement to test the viability of downloads from the site. Instead of being locked into watching something as it is being transmitted, which is what the classical television model is based on, today, we can store things and play them back; removing that particular binding in the television medium. Today, Cerf said, you can "shift time."

But he also explored another possibility. Television advertising of old is invasive, and the tactics are stale. Commercial breaks are inserted into key moments of television in the hope of keeping the viewer from changing channels, a tactic he considers annoying.

"What Google has learned about advertising is that people don't treat information as annoying advertising if they're actually interested in the information," Cerf said.

"In the search engine world we offer advertising information which users can select if they want to - or not - and we don't charge the advertisers unless somebody actually selects to look at it. We have given control of advertising back to the consumer so why not do that in the video world as well."

Using an example he warns may not be "technically sensible right now" Cerf discussed the possibility of a smarter, more consumer and advertiser friendly form of product placement.

"What would happen if we can sensitize an image so that if you were interested in it, you could click on it?" he asked. Taking this theoretical idea further, he continued: "Maybe stop the video entertainment at that point; a window opens up and says: "Hi I see that you're interested in this little Macintosh that's in the field of view; that's the MacBook Pro. Oh, I see you're online right now, there is an Apple store which is six blocks away that has six of these in inventory; would you like to buy this one right here?"

Dealing with the 'Bit Rot' Problem

"It's conceivable that all the bits that are pouring into the Internet will eventually become rotten in the sense that the application that was needed to interpret the bits is no longer available," Cerf warns of growing problem he's taken to calling "bit rot."

With the enormous growth of user generated content appearing on the Internet, and the variety of formats used when uploading content to the Internet, Cerf believes that there is a real need to determine a strategy for preserving the ability to interpret the digital information that we are currently accumulating for future generations.

"Imagine it's the year 3000 and you've just done a Google search and you turn up a 1997 PowerPoint file, and you're running Windows 3000," Cerf explained, "The question is, does it know how to interpret the PowerPoint file? The answer is probably no."

In order to preserve this information according to Cerf, we need to find ways of preserving application software, operating systems and even potentially the emulation of the hardware so the application knows how to interpret this.

"I visited the library of Alexandria in January this year in Egypt," Cerf said, "and inside that library are manuscripts that are over a thousand years old; they are still fully accessible."

"If we don't do the same [ensure data is accessible in the future], what will our descendants wonder about us and the 21 century? We'll just be a big pile of rotten bits to them."

As this article only covers a very small part of the discussion, we'll provide a link to the video as soon as it is available from SMX.