SXSW 2008 Infographic Timeline

The decompression from this year’s SXSW was quick — mostly because time told me that I was there one day too long this year despite being there the same amount of time last year. That idea of time, and a timeline stuck with me and for this year’s SXSW Infographic, I wanted to encapsulate that structure. The look and idea for this one came to me on Monday, if I recall correctly, on the way to the Jackalope on 6th as I explained it to Cinnamon and Andrew.

The 2008 SXSW Infographic. A Timeline version.

The Timeline version is aided by both my apparent remembrance of minutiae but equally with photos (and as many rapid notes I could take on the flight home). I didn’t take as many this year — the weather didn’t seem to help me much in that regard and the feeling of repeating the same photos from last year was quite strong.

A larger version is here, if you didn’t click anywhere above and a printable 17×11 PDF version is available here, especially if you’d care to take a look at it in detail.

A few notes:

1. Not too much ranking of anything per se — just a play-by-play of what happened this time. I was curious about what exactly I did since I felt time move a little slow in spots here and there.
2. However, the days are ranked with a graph line — starting on Friday at dead-middle then up or down depending on how much I liked the day. Days are ranked as fairly as I felt they deserved — some parts of days were certainly better than other days despite being an overall “lower” day but those Supergood™ periods are tempered by subpar events or food or whathaveyou.
3. Sleep patterns seem typical — waking up later and later as the nights got longer and longer.
4. Didn’t manage to go to any of the official parties but did get into the performance based events such as Fray Cafe and 20×2. Not for a lack of wanting to go but as I get older, I detest the idea of waiting in line, whether it’s for food or much else. And I heard there were plenty of lines everywhere. I’m getting old and curmudgeonly in that regard. That said, I probably missed out on getting to talk and hang out with a lot of people I wouldn’t otherwise and for that I’m partially regretful but I have an idea for next year for getting people together that I’m interested in meeting.
5. The Gingerman as you notice shows up often. It replaced The Paradise as the tavern that became home base and I appreciated it. I was able to talk to people I wanted to that were there without the constant people-watching and ADD that would have happened at a party (Oh look! There’s so-and-so! I must talk to her/him!). It’s hard not to do that — I noticed people doing it while running into them in the hallways and I’m as guilty as anyone else. At The Gingerman, real conversations happened instead which was good.
6. Food surprisingly, was on the side of diminishing returns this year. As the days went on, the meals got increasingly mediocre. Huh.
7. Should have gone to more panels. I thought I did but it looks like I didn’t. Some of the few I really wanted to go to, I got denied at, due to capacity issues. Which is great news for the speakers involved — I took it as a good sign, not a negative.
8. The weather! I felt as if I was back in San Francisco from my SF Trip two weeks prior. Boo! I wanted hot. I only got a decent taste on Tuesday and a brief teaser on Wednesday.
9. If I haven’t said it already, thanks to all that came to my presentation. It was much appreciated. That was a definite highlight.
10. Another highlight (and a post to come): the t-shirts I designed for Mozilla Labs that were given away free at the Mozilla party at Moonshine.