Your support is kindly needed

South by Southwest 2010 is just around the corner and once again it is time for the community (YOU) to help select which panels will make the cut! I submitted an idea for a session on “Social Media and the Olympics” and I hope you’ll consider voting for it. I think this session will be especially relevant since SXSW will be taking place after the closing of the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics. We’ll be sure to have plenty of stories from trenches!

Please Vote “YES”!

Social Media and the Olympics: A Case Study – Robert Scales + panelists

Coverage of the Olympic Games is dominated by IOC’s contracted rights-holder and accredited major media conglomerates however some feel there is a role for grassroots documentation of both sporting events and the cultural context. The related conundrums are discussed by social media makers who covered several Olympics Games.

You can also see “Then and Now.. Citizen media and the Olympics”, a video recording of the panel I co-hosted at Northern Voice 2009.

Who Am I?

Robert Scales is one of the Co-founders of Raincity Studios – a pioneering open source and Drupal development agency in Vancouver, British Columbia. He is an advocate of Social Media and is often witnesses espousing on open source business models.

As a gonzo journalist, Scales has covered events including the Olympic Games in Turin and Beijing, the Dali Lama’s visit to Vancouver and rock bands and tech luminaries at SXSW. Besides the various social media channels, his reportage appeared in MSM outlets as diverse as the BBC, 21st Century Herald (Shanghai), and Warsaw Daily.

Winner of a 2006 Canadian New Media Award, Robert also teaches at Vancouver Film School and acts as an advisor on various Boards. He participated in the Canada World Youth cultural exchange program as well as various social change workshops and training programs. He frequently presents at (un)conferences around the world about open source tech, business and culture.

How can you connect with me?

• Scales on Facebook
• My You Tube Channel
• Scales’ Flickr photostream
• Twitter
• My Olympic coverage via Beijing 2008 Social Media Backpack

Thank you for your Support!