Do you sit at work saving up your virtual currency for a Shetland Pony? Do you create Facebook profiles for your cats, dogs & infants just so that you can ensure your crops are properly hydrated? What has our world become when people actually decorate their virtual barns for Christmas? Did you pre-order Farmville for Dummies on Amazon.com? Let’s take a peak at the illusive look at how virtual farms are ruining your life and pretty much the entire planet one virtual seed packet at a time.
About Erica May
Erica works for PopCap Games where she manages the channel strategy for their social games. You can check her out on the web at ericamayexist.com or follow her on Twitter @ericaannemay
There was a lot of wailing and tooth gnashing recently about how Triceratops wasn’t real, because it was just a younger form of Torosaurus. You can all rest easy; there are rules to naming dinosaurs, and scientists have to follow them. You may be laying awake at night worrying about your favorite dinosaur being taken away, but they didn’t rename that dinosaur from your youth just to be mean. If you know how paleontologists name dinosaurs, you’ll finally be able to rest easy.
About Jeremy
When he’s not wresting around with telescopes or spreading the word about dinosaurs, Jeremy Bingham does the behind the scenes tech stuff at Daily Kos.
Kevin Moore is an Iowa native and a 10-year resident of Seattle. He is a partner at the design and engineering consultancy Pixel Lab – http://thinkpixellab.com — where he loves crafting software. He tweets as @kevmoo.
Science, Art, Engineering, Design are the four corners of creative culture, but they represent terms that are often misused and misunderstood.
I’d like to explain their relationship. It clarifies and distinguishes what are often blurred differences while also freeing us from the bagage of degree programs and job titles.
Using anecdotes from some brilliant and diverse friends along with some lewd humor from famous physicists, I paint a pretty compelling picture.
Those of us in the UX world focus on how to satisfy users. However, when we use the term “user experience,” we ignore one persona: Age less than 2. They are the ultimate edge case; approximately 3% of the population, but with a grand scheme to take over the planet. Right now, millions of babies are growing up in a world that appears actively user-hostile. Using my own daughter as a test subject, I’ll show you how to minimize their rage and lingering resentment and make the world a better place for the people who will be changing our bedpans in fifty years.
About Jonathan
Jonathan wandered across the US and, as a vampire, found himself enjoying the climate in Seattle. He’s not quite sure how he ended up with a wife, child, and dog, but he’s quite happy with the whole scenario. While trying to improve user experience in people’s lives, he decided to focus on his daughter for a little while, and thought he should share his findings with the good people of Ignite Seattle.
Frank Catalano loves science. As a kid, he marveled at planets such as Pluto, wanted to see a real dinosaur, and enjoyed mysterious sea creatures. His love of science spawned a career including stints as a science and tech reporter, science-fiction writer and, most recently, analyst and consultant for digital education and consumer technology companies. But science is slowly erasing his childhood, and Pluto was just the start. It appears no planet – or creature – is safe.
I’m the founder of the indie clothing brand Might Tees and a writer for the technology website Cultofmac.com. I’m also an aspiring speaker, which is what led me to tell my story at Ignite 13.
Two years ago, for about 5 months, I lived a secret double life. It was at that time that, though some celebrities were beginning to embrace twitter, most still didn’t know what it was and weren’t using it. There were no verified accounts, no way to know who was who.
So, as a joke, and as a homage to one of my favorite actors, I donned my internet mask and starting tweeting under the guise of Neil Patrick Harris, or as my eventual 25k followers came to know me, @therealnph.
To be honest, when I started the account, I didn’t think anyone would follow me or care. After all, I wasn’t actually impersonating Neil and his real life, I was acting more as a caricature. I had decided to take on the character he played in the Harold And Kumar movies. I tweeted about absurd drug benders, outrageous partying escapades, and sexual conquests and escapades.
Boy, was I wrong….
What occurred between the account’s inception and eventual shutdown by twitter (twice!) was a wild ride fueled by controversy, tweets from actors Nathan Fillion, Felicia Day, and even a direct message from Late Night’s Jimmy Fallon.
I’ve never told the story publicly, and would like to recount my adventure for all the world to judge at the feb 13 ignite.
I’m definitely not the first or the last person to spend a significant amount of time at Disney World alone. However, I’m probably one of the few people who has dissected every aspect of my trip to discover what amazing secret benefits there are to doing the Disney solo. From the “single rider line” to “crowd parkour” there are definitely some perks to being a party of one. I’ll be sharing all these benefits as well as some snapshots of this last visit (benefit #62: you can stop any time you like to take as many pictures as you want). Finally, and probably the best benefit of all, I discovered that I can pretty much do anything on my own and still have a seriously kick-ass time doing it.
About Beth
Beth is a self-described gadget loving, game playing, movie junkie who reads, skis, knits, sews, solders and spends far too much time on the internet. She lives in the Seattle neighborhood of Wallingford with her dog, Willie and cat, Pixel and loves to have people over to @casagoza for a night of German Board games or yet another viewing of the *real* Star Wars trilogy (complete with rifftrax). Follower her adventures by following @bethgo!
I love karaoke. I do it often and with vigor. A lot of people believe they cant sing, and therefore never try to karaoke. I believe differently. Everyone has the ability, they just need a little strategy and guidance. I’ll give them some so they get started, with some infographics and humor for good measure.
Doral Chenoweth: a viral video (made by a flip camera) of a homeless guy with a great voice spread like wildfire and his life was changed forever. A very simple act of grace, a few hours on the computer and pow, massive impact. SalaamGarage: thousands of dollars spent, thousands of miles traveled, pro gear and award winning media makers with social media at their fingertips capturing stories of people in dire need. Where is the impact? What’s wrong with this company? SalaamGarage, several years later.
About Amanda
Amanda Koster is an acclaimed photojournalist, founder of SalaamGarage.com, pubic speaker and author who can’t spell worth beans. After speaking all over the country about how to combine media making and giving a darn, she still calls Seattle home and the Ignite Stage her playground. Her talk “I May Have More Impact On Cheezeburger” was a short story that made a big difference for women dealing with fistula in Ethiopia .
A note from Amanda: Thanks Ignite! You raised $2600 in 5 minuets and paid for 8. 5 fistula surgeries!
As a hobbyist-turned-professional photographer, I’ve heard all sorts of folks in the photo industry lament the fact that it seems everyone thinks they’re a photographer. Whether it’s an iPhone with Hipstamatic or a sub-$500 DSLR, photography has never been more accessible and shareable. Amateurs aren’t going to put the good professionals out of business, and instead of sitting around telling the damn kids to get off their lawn, the pros should recognize how great it is that so many people are participating in such an important activity that shapes how we remember our family, our friends, and our history.
Ignite Seattle 