Opening remarks by Steve Johnson and Henry Jenkins were excellent! What a killer lineup! And look, no Powerpoint! It was just Steve and Henry having a conversation in front of maybe 1000 people.
Jenkins is just so articulate in a plain speak approach and also very passionate about media, youth, technology, creativity. Johnson is also poignant and draws from an obvious great well of experience in digital culture.
I am struggling to remember all the quotes (rummaging for a few tweets)
Johnson says TV like Lost and The Wired show that TV is not as bad as we thought it was getting. He calls The Wired ‘Hill Street Blues’ on steroids- asks Jenkins which he likes better. Now asks the audience- mixed response. Jenkins: “The Wired is best show in the box; Lost is best show outside of the box (transmedia extension)”
Jenkins describes “pink color workers” people with college education who don’t get to use creative skills at work. “People are acquiring skills thru play that are finding application at work”
Johnson mentions “The Dumbest Generation: How the Digital Age Stupefies Young Americans… ”
Jenkins: In politics young generation uses “we” language (sign of collective intelligence) vs older gen use of “I” language (“I am an Obama fanboy” says Jenkins- cites difference o Barak’s “We the People” vs “I Fell your pain:)
Johnson describes new civic media On My Radar “ties facebook status messages to geo location” the geographic web.
There’s a lot more, but my memory is mush. It was video recorded, and there were a few in the audience live streaming via Qik from their mobile phones.
Updated April 3, 2026!
I found this old post with one photo and no links, but was able to resurrect more from my own flickr photos and saome good old fashioned web sleuthing.
With some searching on the session, a review SXSWi: Steven Johnson, Henry Jenkins talk youth and collective intelligence (CNET)
The note on the corner of the visual notes in my photos leads to the post by note taker Sunni Brown who did these for all of the main sessions at SXSWi 2008 (see her later work, she’s still at it). I remembered Jane McGonical’s session vividly — she was literally bouncing with energy on stage– as well as the one on PostSecret. I completely forgot that Zuckerburg gave a keynote. Was I out of the room?
I did have a rather extensive blog post on the whole experience, including what was the first time I saw Kathy Sierra present, WOW. I was already a fan of hers from more than a year early when I made the Twitter Life Cycle image in her style.
Featured Image: Steven Johson and Henry Jenkins flickr photo by cogdogblog shared into the public domain using Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication (CC0)
Alan, I had the privilege of witnessing a brilliant meeting of minds between Henry Jenkins and James Paul Gee in Bristol 3 years ago. It was one of the most remarkable hours of my life. These 2 men clearly knew how to engage in meaningful discourse without alienating their audience. I am so envious that you were able to witness Johnson & Jenkins.