Laura Fitton is right. PodCamp was never free.

Posted by on Apr 16, 2008 in PodCamp | 19 comments

One of the best comments in the free/not-free discussion I’ve ever read was by Laura Fitton (@pistachio on Twitter) on CC Chapman’s blog last October. Reprinted from the source:

The event isn’t, and from what little I understand, never was FREE. In a way, no event ever is. It is subsidized by sponsors and by volunteer hours. You attend for free, because somebody else paid your way. Simple as that.

I think opening up the option for it to be a nominal fee, or a pay what you want, or some other locally-derived setup, and oriented largely towards keeping attendance expectations (and resulting volunteer hours) in line with reality, is 100% reasonable.

While anticipating an event that huge, the volunteer corps of organizers really had to bust their guts. Hard. Long hours, much stress. Value their time at a nominal rate of $10 or even $5 an hour, and you see that a very small group paid hundreds and thousands for the rest of us to have the event for free.

Laura nailed it in one.

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Why PodCamp Boston 3 asks you to sponsor it for $50

Posted by on Apr 15, 2008 in PodCamp | 26 comments

PodCamp Boston 3 is asking all participants to be sponsors this year, to take the ultimate step up and co-sponsor the UnConference. After lengthy debate last year with Chris Brogan, PodCamp Boston 3 would become a co-sponsored event for two primary reasons:

  1. Last year, we planned for 1,000 participants based on registration of nearly 1,500. Instead, we ended up with about 775. As a result, we had 225 shirts and other materials left over. Granted, the local homeless shelters were pleased with the outcome, but that was an expenditure of sponsor resources that was unwise. We could have instead invested those resources to provide more benefits to people who actually showed up.
  2. PodCamp Boston is evolving to bring new focus to the event. Many people have commented to me over the last year that they wished PodCamp Boston 2 had been more intimate, more focused, less of a conference feel to it, which is nearly impossible with 775 people. Asking participants for a tangible, financial commitment to the event will help to bring more of the focus that participants have been asking for.

For those for whom setting aside 61 cents a day for the next 84 days would present a serious obstacle, there are still MANY, MANY free PodCamps – DC and New York City over the next two weeks are both free, and lots of other PodCamps are showing up every day on PodCamp.org.

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How to get an IRS Tax Return Filing Extension

Posted by on Apr 15, 2008 in Money | 1 comment

April 15 is the deadline for filing a federal tax return. But not everybody can meet that deadline. If you need more time to get your paperwork in, make sure you file a Form 4868, Automatic Extension of Time to File, with the IRS by the April 15 deadline and you’ll get an automatic six-month extension of time to file. The extension gives you until Oct. 15 to file the tax return.

Remember, a delay in filing your tax return will also delay your receipt of your economic stimulus payment, if you qualify to receive one, since payments are based on the tax return.

Note that an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay. You should pay any taxes you owe by April 15; otherwise, the outstanding tax balance will accrue interest and possibly penalties, increasing the total amount you will owe. If you can’t pay the full amount that you owe by April 15, pay as much as you can to minimize the interest and penalty charges.

With the deadline approaching, our last-minute reminders may be helpful.

And visit 1040 Central, your one-stop shop for all your tax information needs.

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UNofficial Guide to PodCamp DC

Posted by on Apr 15, 2008 in PodCamp | 4 comments

I put together a brief guide to PodCamp DC based on my experiences in the Capitol City as a tourist (and getting lost frequently on the Metro) as well as sessions and other information for PodCamp DC. Enjoy!

Download the PodCamp DC PDF, 1.2 MB.

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Snapple Antioxidant Water tastes exactly like water doesn't

Posted by on Apr 14, 2008 in Advertising, Blogging, Marketing | 10 comments

As a followup to my previous Snapple Antioxidant Water post, Deana over at Snapple sent me a sample pack of Snapple at the behest of Chris Abraham, who I presume is marketing Snapple to bloggers. I got a 4 pack.

Slackershot: Snapple

Thoughts:

  • It’s sugary.
  • It tastes nothing like water, and a lot like Gatorade when you make it from the powder with more water than you should per scoop.
  • In looking at the ingredients, the first two ingredients are water and sugar.

Is it good? I suppose if you’re a Powerade/Gatorade drinker, you’ll probably like some of the flavors. Personally, I’m more of a Red Bull/Rock Star fan than Gatorade for sugary drinks, on the premise that if I’m going to suffer the consequences of extra empty calories, I’d better get damn jittery from it, too. If Snapple made a “Closest Legal Alternative to Meth in Fruity Flavors” I’d give that a try, if for no other reason than the product name alone.

As for the antioxidant water? I’m going to stick to regular water now.

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