Credit: SomewhereinAK

Before the 2010 trip got canceled, I blogged about how it was a social media experiment that was going to push the personal boundaries of our online relationships.

You see, 2010’s roadies were all mostly people who know each other more online and less in real, physical spaces. So getting on a bus together for 3 days meant forcing ourselves “to connect with each other on a much deeper and [...] nuanced level, and confront how we all have interests and perspectives that are completely alien to one another — and have nothing to do with the internet.”

Well, the other day, Julien Smith asked a series of (what I think are) important questions regarding our online relationships:

If I know someone from the web, why are they on another level than a regular friend? Why aren’t they really in the circle until much later? Am I feeling them out, or do I not want to owe them– even for something so inane as walking down the block and moving a couch up a flight of stairs?

And as he goes on to point out, as online social networking becomes a bigger part of how we build relationships with people, we’re going to have to either push the boundaries of those relationships, or find ourselves drastically alone:

But something will happen if we are on the web all the time and this is the only kind of friend we have. If we can’t call anyone in a time of need, not only will we be very lonely, but our backs will hurt from moving a bunch of heavy stuff.

Personally, I think what limits our online relationships is that they’re based only on shared interests. The relationship I have with family, friends I grew up with, and people in my neighbourhood is that we all share living space. And I think there might be something in that shared living experience that makes it easier to ask them for a cup of sugar or help moving a couch.

So if we’re really going to push the physical and personal boundaries of our online relationships, we’re going to have to push them beyond the shared interests that binds them. We’re going to have invest in these people outside of conferences and TweetUps, and actually get involved in their lives in some way or another.

For this reason, maybe 2011’s trip (and yes, we’re talking about it) will have to last longer than 3 days. If we plan another RoadCamp, maybe it should be even more about the journey than the destination. Maybe it should be about taking time out of our lives to spend time with our fellow travelers, rather than just sharing a ride on the way to a conference that’s going to serve all of our mutual, self-interests.

Credit: scilit

So we’ve got some bad news: RoadCamp won’t be happening in 2010. Some last minute complications arose with our bus suppliers, and despite our best efforts, we just couldn’t find a replacement within our original budget on such short notice.

I want to thank all the roadies for their hard work, though. It was a helluva ride, even if we didn’t get to go very far, and I feel privileged for being able to work with such a such merry band of pranksters on such a crazy idea. You all worked your asses off, and I couldn’t have hoped for more.

I also want to thank the sponsors who pledged their support. You guys helped greased our wheels, and we could’ve got rolling without you:

1. NVI
2. Sametz Blackstone & Associates
3. HooteSuite
4. and Career Life Connection

Lastly, I want to thank Frank Strong from Vocus. Frank wasn’t able to get on board, but he still stepped up to plan our DC Pit Stop TweetUp, and a man who plans a party is a man with a lot of moxy in my book.

All this being said, we’re already talking to a bus provider about RoadCamp 2011. So this might not be the end of the road, after all…

Despite technical difficulties and endless takes -  WankerGirl tells us all about RoadCamp

If you have any questions about RoadCamp or want to find out more about sponsorship, just drop us a line.

So SXSW was originally about music, and RoadCamp is all about a roadtrip, so songs about roadtripping are close to our hearts. So I wanted to share with you all one my favorite songs from one of my biggest heroes.

The song is On the Road Again by Willie Nelson. Willie has done things and lead a life that most of us don’t even have the imagination to dream of doing. Besides, there’s this line in the song that goes “like a band of gypsies we go down the highway,” and that kind of reminds me of the roadie team that’s working so hard to make this whole rolling circus melee happen.

credit: Country Wings in Phoenix

I take at least two trips out of town every month. Usually by bus, sometimes by car. As a frequent passenger, I’ve learned to treat these hours on the road as an extended moment of zen. I’ve also learned that I always need to have certain things with me for to ensure a pleasant trip. Everyone has their list of road essentials and these are mine:

Tunes

For some reason, I find I listen to music more closely when on the road and notice more of a song’s nuances than under any other circumstances. Maybe it’s something about being confined to one seat for hours. In any case, having access to a soundtrack is essential for a roadtrip. If you’re in a vehicle with friends/loved ones, it breaks up the monotony of the trip, fills in the conversation gaps, and–depending on how prone you are to nostalgia–maybe turn a regular song into one filled with memory and meaning. If you’re travelling solo, it helps drown out the chatter, snoring, and other miscellaneous noise. It can also be good white noise for napping.

Phone/Charger

You should always have your phone on you when traveling, to let folks know you’re running late/early/on time, and for any other unexpected circumstances that may arise. And if you have a smartphone, between all the apps and games, you’d have to try really hard to be bored on a trip. These days some bus companies also equip their vehicles with WiFi and electrical outlets, so there’s no excuse for not keeping those batteries freshly charged.

Books/Magazines

Whether travelling alone or with others, you’ll still time to yourself, and reading provides an efficient escape. I like a balance of fluff and substance, maybe a trashy magazine and an absorbing novel. Traffic can appear out of nowhere and add time and frustration to the journey, so having plenty to read keeps the eyes and mind off the road.

Snacks/Water

It doesn’t matter if you just ate or will be eating upon arrival. Traffic can screw everything up (see above) and having something to eat/drink on hand will stave off not only hunger/thirst, but also crankiness. Let’s face it, wherever it is you’re going, you don’t want to be in a bad mood when you get there.

Sweater/Hoodie

Whatever the weather outside, you never know what the temperature is going to be like inside the vehicle. A hoodie or sweater will protect from arctic air-conditioning and can be taken off if the heating system overwhelms (just please remember to wear something underneath).

Tissues/Hand Sanitizer

None of us want to use the bathrooms on buses or in rest areas, but it’s sometimes unavoidable. And tissues are always useful; you never know when you’ll sneeze or spill something or be on a bus where the movie they’re showing is Steel Magnolias. At a volume so loud, your headphones will not drown it out, so you have no choice but to watch it. Hypothetically speaking, of course.

Sudoku Puzzles

Sometimes I don’t want to read or play games on my phone or check Twitter while en route, so having some other activity to keep my brain busy makes the ride go by smoothly.

Pen/Paper

Sure, there are lots of gadgets that let you take down notes, etc. but sometimes jotting things down the old fashioned way is preferable.

A Good Attitude

Whether you’re following a familiar route or visiting a new destination, no two trips are alike. Being relaxed and upbeat will make getting there more pleasant, especially if there are any delays or setbacks. And let’s face it, getting there is sometimes just as much fun as being there. With RoadCamp revving up its engines, it might even be more fun!

Credit: Nigel Atherton

So, as you might know, the roadies intend to host TweetUps at both our nightly stops (in DC and Nashville). These will be awesome for several reasons:

• We’ll be able to connect to local geeks
• We’ll be able to share all our workshop ideas with others
• And we’ll feel like real rockstars who have scheduled appearances on our tour

Anyways, today I was chatting with Frank Strong (@frank_strong), the Director of Public Relations at Vocus (@Vocus), the company that owns PR Web. Well, Vocus is in the DC area, and I was telling Frank how we were looking for someone to help us organize our TweetUp there, and Frank offered to step up to bat — what a mensch!

So far, the location hasn’t been cemented, but that’s where Frank comes in. He’s going to be scoping out venues in the area for us, and as soon as we peg down a spot, we’ll let you all know.

My friends and I still don’t know how we pulled it off.  First, there was the issue of renting a beach house 700 miles away when we were 17 years old.  I mailed away for rental brochures in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and somehow convinced my Mom to vouch for us and let us book the rental on her credit card.

Senior Prom was approaching and as we weighed the costs of the prom bid, dress, hair appointment, limo rental, requisite hotel room for the weekend -  the lure of adventure led us to the conclusion that our money would be better spent taking a road trip, a last hurrah before we went away to college in different cities.  Then, there was the issue of getting our parents to persuade the Principal that we should be exempt from the policy that students who didn’t come to school the Monday after Prom weekend faced automatic suspension.

I don’t recall the details of the negotiation, but we got approval and set out to plan the route with a paper atlas.

We left in the early dawn hours of Prom Friday, with no regrets, feeling slightly rebellious and running on pure excitement.  I blared Rage Against the Machine (the first few tracks on mix tape 1) as I picked up with my three passengers, also known as my fellow  Space Pirates, a reference to the Merry Pranksters (of course we read a lot of Tom Wolfe and Jack Kerouac back then).  If Twitter had been around in 1996, our usernames would likely have been Webbygail, SensuousX, Maisy, and PrincessMoonBeam.

The trip from NJ to SC took  about 14 hours, with frequent stops, capturing the moments and our incredibly naive commentary on a giant vhs camcorder.  My co-pilot took notes and captured observations  in our “Captain’s Log” the notebook containing the handwritten turn by turn driving directions.  It was my first trip past the Mason Dixon line and experiencing it mile by mile, I was shocked at the visible change in manners, accents, and in awe of Southern Hospitality.  Our notes, which read much like a blog, contain tidbits like “Roosters on the side of I95 by Fayetville”, “Man practically jumps in front of car on I95, brushes against door, Jones Swamp, Virginia”, “Nicole is denied service at McDonalds in Richmond, VA” and numerous quotes, which out of context make little sense to me now.

The video of our arrival reveals an absence of cell phones and laptops as we all rushed to the wall mounted house phone and took turns letting our parents know that we arrived safely.  A few days later we called friends and convinced one to take a car-load down the following weekend to meet us.  The trip was my first taste of “freedom”, a glimpse of life outside the tri-state area in the company of friends and the new ones we met along the way.  It was a week-long slumber party, broken up by trips to the beach and local attractions recommended by family friends who lived in the area or had visited in the past.  14 years ago, the highlights I recall most revolve around the journey itself, ones captured in the notebook, in snapshots developed at a 1 hour photoshop on the drive back, and those which were captured on video.

I imagine RoadCamp to be a grand adventure, with more people (some I’ve yet to meet), less need for parental permission and of course, more tech.  The ability to plot the route on Google maps, coordinate logistics via email and share the trip in real time is amazing to me when I compare RoadCamp to that first analog, and much documented road trip.

Credit: mysavingstips

Yesterday, we were able to renegotiate with suppliers to cut our costs a lot! And since we’re a .org and not in it for the money, we’re passing along the good karma savings — at least until President’s Day, February 15th, that is.

All our sponsorship packages have come down:

• Platinum Sponsorship: save 40%
• Gold Sponsorship: save 40%
• Silver Sponsorship:  save 50%

All the details are available in our Media Kit. But keep in mind that nothing lasts forever, and after February 15th, prices are going back up again.

As people sign onto the passenger roster, I’ve been thinking about how RoadCamp is going to be a kind of “social (media) experiment” that’s completely unprecedented. You see, the cool thing about Podcamps and TweetUps is that they let us share an actual physical space with people who we usually interact with only online.

But even that shared experience is ephemeral. We share it only for a limited time, and in a limited way: we’re not in each other’s face 24/7, and we’re not force to push each other’s boundaries beyond the shared (geeky) interests that brought us there in the first place.

In fact, if you think about it, these “unconference” events are so few and far between that, despite sharing a physical space, our interactions tend to focus only on your shared interests.

But by putting a couple dozen people into a relatively confined space for 3 days with no real escape or personal space, we’re going to really push personal boundaries. We’ll be forced to connect with each other on a much deeper and more nuanced level, and confront how we all have interests and perspectives that are completely alien to one another — and have nothing to do with the internet.

And you know, while a lot of us blogger and tweeters like to quip that we’re social media rock stars, we rarely have groupies and we never have tour buses.  Well, by going “on tour” together, we’ll be testing whether we’re just another melee of one-hit-wonders, or really do have the kind of staying-power it takes to “make it.”

In fact, it just might be the kind kind of experience that either tears us all apart once and for all, or inspires us to do some of our greatest work ever.