If you were there, you understand. If you weren’t there, feel free to add your own captions to this photo of jared spool and me. Jared is the founding principal of User Interface Engineering (UIE), and gives a damn good presentation. lessig, eat your heart out.

I am at sxsw interactive. This is my second year. This conference gives me the ideas and the energy to try and make a place for myself in the web industry. This is Day Two, and the panels have been great (most of them), the people I meet and re-meet have made this a blast (most of the time), and in the same day I met Heather Armstrong (dooce.com) and Jonathan Coulton. I also walked past Mike Birbiglia but he was sitting at a table and I figured it would be like swooping down on a helpless rabbit who told really funny jokes, so I kept on walking.

I’m not a fanboy. Right, I have an iPhone. Right, I wear Converse or Adidas shoes. But I have never a) stolen a set list and gotten it autographed, or b) told a famous blogger that my mother doesn’t like it when she uses the F-word. Until today.

I started reading Heather Armstrong’s blog because of my aunt Tori and my mom. I suppose that reading a chick blog is not the manliest thing one can do. Especially one referred to you by your mom. I mean, I prudently wear boots, hunt deer, and spit a lot while I read it (for balance), but my sxsw friends were mildly amused at what I hope wasn’t too starstruck an expression on my face. Heather joined her friend-blogger Margaret Mason to discuss keeping blogging under control (“Content Boundaries, a 12-step Program“). Heather is great to hear speak. It’s refreshing to find that she talks like she writes, frankly and honestly. I especially liked when she switched places with me for our photo, to get on her good side. I respect that.

Daniel with Jonathan Coulton
Originally uploaded by scottfidd

Jonathan Coulton got on my radar because of the portals song, of course. My oldest brother played it for me, and it is just brilliant. So I jumped at the chance to see him live. He gives a subtle but hilarious show that I enjoyed. And I’m hooked. I’m now a total fan.

If my laptop had a battery that lasted longer than a very interesting 10 minutes, I would be putting more information about the cool stuff I’m actually learning here. That will have to come later, in a more distilled form.