Recently Deb, and others, have challenged us to do more with the tools we’ve been given.  Take this amazing stuff and push the boundaries a little, do cool things, see what we can do beyond say how nice a day it is in 140 chars or fewer.

Deb being Deb, as humble as ever, ends her post like this:

Now, I am not saying we have all the answers or even know how any of this will pan out.  Existing infrastructures [technical, financial, organizational and cultural] mean certain changes will be slow while others will circumvent the roadblocks that stand in their way. 

What I do know is that if you do not ask the right questions up front and reach for the sky – well – you just ain’t gonna get very far. Source: Deborah Schultz: Seriously, we can do MORE

Which we should all take as a personal challenge to step back, look around, and see WTF we can do with all this stuff.

Now, let’s get to it.

Post from: EveryJoe

Web 2.0 has given us the tools, why are we squandering them?

How kick butt?  Check out who is on it from Steph’s post yesterday:

In other news…it’s time for Affiliate Summit! I’ll be arriving in Vegas this Saturday, and excited about the Social Media Panel, which I will be on with the following Twitterati: Sam Harrelson (moderator), Deborah Schultz, Chris Brogan, Tris Hussey, and iJustine. Don’t forget to follow @AffiliateSummit and @asw08 (group account) on Twitter.

InternetGeekGirl will also be the hostess with the most-ess in the blog lounge, so we’ll pass them out there as well.Refreshments provided by B5 Media. Source: InternetGeekGirl gets ready for Affiliate Summit in Vegas, Feb 24 – 26

Justine Ezarik is a new member of the panel, which means we are even more kick butt than we were before and we have gender parity.  You might not think gender parity is a big deal, but it is especially at tech conferences.

As a bit of fun for the panel, like we weren’t going to have fun anyway, we’re all going to wear at least one of our favourite Web 2.0 t-shirts.  I think I’ll have on two or three so I can peel one off at a time (I think geekyfantastic will be first, last being b5media).  That’s not all … we want to toss out shirts to the audience during the panel, but not our shirts or shirts from our companies (okay I will have a bunch of b5 shirts), but your shirts.  Specifically I would like some Canadian start up/Web 2.0 shirts to toss out.

You can send shirts to Steph at her hotel (the info is in her post) or to me at mine:

Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino
3667 Las Vegas Blvd South
Las Vegas, NV 89109 United States

The panel is Tuesday, late afternoon, but I’m not staying at the Rio where the conference is so if you want to send them to me they have to be there Monday night.

I am looking forward to this panel more than any other that I’ve been on.  Heck I’ve been excited about it since I was asked to be on it after BlogWorld.  Not only do we have six of the brightest social media folks around, but we have six (okay maybe five if you leave me out) of the funniest and most engaging speakers around.  I don’t know if Sam is going to be able to keep us all in check (I see Brogan, Deb, and I being real troublemakers).

I had the chance to hear Justine speak, but only briefly, at BlogWorld so I am looking forward to hearing more of her thoughts and insights.

Pictures?  Oh you can bet on that.  Video?  Maybe.  I’m told that if I want to video in the casino I need a shadow/handler at $75/hr.  Now outside, that’s a horse of a different colour.

I’ll have a press pass as well and b5 is sponsoring the refreshments in the blogger lounge so count on some coverage, yes even live, from the event.

Boy good thing I just got new glasses/sunglasses…

All pictures by Brian Solis.

Post from: EveryJoe

Heading to Affiliate Summit next week and I need your t-shirts!