Arriving late, and not finding our party who were holding seats for us, we opted to take up residence on the floor over on the left side.

From the moment Daft Punk roared up on the P.A. directly in front of our noggins, it was apparent that the crowd was clearly electrified for what would be the pivotal event of SXSW circa 2008. The electricity transferred itself to the feet of a few individuals, who turned the front of the auditorium into an oversized and well-lit dance club. It seems Julia Allison was one of the instigators.


Once Mark Zuckerberg and interviewer Sarah Lacy of Business Week took the stage, the crowd settled in for what would be hoped to be an insider’s take on the world of the Facebook founder. In a sign of things to come, Lacy took her first hit when she replied to Zuck’s tale about how FB was being used to organize resistance to Guerilla armies in Columbia. As someone grumbled behind me, she stated it was against the “government.” It was already clear she wasn’t listening. Her constant wiggling around and overuse of the word “right” came off as indicators that she was just feigning interest. In reality, she seemed more interested in spinning her own take on her “relationship” with Mark by reminiscing about past interviews and encounters, which was clearly beyond the scope of what the audience came to hear.

(more…)