Learning

Hypnotweeting, and Other Conference Bizwords

One of my downfalls as a journalist is that I take terrible notes. I often can't read my own writing.


I also find when I interview people that I focus so intently on taking down their quotes verbatim that I’m not thinking ahead to the next logical question to ask. So I rely heavily on a digital recorder. 

I’ve always thought I was a fairly good multi-tasker, but that’s just one example that proves I’m not. Here’s another: I feel torn listening to a great speaker or participating in a good session. Should I tweet? Or give my full attention to what’s taking place in the here and now? So I chuckled when I read this new term and its definition in Fast Company‘s June issue: “Hypnotweeting: When a conference speaker or presenter’s ideas are so powerful that the entire audience stares intently into their computer screens, dutifully live-tweeting everything they’re not missing completely.”
 
“Hypnotweeting” comes from Alex Blagg of BajillionHits.biz, and he says it is just one of the “hottest new bizwords blowing up presentations and panels at tech conferences, expos, forums, and fests across the world.” See the article for a handful of others.

Michelle Russell

Michelle Russell is editor in chief of Convene.