Okay, so maybe that’s not how the speech went when Vice-President Roosevelt delivered it. But I like to grab your attention! Saying a popular quote completely wrong is sure to accomplish that.

What does the real quote walk softly and carry a big stick mean to you? I’ve talked to others about this before, and the answers actually vary slightly. That’s one of the things I love about our community. Even when we agree on something, we still have differences in exactly what we’re thinking and saying. One of the best parts of my day is always reading what you guys are up to, what you’re thinking and feeling about things going on in the world. If you’re not making time to read the content others are pushing out, you are definitely missing out.

• What does AMD have in store for 2010?
• How can you improve your luck?
• Apparently, Google Chrome will come pre-installed on Sony computers. Will other companies follow suit?
• You can find Vonage and Line2 in the App Store, but still not Google Voice.
• Should I be posting the latest Apps of the day?
• Explore a career in Meteorology with WeatherBug.
• The NFL warns their personnel that no Twittering is allowed during game times!
• Job scams are growing – and could be trying to steal your identity.
• Could the Nokia X6 be an iPhone killer?

• Geeks can Dance!
• The Go-To Guy
• The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth
• Are You a Victim of Wanderlust?
• Travel Back in Time
• There are No Kitties Here
• Independence Day
• How Has Social Media Changed Your Life?
• Is There More to Life than Gnomedex?
• Summer is Finally Upon Us

Did you even notice?

Microsoft (as this year’s diamond sponsor) did not have any scheduled time on stage. By this action, they have set the bar incredibly high for conferences the world over. No longer need conference coordinators be pressured by pay-for-play politics – and no longer need top conference sponsors fall victim to the misconception that speaking time is implied.

Yahoo! and Ask’s direct involvement in the Gnomedex discussion was completely independent of their sponsorship commitment; Susan Mernit and Jeremy Zawodny were already on my “potentials” list, and the Bloglines team helped me prove that a vendor could remain neutral and help produce an open discussion (which even competing vendors and casual users enjoyed). MindJet was our live transcriptionist, a position that was greatly needed and appreciated. Even so, I can’t deny that these participants also work for companies who sponsored our event. We had countless sponsors (GoDaddy, AMD, WhatCounts, CacheNetworks, PRWeb, WaggEd, WeatherBug, WetPaint, TopTenSources, Snapstream, etc.) who enhanced Gnomedex through nothing more than their financial support. But a leading sponsor not receiving prime time in the content arena? UNHEARD OF… until now.

Microsoft is to be congratulated by this move – and applauded by all. Their name was there, their teams were listening. They will always be associated with Gnomedex 6.0 and its varied successes. They recognized that smart conferences cater to attendees through their support – not the other way around. Conferences that don’t pay attention to their users deserve to die – and the users who continue to support those conferences need to wake up and realize that they (the users themelves) are in control.

Microsoft, we can’t thank you enough – and I really hope that others realize just how important (and pivotal) this was. It was the smartest thing you could ever do for us, your community of technology enthusiasts. Sean Carver, Kevin Briody, John Porcaro, Jeff Sandquist, Sean Alexander, Aaron Coldiron, Joe Friend, and many others inside the company really “get it.” You have represented your company well – both at the conference and your EMP party, giving everyone memories to last a lifetime.

This is the type of respectful behavior users and influencers appreciate. This is the type of “good will” you generate when you don’t force yourselves onto a community. This is a warning shot across the bow of all other conferences: the rules just changed, and Microsoft changed them. This is bigger than Windows Vista and Microsoft Office combined.

• Todd Friesen – Confessions of a Reformed Spammer
• Gnomedex 9 Photo Awards with Kris Krug
• Chris Brogan and Julien Smith – Rise of the Trust Agents
• Phil Plait – Active Skepticism Online
• The Business of Social Media
• Christine Peterson – Life Extension for Geeks
• Firas Khatib – FoldIt
• Jay Grandin and Leah Nelson – 20,000,000 versus 20: Audience vs. Impact
• Warren Etheredge – The Art of the Interview (Or How to Grill a Star)
• Beth Goza – Nerd Craft: A Field Guide