RepMan, Peppercom PR co-founder Steve Cody's "take on the importance of a good reputation in a world gone mad", had a guest blogger a few days ago. Ted Birkhahn began questioning the effects of Web 2.0 on live music, specifically the jam band scene. He relayed a story about the latest Dead show he went to and how the magic was ruined by a friend next to him, calling out the set seconds before the songs even started, thanks to a Twittering buddy backstage with access to the set list. Birkhahn goes on in his post to suggest the injustice performed by Twitter, the violation "of the sanctity that a band shares with its fans." He felt robbed of his live music experience and began to doubt the power and future of live music with the prevalence of Web 2.0.
My response to this whiner is simple: You have a choice in the matter and at this point, we all need to learn to just put down the communication devices and enjoy who and what we are with. It is like that Dentyne campaign. So, tell your buddy to stop twittering, put down his phone and enjoy the experience. Disconnect for the sake of connecting, please.
