The intersection of social media, feminism, and sexuality
Attention devotees of the Clermont, new and old alike…
The Clermont may be in danger of closing down!!
http://blogs.creativeloafing.com/freshloaf/2008/04/17/clermont-lounge-for-sale/
I feel like we need to write to someone (and include Match’s podcast, if necessary). But who? The mayor?
[Via Going Through the Motions]
Update: Ah, what a relief!
TRANSPORTATION: From the airport, follow the signs to Atlanta’s humble (by New York/Boston/Chicago/DC standards) transit system, MARTA. Take the North or Northeast line (not like you have any other options) to the North Avenue station. Exit the station at the corner of North Ave. and W. Peachtree St., and the Marriott Renaissance is diagonally across the street. Here is a MARTA rail map, and here is a map showing the location of the station and the hotel.
Maps with driving directions to/from the airport, hotel, and 1763 are available here (if the embedded maps aren’t working, just click the links). If you are taking a cab, be sure to print directions to bring with you, because 1763 isn’t a place most cab drivers will just “know.” There are also phone numbers for several cab companies on the directions page. With rare exception, Atlanta isn’t the kind of city where you just go out on the street and hail a cab.
We’re renting a van to run a shuttle between the hotel and 1763 in the morning. It will leave at 8:00 a.m. Please be on time if you want a ride, as space is limited.
In the afternoon, we will run a shuttle leaving at 5:00 p.m. You are responsible for finding your own transportation to and from the Flesh and Fetish Ball (or anywhere else) that night.
Some local conference participants may be willing to drive carpools in their own vehicles, as well. Please work this out amongst yourselves.
HOTEL: When you check into the hotel, please remind them that you are with Sex 2.0. Otherwise they might conveniently “forget” to credit us your stay.
REGISTRATION: You’re probably tired of hearing me say it by now, but I’m just reiterating because I just know a few random people will show up Saturday morning and get pissed off that they can’t just walk in if their name isn’t on the list. Registration in advance is mandatory. If your name is not on the registration list Saturday morning, you will be turned away. This is to ensure the confidentiality and security of our participants’ identities.
Online registration will be open until 5 hours before the start of the event (so that’s… 3:30 a.m., if I’m calculating correctly). So even if you’re waiting until the last minute to decide whether to come, you’ll still be able to register in advance.
Your name will be listed as the name you indicated to be printed on your badge.
PHOTOS/RECORDING: When you pick up your badge, take one of three different-colored stickers: Green means “It’s okay to photograph/record/video/quote me.” Yellow means “Please ask first.” Red means “Do not photograph/record/video/quote me, or else Amber will smite you.”
FOOD: Boxed lunches from Atlanta Bread Company will be available for purchase for $6 each, cash or check. There are also many restaurants near 1763. Please remember that 1763 will have snacks and beverages available for purchase all day long. Please support Sex 2.0 and 1763 by “buying in” instead of going out! (Total concession sales [not including the boxed lunches] are subtracted from our venue rental fee.)
Snacks available at the concession stand include a variety of potato chips, Doritos, Fritos, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, Mountain Dew, and bottled water.
INTERNET ACCESS: There isn’t native wifi at 1763, but the always-awesome Steve Eley has agreed to bring a wifi router and set it up the morning of the conference. So, unless there is a demon in the tubes, we should have internet access!
WEATHER: The 10-day forecast predicts scattered showers, and temperatures in the 60s-70s. Bring an umbrella.
BEFORE PARTY: Regina Lynn is hosting a reading and discussion about her new book, Sexier Sex: Lessons from the Brave New Sexual Frontier, 8:00 p.m. Friday night at Charis Books and More (one of our fabulous sponsors). Details available here.
There is a pole dancing party 9:00 p.m. Friday night. It is open to women only and you must register ahead of time. Currently there are only five spots left! If you have questions about it, just email me.
Some folks were talking about hitting the Clermont Lounge later on Friday night. I highly recommend this.
AFTER PARTY: There is a Flesh and Fetish Swinger’s Ball Saturday night at 1763, hosted by Swinging Atlanta; 9:00 p.m. - 4:00 a.m. Bring your Sex 2.0 nametag and get in at a discounted rate: $35 for single guys, $25 for couples, and single ladies free as usual. Brent Futo, founder of Swinging Atlanta, will be at Sex 2.0 to answer any questions you may have.
Tiffany Brown put together a wonderfully comprehensive list of other fun stuff going on in Atlanta that weekend. Of particular interest is the film screening of “SEX: The Revolution.”
THE LAW OF TWO FEET: Simply put: your experience at Sex 2.0 is what you want it to be. At any time, if you’re not learning what you want to learn, if you’re not getting what you need, you have every right to depart the session you’re in and move to a different one, or none at all.
THE LAW OF NULL SPACE: You are very likely to learn the most in the spaces between sessions, at lunch, at breaks, etc. when you can just talk and hang out with people. Be ready! Have your notebook out, your business cards handy, and be ready to learn at the most unlikely times.
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS? No problem! Just email the Google group and someone will know the answer, I swear!
See you next weekend!!
Two more posts about Sex 2.0 went up yesterday…
Because we can never have enough opportunities to get together with like-minded
geeksonline experts and talk about sex, several members of the Fleshbot Collective are considering a trip to Atlanta later this month for Sex 2.0, a one day conference focusing on the “intersection of social media, feminism, and sexuality” which is also quite possibly the only event of its kind in the world to be held in a 10,000 square foot, fully equipped dungeon. Plus, we hear there are lots of Waffle Houses in Atlanta. Mmm, Waffle House.
Heh. Yes, for all who are interested, there can indeed be a Sunday Morning Waffle House Excursion.
Unless you’ve been trapped on a deserted island for the past decade or so, the intersection of sex and technology is very prominent. The past five years or so have only built upon that with the popularity of social networks. Orkut, Friendster, MySpace, Facebook…social media is changing the landscape of how we interact. Moreover, we’re also seeing the real-life implications of showing your sexuality online, such as former Arlington, OR mayor Carmen Kontur-Gronquist and her MySpace photos which cost her job.
Until now, there hasn’t been a real chance to discuss how social media, sexuality and the world today all work with each other! That is, until Sex 2.0.
Thanks, Jonno and Karsh!
Many thanks to the fabulous Condomania for giving us a discount on these *official* Sex 2.0 condoms. We appreciate the support!
Rusty says I should make a video demonstrating how to turn a Sex 2.0 condom into a Sex 2.0 dental dam. I agree, because the last thing I would want is for Sex 2.0 to be perceived as phallocentric or heteronormative. So tomorrow maybe we’ll fire up the video camera.
Local folks, if you want some condoms to distribute around town, just let me know. We have a limited supply, and I definitely want to take some to Aphrodite’s Toybox and have plenty left over for the day of the conference; but if there’s a club or something that you think would be appropriate for promotion via condom, just let me know!
Sex 2.0 has lost its venue. Spring4th has been forced to close its doors due to the meddling of the Midtown Neighborhood Association (the same people responsible for the appalling harassment of street prostitutes) and the arcane hoops through which the City of Atlanta has forced them to jump. We are currently seeking a new venue. We need all the help we can get - time, energy, MONEY, resources, everything.
If you can help, please join the Google group ASAP.
More details to come soon.
Only 1 day left to purchase prize drawing tickets for Sex, Wine and Chocolate!
Sex, Wine and Chocolate is a sex-positive cabaret fundraiser taking place tomorrow night at The Solarium in Decatur, GA. All of the proceeds go to support 2 organizations working for reproductive justice and ending child sexual abuse. If you’re in the metro Atlanta area, you should definitely come! But if not…
Remember, you do not have to be present to win. So even if you live several states away, you can still buy prize drawing tickets and win any of the prizes, including two free tickets to Sex 2.0, and (the much bigger, more exciting prizes) a 3-night trip to St. Croix and an iPod video nano.
Sex, Wine and Chocolate is a sex-positive cabaret fundraiser for Georgians for Choice and Generation Five, taking place Thursday, October 18 at The Solarium in Decatur. There will be free desserts, goodie bags, a donation bar, burlesque performances, spoken word, pole dancing, a fashion show, tons of prizes, and more!
And one of those prizes just happens to be two free tickets to Sex 2.0!
If you live out of town or can’t make it that night, don’t worry. You can buy prize drawing tickets online and still be eligible to win. This is a truly Web 2.0-friendly event! 
Hope to see you there!
Friday evening, I talked with a guy (not using his name at the moment in case he doesn’t want me to) who has coordinated lots of events and is very well-connected in terms of knowing people who would be interested in Sex 2.0. I told him some of the stuff I was stressing out about: how to get sponsors, how to make it look like an attractive venture without compromising what we want to do, what to do if we can’t get enough sponsors to cover the overhead costs, my worries that other people involved weren’t doing their fair share, and so on and so forth.
His advice?
Charge $10 admission rather than relying on sponsors to cover costs. That way, we’re not beholden to sponsors’ wants or squicks, and we can do it our way. As for the $10 admission, he said, if people say they’re not going to come because we’re charging $10, then they weren’t going to come in the first place, because that’s not a valid excuse. And if they really are pissed about such a paltry price, then we don’t want them there anyway. Also, people tend to be more invested in something if they have to pay, even if the price is low. For one thing that’ll make our headcount much more accurate.
Additionally, we can have vendor tables at a low cost. I think this is great, because one of the things I’ve wanted to do with this ever since I came up w/ the Sex 2.0 idea is showcase local sex-positive businesses and organizations. This way, that goal will be accomplished, and I won’t have to beg them for money. I know many of the places I have in mind don’t have the kind of money that we would need from sponsors, but I don’t want them to be excluded from the event, which is what would’ve happened with the old model.
All in all, I feel about 100 times better about Sex 2.0 after that conversation, and I have a renewed feeling of inspiration and vigor! This newly overhauled web site is a result of that inspiration!
So, once again, mark your calendars for April 12, 2008. Sex 2.0 is going to be an amazing event!!
