As many of you know, LaunchMemphis held the first ever IgniteMemphis event on Tuesday, October 12, and if we may be so bold, was quite a success. The event went so well in fact, that LaunchMemphis is already setting up meetings to plan for the next one, which may be in February or March.

In preparation for an IgniteMemphis revival, we set up the live podcast and encouraged folks to call in with feedback. We’re always interested to hear what people liked, and especially what they didn’t, so we can improve the next one. One thing we have already learned to do differently for next time is to announce the feedback podcast at the event, instead of trying to contact people afterwards. LaunchMemphis founder Eric Mathews called in, but unfortunately, the word didn’t seem to get out to the general public.

The three of us did have a great chance to break down some key points of the presentation though, including our favorite presentations, and how the event ties in with the mission of LaunchMemphis. It’s all about making things happen in this city, and Ignite was (and will be) a great way for anyone to find out how they can contribute to the thriving entrepreneurial and cultural spirit of Memphis.

To listen to the podcast on BlogTalkRadio, find it here.

Download the podcast here, listen with the player below, or click the iTunes logo to subscribe.

In our social media news, you’ll hear a little of this, a little of that, a little of Twitter, and, as always, a lot of Facebook. In this case, Facebook Questions, which the Social Expedition hopes will eventually become a great compendium of knowledge, and not a forum for silly questions. And don’t be too disturbed if that link takes you to a page that says “We’re not ready for you yet.” The feature is being rolled out slowly.

Android has viruses, Google has multiple account sign-in, and Rdio sounds cool but simply isn’t as free as Pandora. Companies and brands who are having trouble keeping up with all their location-based presences (on the ever-growing number of platforms) will be excited for Geotoko.

Don’t miss the chance to ask questions or have lengthy app-filled conversations on these topics at our Twilight Camp on August 19th! It’s 5:30 at Davis Kidd in the Bronte Bistro. Come chat with us and enjoy a cup of something iced!

Download the podcast here, listen with the player below, or click the iTunes logo to subscribe.

In our conversation, we of course had to touch on the new Facebook privacy announcement, but we’re still going to join the FacebookFreeFriday train. Tomorrow, we’re not touching our personal Facebook accounts to let the social media tycoons know they made a big mistake, and we’re not just letting them off the hook that easy. While the remedy to our privacy woes is still “on its way,” check out what the new features will be like here. Then, as always, we highly encourage looking over your own settings.

Especially in light of YourOpenBook.org. Just check it out. It’s scary.

Check out the podcast for more, including…
Twitter gets linked up with LinkedIn, relief workers in Florida utilize social media, and a few other tidbits.

Download the podcast here, listen with the player below, or click the iTunes logo to subscribe.

In Google news, the company has opened up Wave now, so folks don’t need an invite to use it. Unfortunately, we still don’t know what it’s for. There’s some buzz about Gmail, which is rumored to be a potential “Facebook killer,” as they bring updates to Gchat that allow users to integrate their Facebook and Twitter friends.

Dave goes over the two main points of a presentation he gave Tuesday on “Step Zero” in social media marketing, which is about respecting your community and clients by not dominating the conversation. We also discussed connecting with your existing clients. The Danah Boyd article mentioned in the podcast can be found here.

And definitely be sure to check out the Facebook Free Friday movement here. May 28th has been declared the first “Facebook Free Friday,” and the site is encouraging folks to boycott Facebook through the weekend (or as long as they can stand it), to tell Facebook that we will not tolerate these abuses of our privacy.

Download the podcast here, listen with the player below, or click the iTunes logo to subscribe.

Audio 101 – Justin McGregor

Podcasting can be intimidating, but Justin McGregor promises it doesn’t have to be. Equipment can be inexpensive, set-up can be simple, and editing can be just as easy as you need it to be.

A podcast with only one or two speakers can be produced with a USB microphone and Audacity, a completely free sound editor. Or, for a little more money, you can upgrade to a dynamic microphone and sound card. The “Audio 101″ session was highly practical, and Justin was great about recommending really specific equipment brands, like the Blue Microphones Yeti USB mic, and the M Audio Fast Track Pro sound card.

Justin also went over the basic three elements of sound editing: compression, equalization, and time expansion, complete with screen shots of audacity editing modes.

Of course, after you edit, you’ll want to share your podcast, and Justin recommended some of the easiest ways to do that, too! Posterous is the easiest (and least expensive – it’s free) way to publish your podcast. Otherwise, you’ll need to purchase some web storage and link to your audio file. Anyone can podcast!

Elizabeth Cawein, Matthew Crawford Trisler, Lorrie Jackson, Dave Barger

Welcome to the second season of the Social Expedition! Are you embarrassed that you didn’t get us a gift? Don’t worry, we didn’t warn you it was coming. We’ll still gladly accept any cards, letters or gifts of frankincense, myrrh or gold bullion you feel so inclined to send.

We’re aligning our seasons with the seasons of the earth, so the passing of the winter solstice on Monday means we’ve ventured into season two, and we’ll be here until the arrival of the equinox in March. With a new season inevitably comes change; you’ll note the absence of our usual “Tweeter of the Week,” but be on the lookout for new regular features arriving soon.

Though we wouldn’t call this our “holiday” episode, we definitely have Christmas on the brain. You might even hear some jingle bells if you listen closely. You’ll also hear us get into one-stop  media shopping with a discussion of Boxee, a cross-platform freeware media center that’s designed to work with your home television set. We also share the secret to getting results from your Wii Fit (hint: it involves actually using it) and what Matthew’s dating tactics have in common with auto-play video and audio on web sites.

Our guest is Lorrie Jackson, a blogger and social media practitioner who serves as the Director of Communications and Marketing for Lausanne Collegiate School. She also speaks around the country on social media topics, and she schooled us for about 20 minutes on everything from the influence of social media on holiday shopping to the necessity of staying in the conversation when the tides turn.

The Core Conversation is on hiatus until the new year, but you can catch our first show of 2010 on January 8. And of course, the Expedition won’t miss a beat – we’ll be here next week with Rick Tarrant as our guest. Have a safe and happy holiday!

Download the podcast here, use the player below to listen on the page, or subscribe in iTunes.

What about all those people you’re friends with on Facebook or follow on Twitter who, years ago, never would’ve appeared on your Christmas card list? Do you feel more pressure to extend your gift-giving based on your extended social media network? Has your holiday party schedule been maxed out by Facebook event invitations?

That’s the topic we’re delving into on this week’s Core Conversation, happening at the usual time (Friday from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.) through our friends at Blog Talk Radio. We’d love to hear from you — you can call in and participate at (646) 721-9429, or you can listen to the entire show live here.

In addition to his indentured servitude to Dr. Toboggans, Brent manages a laundry list of online presences, belonging to him, his band Danger Couch and his church, LifeLink. We talked to him about that very juggling act, and also the challenge of maintaining authenticity — even, in some cases, while being entirely inauthentic.

Matthew, Elizabeth, Dave, and the (in)famous Dr. Toboggans.

In the midst of our conversation, old Toboggans himself burst in to the interview (no doubt upset that Brent had chosen to record our podcast without him). We had a few minutes to find out about Dr. Toboggans’ Mind Over Memphis project and how he’s helping to stomp out good deed doing all over Memphis.

We also get into the FourSquare game in this episode, talking about the merits and utilities of this newest social media sensation, and even making some predictions about where it might be headed in the future. And that big letter from Mark Zuckerberg floating at the top of your Facebook page? Yeah, we get to that, too.

As always, you can download the podcast here, subscribe in iTunes, or click the play button at the bottom of this post to listen on this page.

Be sure to join us on Friday for The Core Conversation — this week’s topic is social media and the holidays. How will our holiday traditions and behaviors be changed or influenced by our social media usage? Weigh in at 11:30 a.m. Friday by calling (646) – 721-9429.

BarCamp attendees in the MemphisConnect.com BlogHaus

With today’s Core Conversation podcast, we’re tackling BarCamp with a start/stop/keep format. Let us know what was missing, what needs to go away, and what worked for you.

At our usual Core Conversation time (11:30 a.m. Central) we’ll be available to hear your thoughts on how we can make the next “camp” experience the best it can possibly be. You can listen to the entire podcast live or later here, or dive in and let us know what you think by calling (646) 721-9429.