Marc Canter on Supernova

Marc has a big gripe about Supernova:

[from Business as usual - on the conference front by Marc Canter]

OK - I’m officially complaining now. The speaker’s list for Supernova has been officially sent out and guess what? Its all the same people - AGAIN?

I mean how many times do we need to hear from Dave Sifry, Mary Hodder, Joi Ito, Dan Gillmor, Werner Vogels, Jeremy Allaire, Amy Jo Kim, Craig Newmark, Seth Goldstein, Jonathan Schwartz - and my favorite - Robert Scoble?

How many times do these people talk at the same conferences, over and over again - on the same subject matter? Why doesn’t Kevin Werbach grok this? Who wants to go hear the same people all over again - talk about what? Web 2.0? The Long Tail? Ajax? Craigslist? Tagging? Citizen Journalism? Come on - give me a break!

It’s a commercial venture, Marc, and if Kevin Werbach thinks he can win by sticking with the conservative, rock-no-boats approach, fine. Just don’t go. Personally, I know and like most of the people on the list, so maybe Supernova is more of a big comfy cocktail party for the insiders? Sort of following the O’Reilly ETech pattern?

I recall Kevin’s courage in inviting me back to Supernova after I was almost tarred-and-feathered for saying that “email sucks” in a presentation on the future of email. But he is now affiliated with the Wharton School, and that may have dulled the edginess that characterized the first Supernova, so long ago.

In fact, I think I will get Marc in an email interview about where he plans to go, since clearly it won’t be Supernova. Certainly, I am actively searching for new places to go, for new voices, for new ideas. Maybe that’s what Marc needs, too.

[Update: 5:20pm 7 Apr — Marc proposes doing an unconference at the same time, across the street. I’m in!