Ignite Liverpool is showcase for 'geek culture'

Ignite Liverpool, held in Liverpool John Moores University's new Art and Design Academy last night, saw speakers give short presentations on subjects close to their hearts.
To keep their speeches short they had to use 20 on-screen slides that advanced automatically every 15 seconds.
The slogan onscreen was "enlighten us - but make it quick".
No rambling, no diversions, and no incomprehensible charts _ well, just one from Jonathan Deamer, and that was for comic effect. Instead, there were punchy, sharp presentations on a range of subjects from art to the future of our democracy.
First up was Liverpool developer Adrian McEwen, who discussed organising events and the success of his Bubblino device that blows bubbles whenever certain words are used on Twitter.
Bubblino - a popular guest at many Liverpool events of late - sat to the side of the Ignite stage and bubbled merrily away throughout the evening as people - myself included - Twittered about the event using the #IgniteLiv hashtag.
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic digital marketing officer Ella Wredenfors spoke about art criticism. Art, she said, should not be seen as refined and untouchable, but should be made accessible to all. Criticism, she added, should not just be about "dead white men".
Next Jonathan Deamer, of Liverpool's Kisky Netmedia and Little World Gifts, spoke on music royalties. He argued that the music industry had to change its ways, saying the royalty-based model that made old rock starts so rich had to adapt to an age when music is streamed on the internet through services such as Spotify.
He asked: "How exactly has Bono got so rich churning out so much dross?"
Mark Brereton spoke about how things in Burslem, Stoke, are not as they seem, as so many buildings from educational institutions to post offices have been adapted to other uses. The area is becoming a mini creative quarter for Stoke, and Mr Brereton said its many reused buildings help give it a unique atmosphere.
Next Richard Smedley spoke about how we need to adapt the way we eat, and need to source more food locally rather than having it flown in from around the world.
After the break, Maria Barrett from LIPA explained why she thought free theatre ticket schemes for young people are a waste of money. She said that rather than giving away tickets which might not be appreciated, theatres should find ways to make their shows more engaging to young people.
Rob Law followed her, with ten top tips on how to live life in the moment and not worry about the future.
Next came Rosie Martin Harris from BadFormat! magazine, who discussed how online and print products can work together. She explained how her publication gives people the chance to respond to articles online before they go to print.
BadFormat! founder Scott Jones spoke next about the consultancy's other activities, including the magazine, a social club, art direction and design and event promotion.
Barack Obama's use of the internet and social media showed just how much power the web can have in an election. Francis Irving of The Democracy Club talked about the network of British websites that are helping people hold politicians and candidates to account, including They Work For You and election leaflet project The Straight Choice.
Finally Dan Lynch gave a beginner's guide to Linux software, explaining that such open-source software is at the heart of websites such as Google but can easily be used by small businesses.
Last night's event was organised by the team behind Liverpool's How? Why? DIY! event.
Ignite Liverpool was one of a number of similar events being held worldwide under the Ignite brand. But the event was such a hit that many attendees are talking about holding more regular events. Follow the Twitter hashtag on #IgniteLiv to find out more.