When selecting what to attend at SXSWi next year....

Remember panels are generally worse than talks (but not always).

Steer well clear of anything that could remotely turn into a sales pitch.

Avoid anything with an absolutist title (e.g. “stuff you must do to WIN in social media”).

On the same theme, avoid anything that sounds like a checklist (e.g. “ten rules for monetising fans”).

Anything with the words ‘brand’ or ‘advertising’ in the title will undoubtedly suck.