Comments on: The next best thing to being there… http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/?&owa_from=feed&owa_sid= Gavin Clabaugh's irregular blog on irregular things. Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:37:56 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: Michael Hoffman http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1986 Michael Hoffman Wed, 03 Oct 2007 16:21:47 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1986 I totally agree! There is nothing like the accidental meetings and connections that happen in person. There is something qualitatively different about them than online introductions. But it shouldn't be an excuse not to use these tools for the in-betweens and maybe to lessen the amount of travel that we do that we might not need to do. I think that's what we are modeling here to some degree. I totally agree! There is nothing like the accidental meetings and connections that happen in person. There is something qualitatively different about them than online introductions.

But it shouldn’t be an excuse not to use these tools for the in-betweens and maybe to lessen the amount of travel that we do that we might not need to do. I think that’s what we are modeling here to some degree.

]]> By: Michelle Murrain http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1956 Michelle Murrain Mon, 24 Sep 2007 14:11:39 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1956 Thanks Gavin, for this - it's great! One middle ground in terms of the petroleum issue, which I think is way important: smaller local gatherings are also ways to get that irreplaceable 1%. Thanks Gavin, for this - it’s great!

One middle ground in terms of the petroleum issue, which I think is way important: smaller local gatherings are also ways to get that irreplaceable 1%.

]]> By: Ted Johnson http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1955 Ted Johnson Mon, 24 Sep 2007 12:42:12 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1955 This year I've acquired several clients whom I've never met in person. One of them, I sensed, was a tad dissatisfied with my services. Last week, I happened to be in the same city where they are located, so I met them in person for the first time for a couple of hours. It completely turned the relationship around. They were wanting to meet with me in person again before I left town. Hooray for meatspace! BTW: If carbon output is your concern, there are obvious alternatives to air travel. How about a column on "The next best thing to being there by the fastest means?" This year I’ve acquired several clients whom I’ve never met in person. One of them, I sensed, was a tad dissatisfied with my services. Last week, I happened to be in the same city where they are located, so I met them in person for the first time for a couple of hours. It completely turned the relationship around. They were wanting to meet with me in person again before I left town.

Hooray for meatspace!

BTW: If carbon output is your concern, there are obvious alternatives to air travel. How about a column on “The next best thing to being there by the fastest means?”

]]> By: Beth Kanter http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1951 Beth Kanter Fri, 21 Sep 2007 18:28:13 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1951 Mediated experience cannot replace face-to-face! (As much as I hate changing out of my pjs and taking a shower ...) Mediated experience cannot replace face-to-face! (As much as I hate changing out of my pjs and taking a shower …)

]]> By: Katrin http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1944 Katrin Mon, 17 Sep 2007 21:11:44 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1944 Maybe it's the atavistic urge deep from our past that makes us want to smell each other. Collaborations, business, friendships, love (yes, I can attest to all of these) just happens much better when you are face to face, nose to nose, smile to smile. And if we are about building a community, building a peer network, doing business, and starting collaborations (and yes, in my case and a few others I have heard about, a relationship :-) then meeting in person just makes it easier to do a deal, establish trust, hang out, and build string social ties. I believe that is partially why NTEN is such an amazingly strong network of people who look out for another in sometime astonishingly surprising and expansive ways. Katrin Maybe it’s the atavistic urge deep from our past that makes us want to smell each other. Collaborations, business, friendships, love (yes, I can attest to all of these) just happens much better when you are face to face, nose to nose, smile to smile. And if we are about building a community, building a peer network, doing business, and starting collaborations (and yes, in my case and a few others I have heard about, a relationship :-) then meeting in person just makes it easier to do a deal, establish trust, hang out, and build string social ties. I believe that is partially why NTEN is such an amazingly strong network of people who look out for another in sometime astonishingly surprising and expansive ways.

Katrin

]]> By: Gavin Clabaugh http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1940 Gavin Clabaugh Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:58:23 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1940 Yep. Jason, you're right. It's amazing what becomes "marginal" when the price is high enough,or, conversely, what becomes important when you're forced to make those hard choices. Frail as we are, though, it's always hard to imagine the seven years of famine, in the midst of the plenty. Yep. Jason, you’re right. It’s amazing what becomes “marginal” when the price is high enough,or, conversely, what becomes important when you’re forced to make those hard choices.

Frail as we are, though, it’s always hard to imagine the seven years of famine, in the midst of the plenty.

]]> By: Jason Z. http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1939 Jason Z. Mon, 17 Sep 2007 15:31:16 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1939 I don't know. We might be surprised at how much irreplaceable can be replaced if oil is $200 a barrel. I don’t know. We might be surprised at how much irreplaceable can be replaced if oil is $200 a barrel.

]]> By: Holly http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1938 Holly Mon, 17 Sep 2007 14:40:06 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1938 Right on Gavin! I feel like all these "social" technology tools get us 99% of the way there. We gather. We learn something. We even interact to some degree with our colleagues. But that magic 1% of a face to face encounter will never be replicated. Virtual meetings should be used when getting togeter isn't feasibe for other reasons, but we should never stop meeting in person! Right on Gavin! I feel like all these “social” technology tools get us 99% of the way there. We gather. We learn something. We even interact to some degree with our colleagues. But that magic 1% of a face to face encounter will never be replicated. Virtual meetings should be used when getting togeter isn’t feasibe for other reasons, but we should never stop meeting in person!

]]> By: Jon Stahl http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1935 Jon Stahl Mon, 17 Sep 2007 03:52:16 +0000 http://www.digitaldiner.org/2007/09/16/the-next-best-thing-to-being-there%e2%80%a6/#comment-1935 It's (really not very) remarkable how much things stay the same even as they change. Last time I checked, people are still people, and we still have millions-of-years-old wetware that is really, really attuned to the nuances of face-to-face interaction. Good stuff. It’s (really not very) remarkable how much things stay the same even as they change.

Last time I checked, people are still people, and we still have millions-of-years-old wetware that is really, really attuned to the nuances of face-to-face interaction.

Good stuff.

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