Comments on: Where 2.0 Online Conference http://www.edparsons.com/2009/10/where20online/ Thu, 11 Mar 2010 14:37:20 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Ian Robinson http://www.edparsons.com/2009/10/where20online/comment-page-1/#comment-154565 Ian Robinson Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:13:25 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=1040#comment-154565 Most people's working environment at this moment in time is a very isolated existence. I like many others have just spent the whole day in a room on my own holding a lump of plastic in one hand whilst tapping away on 80 or so buttons with the the other. Even when I'm in the office, most of the time I am mentally isolated, blocking out all the noise and interference, breaking only to curse my computer as it crashes (and to make tea!). Luckily I do get out of the office regularly, and maybe this highlights the 'office experience' for me. But for many, I imagine the opportunity to get out and meet real people with the same interest is worth the time, effort and cost. Don't get me wrong, as you know Stuart, I love technology, and I love trees, but the 'e-conference', the 'e-learning' and all the other e-things like web meetings still miss something fundamental. I know that technology will overcome this, and things like Google Wave are a step in the right direction, but given the choice, I would much rather see you across a table with 2 pints of Guinness on it Most people’s working environment at this moment in time is a very isolated existence. I like many others have just spent the whole day in a room on my own holding a lump of plastic in one hand whilst tapping away on 80 or so buttons with the the other.

Even when I’m in the office, most of the time I am mentally isolated, blocking out all the noise and interference, breaking only to curse my computer as it crashes (and to make tea!). Luckily I do get out of the office regularly, and maybe this highlights the ‘office experience’ for me. But for many, I imagine the opportunity to get out and meet real people with the same interest is worth the time, effort and cost.

Don’t get me wrong, as you know Stuart, I love technology, and I love trees, but the ‘e-conference’, the ‘e-learning’ and all the other e-things like web meetings still miss something fundamental. I know that technology will overcome this, and things like Google Wave are a step in the right direction, but given the choice, I would much rather see you across a table with 2 pints of Guinness on it

]]> By: Phil Bridges http://www.edparsons.com/2009/10/where20online/comment-page-1/#comment-154561 Phil Bridges Fri, 23 Oct 2009 09:27:36 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=1040#comment-154561 The perception is that at best we tend to think of Video conferencing as a single 40" Plasma screen with twangy audio that's only marginally better than Skype on one it's better days. I saw a demo recently of a boardroom that used 3 x 60" Plasmas running @720P, face tracking cameras and FM quality audio that was actually in sync with video. It probably cost at least as much as a dozen business class tickets across the pond and back but the fact that meeting atendees got home to see their kids at night and ticked a box on the carbon footprint front made for a convincing case for the company concerned. The perception is that at best we tend to think of Video conferencing as a single 40″ Plasma screen with twangy audio that’s only marginally better than Skype on one it’s better days.

I saw a demo recently of a boardroom that used 3 x 60″ Plasmas running @720P, face tracking cameras and FM quality audio that was actually in sync with video. It probably cost at least as much as a dozen business class tickets across the pond and back but the fact that meeting atendees got home to see their kids at night and ticked a box on the carbon footprint front made for a convincing case for the company concerned.

]]> By: Stu Mitchell http://www.edparsons.com/2009/10/where20online/comment-page-1/#comment-154559 Stu Mitchell Fri, 23 Oct 2009 01:50:37 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=1040#comment-154559 Phil, you're quite right of course. Trouble is, how do you get the 'feel' of being there, without actually being there? I reckon that we need to start stepping up the 'reality' thing again. Remember when Virtual Reality was the buzzword of the early 90s? Films like Lawnmower Man on the scene. Personally I think there are opportunities if someone gets the VR thing right in the future. NetMeeting isn't 'it' of course, but it's a start. Perhaps something that Google are thinking about...? Phil, you’re quite right of course. Trouble is, how do you get the ‘feel’ of being there, without actually being there? I reckon that we need to start stepping up the ‘reality’ thing again. Remember when Virtual Reality was the buzzword of the early 90s? Films like Lawnmower Man on the scene.

Personally I think there are opportunities if someone gets the VR thing right in the future. NetMeeting isn’t ‘it’ of course, but it’s a start.

Perhaps something that Google are thinking about…?

]]> By: Phil Bridges http://www.edparsons.com/2009/10/where20online/comment-page-1/#comment-154558 Phil Bridges Thu, 22 Oct 2009 23:20:48 +0000 http://www.edparsons.com/?p=1040#comment-154558 Ah, at last, someone in the GIS world is taking notice of climate change! Of late I’ve been appalled by the way Geographers charge around the planet in aeroplanes for conferences and events (partly ‘cos they don’t invite me but mostly ‘cos these actions further accelerate climate change.) Some areas of the GIS industry seem to be totally oblivious to 10+ year old technologies like video conferencing and interactive online participation as mentioned here. Meanwhile the prospect of ‘ol Ed in his JimJams with a mug of Ovaltine in one hand and clutching teddy in the other hand at 16:00 PST whilst preaching the “gospel according to google” would be a must have for my photo album! Ah, at last, someone in the GIS world is taking notice of climate change! Of late I’ve been appalled by the way Geographers charge around the planet in aeroplanes for conferences and events (partly ‘cos they don’t invite me but mostly ‘cos these actions further accelerate climate change.)

Some areas of the GIS industry seem to be totally oblivious to 10+ year old technologies like video conferencing and interactive online participation as mentioned here.

Meanwhile the prospect of ‘ol Ed in his JimJams with a mug of Ovaltine in one hand and clutching teddy in the other hand at 16:00 PST whilst preaching the “gospel according to google” would be a must have for my photo album!

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