What is the next step in social media?

[Valin]

I was listening to an ad for GoToMeeting.com, and was wondering if this or something similar is the next step?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Obviously this will require some sort of dress code...like...oh I don't know.....actually wearing clothes

[clearvision]

I don't know. We have had meeting collaboration software in the business world for quite awhile and at least where I was it never really caught on. So much missed out with non-verbal, off camera interaction, at least when meeting with customers or in status meetings.

 

They have facetime now on idevices, seems strange though to see someone on a phone/pad when you talk to them. Seems valuable though for spread apart families.

 

Most creative use I've seen was putting an iPad in front of a Halloween costume framed to look like a hole and then mounting another device on your back to record what is behind you. Looks like a hole thru your body.

[pollyannaish]

I've done quite a bit of go-to-meeting and other work of that nature. Honestly, I'm with you on it only partially catching on.

 

I find that its pretty good for straight sales presentations, but doesn't give you enough feedback to get a good feel for whether or not something is really sinking in and connecting.

 

When doing any kind of meeting, there is so much you need to see/perceive to understand. There is just too much non verbal communication in a real meeting to do it this way.

 

Now that said, I think that meeting with people you know well and getting to see them this way is great. I see it as a lot more relevant to private users than to business.

 

I am old fashioned though.

 

Edited to add: I also come from an industry that relies heavily on being able to sketch. This kind of thing requires a lot of advanced prep...despite what they make it look like in the ad.

[saveliberty]

I don't know. We have had meeting collaboration software in the business world for quite awhile and at least where I was it never really caught on. So much missed out with non-verbal, off camera interaction, at least when meeting with customers or in status meetings.

 

They have facetime now on idevices, seems strange though to see someone on a phone/pad when you talk to them. Seems valuable though for spread apart families.

 

Most creative use I've seen was putting an iPad in front of a Halloween costume framed to look like a hole and then mounting another device on your back to record what is behind you. Looks like a hole thru your body.

 

We use MS Live Meeting and Outlook Office Communicator. Some conference rooms have cameras and polycoms as do some desktops. Where I work, most of the teams I work with are in India, Europe and different parts of the US. I try not to keep my headset on all day, but usually that is not an option.

 

It works well and it is a lot cheaper and better quality than videoconferencing via telephone lines.

[saveliberty]

I've done quite a bit of go-to-meeting and other work of that nature. Honestly, I'm with you on it only partially catching on.

 

I find that its pretty good for straight sales presentations, but doesn't give you enough feedback to get a good feel for whether or not something is really sinking in and connecting.

 

When doing any kind of meeting, there is so much you need to see/perceive to understand. There is just too much non verbal communication in a real meeting to do it this way.

 

Now that said, I think that meeting with people you know well and getting to see them this way is great. I see it as a lot more relevant to private users than to business.

 

I am old fashioned though.

 

Edited to add: I also come from an industry that relies heavily on being able to sketch. This kind of thing requires a lot of advanced prep...despite what they make it look like in the ad.

 

@pollyannaish, the nature of my work is not like sales or marketing, so I can see the risks that you are talking about. We are meeting about what application changes will go to production and sometimes teams were afraid to speak up about risks. So what we do is follow up in separate chat windows so that team members can be less intimidated about raising concerns.

[pollyannaish]

@saveliberty it's funny you should write this because while I was typing I was thinking of what you do and thought "I bet it works great for them!" I very much like the separate chat windows, which allows for recording on the spot reactions people have but may not be able to address.

 

I've been trying to figure out what the difference. Sales and marketing can be a somewhat mercurial endeavor. I actually don't like sales at all, but in marketing that is who we support so you learn to respect it when done well. At the end of the day, though, it is people oriented rather than project oriented and that may be the difference.

 

I've been on the receiving end of a lot of these types of presentations though. What I found interesting in my last position is that the doctor was very impatient and had real difficulties communicating effectively with others. He is demanding, without being clear. I would often end up being his interpreter, redirecting and rephrasing information so people had the information they needed. What was difficult in these meetings is that I couldn't get a read on when the presenters where struggling to understand what he was asking for, so things would come to an absolute standstill. They would often call me after the presentation and apologize for it not going well and asking for clarification, which put me in an uncomfortable position because he wasn't there to contribute.

 

Anyway, in real life, I was able to rephrase, redirect, ask questions in a manner he would understand, or make a little joke to ease the tension for the other team. In the best of situations I was able to just give a glance to someone to let them know where to go next. That non-vebal communication is so important sometimes. And that is the only thing I think suffers from teleconferencing.

[clearvision]

Yes on the marketing/sales issue. So many times when you are pitching something complex, you need to actually "feel" the room, or certain people. See their look, smirk, eye roll or lack of paying attention. Then you can clarify, refocus or just ask if something needs more detail. Closing the sale over a video link is also odd.

 

For technical meetings what @saveliberty encounters is true, especially if there is bad news. You can sort of see it, or feel it in person. Like the idea of individual chat windows though, that would address some of that.

[pollyannaish]

Yes on the marketing/sales issue. So many times when you are pitching something complex, you need to actually "feel" the room, or certain people. See their look, smirk, eye roll or lack of paying attention. Then you can clarify, refocus or just ask if something needs more detail. Closing the sale over a video link is also odd.

 

For technical meetings what @saveliberty encounters is true, especially if there is bad news. You can sort of see it, or feel it in person. Like the idea of individual chat windows though, that would address some of that.

 

Feel the room is exactly right. It's a dance really.

[Chickadee]

Boeing, where I worked for 30 years, has for years and years saved a bunch of money by video conferencing, meaning no airfare was required to fly various people all over this country as well as around the world. Many individual workstations have cameras attached to them so that in a sense they can 'Skype' into a meeting. When they speak/give feedback, their camera is activated and other meeting attendees can see them talking. (It is always their choice whether they activate their camera.) The specific information being discussed is displayed on your individual monitor or on a screen in your local meeting room. I found this method of meeting almost entirely satisfactory. We had more meetings and more often when travel was not required. Hence we had more communication. And even a teleconference call with someone across the country or just a few miles away could resolve issues through discussion. When Boeing first implemented this technology, many were worried about the lack of face-to-face contact affecting our results, but that did not turn out to be true. So from my perspective, I had nothing but positive results using these various technologies.

[Valin]

Just trying to figure out where this internet thing is going next. Just finished The Israel Test by George Gilder, and being George Gilder there is a lot about advances in technology.

[Pepper]

Just trying to figure out where this internet thing is going next. Just finished The Israel Test by George Gilder, and being George Gilder there is a lot about advances in technology.

 

Step 1

Joe wears embedded chips, an extremely fast Wifi in them as well, embedded recorders that feed his cloud, embedded contact lenses simulating 3D screens and headsup display. He walks by someone on the street and all the points of contact and interest are immediately available to him and the other person.

 

Step 2

All meaningful work is driven overseas, physical labor is done by 'guest' workers. If Joe works in some type of knowledge work, Joe does this from home and never leaves the couch. Just stares into his contact lenses.

 

Step 3

If Joe is unemployed, he gets to stare into his contact lenses to a wonderful diet of Facebook II, YouTube III, and Cloud IV.

 

Step 4

Soon, no one is left to turn off the lights.

 

Step 5

Joe takes his family and sneaks off to Mexico or Canada to work.

[Valin]

Just trying to figure out where this internet thing is going next. Just finished The Israel Test by George Gilder, and being George Gilder there is a lot about advances in technology.

 

Step 1

Joe wears embedded chips, an extremely fast Wifi in them as well, embedded recorders that feed his cloud, embedded contact lenses simulating 3D screens and headsup display. He walks by someone on the street and all the points of contact and interest are immediately available to him and the other person.

 

Step 2

All meaningful work is driven overseas, physical labor is done by 'guest' workers. If Joe works in some type of knowledge work, Joe does this from home and never leaves the couch. Just stares into his contact lenses.

 

Step 3

If Joe is unemployed, he gets to stare into his contact lenses to a wonderful diet of Facebook II, YouTube III, and Cloud IV.

 

Step 4

Soon, no one is left to turn off the lights.

 

Step 5

Joe takes his family and sneaks off to Mexico or Canada to work.

 

Or

 

Beyond Blue Part Four: Better Living in the 21st Century

Walter Russell Mead

[Pepper]

OK, so he padded his essay a bit...

 

 

 

 

Am bookmarking it. Thanks, @Valin

[Valin]

OK, so he padded his essay a bit...

 

 

 

 

Am bookmarking it. Thanks, @Valin

 

That's why I get the Big Money!

 

 

 

Beyond Blue Part Four: Better Living in the 21st Century

Walter Russell Mead

 

 

Walter Russell Mead did a series on his blog about this. There are a good reason why people should pay attention to him.

[clearvision]

Great article.