Friday, April 18, 2003

Scoble's reply on "Is the Valley dead and has the Internet become the "Virtual Valley"?" Robert Scoble: Scobleizer Weblog -> Harold Gilchrist: "What is the role of the Valley today? Would I be as blown away today as when I visited the Valley 10 years ago or would people there have a hard time showing something new that I don't already know about or have seen on the Web." My reply? There are still a lot of smart people concentrated here. But, one experience I remember from my trip to Microsoft. I saw three Segways in Seattle. I still haven't seen any here in the Valley. I wasn't sure what to make of that, but the Valley did used to be the place where you'd see cool stuff first. I think that's changing. [Robert Scoble: Scobleizer Weblog] 11:53:06 AM  comment []       Is the Valley dead and has the Internet become the "Virtual Valley"? Robert Scoble reflects on what is going on in the valley: Robert Scoble: Scobleizer Weblog -> "Is the Valley dead? Nah. But it's going through some tough times. The TV said about 150,000 jobs were lost here last year. Everywhere I look I see vacancy signs. My wife is laid off. My brother is laid off. My brother-in-law is laid off. If it gets any worse, they'd have to call it a depression here. This is a great place to live, though. I'll miss it. Of course, like Larry Tesler told me in the plane, you can always come and visit for a $130 1.5-hour flight. One question: if things are so bad in the valley, why the heck are housing prices so out of whack? I guess someone still wants to live here." [Robert Scoble: Scobleizer Weblog] I wonder if the Valley, at least the software sector is having the some of the same problems of that of the IT conference circuit.  Is the Internet making it irrelevant?  Is the Internet and social computing turning into a 24 hour "Virtual Valley"?  Has the Valley helped to put itself out of business?  I remember visiting the Valley for the first time in the early 90s, during the 90's recession. I worked at that time for a World Class Research Laboratory in Telecommunications.  That was our mission.  We were inventing the future in telecommunications.  Video On Demand and Super Conductors were some of the hot topics the lab was leading at the time.  Wow I thought.  Nobody ever told me how ahead in thinking and technology implementation the west coast was.  It's like know one took the time to find out.  Just going to the malls in the Valley blew me away.  It was like truly going to the future.  I saw in malls stuff I never had even seen in magazines.  It was evident people here were visionary and took risks.  I convinced myself some of these things would never make it back home (and they never did) on the east coast and other were sure winners.  It seemed like a technology candy store to me at the time. I was in technology shock for months.  I couldn't wait to go back.  I dreamed of moving there some day. But that was over ten years ago.  The Internet and Web are here.  Things seem so different. In the mid 90's we kept hearing how the Web would "level the playing field in publishing".  Blogging has proven that can happen.  Has the Internet and Web also leveled the playing field in what the Valley had. Just as Dave would have had a hard time finding Met scores 10 years ago he would have the same problems keeping daily work relationships in the Valley as he works in Boston.  Look how Joi Ito stays connected to the world of technology today from Japan. What is the role of the Valley today? What will be the attraction that brings in the next generation and status back to the Valley?  I hear alot about people leaving but nothing about people planning to move there. Would I be as blown away today as when I visited the Valley 10 years ago or would people there have a hard time showing something new that I don't already know about or have seen on the Web?   I'm very interested on hearing thoughts and views from people who plan on staying in the Valley or plan on moving there in the near future. H.G. 9:58:21 AM  comment []       Audblogging  different strings -> Audblogging -->  Audblog is now available for Radio Userland, so I thought I'd go ahead and give it a try.  The message itself is nothing spectacular, but if you'd like to hear what I sound like, click here to check it out. Below is a comment associated with the above post by kriselda jarnsaxa "Thanks for the reminder, Kynn. I don't plan to use Audblog for most of my entries - it's easier to edit on the page than go back and re-record a whole rant to get it just right . It just struck me as a fun way to do something different now and again. " Look like Kriselda Jarnsaxa has Audblog working with Radio Userland.  I totally agree with Kriselda!  From my experience Kriselda's reaction is the norm of the majority of text bloggers trying audioblogging for the first time.  "it's easier to edit on the page than go back and re-record a whole rant to get it just right " But I ask: When you are in your car is it easier to leave someone a voice mail or to leave them an email.  I guess you could  pull over to the shoulder of the road to write a reminder for that email that you need to write and email later.  That doesn't sound safe and you most likely wouldn't do that.  Every sit there trying to remember that thought you wanted to email.  That's why cellphones and voice mail work so well.  These tools allow you to get that thought or issue "off your plate" right now. Think of audioblogging as "voice mail to the world".  Why don't we see the same debate about voice mail versus email?  We actually make the decision to choose one over the other all the time.  That's because the maturity of those technologies make it very natural and easy to choose the tool that gets the job done.  Convenience and accessiblity are also some of the factors in this case as will be in the future in the "when do I audioblog or text blog" debate. As long as were glued in front of our computers and we know our audience has access to a display, it is easier and makes the most sense for us to type in our posts the majority of the time.  But you have to ask: How much of the time/day do we have access to a networked computer with keyboard and display (some more than others)? What about when we're mobile?  I use my phone constantly to communicate when I'm away from a display computer. Why should the conversation end when were unglued from our PCs?  How long before the blogging audience wants to be and needs to be tuned in when they're not in front of their PCs?  This will become more evident to most when people need to blog to get work done and it's more convenient and productive to stay connected all the time.  H.G. 7:43:08 AM  comment []

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