I think this picture says it all ... thats Stuart and i thoroughly entertained!  I had lunch with Marc Canter, his wife Lisa and Stuart at Kokkari.  We had an excellent meal, and i was entertained throughout by the Marc Canter show !   Marc's definitely one of my favourite bloggers, not just for his insights and reporting on cutting edge technology, but also because his style of blogging - the pictures, the little family stories - always makes me feel i really know the guy.  As i did when i met him face-to-face.  Marc's just what i expected ... only more so.  And we had a whole load of fun exchanging stories about India - he loves Juhu 'Chapati' - hmmm Chowpatty Marc ... and Goa ... and is abuzz with Indian mantras.  And we spoke of social networks and he gave us some neat insights into the ways they are operating and the business models around them.  And about speaking your mind, and about ideas and how to develop them.  And about his dreams and passions ....... only time before he goes live with the real Marc Canter show !!

Lisa was with us at lunch for a short while - little Mimi was cross we took her parents away from her.  Lisa's a very warm person, and we chatted some about India, the potential for introducing blogs into enterprise and about being a mom (they're expecting their new baby in 2 months) and how she's resolving letting work take a backseat to that. 

After lunch, Marc took us over to his place to meet Mimi - she is really a doll.   We had fun.  Marc blogged us there and then (i feel awful i forgot my cam so stealing these shots off his blog) ! And was beginning to show us how K-Collector works when his DSL link came crashing down and for a moment i thought i was back in India :):):).  Must get K-collector - i think it would be great for building categories and searching on key words ... and a neat application for enterprises too. 

Gotta get Marc over to India again !

9:34:39 PM    comment []  trackback []

My first interaction with Howard Rheingold was when i participated in a Chautauqua discussion at Group Jazz  on Smart Mobs.  Since then, we've exchanged a few messages and on the growing SMS and mobile phone culture in India, and on flashmobs.

When i mentioned on this blog that i was visiting the Bay Area, i was delighted to get a message from Howard inviting me to walk in Mount Tamalpais - the mountains by his place.  And am i glad i went.  My impression of Howard, before meeting him face-to-face was of this highly successful author, a great visionary, a person who believes in the power of new media.  And i was a bit nervous - didn't really know much about the person - his blog's not one of those that reveals much about the person. On meeting him and spending the most delightful three hours walking different trails in his mountains - pausing to take in the breathtaking view of the Bay Area and absolutely awe-inspiring colours and textures - i think he's all of these and so much more.  An artist, painter, poet, author ... humble, gentle, approachable and the most gracious host.

We spoke about many things - from blogging and virtual communities to how new technology is bringing about a social revolution, his thoughts on his new book on cooperation and collective action, to a more basic philosophy of life where we discussed following passions vs being successful. 

What really delighted me was the sharing of stories we had around these themes. And the little things that told me so much about the person - his picking up pieces of rubbish from the mountain-side, giving me postcards of his paintings and two special stones one each from North and South California, plucking and eating figs and tomatoes off his trees, his pride in and tremendous sense of harmony with his surroundings.        

"Nevermore, however weary, should one faint by the way who gains the blessings of one mountain day." John Muir

Thanks Howard for sharing your special place with me - it is simply wonderful knowing you ... now i MUST find a way of getting you to visit India as a speaker, or to research your book !

8:46:11 PM    comment []  trackback []

I have had a few meetings with Stuart Henshall - a wonderful person and a good friend who's introduced me to this fascinating world of social networks and blogs. Always encouraging me so much to share my stories, (yep - i will tell that networking one soon Stuart!) getting me over my initial reservations about whether people will want to hear what i have to say or how can an Indian woman break into the 'scene',  helping me with software issues - templates and macros, nudging me to 'stretch', urging me to interact and connect with more and more people, working together researching social networks and software, corporate blogging, research spaces .............  

We've been discussing and developing some neat ideas around researching corporate blogging, what possible tools we could use, how to really make the pitch to enterprises, what could possibly get them to bite, what business models to adopt, how to make some money off it too. Its pretty awesome to work with someone who has a very sound marketing background, is a visionary, and at the same time, really understands the value of research and stories, and groks tech.

Its a start ... we have a long way to go ... and what a great story for blogs it would be when we get that first project commissioned !

8:35:18 PM    comment []  trackback []

I've been having the most wonderful time in the Bay Area - spending lots of time with family - is difficult trying to blog when a certain18 month-old little girl insists on sitting on my lap and strumming away at my laptop thinking its her toy !

Meeting bloggers .... thats the other thing i've had loads of fun doing.  It is just so amazing to meet people i have been interacting with over the last few months.   Many thoughts - many feelings.  Not sure i have the words yet, nor enough thought put into these issues - but will be blogging them later :

• communicating online vs face-to-face meetings 
• the sense of community one develops writing and reading blogs - communications and connections with people of all cultures, yet with similar thoughts, mindsets and values
• a sense of excitement that something tangible can come off all this in terms of projects - working on proposals as a team, and the realisations that the blog world has opened up access to so many amazing people and minds to work with 

I'm also looking forward to meeting more people at the Small World Meet-up hosted by Stuart on Tuesday, October 28.  Would love to meet as many of the bloggers in the Bay Area as i can :)

In my next few posts am going to talk about my meetings with some of the people i have met on this trip already - Stuart Henshall, Howard Rheingold, Marc Canter, his lovely wife Lisa and daughter Mimi  ....

5:46:17 PM    comment []  trackback []