June 30, 2006

We're Not In Kansas Anymore...

I'll confess to mixed feelings about some of my recent adventures in the land of the podcast and blog (at times, it's difficult to take seriously this new wave of activities that sound like something dreamed up by Lewis Carroll: `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves did blog and podcast in the wabe...'). On the whole, it's exhilarating but I sometimes can't help feeling that these games played behind the looking-glass are just a little self-indulgent, cut off as they are for the time being from what the rest of the world is getting up to.

I listened in to a recent podcast Across The Sound as its author Joseph Joffe exchanged observations through Skype with another podcaster whilst the pair of them played as 'avatars' in a virtual, online world, Second Life, with other players from different parts of the real world. Layers upon layers and a tantalising glimpse of a future state of play most probably, but listening to the two players was like watching jazz and I couldn't help but hear shades of Harrison Ford struggling with some of the lines in Star Wars, "you can write this stuff but you can't make me say it!".

At the same time, I know some of this stuff is going to be very important and I've recently committed to trying out as much of what my customers are likely to be offered as possible (so long as it's legal!). And I do believe that podcasting and blogging are the ways to go but still... I'll feel a little less self-conscious when more of my colleagues step through and I'm not one of the few in shirt and tie whilst the rest stroll about in fancy dress.

Click your heels three times, dear, there's no place like home.

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