Connecting the Dots: Collaborative Technologies Conference

Connecting the Dots: Collaborative Technologies Conference: "This morning's first speaker was John Seely Brown. His central theme was the macro nature of computer mediated networks and their effects but he, like many speakers today, clearly emphasized the fact that humans are the collaborators and it's not just about technology.

What was amazing was his story of Li & Fung. This firm has a loosely coupled network of 7,500 suppliers. It's a collaborative, relationship-based, feedback-looped network that's provided them with one helluva competitive advantage (even thinking about managing such a network and its interconnections made my eyes glaze over).

Interesting points:

* The world may becoming flat...but it's actually 'spiky'. The competitive future is to those that can identify unique differentiators by partners and embrace them.
* Tools: must be simple! People need simple. Can't be any extra work.
* THE most important element in videoconferencing is *eye contact*. People need to see that others are engaged with them and it's eye contact that does it.
* It is possible now to have virtual connections be better than being there in person
* Meetings are just part of collaboration.
* Web 2.0 is a participatory medium (damn...that's one of my slides for Thursday!)
* Discussed Second Life. You talkin' collaboration? What's more collaborative than being in an immersive environment?
* An Accelerating Confluence. Brown said we're on the cusp of a 100 fold change in 'punctuated evolution' disrupting Moore's Law! Mainly due to commodization of hardware and software."