A week and a bit ago I attended an Online chat about Twitter and micro-blogging with Bob Walsh. I was actually @ home with my two young children and had joined in late (there were transcripts provided after – very useful. Thanks, Neil).
While I was trying to catch up with what had been said and make sense of the conversation, I realized that no matter what the announced theme was, people taking part could find something interesting to say, share, comment, digress to other topics and overall enjoy the experience. 25 folks joining in an online conversation on a work-related issue and having a good time – this would be my summary of the whole thing.
I felt connected to the rest of the people in a way stronger than when I read and comment on forums and blogs, even my favorite ones. I felt part of a community, with butterflies in my stomach and all (no laughing, it was real). The pace was fast, which added to the excitement.
OK, I’m not an online chat addict now, I won’t start joining in discussions regardless of the subject or the guest, but what I’m trying to say is that from a very skeptical point of view of what an online chat can achieve I came to the conclusion that it can be a pretty good platform for strengthening connections and making friends in the industry. With even greater weight than the information provided/ exchanged.
Agree, disagree? Comment below.
