Live Events With Online Chat

I’ve been to a few events this year that all had something in common: online chat during the presentations or discussions. Usually it was done with IRC, which allows anyone with an Internet connection and the technical ability to join in the chat. I’ve been thinking about my experiences lately and how it affects my attention.

I have mixed feelings overall. The chat creates a second place for me to spend my attention at the event and I’d say that if I split my attention between the chat and a presentation, I’d be able to devote 30-40% to each. Obviously, I’d be better off sticking to just one.

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Chat Room Saves Florida Women

local6.com - News - Internet Chat Room Saves Fla. Woman's Life

A Bradenton, Fla., woman who suffered a severe asthma attack and was unable to reach a phone was saved after someone in her online chat room responded to her plea for help, according to a Local 6 News report.

Curiously, they show a picture of the woman on the site talking on the phone. Whaaa? Why isn't she at a computer?

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Jio Ito: Jobs and the Strength of Weak Ties

In this entry Joi Ito describes how just hired two people from "IRC" a chat resources. Because they participated over time, he got to know them, became trustful of them and eventually hired them.

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Passing Virtual Notes in Class: Backchannels and Conference Presentations

There has been some recent discussion about new ways people are interacting at conferences. The New York Times "In the Lecture Hall, A Geek Chorus" and Ross Mayfield got some of the discussion started and Clay Shirky followed up with some good points.

Here's a quick introduction from my perspective:

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Not Quite Face-to-Face, But Getting "There"

Discover.com: A Chat Room Like No Other

I don't think there will ever be a replacement for good old fashioned face-to-face encounters, there are some online "worlds" out there that are getting closer and closer to the social queues that we depend on for really understanding each other in communication.

There.com is in beta testing now and it's supposed to take the interaction in virtual worlds to a new level.

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Chatting in Iraq: The DOD and Online Chat

FCW.com: DOD chat use exploded in Iraq

The U.S. military, especially the Navy, relied heavily on chat rooms as a means of communication during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Although the technology performed admirably, it poses new challenges.

I think this is good for the progression of social software into businesses. Like so many innovations before them, online communication tools may need to pass the military test in order for conservative businesses to see them as something they can really use. Perhaps the military’s successful implementation of these tools will spur business leaders to take a new look.

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