In about 10 days a big group (42 people) of mainly Dutch new media and IT executives will visit China for a one-week tour. I am part of the organization of this trip to Shanghai and Chengdu, and just now I gave a talk to all participants at their kick-off meeting in Vak Zuid in Amsterdam. Because I am in Shanghai I gave the talk through Skype, and despite the Great Firewall that went remarkably well.

Because many of the participants are on Twitter as well, I could follow their comments while talking – and comment myself as well. At least 2 people were streaming live on Qik, so I could even watch myself speak while speaking (sounds a bit weird, but watching yourself while you talk is even weirder). See one video here for example. And when I finished and looked at Flickr I already found several pictures of the kick-off meeting.

That’s what I like about the internet. When I arrived in China 8 years ago it was literally at the other side of the world. Now I sit at my desk at home and communicate live through 4 different tools with a group of people in Amsterdam – and all of this for free. OK, the quality of Skype was not constant, at one point I had to start again because the sound dropped and after my talk the Skype connection broke down twice. But it works, even if it is not yet perfect. I love all possibilities of the internet, and wonder what it will look like 8 years from now.

Photo: Marketingfacts