Last week I talked about how I "discovered" the Virtual SAP TechEd packages which then prompted a discussion around the value of the virtual event over the physical one which spilled over into my Friday Morning Report show and then into the Enterprise Geeks Podcast.
On both posts there is a comment from a viewer who shares their own thoughts on the topic of virtual vs. physical.
The main thought/trend so far is that the physical is a must and the virtual compliments it, Jon Reed I think nails it best with the following,
...I have the Virtual TechEd subscription from SAP. This means if I have to miss an educational session at TechEd in order to meet up with some peeps in real time, I can be happy knowing I’ll be able to check out the Virtual TechEd later whenever I’m in the mood to geek out...
Video Replay of the Friday Morning Report
Chat Log
12:58 ccmehil: Live in 15 mins Physical vs. Virtual Events today13:06 ccmehil: topic for today stems from SAP TechEd 2009 - Virtual?13:19 jspath55: I’m here – just for a minnit.13:22 Tom Raftery: Afternoon all!13:23 jspath55: Hi Tom.13:25 jspath55: I’m in. Operator error.13:25 RichHeilman: I see you just fine on FMR site13:25 KirstenG: I see you on your site.13:25 jspath55: However, I need to go smack some BW cubes into line. Cya.13:28 RichHeilman: he’s like 10 years younger than you!13:29 RichHeilman: how old ar you?13:29 RichHeilman: pinging Dan now…13:29 KirstenG: that beer doesn’t help with your powers of addition….13:30 RichHeilman: Ok, so he is 29, so you are only 4 years older13:31 RichHeilman: I’m only 32 13:31 RichHeilman: 14 year daughter make you age quicker13:31 ccmehil: Skype: CraigCmehil13:31 dahowlett: morning girls and boys13:32 dahowlett: morning girls and boys13:32 ThomasRitter: damn I am late again13:32 Tom Raftery: I have two boys and I look waaay older than my 23 yrs13:32 ThomasRitter: True13:32 dahowlett: I just got out of bed. It’s 6.30 am where I am13:33 Tom Raftery: World may be small but it still takes me 24 hours and at least 3 flights to get to west coast US13:33 KirstenG: Helps to have met at least once. Eye contact is hard to replace.13:33 dahowlett: 5 kids and 11 grandchildren later I dont look bad for 3513:34 dahowlett: @Tom – me too…13:34 Tom Raftery: Living in Spain & speaking v little Spanish means most of my friends are online13:35 Tom Raftery: Dude – ouch!13:35 dan_mcweeney: @dahowlett Why are you on the west coast?13:35 dahowlett: FORTUNE Brainstorm13:36 dahowlett: Videod Vishal, videoing Schwartz this am, met with Parker Harris from Salesforce13:36 dan_mcweeney: You went to a conference with Ashton Kutcher as a speaker? wow.13:36 Tom Raftery: F2F is still v impt unfortunately13:37 dahowlett: Telepresence rules13:37 dan_mcweeney: It’s also a question of communcation “bandwidth”13:37 dahowlett: ME13:37 KirstenG: It is really hard to make trust without the eye contact. F2F smoothes things out.13:38 ccmehil: SAP TechEd 2009 - Virtual?13:38 dahowlett: What he’s doing is making **** loads of money13:38 dan_mcweeney: http://www.tbray.org/ongoing/When/200x/2007/11/23/Communication Read the comments13:38 Swoops: Cisco Live was both Physical and Virtual – creating a hybrid or blended event – Really good13:38 KirstenG: did that work?13:39 dahowlett: John Chen was on deck. Biz Stone was in good form13:39 dan_mcweeney: Well and the article, talks about bandwidth of human communication. Kind of neat to see other people’s opinion13:39 dan_mcweeney: No… Not short, but neat.13:40 dahowlett: I came to meet Vinnie, Ray Wang, Frank Scavo and Oliver Marks13:40 dahowlett: …and Jeff Nolan13:40 dan_mcweeney: One reason why “teaching” is _really_ hard virtually.13:40 Swoops: Face to face was good to meet people. Content at virtual has extended value13:41 dahowlett: My head exploded13:41 Swoops: Also found people online based on profile and then met physically13:42 dahowlett: @Swoops +113:42 Swoops: Will never replave Physical but eventually every physical will have a virtual13:42 dan_mcweeney: @swoops +1.13:43 dahowlett: We’re banking on virtual as a driver13:43 dan_mcweeney: Humans are social animals and we’re not used to non-physical connections.13:43 jspath55: I’m back (”mischief managed” 13:44 dan_mcweeney: Who?13:44 dan_mcweeney: what?13:44 dan_mcweeney: Neat. Glad they are sending stuff.13:44 ThomasRitter: damn I am jealous13:44 dan_mcweeney: Wow, I don’t even have a t-shirt.13:45 jspath55: my mailing address is …13:45 ThomasRitter: Adobe t-shirt rock. Much better than the usual stuff13:45 dan_mcweeney: Killer. I haven’t even _seen_ that shirt.13:45 mattharding: Virtual vs physical – I got my licensed adobe flex from being at TechEd13:45 dan_mcweeney: If you give me the name I can get you an email13:45 dan_mcweeney: At least it’s a starting point to thank some one.13:45 dan_mcweeney: kewl.13:47 jdurnwald: Physical teaching/presenting has become less personal because we are constrained by powerpoint and demos. Whiteboarding and personal interactions are constrained.13:47 ThomasRitter: Just hanging out with other people is much more fun physical13:48 dan_mcweeney: A virtual event can be no better then a lecture hall in college.13:48 dan_mcweeney: Which will all know isn’t so good.13:48 dan_mcweeney: *will = we13:48 Tom Raftery: You only really get to know people when you sit down to have a beer and offline chat13:48 ThomasRitter: Anybody remember David Pollocks victory lap last year. How can pull something like this of virtual?13:48 mattharding: Those questions you don’t want to ask during, but after can’t be done virtually13:49 jspath55: tweet them13:49 dahowlett: @jspath55 +113:49 mattharding: Good point.13:49 jspath55: the store and forward pony express system of this century (twitter)13:51 jspath55: @dahowlettUp early, watching FMR << what’s your TZ?13:51 dan_mcweeney: I thought someone did research on this, with virtual communities who actually meet are always more thriving then ones that don’t13:51 dahowlett: @jspath55 – I”m in Pasadena today13:51 dan_mcweeney: Looking for that info now….13:51 mattharding: If you don’t attend TechEd, do you really know what Mark Finnern is like?13:51 jspath55: @dennis ahh, googleland13:52 mattharding: Online vs physical13:52 dahowlett: Not yet13:52 mattharding: Good guy. dont get me wrong13:52 dan_mcweeney: LOL @MattHarding13:52 dahowlett: Going for breakfast with Jonathan Schwartz13:52 Tom Raftery: Careful!13:52 jspath55: @finnern on stage at ASUG/Sapphire – http://www.flickr.com/photos/jspath55/3525404378/13:53 dahowlett: @jspath55 – that photo should be R rated13:53 mattharding: @jspath55: Nice pic13:54 jspath55: @dennis look ma no hands13:54 mattharding: Timezone for Australia for Virtual not great usually – talk to TdT and Graham mentors…13:54 dahowlett: F2F does have value. Except when I bump into Mike Arrington13:55 jspath55: ASUG is going to do a 2 day virtual event. Content does not include the tech communities, who are going to SAP TechEd.13:55 dahowlett: He’s a bit pissed with me for calling him a common street *****13:56 dahowlett: …on Twitter13:56 dahowlett: @Tom – is it still warm in Sevilla?13:56 jspath55: I’m in the woods next week, so catch everyone in August.13:57 Tom Raftery: @dennis – just a bit, yes!13:57 jspath55: Need to pimp twitter.com/SCNotties too.13:57 Tom Raftery: Craig, love to have a quick chat about TechEd13:57 jspath55: http://twitter.com/SCNotties URL13:57 dahowlett: @Craig – still digging the garden?13:57 Tom Raftery: Cool13:58 ThomasRitter: everybody have a great weekend!13:58 dahowlett: OK peeps -= gotta go CYA later13:58 Tom Raftery: Bye!13:59 ccmehil: catch you next week!So with all that I want to remind everyon to register by July 31 for SAP TechEd 2009 in Phoenix or Vienna for early-bird rates, more hotel options, and the opportunity to win a third hands-on workshop!
I'd also like you to share your own story of how you view the physical and virtual events!
