Traveling Geeks

London: Rich Stories at their Best

I always go to a melancholy place when I head back to the streets of London, even moreso when I visit my old stomping grounds. I suppose you could say that this is the case for everyone when they return to anywhere in the world they once lived, yet having lived in more than ten countries, England is different. London is different.

I think part of it is its heritage. Part of it is the left over piece that feels embedded in you as if some part of some generation before you walked the same streets before the turn of the century and their passed on DNA shows up at the oddest times….whenever I have a cup of English tea brewed the old fashioned way for example.

It also shows up when I feel the sense of community in both rural and urban pubs that has been watered down in the states over the last two generations.

And so, I cherish these melancholy walks. They take me through narrow alleyways with a surprise around every corner, crowded obscure bookstores near Tottenham Court Road, into cafes and wine bars where the tables are close together and people are wearing hats even in summer, past well manicured lawns in London’s northern burbs and well behaved dogs in Regent’s Park.

And then there’s Camden Town. Every time I think about my need to return for a meander for old time sake, I sometimes wonder how much of a hippee I was, or whatever the equivalent of that was in the late eighties.

I was drawn to the place then and still am today, despite the fact that my first introduction to it was 25 years ago and it’s become a very different place and I’ve obviously become a very different person.

Yet, it all still draws me in for the taking. The colorful stalls, the tattoos, the edgy haircuts, the funky boots, my favorite creperie that is still in the same place it always was, the incense that burns upstairs and that fabulous material and linen shop I can never remember the name of.

When you think about the energy of the universe and how it works, it’s no grave surprise that an old South African friend I first met in London before I hit the big 21 has returned to live here with her husband. She still lights candles and drinks Cabernet Sauvignon.

We were both blondes at the time and are now both brunettes or close to it. We both sold art from around the world – or so we tried. We both threw fabulous international parties where we danced and drank cinzano and lemonade until dawn.

Mine were held in my Earls Court basement flat which opened up to a small but tasteful garden courtyard. I still remember the faces as if it was yesterday and what a fascinating representation of friends I had at the time: Morocco, Ireland, France, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Holland, Sweden, Iceland, Russia, Italy, Denmark, Israel, Greece, Belgium, Scotland, Zimbabwe…..

As you can imagine, the food was diverse and an important part of our experience with one another and we were never tired of conversation. We’d often land at someone’s flat for espresso at 3 in the morning after stopping into a famous Jazz Club near Kings Cross.

It was nearly a daily part of our evening routine for months until the big Kings Cross fire and then suddenly the bus, train, bus, and then bus again hassle to get there forced us to find a new locale.

Did I mention that we never tired of conversation? Everyone had a story, a rich, diverse and emotional story they were passionate about, and so, passion ruled our every exchange with each other, through some other form of expression we shared: art, music, dance, cooking, poetry or mime.

Although the international diversity was much less when I moved to the country, the stories remained an integral part of my experience living in the U.K. and now an integral part of my memory.

My neighbor Bill was the managing director or some such close to the top of the food chain title at Harrods Department Store in Knightsbridge, which was always a bit too much for my budget in those days.

I remember recruiting him and his wife for a play I wrote, which involved the launch of a marble tile company. I wove in Vivaldi to one of the scenes and Bill would dance around out of character, pause for a whiskey sundowner and then return with a smile and say “shall we begin?” Yes, but of course. And so, we’d begin again. And again. And again.

Life was much simpler even for the workaholics around me. I did a stint at Saatchi and Saatchi Advertising which was near or on Goodge Street at the time. We had an American Managing Director and his office was always open for any of us to waltz in to solicit advice.

People worked late and instead of beer and pizza which is what I think of when I think of late nights in Silicon Valley, particularly if engineers are involved, it was gin and tonics and cheese and crackers.

Account management merged with creative and vice versa and the place was a dynamic one, full of bright and interesting minds I learned something new from every day. We worked hard and then we played hard. It was always like that and results came, award winning ones.

So that brings me to this trip, which is different than any other I’ve made to London in the past couple of decades. Nearly every memory and experience I’ve had in this place, whether it was 25 years ago or two, was centered around creative energy: artists, designers, travelers, authors and musicians.

I’m here to contribute to a different kind of creative energy, one which just like every other English memory, involves storytelling.

Along with 11 other writers, bloggers and content creators, I’ll be capturing people’s stories on and off stage, company backgrounds, tales of technology successes and perhaps failures, lessons learned in business and government, and how emerging technology and new media is being used in innovative ways.

Great Show for Traveling Geeks’ London TweetUp

Traveling Geeks organized a Tweetup at London’s JuJu last night, sponsored by NESTA, The Conversation Group, and Symbian.

Below are a few snaps from the event that included start-up entrepreneurs, designers, engineers, bloggers, journalists and vendors.

Traveling Geeks Sky Schuyler, Susan Bratton, Renee Blodgett and Howard Rheingold

Claire Walker and Mark Mellor from Firefly Communications

Sarah Lacy, Meghan Asha

Craig Newmark talks to a group of London geeks

Symbian’s Joe Neale

Mitzi

Micha and Danielle from Digitrad

Jon Wheatley, founder of Daily Booth

Dennis and Joe Morin

Rosemary Forsyth, Vincent Camera, Renee Blodgett

“I write about Silicon Valley because it’s the most interesting region in the world, it’s the birthplace of tremendous disruptive forces,” @TomForemski, Silicon Valley Watcher. #WDYDWYD? #TG2009

"I write about Silicon Valley because it's the most interesting region in the world, it's the birthplace of tremendous disruptive forces."

“Communication is how we connect to others at a deeper level,” Jim “Sky” Schuyler @JimSky7 #TravelingGeek #WDYDWYD?

"Communication is how we connect to others at a deeper level."

“Technology has the power to unleash the imagination.” “It should be available to everyone,” says Tristan Wilkinson, Intel director for public sector EMEA. @inteltristan

"Technology has the power to unleash the imagination – it should be available to everyone."

Redefining Digital Inclusion

We met with Tristan Wilkinson this morning at Savoy Place in London. Tristan, who is Intel’s Director for Public Sector for Intel EMEA, wears many hats and has several interests.

Below Tristan with Perveen Akhtar, Intel UK PR Manager

He tells us about a program called One Goal which will be launched in August and piggyback off the South African World Cup. The goal is to get 30 million online signatures in an effort to help make poverty history. Take note: 75 million children still don’t have access to primary school education in the world.

Tristan asks, “do those that enjoy the benefits of technology have a moral right over those who don’t? If you don’t have access, you’re missing so much.” He adds,”for example, when did a blue collar worker need access to the Internet and many of these tools simply to get a job? It’s particularly important in this economic climate.”

He talks about the broken education system where we’re still assessed by written exams, rather than an interactive system that allows students to exchange ideas and use technology to learn.

Essentially you’ve got a 21st century learner in a 19th century environment and the two are starting to cancel each other out. And, what are the other things that allow these technology tools to be unleashed? We have to figure out a way to embrace and value informal learning, such as self-study.

The thread is one that isn’t a new one: the digital divide, largely an economic one, however it’s beyond a financial issue, it’s also attitude; attitude among teachers and among parents.

Parents have learned about the perils of Internet use but haven’t necessarily learned about about the value that it can bring to their child’s life, particularly in the classroom.

Robert Scoble asserts that the change will come from the kids, not from top down. And, adds that it’s not about the technology or being able to afford it, it’s about lack of knowledge and education – what’s out there? what tools can help me find a better job? go to a better school?

We discuss key drivers. If success and nirvana is a digitally educated population, we shouldn’t have to wait twenty years for people to catch up to embrace these changes…with technology change accelerating at such a dramatic rate, there needs to be an effort to bring those who are being left behind forward.

Tristan asserts that the problems are very fragmented and that there needs to be a more concerted effort to bring groups like us together to take action.

Sky adds, “the best thing that educators can do is to be totally open to the new devices that already have some of these services embedded….but we have legislation.” Robert has become demoralized and is one of the reasons he doesn’t get involved in this debate regularly.

We also discuss the role of the press….how do the press educate parents and educators and what form it takes. “It’s not that my children are going to get online and be stalked but that if they don’t get online and learn how to use these new technologies, they won’t get jobs, they will be left behind. Parents need to understand that the jobs of the future are going to require them to support their kids to learn how to use technology. There may not be any public or private funds for it but the change needs to happen.

We need to redefine Digital Inclusion. The definition of digital inclusion today is basic access. It doesn’t include basic skills such as understanding some of the technology and social media schools to network and make friends not just locally for globally. It increases their job and life opportunities significantly.

It’s time to move that definition beyond simple access. We need a new definition that policy makers, technology creators, parents, and educators can rally around. There will be a revolution when more and more students get their hands on some of these devices and start using them in the classroom.

My Traveling Geeks Meme: WDYDWYD?

I am an enabler, helping others be successful through business education and personal relationships.

Why Do You Do What You Do?

It’s a sweetly simple question that whaps you backside your head when you actually think about the ramifications of it.

Why DO you do what you do?

Do you know?

This week, all through London and Cambridge, I’m meeting with super powers like Nokia, BT, Microsoft and a raft of early-stage technology innovators like Playfish, Digitrad, Weeworld…the list goes on.  I will be blogging about the companies that I think are the most interesting to DishyMix readers. But you know me, it’s the people that matter to me more than the technology.

Tonight at the TweetUp, a very nice young man came up to me and told me his name and company concept and said, “who here from the Traveling Geeks would I benefit most from meeting if I’m looking for funding and feedback on my business model?”  Now that’s  true entrepreneur, showing up and trying to deliver on his pre-ordained outcomes for the event. I bet he will be successful.

It’s that drive. That laser focus. The determination to make something happen that is an addictive part of the technology business. If you’ve ever listened to one of my DishyMix Podcasts, you know that I spend as much time getting to know the person behind the company as I do talking about business.

DishyMix: Success Secrets from Famous Media and Internet Business Executives

It’s that essence of the person, what makes them uniquely talented, that I love to articulate for you. So this week, I’ll be doing it via a series of blog posts and Twitters ala Tony Deifell, a Burning Man friend who invented this WDYDWYD? meme.

Let me know if you like it. It’s my first time trying outside the Playa.

This is the first in the series, of Jeff Saperstein, of the Traveling Geeks.

Jeff, explaining why he does what he does.

Digitrad Launches Yes.tel, Digital Business Card Service

Digitrad, a company specializing in unified communications, launched Yes.tel today in the U.S. Yes.tel provides instant access to a person’s contact information from any PC or mobile device.

Using one user-friendly platform to manage a multitude of digital identities, consumers can seamlessly access and update their personal information consolidated into one domain from their laptop, desktop or their mobile phone.

A subscriber based service, costing $19.99 annually, Yes.tel allows registrants to select a user .tel name of their choice, which includes a local phone number with a unified voicemail, an integrated email re-direction system, anti-spam and antivirus services.

Yes.tel user records are consolidated and stored within an information-encrypted Domain Name Server (DNS), allowing a certain level of access to the public. Once a user registers a domain and distributes it to friends, family and colleagues, other users will be able to look-up the domain and have full access to all of the information associated with that domain, which will be immediately re-directed to the device and saved.

Disclosure: Digitrad is a sponsor of the Traveling Geeks blogging tour to London.

JD Lasica and Susan Bratton in a London Cab Leaving the TweetUp

– Posted using MobyPicture.com

Howard Rheingold and Susan Bratton at the London TweetUp #TG2009

– Posted using MobyPicture.com