The Net

I was sitting in a cafe in a little country town in the South West of Australia with a mate whose dad lives on a boat off the coast of Florida. With any coffee purchase, you get free wi-fi access. So my mate is sitting on Skype, chatting to his dad who is a couple of miles off the coast. The image and sound is clear, and it's free with your latte! We reflected on being at Uni and if someone said you could do this in the future, we would perhaps question their sanity. Technology continues to move forward at a rate of knots, where 'long term' is considered 3 years and even people in the industry cannot with any certainty tell you what things may look like in 12 months.

It is interesting to think about  how new technology impacts on your life. For me, it has changed how I communicate- often in a positive manner, at times like this, when I am typing away and not talking to my wife who is a metre away, it is a more negative outcome. It has changed how I seek out entertainment- less tv, more on demand internet stuff. Less books, more reading blogs. The greatest impact for me (and everyone) has been the access to information- often great, often rubbish. The significance of how much the internet has open\ned up the world of knowledge and information cannot be underestimated. I can read from professors, leading economists, sporting heroes, environmentalists as they blog, report, video information.

So, a few things I have been looking at lately, and if I ever did click the 'like' button on things (you know, the ones on Facebook), I would click it for these...

Firstly, I'm becoming a bit of a blog addict, and use Google Reader to quickly keep track on all the blogs I like to read. It is an awesome tool. By the way- check out Google Docs to share, co-edit, and save documents.

Big Think allows you to hear from top experts in a whole range of fields as they examine key elements of  the 21st Century.

Seth Godin is a great thinker with much to say. In a few short sentences, he can hit you with a lot. I at times try to imitate his style.

I check out Vimeo about twice a week, to be entertained and impressed by the incredible talent so many poeple share.

I'm a fan of Patagonia (the outdoor company) and check out their blog, the cleanest line for some inspiration from one of their athletes.

And there are many more. I'm learning about permaculture, small business, wooden surfboards, environmental stewardship, how to play the guitar. All at the touch of a screen.

The Net- mind blowing at times!