December 29th, 2006

Rational Rants On-The-Ether: godsdog on Skype

Posted by Mitch Ratcliffe @ 9:57 am

Categories: Business & Technology

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2007 will mark a different tack in my blogging/podcasting efforts. For many years, including those preceding the arrival of the "blog," I've been writing postings (neé columns) about events in the technology and business world, not to mention a lot of political and policy issues. The form feels exhausted to me, or maybe it is just that I am exhausted with writing to a kind of template when the real problem these days is thinking fast about changing tactics in the midst of rapidly evolving technologies and strategies.

So, I'm opening my Skype account to all comers for almost-real time discussions that will be podcast here. Call it Rational Rants On-The-Ether. You can start the discussion or respond and I'll have the fun of having to think faster on my feet, in a format that I predicted in 1995 in a Digital Media editorial about the rise of the online personality.

I'll still be writing, but I'll be writing shorter and (it will probably be seen as) more abrupt postings to invite you, the readers and other bloggers or companies trying to participate in the conversation to join me in discussion. My Skype address is open to you to ring any time, though I don't always promise to be available, in which case we can schedule a call, that I'll record and distribute here.

Whatever the issue, whether it is something I wrote or said, something you want to say, the opportunity to talk about your product or strategy, even politics—just ring me up and we'll record it and make it available. Want to discuss your business or product idea, or practice your pitch before going to VCs? Just remember, the people are listening.

This is an experiment and we'll see where it goes. The guidelines for people who want to show a product to me are that you should IM me on Skype to discuss how to arrange a presentation and, if I need to use the product for a bit before the recording, we need to arrange that. For people who just want to talk about something, just call. Only understand that every word will be recorded and distributed.

You'll get my frank response to whatever you want to talk about. Anything, anytime. If I don't have an opinion or don't know enough to give you a fair hearing, I'll tell you, and the audience will hear it. Likewise, if you make an ass of yourself, that goes public, too, so let's aim for reasoned discourse.

Here's the way to connect: Call or IM "godsdog" on Skype.

Let's see where this goes and what happens.