Like watching Earth from the Moon

Watch this for 5 minutes...http://twittervision.com/ it's the nearest thing I've ever felt to being part of a Global community...

In praise of Disconnection

We're so used to the always on nature of the modern world, that cutting free from it feels strange. I just spent the last six days without phones, emails, blogs, facebook, twitters or any of that modern jazz. I barely even saw a Television. I did read the papers most days - which gave me more than enough sense of what was happening in the wider world.

I felt relaxed, in as much contact as I needed to be. A sense of bliss descended upon my week. We should remember just how rewarding and meaningful disconnected time can be. It can even feel like you're more connected to the immediate places and people around you. There is definitely a market for services that allow you to stay disconnected unless something of real urgency occurs. Perhaps you could preordain what things would be important enough for your phone to make contact.

Virgin have already spotted the opportunity for 'disconnection' with a six step guide to how to disconnect when you go on holiday. One to try next time?

No End of Inspiration?

The TED Conference (Technology, Entertainment, Design) in the US strikes me as a wonderful place to look for inspiration and fresh views on the World. It must be good, even 2008's conference is over-subscribed. You can however access some content from previous TEDs here.

I'd love to go. Guess I'll have to wait til 2009?