October 07, 2004

I have a confession to make. Since I first heard that Halley Suitt was doing a semi-regularly scheduled "conversation" for ITConversations, I made a judgment call that ITConversations was some big, well sponsored, supported by some high profile, media outfit. Part of this was brought about by ITConversations high profile Gillmor Gang with Steve Gillmor. I made an incorrect assumption that since Steve Gillmor was a high profile print media “star” that the Gillmor Gang was also produced by high profile media.

So at 5:15 this morning I get this email from Doug Kaye at ITConversations requesting to use some of my Gnomedex 4.0 pictures. I gave him my official “sure why not!” right away. He sent back an immediate thank you. This got me going.

I navigated to the ITConversations web site and was startled to discover that Doug Kaye is basically the whole of ITConversations and he was responding to me at what turns out to be 3:15 in the morning his time. This was an epiphany for me. Here is one guy making profession grade streaming audio from the second bedroom of his house, and providing it through a very professional web site.

Right now I’m listening to the Gillmor Gang show taped at Gnomedex; this is much more real than watching what passes as a reality on TV. The quality of the recording is amazing given the large open conference room that the conversation took place.

There are a lot of skilled people out there that have been used up, burned out, and generally misused by business. Doug Kaye has provided proof that there is a place for people of talent and passion and the place is the internet.

I suggest that you take a look at ITConversations, I known I will be paying it a lot more attention.