active social networking

I've been trying out some active social networking lately. That's social networking where you actually leave your computer and talk out loud to people who are sitting right next to you, instead of only communicating with them via the wonders of typing and telephony. It's a pretty radical idea, I know. Social networking on an actively face-to-face basis? What mad genius thought up that one? It'll never catch on…

I've met some pretty interesting people, actually. I know it's not so unusual to meet an eclectic mix of people via internet-based socialising, even if you meet them in the flesh before you find out about their online lives. The people I've met and become friends with via message-boards and mailing lists, and things like Flickr etc. have all been a pretty eclectic bunch. Even so, there's usually something that initially unites a group like that, whether it's photography or comics or whatever, but Tuttle Club Fridays aren't really like that. Whilst some people do turn up because they want to plug their latest venture to others who might be able to get the word out, most people are there to take advantage of the opportunity to bounce ideas off people they might not otherwise meet, and to see where those ideas might go. And that, to me, is pretty stimulating. There's a great sense of interest and a buzz around all the conversations I've heard at Tuttle, and the potential directions they can go in is really exciting to be near, even if I'm not directly involved in any of them yet. But the great thing is, sooner or later, I can get involved. So can you, if you want to. At the moment I feel like a tiny drop in a very big ocean, but there are little ripples being made all the time, and some of them are going to build up into a big wave. The chance I might be there when that big wave breaks, that's what's exciting.

As Sizemore puts it here:

"Like everyone else I have no clue as to where [the next interesting project or idea] is coming from, but I do know that it’s vital to keep as many routes in and out of my own echo chamber open as possible. [...] The exciting thing is none of us knows how we’ll influence each other in the next 18 months."

That is exciting. It's brilliant to meet so many forward-looking people. I've only been to Tuttle twice and I've already had a few conversations that have got me thinking in some new directions. I don't think anything is going to come of it yet, but just the fact that it might is enough for me right now. It's good just to feel a bit optimistic, for a change.