I always have a hard time concentrating on trying to blog in the middle of an event, even if in this case, it’s an event about blogging.
All right, let’s fill in the when and where: It’s lunchtime, and I’m sitting in the atrium of the Forestry Sciences Building on the UBC Campus. I like this space. It has 3 levels of balconies and bridges, as well as a glass roof, where this year, the sun is streaming down. Being the Forestry Sciences building, there is wood everywhere, from supporting beams and a system of structural supports to desks and paneling that covers most of the walls. Despite the fact that it’s clearly a modern building (and a little bit utilitarian), it has some natural warmth, which is also enhanced by the crowds of people all taking pictures, chatting, and writing on their laptops (in other words, acting like students).
The morning’s sessions that I attended were mostly about blogging in corporate environments: how to cultivate Wikis inside of companies, navigating the IT Department, dealing with a technological decision, and finding someone who can be an effective ‘Wiki Gardner’ (Now there’s an interesting title for a business card!)
I’ve seen many old friends, and am trying to keep from spreading whatever may be left of the my cold (which has been around me so long that I almost feel as if we are on a first name basis). The technology I’ve spied is not all that surprising: mostly Macs, both MacBooks and Macbook Pros (plus a sprinkling of a few Vaios and Dells). I’ve seen at least 4 iPhones.
Which brings me to my good news: After a period where I thought I had ‘bricked’ it (i.e. turned it into an expensive paperweight), I got my iPhone working. It is Jailbroken, Unlocked, and seeing the Rogers network (Rogers, incidentally, announced their massive earnings today, which doesn’t surprise me in the least given that our phone bills are the highest bills of anything we pay in Vancouver, surpassing electricity, cable TV, Internet and gasoline ) Everything is working fine except for the ‘where am I’ feature, which I haven’t been able to get at all. Fortunately for me, I know where I am without having to consult the phone.
This afternoon will be some more ‘techie’ sessions (I think). I’ll write about those and put in the few snapshots that I’ve taken, this evening.