You know from a previous post that I'm involved with a new service on the web that we're calling SCOREcast.  One of the fringe benefits of such an undertaking is I have the opportunity to hone my ability to work with people who are in different geographic locations from me.  Perfect example, tonight the SCOREcast core team are getting together for our first planning meeting.  Half of the team is in Los Angeles, half is in Austin, and we're meeting via videoconference.  Most of the team have Macs, which has some awesome videoconference capability through iChat.  But luckily iChat works with AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), so I'm using that on my PC.

I've used videoconferencing at work many times, but it's usually a big deal involving very expensive equipment, insane bandwidth, reserving special conference rooms, coordinating with people "across the pond", training classes on how to use it all, and so on.  But this stuff, iChat and AIM, is as easy as using the telephone.  And that's the coolest thing about videoconferencing these days.  When I was growing up watching Jetsons, Star Trek, and so on, everyone always spoke face to face over monitors, holograms, handheld screens, or whatever.  Well that day is here, folks.  I say we take advantage.  And speaking of taking advantage, let's not forget, videoconferencing like this is FREE.  The only problem with videoconferencing right now is similar to the problem when telephones were still "new": not many people had one, so its usefulness was limited.  So go out and get set up.  And to my family: This Means You!