Suppose they gave a speech…

…and no one laughed? I just spoke to 1,200 IT and business managers in Beijing at a bigtime IBM event here. I ranted, I chanted, I preached, I testified. No visible response. Of course, I did all this mediated by simultaneous translators. Afterwards my hosts assured me that the presentation was in fact well received. The evidence? No one left. Apparently Chinese audiences aren’t shy about heading for the safety of the hallways when they don’t like a speaker.

But of course, it isn’t all about me. The important question is what sense this Chinese audience is making of the Net revolution. Hard to tell when you can’t speak their language. But IBM certainly is stressing the effect e-ness will have on the way business is conducted. (The only English word used in their overview pump-up-the-crowd video was “linux,” complete with animated penguin.) And, they apparently like Cluetrain enough to invite one of its authors here.

I have to run to catch a plane. Tomorrow it’s another IBM conference, in Thailand.

Can I please sleep soon? Thank you.

Categories: Uncategorized dw