Social Colaboration, Changing the "Face" of Conference Calls

We live in an age where most people have multiple ways of communicating with each other. There is SMS texting, Instant Messaging, E-Mail, Video Colaboration, Mobile Phones, VOIP, Skype and social networking. I may have missed one or two there but I doubt it. I personally text, IM, email, use a mobile phone, have a skype account, and what I think is the best invention since the Internet social collaboration (Twitter, Facebook). A couple of weeks ago a really good friend of mine that I have known pretty much all of my life tried to reach me on my mobile phone. We live about 600 miles away from each other and really don't talk to much so I was dissapointed I missed his call. I picked up his voicemail and listen to his message. It went something like this "He Reilly it's "Iron" (name changed) I know you can be reached on IM, email, facebook, twitter, text but I guess a call to your mobile is not the best way to reach you. When you get this message either call me, IM, or email me." I had to laugh because two days later I got back in touch with him, through Facebook. His picture on Facebook is pretty tame, unlike some I have seen out there and that brings me to the point of this. Facebook or Myspace is a great tool to reconnect or search for someone. I personally do not like Myspace, I think it is like going into "Barker's" back in 90s. Anyway, I will now get to the point. Last week at work I was on one of my many conference calls for that day. I decided to do a little experiment. A lot of companies have deployed Integrated Collaboration into the workplace. IM with Video, but still no one uses video. I have been in my fair share of Web Ex and Meetingplace conferences and am usually the only person broadcasting my video cam. I always ask myself why is no one else using their Video camera. Apple/Lenova/Dell did not put them there so they could jack the price up, there must be a demand. So on this call that I was telling you about, the one I wanted to do an experiment with. I looked up the attendees of the conference call and decided to look them up 1 by 1. Guess what???? They were all on there. I could not see their profiles but I got to see their faces. To me this is important!! Due to the current economic crises travel budgets have been slashed by companies, so you miss the face to face meetings with people. I am sorry but that is so important. You want to know what the person on the other end of the phone call, text, IM looks like. Don't ask me why, but we as human beings need to know these things... The next time you are on a conference call try it, unless you are presenting. Open up Facebook and due a search for the attendees if you don't already know them. It's pretty cool. It's more personable. I also would like to say that in thinking about this blog there is a lesson to be learned. The lesson is what picture of you do you want people to see of you. Be careful!!! You don't want your colleagues, boss or a potential employer to see you holding a beer in each hand on the beach in Florida with a half dressed women hanging all over you.