Wow, how completely thrilling!   This afternoon I got a chance to meet someone I know by blogging, internet and new network connections, someone, that is to say, who has been a complete virtual presence in my life however much we chatted on line. 

What to expect?  I made no assumptions.  As it turned out, we got on like a house on fire.  I would like to think that it was virtual contact that made this real world connection so effortless, but I am obliged to acknowledge that anyone one who thinks for a living is inclined to find a way to talk to anyone else who thinks for a living.  We are endowed with the necessary skills.  All of Richard Florida’s creatives  share a language. 

But I think it’s fair to say that we got from 0 to 60 with an acceleration that would have otherwise been improbable.  There is a certain amount of conversational due process that I feel obliged to go through before the "trust them: yes" flat goes up.  And the flag went up within 40 minutes.  There is a certain amount of idea exchange that must take place before we believe that the conversational bridge can take your weight.  And this too was diminished.  Within 30 minutes I was risking things I would otherwise feel obliged to roll out and frame with care. 

One of the topics was predictably how the new social networks mediate social connections.  The conversation proved an interesting proof and contemplation of its theme.