Despite the fact that my last post was about the Super Bowl, and this one touches on the Olympics, I want to assure you in advance that I am not turning this into a sports blog. I did want to mention however, that Friday is the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games and with the surge in social media over the past few years, I suspect there will be some differences from previous games. In addition to all the talk about various events, the snow or lack thereof, and all the preparations, there has also been great speculation about who might light the Olympic torch. I heard a suggestion today that the lighting may involve a hologram of Terry Fox. It will be interesting find out what the organizers come up with and if they use technology to accomplish it.

It will also be interesting to see what technology will be used to enhance the coverage of the games. Will we really be able to stream live events effectively on a smart phone? How many athletes will be posting to a blog throughout the games or twittering during events? I’m certain that the twittering will be endless…though I’m not convinced that’s a good thing.

Speaking of Twitter, I was forwarded this TED link that has 5 short video presentations from previous TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) conferences including one from Evan Williams (co founder of Twitter). All five videos are interesting perspectives on social media and give some insight into where we have been and the future - how it all begins to fit together.

Not to get too caught up in Twitter, I have found it an excellent resource for articles and information on all sorts of business practices, ideas and executions. Following has been a bit of a challenge at times and just yesterday I actually had to eliminate one of the people I was following. Too many tweets, too repetitive – simply overkill! I wonder if they notify the person the way they notify you when you have a new follower.
Cheers and have a great day.
George