Blogging : Making the world a small place

Ironic, really, that it would be Facebook that would put me in touch with Minter Dial, Managing Director, International Professional Development & Communication at L'Oreal Coiffure. Particularly, since the first post which caught my eye in his blog's archives is entitled Human Touch and the anti-Facebook trend.

Minter found my blog through a degree of separation, appropriately named Mitch Joel (of Six Pixels of Separation fame). He sent me a quick note through Facebook, remarking on the fact that we were two of a rare breed of blogger to pass from French to English and back again. I agree with him that it can be challenging for some of our readers, and can only hope that you find it more intriguing than frustrating.

In his March 9th post, Minter writes about the backlash to our heightened connectivity through platforms like Facebook and the accompanying cry for the 'human touch'. I can certainly empathize. As in many things, I am of two minds. On one hand, I'm thrilled to be able to communicate with people around the world, and draw knowledge from an exponentially larger number of sources than was possible even two or three years ago. On the other hand, like some of the people Minter describes in his post, I dread globalization, with its impact on culture and small-market economies.

This is probably why I try to walk the thin line that separates the two worlds. 3e mardi Third Tuesday Montreal is probably the best example of this. I was drawn to the concept of Third Tuesday and sought to introduce it to Montreal because of the very fact that it drew professionals interested in social media out from behind their keyboards and into a relaxed, convivial ambiance that encourages exchange, debate and face-to-face communication. It essentially does what Minter suggests in his post :

Create or participate in old-fashioned “Salons” (in the 18th century sense) to discuss and debate face-to-face on topics other than your children's school, or your work trials and tribulations...

Who knows what's next for me. A Lettres d'amour fragranced pen, perhaps.