Upf ront
EMC World lacked would have made cabled this survey just so I could businesses, where work is
Internet available; wireless answer the last question. distributed and must be
news and beer often can be janky. —Chris Preimesberger shared.
5) How did you feel about Apply the spreadsheet
Tech journalists go to the amount of content/ Socialtext’s utility withinawiki—where
a lot of user and com- news/activity in the press collaboration is the rule and
pany conferences; the job program? I thought news spreadsheet not the exception—and
requires it. Usually, they fromthecompany waspretty you’ve got a winner, or so are well worth the time, minimal this year. Having in a wiki Socialtext hopes.
effort and money it ta kes [CEO and Chairman] Joe uring the Enterprise This was what made
to travel to and cover them D2.0 show in Boston launching SocialCalc at
because they are a great in June, Socialtext Chair- Enterprise 2.0 so great;
opportunity to meet with man Ross Mayfield told theconferenceisdesigned
vendors and users of IT me why his team released to highlight solutions
products and services and a wiki-based spreadsheet. that enable collaboration
find out how all this stuff is Called Social Calc, the among a number of people
working in the real world. application is a break from or even businesses.
No w and then, jour- traditional (read: Microsoft Asked what has changed
nalists and analysts are Excel) spreadsheets sent since Socialtext started
asked questions about via e-mail. offeringwikisfiveyearsago,
conferences. For exam- SocialCalc is designed to Mayfield saidthe technology
ple, we were asked to fill save customers from games was largely about technical
out a questionnaire June of “e-mail volleyball” with groups doing project com-
1 9 a t t h e E M C Wo r l d Excel attachments, where munication and lightweight
show. colleagues send versions of documentation.
Here are the actual ques- these documents to and fro In 2004, business users
tions the PR person asked, without knowing what the started doing small group
with my answers: Tucci come in for an hour latest version is. collaboration. By 2006,
1) Was your time at totalktous wasgood. The application breaks the trend turned up a
EMC World 2008 well 6) Did you feel you workintopiecesandallows few notches to building
spent? Overall, yes. had enough free time at users to edit, hold discus- Wikipedia-like reference
2) What did you like? EMC World to explore the sions about their work works inside each com-
Catching up with col- conference, speak with and use version control to pany, such as Pfizerpedia,
leagues on both sides of attendees and write sto- obviate errors associated Intellipedia for the CIA,
the fence; good availability ries? Yes. with aggregation changes etc. “It was about people
of EMC execs. 7) Do you feel that EMC because the user always creating wikis or knowl-
3) What didn’t you like? PR prepared you well for has the correct and current edge communities people
Not a lot of news; Las the event (with interview content, Mayfield said. wouldshareintheirlunch
Vegas itself (yeccch). schedules, travel/hotel While other online hours,” Mayfield said.
PAUL CONNOLLY
4) Were the facilities logistics, etc.)? Yes. spreadsheets such as Google Now, he says the indus-adequate for your needs? 8) What do you suggest spreadsheets and EditGrid try is conducting process-
(Internet café, hotel, media EMC PR incorporate into have taken Excel function- implementations of wikis
briefing room, AV, etc.?) the press program for next ality and put it on a Web designed with a specific
What would you change? year? Beer. page, Mayfield argued that business goal in mind.
Pressroom was fine. I Note: I actually filled out this won’t work for larger Socialtext faces competi-
