It started with a reply to a blog entry back in February. I clicked on his profile link and began to explore who this person was.  Curious by what I found I sent him a connection request, joined his group and soon we became virtual friends in this playground called XING. 

Dean Hua represents a XING'ster 'true and blue' (Aussie speak). He's mastered the art of a digital identity - without even realising it. And until a few weeks back when we shared a bowl of edamame in Washington I would have sworn that he was a different person.

As synchronicity would have it, reading The Virtual Handshake on the journey from Hamburg to Washington, I became obsessed with the whole concept of digital identity. You see, Dean is a super cool, fun, smart, young entrepreneur who designs vibrant sites and moderates one of the most popular English communities on XING the Entrepreneurs Playground .  I was certain that he'd be totally out there as a person in real life. He was all but one ingredient.  Which confused the real Dean from the virtual Dean in my mind. And that was that he's actually quite... quiet... And as I later learned when I started raving about the book I'd just read, he's a case study in it!

As we explore the depths of this social phenomenon of on-line networking tune into the perceptions you have in your mind of a person you've developed a virtual relationship with until that moment when you meet face to face...

Read Dean's blog account of our meeting.

Weitere Informationen finden Sie hier und hier.

We have been asked where you can report your bug.
So if you found something that can be improved, you can do it actually here.

Please welcome with us the next generation of social networking for business professionals.

but Lars is missing to start.

Daniela says

On top a team from Monolux arrived interviewing Lars about networking and  several things.

update: the interview will be broadcast already 27 November at 9:30pm. Afterwards you can watch it here.

Karsten did some last minute HTML corrections. Still some minutes to wait until we are live with XING.

Some more final beta testing impressions. German-speaking bug hunters in action.

Bugs...bugs...bugs...

Before and after: Svens´ resumee. And I just heard that epublica closed all bug tickets tonight.

Lars in interview.

epublica rolled up their sleeves and we are on time.

Special thanks to Daniel (Mr. Admin) ;)

Sven Wiesner did a fabulous and entertaining blog post about the XING bug test-party last night. Watch his video and listen to the beat.

Join the blog parade here.

...if epublica is not on it!

Today we are beta testing the new XING-Platform. Keep you posted!

On Saturday morning a report about openBC/XING was broadcasted on ZDF. The filming was exciting. It´s a kind of weird, you never know what the camera exactly is focussing on next...but all desks have been cleaned up and hairs been brushed.

[click image] [more here]

This amazing picture was taken by our VP Engineering. Now I know where his best coding ideas are coming from ;-D

In the meanwhile we are working under pressure to finalise everything for the upcoming launch of XING. I know that some of you already realised the nice eye catcher on openBCs`s upper left corner.

But it´s not only us who are doing nightshifts at the moment. The whole team is looking forward testing the platform within a few days. It will be fun, and I will blog about it!

What was the highest price you ever paid attending a lousy web-too... conference? 3.000 bucks for a ticket? And, is this the beginning of the unconference aera?

Mhmm, let me think. Which affordable conferences could I recommend?

Definitely reboot! I´ve heard a lot about LeWeb3 and will be in Paris this year. XING me, if you´re going as well. DLD is also on my radar and I´ve read good feedback about lift in swissy Switzerland. Not to forget mentioning Supernova. The Barcamp in Berlin disapeared like ice in the sunshine, after my daughter decided being ill exactly on that weekend.

I know have heard that TED costs something around 5.500$. Invitation only. Did anyone go there? Did they speak about me? I obviously couldn´t afford the ticket!  ;-D

See you soon!

Watch this space

Daniela has been defining a new level of work intensity with her team in conjunction with the current media news and the upcomXING activities.

Everyone is going full steam ahead on so many fronts and I am really impressed to see how the whole team is making so many extra efforts.

The attention is also leading to some interesting new sights around the office such as Lars here getting in a few last emails before going on camera.

Mind you I think the workload might be getting to some of us...

Just kidding, obviously we have retained our sense of humor (that or we just hired Borat) :-) and
personally I am excited.

Click here to see a photo at full resolution

This is a picture of Neil our Chairman and he is part of a story of how openBC worked for me personally.

Many of you have seen that I am a passionate photographer as well as a networker, what you probably don't know is that I learned over 30 years ago on a type of camera called a rangefinder.

Now Leica camera have produced a digital rangefinder camera the M8 and it is simply the best piece of technology I have ever owned bar none it beast every gadget I have hands down it is better constructed than my swiss watch and looks cooler than my MacBook and it is more functional than my Ipod.

I have had this camera on order  for over a year at Leica bei Meister in Hamburg and even the talented Mr Meister could not procure one soon enough for me. So I turned to openBC and found that Leica have several active members on our site.

I shamelessly name dropped Neil, who used to be a Leica Board member, and I promised that I would only use my new M8 to do good works :-) and the good folks at Leica listened and Yesterday filled my order through Martin Meister.

Yes I got the camera early because I was able to use my network of people to assist me and this is the point  openBC allowed me to do something which I could not have done before and it allowed me to do it in a way that was not intrusive and that has built up several new friendships and new connections and I will be a loyal Leica customer for ever now.

Here is the power of networking and everyone is happy.

If you want to see the photos from the new M8 Just click here Flickr / Liao and if you would like to read a more passionate review of the M8 just go to my review page here Tech Reviews   

Thanks again Leica for improving my quality of life and thanks Neil for letting me name drop you in the service of one of my passions.