ecademy

Over the last few months I have been networking via ecademy. This is an on-line business exchange which enables you to network with similar folks and in theory find clients and suppliers.

I was suspicious at first as there is always a catch, but actually it has proven rather good. For instance, I have been developing some Nokia phone applications recently and I really needed to talk to someone who had been there and done it. Via the ecademy mobile applications club I was able to talk to a couple of guys who had real world experience of serious mobile stuff with the BBC and others. I was able to read their profiles and visit their websites before hand too.

This was all priceless, getting the same quality information jus through normal channels would have been impossible.

Having had this kind of success I decided to join some local ecademy clubs and go to one of their networking evenings. So last night I found myself driving to a local Golf Club for a evenings networking. The meeting started in the buffet where I chatted with people who all looked like Reggie Perrin. After this we were all ushered into an annex room full of golfing awards to see "The presentations".

A couple of guys talked about their business and then the main attraction came on. The first part of his talk was done in costume - I kid you not. The second half he banged on about sales and stuff and then finished by making us all sing. What we had to sing was:

I don't like selling, oh no, I love it
I don't like selling, oh no, I love it

All to the tune of Dreadlock Holiday by 10cc; all sort of mumbled, as English people always do when required to sing in public.

I managed to leave shorly afterwards, stopped in a lay bye and pissed myself laughing for about five minutes - all on my own, tears rolling down my cheeks and everything. Oh if only you had been there to enjoy it with me.