In the wake of all the inane chatter about who blogs (Nicholas "The Curmudgeon" Carr") and what's a blog (led by Robert Scoble), it was refreshing to read a post by Rick Segal on how blogs help provide easier access to all kinds of people - be they corporate executives, authors, reporters, etc. To prove his point, Segal conducted an unscientific experiment by setting up a new, free e-mail account to hide his identity, and then sending questions via e-mail to 50 bloggers as well as 30 senior executives who did not have blogs. The response rate was, all in all, pretty impressive with lots of people such as Jeff Jarvis and Mathew Ingram providing answers. Segal's hit list included me, which involved some questions about newsrooms operate. (Fortunately, I have a policy of responding to all e-mail unless it looks really suspicious). I think what Segal tried to prove is that blogging is a great platform for conversations both on and off line. Personally, blogging has provided me with access to all kinds of people with whom I would have never got a chance to "meet". A good example is Om Malik, whose blog I started reading well before he became a blogosphere superstar. I had just finished his book, Telecom Bandits, and sent him a compliment using the e-mail address on his blog. Om responded, and over the last few years, I've talked to him about telecom issues, interviewed him for stories, and had him do a keynote at the mesh conference. Segal's blog also coincides with my belated reading of Naked Conversations, which focuses on why blogging is becoming an increasingly important communications tool. I've just started it but I have to confess the first chapter looking at Microsoft's blogging activity and Scoble's involvement don't exactly provide a jump-start.
Update: For some much-needed perspective on blogging, Advertising Age has a story (citing Jupiter Research) that 7% of adults in the U.S. write blogs and 22% read them, while 8% listen to podcasts and 5% use RSS feeds. These are pretty impressive numbers. It does surprise me, however, RSS remains such an unknown for many people given it can help people customize/personalize Web-based information so they can read in an efficient and quick fashion.

Now that Cisco is sexy again (stellar fourth-quarter results, strong growth projections for fiscal 2007, the savvy acquisition of Scientific-Atlanta), tech/TV watchers should pay attention to its latest acquisition: the $92-million purchase of Arroyo Video Solutions, which makes software to help cablecos and carriers deliver video-on-demand services. The acquisition is the latest in a string of video-related deals that Cisco has made in recent years (perhaps Linksys could be included given it expand video within the home) to reposition itself at a time when many of its rivals (Nortel, etc.) are scrambling to figure out where they want to be and what they will look like in the wake of fierce competition. Cisco, meanwhile, is far ahead of the pack with a strategy that may become CEO John Chamber's legacy. Watch this space, watch this company. For more, check out GigaOm.