Geekonomics

Is Twitter becoming the virtual Silicon Valley?

May 20, 2009 07:48

This post is inspired from my recent trip to Silicon Valley (SV) two weeks back, when I brought along a Canon Powershot G10 and snapped snapped away:

Window shot from the plane--fog-covered Golden Gate Bridge. All photos downsized to 400 x 400 and slightly touched up. Click on photo for original.


View of the city suburbs. In fact, a good part of the Bay area looks like this from the air and from the 101 Highway.


The sun rises early in the Bay area. This shot was taken around 5am.

I think the Bay area is beautiful. However, one would quite often hear about how Silicon Valley is not quite what you would expect if you happen to be there for the first time. One conversation overheard on this trip was: "So where IS Silicon Valley?" To be answered by: "This is it." This conversation was then followed by the scratching of the former's head.


Cloud-covered mountains seen from Milpitas, near Santa Clara and Mountain View.

One quickly realizes that the valley is not about fancy high-tech buildings and tall skyscrapers but the people you meet. In this neighborhood, the average Joe round the corner could be the next biggest startup. Or the venture capitalist you've been looking for. Silicon Valley is a lot about the people you get to bump into and meet, which left me with an odd thought after my trip: is Twitter becoming the virtual SV?

Why this strange thought? Because on Twitter, more so than on even Facebook, I get to follow and be followed by interesting geeks, VCs, startups, and obtain the latest scoops and SV gossips earlier than anyone else. Without being physically in the Valley, I get to meet these same people on Twitter. OK, maybe not all of them, but at least most of them. And the great thing is, many of them follow you back when you follow them. At least in my case, they do.

Here's a parting shot on the very impressive Canon Powershot G10, which is a really cool dSLR not much bigger than a compact camera, to drive home the point:


Taken from inside the AT&T Ballpark (in the city) about three to four storys high up during a Giants vs. Dodgers game. Click on photo if you can't read the words.

See, it's interesting even to meet the homeless around the Bay area!

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