Originally Posted by
PAXboy
I used to be in telecommunications and involved with early TeleConference systems in the late 1980s. I found their limitations. I had a conference from London with my opposite numbers in New York, whom I had met over there and asked two of my staff to sit in. By the end of the conf, they thought the New Yorkers were a bunch of argumentative idiots. I knew they were not because I had met them a couple of times.
There is no substitute for the face to face. I think that, once met, it is then possible to have some teleconference but is is not ideal. Some things HAVE to done at first hand and you HAVE to have sat down and had a meal to understand each other better. The things that you learn over a coffee in the downtime of the convference are often the most important. In my current job, I still have to use simple audio and visual conferencing (Skype / Facetime / WhatsApp) but it is always second best.
Couldn't agree more about teleconferencing. I have the (misfortune) to have to take part in Webex meetings. They simply don't allow the same level of interactivity that face to face offers, but of course for businesses they are cheap, no matter the quality is reduced, and when you then add in corporate green / carbon neutral policies they are going to become more prevalent.
As for "Carbon Neutral" airlines, I'm as sceptical about them as I am when a well know supplier of motor fuels (formerly using the prefix Royal Dutch) claims their product is carbon neutral!! Largely marketing tosh and hype, and probably almost impossible to verify.