Internet Guru...
I work in advertising. We have quite a lot of failed projects. One of my favourite was our old Chairman's "Digital Future" programme.

He'd decided (belatedly, this was about 2006), that that there t'Interweb thingie was the future, and that as our glorious leader, he should take a lead on the issues that might face us as an agency. Thus was born the 'Digital Future' scheme. It initially took the form of him going out on long lunches with people from Yahoo!, Google, etc., and learning about Digital. He also spent a lot of time in his office, 'surfing the net'.

After a couple of weeks, it was time for the big unveil; we humble foot-soldiers of the marketing industry would be giving up our lunchtimes and early evenings over a couple of weeks to be treated to his insights on various topics.

First session: Social Networks. A couple of introductory slides, then he told us about his time 'Undercover' on Myspace. He'd used his 16 year old son's photo and name, and signed up. There were a few gasps and giggles at this point....

We were treated to a couple of squirmy platitudes about 'cool bands he'd been following', and the like, and then he revealed the coup de grace. 'And here's a transcript of a chat I was having with a young girl from Wimbledon'.

And there, on the screen, is a prime example of grooming, albeit accidental, as a fifty-something ad exec chats online to a teenage girl whilst himself impersonating a minor.

By this stage, the giggles were guffaws, and even the senior managers, who'd been sitting at the front and being very attentive and polite, couldn't wipe the smiles from their faces. As the room gradually broke down with laughter, the Chairman cottoned onto the joke, and took on a demeanour of mixed embarrassment and anger.

That presentation was cut short, and the remaining sessions cancelled. And the Chairman doesn't get involved with Digital anymore. Gave us all a good laugh though, so not a complete failure...
(SnowyTheWereRabbit the Leporid from Hell, Thu 3 Dec 2009, 15:23, Reply)