Telepresence "defined"

So....How about it doesn't matter? Video conferencing (in
"Telepresence".all past and future reincarnations) is just a facet of
I get a kick out of seeing the so called "video"Telepresence". 3-D imaging? Another facet. What
conferencing experts" struggle to define this simplewe watched on historical CNN Election night with the
word. So far the most common and widely available"hologram" camera trick? Another facet.
definition of "Telepresence" is from Wikipedia. ItSimply put: Tele - "to or at a distance" and Presence
states:- "the impressive manner or appearance of a person".
"Telepresence refers to a set of Technologies whichTelepresence. End of story, case closed.
allow a person to feel as if they were present, toThe companies that have figured out that the word
give the appearance that they were present, or to"Telepresence" is more about marketing then an
have an effect, at a location other than their trueactual definition are going to soar, while others that
location."are still trying to define it are going to get kicked to
That simple sentence says it all. Nothing more,the curb. It doesn't matter who invented it. It does
nothing less.matter who's going to capitalize on it. Telepresence in
Now, VC (video conferencing) experts all haveits essence is the boss barking orders via a walkie
opinions gained from their years and years in the VCtalkie (or string and cup for that matter). It doesn't
industry. They've been there, done that and havematter if it's 720i HD at 30 fps, or 3-D Pepper's
gained all the knowledge required to become wizardsGhost technology, or 300 cameras building a trick
of their industry. That same "vast amount of gainedhologram. Those methods are just the means to
knowledge" they've amassed is also part of theconvey Telepresence, not Telepresence defined.
reason we've been waiting for VC to prove itselfPresently, Cisco is running with the ball because of
since the video phone in 1964. Instead of running totheir TV commercials and Internet play. Marketing
a common goal, they're running in circles. Smart101. They didn't invent Telepresence, but they've
people do that ya' know.been marketing it. They're not waiting on unified
I think they've all missed the point. There, I said it.conferencing "Standards", they're not waiting on a
That's sure to make more than a few people cringe.definition and they're surely not waiting on anybody
Oh well. Here's another observation. It's probably notor anything. They are forging ahead with their
their job to "define" Telepresence anyway. They'reTelepresence related products. Remember, if you
looking so past the point, kind of like a brain surgeonbelieve like I do that Telepresence is not about
that can't change a flat tire. They're thinking it has to"video conferencing", but about "all" the different
do with video conferencing, 3-D, Pepper's Ghost,technologies that can make up "Telepresence", you
video over IP or even 4-D magic. Lenses, lighting,can change the tire and get on down the road
immersiveness, latency, HD, Plasma, Bandwidth, etc.instead of getting your gray matter mired in the mud
The question lingers - at what point does videothinking up a definition that won't please all of the
conferencing become Telepresence? Is it 70mspeople anyway.
latency? Video over IP? HD immersiveness? Right?Sometimes we're so smart, we're stupid.
Wrong. All wrong.Just my two cents worth. Take it or leave it.