Is the PR world dependent on email now? In terms of speed and expedience it's become very important. There's still a lot of dependency on relationships and live interaction, though.
Mac or PC? I have an assortment of G3s and G4s. I mainly use a Titanium Powerbook for writing my books and articles when I'm travelling. It's amazing how quickly the computer integrates into your life. When I was running Lynne Franks PR, we were probably the first computerised PR office in London and I was the only person who didn't know how to work one at the time!
Does the number of women in top IT jobs disappoint you? I've lived in California for the past five years and there are some very powerful women in Silicon Valley - but there are still more men. Men tend to have more of that engineering, left-brain type mindset. The internet world would definitely be more woman-friendly if there were more women programmers. Having had both women and men design sites for me, the site the woman designed was infinitely superior.
Do you think the net is still over-complicated? Definitely... and too ugly! There's no reason why some sites need to be crammed full of information in an aesthetically displeasing way. Research shows that women are using computers for email and research, whereas men surf around randomly a lot more. E-commerce aimed everything at teenagers and men, and forgot about the huge, untapped, market of women over 40.
Will the dotcoms rise again? I do think they got everything they deserved, as most of them weren't based on any foundation of common sense or service. I'm not even buying my air-tickets online, as it's still easier for me to pick up the phone. I use Amazon but, again, I still prefer to go to a bookstore for "real-time" shopping.
How embedded is the mobile into your way of life? Mobiles have become a very important part of my life but I still find them incredibly intrusive. I have a Nokia 6510 but I've become less gadget-orientated as I used to have Psions and Palms but now I've gone back to keeping a little notebook.
You're developing a web radio station for Seed Fusion? We've got some radio programmes already on the site and we're in the process of creating a non-profit radio service for training and supporting minority women in the UK. I think the potential is there with internet radio but I don't know if many people are using it yet. When we have devices that can bring web radio into our cars, it'll start getting really interesting. My favourite station is KCRW in Los Angeles.
Favourite sites? I like www.1giantleap.tv and www.corporatevoodoo.co.uk. I think there's a real danger that unsolicited email could spoil things!
Visit: www.seedfusion.com. www.lynnefranks.com will launch at the end of this month.
