Last Fall, I met and became fast friends with a couple of guys building some "next-gen" (my words) stuff in the social media space. They're still at it, and still in stealth mode, so no names today. Anyway... they were kind enough to invite me to one of their, for lack of a better term, "board meetings" at CommerceNet last week.

I came across CommerceNet originally when they linked to a bit I wrote on eBay, its Pulse offering and decentralized marketplaces. I grokked what they were about, but not what they're doing... the latter, finally, being the point of this post.

As explained to me, the best way to think about CommerceNet is as a next-gen (there it is again) Xerox PARC... but with commercialization intent in addition to research. Said again, think of it as a place where the best and brightest technical talent can mingle, collaborate, get some early seed cash (and office space) as they organize their plan for world domination -- an EIR for technical entreprenuers, if you will. I dig that, a lot.

The "board meeting" I sat in on was, well bizzare... the CommerceNet principals who sat in were... Pleasant (to the point of 'Nice'). Interested. Engaged. Helpful. Informed. Modest. Like I said, bizzare. ;-)

CommerceNet has occasional open houses (open to all) at their Palo Alto, CA offices and was supportive of the formation of 106 Miles (an ongoing meet-up for entreprenuerial techies). I'd strongly encourage you to check them out if you're in town.

My thanks, again, to my SF friends and the folks I met during my visit; hope to see you again soon.