Joel Leyden : Jeff Pulver, King of Blogs, Web 2.0, VoIP Rocks Israel

Jeff Pulver, King of Blogs, Web 2.0, VoIP Rocks Israel

Jeff Pulver - Nokia in one hand, camera in the other.
All that is missing at this Pulver networking event in Tel Aviv are carrier pigeons!

By Joel Leyden
Israel News Agency

Tel Aviv ----- May 23, 2008 ....... It is Lag Ba'omer in Israel. The Jewish bonfire holiday, said to be in commemoration of the signal fires that ancient Jews lit on the mountain tops to relay messages. But perhaps the largest, hottest fire to take place in Israel last night between modern day Jewish digital messengers was that of the party thrown in Tel Aviv, Israel by blog and Web 2.0 guru Jeff Pulver.

Pulver, the author of what's referred to as "the Pulver Order", which was adopted in 2004 by the US Federal Communications Commission and was listed as a BusinessWeek "Tech Guru" in 2003, is something of a digital Christopher Columbus. He travels. Both by modem and jet fuel speed. Pulver communicates and has used the Internet's most successful social networking application Facebook to attract over 5,000 friends.

But what makes Jeff Pulver truly special is that he transforms his digital friends into real touchy, feely friends at networking parties around the world. And this somewhat shy but yet one of the Internet's most extroverted guys has a very soft spot for Israel. Jeff does not charge the participants who come to his networking events a fee. From his own pocket he makes the smiles and new business contacts happen.

When asked by the Israel News Agency why he does this and even more so why in Israel his reply is simple: "I love Israel, I love you guys. And I will support you in any way possible."

There is no follow up question to Pulver's sincere, blunt response. Instead, this tall, fellow Internet pioneer from Great Neck, New York reaches out to me with a large hug. Recently, Jeff was invited to speak with other world political and commercial leaders at the Israel 60th birthday Shimon Peres Presidential Facing Tomorrow Conference.

In constant demand for lectures around the world, something of a young, hi tech Henry Kissinger, Pulver epitomizes the wired life. Where many in the advertising, public relations, SEO and Internet marketing world rely on their Blackberry from sunset to sunrise and beyond, Jeff pushes the envelope even further.

Like a real time JenniCam, a girl who placed her life on an Internet cam for years, Jeff Pulver uses Twitter, Facebook, Microsoft messenger, Yahoo messenger, Skype and other real time Internet applications to broadcast his almost every move. While being at a party with over 200 people, it ain't enough for Jeff as he whips out his Nokia mobile telephone and begins to broadcast live through the Net to the world - showing those in New York, London, Tel Aviv and Tokyo what he sees and feels. He even transmits his airline flight seat number as he boards an aircraft for New York, Washington, Stockholm or Moscow.

Jeff Pulver, a VoIP and Internet video pioneer and founder of Pulver.com, has discovered the value of live streaming cellular video.

After watching Robert Scoble’s live broadcasting from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, Jeff was established a Qik account for his new Nokia N95.

In addition to Pulvermedia, the producer of VON trade shows, Jeff Pulver has invested in many VoIP and Internet video start-ups.

He is currently involved in PrimeTimeRewind.com, a site that centralizes access to TV video content posted by major TV networks with the goal of making it easier to access that content.

Jeff: "What are the chances of three guys from Great Neck being at this event?"
Joel: "Jeff - with you, anything is possible!"

And Jeff blogs. In fact, the Jeff Pulver Blog must be the most respected social networking Web 2.0 blog read by thousands every day.

Pulver's entry for May 19, 2008 reads as follows: "Back in Tel Aviv, the Hi-Tech Startup Capital of the World," says Pulver.

"I’m spending this week in Tel Aviv and I look forward to spending time catching up with a number of (early) early-stage startups. Tomorrow is a typical day for me in Tel Aviv with meetings scheduled with 14 or so new startups in a non-stop stream of back-to-back meetings. I am not aware of any other city anywhere in the world where one can smell the entrepreneurship in the air. Every time I visit Tel Aviv I continue to be amazed by: the people I meet; the ideas I hear about; the innovation which is happening; and by the positive “can do” energy in the air. The people I know who are involved with startups in Israel are living the 24/7 lifestyle of working non-stop. Just about anything and everything is possible. All it takes is an open mind."

But perhaps the one with the most open mind is Jeff. But how he keeps it open 25 hours a day is anyone's guess.

"You know people say that Jeff has an assistant answering his email for him," said one successful geek who has made three exits in the last year who was attending the Jeff Pulver Party last night. "But ya know, I think he answers all the messages himself."

I responded that I have corresponded with Jeff about things that we only could know about and no way has he cloned himself yet. But I would not put this passed Jeff Pulver - to clone himself into some sort of on-line artificial intelligence application. After all, this Internet Christopher Columbus has the ears of the best and most creative start-ups in the world.

Jeff, great party last night. Yossi Vardi and other hi tech celebs were there mixing with a younger generation seeking jobs. The drinks kept coming, the cheese was good, the sushi was tasty but the meat - the meat was really stringy. Ya know, you can bring over some New York hot pastrami and corn beef from Katz's or the Carnegie Deli next time you are in town. But I really just don't know how you do it. How do you stay wired 24 by 7? Are you drinking Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee?

For me - I am now going to upload this story to Google News and my various blogs and then attempt to get some sleep. You can't Twitter, ICQ, Facebook,Wink, DIGG, YouTube, Technorati, Del.icio.us or messenger me there.

Can you, Jeff?

The above news content was edited and SEO optimized in Israel for the Internet by Leyden Communications.

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