Egos

Robert Scoble
Techmeme vs. Twitter lists? (UPDATE: vs. TechCrunch list)

Robert Scoble

2 Nov 2009 | 1:12 pm

I love giving Gabe Rivera grief, founder of Techmeme. But I do love Techmeme. I read it every day. But now that we have Twitter lists, I’m finding I read Techmeme differently. Why? Well, TechMeme has a Twitter account. So, when something gets added to Techmeme it gets added to my tech news list. (By the way, refresh the list every minute or so and you’ll see just how much news this industry generates). But something else is also on that list: 492 other news sources! So, now you get Techmeme AND you get a large diversity of news that you can’t get on Techmeme. Which is…
Louis Gray’s “five stages of early adopterism” chart

Robert Scoble

2 Nov 2009 | 11:24 am

One of my favorite posts Louis Gray ever did was this one where he explained the stages early adopters go through as we use a product. He explained how early adopters go through five stages of using a product starting with discovery and ending with migration. Right now I’m in the “migration” phase with FriendFeed and the “entitlement” phase with Google Reader (actually, thinking about it, I’m in the migration phase there too). But some tools and services get to restart the loop. Twitter did that for me in June. What happened in June? Well, I had an…
The chat room/forum problem (& an apology to @Technosailor)

Robert Scoble

1 Nov 2009 | 11:17 pm

I’ve been doing online communities for more than 20 years, starting in 1985 when a friend had a BBS. One thing I’ve noticed over and over again is that chat rooms and forums start out fun and then devolve over time for various reasons. But in 2000 I discovered that blogs had the opposite effect. They got more interesting over time. Why is that? I call it the chat room/forum problem and I think I’ve discovered the cause. See, in a chat room no one is in control. But usually some small group starts one. They are interesting at the start. I remember when a small group of us…
Developers: the best smart phone platform is?

Robert Scoble

1 Nov 2009 | 9:32 am

I was talking with Loic Le Meur, CEO and founder of Seesmic, the other night and he was saying that he’s running his business by looking at the numbers, not listening to the hype. He told me that the iPhone isn’t the only platform out there, although he admitted that it gets 95% of the hype (er, discussion in community) because nearly every influencer has an iPhone and knows that it’s the best one out there. Even the hot new “Droid” phone doesn’t quite measure up in reviews. He says that he’s forcing himself to use a Blackberry, for instance, even…
Twitter’s lists make Chris Brogan feel bad

Robert Scoble

31 Oct 2009 | 7:06 pm

Chris Brogan wrote that Twitter’s Lists make Chris Brogan feel bad. Why? Because he sees them as exclusionary. Chris doesn’t like that lists exclude people, by their very design. Here, look at my list of programmers. It excludes me. That makes me feel bad, according to Chris Brogan. Except, well, I’m NOT a programmer so why should I be on a list of programmers? I can’t STAND this attitude that everyone should be included in everything. I should NOT be on a list of golfing greats. Heck, I’ve never even played the game, but let’s say I played. Are you KIDDING…

Dave Winer
Peek was worth a peek

6 Nov 2009 | 2:09 pm

I thought perhaps the Peek email device might be a good service to get for a family member who's not very technical. I wanted them to have access to text messaging, and thought its advertised simplicity might be the answer. So I bought a device for $49 and bought one month of service for $19.95, with the understanding that it's not a service plan, and if I didn't like it, I could easily opt-out. I used it for a few days and decided it wasn't what I wanted. It is simple, but the text messaging feature is a hack on top of email, and they put ads for their service in the text messages, and…
I got a DROID

6 Nov 2009 | 8:58 am

I had to do it. Went down to the Verizon store in El Cerrito and put down $350 and bought the $99 per month unlimited texting plan. Took it home, fell in love. It really is beautiful. I'm an iPhone user who loves the esthetics of the iPhone. The DROID is different, but also very nice. I'm sure there will be annoyances, always are, but the first-time experience is great. The web browser display is large enough to be usable. The gestures that work on the iPhone don't work on the DROID. I find both the on-screen keyboard and the physical keyboard hard to use. The keys are too small. Oddly, when…
Twitter needs a command-line

6 Nov 2009 | 2:10 am

Imagine a terminal program that accepted commands like: twitter> follow davewiner twitter> follow ev twitter> unfollow sexygirl209 twitter> addtolist scoble halfmoonbay -u The first few commands are obvious, the last would add scoble to a list called halfmoonbay and unfollow him. I stumbled across this as I was thinking about how to implement follow and unfollow commands in listbrowser.org. Usually this would mean supporting OAuth, which is not a big deal, I already have the code, but it's a pain for users. Another site they have to trust. Even though OAuth is better than…
WordPress and rssCloud

5 Nov 2009 | 10:21 am

Joseph Scott has a post on the main WordPress site that explains that they are now supporting the two enhancements that were announced here on October 16. What this means: Now any aggregator that wants instant updates of WordPress sites can have it. It was an issue for complex sites like Google Reader, that's why we enhanced our apps, so they could hook into rssCloud and provide instant updates to their users. If you use Google Reader or My Yahoo or Bloglines, tell them you want rssCloud support so you can get instant WordPress updates from sites like CNN, TechCrunch, GigaOm (and of course)…
Let The World Change You

4 Nov 2009 | 3:47 pm

I have a problem with entrepreneurs who say they want to Change The World. Isn't that a lot to take on? How do you know your idea for changing the world is what the world needs? What if you Change The World and instead of making it better you make it suck. What then? I am a former young person who wanted to Change The World himself. I look back at that young person, and think -- he was lovely in many ways but he made a pretty good mess of his life, because he had no clue who he was and how he got that way. Change The World? Good thing that didn't happen! As someone who just watched his father…

Guy Kawasaki
The 19 bloggers Inc. thinks you should read

GuyKawasaki

6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 pm

Inc. named 19 bloggers that you should read. We’ve aggregated them all in one place: Inc19.alltop.
How to Get Found

GuyKawasaki

4 Nov 2009 | 3:29 pm

The reality is that people and technology is getting better and better a blocking out unwanted interruptions—aka, “marketing.” Brian Halligan is the CEO of HubSpot, and he explains in my post on the American Express Open Forum “how to get found.” It’s all about creating great stuff and letting Google et al do what they do: find great stuff.
How I tweet

GuyKawasaki

2 Nov 2009 | 8:47 am

By popular demand (and some complaints), I’ve done a FAQ with myself about how I tweet. Hope this helps you use Twitter for your business too. I explain how I use ghostwriters and why I repeat my tweets among other “unusual” practices.
Current Twitter Demo Script

GuyKawasaki

28 Oct 2009 | 2:26 am

This is the set of links that I used to demo Twitter by going down through this list to show why Twitter is such a valuable marketing tool. Introduction Home page Profile page Monitor Search Guy Kawasaki or Alltop Starbucks VIA introduction Search for “Prius” or “Civic” Sell Dell Outlet Kogi BBQ Support Comcast Cares Engage JetBlue Virgin America Fandango Prospect Camaro Camaro near Palo Alto Advanced searches Surfing or skateboarding (shows how to eliminate extraneous results such as “surfing the web” How I Tweet - Find Alltop MyAlltop helped me find this.
How to Avoid Twitter Cluelessness

GuyKawasaki

26 Oct 2009 | 4:24 pm

Over at the American Express Open Forum blog, I explain how to not look clueless on Twitter. The first five ways are: Don’t tell other people how to tweet. Don’t tell the world that you unfollowed someone. Don’t ask people why they unfollowed you. Don’t constantly tweet mundane updates and babble. Don’t use a small picture for an avatar. To read all ten and why they impugn your intelligence, click here.

Kara Swisher
All Is Forgiven: "It's a Clean Slate," Says Andreessen About Lawsuit-Mad Skype Co-Founders

Kara Swisher

6 Nov 2009 | 11:28 am

Silicon Valley legend and now VC Marc Andreessen was making the interview rounds after the settlement between the litigation-addled co-founders of Skype and all the various people they were suing was announced this morning. He has been tight-lipped until now, due to the morass of lawsuits. But, as Andreessen told BoomTown in a phone interview about the aggressive legal tactics of Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis that resulted in them finally seizing a stake in the Internet telephony giant by suing him and many other Silicon Valley players: “We did not take it personally. It’s a…
"V" Is Very, Very, Very V-abulous, but Not Online

Kara Swisher

6 Nov 2009 | 5:34 am

ABC certainly is taking its sweet time in releasing the first episode of “V,” a sci-fi television series that debuted earlier this week on the Web in any substantial way. The network is showing about nine minutes of the redo of the 1980s miniseries about a lizardy alien invasion disguised as a peace mission by outerspace hotties online on its site. But pretty much the only way you could watch “V” in its entirety this week, if you missed its broadcast Tuesday, is by buying it on Amazon. It initially streamed there free, to build momentum, as well as on Apple (AAPL)…
Meet Drake Meeting Brizzly: A Spanking New ATD Feature

Kara Swisher

6 Nov 2009 | 12:03 am

Today, All Things Digital debuts a new feature called “Almost Famous” in our Voices section. No, it is not about Kate Hudson and nascent rock stars. Well, you might meet geek rock stars to be. Focused on innovative, interesting or just plain odd start-ups, we thought it was a good way for ATD readers to get a gander at some up-and-coming ideas and trends. We cover start-ups, of course, on the site, but–given that we have a small staff that breaks a lot of big-company news–not on a regular time frame. So, while we are no good at predicting what will work and what will…
RealNetworks to Lay Off Four Percent of Staff Today

Kara Swisher

5 Nov 2009 | 12:34 am

The Seattle area is going to get another jobless jolt today, with RealNetworks planning to lay off four percent of its workforce, sources said. That’s a small number–just about 70 people out of its 1,700-person staff–but the move comes on the heels of layoffs of another 800 employees at nearby Microsoft yesterday. The software giant has cut thousands of jobs over the last year, part of a move to eliminate 5,000 positions by mid-2010. While the dismissals–which are likely to be announced by managers to affected RealNetworks (RNWK) employees sometime this…
I Love the Smell of Settlement in the Morning: Skype Founders Set to Get 10 Percent, Option to Buy Three Percent More and Two Board Seats

Kara Swisher

4 Nov 2009 | 11:38 pm

According to several sources close to the situation, barring any unforeseen delay, a deal to settle the Skype imbroglio is likely to be announced around the time the markets open tomorrow. [UPDATE: The paperwork is taking longer than expected, so sit tight, said sources.] While the massive agreement–which will settle three aggressive lawsuits lobbed by Skype co-founders Niklas Zennström and Janus Friis at a wide range of prominent Silicon Valley players–is not yet officially signed, sources said lawyers are apparently putting the finishing touches on the paperwork and have…

Seth Godin
Everyone is clueless

Seth Godin

6 Nov 2009 | 2:29 am

The problem with "everyone" is that in order to reach everyone or teach everyone or sell to everyone, you need to so water down what you've got you end up with almost nothing.Everyone doesn't go to the chiropractor, everyone doesn't give to charity, everyone has never been to Starbucks. Everyone, in fact, lives a decade behind the times and needs hundreds of impressions and lots of direct experience before they realize something is going on.You don't want everyone. You want the right someone.Someone who cares about what you do. Someone who will make a contribution that matters. Someone who…
The unclicking 84%

Seth Godin

5 Nov 2009 | 2:36 am

Mark points us to this great set of stats.Basically, all of the clicks for all the ads online come from only 16% of the surfers, and most of them come from just 4% of all internet users.So, if you optimize your ads for clicks, it means you're ignoring a huge population.If your business is built around the kind of person who clicks, you win. If it isn't, you either need to not buy ads online or buy ads optimized for attention and familiarity, not clicks.Imagine that only left-handed people clicked on ads (it's about the same percent). What are you going to do if you make a product for the…
When data and decisions collide

Seth Godin

4 Nov 2009 | 2:54 am

Until recently, most of the decisions we were called on to make were based on hunches, insight and a little bit of data. Occasionally, a field like direct marketing would develop into something quite data-driven ("I don't care if you like mailer one, Smythe, mailer #2 did three times, better! Number 2 it is.") but not often.It took Ignaz Semmelweis more than twenty years (he died before it happened, actually) to persuade doctors that washing their hands could save the lives of mothers giving birth. He had the data, he had the proof, but that wasn't enough to change minds.Data mining and the…
Limited edition boxed set available today SOLD OUT!

Seth Godin

3 Nov 2009 | 7:41 am

[We ended up selling more than three a minute. You guys are so cool. We had a few counter problems, but it didn't effect the number we sold...they're all gone, 800 in total, and I won't be able to sell any more. Thank you for the energy and support!]It seems as though the Apple tablet is unlikely to be ready in time for the holidays... what to get? How about a boxed (a wooden box) set of five of my books? Very limited (only 800 will be sold, ever). Sold at a discount from retail, with cool packaging, assembled by elves, delivered by Martians, blessed by enlightened goats. My goal was to make…
Ms. In-between

Seth Godin

3 Nov 2009 | 2:50 am

The either-or world continues to decay, confronted by a shifting economy and the tools of the net.It used to be easy to tell if someone was a journalist. Either you were or your weren't. So giving special privileges to journalists was easy. Parking permits, press badges, first amendment protections... no problem, you're a journalist. Everyone else? No way.It used to be easy to tell if someone was an entrepreneur. Either you had a full-time job or you ran a business. So we could treat employees the same (health insurance, no moonlighting) and assume that the few that didn't have jobs were…

Jason Kottke
Updates on previous entries for Nov 6, 2009*

Jason Kottke

6 Nov 2009 | 9:11 pm

The Higgs boson and the Enchantment Under the Sea dance orig. from Oct 21, 2009 * Q: Wha? A: These previously published entries have been updated with new information in the last 24 hours. You can find past updates here. Tags: post updates
The Masters of Professional Studies in Branding program at SVA

Jason Kottke

6 Nov 2009 | 2:58 pm

I would like to thank this week's RSS sponsor, The Masters of Professional Studies in Branding at the School of Visual Arts in NYC. This is a new graduate degree program that will begin in fall 2010 focused on the study of "the art and science of branding". More details about the program are available here and here. They are having an open house tomorrow (that's Saturday) at SVC in Chelsea from 2-4pm. If you're interested in attending, contact either J'aime Cohen or Debbie Millman for details. Tags: sponsors
Sesame Street, a disappointment?

Jason Kottke

6 Nov 2009 | 2:37 pm

From 1971, a critique of Sesame Street from The Atlantic. Nonetheless, and in spite of all its successes, I feel very strongly that Sesame Street has aimed too low, has misunderstood the problem it is trying to cure, and will be a disappointment in the long run. I also feel that it has misunderstood the nature and underestimated the opportunities of its chief subject, the three R's, and its medium, television; and therefore, that even what it sets out to do in the short run it does not do nearly as well as it might. Tags: Sesame Street tv
Making of: CG for Star Wars

Jason Kottke

6 Nov 2009 | 2:16 pm

There was a short CG special effects sequence in Star Wars (the Death Star explanation at the Rebel briefing); here's how it was made. Tags: movies Star Wars video
How an American soldier is made

Jason Kottke

6 Nov 2009 | 12:28 pm

The Denver Post followed high school graduate Ian Fischer as he enlisted in the Army, went through training, left for Iraq, and returned home; the photos tell quite a story. Tags: photography

Valdez Klein/Sparrow
Wilshire & Washington: The Politics of Health Reform, the Big Gay Rights March, and What’s Joy Behar’s Deal Anyway?

Teresa Valdez Klein

14 Oct 2009 | 9:56 pm

Join Ted Johnson and I - we missed you, Maegan - as we discuss the politics of reforming health care, gay rights, and Joy Behar’s gaffe toward Janet Napolitano.
Wilshire & Washington: FISA, Rape Apology and WaPo’s Next Great Pundit

Teresa Valdez Klein

30 Sep 2009 | 8:37 am

Join Ted Johnson, Maegan Carberry and I as we interview guest star Jon Pincus about his activism on the Patriot Act and FISA. We also talk the Roman Polanski arrest; why is he being treated by so many celebrities like he didn’t drug and rape a child?
Wilshire & Washington: Values Voters & Documentary Films

Teresa Valdez Klein

23 Sep 2009 | 5:54 pm

Join Ted Johnson, Maegan Carberry and I as we discuss the Values Voters convention, Carrie Prejean and the reality TV-ization of documentary filmmaking.
Wilshire & Washington: Capitalism, an overexposed Prez, and the dumb “You Lie” distraction

Teresa Valdez Klein

16 Sep 2009 | 5:06 pm

Join Ted Johnson, Maegan Carberry and I for a round table talk about the week’s issues. Is it appropriate to question capitalism right now? Is Obama overexposing himself by appearing on Letterman? And where has civility gone in our culture?
Wilshire & Washington: Government 2.0 Edition

Teresa Valdez Klein

9 Sep 2009 | 9:50 pm

Special guest Dr. Mark Drapeu joins Ted, Maegan and I to discuss the Government 2.0 summit in Washington, DC. Plus, Obama’s education speech, this summer’s political winners and losers, and what we expect to hear on Health Care.

The Altimeter by Charlene Li
Wanted: Your opinion on book titles (Part 2)

charleneli

27 Oct 2009 | 11:16 am

Previously, I asked for help in naming the book, and we’re done to the wire in terms of finalists. I’m hoping you can take two minutes to complete a very short survey on our title possibilities. I realize that asking an audience of people who are pre-disposed to being open is probably not the most scientific way to do this! So taking a page from Tim Ferris, I’m also running the title possibilities against specific search keywords to see which ones get the most clickthroughs. I’ll post the results from both the survey and the search engine test shortly. Book Title…
International examples of “open” organizations and leaders needed

charleneli

27 Oct 2009 | 10:51 am

I’m wrapping up work on my next book “Open” and am in need of a few examples of organizations and leaders outside of North America. In particular, I’m looking for examples of organizations that have put in place more open information sharing or decisions making processes or technologies, and as a result, have seen substantial business impact. In particular, I’m interested in learning how they went through the journey of letting go of control, and in the process, transformed the relationship they have with customers and/or employees. Here are a few examples: -…
Social Search: Customers Influence Search Results Over Brands

charleneli

22 Oct 2009 | 9:42 am

This post was collaboratively written (in real time) on a wiki by Charlene Li who maintains a focus on Leadership Strategy and Jeremiah Owyang, who maintains a focus on Customer Strategy. Together, we’re covering the convergence of emerging technologies at the Altimeter Group Twitter brokers a deal that offers search engines Microsoft Bing and Google Search access to their real time data streams. Also, Facebook, offers up public status updates to be searched and served up to Microsoft’s Bing. This trend towards micro media requires companies to pay attention to the real time and…
Can you control your customers?

charleneli

15 Oct 2009 | 6:09 am

I just received an interesting email promotion for an upcoming conference. At the top of the email, in big bold letters was this: “It’s time to take back control!” Now that definitely caught my eye, as I’m writing a book about being open. That’s because the number one concern I hear from executives — and especially marketers — is how out of control they feel these days. Here’s some more text from the email: “Reaching today’s consumers is more challenging than ever. Both savvy and wary of marketing, they control when, where and how…
Revealing Google’s Stealth Social Network Play

charleneli

7 Oct 2009 | 8:37 am

This post was collaboratively written on a wiki by Charlene Li, who maintains a focus on Leadership Strategy and Jeremiah Owyang, who maintains a focus on Customer Strategy. Together, we’re covering the convergence of emerging technology at the Altimeter Group. Google has quietly been launching a social network right under our own chins. No, it’s not about Google extending Orkut, a social networking platform they developed a few years ago, or growing Google groups, or even launching their own version of a twitter. Instead they’ve been releasing small bits of social…

John Gruber
Spots

John Gruber

6 Nov 2009 | 5:29 pm

I’d like to thank Savoy Software for sponsoring this week’s DF RSS feed to promote Spots, their Wi-Fi hotspot directory app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. Spots is a wonderful app, with a gorgeous visual style and thoughtful UI. It works offline (essential for use on an iPod Touch), with a built-in database of over half a million hotspots worldwide, and its use of location awareness and built-in map views feels super smart. If you want an app for finding nearby Wi-Fi hotspots, this is it. Spots is available for just $1.99 on the App Store. ★
Google Dashboard

John Gruber

6 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm

Single-page overview of everything tied to your Google account. Now that I’ve seen it, it’s hard to believe they didn’t offer this until now. Smart. ★
People in Blinking, Animated Glass Houses

John Gruber

6 Nov 2009 | 3:23 pm

David Pogue, writing for The New York Times, which puts at least two blinking, animated ads on every page of its site, including this one: Second, and more important, I don’t think advertisers should be blinking, animating and distracting in the first place. If I’m interested in the product, I’ll read the ad. But trying to pull my focus as I’m trying to read crosses some kind of line. You know what? I would never click any ad that blinks or animates in the first place. It’s obnoxious and juvenile, and I’m not about to reward them. (Via Merlin Mann.) ★
Google Promoting the Droid on Google.com Homepage

John Gruber

6 Nov 2009 | 2:57 pm

Because the google.com homepage is almost always ad-free, and space there is not for sale, I would call it the most valuable ad space on the entire Internet. ★
OpenOfficeMouse

John Gruber

6 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm

The OpenOffice.org open source community has designed their own mouse. It has 18 buttons. This is apparently not a joke. Update 1: The same designers made an automobile, too. ★

John C. Dvorak
Don't Fear the GPS Revolution

3 Nov 2009 | 2:22 pm

Today's GPS devices are only the beginning. Upcoming products will soon make them—and privacy concerns—a distant memory.
Lost Productivity Lament

31 Oct 2009 | 9:50 pm

BlackBerry users are glued to the screen 24/7 looking for new e-mail from anyone as if life and death depended on it.
Windows 7 is a Winner, Mostly

26 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

Win 7 is good, but it has factors working against it—including Microsoft's track record
Windows 7 Vodka and the Microsoft Hangover

19 Oct 2009 | 3:56 pm

Microsoft can't change perceptions if it doesn't get its marketing and PR acts together.
Microsoft Blows Up the Cloud

12 Oct 2009 | 10:00 pm

The EULA is the problem; it lets companies be lax about their products and services.

David Armano
A Conversation Worth Sponsoring (Thank You To The Art of Shaving)

David Armano

6 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am

When Aaron Strout approached me about participating in Movember (through the Movember foundation which facilitates donations for Mens health issues such as testicular cancer), I was a bit apprehensive. I mean, I do a lot of talks/work with clients and it's hard to be taken seriously with a 'stash that came out of nowhere. I also thought about how much work it would take to hit up my network and raise funds for a great cause. It's never easy to ask people for money. Then the "marketer" in me started thinking. Wouldn't there be a brand out there who would want to get involved with this? What…
15 Top Social Media Agencies [del.icio.us]

darmano
How To Create Advocates For Your Business

David Armano

3 Nov 2009 | 8:47 am

So what is customer advocacy anyway? Well for starters, they don't have to be your customers—they can be any part of your entire constituency. Employees, business partners, friends—you name it. But here's the point. You need them more than ever. Right now, if you are planning social initiatives, your biggest challenge is going to be manpower. Someone has to do the listening, the outreach, the customer service, the participation, the engagement with others in the ecosystem. Some parts can be automated (such as an algorithm in a listening tool technology), but many other parts require…
Six Social Media Trends For 2010

David Armano

3 Nov 2009 | 2:00 am

Originally posted on The Harvard Business Review blogIn 2009 we saw exponential growth of social media. According to Nielson Online, Twitter alone grew 1,382% year-over-year in February, registering a total of just more than 7 million unique visitors in the US for the month. Meanwhile, Facebook continued to outpace MySpace. So what could social media look like in 2010? In 2010, social media will get even more popular, more mobile, and more exclusive — at least, that's my guess. What are the near-term trends we could see as soon as next year? In no particular order: 1. Social media begins to…
4 Myths about blocking Internet access in the enterprise | Capping IT Off | Capgemini | Consulting, Technology, Outsourcing [del.icio.us]

darmano

Cap Gemini encourages companies to allow access to social networks while blocking it themselves

Jeremiah Owyang
Insights for CMOs: Writing Column For Forbes

jeremiah_owyang

6 Nov 2009 | 7:28 am

I’m very thankful that Forbes has extended me an offer to be a regular contributor discussing emerging technologies for the evolving customer strategy. CMOs are hungry for information. Marketing leaders are finding that they have to quickly evolve as the media and marketing landscape is quickly changing from emerging technologies like social tools. As a result, they are hungry for what’s next, and how they can get ahead of the curve –with minimal risk. This regular monthly (or more) column on the Forbes CMO network (@ForbesCMO) isn’t reporting, but instead will marry…
People on the Move in the Social Media Industry: Nov 6, 2009

jeremiah_owyang

6 Nov 2009 | 6:02 am

Things appear to be picking up in the economy, and I’d like to continue to recognize those moving in the social media space. I’ve started this post series (see archives) to both track and congratulate folks who get promoted, move, or accept new exciting positions. Please help me congratulate the following folks: Mike Pascucci leaves AAA Mid-Atlantic, and accepts the job of Social Media Strategist with Ektron, a Content Management System (CMS) company based out of Nashua, NH. Find him on Twitter at @mikepascucci. Kingsely Joseph leaves Salesforce and joins Digital Chocolate an…
How Facebook’s Open Strategy Shifts The Roadmap for Corporate Marketing and Support

jeremiah_owyang

3 Nov 2009 | 7:20 am

Bold Strategy Bolsters Users, Developers, and Brands In a recent meeting at Facebook HQ, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Facebook is opening its doors to share roadmaps, data, and it’s experience. This strategy shifts attention towards Facebook.com as a sole destination, and towards a distributed network to the open web. Looking deeper, these impacts should shape your corporate web strategy as you re-allocate resources for application development, prepare for Social CRM, and prepare your corporate webpages to become “Facebook Fan Page” enabled. To Combat…
Quicktake: The Impacts Of Google’s Social Search

jeremiah_owyang

31 Oct 2009 | 5:02 am

Currently, search results serve up content that is popular –but not necessarily content that is accurate or relevant to your needs. With Google’s Social Search feature, it will serve up results based on a users’ specific contact list, here’s how it works: Using the recently launched Google Profile product, users will be able to add their name, then list out the various social networks they are part of. Google goes to work and finds out who’s your friend in those social networks, then applies it to it’s search algorithm. The end result? Search queries now…
Behind Closed Doors: What’s On the Mind Of Chief Marketing Officers

jeremiah_owyang

30 Oct 2009 | 9:45 am

We attended the Forbes CMO Summit in sunny Palm Beach, to learn what’s on the minds of executive marketing leaders. The conversation from this group regarding social was more sophisticated, which Charlene and I don’t think is reflective of most chief marketing groups we speak with. What’s unique about these Forbes CMOs? Perhaps they are more progressive, well read, and tuned into the rapid changes coming. In consideration to attendees of this event, I won’t be giving any specific individual quotes, (this wasn’t a media event) but instead, I’ll focus on the insights related to…

Amy Wohl's Opinions
Are we all Reporters Now?

Amy Wohl

21 Oct 2009 | 3:10 pm

I noticed Esther Dyson's article in the Huffington Post and was prepared to be ready to riposte -- a number of us have been posting about the FTC's recent decision to require bloggers who get paid (in money or goods) to identify their affiliations, lest they be thought to be invisibly biased in their endorsements. So I was surprised to see that this was not about the bloggers per se, but rather about seekers of information in media old or new, cautioning that they need to be their own fact checkers if they want to understand the real meaning of what they're reading. That, of…
It's All in How You Define a Market

Amy Wohl

16 Oct 2009 | 10:36 am

There's a lot more interest in antitrust activity these days, since the new administration seems to have decided to be much more aggressive about what it deems possible antitrust practices, particularly in the technology and communications industries. In this, it seems to be following the lead of the EU, which has been investigating high tech companies for quite some time (e.g., Microsoft, Intel). IBM is one of the latest to be investigated. It's always a good idea to remember that being investigated isn't proof of anything. In this case what it's most…
Speed Bumps on the Internet

Amy Wohl

8 Oct 2009 | 8:05 am

This has been a busy week for issues that have been simmering for some time to come to a boil. There are three that I'm trying to understand, hoping to get some insight into what their separate and combined effects might be.Eolas, who claims that any use of the browser as a platform for interactivity violates its patents (both old and new) has decided to sue a number of Internet players for damages and continuing royalties. It's a star-studded list including Adobe, Amazon, Apple, eBay, Google (and its subsidiary YouTube), Sun, and Yahoo as well as a number of media…
Cloudosophy

Amy Wohl

23 Sep 2009 | 10:32 am

NEW: British consultant and publisher Charles Brett has a new free form of his journal, called INSIGHT-SPECTRA. I am pleased to tell you that I have an article, Cloudosophy, in the first issue. Although it's a bit long for a blog post, I have included it here. You may recognize some of the comments and charts from earlier blogs. You can get a free subscription to INSIGHT-SPECTRA by going to their site and filling out the form at the bottom of the page. www.insight-spectra.com Brett’s former publication, SPECTRUM MIDDLEWARE was a well-respected journal…
Microsoft Fights Back on XML Patent

Amy Wohl

19 Aug 2009 | 7:37 am

As we expected, Microsoft has filed for a Stay of the Injunction filed against it (which would have prevented them from selling new copies of Word or Office Suite) and for an Appeal of the decision. The action will now move to Federal Court, which is more likely to give a complete look at the complicated technology issues (and less likely, unlike the Texas court, to be biased to the plaintiff).Reading their plea sheds light on several issues: The PTO already has i4i's patent under review and there is some question whether it should have ever been granted. Expect prior art…

Tara Hunt
Oldie but Goodie: Marketing in the Post-Cluetrain Era

missrogue

6 Nov 2009 | 9:52 pm

I noticed that posts from 2003-2006 have completely been lost (except for Google Cache), so I’ll post a few of them that are still pretty applicable. This one is from January 18, 2006 when I was working at Riya.com (no longer around): A good marketer is a Community Advocate This means that you speak for your community to your company, not vice versa. Sounds scary, doesn’t it? Well, it is. Marketing isn’t the same as sales. It is the job of business development, sales, the C-suite, etc. to keep marketing on a path so that they can make money. Marketing drives forward with…
The Disintermediation Era

missrogue

5 Nov 2009 | 7:19 pm

It must suck to be the middle-man today. Everywhere they turn, it’s bad news. Democratization this. Circumventing that. There was a point not that long ago that the middle-man provided great value. The record companies brought music to the masses. The media created channels for the news to get through. The Blockbusters of the world housed thousands of movies for people to rent. Telephone companies laid the lines for us to connect with one another around the world. But now these middle-men are our modern villains – using every desperate trick in the book to hold onto customers…
A quote to keep me grounded

missrogue

4 Nov 2009 | 4:23 pm

“No matter how you feel today, things will be different tomorrow.” Dr. Nicely (my former therapist) told me that. It was powerful. For the days when everything seemed to be gray and nothing was going well, I had faith that tomorrow would be better. And on the days where I was as high as a kite, it kept me grounded and nimble and never too blinded by my euphoria. I pretty much say it to myself every day and it always feels positive to me.
With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

missrogue

4 Nov 2009 | 7:08 am

So as any of you who visited HPC yesterday know, it was attacked by a malware hosting site. I’m not sure how they do it, but somehow they get in and implant iframe code to serve up malicious software for unsuspecting visitors. I think it may have been a security hole in WordPress combined with my own laziness around passwords (now fixed). Either way, it wasn’t a good day and I spent many hours cleaning out this bad code and trying to figure out what the heck was going on. Many hours were also spent by Ivan Storck (of Sustainable Websites – my host), William Dodson (from OBX…
Confessions of a 36 year-old woman

miss rogue

2 Nov 2009 | 9:04 am

I decided to sit down and record my trepidation/enthusiasm for being a 36 year-old woman in this changing, odd world of gender. Tell me if you relate, disagree or have something to add. _____ ADDED NOTE: The point here isn’t to flatter me (have received the ‘you have nothing to worry about’ comments from many men) – I say right in the video I feel like I look young and attractive – the point here is that ‘middle-age’ is a truly liminal, odd place to be…ESPECIALLY as a single, accomplished woman. It feels like it’s between REAL ages and not…

Scott Adams (AKA Dilbert)
The Cat's on the Roof

6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

I saw in the news today that The United States is going to withdraw most of its military forces from Afghanistan. Okay, the news didn't say that in so many words. But they did say, "The cat is on the roof," which means the same thing.Allow me to explain "The cat is on the roof" to those of you who are unfamiliar with the joke. It goes like this: Bob goes on vacation. He asks his moron brother to take care of his cat. After a few days on vacation, Bob calls to say hi. The moron brother blurts out "Your cat is dead."Bob is beside himself with grief. And he…
Choice as Happiness

5 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

Suppose a genie appeared and offered to give you regular access to all the things you desire. Let's say that in your case it includes golfing, exotic traveling, eating ice cream, and having a great career. The genie's only catch is that he gets to control your schedule.Your first reaction might be to take the deal, since all of the activities on the menu are better than the things you do now. And maybe having a genie do all of your scheduling would be convenient.But if you're smart, you'll decline the offer. No matter how fun or fulfilling are the activities on your list, you…
Defending the Function-as-Beauty Hypothesis

4 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

Yesterday I blogged that beauty is nothing more than our recognition of functions that are related to current or past survival. Many of you chimed in with counterexamples and arguments. I will address them here.Q. Music is beautiful. Where's the survival benefit there? A. Even the most famous musicians are generally only enjoyed by 10% of the population. Someone mentioned Miles Davis. I can't stand listening to him. But every person reading this blog would agree that a lush forest is beautiful. So while music in general is universally enjoyed, any given song does not…
Function as Beauty

3 Nov 2009 | 1:00 am

Researchers tell us that we find other humans beautiful when those hotties appear as if they could produce healthy offspring. In other words, our minds translate the perception of species survival utility into the perception of beauty. I wonder if survival utility is the ONLY thing we find beautiful about our world, but we don't realize it.If you're a guy, you know the joy of walking through a hardware store and seeing all of the well-made tools. To me, a good power drill looks like art. It's literally beautiful. And of course tools have survival utility. So far, my hypothesis…
Privacy

30 Oct 2009 | 6:15 am

It's hard to be a teenager and get away with anything these days. Parents can determine from the phone bill who the teens have texted and when. Parents can even read the teen's text messages if the phone is left unattended. Parents can see e-mail messages, check what web sites have been visited, and stalk their kids via Facebook.In some cases the parents can already track their kids via GPS devices in cars and phones. You know that trend will increase.Yes, teens have countermeasures and workarounds. But that's a lot of effort, and it's hard to hide all the electronic clues of,…

Doc Searls
What’s wrong with this assumption?

Doc Searls

5 Nov 2009 | 11:43 am

So I just went to look up Debora Spar’s Ruling the Waves, on Amazon, and was greeted by the above. Never mind that I wasn’t looking for what they said I just looked at. Consider instead the strangeness of having something with my name on it, as an author, and that I can reasonably be presumed to own recommended to me as a purchase. (As it happens I also own the third item. Dunno if I bought it from Amazon or not.) For what it’s worth, can I find anywhere in my Amazon account info a place where I can let them know I’m an author and not just a customer. Am I wrong about…
Come on by

Doc Searls

5 Nov 2009 | 9:52 am

For my readers in Santa Barbara, I highly invite you to come over to the open house, Noon-2pm today at CITS — the Center for Information Technology and Society at UCSB. This is a great bunch of people, doing great work, in a nice new space that I wish I could be in myself. Alas, I have a prior commitment on the East Coast, where I am now (keeping me away from the last day of IIW as well — and that’s an event I helped start). CITS is at 1310 Social Science & Media Studies Building. Some details about that here.
Toward post-Journalism journalism

Doc Searls

31 Oct 2009 | 3:17 am

On Thursday, right after failing to get a root canal for the Xth time (saga here), I participated in a square-table discussion (I say that because we sat around a table with four corners) titled “How to Make Money in News: New Business Models for the 21st Century — An Executive Session sponsored by the Joan Shorenstein Center on the Press, Politics and Public Policy”, hosted by Harvard’s JFK School of Government. My panel was this: Panel 2: Disruptive Technologies and their Impact on Business Models in Other Industries Sherry Turkle, Abby Rockefeller Mauze Professor of…
The Meta 4

Doc Searls

31 Oct 2009 | 2:13 am

In response to my essay Framing the Net, on Publius, Rikke Frank Jørgensen has posted Metaphors We Regulate By. Her summary lines: “I have found four categories to be dominant in both Internet-related literature, and in current regulatory battles at the international level. The metaphors suggested are Internet as infrastructure, Internet as public sphere, Internet as media, and Internet as culture.” I’m thrilled to have Rikke join me as a fellow voice in the wilderness of the Internet’s lack of clear definition. She outlines a huge greenfield for necessary…
Endodontics, 1; Toothache, 0

Doc Searls

30 Oct 2009 | 5:44 pm

About a month ago I offered myself to my kid as an example of good dental hygeine practices. While I have a mouthful of gold (owing mostly to molars that came with deep gooves that no brush could reach), all my teeth are alive. Wisdom teeth and all. I brush and floss every day, I told him. And I’ve used a Sonicare toothbrush for many years. The kid has one too. (Mostly it enforced a 2-minute discipline, though I usually go longer.) No cavities since I started with it. So about an hour after I bragged on my teeth, number 17, my left mandibular third molar — the back wisdom tooth on…

Fred Wilson
Valuation and Option Pool

Fred

6 Nov 2009 | 3:32 am

One of the more contentious things in the negotiation between an entrepreneur and a VC over a financing, particularly an early stage financing, is the inclusion of an option pool in the pre-money valuation. As my friend Mark Pincus likes to say, "it's just another way to lower the price".I'll accept that critique. And take it one step further. The option pool is absolutely a piece of the price negotiation. But it is a very important one as I'll explain.But first, let me lay out a few things for those who aren't well versed in these matters. The pre-money valuation is the value of the company…
Great Meetup Last Night

Fred

5 Nov 2009 | 4:22 am

About a hundred readers of this blog gathered last night in the cafeteria of Washington Irving High School just off of Union Square in Manhattan to meet each other and celebrate the generosity of this community in the recent Donors Choose Bloggers Challenge. It was a great moment for me. I got to meet many readers who I know by name but not in person. Putting a face to a name is a wonderful thing. I also got to meet Sarah Bunting, whose blog, Tomato Nation, raised $315,000 for Donors Choose in October. Talk about "blog stars". I've got a lot to learn from Sarah.And I got to meet a bunch of…
Throw The Bums Out

Fred

4 Nov 2009 | 3:06 am

I drove out to the middle of New Jersey yesterday morning to attend a board meeting. Everywhere I went, I saw "dump corzine" messages. It was clear the governor was in trouble. And this morning, we wake up to the news that Corzine has indeed been dumped and Mayor Bloomberg barely got 50% of the voters in NYC to pull the lever for him Both of these men are wealthy. Both of these men grew up on wall street in the 1970s. Both of these men moved from wall street to public service about a decade ago. Both of these men spent heavily to get re-elected. Bloomberg made it, Corzine did not.It's worth…
The Double Opt-In Introduction

Fred

3 Nov 2009 | 3:55 am

I'm sure everyone out there gets email intros. Someone who knows you sends you and someone you don't know an email suggesting you meet.I send emails like that a lot. I might send a half a dozen or more every day.I get even more emails like that. Sometimes dozens a day.And I'd like to propose some email intro etiquette which I follow almost religiously myself:When introducing two people who don't know each other, ask each of them to opt-in to the introduction before making it.Last night I got talking about this with some friends who also get a lot of email intros. All of us get email intros…
Thematic vs Thesis Driven Investing

Fred

2 Nov 2009 | 3:36 am

As the venture business has grown and matured, many firms have developed specific areas of focus. Our firm, Union Square Ventures, for example only invests in web services. I believe this is a good thing for both the investors in venture funds, called LPs, and the entrepreneurs. But there are a number of ways that firms can execute their focus on a particular area. Two of the most popular are "thematic investing" and "thesis driven investing".They are very different.Thematic investing involves identifying big themes and going after them. Examples from the world of web services would be…

John Battelle
Twitter Incorporates Retweeting (Beta Launch)

http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

6 Nov 2009 | 12:50 pm

Saw this greeting me whilst on Twitter.com today (gotta love WiFi on a plane): Nice to see Twitter rolling out so many new things, like Lists, which seems to be taking off (though I find the lack of a discovery interface vexing, for now). Retweeting is integrated in an elegant way, tweets that have been retweeted have a little cycled arrow icon, which identifies tweets that folks you've followed have retweeted. Another signal (as are Lists) that Twitter will be able to use as core data to drive its unique value. Watch that space, it's where Twitter will win (or lose). Twitter also added the…
A Step Toward Realizing the Data Bill of Rights Vision

http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

5 Nov 2009 | 4:19 am

Danny was kind enough to ping me about this story, which breaks the news about Google's new "Dashboard," which is, in essence, a first start toward realizing the "privacy dashboard" I asked for so long ago (and again here), back when I was posting ideas like a madman (I'm going to be doing that again shortly, so watch out...). It's a big deal I think, even if most of us never use it. And it's very smart of Google to lead here. It really had no choice, when you think about it. And it's kind of cool to see stuff I wrote about here over three years ago happen in the real world.
OK, What the Real Phone Map Should Be

http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

3 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm

The sphere is abuzz with today's news that AT&T is suing Verizon over those apparently quite effective ads which borrow heavily from Apple's tagline - "There's an App for that..." Verizon has created a map that compares AT&T 3G coverage to Verizon's, and then uses the tagline "there's a map for that." (Above is the commercial, here's the map.) Well, I've been ranting about a real carrier mapping application (executed as a marketing campaign, natch), for nearly three years, and while I've told just about everyone I can about it, so far it's still not done (I know, I know, we should…
Twitter Lists

http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

2 Nov 2009 | 7:12 pm

There's much to say about Twitter's slow to roll out but much discussed Lists feature. I'm a fan of it, in short, for many reasons. Lists is a pretty simple idea - it lets anyone make and share a list of folks on Twitter. But it's also a powerful new signal that will help Twitter solve two of its most vexing problems - first, that of discovery, and second, that of authority. Not to mention it gives everyone a chance to add value above the level of a single "follower", more on that later. In short, if done right, Lists will provide the Twitter ecosystem a third dimension that might just propel…
What "Tweet" Needs to Become: To Share a Moment

http://fmpub.net/contact.php?to=jb

27 Oct 2009 | 11:14 am

Last week was big for Twitter. After years of speculation about whether the company was going to have a business model, Twitter announced two deals at our Web2 conference - first with Microsoft's Bing, and second with Google. Details of the deals were not disclosed, but as Google's Marissa Mayers admitted onstage, there were indeed financial terms. What those terms might be strike me as secondary to the fact the deals got done in the first place. Sure, they probably consist of some combination of data services fees and revenue sharing, but the fact remains that monetizing a real…

37signals
VIDEO: Ken Burn’s documentary on Frank Lloyd Wright s

Matt

6 Nov 2009 | 8:10 am

Ken Burn’s documentary on Frank Lloyd Wright shows Wright did the actual drawings for the famous Falling Water house in less than three hours! [via TSY] Related:Picasso, Paula Scher, and the lifetime behind every second [SvN]
INSIGHT: Designs take a leap forward when you kill

Ryan

5 Nov 2009 | 12:20 pm

Designs take a leap forward when you kill the things you didn’t know you were holding on to.
Haystack: Two Week Anniversary + Latest Updates

Jason F.

5 Nov 2009 | 10:43 am

Haystack is off to a great start. We launched two weeks ago on October 21st, and so far over over 2,500 web designers have been listed. Lots are finding clients as well. That’s exciting. We’ve been hard at work improving Haystack. Here are some of the improvements we’ve made since launch: Call to action footer At the bottom of each company page, we’ve added a call to action after their portfolio shots. This way it’s easier to scroll through someone’s work and then get in touch with them. It says “Like what you see? Contact via email or web.”…
New Car Camo

Jason F.

5 Nov 2009 | 7:01 am

Car companies go to great lengths to hide new models from from the public (or car paparazzi) during road testing. They’ve gotta drive the cars, but they don’t want to give away their designs too early. Car camouflage used to be handled with wraps, fake bodies, or fake pieces attached to the actual body. Like: But lately I’ve noticed more companies using swirly decals or geometric stickers to mask the shape. Check these out: I would assume once cars get deeper into the testing phase, and aerodynamics, wind noise, and overall ride quality need to be fined tuned, the bulky camp…
VIDEO: Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company

37signals

4 Nov 2009 | 4:06 pm

Jay Shafer of Tumbleweed Tiny House Company designs and builds small houses ranging from 65 to 837 square feet. He’s spent the last 10 years living in his tiny houses. In this video he gives a tour of a 96 square foot house.

Chris Brogan
Interview with Mike Myatt

chrisbrogan

5 Nov 2009 | 8:46 pm

Mike Myatt is Chief Strategy Officer of N2Growth, a business that deals with branding, coaching, leadership management and more. Mike was also kind enough to buy many copies of Trust Agents, which made me wonder: what kind of a guy buys a ton of books to help a guy out, without wanting me to go and speak at some event or something? Mike just wanted to see things go well with our launch, and for that, I’m grateful. I asked Mike some questions about his business and where he sees all this going. Here’s our interview: You help coach CEOs on leadership and related issues, and…
How to Think Of Blog Posts

chrisbrogan

5 Nov 2009 | 4:26 am

The secret to blogging every day is a blend of three things: discipline, practice, and ideas. That last part is usually what I find people asking me for help with, so let’s talk about that today. Ideas don’t just grow on trees. But, you do have to harvest ideas the way you’d pick apples. Why? Because they’re everywhere. Here are some of the ways I find ideas. How to Think of Blog Posts Answer questions. You get emails with people asking you for your thoughts on X. Write the post instead of just replying to the email. Take pictures. I see strange things out and about.
Wiring Up Business- Two Channel Social

chrisbrogan

3 Nov 2009 | 10:14 pm

Let’s imagine you’re a small or medium sized business and looking to use social software to improve communications on many fronts: support, service, marketing, etc. If you chose to use a service like Twitter, for instance, for some of this communicating, I can see the need to have a two-channel mindset: one public and customer-facing and the other private and business-facing. On the public channel, you’d talk with customers and prospects about the business, including everything from support help to promotional opportunities, to general good will. On the other channel,…
Trust Agents- An Introduction

chrisbrogan

3 Nov 2009 | 7:39 am

I can’t say thanks enough to John Spiropoulos for his great video project from my trip to Southern California to spend time with Brandtailers. These videos he made are amazing. Pay attention to the quality John put into them more than the content itself. I mean, I’m flattered and pleased, but also pay attention to how John did what he did. I think he’s top shelf. You? If you can’t see the video, click here.
Thank You Amazon-Thank You Friends

chrisbrogan

3 Nov 2009 | 4:28 am

Yesterday, Trust Agents was named a Top 10 Book by Amazon.com, thanks in great part to YOUR kindness by ordering it. In just over two months, the book has made the New York Times Bestseller’s list, the Wall Street Journal Bestseller’s list, the top 5 sellers on Audible.com, and now the Top 10 Business & Investing books of 2009, according to Amazon. I consider every one of those successes to be yours. You did all the hard work. Julien and I just typed. Thank you for what you’ve done to make the book successful, and for believing in us. For those of you who haven’t…

iJustine / Justine Ezarik
IJUSTINE ON LAW AND ORDER SVU

ijustine

4 Nov 2009 | 4:35 pm

Tonight is finally the night (for those of us NOT in Canada) that the episode of Law and Order SVU I’m in airs! Woo! I’m so excited to watch it Can’t wait. This is my favorite show ever. My episode is titled “Users” and it’s on tonight, Nov 4th at 9p This is the last bit of video clips that I shot from the shoot so hope you enjoy it! Let me know if you watched the show and what you thought. I know, it’s sad that I’m dead but I had a great time dying! This episode will re-air on Saturday if you missed it tonight. ..and just as a reminder,…
Dancing with the stars

ijustine

4 Nov 2009 | 12:21 am

Had a really fun night going to the taping of Dancing with the Stars with Lindsay and Kailette Some of you guys were tweeting that you saw me in the audience. So cool! Some guy ended up stepping on my ankle during a commercial break dance off (they invited everyone up to the stage to dance who wanted to show off their skills) — ouch! I went back and read this old blog entry of when Woz was on the show.. and this graphic was there! Totally forgot I made it haha. Ooh archives. You rock. So.. what do you think? Should I try to be on next season? I mean.. I’ve already go the dance…
Steve Jobs and iJustine

ijustine

2 Nov 2009 | 11:11 pm

I know what you’re thinking.. JUSTINE YOU GOT CABLE??!?!! Oh, wait.. that’s not what you were thinking? Justine, you have a framed photo of Steve Jobs? Yes and yes! It’s really not that creepy right? A friend got this photo for me years ago for my birthday. Probably one of the most memorable gifts ever lol.
I WANT A TSHIRT!!!!

ijustine

2 Nov 2009 | 8:53 am

I used to work for American Eagle after college so I know how all about pressuring people for credits cards and trying to add on extra things when people were only buying one item. BUT sometimes there are these totally crazy sales people that just will NOT leave your side or have their own agenda at trying to sell you something. Also, just to clear up a question you may have.. No, I did not steal this pig from the store
Halloween bloopers

ijustine

1 Nov 2009 | 10:54 pm

Here are some out-takes from our Halloween video!

Joel on Software
Upgrade your career

5 Nov 2009 | 5:34 am

Do you like your job? Do you enjoy the people you work with? Would you want to have lunch with them? Every day? Alex Papadimoulis thinks that FogTyler Griffin Hicks-Wright Creek’s free lunches are “cultish,” but everyone at Fog Creek loves them. Maybe it’s the mandatory brain implant we install in each new worker, but I like to think that we just enjoy eating together because we genuinely like each other and like spending time together. If you can’t imagine eating lunch every day with your coworkers, I hate to break it to you: you might not like them. Is it OK to spend most of your…
Does Slow Growth Equal Slow Death?

3 Nov 2009 | 4:50 pm

My new Inc. column is up. “For a guy who wrote a book on how to hire great programmers, it’s mortifying how incompetent I’ve been at enlarging the sales team, which, right now, consists of one terrific account executive and a dog. (I’m just kidding. There’s no dog.)” Need to hire a really great programmer? Want a job that doesn't drive you crazy? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.
Figuring out what your company is all about

1 Nov 2009 | 1:51 pm

What is your company about? Recently I got inspired by Kathy Sierra, whose blog Creating Passionate Users and Head First series of books revolutionized developer education. She kept saying the same thing again and again: help your users be awesome. Kathy taught me that if you can’t explain your mission in the form, “We help $TYPE_OF_PERSON be awesome at $THING,” you are not going to have passionate users. What’s your tagline? Can you fit it into that template? It took us nine years, but we finally worked out what Fog Creek Software is all about, which I’ll tell you in a moment, but…
Adam Bosworth on standards

31 Oct 2009 | 9:50 pm

Adam Bosworth: “All successful standards are as simple as possible, not as hard as possible.” Required reading. Need to hire a really great programmer? Want a job that doesn't drive you crazy? Visit the Joel on Software Job Board: Great software jobs, great people.
Capstone projects and time management

26 Oct 2009 | 5:36 pm

It is amazing how easy it is to sail through a Computer Science degree from a top university without ever learning the basic tools of software developers, without ever working on a team, and without ever taking a course for which you don’t get an automatic F for collaborating. Many CS departments are trapped in the 1980s, teaching the same old curriculum that has by now become completely divorced from the reality of modern software development. Where are students supposed to learn about version control, bug tracking, working on teams, scheduling, estimating, debugging, usability testing,…

Dooce
Halloween 2009

dooce

6 Nov 2009 | 12:22 pm

Halloween was a total blur, mainly because we spent the week leading up to it trying to iron out the bugs of the community website, and as usual I waited until the last minute to buy candy and the only thing left at the grocery store was really expensive dark chocolate that makes little kids throw up. Great. So now not only are we the reclusive Internet people who run some sort of online website, have you heard? That house where that little shit of a dog escaped the house one time and chased that woman who was jogging along, minding her own business, and caught up with her and grabbed the…
In the meantime

dooce

6 Nov 2009 | 8:31 am

I'm working on a huge Halloween post that should take me most of the day to put together (in between feeding and cuddling Marlo), but here's the sunset from last night. Had to share it. click image above to see the photo on dooce.comby dooce in Daily Photo© Armstrong Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Heather B. Armstrong for dooce.com as In the meantime. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.
Featured community question

dooce

5 Nov 2009 | 9:06 am

I found this question from Becky O a little difficult to answer at first, and of course I had to keep pushing "never trust a man with two first names" out of my brain. Because that's just a dumb rule to live by. Because come on. CLIVE OWEN. I would trust him with my everything. by dooce in Community, Nubbin© Armstrong Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Heather B. Armstrong for dooce.com as Featured community question. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.
Business time

dooce

5 Nov 2009 | 8:32 am

I take it you two would like to be left alone. click image above to see the photo on dooce.comby dooce in Daily Chuck© Armstrong Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Heather B. Armstrong for dooce.com as Business time. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.
Lils

dooce

5 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am

This is Lily, Katey's six-month-old, just another member of our Wackadoo Clan. She is now crawling, sitting up, and on the verge of pulling herself into a standing position. And do you see that face? We're all doomed. click image above to see the photo on dooce.comby dooce in Daily Photo© Armstrong Media, LLC. All rights reserved. Originally published by Heather B. Armstrong for dooce.com as Lils. This post cannot be republished without express written permission.

Matt Cutts
Gaping hole costume for Halloween 2009

Matt Cutts

31 Oct 2009 | 3:49 pm

This year for Halloween I tried to do a see-through hole in your body costume: It worked okay, but not great. The biggest problem was that I didn’t have a gadget lying around the house that could output live composite video. Both my normal video camera and my digital camera had exhausted batteries that wouldn’t recharge, which is a gadget fail on my part. And while my Flip video camera is tiny and it can output pre-recorded video through a composite cable, it can’t output live video (?!). Lame. I didn’t care enough to buy a new battery-operated gadget that could send…
Export your Google Docs data

Matt Cutts

25 Oct 2009 | 8:56 pm

One of my favorite personal blog posts is about not trapping users’ data. In late 2006, Eric Schmidt declared “We would never trap user data.” Many of the major Google properties (search, Gmail, Calendar) make it trivial to export or download your data. In the past, Google Docs would let you export a single doc at a time, but Google Operating System runs down exactly how to batch export your Google Docs. For each type of document (text document, presentation, spreadsheet, etc.) you can choose what file format to get. I had about 81 personal docs (~13MB) and it only took…
One million video views!

Matt Cutts

21 Oct 2009 | 9:54 pm

This year we’ve been making and posting videos on an official webmaster video channel, and earlier today we hit our one millionth video view. Making these little movies has been a ton of fun and we’ve covered dozens of topics for site owners. We decided to celebrate in a couple ways. First, we added captions to all 150+ videos (over 11 hours of information). That’s important because for movies with captions, you can translate the captions into different languages. Now if you want to watch my videos but see the captions in Portuguese or German or Turkish, you can! The second…
Happy Diwali for 2009!

Matt Cutts

17 Oct 2009 | 8:35 am

Hey everybody, I just wanted to wish you a Happy Diwali! I hope that everyone has a wonderful festival of lights. It’s a good time today for introspection and reflection on the past year, and for hope for the year to come. Whether you celebrate with firecrackers, sweets, or appreciation for what you hold to be good and true–I hope you have a wonderful Diwali!
Learn more about robots.txt

Matt Cutts

6 Oct 2009 | 10:10 pm

We made a video about how Google handles the robots.txt file. You can watch it if you want: This answers a couple questions such as: - Why is my url showing up in Google when I blocked it in robots.txt? Did you fetch that url? - How do I make that url disappear from Google? I hope the video helps if you have questions.

Bob Sutton
When is the change going to be over?

Bobsutton

4 Nov 2009 | 7:54 am

An executive my wife knows reported one of her people recently asked her this question. The last couple years have been tough on all of of us, and especially tough on people who had assumed that the future would be an imitation of the past. Of course, the answer is that the change will never be over. More so than ever, a boss's job is to prepare his or her people by developing expectations that there will be constant change, while (as I wrote in HBR), providing as much prediction, understanding, control, and compassion as possible.I wonder, what else can a boss do to help…
The Baboon Troop that Mellowed Out After the Alpha Males Died

Bobsutton

2 Nov 2009 | 8:35 am

I got an email last night from a former student (thanks Hendrick!) who wanted to let me know that Stanford's Robert Sapolsky had done a WNYC radio show called "New Normal?" (listen here) where he described his 2004 article with Lisa Share on a troop of baboons -- which became more peaceful (or at least less nasty) after the alpha males died. It is amazing stuff, and more evidence that being a jerk and having power go hand in hand. Here is a link to the original academic article (which I was able to download for free). It is short and quite accessible, and just…
Intuition vs. Data-Driven Decision-Making: Some Rough Ideas

Bobsutton

1 Nov 2009 | 10:22 am

A Stanford undergraduate doing a case analysis on using intuition versus systematic analysis wrote me an email last night to get my thoughts on the difference between the two, especially in light of the work that Jeff Pfeffer and I did on evidence-based management. Below is my lightly edited response. This is just off the top of my head (is it mostly intuition?). I would love to hear your thoughts on this distinction -- if it is useful, how the two concepts fit together, when one is more useful than the others, and so on: I don't think that intuition and…
I Am Just Like You

Bobsutton

30 Oct 2009 | 9:31 am

A few days back, I wrote about David Dunning's book Self-Insight, which presents a compelling case that there are numerous impediments to self-awareness and that many of these roadblocks are mighty difficult to overcome. I am now on the last chapter, which contains some interesting ideas about how to increase our awareness of how skilled or unskilled we might be at things and our awareness of how others see us. Dunning points out that a host of studies show that one major impediment to self-awareness is that people see themselves as unique -- usually as superior to others -- …
Reducing Interruptions and Saving Lives: New Study on Drug Treatment Errors

Bobsutton

28 Oct 2009 | 9:21 am

I have written here and other places on Amy Edmondson's wonderful research on how, when nurses feel as if they have psychological safety, they openly talk about and try to correct drug treatment errors, but when they work in a climate of fear, they are afraid to even admit when they have made mistakes -- which led to a rather bizarre finding in Amy's early research that in nursing units where people felt safe, even compelled,to talk about and learn from mistakes, they reported ten times more errors than in a nursing unit where the supervisor slammed nurses who admitted or where…

AE on the Verge
Buying your way into a community (aka, tweets for sale)

1 Nov 2009 | 1:11 pm

Just about everything in the meeting biz is open for sponsorship. But should Tweets be for sale?I've been reading about "sponsored tweets" - where someone on Twitter will "sell" their willingness to talk about your product to their own community - that is, to their own blog and/or Twitter readers/followers. May just be for personal financial profit (or to get what they "talk about" free) - or may be part of a sponsorship package like getting paid to put a company's name on a sign. Trouble is, does the reader know it's a paid advertisement or endorsement? SHOULD the reader (also known as "the…
Conferences: A Helpful Ribbon

30 Oct 2009 | 4:14 pm

Ever go to a conference and not know how to easily identify members from your own state? A colleague has ribbons made with the state name that he sends to state attendees in advance (to insert in conference badges). He can identify them, they can identify each other, and it lets others know where they're from.
Building Leaders: 6 Skills to Develop (or Have)

26 Oct 2009 | 7:27 pm

Can an engineering school also build leaders? A Boston Globe article relays the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) has added leadership training to its undergraduate engineering curriculum - to help its students with superior technical skills succeed in the workplace environment.MIT takes engineering students who may be introverted and/or acutely aware of their analytical/technical excellence - and teaches them leadership and management skills aren't "silly", time-wasting or out of reach. MIT's engineering leadership program identifies the following skills, among others, to…
How to Not Ruin Black Pants

25 Oct 2009 | 12:46 pm

As someone who doesn't like to travel with more than just a computer bag, it's a sad situation to completely ruin a favorite pair of black pants that didn't wrinkle and fit better than any others.Real Simple magazine (Nov. '09) has these tips for black pants: (for those who don't want the time and cost of eternally dry cleaning)1. Don't wash them as much. Wear 4-5 times between washings.2. Turn pants inside out to minimize color loss.3. Choose a short, delicate cycle.4. Use specialized detergent for cold water loads, such as Tide Coldwater. Chlorine in tap water is apparently…
Tips to Running Better Meetings

23 Oct 2009 | 4:45 pm

Kudos to Judith Lindenau who created this SlideShare presentation with great meeting management tips. All Boards and committee chairmen need to learn (and use) these basics.Productive MeetingsView more presentations from Judith Lindenau.

Jason Calacanis
LeBron won’t leave MSG… He’s the mayor here! 100% he’s a knick next year. 100%. Sorry cleveland!

Jason Calacanis

6 Nov 2009 | 7:46 pm

————— Jason@Calacanis.com | Mobile: 310-456-4900 http://www.calacanis.com | http://www.mahalo.com Executive Assistant: admin@calacanis.com
My brother dj josh and grand master flash spinning at Knicks Game

Jason Calacanis

6 Nov 2009 | 7:22 pm

————— Jason@Calacanis.com | Mobile: 310-456-4900 http://www.calacanis.com | http://www.mahalo.com Executive Assistant: admin@calacanis.com
19 point first quarter for Lebron

Jason Calacanis

6 Nov 2009 | 6:02 pm

Sent from my iPhone, but I’d rather be using my blackberry frankly.
Welcome to NY LeBron — want to stay?

Jason Calacanis

6 Nov 2009 | 4:08 pm

————— Jason@Calacanis.com | Mobile: 310-456-4900 http://www.calacanis.com | http://www.mahalo.com Executive Assistant: admin@calacanis.com
SWAT Team Member Faces Off Against a Wall

ml962

6 Nov 2009 | 2:31 pm

A member of the SWAT team gets in the way of a door flying off its hinges.

Ze Frank
challenge 1 :: shadow letters

2 Nov 2009 | 5:05 am

i'm facilitating a series of three challenges for samsung mobile which will ultimately result in donations to architecture for humanity and the nature conservancy! the first challenge is live! click below for details :: would be great if you could help!
new time vid :: brief history of afghanistan

25 Oct 2009 | 4:52 pm
a "short list" of the books that were recommended to me ::

13 Oct 2009 | 6:23 pm

... when I asked for suggestions on twitter and facebook...this is about a third of the titles that I received back - maybe they will help you find a book too :: PLEASE add your recommendations for GREAT books in the comments :: click below ::
time vid :: on the nobel peace prize

12 Oct 2009 | 3:14 pm
new time vid :: diplomacy

1 Oct 2009 | 10:56 am

John Jantsch
3 Sources of Grammar Inspiration

John Jantsch

6 Nov 2009 | 6:20 am

3 Sources of Grammar InspirationThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing About once a week I amuse the grammar troops by torturing some aspect of the language in my writing. Hey, I don’t do it on purpose and I love that I’m able to provide an otherwise cuddly group of individuals with a steady flow of chuckles. I’ve had this post in the back of my mind for some time, but I was prompted to write it today by a LinkedIn status update I saw yesterday. (Name of victim withheld) – “Excited to attend my first titter conference today.” In the always on, say…
Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and Charisma

John Jantsch

5 Nov 2009 | 3:16 am

Trust Me: Four Steps to Authenticity and CharismaThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Marketing podcast with Nick Morgan (Click to listen, right click and Save As to download – subscribe now via iTunes Trust – can’t get enough of that as a brand, business, or person these days. Everyone knows that, but what they may not know is that there are things each of is doing that may be unintentionally eroding trust – particularly when it comes to the topic of speaking and presenting. In this episode of the Duct Tape Marketing podcast Nick Morgan, author of Trust Me, talks…
Social Media Training Course Beta Testers Needed

John Jantsch

3 Nov 2009 | 5:03 am

Social Media Training Course Beta Testers NeededThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing This whole social media thing for small business can be confusing, I know, I speak to groups of small business owner routinely and hear things like – “I’m overwhelmed, I’m tired of the hype, what do I do first, how do I find the time.” Update: The good news is a lot of people really want to beta test this program – over 125 left comments for the 10 spots, but I guess that’s the bad news too. Here’s what I’ve decided to do – I will choose 20 beta…
Biznik Blends High Tech with High Touch

John Jantsch

2 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm

Biznik Blends High Tech with High TouchThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing Fortunately, it’s starting to feel like the wave of social media hype has crested and small businesses can turn their attention to understanding social media “best practices” rather than obsessing over next week’s new tool. Today’s greatest small business opportunity awaits those who learn to skillfully blend the awareness creating, automating, and filtering aspects of social media platforms with the trust and customer building aspects of education based, face-to-face networking.
Weekend Favs October Thirty-One

John Jantsch

31 Oct 2009 | 5:20 am

Weekend Favs October Thirty-OneThis content from: Duct Tape Marketing I’ve added a weekend post routine that I hope you enjoy. Each weekend I write a post that features 3-4 things I read during the week that I found interesting. Generally speaking it doesn’t involve much analysis and may range widely in topic. (Flickr image included here is also fav image of the week) Enjoy! Good stuff I ran across this week: Twitter Gallery - Nice collection of free twitter backgrounds. This is an asset that should be branded, but at least dress it up a bit. KnowEm – Search over 340 popular social…

Ray Kurzweil (and Ramona)
Ray Kurzweil proposes entrepreneurial peace fund and renewable-energy initiatives to Israeli leaders

5 Nov 2009 | 11:35 pm

Meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli President Shimon Peres at the recent Israeli Presidential Conference: Facing Tomorrow 2009, Ray Kurzweil proposed several innovations for dealing with the coming energy shortages and bolstering Israel's growing economy. He also proposed an "Entrepreneurial Peace Fund" -- a collaborative technology incubator between Israel and Palestine. The proposal was widely met with enthusiasm and support in both public and private sessions. In a speech to the conference, Netanyahu credited Kurzweil with the insight and inspiration for the…
Humanity+ Summit and Biopolitics of Popular Culture Seminar

5 Nov 2009 | 10:55 pm

The feasibility of redesigning the human condition (such as the inevitability of aging, limitations on human and artificial intellects, unchosen psychology, suffering, and our confinement to the planet Earth) will be the focus at Humanity + Summit, Dec. 5-6 in Irvine, California at EON Reality's new state-of-the-art, 18,500-square-foot facility, built to showcase 3D visual content management and virtual reality applications. Is Hollywood reflecting a transhuman turn in popular culture, helping us imagine a day when magical and muggle can live together in a peaceful Star Trek federation? Will…
Elevator to the Top: Space Elevators Climbing Towards Reality

5 Nov 2009 | 10:21 pm

The group LaserMotive successfully ran a climber up 1 kilometer of test cable at an average rate of just over 2 meters per second, qualifying for the 2nd place prize of $900,000 in The Space Elevator Games competition. The craft is powered by a stationary laser beaming the power to operate to the climber. (NASA MSFC, Artist Pat Rawling) (Source: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2009/11/elevator-to-the-top-space-elevators-climbing-towards-reality/)
Analysis: Google's Dashboard Tackles Transparency

5 Nov 2009 | 10:16 pm

A new Google product called Dashboard aggregates users' personal information from more than 20 Google services into a single, password-protected page. (Source: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2355490,00.asp)
Large Hadron Collider scuttled by birdy baguette-bomber

5 Nov 2009 | 9:27 pm

A bird dropping a piece of bread onto outdoor machinery has been blamed for a technical fault at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), causing significant overheating in the system's supercooled magnetic doughnut. Obligatory "this is not an Onion story" statement - Ed. See also: The Collider, the Particle and a Theory About Fate (Source: http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/05/lhc_bread_bomb_dump_incident/)

Chris Messina
And the monopoly goes to…

Chris Messina

31 Oct 2009 | 10:10 am

I’m not a great fan of patents, not because I’m against innovation, but because I don’t believe the patent system (especially in the United States) has kept up with, or modernized, in a way that actually encourages the widest possible public benefit at the lowest cost in the least amount of time. In other words, what we’ve learned from open source is that different types of competitive pressures in transparent markets can do as much if not more than centrally conferred monopolies over a given idea, implementation, or design. Furthermore, the process by which the rights…
On brand consistency and BHAGs

Chris Messina

2 Oct 2009 | 9:37 am

Ryan Stewart — a platform evangelist for Adobe — wrote a post resentful of Google Wave’s hype — and lamented the lack of similar interest and enthuasism for rich internet applications (RIAs), writing that Adobe, just [doesn’t] seem to encourage the visionary demos, the ones that make people rethink how they’ll communicate and interact. The resulting discussion was worth a read, especially comments by Brian Lesser. While one of the arguments was over whether Wave could be built with Adobe technologies, that’s the least interesting part of the conversation. As Ryan points out,…
Video of my talk: “Identity is the Platform”

Chris Messina

2 Oct 2009 | 12:12 am

I’ve posted the video that Brynn shot of my talk. Slides are available here. Of course, it’s purely coincidental that I used Pownce to illustrate my story of the “death of a web app”, since it was relaunched yesterday at TypePad Motion — without any of the relationships that were lost when the service shut down.
Identity is the platform

Chris Messina

1 Oct 2009 | 6:37 am

These are the slides from my talk at the Mindtrek conference in Tampere, Finland today. I admit that there are some controversial things in this talk, but if I don’t say it, I don’t know who will. So, for the purpose of understanding this talk, it’s worth keeping in mind that I mean “OpenID” in a much more expansive way — not limited to the purview of the features of the protocol today, but as an effective, comprehensive competitor to Facebook Connect. As well, I’m working out what I really mean by “Identity as the Platform”, but my five…
Umair Haque’s Awesomeness Manifesto

Chris Messina

21 Sep 2009 | 12:35 pm

I don’t always agree with Umair Haque, a Harvard economist, though many of his ideas resonate with my own experience on the web. And I can imagine that much of his message comes across as rather radical to his audience, so I’ll cut him some slack if he has a tendency to wax revolutionary when he talks about the social web. Still, I find his “Awesomeness Manifesto” actually useful, if only because it’s an argument against innovation as we commonly think of it. His point echos a common refrain among many of the web’s independent progeny of late (consider Tim…

Pam Slim
10 ways to stimulate the economy with your brain

Pamela

5 Nov 2009 | 10:58 am

I don’t know about you, but I get mighty tired of reading newspaper articles and blog rants about the effectiveness/ineffectiveness of stimulus money on our economy. What makes me frustrated is that we waste hours a day fighting with each other about things outside of our control, instead of using our own brains to do something about our local economy. So here is my list of 10 things you can do, right now, to stimulate a small corner of your local economy without spending a dime: Mentor a new business owner. If you know how to build an effective website or display goods more…
Spreading the addiction of the TED conference one city at a time

Pamela

30 Oct 2009 | 2:24 pm

There are few things that get me fired up late at night like watching TED videos. For the uninitiated, TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and is a conference that takes place once a year. The videos from TED are shared free on their website, and the talks are enough to get you standing up with your fist in the air, clutching your heart with tears streaming down your cheeks, or doubling over with laughter. TED is undertaking a new initiative which is to encourage local communities to sponsor their own events, called “TEDx.” We are hosting ours here in Phoenix,…
Last chance to attend live Escape from Cubicle Nation workshop in 2009

Pamela

28 Oct 2009 | 4:20 pm

The fabulous and enthusiastic crew from last week’s Escape from Cubicle Nation Workshop in London. Photo by the handsome and talented TMSRuge. I communicate on Twitter so frequently that I just realized some blog readers may not know that my last live Escape from Cubicle Nation workshop will take place on Wednesday, November 4 at the Hotel Belamar in Southern California. I will be joined by the fabulous and talented Colleen Wainwright, otherwise known as Communicatrix, who is an amazing resource for branding and social media. This will be my last workshop of the year, and the last…
Response to Chris Brogan about Overnight Success

Pamela

25 Oct 2009 | 4:05 pm

Sitting in the Dallas airport after having spent the weekend speaking and participating in Milana Leshinsky’s Coaching Millions Super Summit, I watched Chris Brogan’s 3-part video series on Overnight Success and felt my heart melt. I related to so much of what he talked about, since I have spent so much time this summer on the road, promoting my book. Getting out in front of people is critical, spreading the message of hope and connection through entrepreneurship is imperative, and creating a powerful business model that serves people well and provides well for my family is a…
The beauty of dirty laundry

Pamela

19 Oct 2009 | 2:38 pm

At the management conference I attended in Pärnu, Estonia last week, we had a speaker from Denmark, Morten Lund, a long-time entrepreneur who had, among other things, made good money investing in Skype. As he launched into his presentation, he said: “I have founded over 88 startups. And at the moment, I am bankrupt.” Due to a failed investment in a newspaper business in his native Denmark, he had lost a lot of money. But, he said, he actually was feeling quite good. He was spending lots of time with his four kids, whom he obviously adored. And he remained passionate about…

Shel Israel
Some Social Media Department [SMD] granularity

shel

3 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am

I am heartened that I've received some comments and thoughtful questions that indicate I am not alone in thinking the time has come to establish social media departments in the enterprise. This follow up post offers a few thoughts on just what this department would--and would not--do. And I need to start with a disclaimer. I do not think this new department should own social media in the enterprise. That is as bad an idea as one department owning email and deciding how it should be used, or the telephone and so on. Social media encompasses a set of tools that improve communications by…
Time to draw a Social Media box into the org chart

shel

2 Nov 2009 | 8:52 pm

I was having lunch with an old friend who has spent the better part of the last four years pushing the social media rock up the enterprise mountain. She was frustrated. Marketing, after disdaining and ignoring her social media team efforts four years ago; after having then gotten angry and tried to shut down the social media efforts two years ago, now wanted to fold the social media team into the marketing department.She is not alone. Almost every enterprise has a small band of social media champions. They have almost operated as a skunkworks operation, one who existed from project to project…
Personal Brand & the Humanization of Corporate Brand

shel

2 Nov 2009 | 9:29 am

A great deal is being said these days about personal brand and as is usually the case, with a new term, there is debate on how new or important it is. There are those who feel personal brand is just a new term for good old-fashioned reputation and others who feel there is an opportunity for old advertisers to try a new spin on their creative attempts to insert position messages into human minds.I see some truth in all of this, and the whole truth in none of it. To me personal brand is very closely connected to human reputation. There are two aspects that I think make it at least slightly…
SM Global Report: Howard Rheingold [Part 2]

shel

28 Oct 2009 | 8:35 am

Where we're going [Howard Rheingold. Photo by Oscar Espiritusanto]Note: This is part part 2 of two parts. You can see Part 1, Where we've been here.This title is just slightly misleading. Howard really offered no predictions of where people and technology is heading in the Conversation Age, and I didn't try to get him him to make forecasts. While his writings have displayed more than a little prescience, he is more of a thinker than a futurist. But he did offer some interesting observations about at least one emergent technology and some useful…
Explaining my SM Global Report

shel

27 Oct 2009 | 8:18 am

Yesterday, over on Twitter, I asked for suggestions for my SM Global Report and was surprised by the confusion that caused. Some people thought I was offering some sort of proprietary report, perhaps a PDF.This post is to help me explain and to give me a link I can point to in the future. [If you know all about the SM Global Report and how I use it, just skip this report and come back later.]The Social Media [SM] Global Report is at the core of what I do. Since 2005, I have interviewed people about how they use social media in their work and lives. In all there have been over 400 interviews…

Home
My National Novel Writing Month Alternative: HaNoWriMo

Jessica Smith

1 Nov 2009 | 9:06 am

Every year since 2003, I've attempted to complete NaNoWriMo (short for National Novel Writing Month). The way I see it, NaNoWriMo participants have been using the Tweetup format for years before Twitter was in existence. What do I mean? People all over the world meet up in cafes, coffee houses, libraries, and other locations to write together after convening and connecting online. One of my the items on my bucket list is to write a novel. If it's one of yours too, I definitely recommend giving NaNoWriMo a shot. For ten years they've had everything we love about connecting via social media…
Being Humble is the New Black

Jessica Smith

24 Oct 2009 | 3:48 pm

I'm observing a pretty consistent trend that's risen at about the same velocitous rate as the social media platforms we use. Being humble. And while people have gotten their fifteen minutes of fame or power from creating a Twitter mob against a company or a company spending inexorbitant amounts of money to garner someone a million followers...those receive a flash of lightening of attention. However, they don't earn long-term returns with regard to respect, loyalty, or retention. At the influencer level, very few get and stay where they are by bringing down those around them, through sense of…
Kidpreneurs: Review

Jessica Smith

19 Oct 2009 | 8:59 pm

It probably comes as no surprise to many of you that when I was growing up, I always wanted to start a business. I had a lemonade stand, tried to start a neighborhood newspaper, and had my first summer job working for an hour a day for a neighbor's small business. That's why, when Adam Toren, co-author of the book Kidpreneurs: Young Entrepreneurs with Big Ideas!, offered me a copy of the book to review I enthusiastically agreed.
The #FriendshipExperiment

Jessica Smith

12 Oct 2009 | 7:19 pm

Most that know me well know that I'm a pretty avid social media user. I connect with old friends as well as those I've just met on Facebook, I tweet even when I'm on vacation, and get slightly panicky if I'm my iPhone is out of range or there's no WiFi. Part of that probably comes from the fact that many "in real life" friends are connecting with me digitally and many of those I've connected with online first have become offline friends as well. Gone are the days of the speed dial...now we've got direct messages, email, texting, and instant messenger. With this post I want to take the time…
Bloggers' "About" Pages: What I Want to See

Jessica Smith

5 Oct 2009 | 1:00 pm

OK, so just about every blogger I know has an "About" page. Some may call it a media kit, some may call it a portfolio. Some bloggers put huge "PR Friendly" badges or badges letting us PR folk know that they're ethical. That's all fine and dandy, but here's what I really need to see so that if I think your content, your point of view, and your personality all jive with the campaign I'm currently working on: Ready? OK! (Yes, I was a cheerleader at some point in my life).

Bob Parsons

Mark Cuban
Adding Facebook and Twitter Followers – A Little One on One ?

markcuban

6 Nov 2009 | 8:39 am

I was thinking of ideas on how to add twitter and/or facebook fan page followers. I dont have a real need to have to do so. I was just curious about ways to do so. Think of it as one of those things my minds wanders off to while Im working out. One thing that poppedup as what I thought was a decent idea was the idea of rewarding those who refer and/or generate followers to my pages on twitter (@mcuban), or on FAcebook (/markcuban) a unique page where they were the only person approved to have access and for some period of time, they would have exclusive access for questions and answers. So…
Keyboards, Phones and NetBooks

markcuban

6 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am

Some people wondered why I stayed with my Sidekick despite still not getting my contacts back and all the troubles the network had. The answer is easy. They keyboard is so above any beyond any other phone, I can type a good 50 words per minute on it. (Its amazing how fast my thumbs are on this thing) Which in turn allows me to answer emails quickly and accurately. I dont lose any productivity when Im on my Sidekick compared to sitting in front of my desktop or full sized laptop. To me, thats money in the bank. Thats not to say I never stray and try new phones and alternatives. I do. …
A Great Business Idea = The Email of the Day

markcuban

4 Nov 2009 | 8:01 am

I got this email today. Of course Im being marginally facetious about the following idea. Why only marginally ? Because all he has to do is find one sucker to say yes. Enjoy. I have an idea to solve all of Americas problems, just as all great ideas are really very simple so is this. I am self made, retired, age 45 and financially independant. I will sell this idea for $5,000,000. When you learn of this plan, you will be shocked at how simple and effective it will be. I want a cashiers check up front and I will give you the idea once it is cleared. I have it written on an index…
Sports Ratings Records and what it tells us about the internet

markcuban

29 Oct 2009 | 12:21 pm

have you seen sports ratings lately ? Just this week: The NBA on TNT had its highest ratings in TWENTY SIX YEARS . Versus had its highest rated regular season NHL game EVER. The first game of the World Series was the highest rated in 5 years. The NFL was setting records on cable and achieving viewing levels not seen in TWENTY YEARS !. College Football ratings are killing it as well. But wait there is more. TV viewing is up considerably in each of the last several years. We can even look at the box office for movies and the fact that the industry is seeing a theatrical revival. The…
Its Mavs Time !

markcuban

26 Oct 2009 | 3:12 pm

I am so firedup for this season to start. No predictions other than to say I think we are much better than last year and if we can stay healthy…. And of course off the court, we are always trying to do new fun things that create fun and value for our fans. From the new amazing VideoBoard (largest and highest resolution indoor board in the world !), to the new soundsystem, because great sound matters ! And as always , we have lower ticket prices and great season ticket deals available. Some even include All Star and Event tickets as well . Mavs.com has all the scoop. You will also…

Tom Peters
New "Mini-MASTER"

5 Nov 2009 | 4:07 pm

I've been fooling around with a lot of formats for recent events in the likes of Luanda, Riyadh, Dhahran, Mumbai, New Delhi, and Toronto. I've also been folding some of the stuff in the new book into my presentations. For my own use, I created a 525-slide monster I titled "Mini-MASTER." Here it is, FYI.
King Fahd University

5 Nov 2009 | 8:26 am

Tom's public seminar yesterday was hosted by King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals in Dhahran. "KFU is as good as it gets in its field," Tom reports. "I had a lovely time. I think we got some good work done—and had a lovely time along the way. As an engineer, I have great fun poking fun at my brethren." He adds, "If it gets any better than Saudi hospitality, I don't know where." (At Tom's request, spaces at the seminar were made available for "a couple of dozen students.") As always, please let us hear from you, and you can get the PPT slides here.
The Little BIG Things video series

Shelley Dolley

4 Nov 2009 | 8:33 am

As mentioned previously, Tom's been busily working on a new book. The Little BIG Things: 163 Ways to Pursue Excellence will be published early next year. Our talented friends at Enterprise Media captured Tom's thoughts during an early draft stage of the book. The words in the book will have little resemblance to the words Tom uses in these videos, as there have been numerous draft revisions, but the concepts are the same. Our new video feature can be found at the top right of the front page under the banner. The video series starts off with the topic of the recession, the first being…
Excellence Slides

2 Nov 2009 | 4:53 am

Tom's on the road again, this time speaking to the International Conference on Administrative Development: Towards Excellence in Public Sector Performance, in Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. If you attended the event which took place earlier today, please let us hear from you in the comments. If you would like to get the PPT slides, you can do so here: Excellence Always, Riyadh Riyadh, Long Version
Psychology By Any Other Name

29 Oct 2009 | 6:26 am

I love the book Nudge—the content's pretty good, the title even better! But I hate—literally hate—the title of the genre. Namely, "behavioral economics." Oh for God's sake. Behavioral economics? Translation? Psychology! (Or as I like to call the field, "Economists discover humans.") But that's actually not the topic of this post. As I write I sit in a beautiful British Airways Club Class lounge in Heathrow's opulent Terminal 5. The lounge is big. The lounge is well appointed. There are two parts. There is no distinction between the two parts in terms of access. The "half"…

Dave Taylor
My upcoming speaking gigs Oct, 2009

20 Oct 2009 | 12:29 am

Me speaking on a panel at SXSW '09 earlier in the yearI can't believe how many speaking gigs I have coming up, really. Wondering what's on my agenda? Here's the list: Aren't we all just wasting our time with social media? Thurs, Oct 22 at 7pm I'm speaking as a representative of Boulder Digital Arts at the Goozmo open house in downtown Boulder. This is a free event, and you're definitely welcome to show up for my thirty-minute talk / discussion. More information: Goozmo Open House What's the Point of Social Networking? Friday, Oct 23 at 9am-11am This is a two-hour breakfast discussion /…
Worried about the FTC going after your blog?

16 Oct 2009 | 4:05 pm

One of the big discussions both here at Blogworld Expo and in the blogosphere in general is the implication of the new Federal Trade Commission's new regulations for online advertising practices from the Bureau of Consumer Protection. The regulations seem to address the issue of disclosure: if I give you a copy of my book and you write about it, you have to let your readers know that. If I buy you dinner and then you write about my book or reference my site, you have to disclose that. And so on, and so on. Problem is, this FTC guideline has gotten more and more onerous in the echo chamber of…
Twitter "virus" via video, I don't think so!

14 Oct 2009 | 9:27 am

I don't get it. Are people really this clueless in the social media world? I woke up this morning to boldface warnings New virus on Twitter! Don't click on video links in DMs! Of course, it didn't take long for me to get one: Being the reckless tech guy I am (and running on a Mac, not PC, so far, far less susceptible to viruses), I clicked on the link anyway, and got this: Ah, okay, so, duh. Here's an easy rule of thumb: Never share your social media credentials with other sites! Surely you, dear reader, aren't so daft that you'd click on a link to see a video and then blindly log in to what…
Why DVD rental is such a tough biz: it's a commodity, stupid

12 Oct 2009 | 9:22 am

I'm all for supporting local mom-and-pop businesses, and this evening, on the enthusiastic prompting of my girls, we went into a local video rental place (though 95% of what they rent, of course, are DVDs). After much deliberation on their part, they selected the Disney film Tinkerbell. Okay. Last few times I've paid for a rental it's been through Redbox and that's $1/night, so inexpensive that you can forgive the tiny selection in the box. At the local video rental place, however, it was $4.95 for a rental, and due in four days to boot. Five bucks? Seemed kinda steep, and when I got rave…
Great presentations at the ESPRIT Innovation Alliance Breakfast

6 Oct 2009 | 3:08 pm

I've written before about the Technology Transfer Office at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and I attend as many of their events as I can manage with my schedule. They address the greatest challenge that a modern research-based University has, which is how to "get it to market". More interesting is that here in Boulder we also have a second organization that acts as the "receiver" to the Tech Transfer group's passes, the Boulder Innovation Center. Between them there's a clear path between professors and grad students inventing and viable commercial marketplaces. Not many universities can…

Valeria Maltoni
Is Your Conversation About Scarcity or Abundance?

Valeria Maltoni

6 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

You need to decide now, because your results depend on the answer. I have a problem with scarcity mindset - it's myopic, unnecessarily restrictive, and in fact destructive for you and your organization. Scarcity presupposes that you're the center of the universe, that the work box is the only box available for packing a life, and it doesn't have a good ending. It's a very lonely ending. Yesterday we talked about the difference between getting recognition for its own sake and getting the idea done. The latter is in the abundance camp. Which incidentally is the same place or context where weak…
Participation and Getting Ideas Done

Valeria Maltoni

5 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

[Maestro Salieri and the priest, from Amadeus, 2:35]This week, so far, we talked about setting up listening posts to serve customers better as first line of response and to be proactive, building a framework to develop valuable content to deliver as a service, and measurement. Today we focus on participation. That mix of attention, time, interaction, with a sprinkle of human thrown into it that makes relationships start and grow.What did you see in the movie clip above? [hat tip Rohit Barghava for leading me to Amadeus] Antonio Salieri was the most famous composer in Europe. He wrote 40…
Avinash Kaushik, Web Analytics 2.0

Valeria Maltoni

4 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

“In God we trust, all others bring data.” — Framed plaque from the ‘60s at NASA’s Johnson Space CenterWhen it comes to deep smarts, curiosity, with practical advice and sprinkled with a healthy dose of good humor, I cannot think of anyone more qualified than Avinash Kaushik. He's not only a real dynamo in all matters analytics, he's also a genuinely passionate, interesting, and kind person. Think that he wrote the answers to our conversation while his hand was healing from an injury because he had made a promise.Every single one of his posts - and now I can say the same for the…
Developing a B2B Content Strategy: Start with Who

Valeria Maltoni

3 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

Businesses that want to create long-term sustainable growth will be increasingly moving towards connected company status. That is the place where being social benefits the business by providing insights, strengthening relationships with partners and customers, and building and connecting a community with common grounds and needs. In many organizations, the listening post resides within the marketing group. As we discussed yesterday here and on Twitter, customer service should co-own the space and collaborate to develop big ears during customer conversations and interactions. In many B2B…
Twitter, Customer Service, and Good Brand Management

Valeria Maltoni

2 Nov 2009 | 4:00 am

If monitoring conversations and knowing what you're listening for is the first ingredient in good online best practices, knowing when and how to respond is much more than good etiquette. It's become an integral aspect of brand management and can mean the difference between a flop - or worse, a crisis - and a deposit in your company's reputation bank.It's easy to dismiss Twitter's usefulness as a tool. That is until you figure out that on Twitter you can find mentions of your brand and you can actually connect with customers directly and provide a first line of response. Chances are, that in…

Brian Williams
Casting a long shadow

Daily Nightly Editor

6 Nov 2009 | 1:24 pm

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor The awful Ft. Hood shooting incident has saddened everyone -- and we're feeling it acutely perhaps because we just spent a week with the U.S. military in Afghanistan. I've often said that one of the great blessings of my job (as someone who didn't serve) is the exposure it has given me to our superb all-volunteer force. I have been to Ft. Hood, and cannot imagine the shattering effect this will have on that post and community. Our hearts and prayers go out to the families of the dead and wounded -- and we hope you can join us…
Tragedy in Texas

Daily Nightly Editor

5 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor We are covering an awful breaking story at Ft. Hood in Texas. Not only is it the single largest military installation in the country, this makes for the single largest loss of life in a single day domestically in some time. It’s an awful story, and there's a lot we don't know at this hour. We'll try to compile the very best reporting for tonight's broadcast, and we hope you can join us.
Another amazing response

Daily Nightly Editor

4 Nov 2009 | 1:57 pm

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor I'm simply writing today to say thank you -- and to express my ongoing appreciation at the amazing generosity of our viewers. Last night we did a follow-up on the orphanage in Afghanistan. I was only home from work for a few hours when we learned they had already received 500 e-mails from Nightly News viewers -- many of them offering donations and pledges to sponsor a child. It is immensely gratifying, and I'm beyond words in expressing my thanks and appreciation on behalf of the lovely children we met over there. Thank you. We hope…
Your attention, please

Daily Nightly Editor

3 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor I'd like to make a special plea for your attention: tonight we are doing a follow-up Making a Difference report. It's actually a report on the generosity of our viewers. Last Friday from Afghanistan, we first aired the story of an orphanage on Nightly News. It is the home to 67 girls and several boys -- and it is an infectiously happy place. We aired the story, along with information on how our viewers could contribute. In the time it took us to fly home to New York, our viewers had…
Looking back after heading West

Daily Nightly Editor

2 Nov 2009 | 1:55 pm

Brian Williams, anchor and managing editor Our last moments in Kabul left an indelible impression, and I'm afraid not a good one. While we were at the airport, waiting in the parking lot to be "processed," two SUV's full of American contractors arrived: all wearing visible body armor, many with thigh-mounted ankle holsters for their 9mm handguns, and still others with conspicuous automatic weapons held across their chests. They are not alone -- this kind of thing is now ubiquitous there. There is a dynamic developing in Kabul which is reminiscent of Baghdad: Highly visible…

Roger Von Oech
Carbon Credit Humor

Roger von Oech

15 Oct 2009 | 9:28 am

The Internet makes many new enterprises possible. For example, I recently ran across this example. Hooray for human ingenuity! The guy in the bed has used the Internet to combine his sloth (sleeping in) with environmental concern (people wishing to offset their carbon use) and clever marketing ("having an environmentally friendly day"). Made me laugh!
Tomato and Asparagus Synergy

Roger von Oech

12 Sep 2009 | 12:30 pm

Here's some amazing synergy!Gardeners know that when tomatoes and asparagus are planted together, they have a beneficial effect on one another.• Asparagus roots exude a chemical that kills many of the nematodes that either feed of tomato roots or carry diseases to the plant.• Tomatoes repel the asparagus beetle.Both plants do better when planted together!What other examples can you think of?
Nice X-Ball Video

Roger von Oech

11 Aug 2009 | 2:57 pm

Fun video of the X-Ball from TD Monthly. One minute long. Watch TDmonthly Video
Good Old Wittgenstein

Roger von Oech

11 Jul 2009 | 9:37 am

Meeting a friend in the corridor, Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) said: "Tell me, why do people always say that it was natural for men to assume that the sun went around the earth rather than the earth was rotating?"His friend said: "Well, obviously, because it just looks as if the sun is going around the earth."To which the philosopher replied: "Well, what would it look like if it had looked as if the earth were rotating?"
Video of the Amazing X-Ball®

Roger von Oech

1 Jul 2009 | 5:48 pm

Here's a fun 1-minute video of my newest product: the X-Ball, a set of 30 X-shaped magnetic design pieces (available from Creative Whack Company). The X-Ball is a companion product to the award-winning Ball of Whacks. The X-Ball gets your creative juices flowing!

Ann Coulter
Election 2009: Change I Can Believe In!

4 Nov 2009 | 6:50 pm

MSNBC, Aug. 31, 2009, Keith Olbermann on Robert F. McDonnell, Republican candidate for governor of Virginia:"In (McDonnell's master's thesis), he described women having jobs as detrimental to the family, called legalize
I'll Pass on "Opting Out"

28 Oct 2009 | 3:35 pm

The Democrats' all-new "opt out" idea for health care reform is the latest fig leaf for a total government takeover of the health care system. Democrats tell us they've been trying to nationalize health...
The Grating Communicator

21 Oct 2009 | 3:23 pm

The Obama administration has attacked Fox News in order to prevent government corruption stories broken on Fox from bleeding into the other media, which are all-consumed with daily updates on Levi Johnston's Playgirl...
Natural Born Losers

14 Oct 2009 | 4:19 pm

The question of whether President Obama should send more troops to Afghanistan misses the point. What Obama really needs to do is: Invent a time machine, go back to the 2008 presidential campaign and not say, over...
Would Your Company Like to Sponsor the Next Installment of Liberal Lies on National Health Care? See My Web Site for Details! Part 7

7 Oct 2009 | 3:06 pm

(This article is the seventh in a series. Click here for part one and part two, part three, part four, part five, and part six.) (18) America's lower life expectancy compared to countries with socialist health care...

Jeffrey Zeldman
Crazy man at Starbucks

Jeffrey Zeldman

4 Nov 2009 | 5:18 am

Shot by Mr Greg Storey.
Once more into the breach

Jeffrey Zeldman

4 Nov 2009 | 3:50 am
Less babble, more learning

Jeffrey Zeldman

3 Nov 2009 | 4:49 am

Issue No. 295 of A List Apart emphasizes words and experiences that communicate. Can You Say That in English? Explaining UX Research to Clients by DAVID SHERWIN It’s hard for clients to understand the true value of user experience research. As much as you’d like to tell your clients to go read The Elements of User Experience and call you back when they’re done, that won’t cut it in a professional services environment. David Sherwin creates a cheat sheet to help you pitch UX research using plain, client-friendly language that focuses on the business value of each exercise. You…
House Party

Jeffrey Zeldman

31 Oct 2009 | 10:02 am

Real fonts on the web: House Industries supports WOFF format. …a font format for the Web that satisfies the needs and concerns of browser makers, web designers, and type foundries. … WOFF offers compression to speed page load times, freedom from thorny legacy issues, and inclusiveness (font outlines can be Postscript or TrueType). WOFF has the support of a wide spectrum of the type community; from peers such as Emigre, Hoefler & Frere-Jones, Commercial Type, etc., and larger foundries such as Linotype and Monotype. Today it has also gained the support of Mozilla in the their…
Beep ’n Me, Live

Jeffrey Zeldman

29 Oct 2009 | 1:29 pm

Join Ethan Marcotte and me tonight at 8:00 PM EDT on the CreativeXpert Live Show, an interview and podcast with live listener call-in via Skype and Twitter. We’ll discuss the newly released third edition of Designing with Web Standards and such topics from its pages as selling standards to reluctant clients and bosses, changing what support for IE6 means, understanding and transitioning to HTML5, neato CSS3-based design techniques you can use right now, and more. Tune in, call in, rock on. Short URL: zeldman.com/?p=2810

Marc Canter
Aarhus blogging - ‘09

marc

5 Nov 2009 | 1:06 pm

Its snowing here in Denmark, meanwhile….. We are not clicks or eyeballs, we are people ….deal with it Open Data Network in Germany - OurData.eu Google Wave Federation Innovation in Open Networks Speaking of Copenhagen, Bruse Sterling at Reboot HTML5 is getting out there - especially the canvas feature ccMixter transitions from the Creative Commons to ArtisTech Media Traffic Server, Salmon Protocol,StatusNet, QuickMix, Squeeze 6, GreenEnergyTV, Google Dashboard, Bodega,
Followup to “Adobe is Dead”

marc

3 Nov 2009 | 7:08 am

I’m blogging to you from Aarhus, Denmark - where I’m speaking at the J. Boye conference. John Dowdell is a thoughtful, long time blogger who works for Adobe/Macromedia. He and others have been commenting on my Adobe is Dead post - as well they should. That was the whole reason I created that post. Here’s my response to him - and the other posts: OK - let me make this clear: 1. The whole world is moving to the browser. Aviary proves that effective, powerful media editing can be done in the browser. I don’t WANT media editing on the desktop anymore. …
Why not name Mark Pincus as the culprit?

marc

1 Nov 2009 | 5:27 pm

Kudos to Michael Arrington for outting the scams going on in social gaming and lead-gen monetization. As soon as I heard of what Mark Pincus was up to, I knew that this would all come back to bite him. Knowing Pincus (as I do - I worked with him at Tribe.net) I also have viewed (with amusement) all the coverage he’s been getting lately. This is all about money - and as long as folks see Zynga making money, they’ll love Pincus. Certainly investors like Fred Wilson love Pincus. But wait! You mean what he’s doing isn’t respectable? And why didn’t Arrington name…
Five year predictions

marc

1 Nov 2009 | 10:49 am

Eric Schmidt had some really intelligent insights into what will be prevelant web trends five years from now. Summarizing: Five years from now the internet will be dominated by Chinese-language content. Today’s teenagers are the model of how the web will work in five years - they jump from app to app to app seamlessly. Five years is a factor of ten in Moore’s Law, meaning that computers will be capable of far more by that time than they are today. Within five years there will be broadband well above 100MB in performance - and distribution distinctions between TV, radio and the web…
The Passion of Crushing it

marc

1 Nov 2009 | 10:09 am

It’s great to see people like Gary V out there. His book - “Crush it” - is an easy read roadmap on the new workforce of the future. Gary walks the reader through a blueprint of product and services, marketing and entrepreneurism 101 - all based upon social media. It’s all about passion. I’m lucky enough to know what I wanted to do early on - and have been living the dream life. I wish that on everyone. Everyone should do what they love. It’s a quest. A funky quest. Congrats to Gary. This book rocks. I’m definitely gonna pass it onto others.

Donald Trump
Defective Construction Materials - Easy Fixes or Nightmares Waiting to Happen?

5 Nov 2009 | 9:36 am

by Tina Merritt It seems like there is always some defective construction product in the news. Years ago it was lead based paint and asbestos. Back in the mid to late 90's, it was EIFS, fire retardant plywood and Polybutylene plumbing. Now, it's defective drywall from China. What should you do? Run away like everyone else from these properties or embrace an opportunity for a possible real estate investment deal? The answer is......it depends. EIFS (Exterior Insulation and Finish System) is an exterior coating used extensively in the 1980's and 1990's.
Staying on Top

4 Nov 2009 | 12:23 pm

by Donald J. Trump One way I stay on top of things is to realize there’s a flip side to everything. It keeps me circumspect in both good and bad times. This produces a learning curve, which is a smart way to look at problems or the curveballs that come your way. There are highs and lows in everyone’s life. Whether you’ve reached your goals or not, staying on top of things requires momentum on a daily basis. If you’re riding high or having tough times, it applies to both situations. It’s a sound base from which to operate. There is the saying “courage is…
What's Up with Condos Lately?

2 Nov 2009 | 7:45 am

by Tina Merritt There are many guidelines in the condominium lending world and investors need to know how these changes will affect them. Why? Well, the default rate on condominiums has increased substantially as units have faced foreclosure and associations have gone bankrupt. Now keep in mind, I'm talking about condominium OWNERSHIP here, not necessarily the structure. Condominium is a form of property ownership and a condo development can be the traditional apartment style structure, single family homes, townhomes or another variety of build-out. The new guidelines…
The FHA 90 Day Seasoning Rule

30 Oct 2009 | 7:50 am

by Tina Merritt For many investors who rely on FHA-approved buyers to purchase their homes, the "Seasoning Rule" can be a big issue. What is the seasoning rule? In a nutshell, with very few exceptions, FHA will not fund a mortgage for a property that has been owned for less than 90 days. This causes many investors to lose money due to holding costs, extended time on the market and/or not being able to market to FHA buyers. This rule pertains to any title transfer so if an investor transfers a property from one LLC to another, the 90 day rule goes into effect. On September 1,…
Trump International - Scotland

29 Oct 2009 | 7:55 am

by Donald J. Trump I am pleased to announce that work on site on my golf course in Aberdeenshire, Scotland, will begin this week, ahead of schedule. We plan to build the greatest golf course in the world. There are hundreds of acres of magnificent sand dunes and the seaside landscape includes three miles of spectacular oceanfront. 2000 acres in all, and the location couldn’t be better. I spent five years reviewing sites and turned down over 200 possibilities for development throughout Europe. When I saw the links land at Menie Estate, which is in northeast Scotland’s Grampian…

Andy Sernovitz
Pow! Right Between the Eyes — live with author Andy Nulman

Andy Sernovitz

6 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

We’re bringing together an all-star group of word of mouth marketers for Word of Mouth Supergenius: The “How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing” Conference on December 16 in Chicago. We’ll feature 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies, and 6 brilliant authors. You’re going to learn practical, hands-on techniques to get people talking about you the next day. Our lineup of speakers includes word of mouth supergenius Andy Nulman, author of Pow! Right Between the Eyes: Profiting from the Power of Surprise. Here Andy shares a few of the ideas he’ll be…
Buy one, give one, send 5 bucks

Andy Sernovitz

6 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am

I’ve written before about how I’m a big fan of how Adagio Teas uses simple offers to get great word of mouth. They may have the best word of mouth execution of any site I’ve seen — learn from them. Here are a few more examples that you could do too: 1. Make it easy to give. After you place an order, you get this offer, which lets you send the exact same order to a friend as a gift, for 10% off. In 30 seconds they get a second sale and impressive word of mouth. 2. Make it easy to share. Customers can send unlimited $5 gift certificated to their friends. I like…
How to create buzzworthy topics — live with WOMMA’s John Moore

Andy Sernovitz

5 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

We’re bringing together an all-star group of word of mouth marketers for Word of Mouth Supergenius: The “How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing” Conference on December 16 in Chicago. We’ll feature 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies, and 6 brilliant authors. You’re going to learn practical, hands-on techniques to get people talking about you the next day. Our lineup of speakers includes word of mouth supergenius John Moore, WOMMA’s WOM Enthusiast, who will be presenting a class on creating buzzworthy topics. Here are three tips he shared as a…
Newsletter #755: The “Find a Partner” Issue

Andy Sernovitz

5 Nov 2009 | 8:15 am

{Welcome back to the Damn, I Wish I Thought of That Email Newsletter. This is text of the great issue all of our email subscribers just received. Sign yourself up using the handy form on the right.} You don’t always have to go it alone. The next time you’re about to do something big, take a minute to think if there are any similar companies that could join in for some mutual benefits. Three ideas to get you started: 1> For a sampling 2> For an event 3> For a neighbor 4> Check it out: Let me Google that for you 1> For a giveaway If you’re looking to get your…
How to create offline word of mouth — live with Zoocasa’s Saul Colt

Andy Sernovitz

4 Nov 2009 | 1:00 pm

We’re bringing together an all-star group of word of mouth marketers for Word of Mouth Supergenius: The “How to be Great at Word of Mouth Marketing” Conference on December 16 in Chicago. We’ll feature 12 how-to classes, 12 real-world case studies, and 6 brilliant authors. You’re going to learn practical, hands-on techniques to get people talking about you the next day. Our lineup of speakers includes word of mouth supergenius and Zoocasa Head of Magic, Saul Colt. Saul will be hosting the class, “How to Create Offline Word of Mouth” based on his experience…

Paul Kedrosky
QOTD: John McCain’s 15% U.S. GDP Cut

pk

6 Nov 2009 | 6:54 pm

No idea how I missed this wonderfully inflammatory Paul Samuelson quote from a few weeks back, but it’s a contentious keeper: Had John McCain won [the 2008 election], the present G.D.P. in the United States would have been even lower than it is now by more than 15 percent. More here.
Who Files for Bankruptcies?

pk

6 Nov 2009 | 6:49 pm
Books of the Week

pk

6 Nov 2009 | 1:23 pm

Some books I’ve been reading during my travels this week and that others might like – an eclectic list. Scroogenomics. The name more or less says it, but why you shouldn’t buy people presents for the holidays. The Great Cities in History. A lovely series of essays and meditation on what made great cities great through history. Boulevard of Broken Dreams. Josh Lerner’s new book on how government and venture capital should be kept far apart. Lords of Finance. I got stalled half-way through this many months ago, but finally finished it off this week. Probably my favorite book of 2009,…
Readings: Wind, Brazil, Tools, Complexity, and Ship-Tracking

pk

6 Nov 2009 | 11:15 am

How Bernie Madoff made basket cases of his customers’ accounts (SI) Denmark a global leader in wind power (FP) Brazil’s rise to agricultural dominance (FT) Companies lining up for IPOs (E&Y) Live Ships Map - AIS - Vessel Traffic and Positions (MarineTraffic) Prezi - The zooming presentation editor (Prezi) 18 truths: The long fail of complexity (ZDNet)
Why is the Boston Marathon More Volatile Than the NYC Marathon?

pk

5 Nov 2009 | 3:26 pm

As readers know, I’m fascinated by volatility and our response to it. In capital markets a little volatility is important, and a lot is dangerous – it can result in things flying apart, with unpleasant financial consequences. In sports it works the other way around. Too little volatility in results and sports is boring. A little makes things more interesting; and a lot can make something compulsively watchable. I was thinking of this during the recent New York marathon. Yes, an American won, which was a nice change, but the other thing that happened was that result unpredictability…

Thomas Dolby
Prefab Sprout’s new album

TMDR

1 Nov 2009 | 4:08 am

A belated note about the latest Prefab Sprout album, ‘Let’s Change The World With Music’, which was released a few weeks ago. It has a curious history. Paddy McAloon wrote the songs at the beginning of the 90s, intending to make a follow-up album to 1990’s ‘Jordan: The Comeback’. As he liked to do, Paddy made demos of all the songs in his home studio, and sent them both to me and to the band’s record company, Sony. I immediately fell in love with the songs, especially ‘Ride Home To Jesus’ and ‘I Love Music.’ I was keen to…
'Gig' announcement!

TMDR

19 Oct 2009 | 10:19 am

Announcing: THOMAS DOLBY AND FRIENDS: Circumnavigating ‘The Flat Earth.’ Union Chapel, Islington, London Feb 28th, 2010 The other night I met up for a drink with my friends from the Flat Earth live band I took with me on my world tour in 1983-84–Justin Hildreth, Lyndon Connah, Matthew Seligman, and Lesley Fairbairn. We thought it would be fun to get back together and play for one night. It was great when Matthew and Kevin Armstrong joined me onstage at the Academy a couple of years ago, and this would be the full touring band. A quick email round to Chucho Merchan, Debra…
Now THAT's what I call a birthday cake.

TMDR

13 Oct 2009 | 1:01 am
Simone

TMDR

12 Oct 2009 | 8:03 am

About fifteen years ago, a new song popped into my head. It had a title, a melody, and a handful of lyrics. It had a faintly Brazilian feel to the rhythm and the harmonies. The title was Simone. It seemed to be about a woman who left her partner and escaped to some exotic location. But the chorus was lacking a punchline. If I was going to sing her name several times, I needed to tell Simone something. There was no message to give her. The atmosphere was certainly there; yet to keep it from lapsing into it ‘lounge’ territory, it needed an ironic twist. And every time I tried to sit…
Porn for gearheads

TMDR

11 Sep 2009 | 2:29 am

When I occasionally need to record a group of musicians I don’t have room to do it in my lifeboat studio, the Nutmeg. I have to go and rent a studio elsewhere. Trouble is, I’m very hard to please in that department. When I lived in LA, Bill Bottrell introduced me to the delights of vintage Neve mixing consoles, and I was hooked. The mixer is the heart of a studio and directly affects the sound of a record, and these just have a great sound that’s all their own. Twiddling their knobs is like tuning a beautiful guitar. There are a handful of enthusiasts in California that own…

Darren Rowse
Six Ways To Make More Money As An Affiliate

Darren Rowse

6 Nov 2009 | 5:15 am

By Johnny B. Truant I’m going to go out on a limb and say that affiliate marketing is the easiest way to make money online. You don’t have to create a product or develop a service, you don’t need huge amounts of focused traffic the way you do with AdSense, (I started using AdSense a year ago and just recently passed the $100 minimum payout), and you don’t need to do a ton of advertising or SEO to make it work. All you really need is an audience to whom you can refer products and services. Of course, the above statement is true in the same way it’s true that you…
The Paint By Numbers Guide To Artful Blogging

Darren Rowse

6 Nov 2009 | 5:15 am

A Guest Post by Greg Hayes from Live Fit Blog. Do you subscribe to the idea that blogging is an art form? I do. Britannica Online defines art as “The use of skill and imagination in the creation of aesthetic objects, environments, or experiences that can be shared with others.” If you’re a blogger, then by definition, you most certainly engage in the following activities during the creation of content: Creative Writing Web Page Design (Aesthetics) Idea Development (Novelty) Social Media (Shared Experiences) When we start our blog, we read the A-list bloggers, and they repeat the…
14 Types of Stories You Can Tell On Your Blog

Darren Rowse

4 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am

Yesterday we explored WHY stories can be such a powerful communication tool on your blog. Today we’ll look at 14 types of stories that you might like to try on your blog. 14 Types of stories can you tell on your blog Personal Discovery Stories – tell how you discovered a lesson. These stories show your readers how similar you are to them and also might give some practical advice on how they might learn from your experience. Stories as Analogies and Illustrations – tell a story that on the surface has nothing to do with your topic but which illustrates a principle that is relevant.
Why Stories are an Effective Communication Tool for Your Blog

Darren Rowse

3 Nov 2009 | 6:18 am

As I write this it is the first Tuesday morning of a new month and I’m sitting in a local coffee shop going through my ‘start of the month routine‘. It involves a large lattè (everything else hinges on this) and some delving into my blogs metrics to see how they’ve been performing. While I do keep track of the traffic stats of my blogs each day I like to set aside an hour or two at the start of each month to go a little deeper and do some more analysis of trends on my blogs – I find that when I do this I notice things that I can build on to continue momentum on…
Thesis Theme for WordPress Upgrades to Version 1.6

Darren Rowse

2 Nov 2009 | 6:16 am

One of my favorite WordPress themes – Thesis – has in the last week released an update with some pretty cool features. My strategy with blog design is like this. I generally aim towards a completely customized blog design that will give my blog a distinct look and brand – but before I work towards that I almost always start with a more affordable option because I like to test to see whether the blog is going to work or not. As a result I’ve always been on the look out for great themes and when Chris Pearson and Brian Clark started DIYthemes and released the Thesis…

Walt Mossberg
Motorola's Droid Is Smart Success for Verizon Users

Walter S. Mossberg

4 Nov 2009 | 6:10 pm

Verizon Wireless customers tend to love the company’s fast 3G network. But many tech-oriented Verizon loyalists gripe about the carrier’s high-end smart phones, which haven’t matched the cachet and versatility of the Apple iPhone sold by AT&T (T). In fact, some Verizon customers have switched to AT&T simply to get an iPhone. [ See post to watch video ] But this week, Verizon (VZ) is rolling out a device that finally gives it a more credible alternative. This new $200 phone is the Motorola Droid and it’s the first Verizon model to run Google’s (GOOG)…
Windows Live Email, Vista and Apple Tablets

Walter S. Mossberg

4 Nov 2009 | 3:05 pm

I have just bought a new computer with Windows 7, and not only can’t I download Outlook Express, I can’t even find it. Is it there? Where? A: Sadly, Microsoft killed Outlook Express—its free, fast and simple Windows email program—long before Windows 7 came out. In Vista, it was replaced by something called Windows Mail. Now, there’s no email program at all built into Windows 7, unless a PC maker chooses to include one. But Microsoft offers for download a free product called Windows Live Email that is the latest successor to Outlook Express. You can get it, alone or as…
Fitbit Sees How You Run, Walk and Sleep

Katherine Boehret

3 Nov 2009 | 4:28 pm

Everyone knows they ought to be eating well, exercising and getting enough sleep. But when they take the elevator up one flight of stairs, drive six blocks instead of walking and skimp on sleep to watch the end of the big game, it’s their little secret. Not for long. [ See post to watch video ] I’ve been testing Fitbit, a tiny $99 device with a motion-detecting sensor that, when worn, digitally records one’s distance (walking or running), calories burned and steps taken—as well as sleep patterns. The Fitbit wirelessly sends the data to its Web site, fitbit.com, for storing…
Operating Systems Offer New Choices in PC Shopping

Walter S. Mossberg

28 Oct 2009 | 6:02 pm

Now that both Microsoft and Apple have finally shipped the new versions of their operating systems, Windows 7 and Snow Leopard, respectively, it’s time for my annual fall computer-buying guide. This guide stresses laptops, which have become the prevalent choice, but most of its specs also apply to desktops. As always, it is aimed at average consumers doing typical tasks, such as Web surfing, email, social networking, word processing, photos, video and music. It doesn’t apply to businesses, hard-core gamers or serious media producers—groups that need specialized or heftier…
Running Windows Programs on Macs

Walter S. Mossberg

28 Oct 2009 | 4:57 pm

If I purchased an Apple Mac that runs both Apple’s OS and Microsoft Windows, is there a way to move my Windows files and applications over to the Mac side? If that was done, would those applications need to be run in Windows? Is there a way to “convert” them so they could run under the Apple OS? A: Windows programs cannot be “converted” to run directly in the Mac operating system, which is called Snow Leopard. But, if you use virtualization software like Parallels or VMware fusion, and install Windows, then a Windows program like Microsoft Outlook can run…

Brian Solis
Rumors of the Death of Blogs are Greatly Exaggerated

brian

6 Nov 2009 | 4:02 am

Source: feministingEach year at Blogworld Expo, Technorati CEO Richard Jalichandra presents The State of the Blogosphere as one of the event’s prestigious keynotes. For those who are unfamiliar with Technorati, it serves as a directory and search engine for the blogosphere as well as a benchmark for the ranking of blogs worldwide.While there has been much discussion about the relevance and even demise of blogs as the statusphere and micro updates gained traction in addition to earning prominence in the mainstream spotlight, the reality is that blogs are a vital ingredient to the media…
RT @Twitter: New Retweet Feature Goes Live

brian

5 Nov 2009 | 7:29 pm

Source: TwitterThis is breaking news at the moment, therefore this post will update as new information trickles in.Twitter is making good on its recent promise to introduce new features to bring users back to Twitter.com.Similar to the way that it rolled out Lists, Twitter is incrementally releasing its new Retweet feature initially previewed in August 2009.As described by @Biz, co-founder of Twitter:Retweet is a button that makes forwarding a particularly interesting tweet to all your followers very easy. In turn, we hope interesting, newsworthy, or even just plain funny information will…
Social Media Influencers are not Traditional Influencers

brian

5 Nov 2009 | 4:19 am

SourceGuest post by Damien Basille, follow him on Twitter | Read his blogAs more and more brands are moving all of their ad spend online, defining how influence affects their return on investment is necessary and must be done as soon as possible. While some are making inroads to define these calculations many are overlooking the fact that influence affects everything. Without factoring in the real issue of different types of influence you run into a number of problems, for instance focusing on one group of influencers over another or getting broad sweeping numbers instead of knowing exactly…
The Future of the Embargo

brian

3 Nov 2009 | 4:25 am

CreditIn media and blogger relations, PR typically wields two powerful tools to help boost the effectiveness of pitching and potential placement of news: the embargo and the exclusive.In the case of an exclusive, a story is usually packaged prior to official release for one particular writer, fully understanding their style, nuances, and audience. If the story is accepted, it is not pitched to any other media outlets until after the story runs. The benefit for PR is that it can bank on the publishing of a guaranteed, high profile story. The advantage for the reporter is that they maintain a…
Twitter Releases New Widget for Lists

brian

2 Nov 2009 | 7:14 pm

Twitter recently expanded its new Lists service to users network-wide and in doing so, injected a sense of excitement, confusion, and also utility. Lists represent a significant milestone for Twitter as it transcends asynchronous conversations and and broadcast messages into a form of intelligence gathering, education, entertainment, and news.Twitter Lists are also stirring controversy as many believe that it sets the foundation for a new level of establishing a metric for influence. Whereas prominence was measured by the number of followers as well as the friends-to-follower ratio, now the…

David Weinberger
Yochai Benkler responds to critics of the broadband survey

davidw

6 Nov 2009 | 11:50 am

Yochai Benkler, the project lead on the Berkman Center’s analytic survey of how broadband works around the world [pdf] responds to critics and questioners.
Ariziona rules metadata is part of public documents

davidw

5 Nov 2009 | 2:43 am

The Supreme Court of Arizona has ruled that the metadata included in electronic doucments is covered by the public records law. If the state has to make the document available, it also has to make the metadata available. The court reasoned analogically: “It would be illogical, and contrary to the policy of openness underlying the public records law, to conclude that public entities can withhold information embedded in an electronic document, such as the date of creation, while they would be required to produce the same information if it were written manually on a paper public…
Pew Internet: Staring at screens makes us more social

davidw

4 Nov 2009 | 9:34 pm

I’m in an airport, beginning a day of transit that seems to bend time in a Time Zonish way, so I haven’t had time to actually read this Pew Internet report, but my understanding is that it challenges the assumption that mobiles, texting, the Internet, and all the rest make us more isolated. It turns out (apparently), that Internet and cell phone users have larger and more diverse social networks than non-users. Which way the causality runs, I don’t know. But the Pew Internet stuff is invariably interesting, so I thought I’d point it out. Now, it’s off to the…
[iab] Alain Heureux on regulating marketing

davidw

4 Nov 2009 | 3:27 am

I’m at IAB (Interactive Advertising Bureau) in Milan. The Europe-wide president of IAB, Alain Heureux, is giving a talk that includes a section on the self-regulatory mechanisms IAB is proposing as it watches Brussels begin to formulate policy. NOTE: Live-blogging. Getting things wrong. Missing points. Omitting key information. Introducing artificial choppiness. Over-emphasizing small matters. Paraphrasing badly. Not running a spellpchecker. Mangling other people’s ideas and words. You are warned, people. Alain goes through the following “road map”: 1. Opt out.
Open Declaration on E-government

davidw

3 Nov 2009 | 9:25 pm

Some folks, including Nadia El-Imam, have put together an Open Declaration on Public Services 2.0 that is going to be presented alongside the declaration of the European ministers at the Malmö ministerial conference in about 3 weeks. They’re looking for signatures.

Dan Pink
Quote of the Day: No means yes

Dan Pink

2 Nov 2009 | 6:09 am

“Strategy is what you choose not to do.”– Harvard President Drew Gilpin Faust, with an assist from Michael Porter
Signs that make you look twice — Part 2

Dan Pink

1 Nov 2009 | 5:17 pm

My old friend and college classmate Sharon Roth sends this tangle of a sign, which she snapped on the mean streets of Park Ridge, Illinois. The “Stop Means Stop” addendum at the bottom could be effective, she says. But there’s so much clutter and noise surrounding it that many drivers tune out rather than slow down. (In other words, writers aren’t the only people who need editors? — Ed.)
Signs that make you look twice — Part 1

Dan Pink

1 Nov 2009 | 5:04 pm

Jason Soll – a sprinter, a TEDster, and a central Ohio homeboy — sends this sign from his dorm at Claremont McKenna College. It’s clever. And by getting us to look twice, the sign might prod us into following its instructions.
Factoid of the day: Miles for clunkers?

Dan Pink

29 Oct 2009 | 8:25 pm

I’ve been on the road a lot lately — which means that my posts have been infrequent and that they have a travel theme. Today’s the same. Sitting on the tarmac in O’Hare for two hours tonight, I came across this stunner in today’s Wall Street Journal:“There are an estimated 10 trillion unused frequent-flier miles in circulation now, worth some $165 billion.” That dollar figure is more than the GDP of Egypt. And if you were to distribute all those miles evenly among Americans, it would amount to one free trip for every man, woman, and child in the…
Where are the dang outlets?

Dan Pink

22 Oct 2009 | 1:02 pm

That’s the question that power-mad (in the electrical sense) travelers ask when they arrive at an airport with their phones and laptops screaming “battery low.”The search can quickly lead an upstanding citizen down the low road. I’ll cop to: scouring every baseboard in a terminal in a mouse-like quest for a power hole; pinching the outlets behind the United check-in desks when nobody is looking; sitting on the floor, Buddha-style, in the middle of a crowded gate so I can draw a few minutes of juice from one inconveniently located power source; and unplugging the electronic garbage…

Craig Newmark
Consumer Reports stands up for health care reform

Craig Newmark

6 Nov 2009 | 5:38 am

Hey, the folks at Consumer Reports have the best record for integrity and fairness anywhere I've ever seen. They've been looking at health care for years, and are really good at the issues. Here's a little more from Jim Guest there. We’re not a political group. We’re independent and nonpartisan. In the Washington debate over health care, we don’t care which side gets credit or blame. We just want better health care for consumers, and we want the voice of consumers to be heard.Disclaimer: for reasons including those in the first paragraph, I've joined their board.
Why "Craigslist Founder Joins Veterans Affairs Innovation Search Panel"

Craig Newmark

5 Nov 2009 | 4:35 am

Yup, that's me, figuring I should practice what I preach, in addition to strongly supporting the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America.Craig Newmark, the founder of “craigslist” and a well-known technology visionary, has agreed to serve on the blue-ribbon panel of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that will review and evaluate ideas to improve disability claims processing times and provide greater transparency to Veterans. The innovation competition solicited ideas from VA employees and members of Veterans Service Organizations who are on the front lines every day, working…
IAVA wants you to help military families and female veterans

Craig Newmark

4 Nov 2009 | 8:23 am

(from the site of the Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans of America)A new bill to improve care for female veterans and military families has just been introduced in Congress, but lawmakers need to hear from you. The bill includes three of IAVA's top priorities for this year: a package of improvements for female veterans, including more training for mental health providers in treating sexual trauma a pilot program to offer child care so that veterans who have children find it easier to make VA appointments a trial counseling program in which newly-separated female veterans would be treated in…
Where does recovery money go? Check your phone

Craig Newmark

4 Nov 2009 | 1:20 am

Hey, the folks at Sunlight Foundation have introduced an augmented reality app, you point it around you, and you can see what companies have gotten the money. Check it out:For more, check out the Sunlight Foundation announcement and a good article at NPR
PrescriptionForChange.org: Serious health care reform from Consumer Reports

Craig Newmark

3 Nov 2009 | 1:17 am

The folks at Consumer Reports provide some of the most trustworthy reporting anywhere, doing lots of fact checking, with the highest degree of integrity humans can exhibit.They give you straight info at PrescriptionForChange.org and that's not easy to find these days.For decades, Congress has put off dealing with our nation’s health care crisis ever-spiraling costs, insurance industry traps that put profits over people, and too many uninsured that drive up all our costs. I expect you to finish the tough work on health reform this year, and commit to giving all Americans access to…

Andrew Sullivan
The Daily Wrap

Andrew Sullivan

6 Nov 2009 | 7:16 pm

Today on the Dish we focused on Fort Hood. We found footage here and here and first-hand accounts here and here. Major reax here. Bruce Bawer addressed the Muslim factor, Andrew warned against targeting Muslims, Greenwald grew frustrated over the media coverage, and Mark Noonan called for torture. We looked back at the other major massacre to hit Killeen, Texas, and there was another shooting today, in Orlando.Andrew took a look at the unfortunately timed right-wing rally held in DC. One reader worried about the protestors and another pointed the finger at GOP leaders, such as…
God's Work

Andrew Sullivan

6 Nov 2009 | 5:32 pm

I missed this earlier this week. It's Jon Stewart at his best:The Daily Show With Jon StewartMon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Nuclear Socialism?, Ctd

Andrew Sullivan

6 Nov 2009 | 5:04 pm

Yglesias responds to Frum:Even though carbon pricing ought to make nuclear power profitable on an operating cost basis, it would be prohibitively expensive to raise the capital necessary to construct nuclear plants. I think you could resolve this by having the state step in and do the financing. He thinks, I guess, that some counterfactual private utility could do it if it were far larger than any existing utility. But how would you make these mergers happen? That sounds to me like you need an active state.
Under The Rightwing Rock

Andrew Sullivan

6 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pm

If you don't think Bush's and Cheney's embrace of torture-as-policy has not had a profound effect, check out this instant response to Fort Hood from Mark Noonan in the neocon camp:A terrible event - but I don’t want anyone to call it an “act of violence” or “a terrible tragedy”. It was an attack - one or more men decided with malice to attack a US military base. We need to get right down to the bottom of this - and, liberals, if the stories of accomplices in custody are true, this is where harsh interrogation might be needed: whoever was involved in this most…
"Petting Is Passé!"

Andrew Sullivan

6 Nov 2009 | 4:47 pm

How to love your dog a little too much.

Jessica Gottlieb
Lala.com The Game Changer

Jessica Gottlieb

6 Nov 2009 | 10:25 pm

Check it out at LaLa.com licensed music, free, online. I’m not sure that it’s a business model that’s good for musicians, but business and art aren’t often a marriage. It’s an incredible start up, you can play music straight from your browser, so it doesn’t take up precious space on your hard drive. With over 6 million [...]
I Taught My Kids To Talk Back

Jessica Gottlieb

6 Nov 2009 | 12:13 pm

What about you? Share on Facebook
I Love My Family, I Love My Family, I Love My Family,I Love My Family

Jessica Gottlieb

5 Nov 2009 | 9:58 pm

Sometimes we need a mantra. I love my family is what I say to myself when I’m standing (hunched over really) in the attic at 8.45 in the evening. How do I find myself in the attic? Well, my dear sweet husband came home at 7 and promptly flicked on the heater in an already warm [...]
3 Out Of 4 Gottliebs Have the H1N1 Vaccine

Jessica Gottlieb

4 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm

More stories at University of Southern California Powered by Whrrl Today I got a glimpse of State Run Healthcare. It was horrifying. Share on Facebook
The Rollercoaster

Jessica Gottlieb

3 Nov 2009 | 10:35 pm

Eleven years ago I became a mother. I got exactly 43 seconds today to sit and contemplate that feat. Woke kids up, gave Jane gifts. An LG Neon slider phone that her uber hipster aunt also happens to have, from Mom and Dad and a copy of New Moon from her brother Alexander. Both gifts were [...]

Andrew Baron
“Weird Al” Yankovic rehearsing for Know Your Meme Stay tuned...

29 Oct 2009 | 10:47 am

“Weird Al” Yankovic rehearsing for Know Your Meme Stay tuned for a special guest.
Be the (internet) sensation of any Halloween party with Know...

14 Oct 2009 | 8:51 am

Be the (internet) sensation of any Halloween party with Know Your Meme’s Hallow-meme Costume Builder. Our internet scientists have crafted easy-to-follow costume recipes for your favorite memes, from Afro Ninja to Zombie McCain.
How Twitter Could Lose The Game By Design

7 Sep 2009 | 2:35 pm

Do you know how to use the twitter logo? My guess is that you are far from able to navigate the Twitter website in general, and that in particular, you can not explain the why’s and wherefore’s behind the intricate and complex functionality that exists behind the Twitter logo. Don’t feel bad. I have used Twitter daily for years and I still can’t figure out how the Twitter website works either.Even Steve Rubel, THE super-duper-duper-user of Twitter was trying to figure out the most simple aspects of who can see what and unfortunately, I didn’t know. I’ll bet you didn’t know the…
A Timeframe for TV's Future?

30 Aug 2009 | 11:38 am

Printed today in The Guardian: “The TV industry has as little as two years to create viable digital businesses or face a version of the “iTunes moment” that saw the music business cede the online future to Apple, according to Ashley Highfield.” With regards to the various threat levels to traditional media, the TV and Film businesses are converging and it’s much more complex to transition online. More than two years will almost for sure be needed. Rocketboom has been around almost five years now and there is almost no difference in terms of non-technicalogical support. Consider the…
Select Magma Tweets

26 Aug 2009 | 8:58 pm

alecorreo: I am really digging Mag.ma http://ow.ly/lugQ 19 minutes ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet BuildIntel: Just wanted to let everyone know that I love #Magma. Check it - http://mag.ma/ about 3 hours ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet nickdemartino: RT @jonarcher: Impressed by new video aggregator Magma http://mag.ma/ about 6 hours ago from TweetDeck · Reply · View Tweet barryroodt: Very very cool - Magma, the current top videos right now: http://mag.ma/ about 7 hours ago from Tweetie · Reply · View Tweet teachtech: Really cool, but not for those with ADD. www.mag.ma…

bijan sabet
Meet Me On The Equinox - Death Cab For Cutie I’m not into...

7 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am

Meet Me On The Equinox - Death Cab For Cutie I’m not into Twilight but this soundtrack is mighty fine.
Stock options: vesting & change of control

6 Nov 2009 | 7:53 am

Fred has a post about option pools and their impact on valuation this morning. It’s a great post and will be very helpful to many folks without a doubt. I share the same point of view and it’s one of many reasons I like co-investing with USV. Once you set up a pool there are some typical and different ways to structure the terms and rights associated with them. There are number of issues but for this post I want to talk about vesting & change of control. Vesting Vesting is important for retention but more importantly it allows the company to put the equity in the hands of the folks that…
Photo

5 Nov 2009 | 7:09 pm
Jeter and Matsui (via John Maloney)

5 Nov 2009 | 11:19 am

Jeter and Matsui (via John Maloney)
Why I'm going to get the Droid

5 Nov 2009 | 9:41 am

At this point, there are plenty of opinions about the Droid’s hardware, software and user experience. Some people love it. Some people don’t. Some have mixed feelings. But I think there is only way to see if I’m going to like it. And that is to try it myself. Reading reviews isn’t going to help me. So I’m going to swing by Verizon tomorrow and give it a try for a week full time and see if it works for me. That’s the only way to know for sure.

Brent Simmons: Inessential.com
Last day of NetNewsWire introductory pricing

31 Oct 2009 | 10:52 am

In a nutshell: the price of the for-pay, ad-free versions of NetNewsWire for Macintosh and for iPhone will go up at midnight tonight. If you were thinking of buying, please don’t miss out. (Last day to save $5 on the Mac version and save $3 on the iPhone version.) See the sale ends today post on ranchero.com for more detail. Use the money you save to buy other cool iPhone apps! A few I recommend are Pickin’ Time, Postage, and Word Spin.
Vaccines

29 Oct 2009 | 4:46 pm

An interesting link on Daring Fireball today has me thinking about vaccines. I’m still living with the effects of the chicken pox I had in third grade. There was no vaccine then. Every kid just got it. It swept through school, and nobody tried too hard to prevent the spread, because every kid would get it, and it was better to get it when you were young. It was just a thing. We thought we were modern because it was just chicken pox — not polio or smallpox or one of those scarier diseases that had been conquered. But now there is a vaccine, and I wish like crazy there had been a vaccine…
Code relationship between TapLynx and NetNewsWire

14 Oct 2009 | 10:22 am

The code behind TapLynx and NetNewsWire for iPhone are similar — there is plenty of overlap — but they’re not the same. Database engine TapLynx is the engine I originally wrote for NetNewsWire 2 for iPhone. But then, in a decision that’s easily second-guessable, I wrote a new engine for NetNewsWire for iPhone. The TapLynx version is mature: the one in NetNewsWire for iPhone is much less mature. TapLynx was originally an iPhone OS 2.x project: it uses SQLite (via FMDB) instead of Core Data. But when I went to write NetNewsWire 2, Core Data was newly-available on the iPhone, and I was…
TapLynx 1.0

14 Oct 2009 | 9:43 am

TapLynx is a framework for building media-based iPhone apps without needing to do any programming. It’s a tool for developers, though — you still use Xcode to build the app. You configure it via a property list file, add artwork and feeds, build it, upload it. (You build a fully-native Cocoa app: it’s not like compiled Flash or something like that.) Though programming isn’t required, you still can do some programming: a tab can have a custom view controller. An example case: you’re building an app for a sports team. TapLynx provides the news display, photo galleries, and audio and…
NetNewsWire 2.0 for iPhone

23 Sep 2009 | 9:46 pm

NetNewsWire 2.0 for iPhone is on the App Store.

John Robb's Weblog
Taibbi: Obama is a tool

John Robb

25 Oct 2009 | 11:13 am

To the point.
KNOW YOUR ENEMIES ;->

John Robb

24 Oct 2009 | 9:13 am

Here's T Boone Pickens lamenting the fact that China is winning oil contracts in Iraq etc. and leaving the US in the cold. That kind of "nationalist" approach used to work. However, things have changed since the world globalized (and I'm far from alone on this view). Frankly, I see little difference between "Chinese" oil companies and "US" oil companies or super weathies like T. Boone. They both are aggressively antagonist to your and my future prosperity. So, if push came to shove and I had to decide, I think…
Feeling a little philosophical today...

John Robb

18 Oct 2009 | 11:19 am

......
Dying to be wealthy...

John Robb

18 Oct 2009 | 11:17 am

Trying to "will" the creation of financial success via a sweat lodge. Hilarious. These "cults of optimism" are strange things. A final refuge for those that have become deluded/insane from continued failure in the current system. I suspect these cults will get even more popular/intense as things continue to deteriorate.
Consumer products (things)....

John Robb

18 Oct 2009 | 9:40 am

are the cholesterol of the soul --- they block movement, induce stasis, distort goals, and weaken relationships. In short, the more things you have, the more likely your life will end in catastrophic failure.

Lance Knobel
Talking to Brad DeLong

Lance Knobel

14 Oct 2009 | 9:27 am

Sometimes my work on Berkeleyside intersects with my interests here at Davos Newbies. If you’re a Brad DeLong reader you’ll probably find my chat with him worth reading. It ranges from Erasmus to Tolkien to the future of higher education.
My new Berkeley site

Lance Knobel

13 Oct 2009 | 10:31 am

If any readers of Davos Newbies were following InBerkeley, it’s no longer being updated. I’ve started a new hyperlocal site for Berkeley, Berkeleyside. It’s day one, but come have a look.
Financial Times’ new low

Lance Knobel

10 Oct 2009 | 12:39 pm

I’ve lamented the US political coverage by the Financial Times’ Edward Luce before. And the other day Felix Salmon picked up the theme. But I think today may mark a new low. Luce provides political analysis on the award of the Nobel peace prize to president Obama. He takes the church of the savvy line that the prize will reinforce the view that Obama is all talk, no action. Given that Luce has never found a conservative take on conventional wisdom that he doesn’t like, that’s unsurprising. But he plumbs the depths with his language. Rush Limbaugh, the talk radio host,…
Venture capital harms your wealth

Lance Knobel

9 Oct 2009 | 12:37 pm

My latest column for Reuters has been published. I argue that the venture capital industry in the US will be forced to shrink as institutional investors pull back from all except the most successful funds: Everyone believes they are investing in the children of Lake Wobegon, who are all above average. But institutional investors won’t play the fool for long and the response from potential LPs is bound to get stonier for all but the most accomplished funds. So what, if anything, will save venture capital? There will need to be fewer, smaller funds, making smaller bets with their…
The death of magazines

Lance Knobel

5 Oct 2009 | 6:59 pm

For most of my professional life, I worked on magazines. So when knowledgeable observers who I respect sound the death knell for magazines, I find it sad. Jeff Jarvis writes, “What’s the point of emotions? It’s economics.” I don’t think economics necessarily invalidates the emotions. My own magazine history reflects the truth the death of individual titles has always been reality. Look at the magazines I worked on (I’ve only included ones where I played a major role): Architects’ Journal, founded 1896, still going The Architectural Review, founded…

Michael Gartenberg
Sonos S5 well, just rocks

Gartenberg

4 Nov 2009 | 9:14 am

I’ve been a Sonos fan since they first introduced their first products years ago and it’s been fun watching them evolve the line, tapping into new trends and offering new services and values. The latest in the line is the Sonos S5, a standalone device that’s designed to be used with an iPhone as the controller (of course, it also plugs into the rest of the Sonos family and can use any Sonos controller). It’s a simple concept and I’m surprised that no one has thought of it before. First, let’s see what the S5 isn’t. It’s not a speaker dock to…
The Two Ballmers

Gartenberg

21 Oct 2009 | 7:25 pm

I’ve spent most of the day wandering around, meeting with a lot of folks and the topic that kept coming up was Microsoft and the Windows 7 launch and how Microsoft will do tomorrow. Matt Buchanan summed it well tonight. The most interesting news this week so far in tech was a new mouse. Tomorrow Steve Ballmer will take the stage in NY. It might be the most important product introduction for Microsoft. Ever. It’s not whether Win 7 will be a success. It will. It’s whether Win 7 will be relevant. Reviews have been good so far but Win 7 is only as good as the hardware it runs…
New Macbook shows Apple is avoiding the race to the bottom

Gartenberg

20 Oct 2009 | 9:04 am

Apple’s new lineup of products today show that they’re largely ignoring the advice of analysts, journalists and other pundits and who keep suggesting Apple’s strategy must include lower priced $599-$799 laptops as well as enter the netbook market. Instead, Apple’s revamped the lonely white Macbook with core elements of the pro line including a uni-body design (Polycarbonate not metal), LED backlit display and a non removable battery with up to 7 hours of battery life and the now signature glass multi-touch trackpad. Coming less than a day after Apple revealed stellar…
New iMac line is aspirational tech at its best.

Gartenberg

20 Oct 2009 | 9:03 am

Yes, the new bumps to the Mini are interesting and expected (and the new Mini based server will be a most interesting product to watch, keep an eye on that on) It’s the new iMac line that’s worthy of attention. The latest incarnation of the new all in one desktops is nothing short of breathtaking. While the design is familiar, the new aesthetics make it look more like something from an Apple concept lab than a commercial PC. Available in just two sizes, 21 and 27 screens, it’s the 27″ model that will stand out, there’s no doubt that when many customers walk into…
The Pros and Cons of Windows 7 for Business

Gartenberg

12 Oct 2009 | 1:00 pm

Latest Computerworld column. “The Pros and Cons of Windows 7 for Business“ “There’s a lot to like in Windows 7, but it’s a lot easier to like it if you have an easy migration path, from Windows Vista. And given the level of hype we can expect from Microsoft for this launch, IT should make sure it’s in charge of migration before users make the decision for them…”

Naked Jen
I Wish That Your Hair Was Orange

nakedjen

6 Nov 2009 | 10:11 am

We all know I'm a girl that's all about the words. If you can use words well, I might just follow you anywhere.
A Magic Bus of An Entirely Different Color

nakedjen

5 Nov 2009 | 5:06 pm

I do love with abandon, it is true. I always have. If I love you, I give you everything I've got and I never hold back. I sparkle with it, shine it on you, beam it all in your direction.
And Sometimes You Get An Award!

nakedjen

3 Nov 2009 | 7:15 am

Sometimes, you just get an award for your blog for no particular reason at all. I'm all about coming in first. My sisters will tell you that since I'm the oldest of the three children in our family, since I'm...
Love in Three Parts

nakedjen

2 Nov 2009 | 1:03 pm

If I lived here, now, surely I'd be an outlaw. My dogs don't live at the end of a leash. Neither do I.
Better Than Ice Cream

nakedjen

1 Nov 2009 | 10:33 pm

Of course it is naïve to believe and to wish and to hope that this always knowing will always be possible. Things happen. People change. Hearts break. Nothing, not even the knowing, is forever.

Rex Hammock
links for 2009-11-06

Rex Hammock

6 Nov 2009 | 9:02 pm

Norville remembers the not-so-good-old days | unclebarky.com Gist: My friend Deborah Norville* says she should have ignored NBC and talked to the media during the Today Show debacle. "I don't think 'disrespect' is a strong enough word for what they did to me. I was vilified." (*Disclosure: Life's journey leads to interesting friendships.) Condé Nast Wastes Money On Everything Except Magazines | Mediaite Gist of article: It's easy to beat up on Conde Nast proligate ways. (tags: magazines) Google Magazines: Now Actually Findable! | Technologizer Former…
The Last Days of Gourmet

Rex Hammock

4 Nov 2009 | 3:19 am

When I started blogging almost ten years ago, I decided that I would not blog about the transactions of the magazine world: the buying, selling, launching, closing, hiring, firing stuff. Those things are what trade (business-to-business) publications and news websites focus on and I don’t really want to play the role of “reporter” here. (Self-appointed pundit is more fun.) However, I have made some exceptions to that rule. If transactions involve friends or someone who is especially newsworthy, or if the launch or closure involves a publication that reporters start pulling…
What a surprise. Once again, the experts still haven’t figured out the DVR

Rex Hammock

2 Nov 2009 | 5:19 am

Today, the New York Times has a story that was DVR’d two years ago and re-played today. 2007 story: Viewers Fast-Forwarding Past Ads? Not Always 2009 story: DVR, Once TV’s Mortal Foe, Helps Ratings I remember that previous story because I blogged about it at the time (more on that in a minute). Today’s story rounds up some industry experts who seem dumbfounded that users of DVRs actually like TV and use their DVR to time-shift the programming they enjoy. And, what’s more, viewers don’t always fast-forward through the commercials. Ironically — but…
The best thing about blogging

Rex Hammock

1 Nov 2009 | 7:55 pm

I’ve been so jammed with projects the past few days (yes, even through the weekend), I haven’t done my usual ego roundup checks (don’t tell me you don’t have a Google alert set up for your name). So I’ve been remiss in not saying a public thank you for the kind things Kate O’Neill and Dave Delaney said on their blogs last Wednesday. And since I’m shamelessly pointing to people who have said nice things related to me, I’ll point also to a recent post “My buddy Dave,” Dave Winer, wrote. (To my geek-free friends reading this on…
Thoughts on Twitter #8: You’re going to love Twitter Lists, unless you don’t

Rex Hammock

1 Nov 2009 | 1:12 am

[Notes: You can view all my "Thoughts on Twitter" posts displayed chronologically here: http://www.RexBlog.com/thoughts-on-twitter.] If you read this blog closely, you know I’ve been whining for a “lists” or “groups” feature on Twitter since, well, about the time I started using it. (About 90% of the complaints I hear from people who use Facebook could be solved if they understood and used the FaceBook “friends list” feature.) For those of us who use third-party services and software to manage our Twitter following and tweeting, solutions to…

Sylvia Paull
More Responsible Journalism

Sylvia Paull

4 Nov 2009 | 9:19 pm

Scott Rosenberg, cofounder of Salon.com, a former theater and movie critic, and author ("Say Everything" and "Dreaming in Code"), says his writing lately has been about mistakes. In software jargon, mistakes are called bugs, and that's why Rosenberg's latest venture, Mediabugs.org, modeled after the way open source developers solicit testers to report bugs in their programs, offers a way for readers to report bugs they find in media and give reporters a chance to respond.Rosenberg received a grant from the Knight Foundation Challenge, which dispenses $5 million…
Google uber Alles

Sylvia Paull

28 Oct 2009 | 8:05 pm

Today's (Oct. 28) lecture at UC Berkeley's iSchool by Hal Varian, former iSchool dean and now chief economist of Google (as if they are a nation unto themselves), seemed like a variant of Gary Vaynerchuck's paean to the powers of the Internet. Instead of focusing on the Web's promise of economic success and personal expression, Varian argued the Internet is the mothership of creativity in the 21st century.Varian -- who oversees new ways of increasing ad revenues through Google search -- attributes the "huge innovation on the Web in the last fifteen years" to what he…
Digital Dale Carnegie: Gary Vaynerchuk

Sylvia Paull

27 Oct 2009 | 3:28 pm

As part of the Berkeley Arts & Letters series, and promoted by the Berkeley Cybersalon, an irregularly occurring event I've hosted for more than a decade, Gary Vaynerchuk, Belarussian-born, New Jersey-raised entrepreneur and author of NY Times #2 bestseller "Crush It," spoke at the Hillside Club in Berkeley October 25. The audience drew a modest fan following from Modesto as well as non-tech locals who want to know how to use social media tools to make money, enjoy work, and share their passions with the world.Vaynerchuk speaks in sound bites. He was made for social media…
NY Times Seems Clueless, Still

Sylvia Paull

21 Oct 2009 | 8:53 pm

Curious about the NY Times mindset, I went to hear Greg Winter, editor of the foreign desk covering Africa, Latin America, and the United Nations, speak at the UC Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism series tonight on the Future of Journalism in American Society. Winter is also a 2000 graduate of the J School and friends with the new dean, Neil Henry, who was a former professor.Winter was trained as a 20th century journalist to research a story thoroughly, fact-check every bit of information, and work on a single story-per-day deadline. The Internet, he says, "has fundamentally…
Nobel Peace Prize Propaganda

Sylvia Paull

9 Oct 2009 | 6:26 pm

Ever since Henry Kissinger received the Nobel Peace Prize in the early '70s for ending the war in Vietnam that he helped to fester with lies and carpet bombing of civilians, I stopped giving my piece of mind to that prize. They might as well have given a Nobel Peace Prize to Saddam Hussein for establishing peace in Iran between fighting tribes by trying to exterminate the Kurdish people.The Nobel Peace Prize has long been a piece of propaganda -- a way of encouraging influential folks to promote peace, whether they started a war or expanded someone else's war. So as President Barack…

Hugh MacLeod: Gaping Void
lifestyle refugee

Hugh MacLeod

6 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am

[Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”]
creepy eel guy

Hugh MacLeod

6 Nov 2009 | 8:09 am

[Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”]
“random new york”, 1998

Hugh MacLeod

5 Nov 2009 | 10:31 am

I drew this one in early 1998, during my first months of living in Manhattan. I liked all those intense, late-night random conversations with all sorts of equally random Manhattan people– especially at first– but of course, after a while they all start to sound the same. This is the kind of drawing one does sitting on a New York barstool, when one is not liking one’s day job nearly well enough. That was my situation at the time, anyway. If today I met my younger self from back then, I’d say to him, “You’re just paying your dues, Kiddo. Frickin’ get over yourself…”…
life is too short

Hugh MacLeod

5 Nov 2009 | 9:33 am

[Cartoon inspired by my friend, Mark Earls aka @herdmeister…] [Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”]
i wanted wings

Hugh MacLeod

4 Nov 2009 | 7:49 am

Like I said in IGNORE EVERYBODY, “When your dream become reality, they are no longer your dreams.” This drawing is all about that… [Backstory: About Hugh. E-mail Hugh. Twitter. Limited Edition Prints. Cartoon Archive. Newsletter. Book. Interview. Essential Reading: “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About ‘Cube Grenades’ But Were Afraid To Ask.”]

GerardMcLean
The death of “click here” has been greatly exaggerated

Gerard

4 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm

I received a call from someone who pulled my phone number from the Whois record of a client. He was having trouble signing up for some services on a Web page because he didn’t know where to go next. In his mind, the page simply ended without any direction. When I went to the page in [...]
How social media is failing social media… and business

Gerard

2 Nov 2009 | 10:41 am

The Center for Media Research sent out their email Research Brief today about how small business are not into social networks for leads. As a small businessman myself, I agree with them. Kinda. I can’t recall the last lead I got twittering out my latest status or a coupon deal or where I am going [...]
My resume Wordle.net cloud

Gerard

29 Oct 2009 | 7:19 am

Just for fun and visual cognition, I made a Wordle Cloud from my résumé. I think a lot of hiring managers would benefit a lot by running résumé through a word cloud so see the major words and concepts show up quickly. Maybe some already do. What does your résumé word cloud say about you? Would [...]
Nobody in the railroad industry knew who Orville and Wilbur Wright were either

Gerard

28 Oct 2009 | 4:04 am

I was talking with a colleague of mine this morning about how Social Media is taking shape and changing the world, and that it would be good for people in business to know who the movers and shakers are. People like Chris Brogan, Gary Vaynerchuk, Danny Brown, David Armano, Robert Scoble, Hugh Macleod, Shannon Paul, [...]
Sometimes more is just really darn confusing

Gerard

27 Oct 2009 | 7:12 am

Some time back, Kroger decided to “dress up” the packaging of their private label sour cream. Instead of plain white containers, they decided that they were going to show a photo of the product in use. And that is when they started confusing me. Take a look at the container above. Is the sour cream plain, [...]

Franklin McMahon
Are You Ready To Perform The “Is This Helping Me Grow My Business” Experiment?

Franklin McMahon

4 Nov 2009 | 6:05 am

Are you ready to try an experiment? It can be fun and it can show how effectively you may be running your own business. The truth is too often we pour enormous amounts of energy into items with little to no payoff. Take a look at your to-do list and then examine your next week, next month and someday to-do list. Chances are you may have hundreds of items. You’ll sort and analyze them at some point, but how you do that can be the difference between stagnation and success. If you look at successsful people who run their own successful company, and then review their to-do list, you’ll see…
Interview with New Media Producer Franklin McMahon on Meetings Podcast

Franklin McMahon

29 Oct 2009 | 1:12 pm

This week I was on the Meetings Podcast and host Mike McAllens and I talked a lot about my career, video production, podcasting, photography, Media Artist Secrets, Rumor Girls, social media, Willard Beach TV, acting, Millimeter Magazine, Maine and lots more. We also went over some of my career development tips and how to be a rock star for your business. If you get a chance check out additional episodes of this podcast, very informative and Mike has great guests such as digital marketing guru Mitch Joel of Twist Image and Six Pixels of Separation. Lots of fun, enjoy! (click the play button…
How Desperate Decisions Can Destroy Your Business

Franklin McMahon

26 Oct 2009 | 11:25 am

One of the most powerful skills you can master is decision making, especially when it comes to your career. Many books have been written supporting the fact that impulse decisions, that is going over the facts and then deciding rapidly and affirmatively, is a good way to proceed. The argument is that even if you spend hours going over the pros and cons, ultimately the best path is the one you initially lean towards. We all know people who can decide quick and move on, who don’t second guess themselves. One of the things we hear more often is that to get better at decisions, just make more…
Portland Pecha Kucha Video Presentations

Franklin McMahon

26 Oct 2009 | 7:15 am

A few weeks back I hosted the Portland Pecha Kucha Night featuring 10 creative presenters. Each person had 20 slides, 20 seconds each to tell their story. It was a great night and lots of fun, now we have the presentations from the night up on YouTube so you can check them out. Visit the page below and then click on the videos down the right side. Lots of great perspectives from many different creative careers, hope you find them as inspiring as the audience did that night. Watch the videos here Ian Page/Portland Rockumentarian John Swan/Painter Marcia Feller/Retail Display Techniques…
Willard Beach Episode 3.2

Franklin McMahon

22 Oct 2009 | 7:24 am

I act in a series called Willard Beach, it is shown on broadcast TV around the US and you can check out all the episodes on the web here and also in iTunes. In this week’s episode you can see my character Sebastian having a run-in with the pool guy. As well as a run-in with the guy who stole my girl. You can also check out another episode with me in it, as well as an interview with the producers, right here. Here is a little behind the scenes clip from shooting that day with Karla Gilbert and Krystal Kenville Share on Facebook

Ted Murphy
Help Wanted

Ted Murphy

28 Oct 2009 | 6:14 pm

There are just some things I really can’t stand doing. I wish that there was a way to pay other people to do these things but I haven’t been able to figure that out (yet). Here is a list of things I would gladly hire someone else to do for me: Get my hair cut for me Go to the dentist for me Deal with my hangover for me Go clothes shopping with any female for me Yell at the cable company for me Wait in line at the DMV for me Argue with stupid people for me Drink 8 cups of water a day for me Repent for sins for me Get old for me How about you? Anything you wish you could pay people…
Me on E!

Ted Murphy

26 Oct 2009 | 9:44 am

Last week I was invited to be a guest on That Morning Show on E!. I have been on national television a few times now and it still makes me nervous as hell. I am always worried I am going to say something wrong or just make an ass out of myself. Luckily, I made it through another interview relatively unscathed.
Take the Hard Road

Ted Murphy

25 Oct 2009 | 3:36 am

This morning I got out of the shower and looked down at my feet. They have seen better days. Two of my toe nails are purple, the bottom of my feet are callused, worn and healing from blisters. My feet have propelled me through four marathons so far this year. Each duel with the road has been long, hard and painful. I know that my feet are unsightly. I know that the marathon I am running next weekend (NYC Marathon) will likely spawn another purple toe. I don’t care. My feet are my battle scars, a visual reminder that I can overcome any challenge and a testament to my way of life. They…
Dinner at Stack Las Vegas

Ted Murphy

18 Oct 2009 | 5:30 pm

Two of my favorite things in life are good food and smart people… so when Sarah Evans invited me to a VIP social media dinner compliments of Stack Las Vegas during Blog World Expo I was fired up. It isn’t often that you get to enjoy gourmet cuisine in a private room while conversing with people like Brian Solis, Ben Parr, Scott Monty, Rick Calvert, Jason Kintzler, L.P. Neenz, James Andrews, Tamara Knechtel and Manya Susoev . Scott Monty, Jermaine Dupri and Me Kick ass restaurant… kick ass people… sounds like a place you want to be right? It gets even better! In…
Do you eat your own dog food?

Ted Murphy

8 Oct 2009 | 1:22 pm

I was looking through some old videos today and noticed one that really caught my attention. About seven months ago IZEA responded to a dog food RFP (request for proposal). The RFP wasn’t really geared toward sponsored conversations… or social media for that matter. But, I am a dog lover and I wanted this company as a new client. Even though it wasn’t a perfect fit I decided to swing for the fences and go for it anyway. When it comes to winning new business I am a big believer in creativity. You can’t just submit the same boring response as the next guy or you will…