Rasputin's Attic

Mr. Matthews Goes to IPG

2011-01-17T19:04:00.000-08:00

The living room of the future will have 7 remote controls

Note to reader: This post was written in 2009 but was not posted due to a hard drive malfunction. It can now be enjoyed in its entirety.

I had the occasion to tour the IPG Emerging Media Lab a few weeks years ago with my APOC group. We were warmly recieved and treated to a catered dinner before taking a tour of the facility that showcases emerging technologies and how they are (or will be) incorporated into the lives of the consumer (and the implications to those trying to market to these people). Here are the top three insights I walked away with:

In the near future there will be 3D television capable of delivering three-dimensional "virtual reality" without the need of additional eyewear, nor necessitating the user risk his/her life should the unit malfunction. (See Star Trek Voyager episode "The Killing Game")
Mid-century modern decor will be the decor of choice in future living rooms.
Special bar codes on reading material will allow the user to interface with a virtual object when held in-front of a compatible computer camera device.

2011 commentary: We are still waiting on the 3D televisions (sans glasses) here in the US, but Toshiba unveiled a unit three months ago that will soon be selling in Japan.

The Snuggie Social Movement

2009-04-29T07:14:00.000-07:00

Novel Use: Holding a book while simultaneously being under, in and through the product

In the past, social networking involved participation in a myriad of social networking platforms such as MySpace, Twitter, Facebook and Linked In (among others). Enter - the Snuggie. The hybrid love child of a blanket and a sweater billed as the “blanket with arms” has exploded on the scene and inspired a social networking movement that you don’t need a computer or an Internet connection to take advantage of.

Six sheets to the wind: Cincinnati Snuggie Shufflers

Snuggie Pub Crawls (SPC), or Snuggie Shuffles as some are calling them, have started to pop up all over the U.S. and some experts are saying this is just the beginning of the Snuggie social movement. How does one participate in this new form of social networking, you ask? According to popular Snuggie sites, it’s as easy as following a few simple steps:

1. Buy a Snuggie (As seen on TV!)
2. Put on that Snuggie
3. Aggregate a number of other Snuggie wearers (The minimum number of participants is generally set at three. Three Snuggie wearers will have people laughing with them. Two Snuggie wearers will elicit laughter directed at them.)
4. Choose a series of bars/pubs to travel to/from while imbibing in plush comfort.

As with many popular movements, a handful of disturbing splinter movements have developed that threaten tarnish the core Snuggie Shuffle movement.

Peekaru - AKA The Baby Snuggie

Stroller Replacement. Baby Sack. Marsupial Transport System. Call it what you will - the creators of the Snuggie inspired Peekaru are calling it the “next big thing in moving a baby from point A to point B” without allowing them any freedom of movement, while freeing your hands for such activities as power walking or buying gluten-free pizza from Whole Foods. The social networking application here is obvious. This is essentially a humanoid version of a Chihuahua in a purse – sure to elicit reactions ranging from smiles and friendly conversation, to shock followed by a call to 911, depending on the environment.

Bottom line: for only $80 you can look like a stage three Alien incubator. Does not come with instructions on what to tell Child Protective Services when they show up with paperwork at your door.

This product gets two Rasputin thumbs down.

The Ludens Spoon Blanket

You like to spoon all night long and believe that your parter should too and if he/she (but mostly he) doesn't, he/she doesn't love you. This is the product for you!

The problem I have with this is that it takes all choice out of the spooning equation. When there is an expectation of spooning, it becomes a chore rather than a joyful proposition. Its design also removes all possibility of a modified spoon, which runs counter to the Snuggie movement's ethos of more choice rather than less.

Bottom line: This is a straight jacket for two.

So we have seen an example of how the Snuggie concept can be used to facilitate social networking in new and exciting ways, and we have seen two examples of how the movement threatens to morph into something that imprisons men and babies. Discuss...

How Shaq Taught Me to Tweet

2009-04-11T13:36:00.000-07:00

Last night I got into a discussion with one of my coworkers on the redeeming qualities of Twitter. She was voicing the now common screed against the social broadcasting platform that sees no value in following an endless, banal stream of updates from anyone narcissistic enough to think anyone cares about the fact that at 5:01pm they are listening to the latest Nora Jones album while building a log cabin out of matchsticks. This got me to thinking... The problem with Twitter is the same as with any social networking platform. It is only as good as the content provided by the users. If users are dumping an endless supply of boring updates that never get past verbs followed by prepositional phrases, it seems as though a fan of this limited character entry format would be better entertained reading the FBI stakeout log of Anthony Pelicano. 3:45pm - Ate a sandwich 4:30pm - illegal wiretapping in his robe 6:00pm - went to the bathroom 7:00pm - blackmailed Chris Rock while still in the bathroom... you get the idea. Before you get the impression that I am a Twitter detractor, I should share with you a shining example of what Twitter can be in the hands of one who "gets it."

Random Acts of Shaqness

In my professional opinion, Shaquille O'Neal has the best Twitter stream out there. I will now attempt to categorize all known forms of tweet that Shaq has seen fit to grace his subscribing public with, accompanied by a concrete example, followed by my two cents on what we can learn from the master:

Guess that Song:

Weee weee wha weee weee wha weee wee weeee what's song is this3:31 PM Mar 5th from TwitterBerry

Share geographic fun facts:

I'm goin to the alamo tomorro to get one of those daniel boone squirrel tail hats, I'm n san antonio, in case u didn't kno were the alamo is11:10 PM Mar 6th from TwitterBerry

Tell a Joke:

A Rastaman walks n2 a bank & hands the teller a bag of weed. She says "Sir, what is this 4?" Da Rasta said, "Mi wan open a joint account!5:27 PM Mar 11th from TwitterBerry

The "send me something and get a prize" challenge:

The first one to send me the carl lewis national anthem gets a prize2:17 AM Mar 24th from TwitterBerry

Informational update on a major life project:

got a couple of movies dis summer no more rappin last time I rapped I ened up on youtube lol1:49 AM Mar 19th from TwitterBerry

Recent major tragedy:

dam I just lost my atm card lol6:53 PM Mar 17th from TwitterBerry

on my way, can u believe this I just caught a flat, aaagh man2:08 PM Mar 16th from TwitterBerry

The "touch me and get a prize" challenge:

Anybody in portland touches me rt now will get two tickets I'm at redstar cafe4:23 PM Mar 26th from TwitterBerry

100 people n the prtland area just came for tickets wow portland twitterers r niiiiiice4:53 PM Mar 26th from TwitterBerry

Post an impromptu picture:

Comment on your feelings toward the aesthetics of those in your immediate environment:

I c two twin sisters. Ug and lee Lol12:50 AM Apr 6th from TwitterBerry

Share inspirational thoughts:

You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want8:10 PM Apr 9th from TwitterBerry

Compose cryptic messages while maintaining a rhyme pattern:

chillin like a villian able and willing to make a spillin dash killn1:15 AM Mar 15th from TwitterBerry

Hopefully, those of you out there disparaging Twitter have had a paradigm shift after being exposed to the potential of this platform through the musings of Shaq, and for those of you actively tweeting out there - I hope you have been inspired to share something truly entertaining, and dare I say - inspiring. (in 140 characters or less)

Monetizing = de-momitizing

2009-04-11T10:33:00.000-07:00

I recently came across an article by Clive Thompson that illustrates the challenge facing companies attempting monetize a previously unmonetized site while still retaining membership. Urbanbaby.com was a popular site for moms to get together and discuss all things baby related. There was active forum participation with the average post receiving 4 -5 responses within the space of a few minutes. Then something happened that would rock the very foundation of the site. It was sold to the Internet juggernaut CNET who promptly added banner ads and changed the layout of the forums. This resulted in all out rebellion by the users of the site who petitioned CNET t0 restore their site to its previous functionality. Within a week, an enterprising couple who were forum participants decided to go and replicate the look and feel of the original site and incorporate a blog to encourage feedback from the community on the features that were important to them. Que mass exodus. Today (according to Clive Thompson's estimates), Youbemom has three times the traffic of Urbanbaby.
With it becoming increasingly simple (and inexpensive) to develop social web applications, the difference between success and failure comes down to listening to what people want (or will tolerate). This is not to say that CNET erred in attempting to monetize Urbanbaby.com, but they monetized it without getting feedback from the community. Had CNET asked, they might have found out that banner ads along the bottom of the screen would have been acceptable to the community since that wouldn't have impacted the size of the reading plane. Had they taken the time to put their finger on the pulse of the community they also might have discovered that the majority of the community liked the layout of the forums and didn't want a redesign. So, thousands of dollars spent on development costs and all CNET was successful at doing was driving away a majority of their membership. Takeaway: Thinking about monetizing? Better ask mom first!

4,089 Pirated I-Phone Apps Courtesy of Wired

2009-03-31T00:30:00.000-07:00

There is a thin line between reporting illegal behavior and becoming a party to it. I think Wired just crossed it. In a recent article on their website, "Pirates Board Apple's iPhone App Store," Brian Chen talks about the growing phenomena of hackers cracking I-Phone apps and offering them free to the public. Brian then goes on to list the locations, file names and even links to sites offering 4,089 cracked apps. That's like a reporter exposing the horrors of elder abuse while dropping banana peels around a Holland America cruise line buffet table!

In the spirit of Wired, here is a summary of the article by Brian Chen without having to wade through his tired narrative:

Free I-Phone Apps that you shouldn't download! By Brian Chen

3,200 Apps: http://appulo.us/appdb/

808 Apps: thepiratebay

81 Apps: http://themonkeysball.com/

This serves the I-Phone App industry right for all the years they forced consumers to purchase 10 crappy apps to get the one app they really wanted... oh wait. Never mind.

New Rules to Live By

2009-03-29T19:31:00.000-07:00

Just finished reading the book "The New Rules of Marketing and PR" by David Meerman Scott and all I can say is... well, just continue reading to find out what I am going to say, keeping in mind that 10 years ago, I would have not been able to say it in a forum that had the potential of reaching so many people. [Note I say "potential" seeing as I have only two followers, one of which I agreed to cease seeing in a social context last weekend and am no longer speaking to- but I digress] According to D.M. Scott, there is a new way to market your (pick one: company, product, idea, service, rock band) that does not involve traditional media, is less expensive than traditional media, and is available to anyone with a computer, and an Internet connection. The myriad of online tools and their use for marketing & PR constitute the "New Rules," as it were. This book was an easy read - made to be understandable for the tech savvy and neophyte alike.

While Groundswell (see my last post) was written with the CEO in mind, I felt that New Rules was written more for the everyday person that has, historically, been without the resources to utilize traditional media for marketing and PR. Having said that, there is a wealth of information here for anyone that wants to tap into this new way of interacting with customers.

Marketing, Scott points out, used to be about creating a 30 second commercial for 80K, spending hundreds of thousands (or millions) to beam the commercial to a general audience, (that may or may not be interested in the product) and then hoping they actually watch it instead of getting up and going to the bathroom. This "interruption" idea of marketing is not cost effective, efficient, or a value added proposition when it comes to the customer's experience. Along those same lines, PR used to be about a publicist's relationship with various media outlets. With the advent of the Internet and the democratization of information dissemination via blogs, RSS feeds, and the other avenues discussed in the book, companies can forgo the intermediary and send out "press releases" directly to the public, eliminating the need to go through a PR firm or a traditional newspaper. This has the net effect of rendering marketing and PR two sides of the same coin in that they are both simply your relationship with the public - ideally, a two way dialogue of information dissemination and feedback.

Over the course of the book, Scott does go into great depth about all the possible avenues one might take to take advantage of the new rules. Overall, a thorough road map of very effective strategies for anyone communicating with the public.

One Rasputin thumb way up on this one.

Groundswell and The Karate Kid - A Comparative Study

2009-03-03T14:32:00.000-08:00

Most people wait to finish reading a book before writing a book review, so after having only read the first two chapters of Groundswell, I have decided to deviate from common practice and prematurely share my thoughts with you.

Charlene Lee and Josh Bernoff's collaborative work is best described as a primer for managers and CEOs who would like to know just what this You-Tube thing is. Beginning with the definition of a "social network" and the phenomenon of the "groundswell" specifically, Lee-noff lays out the basics of the phenomenon in terms that even the stodgiest, technophobic, "the old way is better" corporate type can understand. The text is noticeably free from techie-centric geek-speak. The gist here is - social networking technology is allowing the masses to participate in a public dialogue about your brand or product, and you can either be a part of it, or a victim of it - the choice is yours. Of course, they would advocate the former.

Along these same lines, they compare active participation in the "groundswell" to a jujitsu master taking advantage of his opponent's strengths by turning them against him. Anyone who has seen The Karate Kid knows the wisdom in this type of approach.

The Cobra Kai as a Backward Thinking Corporation

One of the cornerstones of participation in the groundswell lies in one's ability to receive feedback on a product or brand and then in turn, make necessary changes based on public feedback. Companies who are closed and unresponsive will ultimately fail. After Daniel is initially assaulted by the Cobra Kai, he and Mr. Miyagi venture into the Kai's dojo in an attempt to give feedback on their behavior and attempt a reconciliation. Their attempt to communicate is met with hostility by the Kai and ultimately rejected. The Cobra Kai's dojo is a closed institution with its own ethos and zero sum game mentality. External feedback, communication, and collaboration are not valued, while interaction is only agreed to when it on the Kai's own terms.

Cobra Kai Sensei John Kreese is clearly displaying outmoded thinking when he instructs Johnny Lawrence to sweep the leg of Daniel toward the end of the tournament- exploiting a weakness of Daniel who was suffering from a preexisting injury. In the final match, Daniel exploits a strength of the Cobra Kai by employing the Crane Kick against Johnny Lawrence, knowing that Johnny would attach him from the front in a display of hubris and, ultimately, misplaced confidence.

Ultimately, Daniel LaRusso (representing the groundswell) defeats the Cobra Kai and goes on (in subsequent episodes) to defeat global protagonists stuck in this same mindset. So will the groundswell, in the coming years, go on to swallow up any corporation still stuck in the old way of thinking and interacting with its potential customer base.

"Man who catch fly with chopstick accomplish anything" - Mr. Myiagi

Been a long time since I posted...

2009-03-02T23:27:00.000-08:00

I have decided the time has arrived for a video entry on Rasputin’s Attic which will manifest itself in the form of a response to this YouTube video on Social Networking… and a few other videos that I felt had a very high production value. While I am on the subject of production value, I left my 35mm in the closet for this one and simply carried my laptop and web cam into the bathroom and knocked this out. I was pleased with the first take and didn't want to risk gum damage by over brushing on additional takes. Enjoy.

Austin - The Beginning of the End

2009-02-24T10:57:00.000-08:00

On the morning of January 26th, 2009, Austin drivers had a "cue coffee spew out of mouth and onto windshield in theatrical fashion" moment while traveling up Martin Luther King blvd. To passers by, it appeared the state of the economy had slipped from a "recession" straight to a "End of Days - Zombies are on the loose" type economic condition. As it turned out, the "Caution Zombies Ahead" alerts were nothing more than the work of a prankster who hacked into the signs and changed the construction alert that had been previously cycling. If caught, the culprit faces a misdemeanor charge of "tampering with a traffic control device" and a $500 fine. City officials stressed the danger of this prank in taking people's attention off the road and possibly leading to an accident. In my opinion, the real danger here lies in desensitizing people to the real threat of a zombie attack (see The Boy Who Cried Wolf).

This Just In... Facebook Might Cause Autism

2009-02-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

According to Oxford neuroscientist Susan Greenfield, allowing children to use social networking sites effectively re-wires their brains, causing a loss of real-world social skills, loss of the ability to concentrate, and in extreme cases, Attention Deficit Disorder. Greenfield even suggests that social networking sites can cause Autism, although she admits more studies need to be done before she can claim a causal link. Apparently Autistic children throughout the ages have been part of a secret underground society that have had access to sophisticated social networking technology (Soon to be Da Vinci Code III). What surprised me most is not what Greenfield mentions as effects of social network use, but what she leaves out.

Greenfield makes no mention of Schizophrenia, Anorexia, Manic Depression, Turrets Syndrome or Arachnophobia.

This is the same type of scaremongering that has accompanied the advent of any new technology from the telegraph, to radio, to the television. Will increased availability and use of social networking sites have far reaching effects on may facets of society. Sure. Will it give you the ability to count cards, pepper "definitely" repeatedly throughout your sentences, and instill in you a compulsion to watch The People's Court on a daily basis? Probably not.

Ikea Bed Part II

2009-02-23T20:37:00.000-08:00

Well, I am happy to report that my new bed from Ikea arrived this past Friday. I am not happy to report that it is the exact same size as the last bed I received two weeks ago. Yes, you heard right... Ikea has sent me another wrong sized bed. Here's what was supposed to happen: Delivery company arrives at my apartment building sometime between 9am - 12pm and calls me to come down and let them in the gate. Delivery company then comes up and retrieves the wrong size bed and leaves the correct sized bed. Here's what actually happened: Delivery company arrives sometime around 1pm and instead of calling, has someone let them in the front of the building and drops the new wrong sized bed off in the mail room - and then leaves without bothering to take the previous bed. I called Ikea on Saturday where the customer service "advocate" confirms that the order was taken correctly when I called in, blaming the mistake (both times) 0n the individuals in the warehouse. I told the "advocate" that I expected to be compensated for the inconvenience this has caused me - to which she replied she would have a manager contact me. Have not received that call yet. I am considering selling both of the beds on EBay to compensate me for 8 hours of missed work, sitting and waiting for this elusive bed to arrive, and the month I have spent on the floor in a sleeping bag.

Gethuman.com vs. Get2human.com - The Sordid Tale

2009-02-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

Spoiler Alert: If you enjoy interacting with automated phone systems do not read this. If however, you have ever resorted to mimicking a robotic voice while attempting to unsuccessfully navigate an automated customer service system, then read on.
GetHuman is a website dedicated to one thing and one thing alone- getting individuals through the endless labyrinth of automated questions and dead ends that usually result when they call a customer service line. The following is the sordid tale surrounding its birth, near death, and ultimate triumph. Get Human is the brainchild of Paul English, CTO of Kayak.com, who began it a a pet project in 2005 out of a sense of altruism for seekers of living, breathing customer service representatives. What started as a pet project soon fell by the wayside, though, as Mr. English focused his time and attention toward his CTO responsibilities at the expense of GetHuman. Seeking someone to bring this dream of his to fruition, Mr. English brought aboard Mr. Walt Tetschner to continue the work he had started and bring easy CS access to the masses. However, this was not to be the case. You see, Mr. Tetschner did not share Mr. English's design aesthetic, nor was he completely devoid of self interest in volunteering for this undertaking. Mr. Tetschner saw the chance to monetize a great idea and enrich himself financially - going against the spirit of the once simple website whose only motivation was to illuminate the masses. The bloated, busy, self important website (get2human.com) that grew out of Mr. Tetschner's greed caused a profound sense of regret and sorrow in Mr. English. He knew the only way to set things right would be for he himself to resurrect his simple, unassuming, non-monetized site and stage a rebellion of sorts against his once close friend and partner. After months of working evenings and weekends, what emerged was a simple, easily navigable website for all the world to use. Our congratulations to you, Mr. English, on seeing your dream become a reality.

IKEA - Oh how I loathe you

2009-02-14T21:11:00.000-08:00

Loft bed from Ikea - $300

Talking a friend into coming over and helping construct bed - $15 lunch

Spending 2 hours constructing bed only to discover I was sent the wrong size and it now takes up 3/4 of the total square footage in my bedroom...
Priceless... (but you will pay IKEA* - you will pay dearly)

So, as all of you (my loyal readership) know - I have been moving over the last couple of weeks and, as such, have been waiting for my IKEA* furniture to arrive so I can actually complete the process. My belongings have moved, but they have not moved into organized repositories that I can, with any level of efficiency, actually find anything. The majority of my belongings are strewn across the floor and the remaining items are in boxes and plastic bags. I have been sleeping in a sleeping bag for the last two weeks waiting for my bed and wardrobe system (IKEA's word - not mine) to arrive - so you can imagine my excitement when my IKEA* furniture arrived in a series 15 of boxes on Thursday. I called in a favor with one of my friends that I assisted with the assembly process of an IKEA* bed and and futon couch a few years previous. He owed me. After a few hours of labor it became apparent that the loft structure we had erected in my room - blocking out all light from the overhead fixture in the middle of my ceiling like some postureped-eclipse - was not the twin size loft bed I had ordered. This was a King sized monstrosity that made it appear as though we had just installed a dropped ceiling with a mattress on top. This was the loft bed designed for a polygamist family living in New Orleans pre-Katrina. This was the loft bed that Michelangelo could have invited 10 interns onto to help him with the Sistine Chapel and still had room for Mona Lisa and her two sisters to join.
Getting off the subject of my bed for a minute - I discovered that the wardrobe I ordered doesn't come with anything inside of it to hang a hanger on... that is extra and can only be purchased by going into my local IKEA* store. The Lord bless you IKEA*. As I lay down on my sleeping bag this night I give thanks that I separated from my dating friend a mere three nights ago, so that I may take the money I would have spent this night and drive to Burbank tomorrow and buy the guts to my IKEA* wardrobe system and finally bring order to my room. Amen.

Footnotes:
* - manufactures low quality furniture and has an online order fulfillment system that, from my personal experience, could be described as unreliable at best.

Retinal Boob Tube

2009-02-10T09:41:00.000-08:00

I just came across an article from the UK Telegraph predicting the advent of contact lenses that have the ability to pick up and display TV signals within the next ten years. Apparently the technology to accomplish this is already in existence. The lenses would be powered by the user's body heat (an improvement on early prototypes requiring the user to insert 2 'D' batteries into their ear). My assumption would be that if this device is capable of receiving a digital TV signal, it could also be designed to access the Internet. Just think of the possibilities... now, instead of rudely standing around in social settings surfing the web or checking e-mail on your Blackberry, you will actually be able to do these things while making eye contact with others and carrying on conversation. It will be the ultimate multitasking device.

I, personally, am waiting for the tinfoil pyramid hat capable of picking up radio signals from other planets. Wait a minute - my Uncle already made one of those.

Here Comes... my latest posting

2009-02-09T23:09:00.000-08:00

Who knew that the reason the French tanks fell victim to those operated by the Germans in WWII was their lack of coordinated radio communication. I always thought it was due to the fact that they were driven by the French. Clay Shirky, in chapter seven of his seminal work on online organizing entitled Here Comes Everybody, recounts this story as well as a few others as examples of communication enabling small groups of people to overcome larger more sophisticated groups, or generally effect some sort of a change. The advent of the Internet and networking sites, Shirkey argues, has allowed pro-democracy groups under the thumb of repressive regimes (the example of Belarus is used) the means to organize mass demonstrations in a short time frame and expose abuses of the citizenry to the world within seconds. In the subsequent examples Shirkey gives, it becomes apparent that he sees communication technologies as a great equalizer and a powerful tool in the hands of incensed customers as well as oppressed peoples. I would have to agree with Shirkey on this point. With a point of view and a computer, an idealistic student can bring down a repressive government or a disgruntled patron can change a corporation. The power is there. Whether or not this power should be used to coalesce 100 strangers around a communal love rug for the sheer fun factor is another story. Discuss...

Interior Decorating

2009-02-02T12:49:00.000-08:00

This week has found me in the process of moving and I wanted a new piece of artwork to adorn the white empty space above my loveseat. I have been passively looking for a print of the Miguel Calderon painting "Bad Route" featured in the movie The Royal Tenenbaums for years. If you have seen the movie, you should remember it was the scene stealing third actor in the scene between Eli Cash and his brother (played by Luke Wilson) at Eli's house. After some extensive online research and postings, it appears as though Wes Anderson, the director of The Royal Tenenbaums, bought the painting from Calderon and hung it in his office. No prints have been made. What someone did send me, as a result of a post on Yahoo Answers, is a super high resolution version of the painting. I am thinking about employing a painter to re-create the original from my digital image... which would be appropriate since Calderon, who is sometimes credited as the artist, simply staged the shot, photographed it, and then comissioned another artist to paint the picture. The wheels on the bus go round and round.

Tumbleweeds, Flies and Radiation

2009-01-27T12:50:00.000-08:00

Did you know that tumbleweeds can absorb radiation and spread the radiation to a much larger area - in some cases endangering human and animal populations? Well, if you would have read the Wikipedia post on tumbleweeds last week, you would still not have known it because there was no mention of the phenomenon. This week, I changed all that by editing the Wikipedia article on tumbleweeds with just such an occurance chronicled in the Seattle Times back in 2001. What was interesting to note is that the local flies were also spreading radiation through coming in contact with radioactive garbage and then lighting on humans. Sounds like a great movie idea... Jeff Goldblum would be perfect for the role.

I also had a chance to broaden my horizons today through a very unusual dinosaur comic strip featuring two self aware T-Rexs thanks to my classmate Alex Cohen's blog reference. Thanks Alex, for brightening my work day!

People Power & Special Delivery

2009-01-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

Great news! My books for CMGT-534, Introduction to Online Communities, arrived in the mail on Saturday from Amazon, all in "new" or "like new" condition as described. The two assigned books for this quarter are: Here Comes Everybody by Clay Shirkey (The Power of Organizing Without Organizations), Groundswell (Winning in a World Transformed by Social Technologies) by Charlene Li, and I have chosen to read the newly released The New Rules of Marketing and PR (How to Use News Releases, Blogs, Podcasting, Viral Marketing & Online Media to Reach Buyers Directly) by David Scott. I am excited to get started on these books and will be sharing my thoughts on them as I go.

Among the articles I read this week, one that grabbed my attention was the Chris Anderson blog entry on Wired.com entitled "People Power." In a nutshell, Mr. Anderson asserts that unlike the industrial and informational revolutions of the past, the new social revolution we are currently experiencing involves millions of individuals spending time and energy online generating content- not for money - but for something as simple as their "reputation." This explosion of "social capital," has led many corporate interests to tailor their business model to take advantage of this new phonomenon. A question I would pose for further discussion on this topic is, "How can companies who are trying to take advantage of the "people power," discussed by Mr. Anderson, make their site flexible enough provide for the transformative, democratic process to take place after their site is launched?" and "What are some advantages vs. disadvantages over user created content?" and finally, "Why am I still up at this hour?" Till next time...

Prequel post to the last entry

2009-01-26T22:39:00.000-08:00

So, if I failed to mention it in my last post, I am currently a Master's candidate in the USC Annenberg School's Communication Management program. The actual track of study I am involved with is referred to as APOC, or, Annenberg Program on Online Communities. This blog will provide you, the reader, with my thoughts and impressions on subjects related to my course of study and possibly some which are not. As you visit my blog over the course of the next year, I hope you enjoy your time spent here and hopefully are able to come away from the experience feeling like you haven't wasted a few minutes of your life. You do however take that risk if you choose to continue reading.

Welcome to the attic

2009-01-20T15:42:00.000-08:00

As I was sitting at my computer terminal today at lunch mulling over what to cover in my first historic blog on the site, I was interrupted twice by unsolicited offers over the phone for carpet cleaning and a second mortgage. This in and of itself might not seem odd, but considering the fact that I have added my name to the national “do not call list” that is supposed to stop these types of annoyances, it is perplexing why they continue. So, instead of writing my blog, I spent my lunch filling out the DNC violator form in hopes that the pre-recorded annoyances from carpet cleaners and mortgage companies will finally come to an end. (sidebar: I do not own carpet, nor do I own a house)

This whole event did however give me some inspiration for my blog post. As mobile social networking technology becomes more ubiquitous I foresee a mobile application that allows the user to broadcast to other mobile users that they do not wish to be approached by anyone on the street. Maybe you had a rough day at work, maybe your dog died, or maybe you are just an introvert that doesn’t want to engage in human interaction. The “do not approach” designation would warn potential pick up artists, conversationalists, or well connected homeless people that you just want to be left alone when they get within approach radius. Of course there would happen to be an enforcement arm for it to be effective… maybe a good old fashioned bottle of mace?

Since this is my first post, it wouldn’t be complete without a champagne christening.

Foreward by Grigori Rasputin

2009-01-18T21:40:00.000-08:00

Здравствулте!, мое имя Rasputin и я был siberian монах которое держало специальную благосклонность в суде русского царя nicolas второе. Некоторые из моих специальных способностей включили талантливость предсказывать будущее, излечивать больной и сокращать множественных женщин сразу verb. Я имею возврат от могилы для того чтобы объявить что я даю matthews john способность сделать все эти вещи. Вы и наилучшим образом.

Я также хотел был бы добавить что я надеюсь он использует эти способности раскрыть будущее в тенденциях технологии к всему из его читателей и я имею запретил его закупить билеты лотереи или держать пари на командах спортов с его новыми силами. Вы для вашего внимания.

-Grigori Rasputin, January 2008