Gizmodo described this ad as “whimsical.” I agree. It is Google’s new ad for its browser, Chrome.
Not a computer in sight.
I am happily using Firefox, but it makes me want to switch to Chrome right now.
(watch the Ad on YouTube if you can’t see the video)
I’m thankful for American Thanksgiving. Audible, the world’s most popular audio book download service is offering users a free audio book before American Thanksgiving Day (November 26, 2009, at 11:59 PM.). Click here for your free audio book — no credit card required. (I hope it works for everyone and not just previous members). There’s a limited choice of what they offer, but there are some new ones in there as well as a couple classics.
Recently, I’ve found audio books quite efficient. I listen to them on my walks to and from work, at the gym and during car trips out to the ferry. I listen to them while also reading a paper book, and more often than not, I finish the audio book first.
I just used my free pass to download Richard Matheson’s I Am Legend, most recently known for the Will Smith film adaptation, but there are various movie versions, and the Wikipedia article portrays the novel as more involved in various themes than the film versions.
I have decided to join a global movement that is bringing much needed attention to prostate cancer. I’m doing this by growing a Moustache this Movember, the month formerly known as November. My commitment is to grow a moustache all November and I am hoping that you will support my efforts by making a donation. The funds raised go directly to Prostate Cancer Canada.
What many people don’t know is that 1 in 6 men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime. Prostate cancer is the most common cancer to afflict Canadian men with 25,500 diagnosed and 4,400 dying from the disease each year.
Facts like these have convinced me I should get involved.
To make a donation, you can either:
• Click this link http://ca.movember.com/mospace/126397/ and donate online using your credit card or PayPal account , or
• Write a cheque payable to ‘Prostate Cancer Canada’, referencing my Registration Number 126397 and mailing it to: Prostate Cancer Canada, 145 Front Street East, Ste. 306, Toronto, ON M5A 1E3, Canada.
All donations are tax deductible to the extent permitted by law.
Prostate Cancer Canada will use the money raised by Movember for the development of programs related to awareness, public education, advocacy, support of those affected, and research into the prevention, detection, treatment and cure of prostate cancer.
For more details on how the funds raised from previous campaigns have been used and the impact Movember is having please go to http://ca.movemberfoundation.com/research-and-programs/.
Chris Brogan videoblogs on how he’s become an overnight success. To sum it up, when you get to bed at 12:45 a.m. only to rise at 5:45 a.m. for an event and apply that work ethic over a number of years, you’ll become an overnight success.
Chris puts it well, so I am re-posting the video from his blog post:
(click here if you don’t see it.)
Jay-Z’s Blueprint III has been on heavy rotation on my ipod and computer for the past month or so. One of the songs, Empire State of Mind with Alicia Key’s is off the hook. Throughout the song, the Jigga Man drops a number of references to hot spots in New York. Fast Company took the initiative and decided to plot each of the points. From his Tribeca loft to his stash spot on 560 State Street:
View Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind” in a larger map
Band The Editors have made a similar move creating a Google Street View mashup with some original content, pointing out the locations that served as inspiration for their music:
The science of influence has been in practice since 1886 when David H. McConnell founded Avon. Since then, companies like Amway and Tupperware have taken similar approaches utilizing what’s called personal proactive recommendations. That is, I know you personally, and you’re going to give me a recommendation whether I ask for it or not. It’s the most common form of influence BUT, it’s not the highest level of influence. Personal reactive recommendations are the most influential. That means I know you, and I’m asking you to give me a recommendation on your specific expertise.
Influence through social media is nothing new (remember1886), but new influentials have emerged; you may be one of them. Those are the people with blogs, Twitter and social networking sites who write whatever they think about a product, unsolicited (called broadcast proactive influence). They’re sharing what they know across the board whether they’ve been asked for it or not and whether you know them or not. This differs from classic influentials, people who use technology, but only solicit their opinion on a specific topic when asked. Which is almost never. As you may have guessed, classic influentials are more trusted than new influentials (personal reactive versus broadcast proactive).
While the utilization of classic influentials has remained stagnant, new influentials are growing.
So, what’s the problem? Well, when there are 4,000 reviews of Twilight on Amazon, and I’m not a Vampire-romance fan (except for True Blood). How do I find a review applicable to me? New influentials are using the broadcast proactive approach, and while still influential, it is one of the least-trustworthy forms of influence.
The future of influence…is putting the personal element back in the recommendation tools we use. It’s making sure that the people with the same tastes as you have their Twilight reviews displayed at the top of the Amazon book review page. It means that if you’re looking for restaurants on UrbanSpoon, that Hummingbird604’s reviews will be the first ones you see, if you know him (who doesn’t in Vancouver’s social media scene?).
This is an interpretation of Forrester Principal Analyst Nate Elliot’s presentation at Northern Voice 2009. Follow the link to purchase his report on The Future of Influence. Or follow him on Twitter.
(photo credit: qf8)
Mike Tan and I both attended the University of Victoria, he in BCom and I in Political Science. We first met campaigning on a slate for the university’s Student Society.
Fast-forward a handful of years, and I ran into Mike at October’s Ideas on Tap where I first heard about his project, TeamPages. Now, just today, I saw a post on TechVibes offering a chance to win tickets to the Northern Voice conference by writing a summary of TeamPages’ profile on CBC’s Fortune Hunters.
TeamPages allows amateur sports teams to create an online community by sharing schedules, scores, photos and videos. Parents can even organize car pool rides. Simply: It’s like Facebook for your team.
The startup is looking for money to survive, and they’ve released a pro version, costing teams $55 a year. Their investors are looking for a revenue model, and TeamPages needs 3,000 paying teams to break even. According to Fortune Hunters the company has been able to increase its numbers, but an expert panel on the show suggested it add extra pay features to boost monthly revenues.
TeamPages hired a Vancouver advertising agency to increase awareness and build some sales momentum. I thought their approach to work with sport-friendly restaurants looked like it could create some buzz.
Either way, this journey looks exciting, and I wish the best to Mike and his team. For communicators, watch how TeamPages uses social media. The company is on Twitter and has a blog; how do you think this is working for them?
I was unable to snag a ticket to Saturday’s Northern Voice, Canada’s largest personal blogging conference, so I’m hoping I’ll get an opportunity to go through this post. Regardless, I will be hanging around UBC with my laptop on Saturday, so come say hi.
As The Times of India reports China’s warning for the Dalai Lama to not disrupt the Olympic Games opening next month, it will be interesting to keep an eye on how social media promotes both sides’ perspective in the battle for public opinion.
We know, with the case of Wikipedia, misinformation is usually corrected through crowdsourcing, but that’s not always the case.
This meme comes from earlier in the year, but it was only today I saw this posted on a friend’s Facebook super wall:
Intrigued, I searched further and found this Digg entry with 3694 votes in favour:
With all the negative, Olympics-related publicity China has received, it’s no surprise officials would carry out such tactics – except the story isn’t true.
As the International Campaign for Tibet has stated, this photo does not present “credible evidence of Chinese soldiers disguising themselves as Buddhist monks during unrest in Lhasa last month. This image is most likely from a movie set in which soldiers dressed as monks to serve as extras.”
Before trusting the wisdom of the crowd, don’t hesitate to use your own judgement as well.
Addendum: I opened my feed reader and discovered this post by Jens Schroeder called “Knowledge of the Masses? The Weird Priorities of Wikipedia or why Knuckles is Seemingly more Important than God.”
The problem with giving a speech is that listeners aren’t able to flip back and re-read parts like a book. In other words, a speech must be very linear.
Today, I attended a presentation by Julianne McCaffrey, senior speechwriter for BC Premier Gordon Campbell, and she used the analogy of a train to illustrate how a speech should be structured:
1. The introduction is the locomotive. It sets the pace and drives the speech.
2. The body of the speech are the railcars. It carries the contents.
3. The conclusion is the caboose. It signals the end of the speech.
What’s more linear than a train on tracks? Maybe an elevator, but it doesn’t have the parts conducive to effective illustration. Using a train exemplifies the way in which images should be used to convey meaning. You remember it!
During the Q&A, someone asked Julianne what she thought about the speech styles of Clinton and Obama in the US Democratic primaries and how they could be applied in Canada.
She said Americans have set a new standard for vision-based rhetoric and that such policy-absent speeches don’t fly in Canadian politics.
I’ve always thought some of the best rhetorical flourishes by Canadian politicians come during Question Period and usually share two enduring qualities: short and witty.
(photo credit: Vivid Pixel)
Alas, it has happened again! A senior member of a company was caught posting online under a pseudonym disparaging the claims of corporate detractors.
No, it’s not Rahodeb, the alter-ego of Whole Foods CEO John Mackey. This time it’s a vice president at Burger King named Steve Grover who left comments on blogs under his daughter’s screen name, surfxaholic36.
Grover took action during what appeared to be a labour dispute between BK and the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, an immigrant worker’s coalition based in Florida.
As with all conflict, there was substantial online activity, and Grover felt he could attack his opponents anonymously.
“[His] comments accused the coalition’s leaders of pilfering pay increases they had negotiated for migrant workers and ‘reaping millions in cash from unknowing or duped supporters.’”
We know you can’t do that. And who would have taken the blame if he wasn’t found out? His middle-school aged daughter?
Burger King also dismissed a private investigation firm called Diplomatic Tactical Services that had previously provided the burger chain with event security for allegedly trying to infiltrate the Student Farmworker Alliance, a group sympathetic to the CIW.
As always in my posts, someone ends up having to do damage control, but you’ve heard enough from me. What should Burger King be doing to make things right?
Any thoughts?
(photo credit: ASurroca)
Hi, I'm Michael (of Vancouver, B.C.). Welcome to my blog. Read more about me.
