Second Life

You've all read about it and perhaps even visited. Some of you may have found a second home in the Second Life universe. Greg Verdino left a frank and fair post on marketing in Second Life at MarketingProfs. I linked to his blog here and gave my input. I can only hope it adds to the conversation. It's based on personal experience in the metaverse. I'm curious to see if there is any response. If not - no big deal.

Those who know my postings - albeit sporadic these days - rarely see a negative comment. I look for possibilities as I stumble through technology. I'm not classified as a geek by any means though I consider myself a quick study. Those familiar with CK's blog and collage will find my reason for blogging is learning. Part of the beauty in blogging is the ease and simplicity of the interface. Its also the beauty in a number of social networks I frequent.

Thinking out loud I wonder often about how we can market on social networks and what it means in the long run. At some point we monetize the time we spend and the actions we take. I continue enjoying the ride.

Added 01.08.2007 - and excellent list of links to Second Life hype and a challenge to the size of community it touches.

Church of the Customer

Ben McConnell and Jackie Huba release their second book and blog it here. MarketingProfs - and CK - kick off a book club here.

What I really like about this roll out (announcement) is the coordination between bloggers. Blogging is so huge yet so small. I note a couple familiar names in comments. The chance to share insight on timely writing should not be missed. One never knows the discoveries that are waiting.

Men, health, and....mustaches?

I'm staring to dig MarketingProfs - its full of wit, wisdom, and sound advice. Come the first of the year, a premium membership is considered. I drop in on the DailyFix occasionally - or rather it drops in on me. Today I found a great post on an item we hear all too little about in the US - prostate cancer and men's health. Seems a bunch of guys in Australia grow mustaches in November. It draws attention to a change in attitude about men's health. It opens the conversation.

The photo you see in the upper right of this blog is an exact representation of yours truly. I'm a man and I wear a mustache. I'm also reluctant to talk about my health. While I'm reasonably healthy its not because I'm comfortable talking about it. It's an awkward conversation. Even within the health care system, depression and cancer are not high on the list. I have a routine procedure scheduled for next month and only those closest to me will hear about it. Fortunately, I am blessed with male friends who listen AND are able to share feelings.

So Bravo to the organization that imagined this month long focus -

Journeys in Blogging

Gavin and Mack commented on my most recent post. Call me a big believer in responding to comments - unless they are merely "visit my blog to see xyz". I can hardly wait to see the results of Macks 100 comments journey - I think this One Reader might have been one of the 100 ;)

Stumbled onto a similar blog journey in the zaadz community I've been frequenting - albeit sporadically. A project hatched by Samme attempts to link blogs one at a time. It was a little confusing until I followed the path. It became clear quickly. I left comments on 5 blogs that Samme had linked together. Wonder what happened? You guessed it - I got 3 responses to my comments. I have yet to get a comment on my zblog, however. This experiment might spark that little fire!

In the spirit of the season - and all things magical - I'm going to link to this blog from inside that blog - now I see what Mack means by mogblogsmoproblems LOL - and see if I can get some crossblogginization!

Acting speaks louder than lurking!

Geeks on Steroids!

Geeks on steroids! I don't consider myself a geek - too scattered. I certainly would not condone the use of steroids...or any other drug (besides caffiene and nicotine).

I love measurement and metrics - even though I may not understand completely. This entire exploding blogosphere has captured my imagination. The bunch over at Technorati is at it again. Suddenly, my entire account looks a little different. At first I was confused, then walked through it step by step. It was a bit clunky getting to my account - but get there I did.

This weblog post by Brian Pinkerton explains a little about the ranking metrics they use. I love the pictures and graphs - plus the hoorays they add for the blog that is climbing. I'm a little confused about the 180 day cycle they use...but can live with it as an arbitrary number. Currently ranked at 584,706 - an uptick from August 804, 617 :)

Anybody else notice the changes? Or is this a case of me being late to the party again.

True Confessions of 101 Bloggers and Podcasters

Here is a fun post at Freaking Marketing (love the blog name) about a new book - True Confessions of 101 bloggers and podcasters by Ted Demopoulos. Its out soon, and while I'm not one of the 101 - no room for the "only blogs on occasion" blogger this time around. The interview makes it explicit that these are not the top 101 bloggers. They ARE bloggers who have leveraged the power of the blogosphere. Plus bloggers who blog for different reasons.

Which gives me a chance to shout out to Mack Collier - one who continues to leverage and grow...and do it with humility.

Something I fail to remember - and maybe you, too - is how "new" blogging is as a means of communication. And it continues to evolve.

What I found today - magic!

What is the difference between a trackback and a permalink? Not sure if I'll discover today but maybe eventually - one of you can help me distinguish. I'm not sure it even matters. But being a detailed and curious sort - sometimes a burden - I gotta know - HA! Are they merely different url's to the same place? Does it have something to do with technorati and all that jazz?

David - here is the trackback - over at Logic+Emotion - here is the permalink - continues the great conversation on his levels of blog influence through links. I'm a bit humbled that he considered the ripples metaphor. Thanks, D!

Gavin added an insightful comment to the my last post, too. Particularly the "overheard conversation". Jules Pfieffer, the cartoonist, made an entire career of drawing these moments. Through Gavin's blog - Servant of Chaos - I found a celebration for a 3rd birthday for Russell Davies - here is trackback. Russell would rank as a 1st level influencer based on David's graphic (+1000 links) and Technorati's metrics. I'm still connecting what all this means. Visit his place - here is the permalink - for a real treat for the eye balls! And tips for long term blogging. Thanks for a slice of your life, Russell!

While tracking levels of influence conversation, I noticed Mack at Viral Garden - weighed in. Then Mack was generous enough to add a comment here. That makes comments from 3 unique bloggers to one post! Plus I now have 3 blogs that link to this one!

3 really is a magic number! And the ripples roll!

Blog Influence by links

I'm trying to figure out what drives people to a blog. Specifically this one. The virgin blogger - guess who? - is faced with an overload of options. The learning curve is steep. And we look for "influencers". Links on the right point to those who have influenced me one way or another. And that is only a start...I'd like to thank the academy, my mother and father....ooops - thats for another post :)

David Armano at Logic+Emotion gives a graphic of his perception. It makes logical sense. The challenging part for me is to make it less linear. More organic - more spherical. I think we can all agree the real point of blogging is to create conversation. That is the grand opportunity we are given with this tool of communication. And it is a special thrill to get a comment on any given entry.

Here's my question. Is blog readership linear to start? Then at some point - the point of conversation - it becomes like ripples in a stream?

Read This Book

I just finished reading a life changing book by Daniel H. Pink. The book title is “A Whole New Mind – Why Right-Brainers Will Rule The Future”. Pink also wrote a popular book – “Free Agent Nation”. The premise of the book is that organizational and corporate culture is evolving. Pink asserts that US culture is moving from an Information Age dominated by left brain dominant workers. From the introduction “think programmers who could crunch code, lawyers who could craft contracts, and MBAs who could crunch numbers.” He presents an excellent argument that we are moving to a Conceptual Age. Persons of the future are - “creators and empathizers, pattern recognizers, and meaning makers. These people – artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, consolers, big picture thinkers – will now reap society's richest rewards and share its greatest joys.” These are the right brain thinkers. Those of us who can find the balance will find success and reward.

Pink's contends left-brain thinkers are beginning to wield less influence, particularly in the US. The reason this is happening boils down to three “A's” - Abundance, Asia, and Automation. The chapters that follow highlight six “senses” that the author feels are worth developing. They are high concept and high touch. Each sense – design, story, symphony, empathy, play, and meaning – takes the reader on a thoughtful path. The examples used are fascinating and readable. Each chapter is followed by a portfolio of ideas, exercises, and possibilities for further study. As expected, much of the added study occurs via Internet. As an aside, Pink was a speech writer for Al Gore. Former Vice President Gore is an avid user of technology. He got a bum rap on his Internet comments – never saying he “invented” the Internet but being alleged to have said it. I won't go into the rest of the whole sordid mess.

I found the book entertaining and highly readable. I could have read it quicker but it was far too enjoyable. I rather enjoyed taking small bites and letting it melt in my conscience.

What I find truly astonishing is the conversation generated on Slacker Manager about outsourcing technology. I posted early and am watching it go back and forth. Steve Rubel, at Micro Persuasion, even checks in.

Change the World

over at Slacker Manager, Bren posted a little nugget about this social network to Change the World. Its a small step and one worth taking. Especially for all you altruistic sorts.

I set up a little profile here. And even a pod on bicycling.

Thats enough links for today. As you can see - I'm high on this new social network.

Combine it with music and I've rekindled the fire.

The Viral Garden: Your 24-hour guide to creating buzz with blogs

The Viral Garden: Your 24-hour guide to creating buzz with blogs

Here is a link to "what happens when a movie executive takes time to talk with a blogger". This link got here by click the link to this article button on The Viral Garden. Like I say, a lot of this is still magic to me.

Been Away But Now I'm Back

To those few who have visited - thank you. You may note the lack of activity on the blog. So many decisions it becomes overwhelming. I've taken a bit of advice from Mack at here and thought about passion. I've also been visiting a fair number of blogs. Spending more time reading other bloggers. When I find something that fits into my myriad interests, I'll drop a comment. And always leave the url for this blog as my website.

It seems to drive views of my profile which have tripled in the 30 days since the first post. Not particularly astonishing but an increase nonetheless.

Now, I need to shamelessly plug a few bloggers. These are people - just like you and me - who have taken time to respond to my comments on their blogs. Near as I can tell Huckabuck is a search engine that searches and combines other engines. Within a couple days of my first blog post Paige had sent me an email. She asked that share their search engine by writing about it on my blog. That is being on top of the game! Sorry it's taken so long, Paige. And I apologize for such little traffice to my blog - yet anyway! I've found the engine to be comprehensive and thorough - it is part of my bookmarks. Its key difference is the "search tuner" which allows the user to fine tune the search. What I really like is the organization is based in New Orleans. I have no idea how search engines make money. But the people working on this project are passionate about it. And any help sent toward the Mississippi Delta is help sent with love for the people who are rebuilding that beautiful part of the US.

I've also set up a Technorati profile, messed around in digg, and discovered the internet archive - which I believe was called something else at one time? These sites are popular with bloggers - they are new to me. Remember, I'm building a network here.

Check links to the right for other places I've been spending time.

Boing!!!!

BoingBoing talks about newspaper marketing

I'm not certain exactly where this leads. What I do know...if something gets boing-boinged it causes a rush to action.

I also know that a simple, available, and FREE office suite will have a pile of users.

You can pick it up here:
the free office suite

Sinatra: A Man and His Music opening number

lets see how this works

iTunes + MySpace x Music Geeks = MOG

Again with the music passion! Seems my blog is helping me rediscover one of my first loves - music. MOG is a recently-launched Web site that brings the beauty of the original Napster to the social networking era. The premise is that people you trust (friends and musicians) are the best source of music recommendations -- discovery is a social process. A process like leaving your blog to look for stuff.

I joined a few days ago. Already it has connected me with a nice group of other junkies. Its got a few little bumps. The path of discovery is littered with them. In the process, I discovered digg. More social network. And somehow we're all get connected. Whether anybody realizes it, matters not.

read more | digg story

Discovering Enthusiasm

Mack Collier - shares tips/advice/wisdom on creating and growing a blog here

Thanks for the 1st comment ever to this blog, Mack!

Hopefully, I haven't lost you by creating the link to his post :) so if you're still here, this is my take. Mack's first point is pick a passion to blog about...this is where it starts. The word passion is a bit over used these days. Discovering one is no simple task. And discovering one to write coherently about is tough. Passions are personal. Our US culture seems to devalue being personal in public. It's tough to be understood when little value is placed upon something. Posting to a blog is both personal and public. Its a little risky but without risk would anything get done?

True passion breeds enthusiasm. The real ones stick over the long haul. Most of the time passion isn't like being struck with a lightning bolt. It begins with a spark. Passion might smolder for a long time. It builds in small increments. We really care about our passions. Life is about the journey and not the destination. So is the growth of things you are enthused about.

For me, a true passion has at its center the human quest to learn and to share. All of my passions center around learning and sharing over a lifetime. Today, I'm thinking a lot about my love of music. I came upon a great music sharing link yesterday. It's still beta but I set up a MOG. Think Music blOG. As mentioned in previous post, Street Music Week was a huge success. I've been playing for about 6 years. It is only within the last year that I began jamming with others. The increase in enthusiam is astounding while I learn and share. Yes, I played with the bluegrass bunch. New chords, new tunes. If you read the story please take not of its intent. It's not just about being a "busker"- its about sharing the value of public art. It's about the feeling that you just can't wait to play some more. Its about passion and enthusiasm. The bonus is when people listen.

This blog then will talk about learning, sharing, and storytelling. Exactly what a good newspaper and information source does. Its only a matter of the channel we choose.

Thats it for today!

A Garden of building community

The Viral Garden: Viral Community News has a terrific marketing idea - and it has to do with one of my favorite subjects - music!!! Check it out. This is a groovy blog - beyond Madison Avenue - and it is a little ironic that my previous post linked to a NYT article - oh well.

Speaking of community - its Street Music Week in my town. Officially declared and everything! Today I jammed with Jim - bluegrass guitar extraordianire, Aaron - 10 y/o fiddle player that will pop your ears off, and Denise - forever known as Aaron's mom and a fine mandolin player. Check it all out if your downtown this week.

As time goes on I'll get more links to blogs that are in my feed. For now - I better get back to work.

one at a time

An article in today's NYT, coining the word Googlism, with an emphasis on social networking. While some find MSM irrelevant, I happen to feel its what we got - so use it or lose it.
Social networking is a pretty broad term. It can be technically defined and refined through wikipedia. To me, it means building relationships and quantifying them - one at a time. Google does a pretty good job of offering the channels to build these relationships. Blogger happens to be one of them.

online video study

The Center for Media Research does a good job presenting a variety of studies. Often times they are short on detail but you always have the option of digging deeper. Their daily brief is one that lands in my email inbox - and I actually read it. Today they suggest that advertisers best be ready to tap into the online video. The main item for me is 2/3 of people access the web with broadband. See the report here

try try again

just what I need - a 2nd blog