Yahoo is a pain in the tag
Wait... so Yahoo! is still developing its bookmarks offering? WTF? Seriously... WTF?! They're even going to integrate the y! bookmarks into its search. Do you really want search results mixed in with the bookmarks of Yahoo! bookmarks users or would you rather it be del.icio.us users? That's like asking someone who has a BetaMax machine to record this week's episode of Lost.
A lot of people think that Yahoo! is such a great place for startups to wind up, but it seems to me that Google, more so than Yahoo!, actually integrates its acquisitions. Urchin became Google Analytics. Keyhole became Google Earth. Flickr and del.icio.us became... Flickr and del.icio.us, in-house competitors to Yahoo! Photos and Yahoo! Bookmarks.
It's really unfortunate that we haven't seen more integration. Hopefully, NewsCorp will do more with Digg. Kinda sucks that Digg is going to fetch between $100-150 million... del.icio.us is so much more fundamental of a platform for search. Eh... hindsight is 20/20. Sometimes you hold on and you wind up with a YouTube, and sometimes you wind up with a Friendster.
Avatar Crazy... Playing with the competition
So, you'll notice, if you're on my page, four new additions to my sidebar... a Yahoo! Avatar, a WeeMee, a Meez, and a Zwinky.
We have competition, and if I'm going to pretend it doesn't exist, Voki will pretty much suck... so instead, I'm embracing them. Welcome to my blog. What's that you say, guys? Oh.. you didn't. Nevermind. ;)
So here's my quick take on them... My Yahoo! Avatar is doing Tae Kwan Do at a school gym. You might not know this, but I am, in fact, a blackbelt in TKD, and I practiced at Fordham so that's what's going on there. He's cool... looks nice. I wasn't a fan of the creation interface there... lots of options for everything... not a great way to sort through them, so admittedly, I just picked some of the first stuff I saw.
In general, I guess my big issue with all of these pictures is that I'd like to do something more with them. Pictures on my blog don't do a lot for me... almost everything else in my blog is interactive in some way.
So my WeeMee is feeling sort of Bond-like... so I've got him in London with a martini and a suit. Cute. The WeeMee interface is really easy... very quick to create.
My Meez looks very slick... When I was creating him, he was awesome... he swung the bat and I could even put him in a flying car if I wanted. I'm not sure why he's not moving now. I thought he exported in an animated GIF. Either way, he's not up to much now and that's kind of disappointing, even though he looks really cool. UPDATE... I missed the animated export... now he moves.
Now, my Zwinky is built in Flash, so I expect him to do more than blink, but again, not much going on there. Plus, apparently, they have a thing against bald guys... bald was not an option, so I might just take him off on principle. Not only that, you need to install a search toolbar to get him... He's been built by IAC to generate search traffic and I hear he does a good job of that, making him very profitable for them. Good for him, but that's not really what I want him for. I don't think you'll see too many updates from him, because I don't really want the toolbar.
So there you have it... now there are five Charlies staring back at you on my blog.
Being ceonyc...
I use a lot of web services, and I sign up for even more...pretty much always with the same username...ceonyc. It's even on my car. For anyone who doesn't know by now, "ceo" happens to be my initials and "nyc" is where I live. It doesn't mean I want to be the head of the city. Anyway, this usage has had the amusing, but unintended effect of plastering the web with my screename. The only thing I don't have related to it is the actual domain, which is taken by a New York City strip club. Funny thing is, the Google search doesn't even put them on the front page. They might as well give me the domain, because it doesn't really seem to be working for them. :)
There was also one other thing I didn't use ceonyc for, and that was my AOL screename, which has been stuck on ceo21 since 1998, when I first started using AOL. 21 is my number in baseball and softball and just about anything else that needs a number. This week, I finally took the plunge and started asking people to IM me at ceonyc. I had the name, but I wasn't using it because it was a pain to port over, one by one. Unfortunately, I just got new business cards, so they'll have my old screename on them until I run out. Eventually, though, I'll be on the web, unified under one identity....
ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc, ceonyc
There are lots of other places where I use this, too, but I don't think I really use any of them regularly...
Getting into this online stuff: Part I - Blogging as the Industry Cocktail Party
I find myself talking to a lot of people about why I blog, why they should blog, what a blog is, what it isn't, etc... I'll be doing that a lot more this spring as I'm teaching an undergraduate class at Fordham on the professional uses of blogging, social networks, and using discovery tools. So, I decided to write a series of posts outlining the basics of participating in what's going on online right now... from the why to the how.
Most of the regular readers here already get this stuff, but this is the kind of post you give to your friend who doesn't blog, or to your boss who doesn't understand why your company should be blogging, or people who still have 1 LinkedIn contact or who don't use RSS. This first post is for all the people I encounter who don't get blogging. In future posts, I'll cover other important tools, like RSS, del.icio.us, and LinkedIn.
The word blog has been so overused that people are sort of immune to it now, thinking they know what blogging is all about and whether or not it is for them. Here's the best way I can describe blogging "slightly professionally" to someone who doesn't get it. When I say that, I mean that I blog about what I do because I'm passionate about it and want to connect with others in my field. I don't do it as part of my job or specifically to pitch and sell products.
It's like a big industry cocktail party with an open bar.
1) So, first off, no matter what industry you're in, you can always fill a cocktail party given an open bar. There are millions of blogs out there, so chances are, even if you're a clam shucker, there's a clam shucking blog out there for you.
2) Everyone is a little buzzed...a little loose. That means they're feeling comfortable enough not to put on a front and willing to say something provocative every once in a while. Plus, bloggers are usually open to chatting it up with just about anyone. No wallflowers here.
3) You can try to talk to everyone, but you won't remember any of the conversations or the people...best to find a handful of people you actually like connecting with and give them a little more time. Start out reading a handful of blogs, giving thought to what they have to say, and commenting before you drink from the firehose.
4) Listen, don't wait to talk. People focus too much about what they're going to say in their blog, but if everyone went into this party itching to get something said, it would probably be a pretty obnoxious, self centered crowd. Try actually being interested in what the other person has to say first.
5) The conversation will stray. Just because you're at an industry party doesn't mean that all you talk about is your job. These are all people with interests, hobbies, passions...making for a unusually well rounded crowd. So, if you're going to chat internet marketing with someone, you'll probably enjoy it more with the guy who also rockclimbs like you do. And, chances are, in a crowd of web marketers, that person exists.
6) Why would all these people be interested in what you have to say? Well, they wouldn't, but that's not really the way you approach a cocktail party is it? I hope not. You don't stick your head up and shout over the crowd...you try to circulate among the crowd and sometimes the conversation sticks and sometimes it doesn't. That's a good thing, though. You only want the people sticking around who share interests. You don't want bunch of people who feel obligated to read your blog but never have any useful response because they have no idea what you're writing about. You don't need to talk to, and its almost impossible to talk to, 100 people at once at a cocktail party, and the best conversations are usually between two or three people. Don't worry about your traffic.
7) If you don't like sharing your personal life, I'm sure that's not going to be a problem. If you want to write about all your bad first dates, that's fine, but that's not the kind of blogging we're talking about. Similarly, that's more the kind of conversation you might have at the after party, not in front of this industry party with your boss, your best client, and potential next client.
8) Meet people that are going to help you enjoy the party, not people who you think you need to meet. First off, the industry notables are going to get mobbed at a party like this, and they definitely do in the blog world. Second, they're often not the most interesting people to talk to. Don't you just get kind of sick of the way people fawn over the who's who? Treat everyone like a who.
9) Like a cocktail party, what you do outside of the blogging is a lot more meaningful than within the blog. Some people are a lot better at working a party than they are at their actual job. At the same time, though, I think you're a little bit limited in how well you can work a party if you aren't passionate about what you do, work hard to stay on top of your industry, etc. That's going to show through at a cocktail party, and a blog. People who "mail in" their jobs also tend to be boring bloggers and worse party guests.
10) And finally, following up after the cocktail party is how true networking comes to fruition. Being a blogger who doesn't respond and interact with their audience is like a person who takes a lot of business cards and never gets in touch with people afterward... it is sort of a waste of everyone's time.
Scrobbling Brainteaster
Here's a problem:
I listen to my iPod on the way into work and at the gym.
I listen to Last.fm at work.
The iTunes that is connected to my iPod is the one at home, where all my music is.
Last.fm will not accept submissions earlier than the last submitted song.
So, what happens is that I listen at the gym, listen at work, but when I sync my iPod at home, none of my gym songs, which occurred before my work listening, get added to Last.fm.
But, I can't link the iPod to two computers and sync when I get into work and get my recently played data into the system before I start listening at work.
Very frustrating.
Any ideas?
We IM for this...
cuth23b: Goes back to my point, hitters are stupid. It's why we should have both made the majors
links for 2006-10-20
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Getting to be my favorite tag on Last.fm
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Looks like we're all getting trounced by Stardoll
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Another iPod/Last.fm solution
Don't Say a Prayer for Me Now... Save it 'Til the Morning After
I just don't understand how you could go down looking in Game 7 with the bases loaded and a chance to tie or win the game. That just hurts.
Gotta give it to Perez for holding his own this series... Maine, too. Much to look forward to next year, but, man, this stings. I lack the words.
Game 7
I didn't think it would come to this.
I didn't want it to.
I think I'm going to hole myself up in my apartment and not come out until its over. My whole entire season depends on Oliver Perez. They better score 12 runs.
I don't understand why we're not starting Darren Oliver.
The guy pitched 6 scoreless the other day... AND... and this I didn't realize today... he's got a great postseason start under his belt. In 1996, with the Rangers, he left the 9th inning of Game 3 with a 2-1 lead and two on and none out. The Rangers bullpen couldn't hold it, so he got the loss, but still... that makes him a lot more qualifed to start than Perez, who honestly got battered the other night. He just had a lot of run support.
I don't really understand what goes on in Willie's head. Maine bats in the bottom of the 5th, only to get taken out after the leadoff guy reaches base in the 6th... that was after he fanned Pujos to end the 5th. The guy was cruising and he goes to the pen in the 6th inning. Why strain the pen when your starter is cruising and you know you're going to need at least four innings out of them the next night? He could have gotten one more inning out of Maine.
So now we get to watch Wild Thing fall off the mound because he can't figure out a windup that works.
They better score 12. Please, let them score 12... in the first.
links for 2006-10-19
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Yeah... because these users would otherwise pay for these videos. :/ I thought video was for marketing anyway. Isn't distribution good?
Referrals for Money and Your Chics for Free
Recruiting is a big industry. People pay a lot of money to get the right people because the right people are key to your business. That's why a number of attempts have been made to leverage the power of social networking and recommendations to disrupt the hiring model in the job space.
I've never passed on a job any more or any less because of monetary incentives... I do it for social capital. If I actually know the right person for the job, I pass that job on to create social capital with both sides, and for some reason that resonates with me more than the money. Actually, I think it is because I'm guaranteed social capital, whereas the money always seems like a crapshoot. If I pass you on a job, even if you don't get hired, but you're good... and the job was right for you.. .you think of me as a resource and so does the person doing the hiring. I make social capital that way.
Anyone building one of these systems should take that into consideration. What good does passing the job on through your system do me if I don't get paid? Can it help build my reputation as a connector? How do you enable me to store social capital?
Don't Beat Yourself
This weekend, I was reminded about not beating yourself.
Saturday night, I watched Steve Trachsel make a mess out of a pivotal playoff start by not throwing strikes. Granted, the Mets offense was nowhere to be found, but Trachsel couldn't make it out of the second inning because he walked five batters. When you walk that many batters, your fielders fall back on their heels and when you do actually let the other team put the ball in play, they wind up missing a lot of balls by just a half step, which is what happened.
Then, tonight, my Zog team played a fall softball game. We couldn't field our way out of a hat. It was awful. We're normally a very good fielding team, but we threw the ball around and bobbled a lot of easy plays. We found ourselves down 20-6. We even managed to score 10 runs with two outs in the last inning, but it wasn't enough. It was a game that got away because we beat ourselves.
So back to the Mets. Enter Oliver Perez... a guy who has been beating himself for two seasons by not throwing strikes. The Mets needed to stay in this game badly. The bats were cold and Perez was a wildcard. Well, he wasn't perfect, but he didn't beat himself. He threw strikes... and kept them close until the Mets offense exploded. Up by seven runs, he kept throwing strikes even when the Cards started hitting home runs... three home runs.. all solo shots, because he wasn't walking batters ahead of those hits. He left in the sixth inning with a big lead, and for a guy who went 3-13 this season, that's about all you could have asked from him. Unlike the guy who pitched the night before who rang up 15 wins this season, he didn't beat himself.
That makes such a huge difference in any aspect of your life. Make the other guy beat you. I manufactured a run in my Zog game tonight by lining to right and not stopping when I saw the right fielder bobble the ball. Let him throw me out. If me makes the play, I'd get up, say, "Nice throw" and walk off... but I was forcing him to be better to get the better of me. Then, on a bloop single to right again, I ran through a stop sign on the way home.
Let them throw you out at the plate.... don't hand them your opportunity to shine.
Internet didn't kill the radio star
Scott Karp at Publishing 2.0 uses the example of the music industry to show why content needs to be controlled to be monetized and I just wanted to share something I learned a while ago.
"As for ceding control of your content, look at what happened to the music industry. Illegal file sharing crippled music sales, and the only saving grace has been the iTune platform, which functions by rigidly controlling distribution."
This actually isn’t true. I thought it was for a long time, being a college student when Napster was big, but I worked on a co-investment in the buyout of Warner Music and studied this hard. There were two much larger factors at play. First, you have a supply issue. Big box retail started killing off mom and pop record shops and music-only stores to a much greater degree than the web. Even the demographics that weren’t web savvy and into downloading music weren’t buying music anymore, because people shopped at Walmart and Best Buy and they hardly carried any of the catalogue that the music only stores did. More focus was put on DVDs and video games which were a much higher profit margin per inch of shelf space compared to CDs. So, if my dad wanted to go buy the Moody Blues first album, he simply wasn't going to find it... but he could find lots of copies of Madden Football or maybe even a DVD of a live concert.
Then, you have competition for finite entertainment dollars. Mobile revenues went up… $5-7 a month in text messaging and another $5-7 a month in ring tones… that’s a CD a month when you consider the limited budget of teens. Mobile revenues and gaming revenues skyrocketed during this time, not because music was free, but because they offered a much more compeling product. Eight songs for $16 simply wasn't going to cut it when, for ten bucks more, you could get a movie, and for the price of three CDs, you could get a video game to play with your friends for hundreds and hundreds of hours. Interaction. Socializing. Music, at that price, just didn't seem so interesting anymore. Napster didn't tank the industry... it just proved there was demand for the CD format to get broken up and for music to be obtained over the web. Apple is taking advantage of that, and they would take better advantage of it if they offered more pricing schemes and less DRM.