David Car5on Gets His A55 Kicked

David Carson, one of the high priests of the design world's cult of personality, rose to fame at a time when you could get away with being a prima-donna (the pre-Internet 90s).

Comes now this tasty bit of irony from Be a Design Group that represents an object lesson both for people in the business and for marketers who aren't clear how times have changed: even though Carson helped spur a design revolution that inspired both print and interactive artists, and even though he's hitched his wagon to new media, it's a revoluton in new media that may knock the icon off his pedestal: the pitfalls of social media, or Web 2.0.

[Art by Nate Voss for Be A Design Group, March, 2007 ]

I thought this was brilliant. Of course the comic pretty much speaks for itself. Yes,there are two sides to every story; I'm less interested in Carson's POV than I am what this comic represents: the shift of power from the fat cats to us peons. Check out the post by artist Nate Voss, which gives him -- and me -- cathartic bit of vindication. The comments are hilarious.

Thanks to Nate for persmission posting his comic.

Web 2.0 ... The Machine is Us/ing Us

Check out this fascinating encapsulation of the World Wide Web. It's a fast-paced, thought-provoking, poignant video essay about the way communications and relationships have evolved as a result of the Internet. Best yet, it was produced by Michael Wesch, a hip anthropology professor at KSU who practices "anti-teaching."

Guiding Principles, Part the First

I'm in the holiday spirit. After seeing Nathan Schock dance around like an elf, I thought I'd spread some joy in the spirit of giving, etc. etc. [insert Gift of Magi references] by doing unto others with this tiding of the season:

Be nice to your competitors. In fact, don't just be nice. Support them.

What, are you insane?

Not according to Tom Peters, who recently blogged about the value of raising up your competitors (Peters even gave my half-elf collegue a nice nod on the subject here).

In that web 2.0 spirit, then, here are a few things that drive us; do they match up with your shop, too? Yes, some of these are generic, some familiar, some cliché. But it can be helpful to get this stuff down on paper (or a screen) so we're pointed in the same diretion. Because what works for us might work for you, and what's good for you is good for us, too. Now then:

•    Ideas are king. Not you or me.
•    Ideas come from anywhere. Keep your eyes, ears and mind open for them.
•    We owe it to our clients to challenge them.
•    Advertising is not a veneer or a cosmetic. It is an adhesive.
•    The best advertising comes from the most trusting relationships. We want to get intimate with the people who hire us. That's because we want to give them the best ideas and best work possible.
•    Do your homework.
•    What audiences think is more important than what clients think.
•    Safe is the most dangerous thing of all.
•    If you’re not uncomfortable, something’s wrong.
•    Focus on the objective.
•    Our goal is an insight.

More later. Oh yes, much more. This is the season of giving...so I'm going to spread it out. Unless the gift is too white elephant for you, in which case I'll play my drum for you.

Time Magazine Person of the Year: You

I recently posted to this blog a presentation on Web 2.0. The basic message for companies wading into the WWW was that they need to acknowledge audience control in order to participate in the online conversation.

I'm certain some wondered if I was overstating matters. But, while watching This Week with George Stephanopoulos I found a powerful ally for my thesis: Time. While watching the show I discovered that the Time person of the year for 2006 is you...and me and the 50 million people who have posted online content (according to the Pew Internet & American Life Project).

We earned the nod for taking advantage of the Web 2.0 tools to generate our own content online. In the cover story, Lev Grossman wrote: for seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you.

Why does all of this really matter? Should we still care what the mainstream media thinks of social media? Here's why it matters: in the quoted sentence, Time (the pros) are acknowledging that consumers (the amateurs) are beating them at their own game.

The blogosphere is abuzz with the news and the response is (inevitably) varied. Jeff Jarvis says It's always been us. Dan Gillmor thinks it should have been "us" rather than "you." What do you think?

The Christmas issue of Time includes several articles supporting their choice for Person of the Year. If you're still questioning whether or not this social media revolution is wroth paying attention to, you would do well to read it all.

Sioux Falls Blogger Meetup

The details have aligned for the Sioux Falls blogger meetup. We will be gathering on Monday, December 18, 8:00 p.m. at Scooters Coffeehouse in Sioux Falls.

Map of 5009 S Western Ave Ste 240
Sioux Falls, SD 57108-2606

We have invited a number of bloggers, but anyone is welcome to attend. We'll probably hang out for a couple of hours. Scooters has wireless Internet access, so bring your laptop if you feel so inclined.

Don't sweat it if you can't make it to this one. We plan on this blogger meetup being the first of many.

Web 2.0 and the online conversation

Last week, I gave an internal presentation to my agency on Web 2.0 and how it should influence the web sites that we create for our clients. I thought I'd post it here for two reasons: 1) I'm interested in the feedback of Fresh Glue readers, and 2) I benefited from a lot of other bloggers posting similar information and I wanted to return the favor.

After going through the presentation, please let me know if you have any comments or suggestions. Also, if you're interested in having me present this to your group, drop me an email and we'll work something out.

Astronaut Blog Proves Social Media Has Taken Off....

I'm from Alaska, so I love this find:

"Alaska Astronaut in Space: From the Last Frontier to the Final Frontier."

It's the blog by Bill Oefelein, a NASA astronaut and 1983 graduate of West Anchorage High School (one of my school's cross-town rivals). That's him seated, far left, below.

As the first Alaskan to head into space, Oefelein has got his home state (and me) pumped for the pending lauch of the Discovery space shuttle (set for yesterday, but likely delayed until Friday).

It should also have bloggers pumped: Oefelein will be blogging from space. That's one way to take social media global. I don't know about you, but I think that's just cool as hell.

This is one giant leap from the days when we could only watch network coverage of space missions; connecting one-on-one with an astronaut in near real-time just seems brilliant (or as Schock just said to me, "cheaper than a phone call.")

Go Bill!

Sioux Falls Blogger Meetup

Along with a few good blogging comrades, we're organizing a meeting of the bloggers in the Sioux Falls area. We aren't looking to hold a conference with speakers, agendas and name tags, just setting up in a corner of a local coffee shop to swap stories and discuss the state of blogging in Sioux Falls and the surrounding area. Ultimately, we'd love to elevate the blogging community in our region.

If you have a blog (or are interested in blogging), drop us an email or leave a comment below. The more the merrier.

Naked Conversations

I reviewed Naked Conversations: How Blogs are Changing the Way Businesses Talk with Customers by Robert Scoble and Shel Israel for the Sioux Falls Business Journal. The Recommended read in the November 1 issue can be found on their website here. But, since it was edited to fit their space and a subscription is required to read it, here's the full text:

What do you call a low-cost tool you can use to communicate with your customers, investors, employees and other stakeholders individually and simultaneously? Naked Conversations co-authors Robert Scoble and Shel Israel call it a blog.

Both “A-List” bloggers, the authors admit their bias as “blogging champions” who deem blogs essential for business. They passionately document the right – and wrong – way to blog. Their advice ranges from the broad, be authentic – not corporate, to the specific, how to choose a title for your blog.

Hundreds, if not thousands, of businesses (including 40 companies from the Fortune 500 list) have jumped on the blogging bandwagon. How do you know if it’s right for yours? The bottom line is this: If your customers want a blog, you better start one before someone else starts one about you.

Although the book was written as things like RSS and podcasting were just emerging, much of the advice in the book will not soon be dated. If you think a blog might be right for your company, this book belongs on a short list of resources that you can’t afford to ignore.

If you're interested in more from Scoble and Israel, you can check out the book's blog where Shel Israel regularly posts or visit Robert Scoble's excellent blog. Happy blogging!

Blogging the election

A few weeks ago I did an interview with KELO TV (local CBS affiliate) for a story on political blogs. They interviewed me as the self-proclaimed blog-o-holic. In attempting to live up to that title, I thought I'd provide you the links for some blogs that will be covering today's election in South Dakota.

South Dakota War College will be live blogging from the GOP election party in Pierre. Todd Epp of South Dakota Watch will be doing the same from the KSFY studio.

The MSM is also getting in on the blogging action. At the Argus Leader Voices Blog, they are live-blogging the election from various polling places. They already have some good coverage. Similar coverage from the other end of the state can be found on Rapid City Journal's Mount Blogmore.

If you know any other blogs providing live election coverage, leave links in the comments section below. But that list should be enough to sap your productivity for the day. Vote early and often!