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Rapid Fire – Thursday, December 20

December 21st, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Daily Links

Can NASA Attract a Younger Crowd with Social Networking Tools?

“NASA is the latest to take on additional social networking tools for the purpose of attracting more users. With about 1 million unique views per month, NASA is catering directly towards the Facebook crowd, in so many words–the 18 to 25 year olds. This marks the first major overhaul for NASA’s website in nearly five years, with a new MyNASA tool at the helm of the makeover.”

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12-17-07 Facebook | Wallstrip

Hilarious WallStrip clip about Facebook. Enjoy!

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Picnik: API Documentation

Holy McCraken! How did I not realize that Picnik (yes, I’m a Picnik fanboy… so?) had an API??

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Go, NBC! You’re SMURT!

Apparently I’m not the only one disgusted with NBC these days…

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Match.com Debuts New Service

I’m not sure if this is brilliant or idiotic: “Called Match My Friends, the offering allows anyone to create a profile for a friend or third party and then search for potential dates on their behalf, without having to register themselves.”

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Inside the Marketers Studio – David Berkowitz’s Marketing Blog: Facebook Social Ads Need an Opt-Out

Remind me why we put with Facebook’s ad programs??

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Arianna Huffington: New HuffPost Features: More of What You Come Here For – The Huffington Post

HuffingtonPost adds cool new features to the site!

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The shelf life of a community worker

December 20th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Business Strategy

My friend and fellow community guy Sean O’Driscoll announced today that he’s leaving his well-known position at Microsoft after 15 years to take a go at the consulting world. I have absolutely confidence in Sean’s ability to do amazing things and wish him all the luck in the world.

Today I formally announced that I’ve decided to leave Microsoft. I love this company…always have – it has been amazing to me. I’ve had great opportunities for growth and worked with really incredible people both inside and outside the company. Microsoft supported me through a difficult time medically – time off, benefits, security and genuine care and concern I’ll never forget. To be clear, I’m not leaving Microsoft to get away. Nor am I going off to some other company with a “grass is greener” dream. That isn’t it.

I’m leaving because I see an opportunity to follow a dream I’ve had for a long time. In the weeks ahead, I’ll be a bit more specific about what is next, but you can expect me to use the year ahead to immerse myself in the intersection of social media, influencers and business. I look forward to writing, speaking and consulting to grow my experience in this exciting space that promises to radically change the face of business and transform how innovation, service and support, and sales and marketing are done.

Sean’s announcement really hit home for me. I too didn’t leave LEGO because of anything negative… it was just time for new challenges. LEGO was absolutely wonderful to me over the years, which made it hard to leave. In fact, it took my wife and I months of agonizing discussions and debates to make the decision to leave my “adopted family” behind. I’m still a huge believer in the power of the LEGO brick and can’t wait until the girl is old enough to break out my (pretty huge) collection.

I hear stories regularly about community people leaving big brands to break out on their own. When I started to think about leaving LEGO, I asked fellow evangelism advocate Guy Kawasaki what he thought the shelf life of a community manager type was. He said (paraphrased heavily): “If you make it 3 years, you’ve done great. If you make it 4 years, you’re impressive. If you make it 5 years or more, you’re crazy.”

The point is that community management/interaction is a difficult job that requires bizarre hours, countless personal relationships, and a “not quite community, not quite company” reality that can make it tough for a mere mortal to handle for any length of time. It makes you wonder if one of the job descriptors for a community manager hire should be: “Is bulletproof and flame retardant”!

Welcome Sean to the tough, wonderful road that is consulting. You’ll have a great time.

(Photo Credit: Ho Yin)

Job Board Update: 18 Open Jobs

December 20th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Business Strategy

Couple new jobs this week! Maybe a better start to your 2008 lies in this collection of positions?

Online Community Organizer (anywhere)Community Development Associate (Wikia, Inc. San Mateo, CA) (San Mateo, CA)Fast-Growing, Kids Website Seeks Community Service Lead (San Francisco)Sales Associate (Virtual Office)Community Development Manager (Wikia Germany) (Germany)Online Community Manager, Zazengo (virtual)Games for Change Community Manager (New York, New York)Community Manager: SF Bay Area (Financial District, San Francisco, CA)Community Support Manager (Needham, MA)Social Media Marketing Intern (Little Elm, TX (Just north of Dallas))Online Social Community Specialist (Vancouver, BC)BlogCatalog/Social Interaction Design (San Antonio)Community Server Developer (Vancouver, WA or Palo Alto, CA)Online Community Producer (Cambridge, Massachusetts)Web Content Producers (Online)Manager, Online Community, Yahoo! Video (San Francisco, CA)Yahoo! Sr. Manager, Customer Experience (7584) (Sunnyvale, CA)Yahoo! Sr. Marketing Manager, Community Products (6328) (Sunnyvale, CA)

Rapid Fire – Wednesday, December 19

December 20th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Daily Links

Why Nobody Likes a Smart Machine – New York Times

“Even when the bugs have been worked out of a new technology, designers will still turn out junk if they don’t get feedback from users — a common problem when their customer is a large bureaucracy. Engineers have known how to build a simple alarm clock for more than a century, so why can’t you figure out how to set the one in your hotel room? Because, Dr. Norman said, the clock was bought by someone in the hotel’s purchasing department who has never tried to navigate all those buttons at 1 in the morning.”

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Apple unleashes Sonic the Hedgehog for iPod

See, your old Video iPod can still be cool. Oh the hours I wasted on this game in college… the downside to having a roommate with a TV and a Sega system.

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How to create custom ringtones in GarageBand 4.1.1

Apparently you *don’t* have to buy songs in iTunes in order to turn them into ringtones. This is official, straight from the Apple mouth.

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Jeff Dunham – Welcome to Jeff Dunham.com!

In high school I saw this hilarious comedian on TV who had a great routine with puppets. For years I’ve searched trying to find him… and now I have. Check this guy out, he’s hilarious!

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The problem with snacking

Is snacking unhealthy when it’s information?

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2008 Event Calendar: Communities

My buddy Mukund has put together a robust list of community-oriented events/conferences/sessions in 2008. Your budgets are about to reset, so stop in here and figure out where you’re going to spend your training money!

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Bob Cesca: Barack Obama For President – Politics on The Huffington Post

Perhaps the best article I’ve read so far making the case for an Obama presidency. Very very worthwhile, regardless of whether you support Obama or not.

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Hey, where’s your journalism licence? – - mathewingram.com/work

Ugh. Should traditional media monitor and regulate citizen journalism? This guy thinks so…

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Chrysler Launches Facebook App for Holidays

“As part of a holiday campaign to tout the Dodge Grand Caravan, Chrysler is making its first foray into Facebook widgets.”

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The Promise of Social Network Advertising – eMarketer

Wow. “This year, 37% of the US adult Internet population used online social networking at least once a month.” Maybe this “fad” isn’t just for the kids after all…

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Last minute gift ideas

December 19th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Business Strategy

funny pictures
The clock is winding down to Christmas and, as so so so many email marketers like to remind me, we are dangerously close to the close of the shipping window to have online purchases arrive on time. In order to help out, I’d like to pass along a few ideas for those last minute shopper readers. Your mileage may vary, but hopefully this will make someone on your list smile.

Kiva Gift Certificates
Far and away, this is one of my favorite gifts I’ve given (or will be giving anyway) in years. Not only do you do something good with your gift giving dollar, you are providing the recipient with an activity, just just a notification of something done on their behalf. And even better, the activity (selecting who to lend money too) is a never ending cycle, since the loans, once repaid, are able to be lent again. Literally this gift can continue to help for years to come. It’s a Kiva Christmas in the McKee family this year.

Give the gift of Flickr
Far and away my favorite photo sharing service and community. This holiday season, you can help your friends and family get started sharing their fantastic photos with the world (or at least your family and social circle). Hell of a deal – any and all upload/usage restrictions on the free accounts are removed for the yearly $25 fee.

The Panderers CD
Maybe they can get you a copy in time if you buy quickly, but damn are these guys awesome. My favorite new band find of 2007, and their debut CD is fantastic. (And as a community bonus, I found them via MySpace!)

Authenticity
For the business person on your list, this book may be just the ticket. Joe Pine and Jim Gilmore are two very nice guys, and wrote an incredibly significant book a few years back called The Experience Economy. I’ve not read this book yet, but with these two guys you run, not walk to buy their stuff. Head to your local B&N to pick this one up… if you dare this time of year.

U2 Go Home – Live from Slane Castle
One of the greatest U2 concert DVDs yet. Recorded the day after the funeral of Bono’s father, this show has an emotion that you can feel. The way he talks about the band’s family supporting the band’s early years during Out of Control moves me every time. (Check your local music/book/DVD store for this one)

Battlestar Galactica: Season 1
Nothing like the original, this show is stunning. As one Amazon reviewer puts it, the show is a “taunt hour of psychological insight into the workings of real people in a hellish situation.”

iTunes Gift Certificate
Yeah, this might seem a bit played, but really… who can resist? With the latest addition of Looney Tunes cartoons, there’s something for everybody! (Although, boo on NBC for withdrawing their content. Boo.) Buy these online, at an Apple store, a grocery store, Best Buy, and a range of other locations.

Y: The Last Man – Vol. 1: Unmanned
With this jaw-dropping comic series about to close at 60 issues, what better time to introduce those who’ve missed out so far to the story? It may have been told in comic form, but it’s one of the smartest, most interesting stories I’ve ever read. (Also likely available at your local bookstore or comic shop)

Amazon Gift Certificate
Speaking of gift certificates, if you have a person on your list who enjoys the open ended fun of a gift card, what better place to give it to than Amazon. With two separate wishlists (one two pages, one 10+), a full shopping cart, and multiple browser bookmarks, the problem for me wouldn’t be finding something to spend it on, it would be trying to narrow it down!

WilloToons Goodies
My friend Willo has crafted some tasty merchandise. I believe if you hurry you can still grab some of it in time for the holiday!

LEGO Online Shop Gift Certificate
If you’ve not checked out the range of amazing LEGO products these days, head to the shop now. You’ll see why this is a gift that can fit any and all age ranges. Come on, you know you want the 5,000 piece Millennium Falcon set. I sure as hell do!

3 Days Left: Community Contest – Free books!

December 19th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Business Strategy

Just a reminder, the clock is ticking down to the end of the community contest. The two ways you’ll be entered:

  • If you’re a blogger/twitterer/etc., simply post a link to CommunityGuy.com (and maybe a few kind words) and email me the direct link (jake@communityguy.com)
  • Not a blogger/twitterer/etc.? Simply email a friend/colleague/etc. and cc: or bcc: me so I can see it.

Of all the entries, I’ll pick two random winners. Of the two random draws, the one with the earliest submission date gets to choose first. Deadline for this contest is Friday, December 21!Prizes: Wikinomics and Now is Gone.

10 Questions with David Nelsen of TalkShoe.com

December 18th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in 10questions

picture-23.pngTime to continue the ongoing series of 10 Question interviews with great services and sites that have community as a strong component. We have several more interviews in the works, but next up we chat with David Nelsen of TalkShoe.com!

1. What is TalkShoe?
www.TalkShoe.com is a website where you can talk (and text) live with others who share your interests. For example, if you love “Grey’s Anatomy” on ABC, you can connect with others who do too. Or maybe just talk with your friends. We can this “Social Conference Calling”.

2. What prompted you to create this tool?
So many people are becoming part of groups online. I thought it would be really cool if these groups could actually talk live. With TalkShoe, up to 300 people can get on the phone together. It sounds like chaos, but we’ve built it in a way that works!

3. TalkShoe seems to be aimed, in no small part, at helping online-only content producers (bloggers, vbloggers, podcasters, webcomic artists, etc.) go from small and static into big and dynamic. Did people think you were crazy for targeting an audience that (seemingly) “doesn’t make much money”?
To use a video analogy, you can be ABC television or you can be YouTube. Both are valid businesses, but I like YouTube better because it’s video entertainment democracy — anybody can do it. In many ways, TalkShoe is like an audio version of YouTube. Our users generate all of the content on the site. They do amazing things that we would never have thought of ourselves.

4. I assume that VOIP is the rockstar of this project; without it, would you be able to cover the hard costs?
I’ll rephrase it this way: Free calling is the rock star. Social conference calling is going mainstream because people can now call anywhere for free — with Voice over IP (VoIP) from their computer, with free night and weekend minutes on their cell phone, or with flat rate unlimited calling from their home phone. With TalkShoe’s “ShoePhone” feature, people can join a TalkShoe call from anywhere on the planet for free. So now you can talk to Grey’s Anatomy fans in Australia too.

5. Speaking of costs… usage is free, and has been for a while. Talk to us about the future plans for keeping the lights on.
TalkShoe makes money in two ways. Even though people are calling in on Skype, or Vonage, or free cell phone minutes, TalkShoe and our partners earn a few cents per minute for every caller from the long distance companies because of an FCC rule. In addition, most of the calls on TalkShoe are recorded (at the option of the originator). We place short audio ads at the beginning of these recordings (like on the radio) and earn a few cents every time someone listens in the future.

6. Do you see any patterns, or gut feel about how audiences are growing?
We see the fastest growth when existing online groups in MySpace, FaceBook, Ning, Yahoo Groups, etc., use TalkShoe to start talking to each other. Typically, they pick a specific day and time and talk for about an hour every week. Of course with tens of thousands of live participants, there’s every pattern you can imagine.

7. I’m a huge PVP fan (www.pvponline), and have followed some of their shows which are great fun. What’s the effect, in your view, of combining a TalkShoe show with their own Web site?
The fans of PVP are a perfect example of an online group. TalkShoe allows them to connect with Scott Kurtz and the rest of the PVP team, and with each other.

8. What do you not see TalkShoe users doing much that you’d love them to use more often?
Each month we see 1,000,000 people listen to social conference call recordings (yes, there’s lots of interesting content here) while fewer than 50,000 (<5%) actually participate live. I’d like to see the 95% that have not done so, yet, actually call in. I think they’d find it to be a fun and satisfying experience to really connect with other people. Voice is a lot different than text. It’s a way to turn your online buddies into real friends.

9. What feature(s) would you just love to implement, if not for those pesky technology limits?
I wish we could just do everything sooner. We’ve now built everything that we first imagined when we started TalkShoe in 2005. But users have suggested literally hundreds of new features. If only there were steroids for software engineers — I’d be a major pusher.

10. Any parting words, or new upcoming features you’d like to share?
Every day we’re working to make TalkShoe simpler. In January, we’ll launch a new version of TalkShoe Live (our voice + text chat environment that’s used to run and manage calls) that works right out of the box. You can come to talkshoe.com and just immediately jump in to any interesting call — no sign-up or download required. And starting your own call with your friends will be much simpler too. And free as always!

Rapid Fire – Monday, December 17

December 18th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Daily Links

Meet Jake McKee, the Community Guy — Lawrence Salberg

Holy crap, what a nice blog post recapping… well… me! Seriously, this is one of the nicest things I’ve read in a while.

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Movie Marketing Madness » More thoughts on the Cloverfield clip widget

Chris continues the dissection of the Cloverfield widget. Good points he makes.

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Doc Searls Weblog · The only real social networks are personal ones

I love Doc…. “The notion of “brands” either “building” or “joining” social networks strikes me as inherently promotional in either case, and therefore compromised as a “social” effort. Speaking personally, I wouldn’t join a social network any brand built, and I wouldn’t want any brand trying to join one I built.”

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Rebuttal to Amazon Kindle Critics at Josh Bancroft’s TinyScreenfuls.com

All good points about the realities of the Amazon Kindle. Lots of people have been complaining about a lot of things that are simply silly, as this post points out. Damn do I want a Kindle…

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Back to Basics: Boarding the Plane & Stowing Your Bags

Infrequent travelers: Please read this how-to before you board your next flight. Please. I’m begging. Seriously.

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Community Contest: Free Books!

December 17th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Business Strategy, contest

Thanks to Geoff and the Online Community Research Network, I’ve ended up with extra copies of two of my new favorite books: Wikinomics and Now is Gone. Since I’ve already read them, I’m using them to power a new CommunityGuy.com contest. If you’ve not read them, now’s your chance to get a free copy!How do you win? Tell others about CommunityGuy.com. Yep, it’s that easy. Here’s the two ways you’ll be entered:

  • If you’re a blogger/twitterer/etc., simply post a link to CommunityGuy.com (and maybe a few kind words) and email me the direct link (jake@communityguy.com)
  • Not a blogger/twitterer/etc.? Simply email a friend/colleague/etc. and cc: or bcc: me so I can see it.

Of all the entries, I’ll pick two random winners. Of the two random draws, the one with the earliest submission date gets to choose first. Deadline for this contest is Friday, December 21!Easy, right? So what are you waiting for??


wikinomics-cover.jpg Based on a $9 million research project led by bestselling author Don Tapscott, Wikinomics shows how the masses of people can participate in the economy like never before. They are creating TV news stories, sequencing the human genome, remixing their favorite music, designing software, finding a cure for disease, editing school texts, inventing new cosmetics, and even building motorcycles.
nowisgone-cover.jpg In one sitting, the book helps business executives and communications professionals understand social media and how to integrate it into the marketing mix: 
  • Introduces Social Media, the benefits, and the importance of engaging with influencers and customers directly
  • Explains the new culture of two-way conversational marketing
  • Inspires and shapes social media strategies to successfully engage communities
  • Highlights some of the more common social media promotion tools
  • Reveals cultural hurdles a company must face before starting social media outreach
  • Provides ways to manage the rapid evolution of social networks and technologies

Rapid Fire – Sunday, December 16

December 17th, 2007 | Comments | Posted in Daily Links

James Dyson – The Dyson Story

As the owner of a Dyson vacuum, I’m a huge fan. So I was delighted to see a more “personal” side to the product story. This multi-part telling of the background of the Dyson business, and James Dyson himself adds fuel to the enthusiast fire.

That said, the info outlined is far too short. Give me more!

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The Laptop Club

Very insightful interview about The Laptop Club, a project dedicated to having kids design (with pencil and construction paper) the perfect laptop. As the blogger puts it: “a wonderfully crafty collection of laptops designed by seven- to nine-year-olds in North Carolina that are both heartwarmingly personal and frighteningly tied to pop culture.”

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Ferrari Going Green: Increasing Mileage by 40% | EcoGeek | Ferrari, Car, Have, Written, December

Ferrari “has committed to reducing its [car's] fuel consumption by 40% over the next five years”. Yeah, yeah that’s nice and all. But DAMN have you see their new model?? {drool…}

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helpful.png – Screenshot of great new Amazon feature

via the 37Signals blog, I found a screenshot of a new Amazon feature I haven’t actually found in the wild yet. It highlights the most helpful reviews, both positive and critical at the top of the user reviews section. This placement is based on users voting on “helpfulness” (a feature attached to every user review).

Very simple change, yet very helpful!

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Home | Email Standards Project

From the site: “The Email Standards Project works with email client developers and the design community to improve web standards support and accessibility in email.”

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Texterity > iPhone Digital Magazines

Wow, this is way cool. Check out real magazines scanned for your iPhone. You can’t view it (without web browser trickery) in a normal web browser. But on your iPhone you’re looking at high quality versions of magazines like MacLife and Make. The only downside is that the overall interface could REALLY use some AJAX love!

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carol maker – zefrank.com

Fantastic Christmas Web toy from Ze Frank. Always worth checking out Ze Frank goodies!

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The Whale Hunt / by Jonathan Harris / Interface

“The Whale Hunt website was developed as an experimental interface for storytelling. Given an epic real world story, with lots of content and lots of metadata, how can the narrative be faithfully retold?”

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New Batman – Dark Knight trailer!

Come on Summer 2008!! I can’t friggin wait for the next Batman movie!

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