Started the day early and really was getting things done. Putting out the usual Monday fires and gaining on my Promethean Rock. So thought a few minutes over at Twitter was earned.
But I wasn't there for more than two twits, when I checked my replies and was tagged by Harry (The Gypsy) David - bastard. Typical gypsy style - a meme - an electronic chain letter... worse than being rickrolled. So I have to list seven things you may not know about me - lol the hard part about this one is picking ones that will not need too much reputation management afterwards.
So here goes:
1. I have a signed picture of my brother and I with Robert Kennedy - a prized possession. My mother worked for him before he was shot and we met him a few times when we were over here from school in Australia.
2. I just erased one that can only be told in person - so ask me about that one next time you see me! (cheating a little so okay I have two kids 16 and 13)
3. I love cooking shows - but have never turned on the gas for my stove in my apartment. Silly really watching the Food Network and those reality cooking shows but never using any of the knowledge gained apart from looking for the items on menus when I am out.
4. I have played in two bands when I was younger that went on to get record deals after I left - does it mean I was that bad - I say because I just did not have the commitment to starve for my art.
5. I really want to be a playwright - but again the starving thing has always stopped me from pursuing too long.
6. I used to be one of the best porn film title writers around - sorta glad I got that Masters degree in Journalism! I had originally come to the US to work for Sports Illustrated - loved sports reporting but again you got all the good stories after hours at the bars and it was hard stretching the salary. So I moonlighted doing anything and everything.
7. I co-founded a newspaper in 1985 that is still being published today. We started it on an Apple 2 and the first laser printer - both of which I bartered from Alphagraphics in return for advertising in the paper. Loads of fun beta testing Aldus Pagemaker and selling advertising for half cash and half barter - food, drinks, clothing and even free office space.
So okay that is my things you now know. And I am suppose to tag seven other people - let's see who I can get to actually complete this.
1. Lauren (the future Mrs Kid Rock) Vaccarello
2. Todd (Stuntdubl) Mailicoat
3. Avi (Fire Boy) Wilenski
4. Chris (The Senator) Winfield
5. Pat (FeedtheBot) Sexton
6. Lisa (The Lisa) Barone
7. Rhea (Don't Mess With Red) Drysdale
Monday, January 19, 2009
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Who Is The Biggest Social Media Whore?
Granted I do not follow every user on Twitter, nor am I really active on Facebook and the sundry other social apps - but I am very curious as to who people see as the biggest social media whore.
Now remember we are using the term whore in only the kindest connotation - lawyers told me to say that wouldn't want one of these skanks suing me!
So I will start the ball rolling and nominate Guy Kawasaki - or just "The Guy" - because over the past 18 months he has submerged himself in the social waters and has been reborn as the omnipresent social being.
I need a Reality Check after an hour or two on Twitter because I feel like I am praying to the wrong god (ok figured he deserved a book plug after the nomination).
So give me you votes and feel free to insert links - after all it is the biggest social media whore.
Now remember we are using the term whore in only the kindest connotation - lawyers told me to say that wouldn't want one of these skanks suing me!
So I will start the ball rolling and nominate Guy Kawasaki - or just "The Guy" - because over the past 18 months he has submerged himself in the social waters and has been reborn as the omnipresent social being.
I need a Reality Check after an hour or two on Twitter because I feel like I am praying to the wrong god (ok figured he deserved a book plug after the nomination).
So give me you votes and feel free to insert links - after all it is the biggest social media whore.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Is New Mahalo Answers Widget Massive Link Builder?
Mahalo means thanks or gratitude in Hawaiian and I guess that's what founder Jason Calacanis is saying to all the people who install their new Answers widget.
Not only that it also takes anyone who uses this widget on their site over to Mahalo. Nice one guys - link building and traffic hijacking all in one friendly format.
Jason, in case you are new to widgets, the good ones may have a link in them, but they usually function totally on the site that embeds them. With a little more work it could have been a decent addition to a website. Jason, how about tweaking it and allowing the entire thing to stay on the user's site. Offer a little customization so it fits into the site's look and feel.
As is, it is pretty heavy handed. Jason announced the launch on Twitter. And a few minutes later was sipping port.
Come on mate, this one is just shameless.
Not only that it also takes anyone who uses this widget on their site over to Mahalo. Nice one guys - link building and traffic hijacking all in one friendly format.
Jason, in case you are new to widgets, the good ones may have a link in them, but they usually function totally on the site that embeds them. With a little more work it could have been a decent addition to a website. Jason, how about tweaking it and allowing the entire thing to stay on the user's site. Offer a little customization so it fits into the site's look and feel.
As is, it is pretty heavy handed. Jason announced the launch on Twitter. And a few minutes later was sipping port.
Come on mate, this one is just shameless.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Disney Announces GrayWolf's Retirement
Hey if I guess we now know why Michael Gray has been spending so much time at Disney lately.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Was Google-Yahoo Ad Pact Move By Google To Sabotage Yahoo?
Comments on the possible reason Google backed out of an acquisition of Ringside Networks this year started me thinking about a deeper evil motivation behind the Yahoo Google ad partnership and Google's back down from it earlier this month.
Could Google have made the effort to start the process just to stop Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo? Did they jump out of the partnership, not to avoid the possibility of a legal battle, but because they had achieved what they wanted?
Let's go back to the Ringside scenario. "There are two dominant Social API's - the Facebook API and the OpenSocial API. The Ringside Social Application Server implements both API's so that a website or application can run their social application anywhere on the web. Additionally, the Ringside Server provides a way for websites to build their own friend networks that also integrate into the large Social Networks like MySpace, Orkut, hi5 and other OpenSocial-based Social Networks," as their website explains.
Google was interested in this application as it would have enabled them to compete with MySpace and Facebook. But they were fast also developing their own.
When Google approached Ringside they were about to get second round VC capital, which they turned down as they possibly were about to be acquired by Google. When Google stepped away from the offer the company ended up folding, unable to get funding they had turned down. Subsequently the company folded.
Interesting story in and of itself. Now let's think of this in terms of Yahoo.
Earlier this year, Microsoft made an earnest bid to acquire Yahoo and given Yahoo's financial situation they may have been forced to sell if they had not started the ad partnership with Google. Everyone watched the move and many started the cries of monopoly, but was this Google's distraction - the part of a masterful preconceived move to cripple Yahoo and deny Microsoft the chance to jump up to a real contender in the space?
I know it all sounds like a conspiracy theory but one that has some merit. Microsoft has pretty much given up on Yahoo and to a large extent the push to challenge Google in the search arena.
Jerry was made to look inept and will step down as Yahoo CEO. But, they did offer to fight the Sherman Act challenge - one I think could have been won. The partnership was not restricting advertisers access to Yahoo and the price at both are bid based so raising them would have been up to the actual advertisers not the company.
As Ringside CEO Bob Bickel details in his blog:
Maybe he should have said the "no evil company" dislikes Microsoft more than they admit. We know Larry and Sergey are smart - but are they "evil geniuses"?
Could Google have made the effort to start the process just to stop Microsoft's acquisition of Yahoo? Did they jump out of the partnership, not to avoid the possibility of a legal battle, but because they had achieved what they wanted?
Let's go back to the Ringside scenario. "There are two dominant Social API's - the Facebook API and the OpenSocial API. The Ringside Social Application Server implements both API's so that a website or application can run their social application anywhere on the web. Additionally, the Ringside Server provides a way for websites to build their own friend networks that also integrate into the large Social Networks like MySpace, Orkut, hi5 and other OpenSocial-based Social Networks," as their website explains.
Google was interested in this application as it would have enabled them to compete with MySpace and Facebook. But they were fast also developing their own.
When Google approached Ringside they were about to get second round VC capital, which they turned down as they possibly were about to be acquired by Google. When Google stepped away from the offer the company ended up folding, unable to get funding they had turned down. Subsequently the company folded.
Interesting story in and of itself. Now let's think of this in terms of Yahoo.
Earlier this year, Microsoft made an earnest bid to acquire Yahoo and given Yahoo's financial situation they may have been forced to sell if they had not started the ad partnership with Google. Everyone watched the move and many started the cries of monopoly, but was this Google's distraction - the part of a masterful preconceived move to cripple Yahoo and deny Microsoft the chance to jump up to a real contender in the space?
I know it all sounds like a conspiracy theory but one that has some merit. Microsoft has pretty much given up on Yahoo and to a large extent the push to challenge Google in the search arena.
Jerry was made to look inept and will step down as Yahoo CEO. But, they did offer to fight the Sherman Act challenge - one I think could have been won. The partnership was not restricting advertisers access to Yahoo and the price at both are bid based so raising them would have been up to the actual advertisers not the company.
As Ringside CEO Bob Bickel details in his blog:
We were ready for our Series A round of funding, and in late May we received a number of term sheet offers from the very best VC firms. As we were about to finalize our funding, one of the biggest non-evil Internet companies asked if we would have interest in being acquired instead. After a lot of thought and debate, we decided that the larger company would enable us to get our technology to market sooner and with more impact.
The story sounds almost too good to be true. And it was. After dragging out the process for most of the summer, the non-evil company decided that they really did not want to acquire the company after all. Recommendation: always beware of wolves dressed as Grandma, they may be more like Microsoft than they admit.
Maybe he should have said the "no evil company" dislikes Microsoft more than they admit. We know Larry and Sergey are smart - but are they "evil geniuses"?
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Well Looks Like SEOktoberfest For Me
How could anyone possibly pass up the chance to wear lederhosen and drink with some of the great SEMs at the Oktoberfest in Munich? And with Marcus aka Mediaadonis as one of the organizers I know there will be a lot of fun.
The cast of attendees is a who's who of our industry and I look forward to getting them drunk and learning their secrets... well that will remain to be seen.
Also me looking like this could ruin my career... well maybe not!
The cast of attendees is a who's who of our industry and I look forward to getting them drunk and learning their secrets... well that will remain to be seen.
Also me looking like this could ruin my career... well maybe not!
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