But for now, it's a case of God making man in His own image:
Still, how long till 118 118 jumps on this baby?
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label internet. Show all posts
15.5.09
Truly, the geek shall inherit the earth
It seems the world's best computational search engine has finally come online for the public to try and crash. And with a kickass name like Wolfram Alpha, they will. The aim is that eventually it'll be able to tell you anything:
But for now, it's a case of God making man in His own image:
Still, how long till 118 118 jumps on this baby?
But for now, it's a case of God making man in His own image:
Still, how long till 118 118 jumps on this baby?
11.5.09
Whoever thought 'viral' could become an even dirtier word?
Ha. I waited ages to make that joke. Nicely gone off the boil now, though. We got a nice "don't worry about swine flu and for god's sake, wash you hands" email in the office, promptly setting off a torrent of jokes. Isn't it wonderful how a minor crisis sets of the comedian in all of us?
-Aporkolypse
-Armagammon
-Tried to ring the phone line, got crackling
-Something about a black guy being president when pigs fly, swine flu etc.
-Summer seems to be trotter than it was last year
-Seems like avian flu has come 'back' for more
-'Snout that bad
...okay, the last three didn't happen. I just wanted to see if there's any stray drops of pun to be wrung out here. But it's got everyone thinking about other pandemics, as well it might. For my part I humbly submit possibly the best and yet least-researched internet phenomenon - the World of Warcraft Corrupted Blood Outbreak.
Here is a picture of lots of dead people. If only characters stayed dead in WoW, the plague might be considered a mercy.
How fantastic is that? The Corrupted Blood incident is, apparently, lauded as the first "real world" event in the game - that is, the first gamestate where the parameters of reality rather than fantasy were what caused players to adopt certain behaviours.
Briefly: A curse that killed players over time was introduced into a new, high-level area. The idea was that the characters in that area were strong enough that they'd certainly be hampered by the affliction, but it wouldn't actually kill them - not if they were careful. But Blizzard (the developers) tried something knew with this curse - it was, as the WHO would say, Level 5: "Human-to-human transmission in at least two countries".
The idea being that players within the area would 'infect' each other and it would all be a really exciting laugh, though nothing serious.
But, as anyone who saw 28 Days Later knows, you can't contain a virus forever. Evil life found its dastardly way, incubating within the summoned creatures and pets of characters, escaping the area and spreading across the other, low-level areas, where characters who 'caught' it were too weak to, well, not die. A map of the virus' spread would be so cool, but alas, none.
The coolest thing was in the way people reacted:
-A couple of the early carriers adopted a malicious Patient Zero-like attitude, purposefully infecting as many as possible before they were put down by vigilante mobs.
-The well-meaning players attempted to heal the sick, almost certainly at the cost of their characters.
-Plenty of people ran for the hills. Cowards.
-Blizzard attempted to enforce a quarantine - which, you guess it zombie fans, was broken by some idiot and caused chaos, since it allowed the virus into areas where players has been deliberately packed into a high density.
Couldn't find a good video, so just watch this and pretend it's nerdier:
As an epilogue to this, the Corrupted Blood Incident has been used a springboard by anthropologists who may now use online world to test models of both viral infection, and terrorist cell formation.
How cool is that?
Very.
Shh, it is.
-Aporkolypse
-Armagammon
-Tried to ring the phone line, got crackling
-Something about a black guy being president when pigs fly, swine flu etc.
-Summer seems to be trotter than it was last year
-Seems like avian flu has come 'back' for more
-'Snout that bad
...okay, the last three didn't happen. I just wanted to see if there's any stray drops of pun to be wrung out here. But it's got everyone thinking about other pandemics, as well it might. For my part I humbly submit possibly the best and yet least-researched internet phenomenon - the World of Warcraft Corrupted Blood Outbreak.
Here is a picture of lots of dead people. If only characters stayed dead in WoW, the plague might be considered a mercy.
How fantastic is that? The Corrupted Blood incident is, apparently, lauded as the first "real world" event in the game - that is, the first gamestate where the parameters of reality rather than fantasy were what caused players to adopt certain behaviours.
Briefly: A curse that killed players over time was introduced into a new, high-level area. The idea was that the characters in that area were strong enough that they'd certainly be hampered by the affliction, but it wouldn't actually kill them - not if they were careful. But Blizzard (the developers) tried something knew with this curse - it was, as the WHO would say, Level 5: "Human-to-human transmission in at least two countries".
The idea being that players within the area would 'infect' each other and it would all be a really exciting laugh, though nothing serious.
But, as anyone who saw 28 Days Later knows, you can't contain a virus forever. Evil life found its dastardly way, incubating within the summoned creatures and pets of characters, escaping the area and spreading across the other, low-level areas, where characters who 'caught' it were too weak to, well, not die. A map of the virus' spread would be so cool, but alas, none.
The coolest thing was in the way people reacted:
-A couple of the early carriers adopted a malicious Patient Zero-like attitude, purposefully infecting as many as possible before they were put down by vigilante mobs.
-The well-meaning players attempted to heal the sick, almost certainly at the cost of their characters.
-Plenty of people ran for the hills. Cowards.
-Blizzard attempted to enforce a quarantine - which, you guess it zombie fans, was broken by some idiot and caused chaos, since it allowed the virus into areas where players has been deliberately packed into a high density.
Couldn't find a good video, so just watch this and pretend it's nerdier:
As an epilogue to this, the Corrupted Blood Incident has been used a springboard by anthropologists who may now use online world to test models of both viral infection, and terrorist cell formation.
How cool is that?
Very.
Shh, it is.
22.4.09
One And Other - because i can't think of plinth pun right now
Anthony Gormley's new venture to occupy Trafalgar Square's fourth plinth, One & Other, has now been opened for registrations - and its gathered over twice the number of applications to places. Shit. Even shittier shit for those of us in London, as you're looking at a 10% chance of success right now, which is set to change for the worse.
What? Oh right, well basically: it's a project spanning the summer months whereby a different member of the British public gets to occupy the plinth for a hour, every hour, day and night - that makes 2,400 slots. And once on the plinth, you can do whatever the hell you like - except:
-drinking/drugs (and you can't be affected by them when you start, cheeky rulebenders)
-bringing weapons or 'dangerous items' (fireworks, surely)
-race hate (tut tut! Naughty!)
-infringing copyright. So no freebie client work.
That all said, there's the potential to use your hour of fame to do something genuinely thought provoking and memorable. You can bet that's what Gormley is banking on. Alternatively, it might very well be an equally unique and valuable experience to just sit there and enjoy a unique view. I'm still undecided as to which is best.
But go on, sign up. It's gotta be worth a punt.
What would you do?
What? Oh right, well basically: it's a project spanning the summer months whereby a different member of the British public gets to occupy the plinth for a hour, every hour, day and night - that makes 2,400 slots. And once on the plinth, you can do whatever the hell you like - except:
-drinking/drugs (and you can't be affected by them when you start, cheeky rulebenders)
-bringing weapons or 'dangerous items' (fireworks, surely)
-race hate (tut tut! Naughty!)
-infringing copyright. So no freebie client work.
That all said, there's the potential to use your hour of fame to do something genuinely thought provoking and memorable. You can bet that's what Gormley is banking on. Alternatively, it might very well be an equally unique and valuable experience to just sit there and enjoy a unique view. I'm still undecided as to which is best.
But go on, sign up. It's gotta be worth a punt.
What would you do?
26.3.09
With a megaphone and nothing to say
Not a great start. But maybe I'll get better soon.
...hey, I've got an idea! Why not follow me and find out?
25.3.09
20.3.09
Trail of Breadcrumbs 2: Trust!
Is it the subject matter? Is it the execution? Either way, this thing grabbed me.
Global Gathering have found an interesting way to reveal their lineup this year. Why should this even be an issue?
The truth lies in what it means to host an event. There is nothing, absolutely nothing to draw anyone to a music event, other than who is going to be there and the inpalpable nature of the crowd. The second one is your emotional draw, and is a branding job. The lineup, though. That's your meat. How to take the lid off the silver platter?
Most events have a fairly standard procedure for doing so - reveal most of the 'good' acts before sale date, and allow speculation and fever to build up around the identity of the headliners (promoters' note: this may very well be because the headliner hasn't confirmed, but that's another story). So it's a system of withheld information. But if this is only an strategy of patience, well, how is that interesting?
So GG wove the possibilities of interaction into it. Basically you drive the car, and every checkpoint reveals the identity of another headliner. That also gives you a little extra time, as does picking up fuel. Avoid cars and potholes.
The game is eminently playable. It has 4 buttons and 3 elements - not far from 'AVOID MISSING BALL FOR HIGH SCORE' (thanks Pong). You only go forward. The artists are not revealed in order of 'importance' so there's always motivation to keep trying - and yeah, I left unsatisfied with plenty left to uncover. I did discover the identity of a certain out-of-retirement duo that will guarantee I go, though.
It's simple, playable, and shareable. And there's a hell of a lot of bravery involved here. When was the last time you trusted consumers to use their skill to 'get' a piece of comms, let alone their intelligence>
Good job, Global Gathering!
P.S. I got 30th. Though that's certainly gone down by the time of post...
Global Gathering have found an interesting way to reveal their lineup this year. Why should this even be an issue?
The truth lies in what it means to host an event. There is nothing, absolutely nothing to draw anyone to a music event, other than who is going to be there and the inpalpable nature of the crowd. The second one is your emotional draw, and is a branding job. The lineup, though. That's your meat. How to take the lid off the silver platter?
Most events have a fairly standard procedure for doing so - reveal most of the 'good' acts before sale date, and allow speculation and fever to build up around the identity of the headliners (promoters' note: this may very well be because the headliner hasn't confirmed, but that's another story). So it's a system of withheld information. But if this is only an strategy of patience, well, how is that interesting?
So GG wove the possibilities of interaction into it. Basically you drive the car, and every checkpoint reveals the identity of another headliner. That also gives you a little extra time, as does picking up fuel. Avoid cars and potholes.
The game is eminently playable. It has 4 buttons and 3 elements - not far from 'AVOID MISSING BALL FOR HIGH SCORE' (thanks Pong). You only go forward. The artists are not revealed in order of 'importance' so there's always motivation to keep trying - and yeah, I left unsatisfied with plenty left to uncover. I did discover the identity of a certain out-of-retirement duo that will guarantee I go, though.
It's simple, playable, and shareable. And there's a hell of a lot of bravery involved here. When was the last time you trusted consumers to use their skill to 'get' a piece of comms, let alone their intelligence>
Good job, Global Gathering!
P.S. I got 30th. Though that's certainly gone down by the time of post...
9.2.09
I care?
There's a rather heartwarming story over at Breitenbach Und Brown about a German single mother suffering from cancer. She doesn't believe anyone cares. Truly tragic. She has slipped through the cracks of society.
Marcus' response was to ask the community to say that Yes, We Do Care Actually. The responses were diverse, but overwhelmingly positive in nature... and yet, how many of the respondents walked past a homeless person that week? Most of them, I'd wager. Her conceptual problem was actually worth more than the 'real' (physical) problems around us.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to spoil everyone's fun. A community bonding around the concept of care can only be a good thing, and might in time lead to better places. What I'd like to investigate is the mechanics behind this ordering of priorities. Just what is going on here?
Engagement at its best - the 'activation' of a community, you might say. The spuriously attributed "One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic" has been put to work. This woman's plight got the same narrative treatment that the 11/9 families got, that the tsunami victims got. That thousands of homeless people, wage-slaves (proper wage slaves, not you lot), and trafficked sex workers have been denied. Caring about them does not allow you to take part in writing the plot twist of someone's life. It's more like throwing a handful of detergent in a swamp and watching for some result.
Not only watching, but watching alone. Or at least anonymously. Giving to most charity goes unheeded by one's community - the charity will thank you, but your peers will not know. And it's just not polite to bring it up in society, since bizarrely it's given the same conspicuous consumption status as a big TV. 'I care' made the responses public, and consequently people wanted in.
But the offering is not just to be in on a community. It's a chance to stand out from it too, as witnessed by the wonderful creativity of the 'entries', which read like a charitable postsecret. People have unconsciously sensed the chance to make an impact, no matter how small, and at the same time to stand out. Many people have hosted their gestures of caring on their own blogs, to maintain an 'ownership'.
It's an advertising tour de force. Low involvement cost, community payback, individual fame, an emotional narrative to feed into... it's everything people are looking for, and the fact that it captured the attention of some very busy people is testament to the power of the movement. Let us hope that movement can be harnessed. Wonderful things may happen.
It's handraising at its best.
(Thanks Angus)
Is dissecting an honest movement with noble intentions shameful? It might be. But if it makes charities and social marketing ideas take flight... who cares?
Marcus' response was to ask the community to say that Yes, We Do Care Actually. The responses were diverse, but overwhelmingly positive in nature... and yet, how many of the respondents walked past a homeless person that week? Most of them, I'd wager. Her conceptual problem was actually worth more than the 'real' (physical) problems around us.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not here to spoil everyone's fun. A community bonding around the concept of care can only be a good thing, and might in time lead to better places. What I'd like to investigate is the mechanics behind this ordering of priorities. Just what is going on here?
Engagement at its best - the 'activation' of a community, you might say. The spuriously attributed "One death is a tragedy. A million deaths is a statistic" has been put to work. This woman's plight got the same narrative treatment that the 11/9 families got, that the tsunami victims got. That thousands of homeless people, wage-slaves (proper wage slaves, not you lot), and trafficked sex workers have been denied. Caring about them does not allow you to take part in writing the plot twist of someone's life. It's more like throwing a handful of detergent in a swamp and watching for some result.
Not only watching, but watching alone. Or at least anonymously. Giving to most charity goes unheeded by one's community - the charity will thank you, but your peers will not know. And it's just not polite to bring it up in society, since bizarrely it's given the same conspicuous consumption status as a big TV. 'I care' made the responses public, and consequently people wanted in.
But the offering is not just to be in on a community. It's a chance to stand out from it too, as witnessed by the wonderful creativity of the 'entries', which read like a charitable postsecret. People have unconsciously sensed the chance to make an impact, no matter how small, and at the same time to stand out. Many people have hosted their gestures of caring on their own blogs, to maintain an 'ownership'.
It's an advertising tour de force. Low involvement cost, community payback, individual fame, an emotional narrative to feed into... it's everything people are looking for, and the fact that it captured the attention of some very busy people is testament to the power of the movement. Let us hope that movement can be harnessed. Wonderful things may happen.
It's handraising at its best.
(Thanks Angus)
Is dissecting an honest movement with noble intentions shameful? It might be. But if it makes charities and social marketing ideas take flight... who cares?
20.1.09
You wouldn't perform an AWESOMELY SWEET BANK ROBBERY...
Really really sorry for the lack of updates, everyone (mum), but it's been a busy time at work and it turns out moving to Lambeth takes a lot more effort than I thought.
But I still had time to notice this on an old DVD I got for christmas:
There aren't many adverts that actually the binary opposite of what they're intended to do, but here is one. How did this happen?
Ring, ring.
Hello, Federation Against Copyright Theft, how may I help you?
O hai this is ur agency. You want an advert abt d0wnloading and haxx0ring amirite?
That's right. I don't really understand the magic of advertising but I suppose you'll want to highlight the problems of downloading and de-emphasise the benefits?
Lol! No. Ya know what wld be 100% sw33t?
Is it, "achieving the purpose of our comms"?
We could have liek fast-cut camera shots, whip pans, and a kickin' rad Matrix soundtrack so that everyone knows that downloading is like being in Snatch. Totally kewl.
Um...
...except even better cause you can't be hurt! And if we don't show the faces of the peeps who get stolen from then it looks like a victimless crime!
Yes, but that isn't...
Oh oh AND then cut to a girl downloading something, and the download bar is filling up in abt 5 seconds even though she's torrented about 3 gigs of Heroes. We can make illegal downloading look not just danger-free, but rly rly quick and easy!
O rly?
Ya rly. And then BAM! The strapline... wait for it... Piracy. It's a crime.
Wow. That is totally mindblowing. My mind is, like, blown. Thankyou, agency, have some more money! :D
I'm firing up bittorrent tonight, just out of spite.
But I still had time to notice this on an old DVD I got for christmas:
There aren't many adverts that actually the binary opposite of what they're intended to do, but here is one. How did this happen?
Ring, ring.
Hello, Federation Against Copyright Theft, how may I help you?
O hai this is ur agency. You want an advert abt d0wnloading and haxx0ring amirite?
That's right. I don't really understand the magic of advertising but I suppose you'll want to highlight the problems of downloading and de-emphasise the benefits?
Lol! No. Ya know what wld be 100% sw33t?
Is it, "achieving the purpose of our comms"?
We could have liek fast-cut camera shots, whip pans, and a kickin' rad Matrix soundtrack so that everyone knows that downloading is like being in Snatch. Totally kewl.
Um...
...except even better cause you can't be hurt! And if we don't show the faces of the peeps who get stolen from then it looks like a victimless crime!
Yes, but that isn't...
Oh oh AND then cut to a girl downloading something, and the download bar is filling up in abt 5 seconds even though she's torrented about 3 gigs of Heroes. We can make illegal downloading look not just danger-free, but rly rly quick and easy!
O rly?
Ya rly. And then BAM! The strapline... wait for it... Piracy. It's a crime.
Wow. That is totally mindblowing. My mind is, like, blown. Thankyou, agency, have some more money! :D
I'm firing up bittorrent tonight, just out of spite.
29.12.08
The Top 5's Top 5: An End-of-year Opinions Bonanza!
It's the end of the year. A time for reflection, perhaps.
No. Reflection is for the weak. The strong must rank and compare for sumpremacy. That's why programmes such as "The 90s Was Nice, Wasn't It?" were culled and replaced with "HUNDRED GREATEST ADVERTS SHOWDOWN SLAPFIGHT" where you stay up past your bedtime only to find out that yes it was that one with the surfers and Leftfield all along, what product was that again oh right Guinness I don't really like that.
In that spirit, and to ponder a bit about what we're doing here anyway, I asked my five favourite blog(gers) what their five favourite blog(gers) are. The 'why' was optional. In no particular order, let the subjectifest begin!
Ben writes a blog called If this is a blog then what's Christmas?. It has whimsical polls, and large chunks of very well thought-out opinion.
I don't really read five other blogs.
I read Scamp's because the subject matter interests me and he's a mate.
I read Dave Trott's for similar reasons.
But mainly I read The Superficial because the writing's excellent, the tone is rude and there are ladies in bikinis.
I'd love to write more but I have to go for a drink now.
Simon Veksner, author of Scamp, is dangerously close to being more famous than BBH itself and should probably watch out, 'cos they'll waste him if he does.
http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/ I've always been fascinated by maps. If you like maps, you'll love this site.
http://curiouslypersistent.wordpress.com/ There are lots of people finding interesting stuff on the web and linking to it. But this guy Simon's is the best.
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ A website that has moved me to tears, on more than one occasion
http://ifthisisablogthenwhatschristmas.blogspot.com/ Ben is my friend and he's a wonderful writer
http://cstadvertising.com/blog/ I love a good argument, and Dave Trott's blog is a good place to have one
Neil Perkin is a thoroughly clever chap who maintains Only Dead Fish, a mixture of near-NY Times investigative journalism and amusing clips from XKCD.
-Seth Godin's blog http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/
Brilliant thinker, consistent quality of posts and truly challenging and inspiring
-Brand DNA http://branddna.blogspot.com/
By Stan Lee Johnson, an Ad Creative in Melbourne Australia. Charming, witty, fun, creative
-And Another Thing http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.com/
By David Hepworth, founder of WORD Magazine (one of my favourite magazines). Always entertaining
-Confused of Calcutta http://confusedofcalcutta.com/
By JP Rangaswami. Another brilliant thinker and writer
-Talent Imitates, Genius Steals http://farisyakob.typepad.com/
By Faris Yakob. He has an amazing mind and his writing is always full of fresh ideas and great thinking on the world of digital and communications
Have you guys heard of Dave Trott? He writes in very short sentences on The CST Blog which hit you all at once like a machine-gun full of knowledge bullets.
I don’t actually read a lot of blogs.
Mainly due to my ignorance of which ones would be relevant to me.
There are 4 blogs I check in on regularly.
Because I’ve found they’re often stimulating.
These are (not in order)
Scamp,
If This Is a Blog Then What’s Christmas,
Rory Sutherland’s blog on Brand Republic.
Vinny Warren’s blog on Escapology.
Everyone loves Anca and her reply would merit an article if she let me reproduce it in full.
-the opportunity to learn - this is where Dave Trott's blog comes in handy.
-the opportunity to compare different professional views -- here we have Simon's blog and W+K's blog.
-the opportunity to understand a market I'm not very familiar with -- that's why I read Alan Wolk's blog, The Toad Stool
-the opportunity to analyse how personal life can influence professional development and the other way round -- that's where Russell Davies' blog fits best.
-
Phew! As you can see, I've inadvertantly asked a bit of a small-world so a few names recurr - not to say that these wonderful writers don't desereve such kudos. Let's review our results:
-"He's a mate" - 3 mentions. It's not what you know, eh?
-Only two people felt like mentioning blogs that weren't about their own industry. Did they read too much into my question, or do people only use blogs for 'work' stuff? Let's hope it's the former.
-It seems as though the division between 'insight' and 'entertainment' was fairly even... though certain people (nice one Dave) managed to sidestep this issue with the word 'stimulating'
-Having followed up on the links I don't recognise I'd have to say that most of them are spectacularly well-written. It only goes to show what's out there when you step to an extra degree of seperation. Moreover, it seems to show that far from handling the online glut of info by refining it, the blog culture (bulture) seems to multiply it. For good or ill...
Thanks to all the esteemed figures who took time to take part. We couldn't have done it without you. I'll be doing another one of these, with new criteria, in the new year. As they say, It Could Be You.
No. Reflection is for the weak. The strong must rank and compare for sumpremacy. That's why programmes such as "The 90s Was Nice, Wasn't It?" were culled and replaced with "HUNDRED GREATEST ADVERTS SHOWDOWN SLAPFIGHT" where you stay up past your bedtime only to find out that yes it was that one with the surfers and Leftfield all along, what product was that again oh right Guinness I don't really like that.
In that spirit, and to ponder a bit about what we're doing here anyway, I asked my five favourite blog(gers) what their five favourite blog(gers) are. The 'why' was optional. In no particular order, let the subjectifest begin!
Ben writes a blog called If this is a blog then what's Christmas?. It has whimsical polls, and large chunks of very well thought-out opinion.
I don't really read five other blogs.
I read Scamp's because the subject matter interests me and he's a mate.
I read Dave Trott's for similar reasons.
But mainly I read The Superficial because the writing's excellent, the tone is rude and there are ladies in bikinis.
I'd love to write more but I have to go for a drink now.
Simon Veksner, author of Scamp, is dangerously close to being more famous than BBH itself and should probably watch out, 'cos they'll waste him if he does.
http://strangemaps.wordpress.com/ I've always been fascinated by maps. If you like maps, you'll love this site.
http://curiouslypersistent.wordpress.com/ There are lots of people finding interesting stuff on the web and linking to it. But this guy Simon's is the best.
http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ A website that has moved me to tears, on more than one occasion
http://ifthisisablogthenwhatschristmas.blogspot.com/ Ben is my friend and he's a wonderful writer
http://cstadvertising.com/blog/ I love a good argument, and Dave Trott's blog is a good place to have one
Neil Perkin is a thoroughly clever chap who maintains Only Dead Fish, a mixture of near-NY Times investigative journalism and amusing clips from XKCD.
-Seth Godin's blog http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/
Brilliant thinker, consistent quality of posts and truly challenging and inspiring
-Brand DNA http://branddna.blogspot.com/
By Stan Lee Johnson, an Ad Creative in Melbourne Australia. Charming, witty, fun, creative
-And Another Thing http://whatsheonaboutnow.blogspot.com/
By David Hepworth, founder of WORD Magazine (one of my favourite magazines). Always entertaining
-Confused of Calcutta http://confusedofcalcutta.com/
By JP Rangaswami. Another brilliant thinker and writer
-Talent Imitates, Genius Steals http://farisyakob.typepad.com/
By Faris Yakob. He has an amazing mind and his writing is always full of fresh ideas and great thinking on the world of digital and communications
Have you guys heard of Dave Trott? He writes in very short sentences on The CST Blog which hit you all at once like a machine-gun full of knowledge bullets.
I don’t actually read a lot of blogs.
Mainly due to my ignorance of which ones would be relevant to me.
There are 4 blogs I check in on regularly.
Because I’ve found they’re often stimulating.
These are (not in order)
Scamp,
If This Is a Blog Then What’s Christmas,
Rory Sutherland’s blog on Brand Republic.
Vinny Warren’s blog on Escapology.
Everyone loves Anca and her reply would merit an article if she let me reproduce it in full.
-the opportunity to learn - this is where Dave Trott's blog comes in handy.
-the opportunity to compare different professional views -- here we have Simon's blog and W+K's blog.
-the opportunity to understand a market I'm not very familiar with -- that's why I read Alan Wolk's blog, The Toad Stool
-the opportunity to analyse how personal life can influence professional development and the other way round -- that's where Russell Davies' blog fits best.
-
Phew! As you can see, I've inadvertantly asked a bit of a small-world so a few names recurr - not to say that these wonderful writers don't desereve such kudos. Let's review our results:
-"He's a mate" - 3 mentions. It's not what you know, eh?
-Only two people felt like mentioning blogs that weren't about their own industry. Did they read too much into my question, or do people only use blogs for 'work' stuff? Let's hope it's the former.
-It seems as though the division between 'insight' and 'entertainment' was fairly even... though certain people (nice one Dave) managed to sidestep this issue with the word 'stimulating'
-Having followed up on the links I don't recognise I'd have to say that most of them are spectacularly well-written. It only goes to show what's out there when you step to an extra degree of seperation. Moreover, it seems to show that far from handling the online glut of info by refining it, the blog culture (bulture) seems to multiply it. For good or ill...
Thanks to all the esteemed figures who took time to take part. We couldn't have done it without you. I'll be doing another one of these, with new criteria, in the new year. As they say, It Could Be You.
19.12.08
The times, they are a-changin(g)
Anybody could have told you that - but what gets less emphasis is considering just how much things have changed. Today's task for me is delving into the planning archive folders, scanning for anything we might profitably use. And what a joyous task it is, if I'm quite honest.
Which is why this planning archive project is a beautiful thing - it's written with (presumably) no desire to leave a great legacy here in utopian, food-in-pills 2008. It's hard to tell what the true gems are, though. There are many inspiring missives on branding and positioning that ring true today, and smack of someone shaping the zeitgeist back then. Yay us.
Then there are those beautifully naive bits. The ones that really did, despite acting in the best way possible, miss the point. My favourite is the authoritatively-titled internet facts.doc, a 1999 research piece:
-it's unknown how many business are 'on the internet' but 88 of the FTSE 100 are ooh nice one guys you can probably throw the telegram generator away now
-the exciting prediction of 1999 is 7.5 thats right seven point five MILLION homes with the internet in 2003. Can you imagine such a golden future? Actually yes you can, because the figure turned out to be 12.3m.
-includes the prophecy "Freeserve is not the end of the story. Expect high-speed access through cable modems". Oh yeah? That'll be nice.
(...all of which appear in even starker contract to good ol' 2008 - if you've haven't seen the brilliant Did You Know? 3.0 before, give it 5 minutes of your time)
Obviously I'm being over critical of the sake of the lulz, but isn't it interesting to see where we get it right, and where we don't? An underestimation is quite a departure from the cultural melee of the 70s, where Space 1999, which categorically reassured us that we would be living on the GODDAMN MOON at the turn of the century. Or consider The Jetsons - everyone lives in the sky and has a flying car. Oh, and wizzy food machines which cooked for you, but it was still only ever the wife's duty to operate:
Look closer - despite all that wizardry, she's operating it with a punch card. A bit of thick paper, with holes in. In other scenes, you'll notice that the computers 'still' have vacuum tubes. Both of these anomalies existing for a simple fact: that the production of the Jetsons predates the concept of the microprocessor. Quite simply, it was obviously impossible to run a computer without vacuum tubes and punch cards.The same thing's happening in these archives. My hunch is that our researchers' underestimated figure was based on, say, the adoption of the TV or phone. And yet the internet had these preexisting media, which helped spread it beyond our expectations.
What's the lesson? That whatever our optimism or imagination, it seems inevitable that the lens of our present reality will make us view the future with certain assumptions.
It seems as if the only thing we're really learning is how much we don't know.
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