22 Dec 2010
I just spent a week without access to the internet. I’ve tried this before, but even the data charges abroad can’t keep me from checking email and uploading photos to Facebook. This time, I didn’t have the option. I simply had no access to internet. After 24-hours of feeling antsy, I didn’t miss a thing. Taking a Break Given that our office is about to close for a week and we’re all taking time to focus on friends, family, and skiing, I thought I’d take a moment to read up on the impact of taking a social media break. Our friends over at Sysomos took a look at the impact of an internet-free week at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. The result? Reported increases in quality of life and engagement in activity. We are addicted to immediacy. Twitter breaks news before news channels break news, and it seems that…
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13 Oct 2010
As both a musician and a social media junkie, I have always been intrigued by music artists who push the envelope in online promotion and distribution. Like when Radiohead released In Rainbows exclusively online and asked their fans to name their own price (the average was $8) or the Arcade Fire’s release of The Wilderness Downtown, an interactive film built in HTML5 that creepily incorporates an overhead zoom of the house you grew up in. Most recently, it has been Chicago-based progressive rock band Umphrey’s McGee, who has just announced:
“In a departure from the standard “album” format, we have decided to roll out the new music in bite size pieces for your prolonged enjoyment.”
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16 Mar 2010
After flying into Austin and checking into the Hampton last Thursday night, I looked over downtown from the 8th floor, then pathetically tweeted about how lonely and hungry I was. Within seconds, Emily tweeted back to me recommending Iron Works BBQ – and Kit Seeborg called laughing. She said, “Listen carefully. You now must leave the hotel. Walk out, take a left, then a right to the convention center. Get your badge tonight to avoid lines tomorrow. Leave the convention center, taking a right until you hit 6th street. Then, fly and be free little south-by birdie.” I followed these instructions carefully, and soon found myself with a juicy Texas steak and glass of cab at the Iron Cactus. When I checked in with Foursquare andGowalla I realized that I was not alone in this. I caught a quick tweet which I cross-referenced with Foursquare to learn that Jeremiah Owyang was two blocks from me….
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28 Sep 2009
After 5 years in business, Room 214 is finally ready to hire a full time interactive designer. Ever loving the “punch list” – here is my take on how you know the time is right: All your subs are too busy to start anything within 2-3 weeks. This is my favorite: Your best subs are thinking they’ll leverage the design work they’ve done for you to start a new social media agency The few people you have inhouse that can actually do some design don’t have time to do any design. Your developers are complaining “there is nobody to design this.” Your account managers are asking “who should we give this to design?” Each new project signed or in the pipeline seems to have associated design work Your list of design-related work is growing You are unafraid of a designer running out of things to do (this especially holds true if you get…
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