Here’s the slide deck for a presentation I gave today at the MIMA Summit. Thanks to the folks at MIMA for having me and all the great participants who attended my session. Working on getting a video up soon. ]]> http://www.myklroventine.com/2009/10/personal-branding-bootcamp-presentation/feed/ 1 http://www.myklroventine.com/2009/07/i-was-on-future-tense-this-morning/ http://www.myklroventine.com/2009/07/i-was-on-future-tense-this-morning/#comments Wed, 29 Jul 2009 16:18:12 +0000 Mykl Roventine http://www.myklroventine.com/?p=813

I guess my 15 minutes starts now.

Today’s broadcast of Future Tense, an American Public Media segment airing on public radio, included my thoughts on how easy it is to use Gmail on my G1 Android phone. You can listen below.

Jon Gordon, the show’s host, sent out the call for G1 advocates on Twitter. He often uses the service for fleshing out stories and finding resources.

I had the privilege to meet Jon when he spoke at Social Media Breakfast -Minneapolis/St. Paul #5 last year. Aside from being a great reporter, I can attest to him being a heck of a nice guy as well.

This began with Seattle’s 15th Avenue East store which was unveiled as 15th Avenue Coffee and Tea last week. Conspicuously absent in the decor is the Starbucks logo. Even the individual coffee bags carry 15th Avenue branding. Other changes include selling beer and wine, hosting live performances and using manual espresso machines. Starbucks plans to duplicate this exercise in two other Seattle locations in the near future.

While I applaud their efforts to bring more of the local neighborhood into their stores, I can’t help but see this as exactly the sort of move that will attract criticism from the new customers they are seeking to attract. Reports of the rather obvious surveillance they performed at independent coffee shops in Seattle this past year doesn’t help matters either.

I love independent coffee shops. I seek them out them whenever possible to support their existence and take part in the unique twists they provide to the coffee experience. I also enjoy Starbucks, but for completely different reasons. The predictability of the experience is it’s appeal in this case. If I’m in a hurry or just need tolerable coffee without the frills, I know where to go.

To target audiences in both camps with the potential of a hybrid solution seems risky. Then again, early critics never thought U.S. consumers would shell out $4 for a cup of coffee either. Starbucks may still have some surprises up its apron.

I’d love to hear your opinions. Please share them in the comments.

Here’s my presentation:

1. I just don’t get the appeal. No offense intended to the multitudes of my Facebook friends already on this bandwagon, but how is this any different than that old, oft-forwarded email “how well do you know me” survey? I didn’t like that either.
2. I’m pretty used to talking about myself online already. Maybe that’s where I’m having difficulty with the concept of this being anything new?
3. It’s sort of spammy. Technically speaking, this isn’t that different from the type of email I filter from my inbox everyday.
4. “You’ve been tagged in a note.” No way? Really, a text-based note?!? I do have all these pressing Lil Green Patch invitations to deal with… but count me in! Seriously, folks, passing text files around online is SO last millenium. Why not just fax it?
5. After being tagged, I’m supposed to tag another 25 innocents. It’s only missing the threat of quick death or tragic luck if I don’t comply.
6. I hate being told I have to do something. Not the best way to motivate me.
7. Tagging isn’t even an appropriate term. Tagging, especially on Facebook, implies the person is included in the item (like a photo or video). Targeting is more accurate.
8. If you want comments on stuff you write why not start a blog? I guarantee it will be more fulfilling.
9. I like Artist/Celebrity/Politician X. This isn’t that different from the stuff in the rest of your Facebook Profile. It’s also not a “random” fact about you.
10. I don’t like Artist/Celebrity/Politician X. See #9.
11. Most of the lists break down after the first 10 things. Then it’s all downhill.
12. It takes too much time. Let’s say that composing this thing and choosing who to tag takes an average of 10 minutes. That’s a conservative estimate. Time reports that an estimated 5 million of these notes (125 million facts) have appeared within the past week. That’s about 800,000 hours wasted!
13. Can’t we find a better use of our time? Pick up litter, play catch with an orphan, fix the economy… Anything?
14. It’s hard work. Memes are supposed to be fun and easy to replicate. That’s why they become memes in the first place.
15. I don’t use Facebook for this sort of thing. Outside of the bounds of certain Facebook Applications, I don’t really us the network to communicate with small groups of people simultaneously. Notes sent to a handful of people (compared with just posting it to your profile for all to see) are a sloppy way to share information. To paraphrase George Michael, “Facebook is natural. Facebook is fun. Facebook is best when it’s one on one.”
16. It doesn’t leave much opportunity for further discussion. What am I supposed to say, “Wow, I didn’t know you got arrested for THAT? Cool.” Despite the ability to comment, it’s still a fairly one-sided exercise.
17. TMI. I really don’t need to know some most of this stuff.
18. It blurs the already blurry line between professional and personal followers. Haven’t we learned about the pitfalls of sharing too much on Facebook? After carefully removing all the photos of your college keg party adventures, do you really want a written account of intimate, personal confessions for future employers to find?
19. Why is this even being called a meme? Simply because millions of Facebook users are doing it? Does that mean status updates and profile pic changes are memes too? Perhaps we’re overusing this very specific term.
20. If 25 of your friends jumped off a bridge, would you follow suit? Didn’t think so.
21. OK, I’m looking for filler now.
    
22. I got tagged in 5 more of these things while writing this post. Honestly.
23. This is exhausting.
24. Seriously?
    
25. 25 things is a lot. Who came up with that? Whatever happened to the good-old top-10 list?

What do you think? Comment below, then copy and paste into a word processing document, photocopy and hang on every telephone pole within a 10 block radius of your primary residence.

UPDATE 2/7: I’m not alone here. It seems more coverage of this phenomenon is starting to emerge. Case and point: ValleyWag (‘25 Random Things’ Lists Are Last Vestige of American Literacy), Washington Post (We Never Do Random Things. Until We Do), Baltimore Internet Examiner (25 Things – The modern day chain letter), and the Dallas Morning News (Millions expose themselves online with ‘25 random things’).

So much of this most recent election cycle has taken place across the social web. Twitter and SocialMedian have created stand-alone political sites, Current TV combined Twitter and the televised debates, CNN is reading Facebook and Myspace mail from viewers during reports. How, if at all, has this influenced your vote? Jump onto Seemic and join the conversation or leave a comment here.

I was probably ten or eleven years old when I first heard George Carlin. I was digging through the comedy bin in my local record store and something about his album cover for Class Clown caught my attention. I got a few minutes into it before leaping across the room and plugging my giant padded headphones in. I spent the rest of the next hour in front of my stereo (the cord wasn’t very long) with tears streaming down my face from laughter. By the time I got to the last track, Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television, I knew I would never be the same.

At the time, the recording was as old as I was, but I felt like I discovered something fresh and new. It wasn’t the language that struck me, although the man raised swearing to an art form. It was how he used it. Crafted it into something greater than just a collection of words. Played with it. Under his command, language truly came alive.

Even then, I knew it was something special. The power to use words like that, especially words that make others uncomfortable, to explore fundamental human truths was a revolutionary concept for me. It didn’t hurt that he was also the funniest person I had ever heard.

“If it’s true that our species is alone in the universe, then I’d have to say the universe aimed rather low and settled for very little.”
- George Carlin

He had a profound and lasting influence on my understanding and usage of language over the years. Through his recordings, books, 14 HBO specials (Jerry Seinfeld has only done two) and countless performances he critically tackled the gambit of taboo subjects including religion, politics, hypocrisy, psychology and consumerism. When George Carlin died yesterday, we not only lost a gifted comedian, but a lover and master of the spoken word.

Watch this to see what I mean. YouTube says it may contain content that is inappropriate for some users. In other words, you might need your headphones.