Servant of Chaos

Lager: The Ultimate Beverage

Tennents Lager Lovelies

In his infinite wisdom, The Kaiser, from time to time, throws a curve ball at the blogosphere. Sometimes this involves creating and developing a character that storms our imaginations (and our RSS feeds) ... and then just when we have become attached, engaged or entirely seduced, our digital friend walks off into the echoes of old Europe. At other times, Marcus audaciously calls forth the greatest market researcher in history. This time, however, the challenge is not The Kaiser's alone ... he has shared the challenge -- asking a number of folks to claim and debate their favourite beverage.

My part in this challenge is to argue the merits of Lager, against British Ale (championed by Rob Mortimer). While the spirit of sportsmanship should dictate that I encourage you to go here to read Rob's point of view, the desire to WIN makes me encourage you to simply go HERE to vote for Lager. This decision will be much easier when you realise that Lager is not just a beverage, but a complete way of life.

Lager as lifestyle

As wikipedia notes, although first brewed over 500 years ago, Lager continues to be the most popular beer in the world. It has transcended the role of social lubricant and has become a part of our popular culture. In many ways, Lager is the ultimate advertising opportunity but also one of its greatest challenges. It taps into our sense of place in the world, it occupies a point that both represents pleasure and danger. It has turned utility into art ... as Tennent's Lager Lovelies demonstrates. And it represents, for many, the point at which the logical gives way to the creative.

There is something undeniably refreshing about Lager. Whether it is due to its cold brewing approach or its crisp flavour -- or even the fact that it is best consumed when CHILLED -- nothing says "replenish my creativity" quite like Lager. By its nature, Lager encourages the poets in our souls ... it gives us the famous "beer goggles" that simultaneously reminds us of our own sophistication, eloquence and debonair good looks while also proving that the world around us is populated by attractive members of the opposite sex.

Of course, for the academics amongst you, feel free to dig into the details of the difference between Lager and its lowly cousin, the British Ale. And once you have sated your thirst for knowledge, return HERE to vote for Lager. Remember, a vote for Lager will also make you more attractive to the opposite sex. Thank you for your support ;)

Hot Beverage (Round 1: Monday 3rd March - Sunday 9th March)

• Tea [Northern] vs. Mulled Wine [TheKaiser]
• Coffee [Seb] vs. Hot Chocolate [Raymond]

Beer, Wines & Spirits (Round 1: Monday 3rd March - Sunday 9th March)

• Red Wine [Angus] vs. Whiskey [Drew]
• Lager [Gavin] vs. British Ale [Rob Mortimer]

Cold Beverage (Round 1: Monday 10th March - Sunday 16th March)

• Red Bull
• Diet Coke [Rob Campbell]
• Innocent Smoothies [Tim Keil]
• Spring Water

Cocktail/Long drink (Week 1: Monday 10th March - Sunday 16th March)

• Gin & Tonic [Peate]
• Sex on the beach
• Harvey Wallbanger
• Pina Colada [Charles]

Blogged with Flock

I am the Weakest Link

Sparkling Water
Originally uploaded by Othon Leon

We all agree. Well mostly. At least in the places where I roam online. Occasionally there are some disagreements -- sometimes gentle argument, but all-in-all there is little dissent. Mack Collier has been pondering the nature of this general affability in the marketing end of the blogosphere, contrasting the inclusive debates engendered by the crowd at The Daily Fix with the scrummage that occurs over at Robert Scoble's house of rambunctious squattors.

A la Scoble, Mack succeeds in generating quite an interesting discussion (well worth checking out) -- and one of the questions he asks is, how does Scoble do it? Fundamentally, I think that Scoble challenges our curiosity. He asks the questions of himself that we find we are answering. He mocks and goads his readers. He dares them and sometimes berates them. MarketingProfs is a whole different kettle of fish.

But the debate is not really about different communities and their style, it is a question of lifeblood. I don't know about you, but at certain points in time I like to venture far and wide across the blogosphere. I like to run across those weak links. I like to mine the unexpected. It is one of the reasons that I like memes ... to me they serve a special purpose in the blogosphere -- they introduce new blood into the thinking systems of our social networks. These new sites, in fact, help to keep us all healthy.

This randomness is what appealed to me about the Entrecard widget that you can see at the top of my blog. I don't have it there for advertising ... I have it there for connection. For chance. And while I know that Marcus doesn't agree, I must admit to finding it slightly useful -- and have happened upon a couple of sites that I like.

MarketingFM covers a lot of topics that are obviously of interest to me.

Overall, though, I find my uncontrolled meanderings through Entrecard to be an eye-opener. This is social media in the raw. It is local and it is expansive. It is poetic and well designed. It is real people telling their own stories, making some money and finding new friends, communities and even enemies. It is the space where we live.

It all serves to remind us that our blog is just another drop in an ocean of influence.

Blogger or Serial Killer

Inspired by this post by Matt Moore -- I ask you to tell me. Is this man a blogger? Or is he a serial killer?

And now the fun part. Find a photo of a blogger or a serial killer and post the question. Then tag three other participants. The three serial killers bloggers that I tag are -- Sean Howard, Katie Chatfield and Emily Reed.

Thinking Blogging by a Thinking Blogger

I can remember how excited I was when I received my very first link to this blog. It was as if I had made a new friend on the other side of the planet. And I know that many others continue to feel this excitement -- the joy of connection, a meeting of minds or a discussion in the offing.

So today I was excited to see a link from the very clever Mark Hancock (who has exceptional taste in guitars) nominating me as a "thinking blogger". He says some very kind words and makes me sound way smarter than I really am. But now, as a thinking blogger, I am now entitled to nominate five bloggers who drive me crazy with their powerful minds make me think.

The way it works apparently is as follows:

1. If, and only if, you get tagged, write a post with links to 5 blogs that make you think
2. Link to this post so that people can easily find the exact origin of the meme
3. Optional: Proudly display the ‘Thinking Blogger Award’ with a link to the post that you wrote

So, my nominations go to:

• Leigh Himel -- Must have a brain the size of the ecosystems that she writes about. Even a cursory glance can humble.
• Robyn McMaster -- Goes deep into the brain to explain how logic and emotion works works scientifically. Take a look at what she says about the colour of your blog!
• Jen Stumbles -- If you need a dose of insight then you can't go past the Innovation Feeder.
• Tim Longhurst -- Because those good looks and long eyelashes dazzle you while his brain run rings around your ideas.
• Darren Herman -- Because he sent me a link to his blog today and I found this great post on the Expectation Economy -- right when I wasn't expecting it.

How Do They Do It?

Trophy Cupcake Holiday Cupcake
Originally uploaded by cakespy

There are some bloggers that continuously amaze me with their content, thinking and energy. Just when I think that I cannot write anything more or spend any more time writing (most of my blogging is done late at night), I will find some piece of inspiration that gets my brain ticking over and my fingers tap, tap tapping.

Inspired by this post by Kris Hoet, my nominations are:

Meg Tsiamis -- not only does she run her own blog and the Top 100 List of Australian Blogs, Meg also runs her own business, looks after her family and is one of the driving forces behind the Aussie Bloggers Forum.

TempAdventure -- Jen's blog is an explosion of ideas and analysis. If you are in need of a tasty snack, the Innovation Feeder is your perfect destination.

The Kaiser -- if you have not visited Marcus' site, then you are missing out on one of the most creative voices in the blogosphere. Through his personas, Marcus takes us on a whirlwind journey of the digital landscape, showing us its humour, bleakness and possibility. Never afraid of an argument, this is strategy+execution at its best.

Mack Collier -- another who never stops delivering the spark of imagination, "Mr Community" keeps many of us on the straight and narrow. Want a balanced view of your blog? Want some insight into the social media impact of a campaign? Mack always seems to be able to articulate what many of us think, but can't quite express in words. Oh, and he created and maintains the benchmark by which all other marketing blog ranking lists measure themselves.

Who's Next?
Feel free to join in this meme or leave a comment. Who are YOU amazed by? I always love finding a new blog or two!

My Media Week

HINES_digestion.jpg
Originally uploaded by printzerostudios

Neil Perkin tagged my on this interesting meme -- which asks us to look at our media consumption over the past week. So, let's take a look at what I ate, drank and osmosed over the last week:

Books
I have been snack-reading a number of books for the last month or so. I am previewing Michael Port's new book which is good so far (but I am yet to get into the meat). I have John Grant's Brand Innovation Manifesto by my desk and I am now searching around for a new novel to read (though I am on a Ned Kelly kick at the moment so I may go back and re-read Peter Carey's brilliant story.

Like Asi I have been digesting a lot of excellent blogging via a feed reader yet feeling like I am missing out on the main meal. There is nothing like context to make you feel more satisfied.

TV/video
Last night I saw Stardust which I loved -- especially de Niro's astonishingly flamboyant pirate captain. And if you are in the mood for some great Australian drama with a twist, check out Clubland. Top stuff from a great cast.

On TV, I am watching Jam & Jerusalem and The Bill and anxiously awaiting the end of the summer go-slow.

Music
I am loving Missy Higgins' new album and Miss Connie 's awesome vocals for the Sneaky Sound System. You can check out my other musical tastes and interests here.

Next Up
Next up on this meme, I tag the Hostess with the Mostest, CK, Stan (though I don't know if he participates in memes), Jayne, Sharon, Diana and Jen. Looking forward to it!

Confession Time - 8 Things in 08

Confession
Originally uploaded by Heather.Isabel

Normally I am all over a meme. I have willingly joined in the Eight Random Things, Z-list, O-list and the Zombie Apocalypse (as well as many others). I find them a great way to discover new links, sites and content as well as a great opportunity to disclose something new about yourself. After all, blogs are, in many ways, a slow striptease where the writer reveals ever more pieces of personal and professional information until the readers have built a strong and even compelling sense of the author.

Now, my long term readers will know that I started out being quite reticent about my identity and its disclosure. But over time this changed ... I began to openly write under my own name, include personal photos, audio and even video casts. Yet each time, I do so I feel like I am confessing something about myself ... that in displaying, writing or "performing", some element of my true nature is revealed. This is both frightening and liberating.

Over the last few weeks I have been tagged by both Wonderwebby and Jon for the "Eight Things" meme. In this meme, my challenge is to confess eight things that you probably don't know about me. So, in an effort to frighten both you and me, I will dig into the annals of my personal history:

1. I have a fascination with the supernatural. It scares me off and draws me closer. I can never entirely escape it.
2. My scariest experience was with a ouija board and some friends at high school. We tapped into something that knew too much about us all.
3. I once felt close to madness after not sleeping for three days and nights. It seemed like a choice, and thankfully I was able to resist (these points are not all related).
4. I used to be a full-on vegan. It was political. I wanted to change the world.
5. Now I am a fairly "normal vegetarian", but I have not eaten red meat in over 20 years. It's not really political anymore, it is just the way I am.
6. As a child I loved the idea of having an office. I used to hide behind the louvre doors at my grandparents house and work on my colouring-in. By the time I entered the workforce it was all open plan ... this remains one of my greatest disappointments ;)
7. I am a font of ideas. I can come up with a million great ideas with ease.
8. Despite a high level of output, I still procrastinate terribly. I wonder whether this is linked to the number of ideas, a fear of failure (or success) or just part of my personal creative process.

Recognizing Outstanding Bloggers

I love the smell of the end of the year. There is a mixture of tension, as we all begin to focus on the final weeks of the year in an attempt to reach our targets, deliver our projects or finalize the last elements of our budgets. But there is also the beginning of relief and play ... last year, about this time, Mack Collier kicked off the Z-list. This year it is Troy Worman's turn, with the Outstanding Blogger meme.

This one is already exciting, with well over 200 blogs, many completely new to me, promising an avalanche of holiday reading. My additions to the massive list (already included) are Innovation Feeder, The Kaiser Edition, Get Shouty, Tim Longhurst and Dipping into the Blogpond.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Troy has an updated list here.

1. 100 Bloggers
2. 37 Days
3. 3i
4. 43 Folders
5. A Clear Eye
6. A Daily Dose of Architecture
7. The Agonist
8. All Things Workplace
9. All This Chittah Chattah
10. Angela Maiers
11. Antonella Pavese
12. Arizona High Tech
13. A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye
14. Badger Blogger
15. Bailey WorkPlay
16. Being Peter Kim
17. Brett Trout
18. Best of Mother Earth
19. Beyond Madison Avenue
20. Biz and Buzz
21. Bizhack
22. BizSolutions Plus
23. Blog Business World
24. Bloggers Showroom
25. Blogging for Business
26. Blogher
27. Blog Till You Drop!
28. Bob Sutton
29. Brain Based Business
30. Brains on Fire
31. Brand Autopsy
32. The Brand Builder Blog
33. Branding and Marketing
34. Branding Strategy
35. Brand is Language
36. BrandSizzle
37. Brandsoul
38. Bren Blog
39. Business Evolutionist
40. Business Management Life
41. Business Pundit
42. Business Services, Etc.
43. Busy Mom
44. Buzz Canuck
45. Buzz Customer
46. Buzzoodle
47. Career Intensity
48. Carpe Factum
49. Casual Fridays
50. Change Your Thoughts
51. Chaos Scenario
52. Cheezhead
53. Chief Happiness Officer
54. Chris Brogan
55. Christine Kane
56. Church of the Customer
57. Circaspecting
58. CK’s Blog
59. Come Gather Round
60. Community Guy
61. Confident Writing
62. Conversation Agent
63. Converstations
64. Cooking for Engineers
65. Cool Hunting
66. Core77
67. Corporate Presenter
68. Crayon Writer
69. Creating a Better Life
70. Creating Passionate Users
71. Creative Think
72. CRM Mastery
73. Crossroads Dispatches
74. Cube Rules
75. Culture Kitchen
76. Customers Are Always
77. Customer Service Experience
78. Customer Service Reader
79. Customers Rock!
80. Custserv
81. Craig Harper
82. Daily Fix
83. Dawud Miracle
84. Dave Olson
85. David Airey
86. David Maister
87. David S Finch
88. Design Your Writing Life
89. Digital Common Sense
90. Director Tom
91. Dipping into the Blogpond
92. Diva Marketing
93. Do You Q
94. Duct Tape Marketing
95. Empowerment 4 Life
96. The Engaging Brand
97. Essential Keystrokes
98. Every Dot Connects
99. Experience Architect
100. Experience Curve
101. Experience Matters
102. Extreme Leadership
103. Eyes on Living
104. Feld Thoughts
105. Flooring the Customer
106. Fouroboros
107. FutureLab
108. Genuine Curiosity
109. Get Shouty
110. Glass Half Full
111. The Good Life
112. Great Circle
113. Greg Verdino’s Marketing Blog
114. Hee-Haw Marketing
115. Hello, My Name is BLOG
116. Holly’s Corner
117. Homeless Family
118. The Idea Dude
119. I’d Rather be Blogging
120. Influential Marketing
121. Innovating to Win
122. Innovation Feeder
123. Inspiring & Empowering Lives
124. Instigator Blog
125. Jaffe Juice
126. Jibber Jobber
127. Joyful Jubilant Learning
128. Joy of Six
129. The Kaiser Edition
130. Kent Blumberg
131. Kevin Eikenberry
132. Learned on Women
133. Life Beyond Code
134. Lip-sticking
135. Listics
136. The Lives and Times
137. Live Your Best Life
138. Live Your Inspiration
139. Living Light Bulbs
140. Logical Emotions
141. Logic + Emotion
142. Make It Great!
143. Making Life Work for You
144. Management Craft
145. Managing with Aloha
146. The M.A.P. Maker
147. The Marketing Excellence Blog
148. Marketing Headhunter
149. Marketing Hipster
150. The Marketing Minute
151. Marketing Nirvana
152. Marketing Roadmaps
153. Marketing Through the Clutter
154. Mary Schmidt
155. Masey
156. The Media Age
157. Micropersuasion
158. Middle Zone Musings
159. Miss604
160. Moment on Money
161. Monk at Work
162. Monkey Bites
163. Movie Marketing Madness
164. Motivation on the Run
165. My 2 Cents
166. My Beautiful Chaos
167. Naked Conversations
168. Neat & Simple Living
169. New Age 2020
170. New Charm School
171. Next Up
172. No Man’s Blog
173. The [Non] Billable Hour
174. Note to CMO
175. Office Politics
176. Optimist Lab
177. The Origin of Brands
178. Own Your Brand
179. Pardon My French
180. Passion Meets Purpose
181. Pause
182. Peerless Professionals
183. Perfectly Petersen
184. Personal Branding
185. The Podcast Network
186. The Power of Choice
187. Practical Leadership
188. Presentation Zen
189. Priscilla Palmer
190. Productivity Goal
191. Pro Hip-Hop
192. Prosperity for You
193. Purple Wren
194. QAQnA
195. Qlog
196. Reveries
197. Rex Blog
198. Ririan Project
199. Rohdesign
200. Rothacker Reviews
201. Scott H Young
202. Search Engine Guide
203. Servant of Chaos
204. Service Untitled
205. Seth’s Blog
206. Shards of Consciousness
207. Shotgun Marketing
208. Simplenomics
209. Simplicity
210. Slacker Manager
211. Slow Leadership
212. Socially Adept
213. Social Media Marketing Blog
214. Spare Change
215. Spirit in Gear
216. Spooky Action
217. Steve’s 2 Cents
218. Strategic Design
219. Strength-based Leadership
220. StickyFigure
221. Studentlinc
222. Success Begins Today
223. Success Creeations
224. Success From the Nest
225. Successful Blog
226. Success Jolt
227. Talk to Strangers
228. Tammy Lenski
229. Tell Ten Friends
230. That Girl from Marketing
231. Think Positive!
232. This Girl’s Weblog
233. Thoughts & Philosophies
234. Tim Longhurst
235. Tom Peters
236. Trust Matters
237. Verve Coaching
238. Viral Garden
239. Waiter Bell
240. Wealth Building Guy
241. What’s Next
242. Writers Notes
243. You Already Know this Stuff
244. Zen Chill

Blogged with Flock

Tags: TroyWorman, Outstanding Bloggers, Memes

I love the smell of the end of the year. There is a mixture of tension, as we all begin to focus on the final weeks of the year in an attempt to reach our targets, deliver our projects or finalize the last elements of our budgets. But there is also the beginning of relief and play ... last year, about this time, Mack Collier kicked off the Z-list. This year it is Troy Worman's turn, with the Outstanding Blogger meme.

This one is already exciting, with well over 200 blogs, many completely new to me, promising an avalanche of holiday reading. My additions to the massive list (already included) are Innovation Feeder, The Kaiser Edition, Get Shouty, Tim Longhurst and Dipping into the Blogpond.

Enjoy!

UPDATE: Troy has an updated list here.

1. 100 Bloggers
2. 37 Days
3. 3i
4. 43 Folders
5. A Clear Eye
6. A Daily Dose of Architecture
7. The Agonist
8. All Things Workplace
9. All This Chittah Chattah
10. Angela Maiers
11. Antonella Pavese
12. Arizona High Tech
13. A Writer’s Words, An Editor’s Eye
14. Badger Blogger
15. Bailey WorkPlay
16. Being Peter Kim
17. Brett Trout
18. Best of Mother Earth
19. Beyond Madison Avenue
20. Biz and Buzz
21. Bizhack
22. BizSolutions Plus
23. Blog Business World
24. Bloggers Showroom
25. Blogging for Business
26. Blogher
27. Blog Till You Drop!
28. Bob Sutton
29. Brain Based Business
30. Brains on Fire
31. Brand Autopsy
32. The Brand Builder Blog
33. Branding and Marketing
34. Branding Strategy
35. Brand is Language
36. BrandSizzle
37. Brandsoul
38. Bren Blog
39. Business Evolutionist
40. Business Management Life
41. Business Pundit
42. Business Services, Etc.
43. Busy Mom
44. Buzz Canuck
45. Buzz Customer
46. Buzzoodle
47. Career Intensity
48. Carpe Factum
49. Casual Fridays
50. Change Your Thoughts
51. Chaos Scenario
52. Cheezhead
53. Chief Happiness Officer
54. Chris Brogan
55. Christine Kane
56. Church of the Customer
57. Circaspecting
58. CK’s Blog
59. Come Gather Round
60. Community Guy
61. Confident Writing
62. Conversation Agent
63. Converstations
64. Cooking for Engineers
65. Cool Hunting
66. Core77
67. Corporate Presenter
68. Crayon Writer
69. Creating a Better Life
70. Creating Passionate Users
71. Creative Think
72. CRM Mastery
73. Crossroads Dispatches
74. Cube Rules
75. Culture Kitchen
76. Customers Are Always
77. Customer Service Experience
78. Customer Service Reader
79. Customers Rock!
80. Custserv
81. Craig Harper
82. Daily Fix
83. Dawud Miracle
84. Dave Olson
85. David Airey
86. David Maister
87. David S Finch
88. Design Your Writing Life
89. Digital Common Sense
90. Director Tom
91. Dipping into the Blogpond
92. Diva Marketing
93. Do You Q
94. Duct Tape Marketing
95. Empowerment 4 Life
96. The Engaging Brand
97. Essential Keystrokes
98. Every Dot Connects
99. Experience Architect
100. Experience Curve
101. Experience Matters
102. Extreme Leadership
103. Eyes on Living
104. Feld Thoughts
105. Flooring the Customer
106. Fouroboros
107. FutureLab
108. Genuine Curiosity
109. Get Shouty
110. Glass Half Full
111. The Good Life
112. Great Circle
113. Greg Verdino’s Marketing Blog
114. Hee-Haw Marketing
115. Hello, My Name is BLOG
116. Holly’s Corner
117. Homeless Family
118. The Idea Dude
119. I’d Rather be Blogging
120. Influential Marketing
121. Innovating to Win
122. Innovation Feeder
123. Inspiring & Empowering Lives
124. Instigator Blog
125. Jaffe Juice
126. Jibber Jobber
127. Joyful Jubilant Learning
128. Joy of Six
129. The Kaiser Edition
130. Kent Blumberg
131. Kevin Eikenberry
132. Learned on Women
133. Life Beyond Code
134. Lip-sticking
135. Listics
136. The Lives and Times
137. Live Your Best Life
138. Live Your Inspiration
139. Living Light Bulbs
140. Logical Emotions
141. Logic + Emotion
142. Make It Great!
143. Making Life Work for You
144. Management Craft
145. Managing with Aloha
146. The M.A.P. Maker
147. The Marketing Excellence Blog
148. Marketing Headhunter
149. Marketing Hipster
150. The Marketing Minute
151. Marketing Nirvana
152. Marketing Roadmaps
153. Marketing Through the Clutter
154. Mary Schmidt
155. Masey
156. The Media Age
157. Micropersuasion
158. Middle Zone Musings
159. Miss604
160. Moment on Money
161. Monk at Work
162. Monkey Bites
163. Movie Marketing Madness
164. Motivation on the Run
165. My 2 Cents
166. My Beautiful Chaos
167. Naked Conversations
168. Neat & Simple Living
169. New Age 2020
170. New Charm School
171. Next Up
172. No Man’s Blog
173. The [Non] Billable Hour
174. Note to CMO
175. Office Politics
176. Optimist Lab
177. The Origin of Brands
178. Own Your Brand
179. Pardon My French
180. Passion Meets Purpose
181. Pause
182. Peerless Professionals
183. Perfectly Petersen
184. Personal Branding
185. The Podcast Network
186. The Power of Choice
187. Practical Leadership
188. Presentation Zen
189. Priscilla Palmer
190. Productivity Goal
191. Pro Hip-Hop
192. Prosperity for You
193. Purple Wren
194. QAQnA
195. Qlog
196. Reveries
197. Rex Blog
198. Ririan Project
199. Rohdesign
200. Rothacker Reviews
201. Scott H Young
202. Search Engine Guide
203. Servant of Chaos
204. Service Untitled
205. Seth’s Blog
206. Shards of Consciousness
207. Shotgun Marketing
208. Simplenomics
209. Simplicity
210. Slacker Manager
211. Slow Leadership
212. Socially Adept
213. Social Media Marketing Blog
214. Spare Change
215. Spirit in Gear
216. Spooky Action
217. Steve’s 2 Cents
218. Strategic Design
219. Strength-based Leadership
220. StickyFigure
221. Studentlinc
222. Success Begins Today
223. Success Creeations
224. Success From the Nest
225. Successful Blog
226. Success Jolt
227. Talk to Strangers
228. Tammy Lenski
229. Tell Ten Friends
230. That Girl from Marketing
231. Think Positive!
232. This Girl’s Weblog
233. Thoughts & Philosophies
234. Tim Longhurst
235. Tom Peters
236. Trust Matters
237. Verve Coaching
238. Viral Garden
239. Waiter Bell
240. Wealth Building Guy
241. What’s Next
242. Writers Notes
243. You Already Know this Stuff
244. Zen Chill

Am I Leaving Media Snackers Hungry?

I have been tagged by Valeria Maltoni and Drew McLellan on the topic of media snackers. The video above (thanks to Jeremiah Owyang) describes media snackers as "young people", but in my view, media snackers are a style of behaviour, not an age group. I, myself, am a media snacker when it suits me ... and I know of many in the business community who would also fit this description. But this meme is about whether I cater for media snackers ... and specifically, where I can improve to cater to their minute attention spans.

As Valeria points out, for media snackers one of the most important determinants of their media consumption is RELEVANCE. How does one have relevance? I have a feeling that it is all about being interesting, but this could be wrong. It really depends on whether a PARTICULAR media snacker is a Winker or a Nodder. So how can/do I make myself relevant to media snackers?

I don't ... and I agree with Cathleen Rittereiser -- "we show respect for all social media consumers by assuming they possess the intelligence and faculties to decide for themselves how, when and where they want to consume media".

And this is the important point -- Media Snackers will CHOOSE you. They will choose you because:

• You have broken bread together in a previous 12 seconds
• They like the cut of your jib (or the way that you style a headline)
• Someone they respect tagged you first
• Your last post showed up on Digg
• There was an RSS feed error and they ended up on your blog
• You were Scobleized

So now after his tasty meme-rant, it is my turn to tag five others. So, I tag the five NEW additions to my blogroll:

• Neil Perkin ... because he has a tasty, bite sized blog full of punch
• Anne Simons ... because every snack needs some sizzle
• Chris Bernard ... because we should all snack by design
• Meg Tsiamis ... because sometimes an Aussie snack is full of flavour
• Kris Hoet ... because he thinks the term "conversation" isn't over used (and I agree)

Facebook and the Z-list

Here is an interesting experiment. With yet another round of Z-list fever starting to take hold, I thought it might be worth taking a new tack. Sure, there is the wiki that Sharon, Becky and I setup ... but there have been precious few updates. Why not a Facebook group?

Now I KNOW that many people jumped onto the Z-list bandwagon as a way of driving traffic to their blogs -- and yes, it will do this. It will, undoubtedly, also increase the number of inbound links coming to your site, thereby driving up your Technorati ranking. BUT social media is not just about links and clicks (note to the "make money from your blog" folks) -- it is firstly about connection and conversation. If you take care of these two points, then the rest will follow (remember it is not just the intention that you have, it is the power you have to serve your audience -- a combination of content and context).

So, if you have somehow arrived here thanks to the Z-list, go to Facebook and join this group. From there, use the features and functions of Facebook to reach out to your readers. Get to know them, "friend" them, write on their walls and find out their needs. Then use this to serve them, provide them with content, context and value. But most of all, show yourself -- claim the unique difference that is YOU. I hope to "see" you sometime soon!

The latest version of the Z-list I could find is this one (sorry for the long list):

FoodLover
Flapy In Japan
KKJM
Dynasty Chow
Yvy
RyeUrn
MervKwok
Aida
Pelf
Chiwi
Simple American
eastcoastlife
A Journey Called Life
Dead Boredom Seeking Freedom
maverick
fishtail
lynnee
Lucia
Doris
Andy’s Anything Goes
Beng Beng
Kleio
Paris Beaverbanks
Rojaks
Melting Wok
Rasa Malaysia
Organic Income
My Mothering Corner
Mummy In Vain
Lovely Mummy
Desperate Mummy
Judy
Lillian
Ainee
Anonymous
Adam
ToilAh Pek
Blank Canvas
Home Office Women
Shoppingmum
Cyberpartygal
Hochiak! Delicious Asian Food
Blueapron
Make$ Money$
Owen of Ugh
Jules is Utterly Geek
Internet. Serious Business
The Sabahan
Critical Thoughts
Blog-Op
Carols Vault
Blog About Your Blog
Monetize Your Blog
Cosmin PTR
Make Money On The Net
Successful Online Money Making
Turn One Pound Into One Million$
Work at Home Blog
Blogging For Beginners
How to earn money online?
Dosh Dosh
Money Money Money
Money Making Quest
Connected Internet
Mike’s Money Making Mission
Time to Budget
Can I Make Big Money Online
Blogtrepreneur
Flee the Cube
Blogging Secret
Blogging to Fame
Million Dollar Experiment heads Down Under
Quest to make money on the internet
Kumiko’s Cash Quest
Calico Monkey
Internet Bazaar
Shotgun Marketing Blog
BrandSizzle
bizsolutionsplus
Customers Rock!
Being Peter Kim
Pow! Right Between The Eyes!
Billions With Zero Knowledge
Working at Home on the Internet
MapleLeaf 2.0
Two Hat Marketing
darrenbarefoot.com
The Emerging Brand
The Branding Blog
CrapHammer
Drew’s Marketing Minute
Golden Practices
Viaspire
Tell Ten Friends
Flooring the Consumer
Kinetic Ideas
Unconventional Thinking
Buzzoodle
Conversation Agent
The Copywriting Maven
Hee-Haw Marketing
Scott Burkett’s Pothole on the Infobahn
Multi-Cult Classics
Logic + Emotion
Branding & Marketing
Popcorn n Roses
On Influence & Automation
Bullshitobserver
Servant of Chaos
converstations
eSoup
Presentation Zen
Dmitry Linkov
aialone
John Wagner
Nick Rice
CKs Blog
Design Sojourn
Frozen Puck
The Sartorialist
Small Surfaces
Africa Unchained
Perspective
gDiapers
Marketing Nirvana
Bob Sutton
¡Hola! Oi! Hi!
Shut Up and Drink the Kool-Aid!
Women, Art, Life: Weaving It All Together
Community Guy
Social Media on the fly
Mo-Chuisle
Yuitsumuni
Wuching
Narrowband
DanielNeo
che-cheh

Say Hello -- Z-listing and My Heart Skips a Beat

Like many bloggers I have a healthy curiosity about how and where links come in to my site. But for me, the fascination is to do with the apparent randomness of events and connections -- what prompts someone to link to my site, why do they choose that particular post ... and for the readers -- which links are popular and why. Then, of course, there is the strange world of Google search (I am sure that the person searching for "presentation" and "porn" is hugely disappointed to arrive here). It was all this randomness that originally interested me in the Z-list. It single-handedly achieved its creator's intention -- to turn Technorati's system of ranking authority "on its ear". And, if you are one of the many hundreds who benefitted from the Z-list, then you will know that it has had a number of incarnations -- including this effort that was compiled by Becky Carroll, Sharon Sarmiento and myself. I have noticed over the past couple of weeks that there are a few new inbound links courtesy of a "new" Z-list. But then, today, while checking out one of the new additions I found that it was not just me noticing this. You see, many sites have installed the MyBlogLog widget that shows the photos of recent visitors. So here I was reading a recipe for Creme Caramel and there was a photo of David Armano. I was literally following in his hypertext footsteps. Another pattern in the chaos. So it seems that, once again, the Z-list is starting to ramp-up -- this time in the food and fashion category ... and I have a feeling that if it takes off again, this category shift could generate even more links and traffic than all the previous efforts. But is this a good thing? Do we really want more links?

The challenge, of course, is to have already existing content on your site that is going to make new readers return (check out this recipe for Mint sauce). So, if you are new to THIS blog, here are some of my favourite posts (though not necessarily the most popular):

• The REAL Five Steps to Understanding Social Media
• I Want to Change the World
• Why Does Social Media Stink?
• Welcome to the Age of Conversation
  

Oh, what made my heart skip a beat? Recognition. It's not WHERE we go on the web that is most interesting ... it is where we find our friends. The Internet is still a growing and changing landscape which can be fun to explore -- but the more we seek, the more we also secretly desire connection. It is the reward for exploration and risk. And on the web, the symbolism of tools like Twitter and MyBlogLog are not to do with the inanities of everyday life -- they are the visible traces that we leave in our wake (or as Katie would say, the digital footprints) and they provide another means to connect the ambient dots of our everyday intimacies -- giving substance to our thought and communication patterns.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: MackCollier, Z-list, David Armano, Becky Carroll, Sharon Sarmiento, Leisa Reichelt

From Inspiration to Action

It is easy to see something and THINK about it. We can be outraged in our own chairs, behind our desks, in front of our computer screens. We can be weighed down by the challenges of the world and our own inability to effect change. And the longer we sit with our thoughts, the more difficult it becomes to move. To change. To act.

But there is real opportunity now available to you. You can turn your back on the morose and embrace the light.

Vote for Boney M.

8 Random Things About Me

Ling 8
Originally uploaded by vertigini76

Ryan tagged me on the 8 random things meme, so here they are:

1. I have always loved cars and motorbikes. (Actually boats too.) I have owned a string of motorbikes on and off since I was in my teens ... and in my early 20s spent every weekend touring around the Australian countryside. There truly is something wild about one's state of being whilst riding.
2. I also love storms. As a teenager I was fascinated by storms and at the first hint of rough weather I would head out into the lake near my home or to the beach to watch the fury of nature. Brilliant. Scary. Like life.
3. When I first left school I worked as a trainee accountant and studied at night time.
4. I used to be quite an avid rockclimber. Then, a few years ago, I visited one of my favourite climbing venues only to find that I was quite frightened of looking down.
5. My most nervous blogging moment was just before leaving my first comment on Russell Davies' blog.
6. I would like to think that I am as good looking as Luc.
7. I still like to listen to Michael Jackson's music, especially the songs by the Jackson 5, but always wonder what happened to that little boy.
8. Biggest blogging high was receiving a comment from Johnnie Moore.

It's A Long Way Down the Z-list

Eastbourne 2005 - Cliff Edge
Originally uploaded by Tom Grau

Over the last few weeks I and my fellow Z-listers have watched as our Technorati rankings start to drop. First it was a few places here and there, but then, slowly but surely, there were larger drops ... 50, 100 ... more.

It was great while it lasted, and it really did provide a lot of blogs with some great exposure. But as with all things web 2.0 ... the network waits for no-one. Now we look to see which ripple comes next -- wondering whether we can surf it like a wave -- or wondering even whether there is a desire to do so. Makes you think about what is important ... fleeting fame and rankings? Community? A few extra emails? Or the chance to meet up with some of the people behind the words?

I Will Survive

So at least I know ...

64%

Mingle² - Free Online Dating

Blog Your Way to Fame

There are lots of reasons for writing blogs. In fact, one of the most interesting memes (for me) was this one, which asked us all "why blog". But some people blog for fame ... and Divya has started a competition for emerging bloggers to help them gain a toe-hold in the vast, amorphous blogosphere. This is particularly interesting and timely, with Drew McLellan asking for help to build a blogging toolbox. This is where Divya's blog comes in handy as she has plenty of tips for new bloggers as well as explanations for why some things work and others do not (I particularly liked this explanation of Google).

But back to the competition ... there are two parts to the contest -- for blogs and for bloggers (you can check out the contest rules here). There is some big money available, and you can see the rankings live. And who is on the selection jury? None other than Mike Sansone, the blog coach extraordinaire. Could prove to be interesting.

Nominated!

EVB : Cannes Lion
Originally uploaded by shinyrobot

It is always nice to be recognised for your hardwork -- especially when that recongition comes from your peers. And I have been nominated NOT for one of the Lions from Cannes, but for something more compelling.

Both Lewis Green and Drew McLellan have nominated me as someone who makes them think. Now, coming from two people that I have great respect for -- especially for their intelligence, humour and abundant generosity -- really makes this a nomination to be proud of.

So, now the deal is ... I have to nominate five other writers who make ME think. And following back through Drew's post to David Reich, CK, Cam Beck, Ariel Waldman and Mark Goren, there are quite a few already nominated.
But there are many excellent writers who don't seem (as yet) to have been nominated, or at least, have not yet posted on their nomination. So my nominations are:

Paul McEnany of HeeHaw Marketing. While known for his off-the-cuff brilliance and no-holds-barred cussing, he combines great writing, energy, storytelling and even images (from time to time). And for him "badass" is a natural turn of phrase.
Mack Collier because he single handedly does more to stimulate and energise this community of marketing bloggers than anyone else I know. Mack has a particular knack of seeing a topic and bringing new vision to it -- I often think "he has done it again".
Sean Howard from Craphammer also gets a nomination because he consistently takes a strategic position and tries to figure out the challenges for the rest of us. He willingly shares these great ideas with us all (in the hope that we can contribute), but many times, again, I find myself wishing I had borrowed his brain for a while. Oh, and he is a top shelf editor of our EatSleepBlog escapades (another coming soon).
Katie Chatfield of GetShouty is also nominated because she is, quite frankly, one of the best creative thinkers around.

Roger von Oech is my final nomination (though I could go on). Not only does he make you think, he constantly surprises you in the way that he draws ideas together. If you ever need a whack on the side of the head, then Roger is your man.

Is the Z-list Your Worst Nightmare?

Your worst nightmare
Originally uploaded by schoey.

Over the past few weeks I have been noticing a few additional incoming links related to the Z-list. There have also been a few comments and emails. Now, I am a fan of the Z-list ... it has been a great way to get to know a few other blogs that I would not normally visit and I do tend to check out the new additions as they come through.

The Z-list is like a wave, it ebbs and flows, comes and goes ... and with it comes links to new and sometimes interesting websites. Most of the new additions have very limited content and the Z-list has been used as a way of boosting awareness, readership and links.

But, as always, awareness and links (or even traffic) don't make a community. When the hapless Z-list visitor follows the links through to your site what will they find. Is there:

• Interesting and engaging content
• A depth of topics devoted to your specialisation
• Posts that invite your readers into a dialogue
• A spirit of transparency in your writing style
• An emerging sense of your personal brand

You see, the Z-list can be a great opportunity but it could also be your worst nightmare. It may just generate traffic for you, it may succeed in boosting your Technorati ranking ... but all this fades quicker than the click of a mouse. It is like inviting someone to your home but then not offering them anything to drink -- no nibbles, no entertainment or conversation.

So rather than simply jumping into the Z-list, take the time to get your house in order. You will be remembered for being a charming host, an affable conversationalist and we will all talk about how good your party was. Isn't that the point?

Update: If you are a new Z-lister and want to see some examples of good blogging practice, you can start with those sites on my blogroll. I ONLY list sites that I read regularly, and those that make it are consistently good! And, really, the best way to learn is to participate ... you will find the authors and sites listed are all generous, spirited and intelligent. Enjoy!

Magazines for Pleasure

I read online a lot ... eventhough I know this sometimes means my retention will be lower. It is easier, convenient but also very much part of my personal information and self learning process. Obviously there are plenty of blogs on my reading list ... but when it comes to pure pleasure, there is something quite unlike a fresh, strong, black coffee and a good magazine. Robyn McMaster tagged me for a magazine reading meme, so here is a list of my favourite mags!

I have been reading Australian Motor Cycle News magazine for years ... ever since I bought my first motor