Category: Community

I love the idea of "the gift". It implies that we are providing something (of value to ourselves) with no expectation of reciprocity. It is partly what I like about blogging. Each idea is a gift. Each link. It is also what drew me initially to writing and to performance. When you write you do so for yourself (a gift to the self), but you also write for your readers (even the book that never makes it out of the bottom drawer has a secret future reader) … and to that reader, the writing is a gift. What the writer often does not realise (enough) is that the act of writing strips away and reveals the author to the glare of the readers. Sometimes this is difficult to bare.

Similarly, performance is a gift of self. My favourite perfomers (music, theatre, movies etc) give much of themselves in the performance. They reveal, or disclose, some deep truth that resonates in me. Or sometimes that disclosure is pure joy … so when I saw this clip I experienced also that joy of sharing and connecting. Nice.

The results of the JaffeJuice MVP first round are in … and it is not pretty. Servant of Chaos was pipped at the post by the colossus of the blogosphere, Mark Cuban. I have got to say a HUGE thanks for all who voted for me … I never expected to lay a glove on the Blog Maverick!

In the next round, Mark is up against David Armano. This time, the gloves are off … I encourage you all to vote for DA. The secret of the lost race … is that when one falls, another rises. Go forth and vote.

What are you waiting for?

Yesterday’s blogging experience was unpleasant — and I was only a bystander. You will all, by now, have heard of Kathy Sierra’s ordeal … and I will not replay is for you. Suffice to say, the less links that are shared to those who are defending their actions (or lack of action) the better.

But as I was considering closing down for the evening, I saw a very funny Twitter that reminded me of some of the BEST things about the blogosphere. Other bloggers. The fun ones.

In a burst of silliness, David Armano and a few others decided to change their Twitter icon to a marsupial picture. So I joined in, going for the ever cool Platypus for my icon (realising I was cheating — as Scotty Monty points out, it’s a monotreme). Then I saw this from Drew McLellan:

I can hear my mother now – "if Armano & Gavin told you to dress like a wombat, would you?" Sadly, apparently the answer is yes.

It cracked me up. And was needed after yesterday’s gravitas.

Oh … and if you want to join in … it seems marsupial madness has given way to star wars silliness.
Over and out.

What would a Hero look like for our current times? Would she be bionic? Would he hide his face behind a mask? What about underpants — inside the tights or outside?

This afternoon, David Armano was twittering about how tired he felt. He claimed that if he was a super hero, he would be "Sleep Deprived Man" … on account of a number of factors — not the least being this. It is the draft of his upcoming MarketingProfs Webinar on Conversation Architecture. It is a great presentation that takes some of the ideas for which DA is known for and extends them further — peppering his ideas with real world samples that illustrate the concepts with real live communities.

As usual, DA does a great job of pulling together a compelling story, some great visuals and makes the linkage between the technology, the people who use it and the wider social and techical trends occuring at the current time. And it got me thinking … is there a way to add value here? What comment could I make that could build on such a comprehensive presentation?

So I left it … I thought I would wait and see if others left a comment first.

When I came back later I was in luck! John Young had stopped by and left a comment that got me thinking. He was prompting a discussion around "curated communities", and it immediately struck me that one of the joys and attractions (for me anyway) of Web 2.0 or the architecture of these emergent conversations is their chaotic nature. It is hard to see or know or predict the spaces in which a community will coalesce, the topics or channels they will choose or the timing of their arrival (and eventual demise). I guess this is partly why so many marketers are drawn to social media — not just as early adopters/triallers but also as active participants and "experiential shapers".

But there is more … the technologies which we are now taking for granted, with their open design and usable, mashable interfaces turn the conversations themselves into talking points. They allow us, as participants, to adapt and deploy them to our own ends … they let us babble and boast, play and perform … and they let us be serious and business like as the turns and twists of life demand.

I love the randomness that Twitter allows of fascilitates. I am fascinated by the interplay between and amongst different micro communities … it is like watching tides come in and withdraw. And I like the accidental and chaotic way that ideas spread, links are shared and pronouncements made. Sure there is dross (who cares what I am doing now?) … but there is gold there too.

This past week has been a whirlwind (and not just because I was in Chicago). There was the whole travel/number weirdness happening, and I must admit to feeling just a little bit spooked.

Then there was the working days that would extend into the night — for those of you who travel for business, you will know that the work "at home" doesn’t mysteriously evaporate. There were the late night phone calls with my colleagues back home, the emails, the instant messages and the new addiction to Twitter (actually not an addiction, more a dabble).

Blogging seemed to get lost along the way. With the jetlag and the workload bearing down on me, there was little energy left to string more than a word or two together. Perfect for Twittering. Not much good for anything else.

Along the way there have been some spectacular highlights.

I had a great time hanging out with David Armano … checking out his office and work space, wandering around the downtown area (that skyline is awesome at night), sharing stories and eating Chicago style pizza.

We talked technology, design, blogging, bloggers, blog stalkers, weirdness, meeting in person and motorbikes. Oh, and Twitter too (it’s all Armano’s fault). DA was surprised to learn that he was the first US blogger that I had met up with … and I hope next time I come over that I have a little more time to meet up with a few more of you!

I love the way that you can meet up with other bloggers and settle into a conversational ease straight away. Sure blogs may be the new CVs, but they work equally well as a barometer of friendship and connection.

While firing up Skype one morning in the office, I got buzzed by Marcus Brown aka the venerable Sacrum. We tried to hook up a voice call but I just couldn’t get my microphone to work … so we had to be content to IM. It just so happened that Marcus was on holiday and sitting back taking it easy. While chatting I checked out his blog and found these beautiful paintings that he is sharing. I was telling him how much I loved the first one … he said "oh Murder in the Barn … that’s my favourite too". Great title. Knew I liked it for a reason. Actually it reminded me a little of one of Marc Chagall’s. "Interestingly", Sacrum may make an appearance at Interesting2007 — Russell’s un-conference in London.

One of the things that I really did enjoy being in the northern hemisphere was being awake at the same time as a lot of my favourite bloggers. And the fact that the Twitter addiction was hitting its straps showed how this sort of group instant messaging was a great way of holding multiple conversations. The randomness appealed to my sense of humour … especially when Pauly started dropping some special insights.

One of the things that I did not like was the lack of time that I had available. I really would have liked to catch up with Paul, Mike, CK, Sharon, Ann, Drew, Mack, Sean, Cam, Pete, Lewis and many others (ok just see most of my blogroll) … it would have had to be a REALLY big coffee morning. Tim was, alas, already travelling to DC by the time I got here … but I am looking forward to his upcoming visit to Australia.

OK … computer’s almost out of juice and I have a few chapters of Citizen Marketers still to conquer before the flight. Hope to speak/Twitter/hear from you soon.

It is easy to get carried away with the latest posts on blogs … we love the currency of ideas and conversation. BUT the blogosphere also holds gems of great value. This one is from David Armano and is called a Blog’s Eye View. Viewing this again today made me remember why DA is known for his generosity as well as his intelligence — must see viewing for experienced and novice bloggers alike.

Maki over at Dosh Dosh has a great post that talks about building community. Well, the focus is on making money … but the intent behind this is to establish, build and maintain a community of readers.

The thing that interests me in all this, is how "up front" these bloggers are. They make it clear that their intention is to make money. And trawling through the Money Making category of the Z-list shows that there is a vast network of blog sites that all have this similar aim in mind. But what I like about Maki’s post is the attention to detail … looking at the things that you need to do to attract, keep and consolidate a user community. There is a great quote from Kathy Sierra:

Nobody cares about your company, and nobody cares about your product. Not really. They care about themselves in relation to your product. What it means to them. What it does for them. What it says about them that they use your product or believe in your company.

Maki’s blog, Dosh Dosh, really does live by this rule. Take a look at the site to get a sense of the content — there is thin slicing style content on a range of money making activities; tips and tricks on paid linking, paid surfing and a range of options in-between. And running through the comments, you get a real sense that this site is unlike any other … it is a site that aims to make money by helping you build a community.

I am starting to think through the presentation that I am giving at BarCamp Sydney on the weekend … I know I should have already started on this, but it really has been a busy couple of weeks! My original plan was to focus on digital storytelling (it seems like there may be a few others talking about this topic too) … This is the first time that a BarCamp has run here in Australia, and I have never been to one, so I don’t know what to expect or how it will work. I am pretty sure that the "pres" will only run for 10-15 minutes, so it is really just a taste.

Procrastinating on this, however, has worked in my favour becauase Richard, Katie and Sean have pulled together a series of posts that have given me a massive head start — all in the last 24 hours. So I am going to talk about HOW you build a foundation story for your brand (I mean brand loosely here — it could be your personal blog, a piece of technology that you are working on, a product or service etc). Feel free to pick holes in my ideas — or add to what I am saying … and when I have it all ready, I will post it back here for you all to see/share.

I want to start with the idea of a story … and the fact that a story doesn’t have to be big to be fantastic (though this one by Luther Blissett certainly is!). But there are, however, expectations of a "story" that we all need to be aware of … there has to be a beginning, a middle and an end.

Sounds basic doesn’t it? But take a look around and you will see dozens of brands who don’t understand how to construct a basic brand narrative. And that means that you have already missed an opportunity to engage your audience.

Some of the best stories are small stories. But even the smallest of stories can contain a big idea. And some small stories contain ideas that are so big they burst out into the minds of the audience.

This "little" book is by Proust and is called On Reading. It reminds us that reading and writing happen in the same emotional space. And you may wonder why I am talking about books when I am interested in digital storytelling — because like anything, when you want to become an expert, you turn to the work of a master.

This is where I bring in Richard’s "four bubbles". You see, once you realise that your idea doesn’t have to be BIG, then you are confronted with a whole series of challenges. How do you take that foundation and move it into a strategic or tactical space? These bubbles help explain the areas that need to be defined and acted upon.

In practical terms, if you have a new technology product, then you have an idea about the problem. That is the reason that you started developing something in the first place. If you have a blog, then it is the reason you started blogging. But the problem is often one of the easiest places to start.

From there you need to sort out some of these other bubbles. You need to understand your own position and your promise. This means a whole lot of brand-oriented thinking and insight. It means understanding your competitors and your customers. And if you think of your customers as providing a central gravitational point (where the + sign is), then as all of the bubbles are attracted to the customers, they begin to cross over and leak across their boundaries like a big Venn Diagram.

This is where the real DIGITAL storytelling begins to take off. Because from this point onwards you have the most incredible opportunity for digital content to begin to be taken up and owned. You are  making the promise MANIFEST and the position TANGIBLE — but in a CONTEXT which is controlled by the customer. About now is when I will connect to Michael Wesch’s very interesting The Machine is Us/ing Us (which I love).

And then skip quickly to the Mojiti version of it.

BUT … you see … I am not really finished yet. Because we have talked about taking that foundational brand story and bringing it to life, but we have missed some essential steps. How is it that you think through the elements that are needed in that story? What are the building blocks? Well there are some obvious elements — USP/Core Competency etc. But Sean has yet another great diagram.

You need to drill down and across these. You need to identify and craft your key messages and overall thematics. And then you need to develop a strategy that drives towards ACTIVATION. And that’s a whole NEW presentation.

… and that is about it. Reckon I can get through it in 15? Is there anything I have missed?

The very clever Constantinos Demopoulos (Dino) shares what is my NEW favourite website — Uglynet — a community for ugly people. I think I have finally found a home!

Check it out … it is not about how you look — actually it is about the opposite! It is a community that is pushing against the beauty industry, against representations of "beauty" and challenging us all to think about it.

I particularly love the fact that you can download an Ugly People widget … similar to the MyBlogLog one that seems to be popping up all over the place. (Speaking of ugly … I really don’t like seeing my own pic suddenly there on other websites — it freaks me out.)

I will certainly be keeping my eye on this community!

It is easy to get caught up in the blogosphere … you can quickly jump from one post to another, visit a new blog, begin commenting, think about a new post for your own site and, before you know it, it is way past your bed time.

Now I don’t normally discourage readers … especially the ones that are extra clever and also brave enough to leave a comment or two! But, Sharon, I want to support you in your goals. So go home.