Random Thoughts

There is a cliche that many people often share about history, and how it is written by the victors. The conquerors across the world, for the most part, are the ones who transcribed the history for others to read. We have terms like “revisionist history” to account for the fact that we realize the truth … Read more

Sometimes I think I live an overtweeted life. I'm on nearly every social network and I revel in the instant-on real time pleasure of knowing what people are craving or bitching about anywhere in the world at any given moment. Despite the incessant distraction of this "ambient awareness" – I'm a keen believer too that … Read more

Are you old enough to remember the "Who's Who" list? Actually, it's not just one list but many companies that offer these sorts of lists. Usually they are billed as professional networking groups of influential people and they actively recruit new members through flattering emails and letters talking about "exclusivity" and "rare achivements." In the … Read more

Do you know how much your product or service costs? Hint: it's not the price you are asking for it. In global warming terms, environmental cost is commonly referred to as a "footprint." Most people understand that an environmental footprint of a product or company isn't just about the manufacturing, but also the process of … Read more

People who work in social media spend a lot of time talking about conversation. We (I include myself in this category) talk about having a dialogue with customers, about encouraging two way interactions and generally being more open with how business communicates. But does the weary business traveller finally arriving at her hotel after a … Read more

Yesterday I made a joke. It was April Fool's Day and in my April 1st blog post I decided to announce that I would only focus on the "right now" and devote my blog to talking about Twitter. Some people got the joke, while others loved the idea of another blog about Twitter. My point … Read more

Something is changing in the world of interactive marketing. For five years now I've written about the intersection of all kinds of marketing, ranging from talking about television and "traditional" media to newer social forms of media. Through it all I have tried to focus on trends happening in the marketing world with an aim … Read more

Earlier this weekend, I sent a tweet noting that I was in the market for a new phone as I looked to upgrade my cell phone contract with AT&T and I mentioned that I was considering an iPhone. As I expected, I was immediately responded to by over a dozen folks talking about how much … Read more

Today I had the chance to take part in an entertaining panel moderated by my friend Debbie Weil all about blogging and social media as part of a book launch event for David Meerman Scott's new book, World Wide Rave. Along with me on the panel were Greg Verdino, a fellow blogger and agency guy … Read more

I'm a satisfied cable television customer. My TV signal generally works, I have it bundled with my home internet access and in four years of service I've only had one issue, and it was fixed relatively quickly. The price I pay is average, and though I'm not getting a great deal, I'm also not getting … Read more