Web 2.0

This one from Hugh here to me signifies what Web 2.0 is all about. While at it go read The Hughtrain.

Things on my desk

We have shifted from our original location to a newer and uninhabited island of a place. Anyways, wanted to write down what is on my desk at the moment.

1. A photograph of a girl jumping on a beach from Chromasia – with Floyd’s “Learning to Fly” on it
2. Clocks – Coldplay
3. Calvin & Hobbes
4. Snap of STAR-PLUS at Indijoes (a lovely restaurant on Airport Road) in Bangalore just before the Rehman concert (which is another amazing story)
5. Something there is that doesn’t love a wall – Akanksha
6. Hugh Macleod
7. If – Rudyard Kipling
8. Daffodils – William Wordsworth
9. Mending Wall – Robert Frost
10. Sabka Katega – bodhiTree

Other than these I have a laminated copy of a Charles Swindoll saying and some work related stuff.

Nuggets of wisdom!

Read a couple of amazing things on Google Reader today morning.

1. From Gaping Void – “If you want to have a cool brand, you have to do cool shit.” While you are at it, check out Hugh’s notes for the Edelman talk here.
2. From Andre’s Thoughts – “Some people are assholes.” I felt that very strongly about someone last night, but then I would say to him. “Frankly my dear, I don’t give a damn.”

What does your brand say??

Hugh MacLeod, Gaping Void, puts forth what Stormhoek thinks their brand represents. Most of the points would be coherent for any start up company which believes in itself. Here are some points which I felt are very interesting.

3. We believe that even a small company like ours can change the world, even in a small way. Why shouldn’t a small wine company in South Africa see large international companies like Google and Microsoft as their competition? Why should the battle only be confined to other small South African vineyards? It makes no sense.

8. It’s just wine, People. Sure, we make excellent product. But let’s not get too carried away. At the end of the day, even the best Bordeaux is just fermented grape juice. What’s more interesting to us is the conversations people have over a bottle of wine. There’s a human element to all this we find utterly mysterious and fascinating.

9. You only live once, and not for very long. Try to make a difference while you’re here. It isn’t just about the money, and it sure as heck isn’t about making “a good product at a good price”. It’s about doing something that matters. It’s about doing something that resonates with both yourself and the people you care about.

10. We humans are incredible beings. Doing something that continually reminds us of this simple, basic truth is where the real fun is.

Web2.0 and Manifestos

Check out the Devil’s Dictionary and it’s definition of Web2.0. Pretty hilarious stuff out there. Particularly liked the definition of e-mail.

A method of electronic communication, primarily used to inform you that your penis is too small.

Also came across this collection of manifestos and other writings on entrepreneurship on the web at ChangeThis. This is what they say about themselves.

ChangeThis is creating a new kind of media. A form of media that uses existing tools (like PDFs, blogs and the web) to challenge the way ideas are created and spread.  

Stuff by people like Hugh MacLeod, of Gaping Void fame, marketing guru Seth Godin, and Guy Kawasaki, a former Apple evangelist and entrepreneur par excellence. Damn nice stuff to read up there. I suggest you sure pay a visit.

We don’t give a damn!!

Hugh Macleod, of Gaping Void fame, has put up this “Nobody Cares” manifesto by Dennis Howlett. I agree with all of it, but find the below mentioned points very relevant.

* Adding value is the most important thing you have to do – nobody believes you. Clients can read a 1,000 websites and see that same vacuuous statement. Stuff your website with client stories, preferably written by clients and not some PR outfit.

• We work hard to earn letters behind our names – nobody cares. Importance isn’t derived from academic achievement but what you do for others.

What to do when in doubt?

Gaping Void always brings a smile to my face. Here is yet another example. Reminds me of Infosys Orientation. They said, “When in doubt, don’t.” I think I like this one better.

Is ‘blog’ a 4 letter word?

Unfortunately, a few people (who matter), think so!! I wish they realised the value of blogging.

I mean people like Jonathan Schwartz (President, SUN), Jeremy Zawodny (mySQL Guru, Yahoo), Robert Scoble (ex-Microsoft, PodTech.net), Matt Cutts (SEO geek, Google), Om Malik (GigaOM), and Michael Arrington (TechCrunch) are most famous because of their blogs. Ok, not Schwartz. But you get the point!! Google, Yahoo and Microsoft use blogs as a PR tool and even use it to communicate with developers and uers of its services. A lot of Indian (I know about Infosys for sure) companies use employee blogs to enhance communication between its employees.

I hope some people update their views on blogging. And soon. Meanwhile, I leave you with another Gaping Void cartoon.

Update: An estimated 8% of Fortune 500 companies have official blogs!! You can check out the list here.