DISQUS

I've written about Brightkite a few times already and have had the opportunity to communicate regularly with Martin and Brady, Co-Founders, via Twitter and Brightkite. These guys are pretty darn smart.

A few things...

They launched the private beta just a few weeks ago, and it's already spreading like wildfire. They told me that they wanted to launch now to get feedback immediately, but that they're planning on introducing all types of new functionality in the coming months, including GPS support.

I'm actually one of a few people beta testing the iPhone app, which is pretty awesome and I'll blog about it as soon as I get the okay from them. They're also working on mobile apps for other phones too, including Google's Android.

The SMS commands are cool, but there are a ton. One trick, "? business name" returns all businesses/addresses near your last check-in (and you can then check-in using the results returned). I use this all the time, sometimes to cheat and just find the address of a business for other purposes.

My interview with Martin May is here:
http://www.startupsd.net/137/brightkite-localiz...

It should be interesting to see what happens in the next few months

I use twitter to merge my two internet personas. I've got my work-related blog to address professional subject matters, and my personal blog for purely frivolous dating and relationship discussions, so twitter helps me find a balance. My twitter persona is very me, an amalgamation of my social media, web and personal interests. For this twitter has become the #1 social network in my life. Maybe I offend a few people, but if they want something less raw they can subscribe to my blog feed, or just not follow me.

Um that's a weird one, I'm not sure why anyone would want to talk about that sort of thing publicly, but to each his own.

I think I actually got the worst blogger outreach email ever which read, "i found out about your blog. can you write about me." No joke. Back to the point though, your tips are really great ways to connect with a blogger on a level that makes sense.

Great post. I think it drives home the point that marketing types need to act more like real humans interested in pursuing a long-term relationship. Everyone's had a friend (maybe back in high school) who was constantly bragging about their new toys or trying to build themselves up as super fabulous. Nobody wants to be friends with that guy. His interests are never anything more than self-serving. The same logic applies to communities. If the introduction is self-aggrandizing then it's going to be totally ignored.

I think you're missing the point a little bit. The quality of news has always been questionable. It's the media mentality of the few who know best choosing the stories to report on for the masses that leads people to pursue alternative sources for news. It's not about the end of investigative journalism, but the beginning of an end user driven media era.

Jake, this is an amazing post. It really speaks to how to quickly become immersed in the community space and make yourself relevant and credible for the Community Manager role.

I was pretty lucky in that the Community Manager title was handed off to me, because people in the organization felt I had the natural skill set. I certainly wasn't ready to assume all the responsibilities associated with the position, and I knew it. So the very first thing I did was listen and read. I read as much as I could during and after work, but as I read I kept a list of the company's goals for my position right beside me. I was constantly trying to apply the wisdom of the experts in the field to the bottom line objectives of the specific role I was in. Some of the initial skills I used were developed in college. I was an English major so critical reading, in-depth analysis and application are things that now come naturally to me.

I would also recommend that those seeking the Community Manager role create ways to demonstrate and showcase their unique voice. Some of this will come by just creating profiles on the sites you list in the post, but some of this needs to be more deliberate. I purposely blog and participate in different sites where I can showcase different variations of my voice. I'm always true to myself, but I can and do adapt my voice to match the purpose/intent for a particular site. I've found that employers want to be confident in a prospect's communication style; they always respond positively when given the opportunity to read and explore the different types of writing that a prospect is capable of.

Dismissive seems to be the wrong word. I think she defended her arguments and allowed you to voice your disagreement.

Jake, I read the back forth between you and BL in the comments on the blog post you mention. Although I think the question of hypocrisy is valid and applies to all industries, I'm not in total agreement that BL dismissed you or that her responses make her subject to the question of this post. I'm sure the intention was a healthy discussion, but the tone of your comments came across rather negative and accusatory. I think the very fact that she didn't moderate your initial comments goes to show that she does practice what she preaches.

That's my trophy! It looks even better in person. Thanks Sean for the incredible creation, it's super fabulous and legolicious!

To be fair to the article as well as Carrie, I don't think the quote is intended as bragging rights. My guess is that it's about respect. Having came about fame through an overly produced and commercialized TV show, I think it's only fair that the writer note that she possesses more than just a good voice.

I also choose the building shot of NYC. You can check out my creation on my blog. Thanks for encouraging me via a bribe to finally check out picnik!

http://insidetherabbithole.com/2007/10/26/a-hal...

Alright Jake I'm in, but only because it's too easy not to do. I think it's only fair that you trust us by disclosing the prize(s). :)

You can send notification that I've won to [removed]

Watch out Chris my eyes are on that prize too!

In her defense, had you said the same thing to me I'm pretty sure I would have initially rolled my eyes too. But your ensuing explanation would certainly be enough for me to not only chastise myself for initialing blowing you off, but also inspire me to adopt a more optimistic attitude about the scope of my influence. Keep on changing the world!