DISQUS

Great post, Sarah! The speed at which we learn of something is not necessarily indicative of the value it brings to our lives.

Speed matters when a tornado is approaching my house, but I don't care whether it is an SMS message, radio, TV, or a bullhorn that alerts me.

When it is soft news, like the death of a pop star, it some time after that it has an impact. For example, it was a quite a while after Jackson died that I began to contemplate how it fit into the context of my life. And it wasn't the news of it that was the catalyst but instead going to stores and hearing his music playing inside, or hearing every radio station paying homage, or remembering the first time I heard a song or saw one of his videos. For some, this context or contemplation might have come from Twitter, but in that case it still really wasn't the speed factor so much as the conversation. Of course, there are always going to be some annoying users in social media.

The other thing that really matters in this equation is how media outlets cover the fall out of Jackson's death. We all know prescription drugs were a big variable, so let's see some positive lessons and some real journalism come out of that issue. Time in that case is relative.

For a long while I wasn't too fired up on StumbleUpon even though it has long been a part of the Share This Wordpress plugin, but then they started doing these slick weekly emails with suggestions for me. Now with the integration of su.pr it makes the whole thing pretty sticky and sweet.

Good to see that a lift ticket strategically placed for a solid face lashing does not preclude one from participating in social networking. ;~)

Of course, there is also viddler and vimeo for video, and digg, delicious, and stumbleupon for bookmarking. And while mybloglog and lijit have seemingly gone by the wayside, I still like the friendfeed widget if not for the simple fact that it operates as a good aggregate display of all social networking activity. I wouldn't completely discount myspace yet, and linkedin is a great tool. Most people think linkedin is just for business, but I am a part of several groups, including one concerning fishing, where I pick up and exchange a lot of useful information. There is also plaxo and, well, I'll stop there.

Hope you shred the pres, Eric!

There is no doubt that the tools are there but with room for improvements. Beyond that I think some of the questions are, how big of a social maven are your brand advocates, does their reach extend to your target audience, and do they regularly listen and pass on what you have to say?

I've seen a lot of companies succeed in incorporating social media at a base level, but then their ambassador isn't an individual that people respond well to. That, or they simply push mediocre content, and to top it off never engage with other people's content.

Of course, this is assuming the product is worthwhile to begin with. But in the case of Utah as a destination, well, there is no question it is the goodie goods.

Great post. Needless to say, I totally agree.

We need more of them.

I can't wait! I mean, hmmmmmm.....

Always the experimenter. I'd like to see some light beer reviews. At my old age I still have to keep my wife interested, and my belly in a bathing suit.

Good post. Nice meeting everyone! Don't tase me bro!

Look forward to meeting you, David.

Wow, it is amazing how many commenters get fixated on the analogy as opposed to the idea you are trying to convey. I think it is a great rant. The only things I disagree with are:

No corporation has taken blogging away from me or any of my friends. We certainly can do and say whatever we want.

And access? Well, those leaders you allude to may be out out there using community tools, but it does not necessarily mean that they are responding to everyone. You maybe, but not everyone. There is still a velvet rope and always will be. There must otherwise it gets overwhelming. Of course, your point is that it can potentially be easier and faster; that there are direct lines of access. Maybe. Certainly quicker than writing a letter but not always as effective.

Last thing: if Arrington's motivation to beat CNET leads to something worthwhile then what does it matter? No one gets hurt really. And apparently competition gets him out of bed in the morning. And in the end, do you really believe that is his only goal?

There is no question that some of the audience members could use better manners. Furthermore, I find it amusing that some of the attendees felt their time was wasted, and yet they spent more of their "valuable" time twittering, blogging, and participating in this industry flog session.

While I do think Lacy was treated unfairly, there is a reason. Near the beginning she made the mistake of recounting one of her first interviews with Zuckerberg when he was sweating in his t-shirt. She was attempting to be funny and somehow create a greater sense of credibility with the crowd. Instead, it came off as demeaning as if she were trying to exert herself over him. Bad idea.

There is no doubt that it was a challenging and male-centric audience, but an interviewer should always be sensitive to that audience and the interviewee. Either way, no big deal - move on.

Looks like a nice place. Of course, I was imagining you hiking there a la Chevy Chase in American Vacation. Hopefully it won't be your last outing to the great outdoors!

I can't wait to read and see your exploits! Who knows, maybe you'll find Aladdin?

Road by that sucker last weekend.

82 and sunny. I think I might make a daquiri and watch a fire on TV.

Fucking awesome!

Funny, I was just thinking about doing a post on this for the Twelve Horses blog.

This post pales in comparison to David's post. :~p

To me, genius is demonstrating exceptional mental capabilities that are either creative or comprehension; but in both cases it is what these capabilities produce that has any long term effects on humanity and what people remember and classify as genius. It is in part what you have mentally ingested, but it is really how you mash it together to produce something that shifts the paradigm or creates something previously unimaginable. How do you practice genius? Well, you could start by wearing mismatched socks, dropping apples on your head, getting thrown in jail, chopping your ear off, and moving to Salzburg. :~)

Does your wife ever use the sudo command to tap into your subconscious? I bet its scary in there with all that messy coding. ;~)

That is friggin Bullshit! They should have given you fair warning.

I think Google might be where Windows goes to be crushed.

WOW!

Bummed to lose my Horse Power podcast partner, but I am psyched for you to mix your life up a bit. Everyone should live outside of where they grew up for at least a little while. Congrats!