A Life Untold & Uninteresting

PodCamp Toronto 2010

Over the weekend of February 19/20/21 I was able to attend PodCamp Toronto.

It was a great chance to connect with some old friends, meet new people and general hang out with other social media afficinados.

I atteneded a number of great sesssions throughout the weekend. However rather then not give each of them the full coverage they deserve I won’t go into detail.

In addition to the sessions, there were a number of great parties and events. The open mic night at the official afterparty was a great success, as you can see from this great photo of my and James Wilkinson singing Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” while Pat Dryburgh played the guitar.

I’m looking forward to PodCamp London on May 8th, and know that we’ll definitally pass Toronto for excitment and learning!

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Why I Live Here

I turned on the TV today and, quite by accident, turned the channel to TVO’s Agenda Camp from London Ontario. When I first heard about the event I was quite upset that I was going to miss it due to a vacation, so I’m glad I was able to catch some of the “debate” from London.  I did want to share a bit of my thoughts though.

What do I love about London and why did I choose to stay here?

Unlike other students at UWO, I grew up in the area (northwest of the city), and so I didn’t have “somewhere” else to return to when I finished my degree. Thats really reason number one.

Every since I became in involved in PodCamp London I realized the tremendous potential that their exists within this city. A few people have the ability to effect massive change and to make the whole city better. PodCamp was really just the beginning. The more I interacted with people and started to work together, I began to truly realize the potential this city had.

So, I love London and decided to make it my permanent home because of what it could be, not what it is now. I’m not going to sit back and wait for someone else do decide what it should be; I’m going to be an active participant in the process.

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Time to Get Off the ‘Couch’

I’ve always found it a struggle to actually leave my house and go to the gym. However, once I get there I have a great time. As soon as I start running on the treadmill or lifting weights, I’m so glad to be there. And once I leave, while I’m exhausted, I feel great.

There are so many similarities in our own lives.

We sit on the metaphorical couch, knowing we should just get up and do that thing we’ve always wanted to do. But something pins us down. But just like my trip to the gym, once we actually make the move, we’re so glad that we did.

Whats holding you back?

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GTD Solution for the Mac

Like most GTD fans I’m constantly struggling to find the perfect suite of applications for my Mac. I have the principles in place, but I’m missing the tools that would allow me to get the most done in a day.

So I’m asking my readers. Have you stumbled upon a method that works for you? What do you recommend?

I’m aware of a bunch of the pricey tools, Things for example, but I’d like to find a cheaper/free option. I also realize that a true GTD setup is going to be unique to each other, but I’m still interested in hearing everyone’s tips and suggestions.

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Libel and You: Blogger Edition

This morning a Supreme Court of Canada decision establishing a new defence in defamation cases was pointed out to me. While I am not a lawyer, and this is not a law blog, I realize the importance of the court’s decision.

In a nutshell; the court recognizes that in cases that are in the public interest and the publisher has attempted to verify the allegation, that is sufficient to avoid a charge of libel.

Interestingly, the judgement specifically mentions new ways of communicating (blogging and other online reporting)  the speed at which  information becomes available and the fact that news becomes available from other sources then journalists and the established press.

As Michael Geist said

“This is crucial decision for all publishers both big and small. It represents a major win for freedom of expression in Canada and should remove some of the libel chill that arises far too frequently.”

Citizen journalists and bloggers are now held to the same standard as their professional counterparts, but are also afforded the same securities under the law.

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Trust Agents

I just finished (I literally just put the book down) Trust Agents. My initial thoughts are that I’m going to recommend this book to everyone who expresses any interest in social media, or the web in general.

I also think I need to read it again just to pick up all the thing I missed the first time through.

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In Which You Find Out I Hate Writing Titles

… and for that matter, sometimes even writing the content of posts.

Sometimes its a struggle for me to get my thoughts expressed in a blog post. I’m not fully sure why either, I’ve got plently of ideas and opinions. It could be a laziness thing though.

Thats what this post is for. Kinda a wake up call to myself to get my butt in gear and put more content here.

Consider it an early new years resolution.

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The Real World Still Exists

This is a follow up to my previous post;

A variety of new Twitter features have made it even easier to find people in your neighborhood, city or region.  Twitter lists allows you to create a group of  people in a similar niche, or geographical area. Now with geotagged tweets that process is automated.

The release of Foursquare to a bunch of new cities takes interacting on online spaces and connects it with offline.

Social networks are realizing that online tools serve one purpose – to make connecting offline easier.

We  are starting to really see Jeff Jarvis’ ideas of hyper-local come to fruition (he focuses on the news industry, but I think there are ramifications beyond that).

But still a lot of people are just realizing that you can no longer hide behind the Internet.

The word ’social’ is in social media for a reason.

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Succinct

Social Media is just a tool to get your audience motivated to do something in the real world.

I’ve  known and practiced this philosophy for a while, so its not a new concept. I  just finally figured out how to express it.

What do you think?

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Conversation or Broadcast?

A number of  companies in London Ontario have started talking about social media and subsequently offering their services in the field.

While I’m glad to see a broader understanding of what social media is and how it’s useful for business and marketing, I’m also disappointed by some of the thoughts and attitudes coming from these companies.

First and foremost; social media is about creating a relationship with your customers. Bottom line. You can use it to sell them something, or find out what they think about your product, but that’s all a result of having a dialogue with them and earning their trust.

Instead of  focusing on the message, or the tools, or the audience; focus on engagement, reputation building and an ongoing rapport. When you do that you’ll have a successful social media agency.

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