Ran across this Flash Scottish trivia game promoting Scottish tourism and couldn’t resist linking. Test your knowledge on topics like Braveheart, Charles Rennie McIntosh, and the Loch Ness Monster etc. The game/site/etc. are all tied into New York Tartan Week, which we’ll unfortunately miss due to being on the other coast this year.
In light of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing of Scott Richter’s OptinRealBig, I thought it a good opportunity to link to a previous entry on the Daily Show interview of Richter. Searches for related topics have been coming up in my server logs, so it seems like there’s some interest. Very funny segment.
Fred posts on Bubble 2.0. Yes, indeedy, it’s difficult not to get caught up in the excitement of the party. I’m not really in a position to invest, personally, right now — except maybe in East Bay real estate (which is scary in its own way) — but can just imagine the plight of VCs these days.
Fred says:
You went to a great party, had too good of a time, woke up with a terrible hangover, and promised yourself you wouldn’t do that again.
Then the people who threw the party invite you to the next one.
What do you do? Go, of course.
I wonder if that’s what’s happening with all the activity in and around Web 2.0 right now…
[much very good stuff snipped out here so go check out the post yourself]
If you were at the first party, then you should never forget how it felt when it was over.
Drink responsibly this time.
For me it’s really fascinating to be on the Left Coast this time around, after having experienced the wild dot-com craze in NYC circa 1999.
Checking out the new Yahoo! 360. The best part so far?
Coming soon…
You’ll be able to share your RSS-enabled content (blogs, photos, etc.) in Yahoo! 360°.
So, My Yahoo! meets Yahoo! Local meets Flickr, etc. (Not to mention Friendster/InsiderPages/JudysBook, etc.) Not bad, so far. Really haven’t played with it much yet.
Another nice MSM take on Internet advertising, this time from NPR. It apparently aired this morning but I didn’t catch it until hearing it online.
This (link free for 7 days) probably isn’t news to anyone following the space closely, but it’s always interesting to see how the MSM — in this case the WSJ — are covering interactive marketing issues.
UPDATE: Looks like Jason Calacanis isn’t too thrilled with the coverage Weblogs Inc. received in the WSJ.
Jason:
I’m wondering why I even talk to traditional journalist. Every time they call they have their story written and they are just looking for facts which support their argument—dropping the ones that don’t.
The fact that they still writing the story from the headline down then from the facts up is such an advantage to bloggers… as they said on the Daily Show, all bloggers have on their side is the facts.
Just as an FYI to readers, I’ll note I’m experimenting with Kanoodle’s BrightAds program as an alternative to Google’s AdSense. So far, I’ve noticed there don’t seem to be as many options for creative, hence the longer ad unit on the right sidebar. They’re targeted by category (in this case I think technology, small business, etc.) rather than by the context of stuff on the page. I’m not in it for the dough, as you know, but I’m curious how this will perform. We’ll see how it goes…
Interesting (and smart) how the Web site promoting the new Steven Spielberg/Tom Cruise “War of the Worlds” flick features a “Webmaster program.” Promotional copy reads:
Be on the inside of one of the biggest movies ever made! Join the War Of The Worlds Webmaster Program to receive unprecedented access to exclusive photos, videos, interviews, conceptual art and promotional items for publication on your Web site.
Smart way to engage the audience — especially on a sci-fi film that’s sure to attract geek attention. Admirable that they’re so up front about it.
I’d link to more program details, but it’s an all Flash site so it’s not possible to do so. (The link to program info is prominently displayed on the front page of the site.)
They must actually be serious about qualifying people, because The-River.net was rejected. Oh, well…
The ANA’s Bob Liodice posts on the future of marketing on TV. My favorite bit:
* Finally – and what I am most excited and interested in — is the technology enabling more consumer targeting. I believe this trend will continue to accelerate and proliferate. Whether it’s the targeting technology offered by companies like Visible World or the addressable alternatives available through set-top box management, marketers will gain increased ability to zero-in on their core consumers, bringing greater efficiency and effectiveness to their marketing planning and execution. Of course it is incumbent upon marketers to collect consumer information in a fair manner that takes into account legitimate personal privacy concerns.
We are recording (ReplayTV-ing?) the debut of the American version of The Office tonight. Already watched a sneak preview on Myspace.com. (It’s the first time Michael and I have sat down together to watch full-screen video on the laptop in the living room. I’d imagine it won’t be the last.)
We loved the British original and have hopes (though not high hopes) that the American version captures something of the magic of the original. Mostly, we just loved and miss The Office so much (2 seasons and a special and it was done), that we’re willing to give the NBC version a try, if only to get a taste of that Office sensibility.
P.S. And for those of you who haven’t seen the original, BBC America is, coincidentally, starting the first season again on March 26 at noon.
