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Been using Google Wave in a limited way over the past few days since a friend sent me an invite. I need more friends to play with. If you’d like one of the invites, just shoot me an e-mail: b (at) BenMartinCAE dot com and I’ll hook you up (while supplies last, some restrictions apply, please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery, offer not valid in Puerto Rico or Guam).

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Because checking your watch during a meeting isn’t quite as rude as checking your BlackBerry, the fine folks at RIM bring you the BlackBerry InPulse Smartwatch. Now, your Pavlonian teeth-grinding response to BlackBerry buzzes can be accompanied by repeated pulls at your cuff to glance at your “watch.”

Me? I’m waiting for the BlackBerry ImPlant. Here’s a prototype photo of the control console.

[You're reading http://BenMartinCAE.com. Yeah, you rock.]

[You're reading http://BenMartinCAE.com. Yeah, you rock.]

The body charged with attracting more visitors to the midwestern state will now be known as the Tourism Federation of Wisconsin (TFW), in an attempt to put a stop to the jokes.

It seems that the federation was unaware of – or unconcerned by – the modern meaning of WTF until its acronym featured on a blog that compiles unfortunate corporate logos earlier this year. [sic]

Read more: WTF? Wisconsin Tourism Federation changes name after internet jokes.

I wonder if the Official Meeting Facilities Guide is next to change its name?

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Back in college I discovered this amazing acoustic guitar duo that toured regionally. My friends and I would drive all over the place following them into small music halls, bars, and college music festivals. The year before I graduated they put together a band and got even better. I followed them closer, was active on the fan listserve, and even started a Web site for the fan listserve. Then, shortly after I graduated, the band released an album on a major label, and, well you know how this story will end… Everyone’s grandma showed up at their concerts, the listserve blew up to a bazillion subscribers, their music was all over the top 40 stations, and (horrifically) turned into Muzac™.

That was it. I still listen with fondness to those old albums and bootlegs, but I haven’t bought an album or seen a show since they went mainstream.

By now you’ve probably seen this: The Xer Meme: Have we sold out?. (For the record, I am in Gen X, but depending on which model you look at, I was born less than 12 months from the onset of the Millennials and I tend to affiliate more with them) Maddie calls me out by name, wondering if I’ve sold out. The answer is (probably) no.

There are two sides to my story. I have pulled waaaay back from my blogging and social media speaking. First of all, social media has gone waaaaaay mainstream. As someone who made much ado about social media and associations early on, the fact that it has caught on in this industry is both satisfying and, frankly, disappointing. It was kind of fun being the voice in the wilderness. Today, the wilderness is overpopulated. Everyone’s grandma is here. And they’re playing Muzac™.

Secondly: Everyone’s a social media specialist these days (and some are actually quite good at it). I’ve frankly had trouble keeping up with the likes of the social fish, and so I’m less inclined to share my social media musings here on this blog. Why cover trails already blazed?

Maddie also says that I’m lost to the real estate industry. This is totally true. For all the speaking and writing that I don’t do for associations, I now do for Realtors. As for my participation in the association blogoclump, the real estate scene is a lot more interesting than the association industry. There are amazing and cool new real estate technologies released every couple of months, dozens of innovators are engaged in the social media scene, there’s no shortage of news about the industry, we have a fascinating cast of characters complete with bitter rivalries, and it’s just an exciting time to be part of it all. Plus, factor in that there are over 1000 Realtor associations, and you can see how it would be easy to get sucked into that world.

Sold out? If you don’t work with me day-to-day, I can see why it might appear that way. But Maddie’s right to guess that I’m engaged in some epic special ops on the inside, and making a lot of progress on stuff, thankyouverymuch — revolutionary stuff.

That’s all I can say. Otherwise, I’d have to kill you.

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From all indications, Google Wave looks to be a game-changing group collaboration technology. If you haven’t already watched the video from the Google I/O event earlier this year (caution, it’s long) you really should set aside some time to look into this, especially if your organization does a lot of online collaboration.

Google does a pretty good job putting a good face on its products, and Wave is no exception. Here’s a review from ZDNet about Google Wave, which points out a few of its shortcomings. A good read.

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A few people have seen some of the viral status update links I push out through Twitter and have wondered how I did it. It’s actually really simple if you know what you’re doing.

• Start your link URL with http://twitter.com/?status=
• Then, everything after the equal sign will be the status that appears in the update box when users land at Twitter.com. For example: http://twitter.com/?status=I just learned how to make a viral status update link from @bkmcae at http://BenMartinCAE.com/viraltweet <– Check it out!
• Important side note: Twitter users must be logged into Twitter.com for this to work.

To see how this works, go ahead and log into Twitter.com and then click this link.

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So I had a little fun on Zazzle tonight. I made and bought one of these. If you want one too, go ahead and buy it, and we can coordinate outfits at ASAE. It’ll be so much fun. What the heck is fogdirog, you say?

Buy this shirt.

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If yes, fill out this here form. The meeting is in April 2010 in Quebec. If you decide to put in for this, please drop me a line. I’m on the selection committee for this conference of association executives, so you have a friend on the inside. I’ll see what I can do.

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Two free nights at a Disney resort

Free association marketing conference

Free food and beverage

All you have to do is get there

This is what the crazy economy has brought us.