Compare and Contrast by an Unstrained Eye

I love to help people share ideas.

I have my hands in a million different pies, which seems random to many people I know, but it really boils down to a passion for helping people look at the world in a new way.

It’s human nature to build silos around ourselves and our view of the world. Even if we try otherwise, we simply don’t know what we don’t know. By bringing a little chaos into the mix, and sharing in unexpected ways, you can change peoples lives.

It’s one of the reasons I was first drawn to social media. I’m not a marketer, and really the m-word tends to just make my brain hurt. I simply love the pure, disruptive, meritocratic way social media tools let people communicate. If you’ve got something interesting to say, you can be loud – you can go viral – and the whole world will hear you.

It’s also why I’m drawn to digital publishing. Once upon a time you needed a “publishing deal” to be a successful author. Now you have self-published authors selling thousands (millions, in some cases) of copies of ebooks and I don’t even know what a traditional “publishing deal” looks like anymore.

The whole industry is transforming, and the tools are in the authors’ hands to publish their own ebooks if they’re willing to do the work. Nothing is keeping them off the stage any longer.

How do I publish an ebook?

The trick is helping writers with good content navigate these new waters. I’ve been collaborating with podcaster and author, Evo Terra, on a project called ePublish Unum to offer information and classes for authors.

If you write, you have content. If you have content, we can guide you through getting it published on Amazon.com. The Quick and the Read is a six-week, on-line digital publishing course designed to provide authors with professional guidance through the process of editing, creating a cover, writing effective copy, formatting their book for Kindles, and getting it into the marketplace… while avoiding pitfalls along the way.

If you’re waiting to finish your novel before you publish something, you may want to reconsider. There is a huge demand for short work, so if you have 10,000 words committed, check out The Quick and the Read. If you’re unsure what might make a good ebook, check our list of ideas.

Roll up your sleeves, shake things up, and get yourself published!

SXSW '09, Austin Texas by John Rogers

This year I’ll be attending my fourth South By Southwest (SXSW) Interactive festival in wonderfully weird Austin, Texas. If you’re not familiar with it, SXSW is an enormous festival with three parts: Music, Film, and Interactive. I would love to attend all three, but usually go just for the Interactive piece. This is where you will find some of the most interesting developments in technology, social media, and crazy startups. Twitter got its start at SXSW, as did Foursquare and several other game changing applications.

SXSW has become ludicrously large, and innundated with big companies trying to make their mark, but I still love the thing. For me, even if the tech/social media/interactive excitement has gone mainstream, I would still go for the people, connections, and discovery. South by Southwest is an incredible place to learn and expand your horizons if you’re willing to put in some effort.

Several friends of mine are going to SXSW for the first time and asked me for tips on managing the chaos. I’m not sure I’ve really puzzled out this crazy event myself, but I’m happy to share what I’ve learned so far.

Before you go to SXSW

Plan to be on the run constantly – And by constantly, I mean it. Constantly. Take comfy shoes, and pack light. This includes your electronics. Don’t take every gadget you own, just the ones you will use regularly. If you can, double up. For example, don’t take a separate video camera if your smartphone can shoot video (just learn how to use it). Take a purse or messenger bag that holds all your stuff because you’ll get sick of carrying it in your hands all day.

Bring backup batteries and cables – I’m a gadget geek all year round but I never… ever… use my electronics as much as when I’m at SXSW. A few years ago I bought two iPhone rechargers to take with, and this year I think I’ll upgrade to a full USB charging device to keep with me. Power outlets and charging stations can be tough to find, so juice up when you can!

Review the schedule and sessions in advance – Use the official SXSW scheduling tool, or the Sched.org SXSW app, but get an idea of what you want to attend before you get there. It can be tricky to plan on the fly, so get it sorted out in advance. Know other people going? Check out their schedules in the tool, then download an app to your phone or add them to your calendar.

Choose panels you don’t know, not the ones you do – Choose your panels wisely, and choose items you don’t know much about. If you’re an SEO expert in an SEO panel you’re likely to be bored. SXSW is an incredible chance to explore so go learn something new. If the panel isn’t good, get up and leave (this is encouraged!)

You can’t do it all – I heard that warning 100 times leading up to SXSW and it was absolutely true. Just pick what you’re going to do and commit. This is doubly true for the after hours events (a.k.a. parties). Even with your handy schedule there will be some (maybe many) meetups or panels you will wish you had seen. Accept it.

Work + Play = Ugh – I was doing some work related stuff while I was at SXSW my first year, and it was a big mistake. Going for Work or going for Me would have each been fine, but doing both just got really frustrating. Decide why you’re going, what you want to accomplish. and don’t clutter it up.

When you’re at SXSW

People trump Panels - This might be the #1 piece of advice I can give you. If you have a chance to meet someone new in a hallway conversation or join a cool group of people for a beer, ditch any panel you had planned and do it. The connections you make with people in small groups are the best thing about SXSW. In four years of going I can name about six panels that significantly changed my outlook or business, but I can name great people I’ve met there all day long and well into tomorrow.

Best part of the panels is afterwards – Related to the above, panels are more than good info – they’re a place to connect with people who share an interest. Stick around for a while after a panel to talk with the panelists or people in the crowd who are discussing what just happened.

Support your hometown – Maybe this is just a personal thing, but I try to attend every panel where someone from Phoenix was speaking. Support!

Meet your Friends, hang with Strangers – Phoenix is usually well represented at SXSW, and it’s great running into the local crew, but I can see many of them 360 other days of the year. If you connect with someone new, hang out with them for a while, meet their friends, and work out from there.

No Fear - On a related note, don’t be shy to talk to people. Step outside your comfort zone if necessary, and just do it. I’m not a shy person so this isn’t a problem with me, but I met several people who were nervous or downright afraid to talk to someone they liked or admired online. If they sucked it up and took a risk, they were almost always happy. Just be honest and considerate of what other people are doing and you’ll have some great encounters.

Parties are Overrated – Some were fun, most were not. My first year I wasted a lot of time trying to chase the “best” ones and hop all over town. Now my strategy is to pick one or two parties at most and just hang out and enjoy it.

BLACHOOOO! – There is something called “SXSW SARS”, which is what happens when thousands of people gather at SXSW from all over the world, swap germs, then head home. I have a strong immune system and rarely get sick, but I still try to take extra vitamins and wash my hands like a fiend. Be aware that you may come home not only exhausted but feeling a little ill. If you can, schedule a day or two off work for when you get back. You may need it.

Explore Austin – Austin’s quirky personality and culture are part of what makes SXSW so much fun. Take some time to try new restaurants, eat at food trucks, and wander down 6th Street in the wee hours of the morning. If you don’t try some good BBQ by the time you’ve left Austin you will die an emptier person. I’m also a beer fan and heartily recommend the Ginger Man to hang out and catch your breath.

Must see 2012 SXSW tracks for authors

If you’re an author looking to explore the digital side of things at SXSW, check out the best SXSW sessions for authors over at our ePublish Unum author site.

Say Hello!

I’m easy to find on Twitter or Google+, and will be running all over the place. Give me a shout or say Hi if you make it out to South-By!

Dapper Gent by Paul Stevenson

One of the fastest growing social networks out there has almost entirely been taken over by women!

Pinterest is a visual-board sharing site where people can easily share images that catch their eye. They “pin” interesting items to their pinboards, where others can comment, “like” them, and “repin” the images onto their own boards. Technically the site is still in beta, but invites are easy to come by.

Less than two years old, Pinterest launched in March of 2010 and has a current estimated valuation of $200 million. They were just named TechCrunch’s Best New Startup of 2011.

This easy, visual sharing has attracted users in droves, especially females. Pinterest has about four million users, and 1.5 million visit daily. The most amazing number might be that as many as 80% of them are female.

So what’s a lonely, curious, pinterested man to do?

A Manly Guide To Pinterest

Men are visual, too. They just like looking at different things. The key to Y Chromosomal equality on Pinterest requires moving past the footwear and redecorating ideas.

If you’re a gent looking to give Pinterest a try, here are my recommendations:

• Delete the default pinboards you get and make ones that appeal to you, whether it is Epic Beer Labels, Gadgets I Want, or All Things Mustache.
• If you’re working on a project or planning a trip, pinboards can make excellent ways to document your progress and ideas. For example, here’s a pinboard on building a bike, and one on great travel gear.
• You can search for pins, or full pinboards. Look for people who are cultivating whole boards on manly topics like Scott Stratten’s Tattoo pinboard, or Rebekah White’s Guns pinboard.
• You can follow all of someone’s pinboards, or just the ones you like. Unless you are gazing upon the manliest of manly men, I suggest following individual pinboards. For example, Drew Hawkins has the mantastic Board of Man, but if you followed everything of his you will also get his pinboard on Crock Pots (not that there is anything wrong with that…)
• Re-run your searches every so often to discover new people and pinboards. A search for beer turns up lots of interesting pins and boards, but doing it again in a week will turn up loads of new material.

If you crave still more, Kevin Spidel also has some tips and pinboards for men to check out.

That should be more than enough to get you going, but if you really can’t find a manly way to approach Pinterest, then perhaps Gentlemint is more for you. Billed as a mint of manly things, it is chock full of gadgets, gear, and of course… mustaches.

Update:

I did a TV interview this morning on Pinterest for Men and convered some of the links I mentioned here, including Gentlemint:

Organize and Share Using an Online Pinboard: MyFoxPHOENIX.com

The problem is this legislation is so vague it can give companies the power to order whole websites taken off the air for ANY sharing of content they feel violates their claims. Post a video of your kids with a movie poster in the background? That could get your blog taken down!

Google, Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, Wikipedia, YouTube, and hundreds of other huge sites oppose SOPA and PIPA. They could not exist if this legislation had existed when they were founded. Sharing ideas and content is how the internet works!

That’s why many of these sites, like Reddit and Wikipedia, are going entirely dark on Jan 18th, 2012, in protest of this bill.

This video does a great job of explaining PIPA, and SOPA is generally the same thing (House vs Senate versions).  Watch this, and please contact your congressman and tell them to oppose this legislation!

Don’t rely on someone else to do this – if you love what the internet has to offer, take action!

UPDATE: I was on Fox 10 this morning here in Phoenix to talk about SOPA/PIPA. If you are looking for a good introduction to what is SOPA to pass on to friends or family, this video might help!

Microsoft "Mango" Smartphone

I’ve always been a gadget geek, but developed a serious mobile focus after my stint at Intel. Not only do I love the tech behind smartphones, tablets, and the like, but I’m fascinated with how our increased mobility is shaping the way we communicate and live our lives. We’re connected constantly. There’s no waiting until we get home to post our latest news on Facebook – we’re doing it as it happens. The way we interact with these tiny devices is also amazing to explore. The user interface (UI) and usability issues are evolving at an incredible pace to try and keep up so we can manage more information in less space. Pinching, shaking, and swiping are all commonplace now, but were unheard of just a few years ago.

Sadly I don’t get to play with as many of toys as I used to, but I still follow several of major mobile news blogs and keep my nose in things. So I was intrigued when I received an invitation to a Microsoft event for their new Mobile OS. Microsoft has been playing a long game of catch-up in the mobile space behind Apple and Android, and a few people I mentioned it to didn’t even know Microsoft had a phone out.

Sampling the Mango

Turns out, people have had good things to say about the new Windows Mobile OS, code-named Mango. Wired said it took the Windows phones from “good to great“, and the new “People Hub” looks interesting. From what I can tell from the People Hub videos, Microsoft has really been playing with their UI. I like to tailor screens to my own (odd) way of managing information, so I wonder how flexible it is. The limited ability to change my iPhone’s home screen (unless I jailbreak it) is one of my beefs with my current phone.

Microsoft is still the baby on the smartphone block with less than 4% of the market, but they never give up, so I’m looking forward to seeing what they’re up to and playing the HTC Radar they offered me. Free gadget to play with? Oh noes, don’t twist my arm…

I’m also horribly curious what this product event will look like. I’m an honestly bi-OSual computer geek, with a healthy supply of both Microsoft and Apple systems nearby (and a Linux or two), so I like to think I can be rather unbiased. That’s why I feel comfortable saying of all Microsoft’s strengths, social promotion efforts is not among them. Their incredible Windows 7 Launch Parties were just cringeworthy and inspired some hysterical parodies. This some seems much less contrived, and they’ve given away phones with Windows Mobile on it at events like this before, but I’m still curious to see it for myself. I plan on documenting it thoroughly with my iPhone.

Want to come? It’s free!

If you’re in Phoenix and interested in checking out some of the gadgets and seeing what Microsoft is up to, it’s free to attend. They will have their new phones to show off, and free cocktails and appetizers. I’d love to have someone else there to geek out (and drink) with.

What: Windows Phone Launch Event
Where: Blue Martini, 5455 E High St, Phoenix, AZ 85054
When: Thursday, Nov 17th, 6pm – 9pm
Register (optional): Windows Phone Inner Circle Event

Any suggestions?

I’ll post my thoughts once I get a chance to play with the phone, but any suggestions on things to look for at the event? Or if you’re a Windows Phone user I’d love to hear what you think about it.

original image (cc) FotoosVanRobin

If you’re unfamiliar with Klout, it is a service that tries to measure social influence for people who are active online, and assigns them a score. The goal is to make it easier for companies to identify influencers in a topic area. If you haven’t checked your own score, hop over and take a look. Klout is watching you!

The big question is how good Klout does its job. In my humble option, Klout not only doesn’t do that great, but I don’t think it’s ever going to be possible for Klout to work the way businesses want it to.

The problem is that social influence is a hideously tricky thing to measure. Is it how often someone tweets? Is it what they tweet about? Does a retweet or reshare measure influence? Klout looks at all of these things and more, and has a ton of very smart people distill what works from what doesn’t to constantly improve your score.

There are two reasons I think it can’t work. The first is practical, the second is theoretical.

Klout Is Easily Confused

My first example of why I think Klout is silly is that I am not a terrorist.

See, a few months back a Phoenix area smart-ass gave me a fake +K bump on Terrorism for Klout. Others thought it was funny and did the same. I get a new one every so often, and for the past few months Terrorism has been my greatest topic of influence on Klout.

The thing is, I never talk about Terrorism. I only talk about it now in a weird meta-discussion about how I don’t talk about it, but that’s still a fraction of the things I say and do online. I work on local Phoenix events, work on digital publishing, and a ton of other things. To Klout, all of that falls below a practical joke. If you want hard proof that Klout’s engine is easy to game and trick, even with all those smart people they employ, here you go.

Summaries Are Always Incomplete

The second example is a bit more abstract, but I think just as real. Social relationships are a complex system, and you cannot simplify a complex system to a simple number without losing important information. Yes, Klout has more aspects than just the the Klout score, but even if you add in the other Klout items you still have a very small set of graphs and indicators to look at. Like the meat grinder at the top of this post, once the hamburger emerges you can no longer tell if what went in was Filet Mignon or leftover scraps.

Consider movie reviews as a less graphic analogy. Roger Ebert famously distilled the complex discussion of movies to Thumbs Up or Thumbs Down, and he has talked about the difficulties that creates. Does the Thumbs Up for a silly comedy like City Slickers mean the same as a Thumbs Up for a classic like Casablanca? They can both be good movies in their own way, but you need a lot more discussion to really compare the two. I personally love and respect Ebert’s opinion on movies, but I’ve disagreed with his ratings many times. I’d have missed many great films if I only used his Thumbs Up list as a starting point.

And that’s the problem with Klout – it will always be incomplete or wrong, and never be as good as business want it to be. Sadly, businesses want a shortcut to finding influencers, and they are going to start with Klout generated lists. This will drive people to try and game the system, and away we go. I understand why businesses want this short cut, but there will never be a replacement for simply being active in a community or social sphere. Then you will really know who the influencers are.

PS – If you want to opt out of Klout, you can do so by deleting your account an your Profile Settings page.
PPS – Krystofer James vanSlyke isn’t JUST a smart-ass. Check out his VoiceMuze project creating music from voice mail…

It’s not for people learning how to write, or how to develop their characters. There are tons of other great conferences for that. This one is for authors who have an idea done or in progress, whether a short book or a full novel, and need the info on how to take it digital. Some of the questions we’re tackling are:

• What do I have to do different to publish digitally?
• How do I protect my content when I put it online?
• How do I get my book in major online stores?
• How much should I charge?
• How do I promote it with social media and other tools?
• Uh oh… my readers want to talk with me – what do I do?

And a lot more. If you’re interested, please check out the digital workshop for authors info page.

Know some authors?

If you know someone who is interested, we would appreciate you helping us spread the word. Many authors are not digitally savvy so they’re not likely to see our blogs or Facebook posts. If you could send this to any writing groups, author groups, teachers, or any other fine bunch of people it would really help us get rolling.

We also have a short workshop flier and a slightly longer workshop flier that you can send along with the info.

Many, many thanks!

powered by ideas

The one constant in my life may be my inability to sit still. New problems, emerging ideas, Gordian knots, gooey messes, I love them all. It’s not an issue of boredom, but a desire to explore that goes right down through my bones.

This time it is taking me into the world of consulting and digital publishing.

Stranger in a Strange Land

For the past two years I was the Director of Social Media Strategy at Sitewire, a great digital marketing company in Tempe. Sitewire is a fun, frenetic place to work, and I’m proud of my contribution that helped establish social media as a strong part of their capability suite.  At Sitewire I learned a ton about marketing, digital agencies, and mid-sized business operation.

I also learned that I’m not a marketer. I have skills that lend themselves well to that arena, but that’s worlds apart from it being my career. I’m a problem solver. I’m a connector.

Ideas + People

All the flash mobs, groups, and events I belong to seem random to some people, but really does have a common thread: I like to connect people with ideas. I enjoy helping someone find a voice, a vehicle, a way to share a passion and see where it leads. I also love helping people find the right forum to listen, to discover and digest new ideas that will take their own goals further. Often the specific ideas are less important to me than making connections and seeing what unexpected bits of greatness emerges.

It’s why I think things like Ignite Phoenix and Gangplank are so important. They build an environment for people to connect. What people do with those platforms is up to them. Some people expect magical serendipity, and they’ll leave disappointed, but people who are willing to put effort and energy behind their ideas often see incredible things emerge.

Digital Publishing for Authors

With Improv Media I’m doing independent consulting in social media, event planning, guerrilla marketing, and an assortment of odd things that fit my ranging background. I’m far from done with social media, as the interactions and impact it has on us sociologically remains endlessly fascinating for me. If you’re looking for some creative help in this realm, let me know.

However, my main focus is the bizarre, evolving world of Digital Publishing. I’ve launched a new effort with Evo Terra designed to help authors self-publish their work. The site, called ePublish Unum*, pulls together news, tips, and recommendations for authors, and will soon include courses and our first digital authors workshop here in Phoenix.

It still about the connecting. Old-school publishers are losing their role as middle-men in a shift very reminiscent of what hit the music industry. The tools are all there for authors to directly take their ideas out to readers, and I want to help make that happen for as many people as possible.

I have absolutely no idea how this will work out, but that’s the way I love to roll.

* the name is from the Latin motto “E pluribis unum“, which means “out of many, one“. Don’t worry, nobody else gets it either.

Yet when actors are in their character and get a chance to add their own flavor, the result is sometimes magic.

Many of the lines in this video are iconic pieces of cinematic history. Thankfully directors recognized the gifts they were given and kept them in.

There are three reasons I adore this idea.

It’s fun. This is the most obvious thing about it, but what happens is far beyond just bells and whistles. Dancing lips? Super hugging hands? This is whimsical and silly, right out of the unbounded imagination of a child. Fantastic.

It’s risky. “Let’s take a giant box, put a big red button on it, and… are you with me so far?” I would love to meet the people who came up with this promotion, then the people who approved it and funded it. They didn’t take the 10,000th Fan from their Facebook page and give them a prize in a drab giveaway, they rolled some pretty crazy dice.

Companies seek viral buzz and word of mouth, but reward only comes from risk. This fantastic risk taking that not only makes for an incredibly creative way to get your name out (even to people who don’t speak your language), but says a lot about the company behind it. Any company able to create an idea like this has a fun streak somewhere in their corporate soul.

It rewards the bold. The people who stepped forward, gave into their curiosity, and pushed that button not only received a free trip but an incredible story to tell. The company pushed a figurative mystery button in trying this idea, while the people pushed a literal button.

If you want interesting stories to tell, if you want some adventure in your life, you have to be willing to take some risks and push some buttons buttons – even if you don’t know what the heck they’ll do.