CircleCount helps you better understand Google+

2013-05-25 05:30:44 (6 comments, 3 reshares, 30 +1s)

Belgrade by day! :)

2013-05-24 21:55:08 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Belgrade by night. :)

2013-05-24 07:02:43 (1 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

Easy to Love.

Out of all the possible places, it was in an old episode of Golden Girls where I've heard something that made me pause and think.

They were the words of Blanche Devereaux, spoken standing in front of Big Daddy's fresh tomb, while, as any true Southern Lady would feel her duty to do, she was fighting to keep her composure.

In that moment of definitive goodbyes, when it was time to see it as it is, Blanche said: "I realized I wasn't always easy to love" .

For some reason those words hit me like a rock. Thinking back, which is one of the benefits and curses brought to you by silver hair, I have to admit that I too wasn't always easy to love.

This was partly because of what Mother Nature put on my harddrive, partly because of stubbornness, partly because of stupidity.

But, on the other hand, being as... more »

2013-05-24 06:22:26 (20 comments, 0 reshares, 18 +1s)

You Guys!

It’s been, so far, the kind of year when I thought I’d changed profession and become a pilot. I seem to have spent more time in the air and at airports than at home. Throughout all this G+ has been a constant that’s kept me informed, grounded and focused and I chronicled some of that (http://goo.gl/420N7). As it happens, every time I was in the air also seemed to be the moment Google chose to change the functionality, design or both of G+ so that by the time I logged on I was even more at a disconnect than usual as I neither knew what had happened exactly nor (most importantly) why. 

Normally, for me, the process of catching up is familiar: log onto several tech websites, track the changes they detail. Go to specific forums, monitor the chatter. Get back to G+, play around, experiment, test and confirm. Sit back and think how the changes confirm or change my owngrasp ... more »

2013-05-23 21:21:11 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

So excited to have a Scoopiteer on #cmgrhangout  with +My Community Manager , +Tim McDonald , and +Jonathan Brewer , and +Martin W. Smith !!!!!!!

See you all tomorrow at 11amPST (2pmEST)

2013-05-23 21:17:26 (7 comments, 0 reshares, 5 +1s)

Is Your Business Getting ... Tired?

The moment a business starts to take itself for granted it extends the same ''courtesy' to everyone else around it and before long finds itself losing customers, drive and market share. Size here plays no role. 

For a 3 minute podcast take the jump: http://goo.gl/sBMek

2013-05-23 13:35:31 (8 comments, 2 reshares, 21 +1s)

How Semantic Search is Changing Everything

_In the digital marketing world the words “game changer” rank right alongside “awesome” in terms of overuse. Yet, when it comes to semantic search nothing less can adequately prepare the marketer for the seismic change that’s coming. _ 

Take the jump for the full story: http://goo.gl/lT4Ek

2013-05-23 12:48:51 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

What does a PR - O do... all the time?

Some things are timeless. 

2013-05-23 10:08:58 (9 comments, 0 reshares, 13 +1s)

Picking up on yesterday's thread of the Red Arrows, caught entirely by accident, during some training (http://goo.gl/Sjo2b) and (http://goo.gl/4BKkI) here's a short video of them throwing their planes around the sky!

2013-05-23 06:06:32 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 8 +1s)

Gideon this is an important examination of the tension between "fair play" and "fair recompense". Ultimately, there should be a Venn diagram where the two meet. A sort of social business 'sweetspot'. 

2013-05-23 04:46:05 (12 comments, 1 reshares, 28 +1s)

Just People...

We talk a lot about social media, trying to understand. What is it that makes it addictive? What is it that keeps us glued on G+? Why is the interaction so powerful? It makes the world a smaller place - sure. It brings us together, grouping us in our similarities - yeah. But that's not really what makes it. After all the world has been getting smaller for a long time and "birds of a feather" get along regardless. 

What really gives us those moments that stick to mind and slowly begin to change us is the fact that we are all one family despite our differences. 

Here, one little girl whose Daddy couldn't be there for kindergarten graduation because he was killed 3 days ago in the line of duty. So her Phoenix Police family showed up and lined the walkway, cheering on Tatum Raetz, who managed to smile... even for a little.

Its... more »

2013-05-22 21:28:27 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 17 +1s)

Impact is not an option. The only questions is what are the ripples your subtle choices are making?

Own your impact and design a model that makes you proud today and tomorrow.

Jennifer 

2013-05-22 21:02:18 (13 comments, 2 reshares, 12 +1s)

When You Need a Little Help

With all the breaking news on Google's semantic search following the end of the I/O I just saw that my book on the subject shot up to the #3 slot on books on Google - http://goo.gl/mKqD2. Totally thrilled, particularly as the release date draws near. 

2013-05-22 20:57:27 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 4 +1s)

Changing the World

Google frequently comes under scrutiny these days and there has been many a time when I see it being criticized in G+ in ways that are not supported by anything other than emotion (which makes little sense to me). It is fair that we should also give credit when credit's due. Its Google [x] Project is nothing like any company has in place anywhere, on the planet.

Take the jump for the full story: http://goo.gl/Gnj6u 

2013-05-22 19:54:19 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 11 +1s)

More Red Arrows shots - this time taken by my neighbour. He was using a Nikon D90 as opposed to my S2 phone :) (I did get some video which he couldn't so small consolation) - amazing to see the pics of the same event. 

2013-05-22 18:23:36 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

A Heart Drawn in the Sky

On a day when I am busy preparing a high level presentation I was drawn outside by thunder coming from the sky. It took a few seconds to realize that I was watching the world famous RAF aerobatics team , Red Arrows (http://goo.gl/pQrvF), in action, going through some low-level flying training routines. 

Flying low over the rooftops, play dog-fighting each other and drawing a giant heart and an arrow through it were just some of the routines I watched. The planes were routinely breaking the sound barrier (hence the thunder in the sky that alerted me). 

Stress just melted away as I watched men and machines go through seemingly impossible manoeuvres and stunts that well, were death-defying at times. It takes so little to transform us from 'adults' into giddy kids gawping at the sky

I sort of shot away with my phone(... more »

2013-05-22 18:14:46 (22 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

Red Arrows over my sky!

2013-05-22 16:54:14 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 7 +1s)

*HTC "In Freefall"*
 :: #OTOH :: 

2013-05-22 13:33:59 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 14 +1s)

No Accident

Korean music phenomenon, PSY, has a second Youtube hit on his hands thanks to his sound grasp of a very delicate balance between the hip, the camp, the utterly ridiculous and the eruditely sublime: PSY - GENTLEMAN M/V!

To see why Gangnam Style went viral check out here: http://goo.gl/yb2f7

2013-05-22 06:55:42 (6 comments, 2 reshares, 12 +1s)

The Image(s) of 'You'

+Tim Rayner 's posts always feel like gifts in a Poltlatch culture. They release insights on how we behave in an online environment and then help us understand why. 

The French philosopher Rene Descartes (1596-1650) popularised the idea of the self as a single unified identity in his book the Meditations (1656). Descartes’ famous phrase, ‘I think, therefore I am’, gave rise to a subjectivist movement in philosophy that decisively shaped the modern age. he writes, before concluding: Descartes got it wrong.

We are, like guests, in each social media vertical, come bearing gifts (mine is this post this morning, that also got me thinking, fast). To 'survive' and avoid a fragmentation of self that could possibly be catastrophic, we really need to learn to be natives, in each one. 

Dive into the full posthere: ht... more »

2013-05-21 15:57:48 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 19 +1s)

We Build and We Feel

There is an inescapable connection between our surroundings and ourselves. The former is an expression of what the latter wants or hopes for. Its being then feeds into that wish, helping it come true and closing the circle. 

This is a Zen garden and Koi Carp pond - an island of contemplative peace, in the midst of the bustle and hustle of Dubai's airport. There is a dynamic at work here that deserves a second thought. While, logically, we would want to create something functional, intended to transit as many people as possible as efficiently as possible, the architects spent time, energy and precious space, creating a feature that impacts directly upon the mind. The result is transformative. I found myself lingering to photograph the Koi Carp and stare at the Zen garden even though I knew I should be looking for my Gate. Yet, having travelled for the... more »

2013-05-21 05:57:54 (5 comments, 9 reshares, 13 +1s)

Back to School

Freelancers came out of the enterprise, escaping its stifling culture and now, in a surprising swing of things that marks the way the "new business" is done, the enterprise goes back to learn from those who spurned it.  For the full story, take the jump: http://goo.gl/Xbdh1

2013-05-20 13:52:52 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 9 +1s)

Yahoo had little choice but to part with some major loot in order to remain relevant in the semantic web. 

Find out the details by taking the jump: http://goo.gl/YK6dL

2013-05-19 10:14:21 (14 comments, 1 reshares, 32 +1s)

Nothing like seeing dawn breaking at 30,000 feet to make you fall in love with the planet. 

2013-05-19 10:03:15 (80 comments, 28 reshares, 150 +1s)

Grateful for the influence of G+

I have a confession to make. In retrospect, before G+ came along, I think I did not like the person I was that much. Kinda weird, right? How +1s, some clicking and the odd comment can have such transformative power? I’ve spent the last six months travelling across Europe and Australasia giving talks and presentations to company executives struggling to cope with search and social media. 

It sounds glamorous but it’s not. You get tired by always being, mentally, in the wrong timezone. Double espressos become a necessity to force your brain to work and the transient nature of airports and hotels begins to get to you after a while. 

You become used to hotel staff that is there to deal with your every request. You accept as the norm that Room Service won’t even let you hold the door while they bring you breakfast. You take it forgranted... more »

2013-05-18 12:00:14 (29 comments, 3 reshares, 24 +1s)

Bertrand Russell (18 May 1872 – 2 February 1970)

One last question: Suppose, Lord Russell, that this film will be looked at by our descendants, like the Dead Sea scroll, in a thousand years' time. What would you think it's worth telling that generation about the life you've lived and the lessons you've learned from it?

I should like to say two things, one intellectual and one moral. The intellectual thing I should want to say to them is this: When you are studying any matter, or considering any philosophy, ask yourself only what are the facts and what is the truth that the facts bear out. Never let yourself be diverted either by what you wish to believe, or by what you think would have beneficent social effects if it were believed, but look only, and solely, at what are the facts. That is the intellectual thing that I should wish to say.

Them... more »

2013-05-18 11:54:53 (0 comments, 1 reshares, 9 +1s)

Virtual Currency Shakedown By US Government
Got to love our government. How clueless do you have to be about digital to think shuttering a bitcoin exchange stops anything. Bitcoin is an IDEA. 

The idea +David Amerland's excellent What If We Had A New Value System For Goods and Services discusses so well and an idea whose time is here and now. I don't carry cash anymore. I have a single dollar on me as I write this having just purchased lunch with my debit card. 

Money is DEAD and gone buried by our digital age. Bitcoin, the idea of a virtual currency, is a powerful idea since such a currency would set its own value. More accurately, WE would set Bitcoin's virtual value by our social investment in it.

Got to love a government who is so clueless about what Bitcoin really is that they shut down the PHYSICAL thing as if they caught some wild cowboyc... more »

2013-05-18 11:32:17 (4 comments, 1 reshares, 10 +1s)

Yahoo Board to Meet Sunday to Consider $1.1 Billion, All-Cash Deal to Acquire Tumblr

2013-05-17 17:21:23 (8 comments, 2 reshares, 14 +1s)

Inspired by "that thread" by +David Amerland and always looking for fuel for the fire I'm trying to light under my community to get them to give G+ a chance, I hope this piece gives reluctant Plussers some fresh reasons to take a dip in the stream.

And there's a shout out to +Michael Bennett's latest blog post (how could I resist mentioning I had been credited with the "comment heard round the world"? I am from Massachusetts after all!) 

2013-05-19 09:26:52 (6 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

I grew up in a city. Although I like the countryside I find that I feel the buzz of civilization and creative energy best in urban landscapes. This is Singapore's skyline, a city that is forever reaching upwards. 

2013-05-15 14:39:05 (9 comments, 1 reshares, 21 +1s)

If only rubbing the lamp and making a wish, worked .... 

2013-05-14 19:03:03 (8 comments, 1 reshares, 13 +1s)

These days it's win a car at every airport.

2013-05-14 18:22:39 (15 comments, 0 reshares, 15 +1s)

The bright Dubai "lights".

2013-05-14 05:57:54 (28 comments, 0 reshares, 28 +1s)

Ten weeks ... six countries. I kinda feel like my next book should be called ... Airports!

2013-05-13 21:28:36 (11 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Walking on Air!

As a writer you never know just how close you get to meeting the needs of your readers. Certainly you hope you're doing a good job but, ultimately, you only know after the event is done (so to speak). That's why every reader's opinion matters to a writer. It is the only way they can get better. 

I came across this review of one of my books and it has me beaming with smiles. When a book helps someone so much that they feel they have to come and tell you it really lifts you, no matter what. 

2013-05-13 18:21:00 (10 comments, 2 reshares, 18 +1s)

Michael, this is as insightful as it is a blueprint on how businesses need to start thinking about operating. Prior to running into trouble Dell did really well using Hangouts on Google+ to deal with customer complaints. The real-time web and the immediacy of a very human connection are very much part of the new "global village" we are heading towards. 

2013-05-13 20:12:54 (12 comments, 4 reshares, 10 +1s)

Semantic Search - An Introduction

In terms of actionables semantic search is a challenge. If SEO in the pre-semantic web days tended ot be a little bit fiddly then in the semantic web it requires focus, attention to detail, engagement, discipline and oh, yeah those 'little' things traditional businesses do not do so well like "Trust", "Authenticity" and "Honesty" - the things, in short that we take as required when we deal with people. Video link here: Semantic Search: An Introduction

2013-05-13 07:38:52 (2 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

When Superheroes Marry...

When Nightwing fell for Batgirl it was never destined to be an ordinary wedding. Ever! Fun and light-hearted, just the way every Monday should start peeps. 

More superb pics at: http://goo.gl/TXbTA

2013-05-13 07:20:35 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 6 +1s)

If business has to steadily transform into becoming a force for Good in the World, then how does technology, which is the backbone for business today, change / evolve in order to enable such businesses to grow, flourish and sustain themselves?

While reflecting on this issue, a clarification by V. Srinivas on the purpose of technology and its connection to business is worth bringing to light.

The core argument he presents is that the development of society should be measured not in terms of the evolution of its technologies alone, but in terms of the evolution of the human beings who wield that technology.

I think this is an important aspect to reflect upon while seeking to transform business into good business. What do you think?

2013-05-12 15:26:29 (12 comments, 0 reshares, 22 +1s)

On The Need for Mothers

Every world saviour has at one time or another, really needed his mum. 

Happy Mother's Day

2013-05-12 08:46:01 (24 comments, 0 reshares, 26 +1s)

Awesome G+!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I started a thread on the G+ community spirit and its culture of learning (http://goo.gl/7MMj3) and +Jeri Ryan dropped in and said "hello" - Top respect to +Bruce Marko who just made it happen!! You gotta love G+. It makes things possible that no other social network ever has and it does it so casually you almost don't notice!

2013-05-12 12:10:37 (16 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

How Does Your Business Learn?

Creating a 'memory' in business and true 'learning capability' is frequently at the heart of a necessary transition from a legacy business model to a social business one. Take the jump for a two and a half minute podcast: http://goo.gl/0qlyM

2013-05-11 11:53:48 (5 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

Who want's Semantic Search Gravy on the Lunch
"There's no such thing as a free lunch."
If you do decide to buy a ticket for  the Social Media Train you'll need gravy with your lunch. Semantic Search is that gravy; so buy some. How do I know? I jumped on the train; Found an expert, sat down next to him and that's what he told me. So it must be right! :)

+Charimage +John Rakestraw +David Amerland +Stipple

2013-05-11 10:19:34 (7 comments, 1 reshares, 14 +1s)

Timeless Lessons in Perfect Marketing

Yesterday, quite by 'accident' I stumbled across what is probably the best description of G+ (http://goo.gl/sHmdB). A true campus examines all sorts of ideas trying to get to the truth lying beneath them. Gypsy Rose Lee's success as a stripper and interesting life story are no exception. The way she handled her 'brand' and build fame and fortune when by all accounts she should not can be found in the clever application of some principles that we can all learn from: http://goo.gl/v2x1g

2013-05-10 17:03:32 (230 comments, 17 reshares, 45 +1s)

Welcome to the G+ Campus

Frequently we ask ourselves what G+ really is. Some say it is a kinda giant brain and we all appear to be glial cells in it. Others talk about the singularity. Most of us think it's a social network because that's the most familiar concept we have and we are comfortable with that. Yet it's unlike any social network we have known before. Trends emerge almost spontaneously, subjects arising independently in an emergent culture way where synchronicity plays a vital part. 

But really it's none of that. +Marisa Goudy  nailed it when she said it reminded her of campus. At College synchronicity is everywhere because everything there has been engineered to challenge your mind, broaden your horizons and make you learn. 

I am proofing a book on Hangouts I have written and I posted a snippet this morning, from that(h... more »

2013-05-10 09:42:58 (13 comments, 1 reshares, 18 +1s)

This is Your Identity

In the latest survey of digital identity commissioned by Foresight the United Kingdom government wing that is charged with carrying out surveys that help to determine future government policies, webcams were described as: “The latest version of increasingly ubiquitous online activity, this is a form of hyper realist identity with unprecedentedly intense face to face communication potentially changing our offline identity through increasing self-consciousness.”

In other words Hangouts and Hangouts-on-Air are changing the way we view ourselves in ways we have not even began to quantify yet. 

2013-05-10 06:41:21 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 12 +1s)

See the invisible ... touch the untouchable

This is a scanning tunneling microscope (STM), and just past the polished glass of that steel-rimmed window, we exploit a little quantum trickery to capture images of individual atoms. Who doesn’t want to see photography on the Ångstrom scale — that’s one ten-billionth of a meter — that could one day change the world? Quantum tunneling, which is at least as cool as it sounds, makes this possible. ... Even better, the scientists don’t just see the atoms — they can manipulate them, giving atomic-scale tattoos with the STM needle, which is how they made the world's first atomic scale, stop-motion movie: A Boy And His Atom: The World's Smallest Movie

Check out the lab that houses it: http://www.bnl.gov/world/

And have an awesome Friday. 

2013-05-09 21:46:10 (11 comments, 1 reshares, 24 +1s)

Quite by accident, I discovered a massive hole in Newton's law of universal gravitation!!

2013-05-09 15:39:11 (10 comments, 0 reshares, 16 +1s)

Sea urchins clustered on a rock, shot at a marina near where I live, depth about three meters and the sea a little murky thanks to an incoming tide. 

2013-05-09 14:42:40 (0 comments, 0 reshares, 4 +1s)

Social Media Eruption

The power of social media to create a massive global mono-culture is exhibited best when seen against the backdrop of populist events. Had Princess Diana died today instead of 1997 the social media sphere would have lit up. 

The announcement of Alex Ferguson's retirement as manager of Manchester United, when analyzed, throws up some pretty interesting social media facts. 

When the one-world happens some day and Earth gets a Federation government, its roots will be found here. On the web, when people found more things united them than separated them.