Julie Germany will be discussing online politics at the South by Southwest conference in Austin, TX this coming weekend
My colleague, Julie Germany, joined me for a conversation on Disruptive Dialogue about her upcoming trip to South by Southwest where she will be speaking about online politics. As the former Director of the George Washington University Institute for Politics, Democracy, and the Internet, as well as the current Vice President of Digital Strategy at DCI Group, she is well positioned for this talk.
In this interview she addresses:
- a sneak peek at her talk scheduled for this Sunday in Austin
- expectations and advice for SxSW
- views on the importance of geeks engaging in politics at all levels
[read more]
Brad Feld writes about the current debacle in Colorado where Amazon has shut down all of its affiliates in that state as a result of a new law passed by their legislature and signed by the governor to expand sales tax obligations. Eric Norlin, organizer of the Defrag and Glue conferences, notes in the comments that Amazon has even said its employees can’t attend or speak at those events since they take place in Colorado (apparently done on the advice of their lawyers).
Here in New Hampshire, the state enacted a new Limited Liability Company Tax last year that dramatically changes the tax implications for many technology companies. The LLC Tax has stirred up quite a bit of controversy and the legislature is now considering whether to scrap the new rules.
These are but two examples of the implications that government can have on technology entrepreneurs. But there are potential impacts at all levels — from the White House on down to the local councils and school boards — that must be watched.
So what do tech geeks do about it? [read more]
Don Bates discusses tips for good PR writing in this episode of Disruptive Dialogue
Next week my good friend Don Bates will be teaching a seminar on PR writing in Washington, DC. This practical and informative session is being sponsored by the PRSA National Capital Chapter and will be hosted at George Washington University on March 16, 2010 from 9 AM to 3 PM.
In advance of this gathering, Don joined me for a conversation about PR writing in general and this workshop in particular.
[read more]
Mark Fisher, editor of Ars Technica, explained why ad blocking doesn't make sense. (Photo by Roo Reynolds)
Ars Technica kicked off a hullabaloo by blocking content for those who use ad blockers. The “experiment” lasted only about 12 hours over the weekend, according to editor Ken Fisher. In a blog post, Fisher argues that “ad blocking is devastating to the sites you love.” [read more]
Chris Brogan's Social Media 101 book is a collection of his best blog posts, but falls short as a true primer.
I’m a huge fan of my friend Chris Brogan. His is one of the 10 blogs I read most regularly. He’s a great blogger, a willing teacher, a smart entrepreneur, and an all-around good guy. Hopefully the next time I run into him at the airport — where we both spend too much time — he won’t hold this review against me.
Brogan’s latest book, Social Media 101, collects some of his best blog posts into book form. On its surface, it is designed as a primer for those who need to “get” social media. Unfortunately, the great standalone blog posts don’t really translate into a great book. What worked really well online at the time they were written simply doesn’t come through on the printed page. [read more]
American University students paint themselves blue to show support for their basketball team, much like this sculpture photographed by Nicholas Laughlin.
At my alma mater, students have taken to dressing in blue and painting their faces (or more) blue to show support at sporting events. They’re called the Blue Crew.
Those cheering students helped push American University past Navy in the first round of the Patriot League men’s basketball playoffs this week. Tonight they head to Lehigh in Pennsylvania to try to advance to the league final with a shot at the championship and their third consecutive automatic bid to March Madness.
So who’s your own Blue Crew? [read more]
The Boston Globe carries an interesting nugget today that has significance beyond just that one media market. Local AM radio station WRKO has decided to drop Rush Limbaugh in favor of local Republican operative Charley Manning.
Donna Halper, a radio consultant and college professor, is quoted in the piece saying, “There’s just so many stations that can air Rush Limbaugh.” She’s right: Rush has strong appeal, but at this point in the conservative talker’s long and successful career, he’s not as unique as he once was.
With traditional media struggling, the notion of finding a niche is something more ought to consider. [read more]
Mark Story is working to raise money to help 10 year old Lauren and all kids with cancer.
As a parent, I can’t imagine the challenge of dealing with one of my children battling cancer. That’s why when my friend Mark Story told me about a little girl named Lauren, I felt compelled to donate to Mark’s efforts on behalf of the St. Baldrick’s Foundation.
Ten year old Lauren has not just been battling cancer for the past 5 years. She also lost her Dad in a car accident just before Christmas 2007.
The idea behind the St. Baldrick’s event that Mark is participating in is that people get together to shave their heads in support of childhood cancer research. This year, Mark will be at Fado Irish Pub in Washington, DC on March 13 to make himself look just like me — at least at the top of his dome. [read more]
Presentation coach Mark Schnurman of Filament, Inc.
I have given a lot of presentations over the years. Too many to count. Some have been educational, others aimed at pitching a product or service. I have spoken in front of hundreds of people and presented 1 on 1. I have used props and slides, and I have gone without visual aids. I have presented on my own, on a panel, and as part of a group as large as 10 or so. I have done presentations with less than 5 minutes warning and I have done them with weeks of advance notice. I have practiced for presentations and I have also followed a “just wing it” approach.
So when we had an opportunity to do some presentation training at DCI Group over the past month or so, I didn’t go in with the no idea of what to do. And I had a healthy skepticism of professional coaching. I have had audio and video recordings of some presentations I have done in the past, and I am OK with watching and listening to myself to make improvements. My experience as a regular podcaster for a number of years has been particularly helpful in desensitizing me to the sound of my own voice so that I can review my performance more objectively. [read more]
At a dinner I attended last night in Washington, DC, one of my tablemates s said that since I was “Mr. Digital” that I shouldn’t really need to come to DC every week since I could just use video conferencing.
Now, I certainly do use video conferencing. And conference calls. And 1-on-1 calls. And email. And text messaging.
But my answer was that no matter how digital I may be — and I do love all of my electronic communications gadgets and gizmos — there is still no replacement for human interaction. [read more]
