Silence in the Echo Chamber

Ironically, the topic of this blog post is something that has already been spoken of. It's the "echo chamber," the most common reference to the idea that much of the thoughts on the web are redundant or derivative. I find myself posting much less lately because I often will find fresh content that mirrors the ideas that I was planning on writing about. In effort to reduce the echo, I thought about what "walls" were being created that have stifled original content for myself and others:

The Walls

RSS Feeds: Those actively engaged with RSS feeds get a great deal of information (even in snack form) thrown at them. The topics in those feeds get out brains working, but it's often about the work or thoughts of other people. While there's great value in this kind of analysis, when brainstorming I suggest ignoring your feeds.

Livestreams/Microblogs: On Twitter today I posted the following: "Know how when you were a kid you'd invent things that already existed? To you, they were new? Happens a lot with thoughts now on Twitter." This proved true when three people replied to me saying that had just had that "epiphany" today as well. In terms of being a "wall" Twitter is still a mixed bag for me. It does two things, having it open forces me to think of creative questions and points, but it also leads me to read the same of others. Unless you can ignore your tweet stream and focus only on the "What are you doing?" box, I'd say close this up as well.

Lazy Reconfiguration: An author once told, there are 6 great stories out there when it comes to fiction books. They have all been written, new books are the same stories with new people, settings, and technology. The optimist in me doesn't want to believe that statement, but assuming it's somewhat true, it means that creative configuration of content is vital. It means telling the same story from a different perspective and adding your own analysis and critiques. (But also making sure your analysis/critiques aren't clones of other respondents)

Conferences and Mixers: Choose your live events carefully. Unless you are a speaker sharing knowledge, ask yourself a few questions. Is this conference going to bring something new to the table? Are the people here going to be different from the last one I went to? Am I going to act as a filter for the speaker and send out someone else's thoughts into the stream (conference tweeting) or am I going to listen to a unique perspective and then collect my thoughts and offer my own?

The above walls are not without value. They serve the purpose of SHARING content with those that can't access it or find it. But don't get confused and think that sharing content is the same as CREATING content. In the digital space, your audience is composed largely of people who do know where to get this information so instead of showing them the same film twice, write the sequel, do the remake, or add the directors commentary. 

What are you strategies for avoiding and not contributing to the echo chamber?

Follow Friday (Free Book Edition)

Hugh McLeod or @Gapingvoid as many of you may know him, was kind enough to send me a free book after I bought his new one titled "Ignore Everybody." Fortunately for you all, I don't need two of the same book. What I DO need is smart people to follow on Twitter. And since it's #FollowFriday, I thought I would use this opportunity to help discover new smart folks.

So here's the deal, in my comment section post 1 or more person that I should be following on Twitter. Then (optional, but helpful) tweet the following:

"I want "Ignore Everybody" so I'm telling @LenKendall who NOT to ignore. http://bit.ly/fAxa0"

The person who provides the most interesting individual for me to follow by end of July gets the book. I'll pay for shipping it inside the U.S.

If you're not sure if this book is for you, here are some great reviews:

Logic + Emotion

Jeremiah Owyang

Ryan Stephens

Happy Friday

Give/Take Ratio

There are countless conversations happening online. We’re beyond the point of brands knowing they need to join those conversations. They do. What they may not realize is that the longer they wait to jump in, the more work they’ll have to do before they can ask for customer’s business.

Since its modern inception, the internet has been a resource for people looking for information. That hasn’t changed, but what has happened recently is the social web now gives various entities the opportunity to become thought leaders in a specific category. While some attain this status by consistently offering valuable information, many (especially in competitive categories) becomes leaders by guiding those who are searching.

Continue reading at MarketingProfs

Iran and Social Content. Tread carefully.

I usually don't talk about politics or philosophy on this blog, but as the Iranian situation is now intersecting with technology, I wanted to share some thoughts...

As Iranian leadership continues to shut down communication with the outside world by banning foreign journalists and blocking certain web channels, we here in the U.S. are applauding the power that social media is giving to Iranian protesters in terms of sharing their voice with the rest of the world. Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, etc are being filled with peepholes into people's lives and struggles and it's obvious that the majority of Americans and our media support these actions.

Let me be clear, I support the freedom of speech and I support what the protesters are doing. But I do wan't to offer a reality check:

The power that social media now wields in Iran to help act on the behalf of what is "right and good" as we percieve it, can just as easily be used for the opposite.

"Evil doers" are going to figure something out. They're going to figure out that they can't block this wave of information anymore. So the only option they are going to have is to fight fire with fire and stage their own information to pull the will of the crowd towards what they want to happen. Let's pretend for a second that the Iranian opposition leader Mousavi was in fact "evil." That once his green wearing supporters somehow managed to get him into power, that he would commit worse crimes against his people and the world than Ahmadinejad. AGAIN NOT SAYING THIS IS THE CASE, JUST CREATING A HYPOTHETICAL SITUATION. If such a thing were to take place it would be a very scary reality wouldn't it? It would mean there was an entity thatl was able to stir up the power of the masses, to flood twitter, to turn our avatars green, and to make us collectively bring something horrible into the world.

My point? We need to step back and be more critical than ever. Social media has the power to sway the hearts and minds of people around the world. This time it's for a cause you believe in, but next time it may not be.

Credits

When you visit one of the casinos on Las Vegas Boulevard these days you’re not going to find many machines that you can slip a quarter into. Rather, you’ll find that you need to buy a card loaded with credits. This reality does many things. It keeps your hands cleaner. It makes it easier to track your comps. It also makes you forget that those “credits” on your card are dollars.

Excuse the Yogi Berra style quote but, when you don’t feel like you’re spending money, you’re not afraid to spend it.

We’ve seen hybrids of this model with iTunes and Sony’s PS3 marketplace, but many of these successful implementations have happened around non-tangible goods. And when they have been tied to tangible goods they’ve come in the form of gift cards.

But…

-Most stores market gift cards for you to give to someone else.

-Stores that offer Gift Cards also accept other forms of payment such as cash or credit.

-Items that can be obtained through gift cards are still listed in “dollars.”

If stores were to switch to credit loaded cards only, my question is:

-What tangible goods could be sold under this principle?

-What price points would be too high where consumers would become uncomfortable with not being able to compare goods?

-Would the lack of accepting cash or credit ultimately destroy a business?

-Would this be seen as being deceptive? Or would a “comps” program make it worth it?

-If competitors started to copy this format would it become irrelevant?

10 Irrational Behaviors on Twitter that’d make you look crazy in Real Life

1. Write letters to inanimate objects or brands: “Dear 34 Bus, if you don’t show up in ten minutes, I’m going to consider hitch hiking as a permanent solution to transportation.”

2. Repeating a statement word for word that was just said minutes before.

3. Following someone even though they don’t want to talk to you.

4. Walking into a crowd on Friday morning and shouting out the names of eight best friends.

5. Quietly handing someone a note that is asking them to join your Spymaster league.

6. Proving someone wrong in a debate by referring to statement they made exactly twenty-four days ago at 3:30pm CST.

7. Carrying a rubber stamp in your pocket and slamming the word “FAIL” on everything you don’t like.

8. Jumping out of an alley and responding to a question that someone asked someone else.

9. Taking real words and melding them together cleverly while NOT being a rapper.

10. Having 100,000 people walking behind you and you’re NOT the Verizon guy.