IsCool

Post Secret

Where was I these past years?  Under a Rock? 

No one told me about this amazing project, Post Secret.  A place where people send up to 200 anonymous post cards a day to one guy who posts the best on line and in books.

Here is the author on the Today Show earlier this month.

This is so #IsCool.

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This is cool.  Here is the original page link.

Be Extraordinary: Micro Volunteering. Have 2 Minutes, Volunteer

This #IsCool.  A new organization, The Extraordinaries, finds "Micro Volunteering" opportunities for you via the web or your iPhone.   I have a BlackBerry, so the web is where I'll be.  (I just discovered another simillar org, Catalista.  Check them out here. They have an iPhone and Android application)

From their website: 

Most of us don't have a Saturday to dedicate to a cause, but we do have spare moments...lots of them. Despite busy schedules, we often find ourselves with idle time: waiting for the metro, in line for a haircut, at the doctor's office, bored at work, or when a friend is late to dinner. What could we do in these moments?

Go ahead, volunteer now:

Video Twitter Welcome - TOTD

Have you completed one of your New Year's Resolutions yet?

On New Year's Day I decided to get a resolution I made out of the way: 

Make a short video introductions for Twitter friends at both of my blogs.  You can view each at the links below to my 2 blogs.

• The National Political Do Not Contact Registry Blog (@EndTheRobocalls)
• IsCool Twitter Companion Blog (@IsCool)

So it was very nice to have completed one of my New Year's Resolutions and to have the Tweet about it as the Tweet of the day for 1.01.2009.

Here was the Tweet:

• Used 12seconds.tv to update my Twitter landing page with video at the @IsCool blog. May not be #IsCool. :) http://ow.ly/1Xm

Comments:

Ever since @Pistachio suggested the great idea of a Twitter landing page I've been thinking about adding a short (Twitter Short) video introduction to augment the landing page(s) I made.

So, using 12seconds.tv (the video equivalent of Twitter where you must record a video in no more than 12 seconds) I made a video introduction after a few takes.

As you can tell they are not high production value.  

But the videos do attempt to:

1. Humanize my Twitter accounts and blogs by putting my (not so pretty) mug in front of you all.  Let me know if that works or not.
2. Add some additional commentary about the purpose behind each endeavor as well as give you something to do as well.  In the case of @IsCool to let me know what you think is cool through the use of the following hashtags:  #IsCool or #IsNotCool

Let me know your thoughts.

Thanks again.

Until the next TOTD.

Shaun

The Commercialization of Twitter - TOTD

What did you expect?  Twitter to remain virtuous and "cool" for all of us "in the know"? 

Today's Tweet of the Day, by far, is this Tweet about the commercialization of Twitter.  Over 30 clicks on this URL in Brightkit (@IsCool's Twitter management tool)

• RT @justin_hart: Ugh. Twitter marketing meets Real Estate snake oil. Me no like. #IsNotCool but expected. http://ow.ly/1FQ

I was there in the early to mid 90's when there were debates about the commercialization of the internet.  People were adamant that the internet was developed for research and knowledge and "goodness".   How could those evil marketers use it to sell law services!  OH MY GOD.   You could not corrupt the internet with advertising.  No way.  "We" were not going to take it.

Well, that was then and now the most powerful company in the world (OK I may be exaggerating) is the "do no evil" Google.  Whether you like it or not Google is essentially an advertising company.  Pure and simple.

99% of Google's revenue comes from Google Adwords or advertising related products.

So, while you may love GMAIL, Google Docs, Google this and Google that remember that you get those things because Google is the King of World in terms of advertising.

Why do you think Google has a stock price (still) in the stratosphere while the New York Times is about ready to be sold to the Chinese for cents on the dollar?

So it was inevitable that Twitter would become a place for Tweeple to complain about overt and covert commercialization.  Ads?  How dare they!  Marketing?  No way!

People, Twitter is currently NOT MAKING MONEY.  

Like the Dot Com companies that are no longer with us (PETS.COM RIP) Twitter will need to find a revenue stream(s) or, they will be a Wikipedia entry in a year.

I hope not.

IsCool, What Is IsCool?

IsCool is the blog companion to the Twitter Account @IsCool where all that is cool and remarkable can be found on the web.

IsCool is inspired by the election of Barack Obama who is the embodiment of "cool".   

If you find something really cool, let us know and we'll post it to our Twitter @IsCool account!

We'll also figure out what @IsNotCool sometimes.

Here is Obama telling us how cool things are in his administration.  Thanks to Saturday Night Live.