A.Connector

New media content producing dynamo(prolific and GOOD-how does she do it?) Mur Lafferty has new novel project out. “Playing For Keeps” in serial pdf download or podiobook(audiobook) formats. Some of you will recall Mur contributed an excellent audio piece on last A.Connector Cast. Check out her work.

Successful design is a harmonious marriage of form and function according to veteran award winning logo designer Paul Rand. Here is a nice video of Mr. Rand’s thoughts and some of his work. FYI-He did IBM, UPS and many other iconic logos. Learn more about this connector.“Don’t try to be original, just try and be good.”

Yes, I was having some issues after upgrading WordPress (surprise, surprise) so I changed theme and made this new logo. Hope you like it. You might actually need to leave the comfort of your RSS Feed Reader to come and see it…

French electronic group DaftPunk opted to use social networking tools to engage their fans and promote their new world tour via this widget here. Very good use of tools in a lifestyle practical way. Full disclosure: It turns me on to say widget in a social media kind of way.

Wow had a blast of a time with MJ (the Bushman), HuiChen, David R., Todd, Mike T., David E., Catherine, Andres, Karen, Carrie, John, Becky & Jerry. You can see video here. There are also links to some of their and blogposts on the event at that link too. Please check out their blogs and tell them the “A.Connector Guy” hooked you up.

Well it seems that CC Chapman former VP at Crayon is taking time to work on his book and contemplate some other new media options for his next career move. CC is a very well known and well liked person on the new and social media fronts. We are posting this to wish CC all the best and inform you if you have some projects or offers for him. You can reach him here

What do they see? The latest trendy stuff? Anything deeper more substantial than that? It seems to me that in many cases old media recognize there is something going on, there bottom line has been affected but still relies on cooptive old media methods. Pwning is enough, no need to go any deeper. In fact, much of new media and the early adopters it attracts is very much attuned to the culture that goes along with the widgets, api’s, etc.

I have much experience dealing with different cultures, so I am kind of an expert on cultural sensitivity and insensitivity too. Culture is like air in that you don’t see it or give it a second thought but without it you’ll die. In essence, the savvy old media shoppers will also buy and listen to the new media cultural evangelists, particularly the ones that have worked in a money making model to make sure there is adequate awareness and sensitivity enabling continued acceptance of the property that’s been assimilated.

My friend and fellow Dvoices member Bryce Moore really made a nice blog post here on the subject of comments. Very timely since several of his threads touched upon some similar ones I had just covered in newest cast(see below). If you haven’t read Bryce’s A Bite of Sanity you should. He is excellent at organizing his thoughts and communicating them very clearly with good imagery.

I had a conversation with another Dvoices member-Jim Stanger on this and other related topics. He made an interesting point. He claimed that most blogs or podcasts don’t have a “true community.” They have a producer and some consumers. He went on to state in his opinion, a true community carries on conversation with each other whether or not the producer or leader is present. Jim also mentioned that Dvoices might be more of a “salon” than a community.

The beauty of conversation-sharing ideas. Sure beats a bunch of yes men telling you what you want to hear or how white your teeth are.

So here’s the tag line today-community is in the eye of the beholder. If you want it to be there I think you can find it, just don’t assume it is. Better still, be prepared to build it.

It is still my early morning here and I’m getting caught up on Google reader news-one item is sad(but inevitable) and uplifting: Liz Claiborne dies yesterday after a long fight with cancer. My condolences to her family. Carleen Hawn has written a very informative piece on this great lady and mother of a connector here.

Liz Claiborne Inc was the first Fortune 500 company founded by a woman. Man too bad my Nana never met her that would have been something, two tough female contemporaries involved in women’s fashion.

Kudos to Liz and her drive and accomplishments. This is a good quote to close on from the Hawn piece:
Clairborne will be always remembered for the fact she is a brand. This is a great accomplishment to be a brand [in a high competing field such as fashion].
Rest in piece, you’ve changed the world.

Am I really the last person to jump on the Seth Godin bandwagon? In fact, I just subscribed to his blog today after being a recent convert via some TED video. This Drivers post here really does it for me. Seth is a brilliant codifier, not unlike Adam Firstman(you know Eve’s husband) in that he is extremely astute at observing a pattern and naming it appropriately. Many of our problems in the business world and life are due to the wrong drivers in the driver’s seat.