A Fuller View

I was reading Gapingvoid today as I was surprised to see he quit Twitter. Maybe there really is a trend toward real social networking? Anyway for this post I found kmy way to ChangeThis - an entire site of manifestos.

ChangeThis: is creating a new kind of media. A form of media that uses existing tools (like PDFs, blogs and the web) to challenge the way ideas are created and spread. We’re on a mission to spread important ideas and change minds.

Lots of cool content on this site. I think this will provide some good reading on my train trips over the next few weeks…

I think working at Google’s Zurich offices would be very cool. Check out this fun video tour over on the BBC!

I disagree with Mr Blodget’s comments on SAI re: 20% time at Google. That just proves that Wall Street analysts don’t get tech innovation or how the Valley works. The 20% is great “life hacking” and I am sure Google still gets 125% from most staff… On a related note this over on Fast Company is cool and well worth read!

• Marissa Mayer’s 9 Principles of Innovation

Plus, worth checking this one on NYT:

• Yahoo Reveals (Some) Details About Its Ad Plans

I added some comments to yesterday’s post on AOL below.

Great video interview with Nicholas A. Christakis on The Edge about his research into social networks (and not just the online variety, but the real social networks offline).

This just in on TechCrunh a rumour that Google may try to buy 20% of Yahoo to block you-know-who. Totally wild.

I like Oliver Burkeman’s column in The Guardian Weekend magazine (printed “dead tree” edition on Saturdays in the UK) - its called “This Column Will Change Your Life” and here’s a sample. Doesn’t look like all of these columns make it to the online version - his Jan 19 & Feb 23, 2008 pieces had some nice tips that I will paraphrase and reproduce below.

He introduce me to the term “strategic incompetence” - which can be a good skill to cultivate. Here’s an example: your boss asks you to learn as new software tool, but isntead you plead ignorance and find someone else in the office to take on the task. Or as Oliver chimes “I’d do the laundry - I’m just worried I’ll damage your clothes.” This really a micro form of expectations management. Always a good thing to do. A related tip is to remember the power of “no” and thus training your co-workers, children and partners not to always expect “yes.”

The best tip in his early January column, in my opinion, was his advice on email reply time lags…

If you’re driven crazy at work by ceaseless emails demanding instant responses, try always waiting a few hours to respond, even when you have no reason to wait. Far better to have a reputation as someone who reliably replies within 24 hours than someone who replies within seconds…

Further, this reminds me that if you check and reply to emails say 2x a day (once in the AM and once in the PM) you will be far more productive and happier.

Moving on to last week’s column he had some useful tips on filling. I am going to start implementing Numbers 1, 2 & 4 right away.

1. For paper files, a simple A-Z system is best.
2. For electronic docs you only need one folder called “archive”. Use your PC/Macs existing internal search or a good desk top search app. This applies to emails.
3. The degree of orderliness should be proportional to the likelihood of needing to locate things.
4. File less; discard/recycle more.

I would say that with e-docs and email that a few folders for key items is very useful. For example with email I have 2 Admin folders - one for travel and conference call info and another for HR/expenses etc. This way when I am on the road or in a hurry I can always access key emails very quickly. Same goes for word docs, powerpoints etc.

The above is a sort fo “middle way” and credit is due to Zen Habits and 43 Folders.

Great post on KK discussing downtailing and uptailing - nice concepts. I like the potential use of both terms. I can even see downtailing being something to aspire to as part of a down shifting strategy - you know less is more, focus on quality of life, maybe even lifetailing… Uptailing, I can see becoming a widely accepted we all fight for some attention and “crawl” up the long long long tail. Also a sweet piece on the Freeconomy - well worth a read. And makes me think time to revisit Freecycle and get some stats on this service in terms of growth and economic value…

This piece on Business Week - Deliver a Presentation like Steve Jobs - is pretty cool and well worth a read if you want some good tips to help improve your presentation style. Even mere mortals like me should try to learn a thing or two from one of the master presenters of all time - the Apple CEO (and a master of spin). Don’t get me wrong, I am never going to present on such a scale (ie, no delusions of glory here on A Fuller View), but even if just to a handful of co-workers or 30 people at a trade show, it is always a good idea to try to improve the quality of any presentation. There are just so many boring presentation styles; my biggest goal is to at least “NOT be boring!” Here are the 10 tips, my faves are Nos 2, 4 & 7:

1. Set the theme
2. Demonstrate enthusiasm
3. Provide an outline
4. Make numbers meaningful
5. Try for an unforgettable moment
6. Create visual slides
7. Give ‘em a show
8. Don’t sweat the small stuff
9. Sell the benefit
10. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse

Even FSJ almost agrees this is a good analysis of his style.

Just a link this very insighful post - Beyond Vertical Search to Business Networks - on RWW. I wll digest this and then add some thoughts at a later date. I see lots of opps in the vertical search space that potential tie into the beach gig of the future…

Yes, that’s right I have deactivated my Facebook account and am “officially” quitting the social networking service. Some people will ask me why, others we get it already and then some may even wonder “what’s the deal with FB in the first place”.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not politically or morally against Facebook like some pundits (but I completely agree with Tom on spending more time in the real world and that neocons suck) nor I am not interested in online social networking. I have simply found Facebook to be a useless service and a complete waste of my time. This move it really part of personal “online downsizing” efforts (this is a life hack, trust me!). I am downsizing so I can have more time to do fun stuff in the real world - like go to Tumble Tots with my little one, go to pub with mates, go for a run, do xxx with my wife and maybe even finally learn to play the ukulele. I want limit what attention and time I give for online stuff (Note to self: there is alink to the ‘attention economy’ thread to this move). You get the idea.

I estimate that for me Facebook easily eats up at least 1 hour a week. That’s 52 hours a year. According to piece in the BBC back in Sept, Facebook is costing companies as well. I have too many online accounts and too many online services that want my attention. My time is valuable. So, I am downsizing.

This week I am cutting the following as a start:

1. Facebook
2. Twitter
3. Dopplr
4. BlueChipExpert

I am sure I can find some others to kill off as well… Instead, I am going to focus my time online. For me, LinkedIn works well. I am haevy into email, blogs, news and search. That should keep me busy. I can use YoutTube, Flickr and del.icio.us to get the same type of functionality from the better parts of FB.
What did I like about FB?

• The fun wall
• Connecting with a few old friends

For the fun wall there are better services out there (YouTube, Flickr, etc). Old friends can find me online and if I have old friends who are hard to find, well maybe they want it that way.What did I hate about FB?

1. emails telling me go get messages
2. lack of useful stuff
3. waste of time
4. to much hype
5. slow, sluggish service
6. friend request from people I barely know or don’t really like - see Costanza Rule
7. Groucho 2.0 Rule

So, I say let’s all try to spend more time doing “real social networking” and spend more time offline in 2008. That’s it for now. I would like to hear from other people who have quit Facebook.

Note: I will be back to update my Social Networking Hype and 7 Rules for Success next week.

[Photocpation : Giant Dog Terrorizes Florida Suburb, from googlesightseeing.com]

A fun piece on SEL with 20 photos that should make you smile on Google Maps. If you think this is good then be sure to visit Google Sightseeing as well - a complete site of this stuff and there is a companion book - Off The Map site.

What’s cool is the folks running Google Sightseeing have created a nice little derivative business off Google… A life hack for sure.

Here is a good challenge from Steve Rubel’s Micro Persuasion blog - nice post, worth a read. I am going take this challenge as part of my personal blog development for 2008. This fits in with of my blog goals to:

Improve the quality of my content with probably less posts but more depth when time allows

I often use my blog as an easy way to track and tag things of interest but it looks like I need to get more sophisticated on this front start to use a link blog or RSS reader to keep track of stuff. I need to find a clever way to print out key blog and news posts for consumption on the train/tube - maybe DailyMe, any other tools out there? This is why paper never goes way - totally portable, no juice required and you can recycle it. Now I just need to start noodling away and come up with some worthwhile ideas.