Friday, December 31, 2010

Nook is the best, they say

Image representing Barnes & Noble as depicted ...Image via CrunchBase

Barnes & Noble said so...but didn't provide any data yet. Amazon will soon jump with the same information about Kindle. Who's right? Among my friends, Kindle is the king. And me, I am rather referring to Kindle and Amazon when it is about buying and sharing books. Maybe because I am living in Europe and I don't have the pleasure of breathing the B&N nice atmosphere? Looking further for new data and, why not, the opportunity to test a Nook by myself.

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The Social Network, the movie

Mark ZuckerbergImage by jdlasica via Flickr//Mark Zuckerberg, in the movie of his life
I avoided for a long time to see the movie about Facebook - or rather, about Facebook founder - because I am more interested in the phenomenon than in the personality. If not Mark Zuckerberg, somebody needed to create this network, as it was in the air of our time: a new generation, new skills and needs. A documentary movie was for me more tempting than an artistic movie.
And, I was right. The movie is focused on Zuckerberg's personality - his conflictual and clumsy social connections of the creator of a popular social network -, with some vague suggestions about the ways in which academia faced the online challenge, or the need to reconsider the intellectual property. From the artistic point of view, I couldn't see anything memorable.
But I don't regret I've seen the movie because I realize now what I will expect from a real documented production about social media and its influence on our times.
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The best social media tool of the year: Twitter

Expedition 20 Flight Engineers Jeff Williams, ...Image via Wikipedia
I was very active this year on the front of social media, trying at least every day to learn something new, to discover a new application or simply to improve my 2.0 skills. My main focus was to explore how the 2.0 changed our way of life, and I was extremely interested in the influence of the virtual world on the academic life and research.
The best benefits I took from Twitter. I created an account one year and a half ago, but started to use on a daily basis only in March. And, since then, it plays a big part of my virtual life. I found there very interesting people, extremely good resources for what I am interested in and lots of opportunities for expanding my knowledge, including in the area of foreign languages - trying to use my foreign languages for short but efficient communication.
For the next year, I would like to explore more Foursquare for example, as it is a very good tool for marketing and promotion of places and products, but I am sure that Twitter will continue to be a good medium for communication. And, of course, would like to see what's the next diamond in the 2.0 crown.
Wait and see!

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Wednesday, December 29, 2010

New Year's Resolutions

Most probably I will have new posts till the end of 2011, but today I am in the inspirational mood to make plans for the next 12 months. So, what do I wish to accomplish:
- Update the blog permanently with interesting articles, links and comments
- Authorship of several articles on PR, communications and new media, to be published in various publications, online and print
- Learning and updating permanently with the newest trends from the 2.0 world
- Diversifying the portfolio of clients I am consulting currently and sharing further my experiences
- Starting to organize trainings, presentations and online webinars
- Promoting successfully all my blogging products
What about you? Did you already set up your priority list?
Wish you all a best year!
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Monday, December 27, 2010

Presentation skills: 5 secrets of the pros - iMediaConnection.com

"Secrets of successful presentations: my inspiration for today"
The power to tell a good story is inherent in the human DNA, but not everyone remembers how to tap into it. Let these five fundamentals bring you back to presentation greatness.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Is e-mail dead?

NEW YORK - JULY 23:  Copies of the New York Ti...Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Some thoughts following the lecture of this article in the NYT. For me, it is rather a matter of thinking strategically and from the point of view of the efficiency. I need all the classical and new forms of communication: e-mail, normal mail, text messages, chat, video etc. In general, any of them. I am ready for any kind of challenge. En garde!
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How to manage your own PR

RIO GRANDE, PR - MARCH 13:  Jason Day  hits hi...Image by Getty Images via @daylife//Learn how to hit the right PR ball


I just read an interesting article showing a couple of useful tips. Some of them I knew before, some of them I was using before knowing I did and some of them were new - as the video part, for example, which in my case continues to be a little bit complicated, mostly from the technical point of view. Overall, it is a good lecture for ending up this Wednesday.
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Web Design suggestions

Do you want a radical online relift?
Try bokeh! Maybe this blog needs a change too!

Delete me!

It is a cure for everything...when it comes to the online world. Sordid or simply unpleasant traces can be eliminated. Apparently, for ever.

The spontaneous brand

I will not enter into any details regarding the (low) degree of insanity of this story with UFOS, Armageddons and other double vision effects. For the branding and PR point of view, for me it was interesting how the image of this Bugarach, a relatively unknown place inside and outside France, turned into a most see destination (and not only for the sake of post-2012 survival). With advantages - as people who bought land and who are heading (in flows) to this place, investing in hotels and other services - and disadvantages - as the immediate danger for the quiet life of the people. If the elements of this image are truth or not, reliable or not, created or invented this doesn't matter. The final result is the collective work of people's (secret) wishes, their desires and mental needs. From now on, it's the duty of brand managers and communicators to continue the work.
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Reading for free

Reading is one of my main passion: I am doing this all the time, from a very early age. Books, newspapers, almost everything readable. And 21st century, with all its opportunities to access knowledge easily and with few if any costs it is the perfect time for me to live.
The free days of holidays are close, or already here for some mostly if we are living in Europe, so I suppose that many of you would like to get some rest and enjoy a good and useful reading. You don't need too much space in your luggage as long as you have your laptop with you. Plus: it is not necessarily to make some impressive financial sacrifices. Lots of free books on various issues - from IT to hobby - are waiting for you and all you need is to have a click here.
Enjoy your lecture and take all the advantages of the days out-of-work.
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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

What annoys me today

Since discovered the elegant "Share" option, near the articles I am reading on Internet, I am terribly happy: I wasted so much time without sharing interesting texts, only because I was too lazy to log on blogger and copy-paste the link etc. With this marvelous button, it was a very direct road from my eyes to my readers. But, shortly after I got addicted enough to this application, I discovered that not all of the media tools are including the same options. For instance, the most missed link is "blogger". Hope to find till the end of the day something nicer to share.
A very good one to everyone!

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Share forward

Since the beginning of this week, I am fully enjoying the wonderful opportunity of updating my digg, StumbleUpon etc. accounts and blogs more than once the day, by using the great "Share" button at the end of the all respectable articles posted on Internet. Only a couple of clicks away, you are offering as often as possible content to your online dossiers. In less than 2 minutes you have everything on. For somebody reading and documenting permanently, it offers a great opportunity for sharing forward. This is the option of showing to the world how you are, in a very efficient way.
Good luck with sharing, readers!
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Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Call for Papers

Knowledge Management SoftwareImage via Wikipedia//Knowledge management - The software


I wanted first to post this call for papers on an issue on Knowledge Management Beyond Borders on a website dedicated to intercultural management and ethnic minorities. But, I immediately remembered that this is a problem going beyond the usual academic and scholarly discussions: it is a very practical aspects regarding the ways in which we do businesses.
I can't wait to apply for this selection.
Good luck, competitors!
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Mister Wong and me

While trying to fight with the WordPress blog settings - this is the newest entry in my always expanding media empire, and will share more about this soon - I discovered Mister Wong. What it is the connection: as I am trying to build a blog hosted by a German website, this Mister was recommended as a link to be used for sharing the latest updates. By curiosity, went on Google for a complex search and was happy to get in touch with the German site for social bookmarking. You can save all your favorite websites to your personal account and share it with other people from your network. The site is a direct competitor to del.icio.us and have the advantage of focusing exclusively on the German speaking realm. Recently, there were launched versions in Russian and Chinese. Equally, you can benefit of mobile support, accessing your account and saving your links of interest directly from your cellphone.
You can connect via icq, Skype, Yahoo, Twitter, Facebook and YouTube, to access a FreeDigital Library. As privacy is a permanent matter of concern in Germany, the site is offering you the possibility to chose if you want to have your profile private or/and public. Also, you can access a Free Digital Library.
I am wondering if it is any similar website in French - as my blog I will start soon - when WordPress will be kind enough to share its secrets with me?
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Monday, December 13, 2010

Evan Williams on listening to Twitter users | Video on TED.com

Evan Williams on listening to Twitter users | Video on TED.com

Travel recipes

Looking for new writing opportunities - as many as possible - I set-up a profile on www.travbuddy.com, a community of people with a big passion of travel. You can review locations - hotels, restaurants, places - you can share tips and also you can have your own blog, to post travel impressions and pictures. A big challenge for the industry of tourism as it used to be.
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Academia.edu pays for good ideas

An interesting initiative from academia.edu a website dedicated to scholarly networking: They are paying the contributors sending ideas and suggestions for improving the quality of the website. My only observation is that you find this opportunity only somewhere at the upper end of the page, written with ilegible characters. Such a good idea deserves a better promotion.
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Monday, December 6, 2010

Six Social Media Trends

Image representing Foursquare Solutions as dep...Image via CrunchBase
The last weeks of 2010: time for evaluations and predictions.
Here is one of them, about Six Social Media Trends.
As for me, I will bet a lot on Foursquare like networks, in terms of increasing profits and creating content and targeted relationships. In terms of innovation, I am sure there will be a couple of small but long term ideas that will orient the more and more intricated networks for turning them into smart tools - for consumers and users and companies - taking into account the feed-back offered by the users themselves. I am curious what Google will offer in this respect.
Here is another interesting article I've read today, about the limits of the Facebook-based activism, by Malcom Galdwell. All we need: people able to use the content and the opportunity of the network. The 2.0 citizen is on the run for the moment.
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