Monthly Archives: November 2007

Events this month

So I was out of the country on various business trips for the past 3 months. Fun, tiring, informative, and cool.

But now it’s time to get back into my Chicago networking circles again. I thought I would share some of the events I want to go to (or at least try to). Please let me know if you want to go with me to any of them. Always nice to not walk into a room of strangers alone. :)

11/29 – Mashable Meetup, Fulton Lounge
12/1 – StarShaped Press Open House
12/6 – MediaBistro Holiday Party
12/6 – KEXP’s Equalizer
12/6 – CIMA holiday Party
12/7 – our holiday party :D
12/8-9 – Bucktown Holiday Arts Fest
12/11 – I-Go Holiday Party
12/18 – Type A Meetup

Wish me luck on getting to any/all of them, as there are also many friends and family holiday parties littered throughout this time as well.

Also, let me know about any other Chicago events. I am always up for meeting more Chicago peeps in or adjacent to my industry.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Web 2.0 is so normal

I had a chat with a friend last night about what “Web 2.0″ is.  He, a young marketing exec, thought that it was basically a programming term and that since he wasn’t hearing it that much anymore, it’s kinda a dead trend.  Oh no, I told him.  It’s much more than a marketing term for programming.

Basically I separated Web 2.0 into 3 areas: Design, Programming and Community.  I said that any one of the elements, done correctly, could qualify something as up for a Web 2.0 label, but a combination of the three ensured it.

  • Design
    • I am writing a creative brief today and started digging around to see if I could find some references for aesthetics I am partial to.  In doing so, I uncovered this nice writeup that summarizes some of the typical design elements found in a “web 2.0″ site.
    • http://f6design.com/journal/2006/10/21/the-visual-design-of-web-20
  •  Programming
    • I told my friend, if you hear the words Ruby, Python, Drupal or AJAX used, you are dealing with a Web 2.0 site.  Of course, many other programming languages are used to achieve the kind of drag and drop feel of a Web 2.0 site, but these are the big ones lately.  These are also nice languages to see on a developer’s CV if you are hiring them for a job, as, even if they are not experts in any of the languages, they are forward thinking.
  • Community
    • How happy am I that the accidental career path that I wandered onto has become such a superstar in the industry. :)  
    • Users are #1 in the Web 2.0 era.  You have to figure out a way to not only provide ways for your company to hear and communicate with your audience/users, but to actually listen and value their input.  Voting, focus groups, user enhances product design – the list is becoming infinite in the ways a company can immerse itself it it’s audience and become better for it. 

Let me know if I missed any major facet of Web 2.0.  I think most characteristics will fall in these buckets though.

Now that Web 2.0 has become normal, the fun begins.  Virtual worlds, user-centric design and strategies, MTV and video game raised kids becoming executives and generally blurred lines between companies and users are just the beginnings of a new era of business.  Web 2.0 isn’t dead, it was just the beginning. And I am excited for things to come.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: , , , ,

Animation/Cartoon Production Blogs

I know it’s been a while since I posted.  My new job has me busy working now.  Not that strategizing isn’t working, but the next phases are more resource intensive and allow less time for blogging.

That said, I am researching production blogs now, especially aniamtion/cartoon ones.  If you know of any more, let me know.  Also, any production blogs in video games, virtual worlds and toys would be great, too.

Frederator Studios – http://newtoons.frederator.com/
•    Industry Veteran Fred Seibert (Hanna Barbera) started his own company a couple years ago with a main teme of get the word out for free no matter how.  They have tons of tangent video casts, etc and multiple posters.  Their posting frequency is a bit high for me, but a great animators blog.
Yo Gabba Gabba – http://brobee.blogspot.com/
•    One of my favorite preschool properties that I have been tracking since 2005.  The production blog is a mix of animation, behind the scenes with eccentric staff and fan submissions.  They also use an open blogging tool (Blogger)
Wow Wow Wubbzy – http://wubby.typepad.com/wubby/
•    Another property that implemented a production blog early in their development and allowed us to track progress until they went on air and then after.  They also use an open tool (Typepad).
The Muppet Newsflash – http://muppetnewsflash.blogspot.com/
•    Older property that is using new techniques to keep fans up to date on property news.  As their franchise is much older and more established, their updates are more on the caliber of new DVDs and Macy’s Thanksgiving float announcements, but the tone is the same as the others – light, excited and fan-centric.  They also use an open tool for posting.
South Park – http://www.southparkstudios.com/rss/
•    An old intern of mine is now one of the PA updaters on this blog.  Not one of my favorites due to tone, content and length of posts, but worth looking at for reference on scope of production blogs in this industry.

Blogged with Flock

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Apologies for my absence

I have been traveling internationally for months now and very much so the past few weeks and therefore have been very busy.  I have been writing volumes (or facsimiles for volumes) on my personal blog the past couple weeks, but haven’t been transcribing my professional observations as much as I would like.  I promise to at least “try” to do so on my flights tomorrow.

But for those of you interested, here is my personal blog:
http:/jopod.tumblr.com

Promise to reenter this prof blog world asap.
:)

Blogged with Flock