Mitch Joel's Blog: Six Pixels of Separation, page 392

The Art Of Power Friending With Amber Mac

Episode #212 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to.

She is well known in the Digital Media circles from her work on G4 Tech TV to her constant (and consistent) appearances with Leo Laporte. There are few people more connected (both online and to the New Media channels) than Amber Mac. We have been friends for many years (and constantly joke about how often we wind up connecting in airport lounges across North America). She's not...

I'm A Creep

What is it about the human condition that makes us interested in the personal and public business of one another?

People would like to have you believe that they have, indeed, evolved beyond the point of needing the public's attention. If those same people have a Facebook profile, Twitter feed or have uploaded (or even watched) a video to YouTube, they're lying to you. Like all people (except for those who are really cut-off from society or off the grid), Social Media proves one thing...

Thank Social Media For The Next Phase In Human Evolution

What do you do with your down time?

The average Canadian watches more than 25 hours of television every week (depending on which survey or research report you believe). On top of that, the average Canadian is also watching close to 12 hours of online video every month. Comparatively, the average American is watching close to 40 hours of television every week and about four to 12 hours of online video (the difference is probably related to both connectivity and culture). As busy as your...

500 Million

Today was a big day. Not just for Facebook, but for Digital Marketing and Social Media.

When 500 million people do anything, it becomes mass media newsworthy. Today, Facebook made it official: they have 500 million accounts. This makes Facebook the third largest country by population after China and India - and a couple of hundred million ahead of the United States (according to Wikipedia). That being said, we're looking at the wrong metrics. Those are mass media advertising numbers, and...

The Myth Of Location

Why hasn't Foursquare and other location-aware platforms taken off?

Let's not dismiss the amazing growth that online platforms like Foursquare have had, but they certainly do not have the mass adoption trajectory or passionate users like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube. So, what gives? Didn't us Marketers (and yes, I am lumping myself into this group) all think that location-aware goodness (and the ability to send a targeted message to someone who is physically close to whatever it is that...

4 Ways To Not Reek Of Desperation

When you're desperate it's hard to win business, get that job, market a product or do anything (like find a mate).

The trouble is that most people who are desperate, can't even muster up the levity to see, feel and hear it in themselves. When you're desperate, your confidence drops, so whether you're looking to meet someone, get a job or close a piece of business, nobody wants to connect with someone who reeks of desperation - and therefore lacks confidence in whatever it is that they're...

Media Hacks Audio Podcast #33 Is Now Live

Episode #211 of Six Pixels of Separation - The Twist Image Podcast is now live and ready for you to listen to. This is also episode #33 of Media Hacks.

Instead of the usual phone conversation, Hugh McGuire, Julien Smith and I met up for an early morning breakfast at the infamous Bagels Etc... in beautiful Montreal. The conversation floated between mass media versus Social Media to looks at everything from how Old Spice is leveraging the convergence of the two, to why both Clay Shirky and

Use Your Brain

You probably learned this lesson early on in your education: check your sources.

Here's a shocker: Wikipedia is going to have mistakes in it (some might argue that having mistakes is part of its charm). People will make YouTube videos that are both offensive and false. Blogs will be written and published that have no sense in the world of reality. People will say things that are not true on Twitter (which c-list celebrity died today?). Like everything else in this world, you have to be...

Presentist

Where is all of this Social Media and Internet stuff heading?

That is - without question - the #1 question I get asked in boardrooms and in front of audiences all over the world. While anyone can appreciate the ability to look into the future and help a business get a few steps ahead of their competition, the truth of the matter is that I don't have crystal balls (and neither does anybody else).

Being called a Futurist always feels weird.

Mostly because I know the deep dark truth (which i...

6 New Business Books Worthy Of Your Time And Attention

There is a whole new stack of new business books that require your attention. Here are just 6 that I'm about to devour.

Cognitive Surplus by Clay Shirky. I only have about ten pages left in this book, and it's just as good and thought-provoking as Shirky's debut, Here Comes Everybody. It's sharp, pointed and looks at the Internet (and yes, Social Media) in a highly intellectual and practical way. Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh. It's hard to believe that I get to have my book, Six...