First off, I’d like to thank Ian for allowing Nick and myself to have the opportunity to write for his blog and let us loose on you. I liken it to a house party when the parents leave town. Hopefully we leave the blog unscathed and not like what this kid did.

I’ve talked about a range of topics this week all centering on social networks at some degree. My last post of the week speaks to this once more and harkens back to the essence of why I’m in this biz. At my source as creative and as a designer is one of the first things I learned. That being typography. And with that was exposure to Helvetica.



We’ve all seen it thousands upon thousands of times in our lives, most of us without even knowing. It recently celebrated it’s 50th birthday and some consider it a perfect font. Gary Hustwit did a phenomenal documentary on Helvetica, interviewing some of the best in the industry and it’s impact on not only design, but the world.

It’s considered a social font. Designed to be a part of the fabric of our everyday life and to make communication easier. It’s easily adapted to what we need and used to depict any aspect in the environment around us. From warnings to welcomes, exciting news to legalese. Where is it tougher to find? Online. Arial is Microsoft’s attempt at Helvetica as a screen font (and print as well,) but it doesn’t quite have the elegance of Helvetica.

For a font to still be in use and to the extent it is after 50 years is an amazing feat. Will the online space have something as socially relevant as this in 50 years? Will there even be the internet in 50 years? The online landscape changes constantly and continues to redefine itself. It’d be amazing to to know the social networks and habits we are developing now will create the societies of the future and maintain a relevancy throughout history. Something as simple as a font changed aspects of communication and connection. This arena of new media is doing so as well.

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A certain kind of Facebook game (vampires and zombies, I’m looking at you) may have turned many away from visually simplistic stat-building MMOs.

Well, that’d be a shame, because Wagner James Au has posted on GigaOM about start-up GameLayers new (and interesting) PMOG (Passively Multiplayer Online Game).

Here’s the description from GameLayers site:

PMOG transforms our web surfing into ongoing social play. With a Firefox plug-in, players can bomb each other, wage war over web sites, and lead other users on web missions.

and

This unconventional massively multiplayer online game merges your web life with an alternate, hidden reality. The mundane takes on a layer of fantastic achievement. Player behavior generates characters and alliances, triggers interactions in the environment and earns the player points to spend online beefing up their inventory. Suddenly the Internet is not a series of untouchable exhibits, but rather a hackable, rewarding environment! .

When Kotaku’s editors posted about it a couple weeks ago, I skimmed and shrugged. Seemed like an ultra-niche, early prototype of a genre developed as part parody, part web-tech experiment.

After reading Au’s post, though, and checking out the offering more thoroughly, I think I misjudged.

First off, it’s got a Steampunk aesthetic. Steampunk is the black mini skirt of the blog surfing early-adopter set (see boing-boing.net and Doctorow, Cory) ~ it’s never going to go out of style (I hope I don’t eat those words). This overlay may have been conceived as an outreach strategy…or maybe because it’s so cool. I’m guessing strategy, though. Au reports that they’re “backed by O’Reilly AlphaTech Ventures LP and Internet guru/venture capitalist Joi Ito.” Probably not a lot of random decisions being made.

Another plus: The game play reminds me of dorm assassins. One of the greatest things about on-campus living.

These aesthetic choices will work in the short term, but there’s something more interesting going on…once people start setting traps and scoring against friends based on predicative behaviors (Johnny knows Billy is a sap for Hayden P., so he plants a mine on the URL of a candid pic on perez…Billy clicks and BOOM! Johnny scores!) PMOG is going to clearly distinguish itself from those goofy games with undead characters. Why? Because it’s just the opposite ~ by allowing friends to accrue points based on how well they know one another, its scoring is determined by the vitality of the richest friendships. Bite that, vampires.

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This week, Deep Focus launched a Facebook application called PageSix.com Pinch.

If you’ve ever wanted to send botox, a boob job, a nip slip, or a leaked sex tape to a friend, this app’s for you. Go ahead. Give it a whirl.

I know. I’m supposed to be on vacation. But I just couldn’t resist.

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I recently read the book Breaking Open The Head by Daniel Pinchbeck on a recommendation and was very intrigued by the connection of the internet to shamanistic ideas.

One particular passage talks about the Burning Man festival which takes place in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada at the end of August.

“The rapid growth of the festival and it’s flawless self-organizing structure are direct products of the Internet. Among the attendants at Burning Man can be found a tremendous brain trust of scientists and technicians, Silicon Valley Engineers and CEOs… Briefly escaping corporate jobs or university labs, they find release in flaunting their tools before a live and jubilant audience. “Black Rock City shows it’s possible to create a society based on play,” said Russel Wilcox.

In reading that so many internet associated people attend such events, one can see how and why the idea of the online social network was born. The ideals of current online social networks are found and inspired through these real-world settings. Life imitating art imitating life to a point. Can the online space replace the human connection of a face-to-face conversation? Probably not. But that’s where the challenge lies in gaining a connection where LOL and emoticons truly emote.

As the real world and these events foster “mind altering” and “mind expanding” through a variety of methods and, yes, substances, the online space is a prime inducer of opening the mind. Granted, watching too many YouTube videos has the opposite effect, but as a whole the internet is many people’s drug of choice through its vast landscape of content. I doubt the military saw the internet having this effect to such a social level.

Social networking takes us to these alternate realities. It lets users take on any persona they wish. It let’s people connect with those familiar and close to them as well as complete strangers. It’s an out-of-body experience. These crossovers from the physical space into the online space is where Web 3.0 is being born. Content generation with social interaction that explore connections in an alternate plane.

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This post summarizes an ongoing conversation I’ve had over the past couple years with Brendan Light, SVP Research and Development at Buzzback Market Research: a super smart guy at a super smart company.

The Internet. It happened fast. One day, I was a high school, checking out images of college campuses on CD-ROM, the next, I was emailing from a “terminal” in my college library. The transition from analog to optical media-based digital content to Web-based content happened in a heartbeat and big business (and subsequently, big advertising agencies) had to adapt…fast.

So what happened? Everyone reacted instinctively and created an advertising convergence culture…and I don’t mean this in the good, Henry Jenkins way. This was more a convergence of media aesthetics–the creative executions that populated the Web evoked familiar print and TV advertising styles. Even digital DM and CRM programs were really just ports of their offline brethren–not systems reconfigured to take advantage of interactivity. At the time, it was more important that clients and consumers wrap their heads around the medium in a way that was familiar. There’s a silly phrase: “we only use 10% of our brains.” Well, we marketers (and our clients and consumers) have only been using about 2% of the Internet. It’s nobody fault, really; no clients (or consumers) were really prepared for the power of this fully operational battle station. What’s sad is, since the advent of online channel, nothing much has changed. Online Advertising still rarely equates to Interactive Marketing. Digital, it turns out really just means not analog.

But, as the search for engagement valuation continues, there could be a way for agencies and brands to work together to create a different kind of value system redefining, or at least taking some of the pressure off of the idea of “engagement”. To do it, we have to up the ante: it’s time to define and differentiate Interactive Marketing from Online Advertising.

How? When? Where? Whaaaaa?

The onset of the Semantic Web means more powerful targeting. Targeting that could get very close to simulating an online, controlled research panel. Tools like Buzzback’s suite of creative research applications (or ones like them) could provide back-end qualitative and quantitative analysis, as well as a flexible creative platform that will allow individual advertising executions to double as learning labs for valuable market research.

A new form of compelling interactive units would be more dynamic, always morphing and relating to user interaction on a collective and individual basis. Because the creative is more responsive, interaction rates would increase and clients would receive new types of valuable data that’s far more actionable than what they’re getting today (think about it: in addition to today’s conventional tactics, these high-powered units could inform product designs…or anything else a client would usually get from a focus group).

This approach could help close the gap between what’s measurable and what’s actionable for our clients, increasing the value of the creative and the placements.

Some people might scream, “you’ve got your chocolate in my peanut butter!” but the combination of creative advertising and market research could be the most powerful and most valuable convergence we’ll see.

What would it take?

1) A Reality check. Focus groups and surveys are dying. Research companies need to upgrade their approach and enroll their clients in this shift. I expect it would also take independent research companies and creative shops buddying up. If either expect to be successful without the other, they’re mistaken (unless they can spend lots of time and money building a best-class department).

2) Pliability. Clients and agencies need to develop more flexible strategic plans…or develop them more frequently. Part of what makes this model so interesting is how actionable it is…but agencies can’t do anything if they’re constricted by a plan that’s 6 months old. There’s really no way to predict where a conversation with consumers will go…and the most valuable reactions will be in response to the most current consumer activity. So the way most plans and spending forecasts are developed today, they probably couldn’t support this system well enough to extract the value.

3) A Breakout Hit. Money is money is money. How many times did clients ask for Subservient Chicken (without any idea how many chicken sandwiches it sold). Even though this new hybrid model would be more efficient for clients, engaging for consumers and flexible for agencies, it better not taste like medicine. A great execution for a popular brand that yields amazing results (anecdotally as well as statistically) will help this become reality. How do we increase the chances of that happening? Simple. Make sure that all your online advertising ideas are embedded with interactive marketing smarts.

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MIT’s Technology Review just published it’s list of 10 Emerging Technologies for 2008. The one piece that resonated with me is Sandy Pentland’s exploration into Reality Mining especially in relation to social networking, new media and interactive.

Reality mining “is all about paying attention to patterns in life and using that information to help [with] things like setting privacy patterns, sharing things with people, notifying people–basically, to help you live your life.”

This becomes a hot topic for a few reasons. First and foremost is, once again, privacy issues. Data capture is part of our daily lives – credit card usage, cookies on sites, social network profiles, company swipe cards – and as technology continues to slowly infiltrate more of our lives, we become more tolerant and accepting of what information is divulged and distributed. Everyone has see the movies with the FBI trying to trace the criminals phone call with the criminal hanging up just before being caught. However, most people don’t think about that even with mobile phones being on all the time A simple Google search on his/her name would surprise a lot of people.

Reality Mining has been a reality for years. And as mobile phones become more prevalent with WI-FI, Bluetooth and GPS-type systems (ala iPhone,) in addition to the laptops we carry around and use, the continual social network is our daily life. And as mobile technology advances, our blip on the grid becomes more prominent. The Human Cyborg ideal continues to press forward. Professor Kevin Warwick first started research into this in 1998 by planting microchips in his arm for recognition of systems in his lab.

The major benefit of Reality Mining is from an anthropological standpoint. How people interact, where they are and when they are. Tying this information into disease outbreaks, advertising models (when a person sees an ad, what do they do right afterwards?) and general healthcare and “human maintenance.” Smartex in Italy is working on clothing that does just that.

It’s a bit of the God factor (being omnipotent and omniscient) that is also fascinating. Knowing where your friends are at any time, knowing what they’re doing, where to get the food your phone knows your craving. It’s bringing the idea of Facebook, Google Maps, Dodgeball and other sites into the physical space. The ultimate social network. Maybe even a step closer to SkyNet.

Real-time in real-time. Very meta.

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1. Car Crash Nation, er, Planet

At least once a day, I visit YouTube to see which videos are the most viewed, discussed and shared. On Sunday the entire front page of view rankings was populated with:

a) Videos of Arsenal striker Eduardo Da Silva breaking his leg in a Saturday game against Birmingham City. The injury was too graphic for Sky Sports to rebroadcast it.

b) Videos of Big Brother Season 9 contestant Amanda Hansen passing out due to low blood sugar.

I’ve watching my share of Formula One and ski jump crashes on YouTube over the years. I’m no innocent. But sometimes, when a “Most Viewed” index holds ONLY injury, disaster or downfall, it makes me wonder. Especially following the noxious preoccupation with 2 Girls One Cup last autumn. Boo humanity! Boo!

2. Giveth, then Taketh Away? Stilleth?

Everybody has “go-to” online content that immediately cheers them up. For me, it’s LOLCats (Emily Wu posting unsolicited on my FB Wall to wish me happy birthday was a major highlight this past weekend), and a few key videos. Namely, Charlie the Unicorn, Paintball Kid and a recent addition: “Child Clowns” from Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!

What? That last link doesn’t go anywhere? That’s because Time Warner/Cartoon Network yanked the Adult Swim show’s content from the site. Time Warner’s volatile relationship with YouTube is well known, but this was one of those great examples that illustrates the cost of stubborn and stodgy corporate policy. I wanted to share the video, in person, with a group of friends. Sure I searched other sites, but at the time, I only found badly optimized, shorter versions. Nothing as majestic as the one I’d been watching every day on YouTube for three weeks. Note: This version on FunnyOrDie is pretty good, though. Anyhow, the experience left me pissed off and unable to share my excitement with my friends. To use an awkward dating metaphor, I got content blocked. Compare this to the Sarah Silverman/Matt Damon affair, which ABC got OUT THERE. I even tuned into Jimmy Kimmel Live, a show I never watch, to see the response video. Anyhow, I know this is an old story…but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s still happening.

3. Everybody loves Magic. That’s why they call it Magic. (sorry, following the awesomeness of the Redbelt trailer, I had to channel Mamet.)

I don’t believe you can cultivate “magic”, it just happens. And yet, right now, this little girl is tearing up YouTube.

OK, I guess she’s cute and all. And yes, I’ll probably get some boos for nay saying the clip but I thought the editing of this video, by the dad, left it feeling completely contrived and bereft of magic. I’ve nothing against parents capturing their kids doing funny stuff and posting it on YouTube, but this video (and the father defends himself in the comments) really feels like it was shot FOR YouTube. Regardless of intent, the finished product didn’t feel organic to me. I went “eh” instead of “aww”. And that’s a bummah.

Look for a more substantive post on the potential convergence of Online Advertising and New Marketing Research Technologies in the AM.

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A fellow co-worker and myself were discussing various social aspects and the new trend of how people use space. As in, where they spend most of their time. The topic was very interesting where we initially narrowed it down into three areas. Home, work and the ThirdSpace (or Being Space as TrendWatching points out)

commercial living-room-like settings, where catering and entertainment aren’t just the main attraction, but are there to facilitate small office/living room activities like watching a movie, reading a book, meeting friends and colleagues, or doing your admin.

BEING SPACES charge us for eating, drinking, playing, listening, surfing, working, or meeting, just as we would at home or in the office, while successfully reintegrating us into city life 

An all too common example is the way Starbucks has made the coffeeshop into a living room type setting.

I also believe that in addition to these three spaces, there is a 4thSpace - online and social networks. A place where people go as a virtual home, from their landing page on Facebook to iGoogle. People dwell in one or two of these spaces at any one time. Usually one is physical with the second being virtual (ex: sitting at home playing Xbox Live, in Starbucks surfing Facebook, etc.)

The Four Spaces
1 - Home
2 - Work/Office
3 - Being Space (Starbucks, Borders Books, Panera Bread)
4 - Virtual Space (Facebook, iGoogle, MySpace) 

The intriguing aspect of 4thSpace is that it continues to exist without us after we place our identity into that realm. With MySpace, there are pages of deceased members that still garner visits and posted comments. So much so in fact that those that have passed now warrant their own sites like MyDeathSpace.com. The virtual identity becomes, or takes the place of, a real presence. Granted, social networks also allow users to be someone (or something) other than themselves, but the 4thSpace allows comfort in a setting where the other three spaces may not.

People unfamiliar, and even the familiar, become known by their page or avatar. Xbox Live, Facebook or when SecondLife was viable allows users to drop in for a visit and say hello. No one home? Leave a message and they’ll get back to you.

It’s a fascinating topic that is vast in it’s research potential, especially with user trends and emerging technologies with the additional social aspects and implications. As we get drawn into The Matrix a bit more, it’ll be nice to know how cozy it will be. Or when a Starbucks opens a Starbucks in it. Trust me, NYC is close already.

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The Idea Well—sometimes it runneth dry. All Creative Service employees know about brain drought. Even worse, it’s contagious and can stop a pitch or project dead in its tracks. The usually panacea? Ping-pong tables, CommArts books and TheFWA.com. There’s gotta be a better way! Well, if brain drought’s the poison, I’ve got the remedy.

Story Games

A couple years ago, I discovered a Story Games creative community. Story Games is a sort of synonym for indie, pen and paper RPGs. Unlike earlier RPGs (D&D-type stuff) there’s generally a lot less number crunching. In these games, the mechanics are designed to expedite the storytelling. Plus, you’ll find games with all sorts of awesome and original concepts that extend beyond fantasy, from dating to show biz development. What’s great is that each one has a unique, intuitive system (engine, in tech parlance) for narrative progression, collaboration and/or competition—essentially dialogue and interactivity.

Hmmm, dialogue and interactivity increase engagement, promote co-authorship and build narrative. That sounds really familiar…like from every client brief written in the last two years!

Not sold?

Here are 5 reasons why your Creative Department should be playing Story Games:

1) They Keep You Together. Story Games promote the collaborative development of big, relatable, compelling ideas that work for everybody…no hobby horses allowed.

2) They Keep You Honest. The mechanics that power these games are basic and elegant. Usually just poker chips, a traditional card deck or simple custom tokens. As creatives and technologists we sometimes forget that emotionally compelling interactive experiences don’t require wizbangery.

3) They Keep You in Shape. Been working for one brand or on one project for a few weeks or months? Story Games keep brainstorming muscle fit, even if it’ll be another month before you can come up for air.

4) They Keep You in the Spotlight. No hiding in the corner, resting on the laurels of AS3 skills. If somebody is gun shy (or lazy) about ideation they can’t run away in a Story Game. If they do, the experience is compromised. However, as long as everybody is onboard, the engine will work and ideation and presentation skills will evolve.

5) They Keep You Sane. In reality, these games are like narrative karaoke. They’re fun, fast and everybody gets to shine. Most importantly, they’re not work…but they’ll make you better at your job.

A Final Note:

Ian and company are going to resolve the engagement debate soon. However the measurement system nets out, the numbers are going to favor the executions that tell the best stories.

Designers of My Favorite Story Games

Jason Morningstar (The Shab al-Hiri Roach)
Jared Sorensen (InSpectres)
Matt Wilson (Primetime Adventures)
Emily Care Boss (Breaking the Ice)

I also recommend game designer Ron Edwards seminal essay, “System Does Matter”. (more…)

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Google’s announcement last Thursday about their venture into online personal health records is a mixed blessing, but one that has been much needed for the healthcare industry. It’s been a hot topic since the original announcement by Google in October. The biggest concern is that of privacy issues and, more so, data security. Microsoft and Google make assurances that data will be secure and privately controlled by individuals.

On the pro front, this announcement will open up the healthcare industry similar to how the iPhone has made carriers rethink their strategy of having strict control of what devices user get. Now patients should control where they take their ailments, rather than big healthcare saying what referrals you need and how to get care. Granted, this will take a while to see the full wave of this effect, but it’s finally happened where there is the challenge to bringing control to the masses. A big idea of web 3.0.

The cons? Well, for one, people will have to be the keepers of their medical history. A lot of people will, a lot of people won’t. Judging the way people can be cyberchondriacs with the likes of WebMD around, a social network space to post every symptom they may think they have would definitely need filtering and a professional opinion. But we’ve all been curious about what the doctor scribbles (yeah, they scribble) on that file. Just ask Elaine on a classic Seinfeld episode trying to see what’s in that file.

But imagine if that information does become publicly searchable (”OMG! She had WHAT when we were dating?”) or the movement into a medical social network (GooTube? Yuck.) It might lead to a new perspective on selective reproduction and a change in human evolution. Scientists are already theorizing on it. 

If the trial with the Cleveland Clinic is a success, we can see a big change in the way medicine and society interacts on that online space. I see it as a portal of innovation and communication – cancer survivors speaking about their therapies, treatments analyzed and discussed, ease of research and innovation – beyond their niche spaces on the web. The power of technology, the power of social media and the human element are enticing for this to work.

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