Thank Heaven for Little Dongles

How to market a gadget in 5 sleazy steps:

1. tap into adult paranoia.

2. target 'passion point' of said paranoia - kids.

3. segment toward deepest paranoia - daughters sold into sex slavery via the internets.

4. manufacture gadget - make it pink!

5. make sure it only works in conjunction with same gadgets -- exponential sales increase!

Or, that's what this looks like to me. Instead of teaching kids responsible Internet and cell phone use, keeping a close eye on them, using tools ON the computer to block access to what's risky, and ripping 'privilege' devices away from them if they fail to 'get it,' instead go spend $70 on IM-Me.

(Oh, and be sure to pick up some for your daughters' friends, because IM-Me only works with other IM-Mes and only when they're in "dongle range").

Yeah, I got a dongle for ya.

conjugate me.

sessum, sessumus, sessumest

morning coffee note

2007ces_015.JPG
Originally uploaded by dsearls.

Cutting Through the Noise -- You Don't Do It By Making More Noise.

Seems to me Robert is asking as much a marketing and PR question (how can companies cut through the roar of noise on the net) as he is a personal time management question. Surprisingly (heh), I have an answer:

Engage a Marketing/PR person who lives, breathes, and sleeps online like you do. BUT: Make sure they're actually smart, not just off their Ritalin.

The right person will watch for opportunities -- much the same way you read feeds, but with different glasses on -- to enable people who are gathered around a common interest or passion, one your company's product/service addresses. This person understands that an opportunity isn't a chance to spam influencers. It's a chance to help people accomplish something they can't accomplish at that moment. It's two, two, two mints in one: engage and enable.

It's helping the market help itself.

Using your company's passion and people, you help real people (in old-school language, your user base; in new-school language, communities) solve a challenge--not necessarily a challenge that has anything to do with your product or service.

A snapshot that Robert was involved in-- CES 2005. There was a room shortage--no one could find rooms anywhere near CES in Vegas because of a collision of shows and events. Bloggers started saying, Oh crap, I can't find a room at CES. WTF? Big names and not-so-big names were told there was no room at the inn. Technorati ranking didn't matter to the reservations people.

At that time, I was working with BubbleShare, who was also going to CES without dollars to spend but with the hope of connecting with bloggers and others. What did we do? We saw this context-based need and realized an opportunity to help solve a problem. We didn't pull some obvious, goofy PR stunt: Hey, let's take photos of people out on the street and have a contest! We engaged people and helped solve a problem.

In one night (we started around 11 p.m. I think), we built, populated and got the word out about the CES Wiki, which was designed to connect folks who were looking for roommates, places to stay, rides, etc., at CES. By the next morning, everyone was talking about it.

We followed the conversation like bloodhounds trying to help people hook up, matching needs with solutions. Calling hotels and getting information on who had rooms and who didn't. And once everyone was situated, we used the wiki to update that same community during the show. Charlene Li told people where they could rent bikes to get around. Doc debated a star-watching excursion. And we held an "Unconference/Unshow" during the show to connect bloggers and companies realtime.

Yes, we encouraged photo sharing on the wiki, but the POINT of the wiki was that we were providing a way for the people to accomplish something. And we were doing so without spending money on hot air balloons or limos.

Now if we had had money..... well, never mind. The cost was virtually nothing. The reputation gain was huge. If I had my way, that wiki would still be up and active, and would have morphed into something larger in its own right, continuing and facilitating relevant conversations and connections around events.

So, yes, while tools and processes can help Robert and the rest of us cut through the noise, smart people who understand the net are what help companies cut through the noise.

Okay, Ritalin helps too.

(I'm KIDDING!)

Angry Jonas Shot

IMG_4299.JPG
Originally uploaded by jon gos.

easy, jonas. eaaaasssy.

And right back at you! Imagine my surprise to find you speaking in the ATL--well, almost in the ATL. One of my early day who's-that-masked-man heroes.

George says, come back soon--we will try to get left coast too.

SoCon07-more for frank

SoCon07
Originally uploaded by hyku.

ha! see frank? me again (next to the nicest lady in the blog business).

SoCon07

SoCon07
Originally uploaded by hyku.

letting Frank Paynter know that i really was at socon.

j. brotherlove has good take aways from socon

and a nice collection of links. i may have to go to podcamp atlanta just to see the guys again. maybe podcamp can change my mind about podcasting, which, uh, i've yet to become enamoured with. I spent my early work years at the University of Rochester transcribing therapy session notes for doctors. Maybe listening to people drone on triggers me. Ironic. But I'm willing to learn. Hey, what am I if not an open source?

SoCon - we came, we spoke, we hugged

What could be better than walking around a university campus at a blogging unconference with a badge on your chest reading: jeneane sessum, Kat Herding Media. ;-).

Yesterday was SoCon07, in chilly but sunny Kennesaw, Georgia. There were lots of great moments for me, including connecting/reconnecting with online friends I love, like jbrotherlove (who's getting his socon links together--lemme know when they're up, j.), karsh, Toby Bloomberg, and others.

Josh Hallett, who I finally got the chance to hug in realtime, has some beyond-the-call-of-duty live blogging posts from the conference (socon dinner, blogging socon, how web2.o will affect you, trends that will change your profession (and life), (getting back to the core).

I got to finally meet and squeeze Jonas Luster, who I've followed online since the early days of whatever it is we're doing here. What a treat it was for George and I to hang out with Jonas.

Toby Bloomberg and I led a discussion on Women and Social Media, in a breakout group of about a dozen or so people. One of the group members was podcasting, so if I get a link, I'll come back and add it.

A couple of participants had their laptops open and were taking notes--I hope I can find posts and provide the links. [[Update: here are amber's live blogging notes--she was ready to climb out of her seat at our session, apparently. I think she's right about the need for a feminist-blogging session. Ours definitely was not that. Other issues: an hour's too short; 3 days to plan is too short. Challenges: the guy who couldn't stop commenting; diverse experience/interest levels (from non-bloggers to long-time onliners; from 'business' bloggers to personal bloggers). Of course, for me, all of those things also made the whole experience more interesting too. I responded at Amber's place.]]

I thought it was a good, lively discussion. I can't tell you how much I enjoy doing things like this with Toby. She's a pro.

It was sort of a suprise to me that there were half men in the room at one point. Not surprisingly, both men and women were interested in the risks, reasons for, and reasons for not, getting personal online.

We talked about the differences of writing personally and writing about the personal, and how they are very different. We talked about what we get out of blogging and participating online. We touched on the HOWs of getting included in online discussions--how do new bloggers get into the mix. I made a call for bringing back the blogroll--something that many of the influential have done away with (and too many of us who have them--me too--have stopped updating). The blogroll has always been one of the most powerful tools for endorsement, for inclusion, for raising the profile of those new to blogging. We talked about tagging your posts, reading a lot, linking into conversations you care about.

I liked the unconference breakout format. We pulled our desks into a circleish formation and talked about what felt right. I hope everyone took away something.

I didn't get to see the first part of the conference since Jenna had her final basketball game, and I do have priorities. ;-)

I came in during Chris Klaus's talk. Chris heads up atlanta-based Kaneva, an online social platform/world/playground that I've blogged about here before. George came for the second breakout session, and we sat in Jonas Luster's community building breakout, which I thought was really interesting. It is always good for Atlantans to hear from someone outside of our domed metroplex.

Props to all who pulled this together and participated. It was fun, and above all reminded me why I like my crocs better than my pumps.

Writing the Personal, Writing Personally, And Who Are You Online?

Toby's got a cool discussion going on about the ins and outs of sharing the personal on a professionally-geared blog, and vice versa. We're continuing it tomorrow at SoCon.

Questions -- Can you write 'personally' without sharing details from your personal life? Can a professional blog be personal and professional too and still be 'weighty' enough to matter?

What are the risks of integraing or separating your "selve(s)" online. And what about other social spaces--profiles on myspace, orkut, friendster, facebook; professional connections on linkedin, 'personalities' on second life; photos on flickr; videos, podcasts and everything else Media 2.0? Are we becoming more dissociated or more integrated?

How much of you are you willing to share, how personal are you willing to get, and at what cost?

And what about gender -- are women willing to go where guys fear to tread in the personal department? Is it true that male bloggers tend to separate their professional writing from their more personal posts (men who come to mind: mike arrington's "techcrunch" vs "crunchnotes"; stowe boyd's /message vs ambivalence; and scoble's -- oh wait, I guess scoble blogs like a girl).

:-0

eh? eh?

Kat Herding Media goes social!

My atlanta blog cohort -- my blogdivamia -- Toby Bloomberg and I will be leading an uncon discussion on Women and Social Media: Finding Your Niche at SoCon this Saturday. Last minute addition to the schedule, we said okay, and we'll do our best to evoke some interesting conversation--bring your wildest questions, sometime in the afternoon, to Kennesaw State. I'll be coming from Jenna's last basketball game, so let's be thankful they don't do overtime in the Upwards league. ;-)

see you there.

Chick-Fil-A and the Straw-Coke Thing

It’s not all that deep, nor is it terribly interesting, yet it’s important enough that I’m taking ten minutes to write about it, this straw-Coke thing.

In the South, we USians are fortunate to have a fast-ish food joint called Chick-Fil-A. My understanding is that it’s run by a conservative evangelical type, but I don’t know enough about the company to say if that’s true, and it’s not the point of the straw-Coke thing.

Well maybe it is, but I’m claiming it’s not.

I don’t go to Chick-Fil-A often, but as quick food goes, their chicken breast sandwiches are not all that unhealthy, plus they taste good.

What little tendency I have toward ADD seems to love the Chick-Fil-A brand. It took more than a year after first arriving in Atlanta for someone to stop and inquire, “What are you saying?” when I asked if they wanted me to bring them anything back from the drive through.

“Chick-A-Fil,” I announced. “I’m going to grab a sandwich.”

“You’re kidding, right? ‘Chick-A-Fil’?”

The entire front desk staff doubled over when it became clear that I indeed thought the name was Chick-A-Fil – as in ‘fill you up with chicken.’

Old Habits Are Hard to Break

Even after I learned the real name, it was hard to break the old habit. It became an office joke—I’d write post-it-notes saying, “at chickafill, be rt bk!” and stick them on my monitor. Countless lunch discussions focused around which brand would really be better for the company: A-Fil or Fil-A. You could call it a meme. Or not.

But this isn’t even about that.

It’s about this week and the straw-Coke thing.

There has been, no secret if you read here or there, a ruckus going on at Tara’s blog, which emerged from what some -- present company included -- saw as her dogmatic, even careless, approach to discussing a loaded topic with her commentors, an approach I happen to think she takes too often, nice though she may be.

I have been knocking the whole thing around in my head for a day or more, trying to figure out what part of the interaction was bugging me the most.

As it happened, clarity was waiting at the Chick-Fil-A drive-through window.

It Really Is That Simple

As I was paying for my chicken breakfast bagel this morning, the cashier handed me my drink with my change. As usual, I sat staring at my drink wishing she’d given me the straw that goes with it.

But they never do.

At Chick-Fil-A, they always give you the drink, and you have to fish your straw out of the bag later, once you start driving.

I was thirsty, so I asked for my straw.

She went and got one with a smile. And I decided to ask:

“Why do you guys always wait to hand out the straw? It's pretty stupid. I mean, why not hand it over with the drink? Drink-Straw, Straw-Drink.”

She explained to me that usually they try to “expedite” orders so that there is just a little time between the drink and the bag of food with the straw in it. But usually that doesn’t work. Especially at breakfast.

So I said, “You don’t even have the straws nearby do you?” She shook her head, “They’re with the assembler—he puts them in the bag after he wraps the food.”

I decided to talk to her a little more. “But I’m thirsty when I get my drink. Doesn’t it make sense to have a straw with the soda?” She shook her head yes. “You wouldn’t believe how many people ask me for the straw after I hand them the drink.”

I told her maybe I would let Chick-Fil-A know that the straw-in-the-bag thing isn’t working.

She smiled and said she’d like that because she spends a lot of time getting straws.

The Generosity of Saying, "That's Stupid."

Beyond remembering that flawed processes tend to get passed along in franchise businesses – and downstream to the customer in all businesses – the interaction at the drive through window brought me some clarity on what’s been bugging me the last couple of days.

There is a generosity in telling someone they’re wrong, and there is generosity in hearing it.

When you take the time to explore with me where I’m off track—that’s an act of generosity from you, no matter how much I think I’m right.

“Enlightened” is not shutting you down for telling me what I don’t know, and making sure everything resolves to the easy key-of-C “My Truth and Your Truth.”

Enlightened is owning up, is learning and reapproaching, is stepping down into the muck, not stepping away from common filth onto the pedestal. Enlightened is willing, is stupid and messy, but is so much more beautiful than pretty.

It’s saying, “The fucking straw does belong with the Coke. How’d I miss that all this time?”

And maybe even saying, "Thanks."

Calling Brooklyn, Come In Brooklyn...

George saw a youtube video wherein an Ex-JW gives a call to the Society to ask some questions about their stance on Prince's "worldly" (and incredibly wonderful) halftime show at the superbowl. After watching, are you left feeling like you don't quite know what the Society said? Precisely! ;-)

If My Purpose Isn't Higher, Then It's........

Tara Hunt falls prey to the Oprahization Movement, already in progress across Western Civilization.

Chris tries to take Tara to school, something he doesn't waste a lot of breath doing these days, rightly so. Instead of actually groking the links and facts-- never mind actually reading (the kids these days, they don't want to know), Tara tries to reason that even Hitler had a higher purpose.

Sphincter says wha? Define 'higher' kay?

You see, taking the time to learn, slows down posting.

And in the world of web 2.o, posting trumps everything. Even if it's a matter of say, eugenics, genocide, or other annoying topics that take us away from our net-naval-gazing and other important E commerce activities.

Oprahization Rule Number 1: when lofty concepts are threatened with facts, scream foul and claim higher purpose is a personal thing.

Oprahization Rule Number 2: Say, Good Point, now take it somewhere else. And watch your language.

Oprahization Rule Number 3: Have other clueless people reinforce rules number 1 and 2.

(p.s.: I got E. Commerce once from raw meat--I had to take Flagyl.)

ALL OF THIS is far less important than the fact that one of my favorite internet personalities is about to be abducted by aliens (see photo exhibit a)!!

Did Prince Just Say Goodbye to the Jehovah's Witnesses?

Any music fan who watched the Super Bowl last night could rightly walk into work this morning and say, "Did you see the bears and colts play football during Prince's Concert?"

It was that good. And, at other levels, it was interesting too.

For any artist familiar with the restrictive, cultish tactics of the jehovah's witnesses, watching the halftime show at this year's Super Bowl represented a lot more than catching a great live concert by Prince. The entire performance was riddled with symbolism that could only leave current and former JWs doing double take after double take, wondering what Prince was trying to 'say'.

I think Prince's merging of All Along the Watchtower with Foo Figher's The Best of You, followed up by Purple Rain, performed while doning his classic symbol, his signature guitar magnified as it rippled against the night sky, full and phallic, larger than life against a ghostly white backdrop, was Prince's way of saying goodbye to the Organization, was Prince's way of saying, "you're not messin with me anymore."

Maybe I'm projectiong. Maybe not.

It's not a simple thing -- the passionate belief and seeking of Truth, the sacrifice of self, the heart vs the mind, all targeted by well-honed thought control vs the single thread of hope for what being human means: Freedom of thought. You kind of have to have been there to grok it.

What I think? That Artist giving that performance at that event, performing those songs that way, wearing that symbol on that stage -- I think he just said goodbye to the Watchtower.

And if he didn't, and they don't disfellowship him for that display, well--it only further demonstrates the hypocrisy of the JWs that makes for madness in those who've ever been shamed at a Kingdom Hall.

(Video Transcription)
Prince's Watchtower Medley

All along the watchtower,
Princes kept the view,
While all the women came and wept —
Their foot servants too.

Outside in the cold distance,
A wildcat did growl.
Two riders were approaching, and
The wind began to howl.

Are you gone and onto someone new?
I needed somewhere to hang my head
Without your noose
You gave me something that I didn’t have
But had no use

I was too weak to give in
Too strong to lose
My heart is under arrest again
But I’ll break loose
My head is giving me life or death
I will choose
I swear I’ll never give in
I refuse

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Has someone taken your faith?
It's real, the pain you feel
You must
Confess

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Oh…

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?
Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

Is someone getting the best, the best, the best, the best of you?

I’ve got another confession my friend
I ain’t no fool.

screw the game, oh my prince!

The colts,
the bears,
who the heck
cares?

we got to see PRINCE, baby!

wtf is the deal with feeds?

okay, i did something out of my comfort zone and put that subscribe button up there at the top of my sidebar. I also went to feedburner, where i had an old allied feed that i'm not sure where it was ponting to but it has two subscribers and doesn't seem to lead anywhere. Maybe it once did, before the blogger migration -- i can't even find my feed url anymore as the settings/feeds page has changed in new blogger. To be truthful, i never understood this shit and i still don't.

so then i burned a new feed at feedburner, because not understanding something usually makes me do MORE rather than less to try to figure it out, and that's the URL i put with the graphic over there --->. Well, it's a pretty fucked up URL - http://feeds.feedburner.com/blogspot/ZKHI - and i'm wondering, is that okay? I mean, will people be able to find my feed, if they care, (i don't even know if i care) with a url ending in ZKHI? WTF is that anyway?

And what about two people subscribed to the other allied feed--does it exist? I have no idea what i'm talking about.

feedberner says:

	allied	2	—
	ALLIED by Jeneane Sessum	3	—

can someone tell me what i'm doing and what i need t0 do? all i want is to have one of those cool subscribe buttons that takes you to feedburner and shows all the many ways people can subscibe and then they click and do it, just like i do when i go to other people's pages.

except i don't know what i'm doing.

i'm going now.

thnk you.

ZKHI

(threat alert, orange)

will i be driving in cold weather before dawn.

she's just not good at it. sleepovers. our jenna. she wants to so badly, but by midnight, she's awake, homesick, and on the phone.

tell me we're not the only ones. the call came about five minutes ago... tears.... "mom i can't fall asleep... i want to come home..."

what you do first is try to hear them. they whisper to drive you crazy. when you finally hear them they say, i want to come home. you think: oh no why lord it's almost morning. then you say, go to sleep, and they say i tried i can't, then you say, well then just rest let sleep come to you -- lay down and rest your eyes -- and they say i tried that, and then you say count some sheep, and they say i tried that, and then you say try again and they do. but it doesn't work, so then you say you can't keep calling--if you come home now, you're not going on another sleep over for a l-o-n-g-t-i-m-e. then they cry more. and you feel crappy for two reasons: because they feel crappy and because you know you are going out in the cold in the middle of the night. so you say go ahead and try for another 20 minutes and call me if you don't fall asleep. but if i have to come out again and get you, like last time, just know that it will be a long while before you try again. then she says i know mommy i miss you. and then you say, i'm going to see you in six hours at the basketball court. i love you. (you want to say, for god's sake! but you don't. yet.) you think if i give the phone to george that might be good--he will say to go sleep boodle and mama is already asleep so tough luck but he'd say it a little nicer than that but i bet she would stay. and the next day he'd say something like no more sleepovers for a year.

you know i'm driving by 1. you just know it.

no, in yours.

how far deep way in down around, just missing then flicking the sharp splinters on oak steps that wind, trace your face into the stairwell wall, up, look away, everywhere, sun crisped windows mandate happiness, confounded, smiling plaid-skirted suburban schoolgirls, mothersewn hems, how her knee socks climb to right there on her calf, never slip down, straight hair a ledge, in your eyes, it was never easy, laughter hesitates just before releasing--never full never fill never full, if you would have just once stopped.

Is it so different now, faces criss-cross, find eyes of another to fill empty sockets--you never blinked. why? far away far away not so far smoking on wet grass under the monkey bars, what was it 8 in the morning, sharing the stash.

Houston, you only thought you had a problem. what what what who who, if it's attention she's seeking, resolution is a curtain call, final bow.

In between sink under the water, no further, cold so much and up so far: burning, sparks, break through the glass membrane, how the night fire never engulfed their twigs, why not, that night, tonight he came near, came there. Emptiness is due north.

Children are marshmallows bonfires sticky cream sticks become winter coats, to gandmothers' house we go, seasons, not reasons, parkas piled on the guestroom bed, scarfs and mittens, layered in a freefall, feathers of our family bird.

Overtaken--always the scent, aunts uncles cousins, inhale, hold it, I climb underneath, loss is my blanket, safe I run, faster, to the swing sets, cold chains threaten to take my tongue, frigid blue sky my witness, flick, kick, stick, swing higher higher still, and when are you coming?

Bring the matches, baby I'm jonsing already, and how many scents are there, rearranging me, the first time, winded, a kidney punch, suck air in, how much can we hold before there's no more room, on the stairwell, everywhere, sun crisped, not knowing how to feel.

I will tell you; just ask.

the nicest thing no one ever said about me.

think global, write local, and you can be a marketing genius like Mike Rodriquez. And you know what--he really is and he really doesn't, but maybe now he does!