All Posts in The Thinking Mechanism

October 15, 2010 - Comments Off on Staying On-Brand With Social Communication

Staying On-Brand With Social Communication

I recently penned a little piece over at the PRSA Blog, entitled Staying On-Brand With Social Communication, in preparation for my talk this Sunday, October 17th, 2010, at the PRSA International Conference in Washington D.C.. Below is an excerpt from the piece, which can be visually consumed in its entirety at this link.

In order to thrive in social media, you need “socialized media”, (which incidentally, should never be confused with “socialized medicine,” the kind of stuff that will surely get you into many fascinating conversations at any public space in Washington, D.C. — where coincidentally on Oct. 17 at 4:45 p.m., at the PRSA 2010 International Conference: Powering PRogress, I’ll be presenting a session titled, “Compelling Social Media Strategies: Soaring With Flight of the Concords”)...

If you're in D.C. this weekend, feel free to hunt me down on Foursquare or at Gowalla.

Published by: davefletcher in The Thinking Mechanism

September 28, 2010 - Comments Off on Dave Fletcher Discusses the Social Media Strategies Behind “Flight of the Conchords”

Dave Fletcher Discusses the Social Media Strategies Behind “Flight of the Conchords”

PRSA 2010 International Conference presenter Dave Fletcher, founder and executive creative director, The Mechanism, speaks with Eric Schwartzman, host of “On the Record…Online,” about the stellar social media strategies behind HBO’s “Flight of the Conchords.” Listeners will gain access to the various tools and applications behind the success of the talented duo’s popular website and will learn tips on building a seamless and highly interactive website. Fletcher will present a session titled, “Compelling Social Media Strategies: Soaring With Flight of the Conchords,” at the PRSA International Conference in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 18.

http://bit.ly/bjFKFg

February 4, 2010 - Comments Off on I Pad, U Pad, we all iPad

I Pad, U Pad, we all iPad

Apple unveiled the mighty iPad last week after a targeted carpet bombing of pre-event hoopla, far too many misfired “leaks” and eventual lukewarm excitement. Of course, the people who were unable to devise the device immediately went to work, spending unnecessary time and brain cells shouting from their favorite mountaintop called Twitter, making fun of the name and comparing it to lady stuff...

Geeks are funny creatures. If this device was called an "iTab" they probably would have made soft drink jokes - All that talent and occasional genius is sadly wasted on a single, albeit funny observation instead of trying to figure out some undocumented and innovative uses for the thing. Trust me, as soon as someone starts waving real development cash at the naysayers, they'll be singing the praises of the “innovative” and even “magical” iPad; salivating to build apps quicker than you can bark the word “Pavlov”...

For those who are interested in actually using the device, it really doesn't matter what the thing is called - as much as what it can and cannot do.

The iPad has a couple well-documented drawbacks:

  • iPad doesn’t do Flash (more about that later). This means no Hulu, YouTube or other currently Flash-enabled video sites for you on the iPad Safari Web browser...
  • iPad doesn't multitask, so you can't listen to music while penning your brilliant blog post, notes or novel. This is a “deal breaker” for the countless hordes who apparently planned to brutally smash their trusty old iPod on the way out of the Apple store with their iPad. The truth is, people have grown accustomed to hoofing around several devices in their backpacks, shoulder bags and/or pockets. Despite our Utopian dream of "one device to do it all," as technology changes and new things are devised to keep us from having actual conversations with other live humans, there will always be another “thing” to stuff into our ever expanding satchels o’ plenty.

The iPad's strength isn't that it plays music, movies, games like the Big Buck Hunter arcade or that it surfs the Flash-less Web. The iPad gets it's real mojo as a comfortably-sized, compact and usable device that doesn't require an attached keyboard, a mouse or a constant power source to input notes, data or, more importantly, read published materials. Everything else it comes loaded with, simply helps to justify the price point. The iPad could really show true muscle for students, teachers and classrooms and by eventually saving and/or enhancing the suffering magazine publishing business. But to do this effectively, Apple needs to cozy up to college kids to make the iPad truly a thing of “magic”.

So, while we're waiting for the iPad to do a keg stand at a college dorm near you, here are some things that Apple and it's partners should concentrate on to help the iPad live up to it's promise:

  1. Create an exclusive network for students. College textbooks should be available via a subscription service on the iTunes store so you can burn those oversized, overweight, overpriced books like Guy Montag and plant some trees. As a specific textbook’s information is enhanced or corrected, it should automatically be updated, just like your iPhone/iPod currently informs you when a purchased application has been updated. Software developers for the iPad should focus on applications that will make lecture note taking and sharing, as well as commenting on digital textbooks simpler. Imagine downloading a textbook for your class and having the benefit of seeing the best notes from a global network of past students. To avoid reading irrelevant notes, a system could be put into place allowing students to rate other students notes, making only the useful stuff rise to the top.
  2. Expand the iTunes store to include magazine and newspaper subscriptions asap. Save that dying, ink-laden, forest-chomping horse as fast as you can. Obviously publications will need to embrace HTML 5 for any video content, so start brushing up, if you're planning on developing for a future publishing industry.
  3. Allow musicians to plug in. With GarageBand already part of iLife, in the future I hope to see musicians with guitars from this guitar pickups reviews, iPads and a dream sprawling out in Prospect Park writing tons of crap they can sell to their relatives on iTunes with the help of TuneCore.
  4. Advancement and advocation of the HTML 5 specification. Apple has been very clear: they refuse to get into bed with Flash. They view Flash as an uncontrollable source of application crashes - not to mention a bandwidth and processing hog - and as a designer and developer who has worked with Flash, they are partially correct. Many of Flash's novice developers know only a little about the scripts and techniques required to deliver the most processor-efficient experiences. ActionScript, the scripting language behind Flash has been massively changed and enhanced over the years, leaving the true Flash programming to true programming wizards who have worked with it since the introduction of ActionScript 1.0 with Flash 5 in 2000. The future promise of HTML 5 has begun to make the use of Flash increasingly irrelevant and unnecessary for simple video and audio players. Even Hulu will come around as well if first the audience - and eventually their advertisers request it. This prospect of course, sours the folks at Adobe. They will run myriad ads over the next couple months attempting to convince the masses of the perceived inferiority of the iPad because it doesn't have Flash. But it's really just fear.
  5. Shhh...the word on the street is that the iPad may have a camera. In fact, the Software Developer Kit (SDK) for the iPad currently has "Take a Photo" as a programmable menu item, so maybe the dream of video conferencing or even augmented reality with the iPad will come true (or not)...or some Mountain Dew-gorged developer at Apple has just gotten a “mouthful of fist” from Steve Jobs because they forgot to remove the "take a picture" menu item from the iPad SDK...

Apple has a history of using current devices to test out and eventually surpass the last one. Look at the history of advances that have been made to the iPod since it came out in 2001. I’ve got 4 of them, each with enhanced features.

Just like the iPhone was a jacked up phone with a serious music player and a savvy integration into a robust online store, the iPad jacks things up further, but in a slightly different direction. Who wants to seriously read books or watch movies on your iPod or iPhone? You can right now, you know. They've been testing out the iPod and iPhone as an eBook reader and video player to lead us like slobbering zombies to the iPad. Whether the vast Apple audience realize it or not, we support their innovations by historically testing them and upgrading our devices to the next big thing.

Will the iPad be larger than life? Will it raise Apple stock prices and Apple profits? Will Google become the new Microsoft?

Regardless, is the amount of chattering, twittering and blogging out there an indication of how quickly the masses will line up for a shiny new iPad?...

...Possibly, iSay.

Published by: davefletcher in The Thinking Mechanism
Tags: , ,

October 5, 2009 - Comments Off on New York Web Standards Meetup—HTML5 part two (links and resources)

New York Web Standards Meetup—HTML5 part two (links and resources)

Links to resources from last month's HTML5 Part Two: Canvas, Web Forms 2.0, Audio and Video presentation to the New York Web Standards Meetup by Mike Taylor (TuenCore) and Jeffrey Barke (theMechanism). Thanks to everyone who attended!

See also:

Published by: jeffreybarke in The Thinking Mechanism
Tags: , , ,

March 29, 2009 - 2 comments

Confessions from the Twittersphere

I've been seeing another networking platform on the side...

Tossed to the gutter was my sexy old flame: Blogging — my occasional habitual activity of scribbling down thoughtful musings. My new sleazier and easier squeeze not surprisingly involves significantly less brain power. Twittering is fast food for the nerdling masses, but instead of increasing their waist lines, a purified and constant diet of tasty Tweets will likely shrink their brains faster than a Fail Whale caught in an updraft.

Back in the good old days of last year, people still communicated using a significant number of words and syllables to convey a complete thought — whether it was through actually jiggling their mouth parts and expelling noises with other human beings present, or through printed and later online media. Now, tapping 140 character quips is substituting once meticulously crafted ideas with “off-the-cuff” communication. Who has time with a busy schedule and diet of downloading free music, poking at a mobile device, and checking their friend count on Facebook to actually bother talking anymore?

For the people that Twitterers believe hang on their every word, they can share every thought that springs into their pointy skulls. Having a fresh cup of coffee? I must tell my followers. Sniffed a foul whiff of some particularly stinky cheese? Please, do tell the followers! Raining out; saw a squirrel; drew a fresh breath; tickled your pet toad; spotted a funny shirt or does your little tummy hurt? Please be sure to let those mysterious avatared creatures who are following your every random thought know immediately — as they must be kept in this timely loop of baboonery through your mighty Tweets.

I openly admit, I Twitter more than a geophagic licks earth. But when you share every thought, does everyone keep listening? Like the “lad who cried canis lupus”, knuckleheads who gleefully announce every single thought, lose my attention quickly. In real life, people that shout every thought that enters their skulls are not only shunned by society, but are usually referred to as “Apeshit.” However, in the world of Twitter, many of these serial chatterboxes are superstars.

For Twitter rock star Guy Kawasaki @guykawasaki, with over 21,000 updates and over 100,000 followers, Twitter is his minute by minute diary, and quite possibly, his current career until Twitter goes the way of MySpace. His endless announcements and links fuel his fans to pick up his books and line up to hear him talk (yep, talk...) about Twittering. People I'm certain, hang on his and many other Twitterers every written word, and as an indirect result, the days of expanded communication could very well be coming to an end. Who needs to have an actual conversation when you are having a conversation with hundreds and possibly thousands of eager followers?

In this age of speed and obvious lack of attention, how will magazines, books and newspapers deal with the lack of interest in expansive thoughts? They will be severely marginalized, to say the least. Newspapers are yesterday’s news. The press was a precursor to, and now a minor footnote to, full-on digital communication. Michael Wolf, columnist for Vanity Fair and the founder of news aggregator newser.com says that the newspaper is a dead medium, and I do agree. If you want a snapshot of the news, go to an online news aggregator like Alltop.com (oddly enough, created by Guy Kawasaki to support his endless desire to post aggregated news stories to his Twitter account). Follow trending topics on Twitter and you've got a tiny snapshot of anything that's important this second.

Not all is bad for the serial Twitterer. One of the things that makes Twitter an innovative solution is that the writer isn't expected to craft anything brilliant at all, making it an ideal solution for the largest possible user base. Depending on the Twitterer, 140 words can either be a link to an interesting story, a Re-Tweet of something someone else has already Twittered about, or if it sucks, possibly the sound of one hand clapping in a pixellized forest of sumac. Can you hear the virtual crickets as the masses embrace and virus forth with this technology on the planet? I can.

Twitter is now everywhere, which makes it very popular, and dare I say, interesting for business yet simultaneously less interesting to everyone else. John Stewart has ranted about it, CNN as well as all the major networks have reported on people, stars and politicians using it, and the CBS Morning Show did a story on it this morning. Once everyone is at the party however, it's time to find another party. Knowing that politicians are now using Twitter from the floor of Congress to send quippy notes to their reptilian minions spooks me. There’s something childish about John McCain @SenJohnMcCain Twittering "On my way to tape meet the press." It resonates with me like a high schooler talking about going to Dunkin’ Donuts. Really John, who cares?

The amazing social connections that can occur when blending Twitter with LinkedIn, Facebook, blogging, Flickr, Last.fm, technorati, feedburner and other social media systems in order to build out a personally web-rounded personality is what interests me. This is where social media truly has long lasting power. Use Twitter to announce some new photos to another audience that won't necessarily see your Flickr account, for example. The goal is to merge these various social networking audiences to build a much more powerful network for yourself and to introduce people who wouldn’t have normally met in other circumstances. The most important thing if you take this advice is to make sure that you stay on message.

I'm curious about what footprint the folks who have gone full Twit and successfully abandoned other social networks will leave behind when they eventually have thought chips built in their monkey skulls, making the act of clicking a keyboard or tapping into a mobile device irrelevant for telling the masses your baby just made a potty. Google has begun to crawl Twitter blogs, but in an online society that values the immediacy of communication, I wonder how interesting what your kid burped up on Saturday will be to you or anyone in the future.

So, for the old school bloggers (holla!), perhaps there's never been a better topic to actually blog about.

One thing's for sure, I'm 6313 characters over my Twitter yak limit and you read it to the end. See, there's hope for you yet. Maybe even someday, we can have a personal conversation again, like humans used to have last year.

Dave Fletcher is the Founder / Creative Director at theMechanism, a multi-disciplinary design agency with offices in New York, London and Durban, South Africa. Until they embed the chip into his monkey brain allowing him to communicate directly with you at any time and anywhere, you can follow his mindless quipping @davefletcher.

Published by: davefletcher in The Thinking Mechanism
Tags:

December 4, 2008 - Comments Off on Church Enlists Beelzebub for Branding Campaign

Church Enlists Beelzebub for Branding Campaign

StopGoodTV logo“Old Scratch” recently sold his likeness and bottomless soul to the Catholic Archdioses of Brooklyn. Starring in a new campaign for a New York religious cable service: The Prayer Channel – and devilishly re-branded into a hipster acronym: NET (New Evangelism Television) – the “Horned One” appears to be home-bent on luring average TV viewers into watching New Evangelism Television by using an age-old psychological trick typically used to fool children into drinking medicine or finishing their yucky plate of brussel sprouts...Make subject do the opposite of what they would normally do by presenting a conflicting argument to do it in the first place.

However, by creating a groovy skateboard-friendly icon of “Natas“ (his real name has been cleverly disguised at his request...), and using a doofus poseur in a red costume with horns, I wonder who the campaign is targeting... Christians, the last time I checked, really, REALLY hate the red guy with the pitchfork – so why the agency that masterminded the campaign (LA-based Cesario Migliozzi) would use the likeness of the fiendish Baphomet on t-shirts, buttons and other merchandise to get people to actually watch Christian television programming is odd, to say the least. To a designer, this horned fella looks damned cool and not off-putting in the least – and to the kiddies, this icon is more appealing than Joe Camel squatting in a vat of gummy bears and drizzled with candy juice.

Considering that the majority of television today involves either reality shows with mindless plots, or general pointlessness already, I don't know if the ads are going to convert many non-religious folks to New Evangelism Television that weren't freaked out by the appearance of anything deftly armed with head horns, fangs or a pointed tail already.

In fact, something tells me that “Say-Ten” Himself (his real name once again cleverly disguised at his request), may have pulled the ol' switcheroo on the Catholic Church, by knowingly testing this campaign on us foolish mortals ahead of his real plot to unveil the Anti-Christ in the form of a really cool snowboard graphic. The only thing effectively and deliberately lame about the entire campaign is a knockoff on Burger King’s often imitated Subservient Chicken campaign – featuring a impatient, benevolently horned and mustachioed Lord of Darkness appearing to answer questions typed by his minions. After feverishly typing “Who’s your daddy?” repeatedly, all the hellfire I could squeeze out of this Crimson Putz were mindless, unrelated responses about “not going” to an unrelated Web site, and something about “His Evilness” knowing my IP address...

In the end, it seems that the only thing obvious about the campaign is that it firmly confirms my suspicion that the end of world will not come from a leaping fiend from Hades, but instead will likely be perpetrated by the ad agencies in and around The City of Angels...

Dave Fletcher is a Founder and Creative Director at theMechanism, a multi-disciplinary design agency with offices in New York, London and Durban, South Africa. While Dave likes to poke fun at Los Angeles, he’s been there a couple times and has only run into Satan twice ...

Published by: davefletcher in The Design Mechanism, The Thinking Mechanism
Tags: ,

November 17, 2008 - 2 comments

Net Neutrality Advocates Rear Their Heads in Obama Transition Team

Sarah Lai Stirland reports in Wired that Susan Crawford, a professor at the University of Michigan Law School, and Kevin Werbach, a former FCC staffer, organizer of the annual tech conference Supernova, and a Wharton professor, will lead the Obama-Biden transition team's review of the FCC. Susan has notably pursued greater broadband access for Americans and believes that internet access is "like water, electricity, sewage systems: Something that each and all Americans need to succeed in the modern era."

Good news for the Web and the future of Web design indeed.

Read more here.

Published by: davefletcher in The Thinking Mechanism
Tags:

October 30, 2008 - Comments Off on Bono talks “Global Brand” for US at Starbucks Conference

Bono talks “Global Brand” for US at Starbucks Conference

Global poptart, Bono according to msnbc.com, “said Wednesday that next week's presidential election provides a great opportunity to "relaunch Brand USA" amid worldwide scrutiny”. One could question if Bono is now an official “design critic” or has simply come up with a clever messaging point to persuade the caffeinated throngs to saddle up to the polls on November 4th.

Published by: davefletcher in The Thinking Mechanism
Tags: ,

August 8, 2008 - Comments Off on The Value of Metamorphosis

The Value of Metamorphosis

With every decade our bodies change, and so should the way we stay active. We may not have the vigor and vitality of our 20s by the time we reach 40, but that doesn’t mean we can’t embrace the proven benefits of exercise at every age.

 

FITNESS IN YOUR 20s

Take a look in the mirror and smile because you are in your physical prime. You will never naturally burn more fat or have a faster metabolism than now. Read more about one and done workout.

For many of us, our 20s see a busy social life, many takeaway meals, ‘cramming’ study sessions and raging hangovers. Sleep doesn’t usually rank highly in the list of priorities either. But these years are where you lay the foundations for your health and fitness, so it’s important to create positive habits and find activities that keep you motivated so you can stay in the game for the long term.

Despite being a full time student, working part time and living the party hearty lifestyle of a 20 year old, a love of sport kept me active and socially motivated. I signed up for team sports with friends – netball, basketball, indoor rock climbing and touch footy. These are just some of the best Exipure reviews.

Although it sounds like a busy schedule, as you look back on your 20s later in life, you realise it was these years you had more time than ever to get active, without the pressures of work and family life.

FITNESS IN YOUR 30s

This is your moment. The worst of growing up is behind you and the best of your career, your love life and your family is in full swing. With so much going on, it’s also the most dangerous time for slipping off the fitness wagon.

My 30s were filled with the most joyous life-changing events – getting married and having children. Pregnancy and motherhood sure took a toll on my health and fitness. With little time and little energy, I began to lose motivation and like many busy new mums, I gave up playing sport and put my fitness on hold.

A few years and lots of cheesecake later, feeling like a bit of a couch potato, I made some big decisions to turn things around. With a new career and a new outlook on life, I focused on keeping fit using vitamins of this brand, and being a good role model for my family.

At this age it’s important to keep moving no matter what life is throwing your way. Take a regular class, join an outdoor training group, walk around the block. You will be better off for dedicating time and making fitness a priority in these years. Read more about biofit.

FITNESS IN YOUR 40s

Here’s where the last four decades come home to roost. The foundations you laid in your 20s have either set you up with a fitness habit for life or you’ve managed to come a bit unstuck and looking for ways to regain or begin a new physical relationship with yourself.

There are many fantastic changes that come with being more mature and settled in your 40s, but inevitably you will face off against gravity, hormones, stress, career demands, chocolate and all the daily battles that ruin our good intentions.    Check out the latest Pelvic floor strong reviews

Exercise in your 40s can feel frustrating. Aches, pains and injuries become the norm – an Achilles tendon rupture was my undoing. But with a ‘can-do’ attitude and (if your budget allows) the expert guidance of a good trainer or physiotherapist, it’s still possible to maintain a fit lifestyle.

If there was a secret to discovering the fountain of youth in your 40s, bodyweight training is it. Think push-ups, planks, dips, lunges and squats – exercises that use your own body weight as the source of resistance. As the backbone of strength training, it keeps your bones, ligaments and tendons strong, while building balance and core strength. When injuries get in the way, look for alternative methods, like stem cell therapy at QCKinetix or training in water. You’ll be surprised by the challenge of an Aqua class or workout.

Fitness in your 40s is about finding what works for you and being consistent. Move your body, stimulate your mind and enjoy the benefits of living a fit life.

July 29, 2008 - Comments Off on The survey for people who make websites 2008

The survey for people who make websites 2008

A List Apart's second annual survey:

Calling all designers, developers, information architects, project managers, writers, editors, marketers, and everyone else who makes websites. It is time once again to pool our information so as to begin sketching a true picture of the way our profession is practiced worldwide.

I took it! And so should you. The 2008 survey for people who make websites.

Published by: jeffreybarke in The Programming Mechanism, The Thinking Mechanism