What is Google Wave?

What is Google Wave? Interesting question and I'm glad you asked!

I just heard about Google Wave. It's a new open source amalgamation of web tools, including IM, calendar, docs and spreadsheets, email, Twitter, and other stuff. In short, Google Wave is a new social network and it's pretty cool and you're going to hear more about it.

Check out the full Google Wave developer preview video:



One news article asks: Is Google Wave the Spork of the Internet?

I would say that no, adding more usability features does not make Google Wave a "spork" (an ill-thought out combination of a spoon and a fork). I did like the comparison of "Gmail 2.0." It works because Gmail was a new way to use email when it came out. It meant no more huge lists of folders; instead we rely on its search to use. There are more Gmail vs. Google Wave comparisons in the developer preview video.

I think complaining about Google Wave's mash of features comes from the fact that it seems like a jumble of too much stuff... but a big part of that comes down to what makes Web 2.0 what it is. We don't need to place things in neat categories anymore (like a directory); now we use taxonomy and high powered search engines (hint: Google is pretty good at this). We don't have to actively sort our information, because we have tools that provide the same benefits and more.

Another article asks, Is Google Wave a Twitter Killer?

To this I would say, "Yes." Because most people don't seem to like Twitter, given its poor retention rates. And I think Google Wave is going to be much more convenient. Going to Facebook for one thing, Twitter for another, plus a few other niche social networks for whatever you want is really annoying.

Personally, I think Google Wave is going to be big. Facebook has tried to integrate Twitter-like functionality, but all their users complain whenever they try anything major, so it can't really improve as fast as it needs to. Google Wave is a new social network, which solves this problem. It also amalgamates many more "web as platform" tools than other social networks out there.

Here's to hoping it works well.

In short, dear Google Wave: Please work well.

Social Media Statistics about Canadians from Delvinia

Delvinia released a neat-o PDF with some interesting stats about Canadians and their use of Social Media. You can download the social media stats PDF directly.

About Delvinia:

Delvinia is committed to continuously uncovering data-driven insights that will help us better understand, and ultimately design superior Digital Customer Experiences for Canadians.

The PDF is quite informative. The data was taken between October 2008 and March 2009, and it looks at different generations of Canadians and how they use social media and share information online.

A few facts I found interesting:

• 18-30 year olds feel the most safe about sharing information online.

• Pretty much no one from any generation feels very safe sharing their address and phone number.

• Females feel less safe than males sharing their information online. This gender difference is least prominent in 45 - 65 year olds.

• 37% of Canadians 65+ have visited Facebook in the past month.

• Only 6% of 18-30 year olds and 4% of 31-44 year olds have posted to Twitter in the past month.

• The majority of Canadians below retirement age believe that social media allows them to stay better connect with their work place.

• Less than half the people who visited Facebook in the past month have posted content to it. The percentage of posted/visted is even less for MySpace, and smaller still for Twitter.

• The only generation significantly concerned about purchasing online (i.e., using their credit cards to do so) are those 65+.

Well, I've now seen stats comparing Canada to other countries and comparing generations within Canada. Now I'd like to see something comparing geographical areas in Canada.

How does Ontario use social media relative to, say, BC? How does Ottawa, a fairly tech-focused city, compare to a city like Toronto, which is larger but probably less focused on high tech (and government)?

I suspect that fairly soon I'll come across this information. (Fingers crossed.)

The future of social networking?

Ning, the newest in online social networking tools, is taking the way we are used to interacting with people online and turning it upside down.

Tools like Facebook and Twitter connect users to friends and family, whereby Ning connects people based on users' unique interests and passions. Pretty much helping people create their own social networks.

For example, I like the Ottawa Senators. If you like the Ottawa Senators too, you'll find me. And subsequently, using Ning, you'll join the conversation I'm currently having about the Ottawa Senators.

It's all about like-minded people becoming friends based on similar interests, rather than being thrust into a friendship with someone you may have met at a party in 2003...but you're not quite sure (I'm talking to you Facebook).

How will this shape the future of online social networking? For one, it adds another tool to the social media toolbox, and I'd like to think that people will embrace this way of networking more. Some social networking campaigns are talking to anyone and everyone, and some of those people don't care to hear from you.

If you speak to a group of people using Ning, than all of a sudden you're talking to people who are already showing interest in what you do. From a marketing standpoint, organizations now have a more focused and direct approach to speaking with potential targets. That's to say, of course, only if Ning becomes popular.

In January, Ning saw 4.7 million unique visitors and there are now over 1 million social networks. So, it's showing some very good potential.

Check it out and let me know what you think: www.ning.com

Great Glebe Garage Sale!

This Saturday is circled on my calendar... well, actually, Facebook is reminding me that there is an important upcoming event that day! The event is the annual Great Glebe Garage Sale, taking place on May 23rd this year. This community event has been taking place here in Ottawa since 1986. In the process of finding treasures for yourself, you'll be helping those in need. The Great Glebe Garage Sale continues to support the Ottawa Food Bank each year. Vendors and shoppers alike are encouraged to donate to this worthy cause.

Be warned - Ottawans take this event seriously! If you want to make the most out of the day, you have to head to the Glebe as early as possible! Check out blogger David Scrimshaw's tips for the big day here: David Scrimshaw's Blog.

Did you follow OC Transpo to the Tulips?

After the OC Transpo bus strike debacle of 2008-2009, I've found myself keeping a close eye on how Ottawa's public transit organization would take care of some much needed damage control. Let's be honest: they angered a few people in the city.

We quickly forget how horrible December and January were for some of us, trying to commute throughout the city in the crummiest of weather. Overall the city was able to cope, but unfortunately jobs were lost and faith in OC Transpo was shaken.

So what have they been doing to get their name out there, if anything at all? Good question.

For me, I noticed that this year OC Transpo was heavily promoting it's "OC Transpo to the Tulips" shuttle bus that commuted thousands of tourists and locals from Dow's Lake to downtown during the 2009 Tulip Festival. Dozens of signs at the event and along the canal showcased their logo and their message.

Although according to the customer service representative at OC Transpo head office, this shuttle isn't a new thing - they've been doing it for years. This year, they just focused on getting the message out through signage and online awareness that OC Transpo was helping people get around.

I hope it worked. It got my attention. Did it get yours?

Damage control is needed in 2009 for OC Transpo. Thankfully, they plan to keep pushing their marketing efforts to re-shape the city's impression of our only public transportation system. I think it's still a great way to get around the Capital.


Has OC Transpo done anything for you in 2009 to re-shape your impression of their services?

Run Ottawa Run!

If you've had an opportunity to visit the Rideau Canal area lately, you'll notice that the paths alongside the canal are filled with runners, bikers, and rollerbladers. What's bringing out all these fitness freaks? Is it the weather? Is it 10 pounds of extra winter weight that people are trying to burn? Most likely, yes.

But more than likely, people are getting ready for the 2009 Ottawa Race Weekend. Since 1975 this event has brought thousands of health enthusiasts to the city from all over the world to raise money for a variety of charities.

This year organizers are hard at work to make those in Ottawa aware of all the great events that are taking place May 23-24. You can see their signage throughout the city and you can find them online at their user-generated blog.

The blog is easy to use and it's an excellent resource to read about how people are preparing for their attempt at the 2k, 5k, 10k, and half marathon runs.

If you're a fitness enthuasist and like to hear about other people's steps to prepare for Ottawa Race Weekend, I suggest checking out the Ottawa Marathon Blog.

Happy running Ottawa!

Getting My Ottawa News on Twitter

I've been getting a lot of my news recently on Twitter. It's served me pretty well so far. When people are talking about current news and issues I'm not almost always "in-the-know" about what's going on because I've already scanned over a linked article or two from my Twitter feed.

But getting Ottawa news on Twitter is a bit tougher. Most papers have twitter feeds now, but some of them aren't so great. And I'm finding newspapers less and less up-to-date compared to certain key blogs on the net. (Hint to newspapers around the world: you may want to look into this whole "web 2.0" thing or this "Kindle" thing you keep hearing about. Oh, and you'll probably want to change your entire business model based on what you find.)

Sorry, enough parenthetical digressions. (But not really.)

Anyways, the first Ottawa paper I found on Twitter was the Ottawa Metro Daily, which is distributed freely. I think it's also the largest "free daily newspaper" or something. It has different papers for different cities. The Metro is pretty web savvy, it seems. They even have a "MetroTube of the Day," which is their favourite or most relevant YouTube video.

But there are other Ottawa newspapers on Twitter:

• The Ottawa Citizen - http://twitter.com/OttawaCitizen
• The Ottawa Sun - http://twitter.com/OttawaSun

Interestingly, the Ottawa Sun has gone a step further and has a twitter feed specifically for the trial of Ottawa Mayor Larry O'Brien at http://twitter.com/mayortrial. It's by journalist Shane Ross. You can also follow Glen McGregor from the Ottawa Citizen at http://twitter.com/obrientrial

I guess the key to getting relevant news is to follow the right people. A lot of individual journalists are using twitter, and instead of following the Ottawa Sun, you might follow only three of your favourite writers. The only drawback to this is that a lot of your favourite writers/journalists won't have their own Twitter feed.

I've been tweaking my list of people/businesses I follow a lot. I add a couple, then I get rid of the ones who aren't tweeting worthwhile content (which is a lot of them). Often, you might get someone who has good stuff occasionally, but they also post garbage every two minutes, and it basically spams your entire feed.

You'll also find, I think, that the more "hot" a topic is, the harder it is to miss something. The newspapers will post everything, but you can tell something is important when everyone else you follow is re-tweeting it.


Follow the MB Team here at the Daily Breakthrough on Twitter:

• http://twitter.com/MarketingOttawa

Have Writer's Block? Try These Six Tips

When it comes to writer's block (or blog block, as I've been experiencing for the last couple days) sometimes all it takes is time. But sometimes a break from writing -- and perhaps the creative process in general -- just isn't enough. In times like these, a few tried-and-true tips may be just what you need to get over the hump. Here are some of my favourites:

1. Think of writing as a regular job, and less as an art. This one comes from Stephen King's On Writing, a hugely influential book over the years as I've tried to hone my craft. To paraphrase King: If we think of ourselves as laborers, as craftsmen, it’s easier to sit down and write. We’re just putting words on the page, after all, one beside another, as a bricklayer puts down bricks.

2. Follow a writing schedule. This tip goes hand in hand with the preceding one. If you set aside time to write -- even if what you churn out isn't perfect or polished -- you're already ahead of the game. After all, words on a page are always better than staring at a blank screen. And words on a page are also better than writer's block.

3. Brainstorm. Another pearl of wisdom, and a skill we all probably learned back in junior school. When I am struggling to write, I often take five minutes to jot down anything and everything that comes to mind. And then, with a fresh sheet of paper, I take the time to focus these thoughts by trying to come up with words that succinctly articulate these ideas.

4. Use a thesaurus. As a writer, my thesaurus is my dearest companion. Especially when I put tip #3 into practice. I use a thesaurus almost daily. I like to think of it as my secret (although now, perhaps not-so-secret) weapon. It can also be a useful tool to beating writers block. Just open a thesaurus to any page, pick a word, and write, non-stop for three minutes, about that word.

5. Set deadlines, and stick to them. Easier said than done, I know, but deadlines are key to helping you work to your potential. At Marketing Breakthroughs, deadlines come up quickly -- a blessing in disguise, as it keeps us writer's at the top of our game. We don't have time for writers block!

6. Multitask. This may seem counterintuitive, but working on something else -- even another writing project -- can go a long way to overcoming writers block.

Ottawa's Bluesfest Gets Social

If you live in the Ottawa area, then you've surely heard of Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest. In my opinion it's hands down the most entertaining 12 days in the city. And this year is shaping up to be one of the most impressive line-ups in Bluesfest's 16 year history.

If you haven't heard of Bluesfest, or if you think you wouldn't like any of the 260+ acts that appear, you can preview the talent in advance using various social media tools.

You can now keep up-to-date on the news and concert updates by following Bluesfest on Twitter, Facebook, and the Bluesfest ViewTube.

All these new tools will make it easier for music fans to check out new bands before heading down to LeBreton Flats in July, said Bluesfest artistic director Mark Monahan. “We hope that people will use it to discover new music.”

Check out the Bluesfest ViewTube to watch hours of concert videos of artists who will be appearing at this year's Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest, July 8 to July 19.

Hockey 2.0

My boyfriend, like many hockey fans, is very excited about this whole possible-relocation-of-the-Phoenix-Coyotes-to-Southern-Ontario thing. As he was telling me the whole story over dinner last night, my interest was piqued by his mention of makeitseven.ca. Jim Balsillie (pictured here wearing a silly hat), the man behind the scheme to purchase and move the team, initiated this website, designed to be an "online community to help promote bringing Canada its seventh franchise". If you check it out, you'll see that right now there is just a splash page with messaging and the option to sign up for updates. What's interesting to me is that Balsillie has taken this web 2.0 approach, reaching out to hockey fans for support. I think it's a really smart move, considering he has a big battle with NHL bigwigs ahead of him.

Today, Balsillie issued a statement to the press, thanking the 100,000 + people that signed up to support his bid. 100,000 people... that's a lot. How can you argue with 100,000 fans??? Now, not only is the NHL battling it out with Balsillie, but also 100,000 other people on his side!

Do you think it will make a difference? I'm pretty sure that social media helped Obama in a pretty important battle last year, so maybe it will help Balsillie, too!

1000 Awesome Things Wins Webby Award!

1000 Awesome Things is just a time-ticking countdown of 1000 awesome things.

Yet, it has been awarded with one of the most prestigious online awards - a Webby Award for best blog.

This Canadian website is reminding the world every weekday just how awesome the little things in life can be. And its hard to argue with any of them.

For example:

#810 Returning to your warm and comfy bed after getting up to pee in the middle of the night

#974 High Tens

#904 When you manage to squeeze enough toothpaste out for one last brush

#977 The smell of gasoline

#955 Sneezing three or more times

#871 Finding out your birthday is on a Friday or Saturday next year

This is one blog that will keep you smiling and keep you thinking...yup, That IS awesome.

Check it out at: 1000 Awesome Things

5 Useful SEO and Web Marketing Articles by MB

Okay, okay. I'm only linking to articles on MB's home site, MarketingBreakthroughs.com. These articles have been around for awhile, but I think readers of the Daily Breakthrough should be checking these out.

• 6 More Tips for Improving the Copy on Your Website

• How to Search Engine Optimize Your Website

• 7 Easy Ways to Improve the User Experience in Your Website

• Turning Your Website into a Money-Making Webstore

• How Good is Your Website? Take the "MB Test" and Find Out!

More articles are available, of course. Check out the MB Knowledge Centre now.

New T-Mobile Ad - Hey Jude in Trafalgar Square

This post is just for fun, mainly because of how much I enjoyed the video while munching on my cereal this morning.

Notice how happy everyone is. And how many people are packed into Trafalgar square.

I enjoyed it so much that I almost forgot it was an advertisement. Almost.

Subtle work, T-Mobile. I'm impressed. And entertained. Again.

Happy 473rd Birthday, @ Symbol!

Try to think of how many times each day you use the '@' symbol. So far this morning (and it's only just past 9am) I've used it six times in emails and tweets.

The ubiquity of the "at symbol" (also called the "snail" by Italians and the "monkey" in Slavic languages) would makes us think it's a 20th century phenomenon.

But we would be wrong. In fact, a recently discovered letter by a Florentine merchant named Francesco Lapi used the symbol @ in a letter written exactly 473 years ago, on May 4, 1536.

Amazing!

Blog Today, Book Tomorrow

A new (literary?) genre is on the rise: the book of blogs. As far as I know, there has yet to be a catchy/catch-all name for this new genre. But with the exploding popularity of this kind of book, there will no doubt be one soon.

The idea of taking pieces of writing not previously in book form and then printing them, binding them and assigning them an ISBN number is not a totally new phenomenon. Newspaper columns, for instance, have always been great fodder for book deals (and as proof we can even go back as far as the early 18th century when Addison & Steele's The Spectator appeared in volume form around 1714). What is new is where the material for this new genre is coming from.

Countless blogs are getting book deals these days. One blog, Pets Who Want to Kill Themselves, was approached by publishers and literary agents alike after only a week in the blogosphere. Other popular blogs-turned-books include Stuff White People Like and I Can Has Cheezburger which have sold over 1 million copies combined!

One blog in particular, Postcards From Yo Momma, stands out as a solid example of how (and why) certain blogs become books. In April 2009, Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home was published by Hyperion. The blog's creators-turned-editors Jessica Grose and Doree Shafrir are not surprised by it's success. As they say on their blog's site, they knew they'd tapped into something original, fun, and immensly popular from day one:

"It all started so innocently: a G-chat conversation in which we were discussing the emails our moms send us. “I’m sending you a hilarious email my mom just sent,” typed Jessica, “because I think you will like it.” “Ooh yay,” Doree wrote back. “I love hilarious mom emails.”

That's it. The birth of a blog. And then a book.

And, apparently, a book trailer? That's a new one for me.

Love, Mom: Poignant, Goofy, Brilliant Messages from Home from Postcards From Yo Momma on Vimeo.

World's Best Job?

It would appear organizations are beginning to find clever ways to garner international publicity by creating dream jobs that promote the use of social networking.

Earlier this year, the Australian tourist board received global attention when they posted a job whereby the winning applicant would spend 6 months blogging, Tweeting, and Facebooking their experience while living for free near the Great Barrier Reef.

Better yet, the lucky applicant would then get paid $100,000 USD for 6 months of "work".

This dream job posting resulted in international media attention for Queensland Tourism.

These job opportunities are beginning to pop-up everywhere. Late last week, Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma County, California posted a job that incorporates social networking and booze - two very popular past times.

According to Jennifer Van Grove of Mashable: "Picture living rent free, learning the intricacies of making the perfect wine, and capturing and sharing the entire experience for your network of Twitter followers. Now imagine getting paid $10,000 a month to do it."

I'm sure the competition will be fierce. Observing and Tweeting are already what many people are doing online. Getting paid to do it in California is a nice perk.

If you'd like to apply for a job that involves drinking, learning, blogging, and drinking more, check out: A Really Goode Job

Oh Baby!

Is there anything the Internet can't teach us?

Marc Stephens of Cornwall, England would probably tell you that YouTube has got it all. Especially considering he learned how to deliver a baby from the online video site...and actually implemented what he learned on his wife!

Recently Marc stumbled upon this video
(why, I can not possibly explain):

How to Deliver a Baby in a Taxi Cab

Coincidentally, when his wife went into labour and they were unable to make it to the hospital, Marc put his online video teachings into action - and actually succeeded!

Online video tutorials are giving everyone the opportunity to be anything they want to be. Which I can not express to you how much that scares me.

Read the interesting article about Marc's experience:

Man Uses YouTube to Help Deliver Baby

This Ain't Making Any Sense

If you live in Ottawa, you will have definitely seen the billboards and bus stop ads. They've been up for probably a month now, but never piqued my curiosity quite enough to drive me home to my computer.

But this morning was different. In the doldrums of writers block (blog block?) I decided to check it out.

Perhaps I'm missing something...but I still don't get it.