Daily Archive for February 23rd, 2009

Web 2.0 for companies

For many, the term web 2.0 is not an easy sell, as it has been used and abused for both defining a way to design things as well as types of community services that really engage people to participate. So when I cam across the McKinsey report about how companies can use web 2.0, I was wondering whether the article was going to make me cringe or not. McKinsey are not really well known for the web. But they are good at business strategy, know how to talk and how to use buzz words etc. The article is called “Six ways to make web 2.0 work” which is not really buzz word style, more short and catchy like you find on the web. A little too sales pitchy for my liking, anyway.

What is interesting is that they talk about ERP, then CRM as the previous types of tools that companies would be interested in using and implementing. This before the web 2.0 tools appeared. They are presenting web 2.0 systems as tools which are going to replace ERP and CRM tools as we know them.

And finishing off the article with a “Keep the conversation going on Twitter” (oh yes they are good with the buzz words)…

The article is well worth reading and provides numerous counter examples to the mainstream web 2.0 approach of “build it and they will come”. I have often found that people who really take time to think a product through, test it and make it work for the final user(s), do succeed in producing great web sites…

The important part of the article covers what McKinsey describes as the 6 recommendations:

1. The transformation to a bottom-up culture needs help from the top.
2. The best uses come from users—but they require help to scale.
3. What’s in the workflow is what gets used.
4. Appeal to the participants’ egos and needs—not just their wallets.
5. The right solution comes from the right participants.
6. Balance the top-down and self-management of risk.

TweetCC: defining usage rights on twitter

Ever seen on flickr how some pictures can be used for non commercial projects and with other photos you need to obtain rights from the owner no matter what. In the same way Andy Clarke and Brian Suda wanted to create a system that allows people to provide such information about their ‘tweets’ on twitter. So now people know with this system, that they can use your tweets and under what conditions…

TweetCC Creative Commons Twitter

Check out TweetCC here

TweetCC even had it’s place on the Wired home page ! Read the article here.

Andy is really passionate about his work and gives 100 percent of himself on his projects. This is just another example and his will to share the great ideas with everyone. I say bravo…

25 years anniversary: Cirque Du Soleil

Once you have been to a Cirque du Soleil show, you just can’t help paying attention whenever they are mentioned from then on…

2009 will be the 25th year of the cirque du soleil and the 25th unique show they have created over the past 25 years. Take a look at their anniversary site.

Cirque Du Soleil 25 years

I had the pleasure of seeing Alegria in New York and spend a few evenings with Cirque du Soleil employees. I can’t remember ever having seen so many people being simply impressed by the simple Cirque du Soleil jackets they were wearing, just to give you an idea of the effect they have once you know and have seen them.

If you ever get the chance to take part in a live performance like the one below you will realise why people talk about them in this way (Montreal Jazz festival, Soleil de Minuit, here):

See also the intro song from Jorane for the Cirque du Soleil show at the same jazz festival show. really gives you that beautiful bohemian, cirque atmosphere: