Category Archives: social media

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First World Problems: the PowerPoint Slideslow

sad walrus is embarrassed for you

sad walrus is embarrassed for you

Of COURSE it’s a Powerpoint.

PowerPoint, which can be found on two hundred and fifty million computers around the world, is software you impose on other people. It allows you to arrange text and graphics in a series of pages, which you can project, slide by slide, from a laptop computer onto a screen, or print as a booklet (as Sarah Wyndham did). The usual metaphor for everyday software is the tool, but that doesn’t seem to be right here. PowerPoint is more like a suit of clothes, or a car, or plastic surgery. You take it out with you. You are judged by it—you insist on being judged by it. It is by definition a social instrument, turning middle managers into bullet-point dandies.

 

I am proud to say that I have stuck firmly to my Never Learning Powerpoint policy and am instead learning Prezi. I think Malcolm Gladwell would be disappointed and Marshall McLuhan would be proud, and that’s enough for me.

Speaking of First World Problems!

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Dear Everyone:

Breakin' the chains of love

Breakin' the chains of love

This week so far I’ve mortally offended a blood relation, an ex-boyfriend, and a dear friend of the family by responding to their no-doubt-heartfelt emails with this.

If you have the same kind of relatives, exes, and friends, I suggest you do the same. Lyrics (and bonus video) over the jump, and is it my imagination or does Weird Al simply continue to evolve to higher and higher planes? Eventually, we will all worship Weird Al, and we will be right to.

Continue reading →

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Social Media Workshops in Yellowknife

raincoaster media, yo

raincoaster media, yo

Just a quick note that over on raincoaster media and in Facebook I’ve got the announcements up for two new Social Media Workshops, these ones in-person, in Yellowknife at Chef Pierre‘s Aurora Conference Centre.

Social Media for Political Campaigns is Wednesday

and

Social Media for Business is Thursday. Both run 1-5.

And then at the end of the week I’m headed to Vancouver (via a 17-hour flight, thanks a lot, AIR CANADA!) to speak at Social Media Week on the Blogging Technology Panel, emceeing the Social Good Summit, and participating in the Guerrilla Mashup event.

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A Christmas Message from Julian Assange

Let’s do the time warp again!

Oh Julian, maybe next Christmas!

Oh Julian, maybe next Christmas!

It’s about time I answered all those people asking me why I find Julian Assange so interesting. This video answers that question.

You see, it’s not actually Julian Assange I have a crush on at all: it’s Bill Hader AS Julian Assange. And no bloody wonder, eh?