aliza sherman rants and raves

NPR : Music from 'Once' and Minnie Driver: At the Movies

Link: NPR : Music from 'Once' - Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova.

I'm still obsessing over the music from the movie "Once" and the singing Glen Hansard of the Frames and Marketa Irglova. Just when I think it is out of my system, I hear it and am hooked again. It is so beautiful, haunting and emotional.

Here's an interview with Glen Hansard and 4 songs performed on World Cafe.

Blog Day 2007

Link: Blog Day.

As part of Blog Day (which I just found out about a minute ago), I'm posting a list of 5 blogs that I find interesting. Enjoy!

One Picture a Day - I met this photoblogger on Second Life yesterday. He says he is an amateur photographer, but his stuff is anything but amateurish. I love his abstract imagery.

Fear & Loathing in Second Life - Who is Gideon Television? A superstar, clearly. I haven't been following him for long, but I'm incredibly intrigued by his story. Not my usual fiction fare but it's mysterious, sexy, exotic, action-packed - what more could you ask for?

C.C. Chapman: Grounded Futurist & New Media Maven (Reality Bitchslap) & Chris Brogan - These guys kick new media ass. I can't keep up with them as much as I'd like (work at home mom, yada yada), but they motivate me to try, try, try.

Brazen Careerist by Penelope Trunk - I didn't start reading Penelope's blog until I heard she was writing candidly about her marriage woes and was getting a lot of backlash for it. This woman is candid, frank, blunt, brutal, and I love a woman who is unapologetic for speaking her true mind.

Techcrunch & Mashable - I don't have nearly enough time to read these blogs but when I do, I'm transfixed by the companies and sites they cover. Where do all these people get so much time and energy and ideas? I'm in awe.

Tag: BlogDay2007

a shel of my former self

Link: a shel of my former self.

Bloggers get pitched. Get used to it! by Shel Holtz, ABC, principal of Holtz Communication + Technology. A must read for bloggers everywhere.

As a blogger, I don't mind relevant and thoughtful pitches. As a marketer, I hope my pitches are relevant and thoughtful!

I'm about to embark on a blog pitching campaign for a contest on Second Life for entrepreneurs and the entrepreneurial minded. I think it would be a fun opportunity for some bloggers who blog about SL and are also entrepreneurial. The prize includes L$75,000 and free shop space to launch a business. I can't believe bloggers might get pissed at me for letting them know about this.

But then again, I may end up on someone's shit list. The risky life of a marketer.

Mystery and Thriller readers, get ready for Bouchercon 2007 : KSKA Public Radio

Link: Mystery and Thriller readers, get ready for Bouchercon 2007 : KSKA Public Radio.

I'll be speaking at this conference - Bouchercon 2007. It's really for mystery writers, but I'll be on a panel about the Internet for writers. Right up my alley!

Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? - WSJ.com

Link: Is This Man Cheating on His Wife? - WSJ.com.

I had to comment on this article. My husband left it out for me to read - his not-so-hidden code for "See, this is why I'm worried about you spending time on Second Life."

Without a lot of time to gather my thoughts, I reassured him by explaining the following to him:

1. Reporters looking for someone "addicted to the Internet" or "cheating on their wife virtually" will always find someone who fits the bill. That doesn't mean it is the norm or prevalent. It just means that the reporter had a story and found her sources.

2. People with a propensity toward addiction can become addicted to the Internet. This Internet addiction was written about in the 1990s - scary, hyped-up stories looking at the worst of the worst situations. Now it is Virtual World addiction but it is all the same thing - addiction.

3. Looking at the real life of the guy featured in the article, he seems a bit of a...loser. His real life has been mostly drifting from job to job, no real direction. Someone like this - who may be dissatisfied with their real life - may find a virtual world attractive because you can be whatever you want to be in it. In Second Life, he is a successful entrepreneur.

4. My husband pointed out the quote from Jeremy Bailenson, director of Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, who says "Our brains are not specialized for 21st-century media. There's no switch that says, 'Process this differently because it's on a screen.' " My first response to this was that, again, reporters looking for people who will say what they want to hear for the stories they are writing will find the perfect person to quote.

That said, it is also possible that the reporter found out about this article from a press release from Stanford's Virtual Human Interaction Lab talking about their 5 year research and thought "Wow, this would make a good article."

There are also several recent related news stories in other publications like Stanford lab makes it reality and Stanford Lab Explores Hman Effects of Virtual Reality Technology. These could have caught the reporter's eye and then she looked for a "fresh" angle.

I know there are people who are in Second Life having virtual affairs, going on virtual dates with other avatars even if they are married, flirting with others virtually.  I'm not naive.

But I reassured my husband that while I enjoy my time in Second Life, it is not because I am having an affair or want to have an affair. I'm not looking to engage in a relationship with someone else in a virtual world. My relationship is with him, and even though he will probably never set foot in Second Life, that doesn't mean I'll go looking for a virtual husband.

I'm in Second Life for several reasons:

1. It is helpful to my work as an Internet consultant to know what virtual worlds are all about.

2. As a serial entrepreneur, marketer and veteran online community builder, I immediately saw the potential for doing business and building community in Second Life and think that marketing can be done in virtual worlds if strategic and long-term.

3. It definitely appeals to the side of me that used to make paper dolls as a little girl. I love shopping virtually and putting together ensembles. I can't say I'm the most fashionable avatar around, but my avatar wears the things that I would wear if I spent money on clothing and had places to go to wear those things.

4. I have always been fascinated with science fiction, futuristic things and after reading Neuromancer in the early 90s, with virtual worlds. Being in Second Life isn't fake to me. So maybe I'm proving Jeremy Bailenson right in that I don't really say "This is fake in Second Life - this is not my real life." I look at my time in SL as an extension of the work I do in my real life with a little extra shopping thrown in.

I made a vow to myself that I would stop playing Second Life after my initial $50 investment in a PayPal account ran out and if I hadn't yet figured out how to make Linden. I still have $30 in that account and enough Linden to keep my avatar in cute outfits for a long time.

Bottom line: We're all in Second Life for different reasons. Reporters can find exactly who they are looking for to tell the story they want to tell. Today, the media is hyping virtual world addiction and virtual world cheating. Look back 10 years and you'll see the same thing about Internet addiction and virtual cheating in Internet chat rooms. This isn't new. And this isn't news.

Boing Boing: Bacn spreads around the globe

Link: Boing Boing: Bacn spreads around the globe.

This makes me here that dog food commercials in my head where the shaggy dog goes around the house going "Bacon, bacon, bacon, baconbaconbaconbacon....BACON!!"

Maybe what he was really saying was "Bacn, bacn, bacn, bacnbacnbacnbacn....BACN!!"

(Do you think this blog post was just an excuse to gratuitously use the newly coined Internet term BACN? Yeah, maybe...)

The W-List: Gathering a List of Outstanding Women Bloggers - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once.

Link: The W-List: Gathering a List of Outstanding Women Bloggers - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once..

This list of women bloggers reminds me of the list of women's web sites I began compiling in January 1995. At the time, I was referring to myself as "Cybergrrl" on my Web site that at the time was called "The Web According to Cybergrrl." I referred to other women with web sites as "Webgrrls."

Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption: Throwing in the Towel on Second Life

Link: Chip Griffin: Pardon the Disruption: Throwing in the Towel on Second Life.

Chip Griffin (Chip Graysmark in Second Life) is giving up on Second Life after only 6 months. He thinks that SL has disappointing numbers and states that no company has reaped major rewards from being there.

How long is long enough when it comes to giving Second Life a try? I'm over 4 months into my Second Life "experiment" and have come away with an entirely different perception than Griffin.

Socializing

Griffin says he spent most of his time on Crayonville Island and attending the coffee with crayon weekly events.

"While I enjoyed the weekly "Coffee with Crayon" event for the chance to chat with fellow communicators, it felt a bit too much like web chats circa 1997," says Griffin.

I have to admit that there is something a bit '97 Web Chat-esque about text chat in SL - but for me, having avatars to look at and having my own avatar to move around and gesture as I chat adds an entirely new - and enjoyable - dimension to the text chatting. And now with voice, it will undoubtedly add a whole new aspect to communication and community in SL.

Unlike Griffin, I haven't stayed in one place. I've sought out events - most often by asking my "friends" who are online at the same time I am. "What are you doing?"  If they are at a club, concert or party, I'll ask if it is open to the public and request a TP if it is.

I've been discovering new musical artists who are talented and whose music  I genuinely like. I am considering checking out iTunes or their Web sites to see if they have music for sale. Ka-Ching!! Could be money in the bank for these real world performers who market themselves through their musician avatars on SL.

I also read SLNN.com (disclosure: I'm a business reporter for them as well) to learn about events and interesting places inworld. In fact, when I first was on SL with nowhere to go and while I was still unclear how to get anywhere, I read an article on SLNN.com about Elysian Isle - Random House UK's new island - and took a SLURL straight to it. Not only did I discover one of the most charming locations inworld - wooden boardwalks, quaint shops, beautiful forests, a rose garden, theater, music hall and so much more - I immediately contacted the land owner & proposed that I work for him.

Now I meet people and have a purpose - inviting them to join the Elysian Isle group and to visit the isle when I work at the Cafe des Amis on Tuesdays 1-3pm SLT. I'm like the Isle's hostess and it adds a purpose to many of the interactions I have on SL.

I've also been to numerous dances and private parties - much preferable to night clubs - and really love watching my avatar dance. Picking out the right outfit for the parties is also fun for me - very reminiscent of playing paper dolls as a girl but much more creative now (and costly!).

Making Money

Griffin says no company is reaping any big rewards from participating on SL. This is the same thing people were saying in 1995 about the Internet. Big companies were spending big bucks because they felt they had to be there first but had zero plan on what to do there or how anything would work (Pathfinder.com anyone?). Their money and experimentation did pave the way for the rest of us even though so many of them went bust.

My advice to companies trying out a new platform or medium is: Do it in phases. Some early experimentation will be a loss leader, but there is value to gain from a presence on Second Life. Where there are people, there are potential customers.

But can a big company reap big rewards right now? Of course not! And those who say they can are foolish. This is a long term investment - a step by step proposition. It combines grassroots marketing, brand building, establishing customer relationships and then converting it all eventually into hard sales. Of course, if you have something to sell that SL residents want, you will make money. How much money is relative.

Will a presence in SL translate into real world sales of real world products and services? That probably will take some time and it has to be done the right way by the right companies. American Apparel recently closed down their hybrid inworld/offline shopping experience because it wasn't translating into real world sales on their Web site.

Well, I have a very good reason why that failed despite them having a classy store and clever integration of clothing for avatars with a link to the same item for people. The kind of person who really gets into Second Life most likely is NOT the type to buy American Apparel's preppy/sporty clothing.

Personally, I was tempted to buy something because it was executed so well, but it just wasn't my style although I did buy a track jacket for my avatar. I do believe, however, the right clothing brands could do well inworld and on the Web.

Shopping

I know some people are making money off me right now because I love to shop inworld. In fact, I work my two jobs - business reporter for SLNN.com and writer-in-residence on Elysian Isle - to support my SL shopping habit. I'm guessing I've spent over $150US so far - $50 of which was my initial dollar investment into my SL experiment and the rest money I've earned inworld. (I made a promise to myself I would quit SL if I couldn't make enough money to shop - and so far, I'm doing quite well).

My favorite places to shop are Shiny Things for shoes and Mischief for outfits although I have items from over a dozen other stores in my Inventory. When I have a themed party to attend, I search high and low for the right outfit. I've purchased a 50s sock hop ensemble including saddle shoes, a 1920s flapper dress, a tie-dyed shirt for the Summer of Love concert, and now I'm on the hunt for a futuristic outfit ala the Jetsons.

I also recently furnished my apartment on Elysian Isle with low prim furniture. I found a fantastic shop with an entire Asian-inspired living room set including a Japanese wall print and bonsai plant. Lacking any interior decorating skills myself, I just bought up almost the entire set and over an hour trying to figure out how to arrange everything in my living room.

Then I shopped around until I found the perfect low prim bed that fit the decor. I messaged the designer of the bed to see if I could purchase a different color than what was on display. AnneMarie McCellan responded immediately and not only changed the color of the bed to match perfectly with the carpet I had already purchased, but also custom designed some Japanese screens to separate my bedroom from my living area. She also sold me the perfect Asian print for my bedroom wall then helped me rearrange the furniture and taught me how to do it myself. It was all well worth every Linden spent.

Living a Second Life

As I write this blog post, I realize how I'm speaking about my activities in Second Life as if they were actually happening in real life. Well, the more I think about it, the more I realize that they are. Sure it is my avatar doing these things - shopping, going to parties, meeting people, dancing, working in a cafe, furnishing an apartment - but it is me doing these things as well - just in a different space.

Says Griffin,
"I always try to avoid living within the tech bubble and put myself in the shoes of 'average' users.  That doesn't mean I won't live out on the cutting edge or even the bleeding edge, but it is important that we all never lose sight of the fact that we are an abnormal minority and not necessarily the harbinger of trends to come."

I agree somewhat but mostly, I disagree with Griffin's premise. Yes, we are early adopters and yes, just because we like it doesn't mean everyone will like it...now. I loved going onto BBSs in 1987, but they didn't really go mainstream until AOL, Prodigy and CompuServe improved their systems. I loved the Web in 1994, but it didn't really go mainstream until 1998 or later. I've blogged since the late 90s in various forms, but even those didn't take off until 2000.

I remember when I showed my Dad email and America Online back in 1992. "I can't see any use for it. I can't see any value in it," he told me. Today, he emails me many times a week and is thrilled to receive photos and videos of his granddaughter. And he teaches Algebra online for the University of Phoenix. He is not a computer geek, techy or industry insider, but the Internet plays an important role in his life today.

love Second Life. I don't expect it to go mainstream yet, but in some form - most likely a much improved form - it will hit the mainstream in ways we aren't even expecting. Right now, we might be experimenting, but other people are living their Second Lives as adjuncts to their first lives. And sure, some are even living their Second Lives at the expense of their first lives - but there will always be addicts and abusers of anything you put out there so media hype aside, Second Life isn't ruining hundred or thousands of lives - addiction is.

My husband doesn't know what to think of my use of Second Life. I am careful not to use it when he's home or if I'd like to, I make sure he is busy doing something else and doesn't mind. I mostly log in during the day as part of my work. Not just the work where I get paid in Linden, but my work as an Internet strategist who consults with companies and nonprofit organizations about the best ways to extend their brands and messages online. My exploration of Second Life helps me advise my clients.

Connection and Community

But let's be honest, I'm not enjoying Second Life because it is making me a better Internet consultant. I'm enjoying it because I'm making contacts and connections online in a way that I haven't been able to do offline where I live.

I moved to Alaska in 2005 - newly married, in my 40s, working from home - and employed every trick in the book to network and meet people. I thought that once I had a baby, I'd find the whole community of mommies welcoming me with open arms. But people here in Alaska seem to come to Alaska either for the outdoors or to get away from other people. After 2 years, I only have one girlfriend and most of the time, she's busy with her own life.

So I truly appreciate the contacts I've made within Second Life - many of whom are contacts I've made on Twitter. The crossover makes sense. We're all comfortable communicating online, with chat, with blogging - of course we'd feel comfortable in a virtual world that we could actually see and move within. Clumsily at first, mind you, but once you learn to move around - and get places - it just feels right.

Yes, I'm making friends in Second Life. Does it replace real life? No way, no how. But as an adjunct to my first life, I have to say that I welcome it. Not only am I less lonely, I've got great hair, and I am much better dressed!

Plaxo launches new social network, Pulse--and it's a lot like Pownce | The Social - CNET News.com

Link: Plaxo launches new social network, Pulse--and it's a lot like Pownce | The Social - CNET News.com.

Oh not another one. Yes, Plaxo is trying to go "social."

Let me just say this about Plaxo, my "address book for life." For the life of me, I still cannot figure out how it to make it work and it has been over a year since I signed up. It has added zero value to my life but is clearly adding value to other people's lives because I am inundated with Plaxo contact information update requests.

But of course, like the lemming that I tend to be in social networking circles, I had to try it.

First, it is so blank when I log in using my Plaxo account. Turns out I only have 3 contacts TOTAL in Plaxo. Guess I've never figured out how to translate all those "update your contact info for me" into contacts.

But then I have to translate those contacts into connections. So now I have to wait for them to respond.

I also had to have a quick internal debate - are they friends or business networks? I would say both. So I chose friends since you can only pick one. But now it might make sense to put them as business networks because the things I share with business colleagues might be different from what I share with friends. Why can't I tag them as both reside in both places?

Argh. After about 10 minutes on Plaxo's Pulse, I'm already frustrated, confused and very unsatisfied.

Sorry, Twitter, for wasting time with a contact management site trying to pose as a social network. Will you forgive me? Back to our regularly scheduled tweeting.

Landmark New York City diner seen in 'Spider-Man' is moving to Wyoming - International Herald Tribune

Link: Landmark New York City diner seen in 'Spider-Man' is moving to Wyoming - International Herald Tribune.

What an odd story! I don't even know how to categorize it. I guess I'll put it under Rave. I know the Moondance Diner but don't think I ever ate there when I lived in New York City.

And I'm sure I've been through LaBarge, Wyoming since I lived in Wyoming for 4 years, moving there after 9/11.

There is something so quirky and wonderful about this - buying a historic diner for $7500 and relocating it to a remote Wyoming town. Wow!

ASME's Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years

Link: ASME's Top 40 Magazine Covers of the Last 40 Years.

Happened upon this page of top magazine covers and was riveted.

I'm a media junkie and this perfectly exemplifies the power of images in the media to evoke a certain era in our history or a moment in time.

Fascinating.