NevilleHobson.com

Content summary: FIR Listener Contest results in next Monday s show; two FIR Interviews posted; Dan York reports on the use of video and other communication tools in the US presidential campaigns; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - senators act to restrict random laptop searches at US borders, volunteer-run non-profit PR agency Bright One launches; The Knight News Challenge Real Winners: Heidi Miller interviews Adrian Holovaty; listeners comments discussion and FIR Friendfeed Room round-up; news about next week s shows; music from Electric Touch; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (21.5Mb, 46:55) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday October 13 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Francois Gossieaux, from Beeline Labs, joined forces with Deloitte to study online business communities - what works, what doesn t, and why - in a research project supported by the Society for New Communication Research. In this FIR Interview, Francois shares the highlights of the study s results. Listen to this podcast now: Get this podcast: Download the MP3 file (16Mb, 34:52) Get the show on iTunes Subscribe to the FIR Interviews RSS feed About our Conversation Partner Francois Gossieaux is a co-founder and partner at Beeline Labs, a Marketing Innovation firm. Before that he spent 5 years leading marketing, product management and strategy at eRoom Technology, a collaboration software company which was sold to Documentum in 2002. Francois has a long history with online communities and marketing, having implemented an extranet for a large multinational in the early 90s, and being the organizer of the first large-scale virtual event - InterAct 96 - with Time Magazine and Infoworld. He is currently blogging at emergencemarketing.com and for the Marketing 2.0 blog (www.marketingtwo.com). Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the FIR FriendFeed Room. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the twice-weekly Hobson s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

More and more companies are implementing social software for employee use, and many more that aren t find that employees are taking advantage of services that exist outside the firewall in order to do their work more collaboratively. One of the first books to appear on this subject is Enterprise 2.0: How Social Software Will Change the Future of Work, by Niall Cook of Hill s Fortune 500 clients on the effective use of technology to support internal and external marketing strategy. Prior to joining Hill call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the twice-weekly Hobson s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: FIR Listener Contest closes for entries, review begins; Michael Netzley reports from Singapore on the melamine food contamination case and also PodCamp Singapore; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - brands enter the blogosphere, CIPR seeks views on social media guidelines, GM s Olympic-sized PR blunder, iSense: Welcome to Targeting 2.0 ; listeners comments discussion and FIR Friendfeed Room round-up; news about the next three shows; music from The Alice Project; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (27.9Mb, 60:52) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday October 9 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Neville s moving house; please vote for FIR at Podcast Alley; FIR listener contest update; Dan York reports; Media Monitoring Minute; News That Fits: Todd Defren s tale of unethical behavior by an SEO agency, Guy Kawasaki gets immediate help after tweeting his dilemma, Jeremy Pepper blasts clueless use of Twitter, SocialText 3.0 will be released with social media features and an upcoming Twitter-like utility, use of the mobile Internet is growing dramatically, a study reveals consumers expect and want companies to engage with them using social media channels, Best Buy gives store managers decision-making power over in-store media interviews but only for three days; David Phillips reports; listeners comments; music by Brad Sucks; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (28.1Mb, 61:19) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR, or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday October 6 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: FIR listener contest update; Podcamp Ireland; Michael Netzley in Singapore discusses transparency and trust in Asia; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - which comes first: employees or customers?, mystery meetings, new books on crowd surfing and brands in networks, lessons learned when launching a venture with social media, MobaTalk evolves into Twitter Video, Oracle s launch of Oracle Listens; listeners comments discussion and Friendfeed FIR Room round-up; news about Thursday s show; music from Derek James; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (28.9Mb, 63:14) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday October 2 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Enter the FIR listener contest and win free conference tickets; Dan York reports on tech tools Dropbox, IBM Bluehouse, and more; fancy a social media job at Ford s world headquarters?; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; help Max Hansen launch the Alpha Mind podcast; News That Fits - Technorati s state of the blogosphere 2008, Google G1 Android phone launches; the Knight News Challenge with Heidi Miller: what s your great idea?; listeners comments discussion and FIR Friendfeed Room round-up; news about next week s shows; music from Diana McCorry; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (26.3Mb, 57:34) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday September 29 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: FIR Live recording posted; FIR listener contest announced: win free tickets to 2 conferences; follow-up: Metrolink train crash and crisis communication; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; discussion: new research from Universal McCann on how the internet turned us all into influencers; News That Fits - making the case for General Motors, why SMS is not effective for emergency notifications; listeners comments; news about Thursday s show; music from Lovespirals Remixed; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (29.1Mb, 63:41) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday September 25 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

“I would run away from DreamHost as far and as fast as you can - to a smaller more responsive company,” said Twitter buddy Stephen Kelly yesterday. Stephen’s comment was typical of many I received during the past few days following the disappearance on Thursday morning of all the sites I host at DreamHost. ‘Disappeared’ probably is the most accurate word. My own site (this blog) had indeed disappeared; what you found instead at this URL was this site: I don’t know Scott Berkun and, when I discovered the situation, my first thought was that my domains had been hijacked as not only had all sites disappeared but neither could I log in to my domain email. Other sites I host at DreamHost – including my tech blog and the podcasting book blog – had totally vanished; if you tried to go to any, you’d get a 404 error. You can probably imagine my sense of alarm at that time. A ‘Wtf?’ expletive I twittered at 8.22am on Thursday morning was my mildest reaction. Ten minutes later, I filed a support ticket with DreamHost, the first one I’ve filed with the request for a response set at the absolute highest priority. And I waited. And waited. And still waited to hear from DreamHost. While I waited, I kept up a steady stream of tweets as I dumped thoughts and opinion on what was happening, about DreamHost and anything else I thought of that was related. Two hours later, with still no response from DreamHost, I filed another support ticket. A bit after that, I recorded this seesmic video and posted a link to it on the DreamHost status blog: Hijacked (RSS and email subscribers: if the video embed isn’t showing, go to the seesmic site). While I didn’t hear from DreamHost until nearly 11 hours later (more on that in a minute), I received some outstanding advice from Matthew Brazil, the CEO of 6consulting, the UK partner of Radian6. Matthew selflessly, and with distinct authority, held my hand through some tech troubleshooting to try and figure out what the issue was and whether it was a DreamHost issue – and it became clear quite quickly that it was a DreamHost issue. Matthew even offered to set up a temporary redirect to a temporary subdomain he would set up on his servers so that visitors to my URL could see a statement or something to alert them of the situation. We got as far as getting ready to temporarily redirect name servers when the site suddenly re-appeared again. Matthew, thanks again for your time and trouble. I won’t forget it. So, what next for me and DreamHost? I’ve been a (relatively) happy customer for well over two years and often recommend DreamHost to anyone who asks for recommendations on good hosting services. Well, let’s see what the responses from tech support were. First, this from Craig: I m terribly sorry for the problems you ve been experiencing with your sites. We have recently moved some of our customers across server clusters for greater long term stability, but unfortunately this move did not go as smoothly as planned (it was supposed to be entirely seamless). The weird behavior you have seen with your site is not a malicious activity. It was a misconfiguration on the web server, but we have corrected this for you and your sites are loading correctly now. Please clear your browser s cache and cookies and try visiting your site again. I have also run some email updates for your nevillehobson.com domain, and that has fixed up your email troubles according to my tests. If you continue to have any troubles with your account please let me know! My reply: I appreciate the apology but I would like to know exactly what happened and what steps you took to resolve this situation. What assurance do I have that this won t happen again? How did an old copy of scottberkun.com - an old copy, not his actual website - get to be at my domain address? Please be as technical as you wish. Equally importantly to me is this - please let me have your comments on why it took nearly 12 hours from when I filed the first support ticket before I received any response from DreamHost support. Which produced this reply from Ralph: Sorry about the various problems you are having with your account. We have been performing moves this week to spread out our service that have unfortunately left you with various problems. The problems range from mysql database connection errors, downtime, missing files, and some other issues as well. The moves unfortunately did not go smoothly and our administration team is working on fixing these issues. Your tickets will be left open as we will use them to determine which accounts have problems so we can get these issues corrected for you. Sorry about the frustration this has caused. Please hang in there and we will get this sorted out for you. In some cases you may notice that your account is already fixed. We hope to have these issues resolved over the weekend. One the major problems with this issue is that it seems our support personnel have been able to help to some extent, only to have some of the problems come back again. Please hang in there as we work through this. Note that neither commented on why it took 11 hours for me to get a response from support. Ralph’s reply is rather interesting, perhaps indicating larger issues with DreamHost that would very likely alarm any customer. And I don’t see any post or commentary directly addressing this on DreamHost’s status blog. As for what others think about DreamHost, Rob Brown has a great post in which he describes the power of a tool like Twitter to influence opinion about a company or brand, saying: […] By tea time the site was back up but I wonder at what cost to Dreamhost, who according to the tweets still hadn’t contacted Mr H. So should I hang in there, as Craig and Ralph request, or should I run away from DreamHost as fast as I can, as Stephen Kelly recommends? DreamHost do offer outstanding value for money. But at what price, when the chips are really down? As I noted in one tweet on Thursday morning, this experience shook my trust in DreamHost to the core. Call me a masochist if you like – crazy, even – but oddly enough, in spite of the 11-hour wait for support response (at least an important an issue as the domain disappearance), I’m still willing to hang in there, although I’m entirely open to alternative ideas now. 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: The live call-in episode on BlogTalk Radio. Our topic: The relationship between intranets and strong strategic internal communications. Discussion topic prompted by Craig Thomler: I ve often wondered about the strength of the relationship between an organisation s commitment to internal communications and its commitment to an effective intranet. I have worked in organisations with strong internal comms cultures, but with very poor intranets. Listen to FIR Live now: Get FIR Live: Download the MP3 file (24.7Mb, 54:01) Subscribe to the FIR RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Share your comments or questions about this show, or suggestions for future shows, in the FIR FriendFeed Room. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the twice-weekly Hobson s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Shel s in Minneapolis; Neville s traveling but web woes kept him from contributing items for today s show; the live call-in show is this Saturday; David Phillips interview with Jane Rowe is up; Eric Schwartzman is hosting an online video conference; Dan York s report; Media Monitoring Minute; News That Fits: Metrolink s ethical spokesperson is forced to resign, LiveWorld releases LiveBar to introduce simple social media to company websites, Awareness Networks study shows companies are increasing use of social media for employees; David Phillips reports; listener comments; music from Joykiller; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (23.2Mb, 50:39) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR, or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday September 22 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

By 1803, having already demonstrated his inventive nature by inventing a new kind of paper for cannon cartridges, John Dickinson started his company and designed and built a new machine capable of the continuous manufacture of paper to replace the handmade techniques then used, notably by the Frenchman Henry Fourdriner. These innovations made the company that bore his name both successful and famous. Today, his company now merged into Hamelin Paperbrands is adopting Web 2.0 both in marketing and, interestingly, in its products. Our guest today, Jane Rowe, is the revolutionary voice in this wonderfully traditional institution, bringing modern conversational marketing to a 205-year-old company. She talks with FIR Correspondent David Phillips about her introduction and adoption of Web 2.0 and how she is introducing it to her department, colleagues and industry. Jane is a very active member of the FIR community and contributes to the FIR Friendfeed Room and comments by email regularly. At the end of the interview, Jane reveals on FIR the news that she is to take up new responsibilities in the near future. Listen to this podcast now: Get this podcast: Download the MP3 file (9.6Mb, 10:28) Get the show on iTunes Subscribe to the FIR Interviews RSS feed About our Conversation Partner Jane Rowe is a dedicated marketer and communicator with over 20 years experience in the marketing specialism. Currently Marketing Director for Hamelin Paperbrands Ltd (formerly John Dickinson Stationery), Jane s responsibility extends to the management of an extensive portfolio including classic brands such as Basildon Bond personal stationery and Oxford Black n Red notebooks. Prior to joining John Dickinson Stationery in January 2005, Jane worked for the major service organisation, The Automobile Association (The AA), where she was Strategic Projects Manager responsible for internal communications for a team of 250 marketers, new product development and innovation. Before this Jane worked in a variety of marketing management roles in companies such as John West Foods Ltd, Peaudouce (UK) Ltd and Britax Consumer Products Ltd. Jane has a BSc (Hons) degree in Food Marketing and more recently won a scholarship to study for an MBA at Henley Management College, graduating in 2007. As a great advocate for encouraging people to take responsibility for their own personal development, Jane is now focused on developing her own understanding of new media and the value it can deliver across businesses to both internal staff and customers. In November 2008 Jane moves to a new role as Marketing call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the twice-weekly Hobson s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Shel s in Austin; FIR listener contest coming with two great prizes; next FIR Live on Blogtalk Radio on Sept 20; discussion: trackbacks and comments; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - diverse opinion about Yammer, copyright needs a standard tagging system says Dow Jones, Pew report on cloud computing, developing a personal social media policy, Twittering a funeral; listeners comments discussion; news about Thursday s show; music from Cretin 66; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (27Mb, 58:54) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday September 18 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Remembering 9/11; next FIR Live on Blogtalk Radio on Sept 20; update on iTunes; follow-up: GM s anti-misinformation website; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; Dan York reports on BusinessWeek s guide to CEO micro-blogging, and Yammer; News That Fits - an industry analyst s perspective on PR for tech startups, has PR become a slave to technology?; listeners comments discussion; Luke Armour interviews Matt Dickman about Facebook; Web 2.0 Expo Europe ticket discount for FIR listeners; music by Ben Walker; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (27.8Mb, 60:53) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday September 15 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Later next month, the Web 2.0 Expo Europe conference and exhibition takes place in Berlin, Germany. A joint venture from TechWeb and O Reilly Media, this event is the conference and tradeshow for everyone looking to embrace and build on the opportunities created by Web 2.0 technologies (says the website’s about page in one of the most succinct descriptions of an event I’ve seen). It’s also a companion event to the Web 2.0 Summit and the US Web 2.0 Expos in San Francisco and New York. So Berlin is the place to be from October 21 to 23 if you want to listen, look and talk about who’s doing what about creating a better web ecosystem. Especially interesting from my perspective as a communicator (and one with a keen tech interest) is a programme just starting that aims to create a community of influence across Europe comprising independent bloggers and members of the conference organizers, with the broad goal of talking up the event and creating some buzz which hopefully will lead to people signing up for paid registrations. You can read the detail of this outreach programme by Suw Charman-Anderson in the UK who, together with Nicole Simon in Germany and Stephanie Booth in Switzerland, is organizing it all. Suw’s post is also cross-posted on the event blog. I’m participating in this programme – hence this first post about it – thanks to an invitation from my friend Nicole Simon. In an email to me, Nicole outlined her vision for the programme: I want to bring closer the European community of Web 2.0 and all the other areas, and learn a lot more about the different countries. As such I find the week in Berlin a great way to come together and make something great of it. Also, if you are interested, there are going to be more than just a few events, starting with an international Barcamp (still 75 spaces reserved for international visitors) and several evening events and parties. Also I want to make sure that this is a triple win as they like to say in buzzword bingo: you have something, the expo has something – but also your audience gets something out of it instead of just dumb advertising. Nicole and I enjoyed a great conversation yesterday during which we talked about the Expo and specifically about this blogger outreach programme – how it came about, how Nicole and her colleagues are identifying and reaching out to influencers, and what they expect from it all. I recorded our conversation and you can listen to it right here: Or feel free to download the MP3 file if you prefer. What’s in it for the bloggers? you may wonder. In a nutshell, a free pass to the event (worth some €800) plus some good exposure in the blogosphere and probably beyond given the high profile of the event. Each blogger also gets a discount code to offer readers. (I don’t have the code yet; I’ll update this post with it when I know it.) When you register online, using the code will get you a 35% discount off the full price. And note the early-bird price valid until September 25. If you want to take advantage of a 35% discount, here’s my discount code: webeu08gr32. Just follow the instructions on the registration pages and enter that code. Now, I can’t go to Berlin on the dates that the Expo takes place - I have another commitment – which is why I’m displaying a generic badge in this post rather than one of the spiffy “I’m attending” badges. So I will have a free conference pass up for grabs. I’m thinking about running a contest on the FIR podcast with the free pass as the prize. Not sure what the contest will be yet (your ideas most welcome), so stay tuned. Meanwhile, take a listen to the podcast with Nicole; some very interesting thoughts on blogger outreach. 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Winner announced in PR Week blog contest; FIR Live on BlogTalk Radio on Sept 20; Shel on Sun Microsystems call-in show; update on iTunes issue; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - defending your brand online, GM launches anti-misinformation website, an inslide look at games PR, US Dept of Homeland Security to use social networks for alerts, A-Space for the intelligence community launches this month; Lee Hopkins reports; listeners comments discussion; news about Thursday s show; music from Dave Hole; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (28.5Mb, 62:18) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday September 11 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

It’s nice to start a Monday morning with a bit of a laugh, and what better way to have a laugh today than with this song. If you’re a Twitter user, the lyrics will make you smile. Wry humour by songwriter Ben Walker that shows some insight into this social micro-blogging networking online world that many people inhabit (me included). You can listen right here: Or download the MP3 (the song is published under a Creative Commons License). It’s also worth reading the lyrics, too. That will add to your smiles. And in defining the geeky audience at which Ben says he’s targeting the Twitter song, he says: […] Lucky for me, I’m a card-carrying geek and I love writing quirky pop songs about geeky things. So I have a chance at internet superstardom. Now, if only I had a breakthrough hit song that was guaranteed to go hyperviral the second it hits the Twitterverse… Holy cow! I just recorded a song about Twitter! I bet that would work! Works for me, Ben! (Via The Next Web) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: SNCR awards deadline Sept 8; Twitter questions for Laura Fitton; PR Week blog contest update; follow-up discussion: Seth Godin and the myth of launch PR ; Dan York reports on Google Chrome and upgrading the web; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - Google Chrome and the Google way of communicating, free Newsgator Enterprise Server, Google Apps Video; listeners comments discussion and Friendfeed FIR Room round-up; music from Belladonna; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (29Mb, 63:15) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday September 8 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Vote for FIR at Podcast Alley; new FIR Interview posted; iTunes download problems; diary date for next FIR Live: Sept 20; PR Week blog contest update; Michael Netzley discusses recommendations for managing Singapore s internet; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - trends to help define the future of PR and marketing, latest Pew podcasting report, when form destroys function in connecting people, why and how embargoes work in tech blogging; listeners comments discussion and FIR Friendfeed Room round-up; music from Uberbelly; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (28.6Mb, 62:32) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday September 4 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

So on my first visit to the London office of Google last Thursday, I’m mostly remembering the food experience as much as the people who were there. That experience was when I joined in with nearly 100 others to celebrate the third anniversary of the London Girl Geek Dinners. Indeed, reviewing the few photos I took on Thursday, the focus is very much on Google food. Take a look through this Flickr slideshow and you’ll see. The event took place in Google’s employee cafeteria on the fifth floor of the London Googleplex, a rather nondescript office building in Buckingham Palace Road close to Victoria station. I wouldn’t call the event nondescript, though, as it sparkled with great conversation along with some formal presentations during the course of well over three hours. Yet I’m hard pressed to remember the detail of those presentations - Sandrine Plasseraud has a good account - as I’m still thinking about the dinner. So I’d say that the stories you hear about Google and restaurants for employees are probably true. I did enjoy this London Girl Geek Dinner event. I’ve been invited to a few before but this was the first one I’ve been to. What are the London Girl Geek Dinners? you may wonder. They are the brainchild of Sarah Blow, pictured at last Thursday’s dinner, who attended a geek dinner in London in June 2005 at which Robert Scoble was guest of honour (I was at that one, too: a small world), and noted that her gender was in a distinct minority as well as outnumbered by marketing folk. Incidentally, the words ‘girl geek’ don’t necessarily mean technology, as Sarah notes. But rather than me trying to explain what Girl Geek Dinners is all about, listen to Sarah as she describes the background to what today is a network of Girl Geek Dinners in 24 cities in eleven countries. Judging by last Thursday’s event in London, it’s a terrific community. And it’s not only women – men are welcome if you meet the conditions And with plans for the future: London Girl Geek Dinners aims to change the world! No really! Honestly… we really do… we want to make technology accessible and interesting to all age groups and all people… no matter what age, gender etc. We have grand plans for conferences, vlogs and who knows what else… so watch this space! I’m watching. More commentary about last Thursday’s third anniversary dinner: Annie Mole: Girl Geek Dinner at Google takes the cake Julia Non Society: Spotted in The Google cafeteria, London Laurence Borel: Girl Geek Dinner @ Google 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Sun Microsystems is readying a new online tool that will allow non-programmers to develop social applications in a collaborative manner. Zembly, currently in private beta, will make it easy for those with minimal programming skills to create widgets, Facebook applications, and other tools that can support communication and marketing objectives. Zembly s CTO, Todd Fast, discusses the project and how communicators might use it. Listen to this podcast now: Get this podcast: Download the MP3 file (11.2Mb, 24:32) Get the show on iTunes Subscribe to the FIR Interviews RSS feed About our Conversation Partner Todd Fast is the architect and CTO of zembly.com, a service of Sun Microsystems. Zembly is the world s first cloud-based social application development tool, with which users can create applications for Facebook, OpenSocial, Meebo, and more using a browser and their creativity. Most recently, Todd was Chief Architect for enterprise Java tools at Sun Microsystems, and lead architect for the NetBeans IDE in the area of SOA/Web services and XML. He also designed and built the world s first commercial IDE features for real-time developer collaboration. Before Sun, Todd held positions as Principal Consultant and Engineer with NetDynamics, where he developed application server runtimes and architected large e-commerce sites for Fortune 500 companies. Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the FIR FriendFeed Room. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the twice-weekly Hobson s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: PR Week blog contest update; brief discussion of FIR interview with Maggie Fox and Geoff Livingston; discussion of Jason Calacanis post about do-it-yourself PR for startup CEOs who should fire their PR agencies; the Media Monitoring Minute from CustomScoop; Dan York s report and a follow-up discussion about the state of Technorati; the music from Amy MacDonald; and more.. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (29.6Mb, 64:36) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday September 1 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Maggie Fox and Geoff Livingston announced on August 27 that the previously-announced acquisition of Livingston Communications by The Social Media Group will not be moving forward. In this brief interview, they address the reasons for calling off the deal and their approach to communicating the decision. Listen to this podcast now: Get this podcast: Download the MP3 file (5.4Mb, 11:39) Get the show on iTunes Subscribe to the FIR Interviews RSS feed About our Conversation Partners Maggie Fox is the founder of Social Media Group, specializing in social media consulting from its base on Ontario, Canada. Geoff Livingston is founder of Livingston Communications, focusing on social media consulting from Washington, D.C. More detailed biographies are available from our last interview. Share your comments or questions about this podcast, or suggestions for future interviews, in the FIR FriendFeed Room. You can also email us at fircomments@gmail.com; call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. To receive all For Immediate Release podcasts including the twice-weekly Hobson s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Reminder of the next FIR Live: Sept 20; PR Week blog contest update; social media focus in latest IABC podcast; Jason Calacanis 10 PR tips for CEOs; from Singapore, Michael Netzley discusses India s internet market; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - the Christy Blatchford column, how to live the cloud life, Canadian CIOs shun enterprise Web 2.0, to comment or not to comment that is the question; listeners comment and FriendFeed FIR round-up; music from Heavenly States; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (28.9Mb, 63:09) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday August 28 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: FIR Live postponed until September 20; PR Week blog contest update; Dan York reports on SpeechTEK, Technorati and more; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - the SEC s big IDEA, smarter talk about PR s future, how a PR firm should provide value to clients about social media, Chicago Tribune s Twitter army; Heidi Miller on the Knight News Challenge; listeners comments discussion; music from Munk; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (28.5Mb, 62:16) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday August 25 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has been the focus of a lot of attention lately. Last month, the SEC announced new guidance in using traditional websites and social media channels as legitimate means for companies listed on US stock exchanges to communicate with investors and others. That announcement will have a far-reaching impact on how organizations communicate, not only listed companies (I ve outlined some reasons why I think so). It s not the death of the press release, as some would advocate; it s more to do with an evolution in how news and other information is communicated. The distribution, especially, will change. While that news is still being analyzed, an announcement yesterday from the SEC is, in my view, no less far reaching. In a press conference that was webcast live - the recording is available - SEC Chairman Christopher Cox (pictured above) presented IDEA, a pretty good acronym for Interactive Data Electronic Applications. During the course of the next three years, IDEA will replace EDGAR, the SEC s 1980s-era computer system for filing documents electronically. For the first time, it will provide the means for anyone with an internet connection - investors, financial analysts, anyone - to more easily find, analyze and extract data and other financial information about US-listed companies held by the SEC. It s also clear support for XBRL in financial reporting and information analysis. Maybe this is XBRL s tipping point. The SEC s press release has the details and there is plenty of commentary and opinion. Of equal interest to me was the prominent role social media played in yesterday s event. To start with, the SEC has a Twitter account - SEC_Investor_Ed - and posted some comments during the press conference as this screenshot from Summize Twitter Search shows: This is another example of an organization embracing a communication channel like Twitter with the new alongside the traditional (the physical press conference and a live webcast), just like Dell s experiment last week. The Twittercast (to coin a phrase, unless someone else already did that) wasn t especially dynamic, meaning there was little interaction between SEC_Investor_Ed and anyone following the tweets and posting questions. Surprising, perhaps, given the opportunity the event presented for anyone with an inclination to ask an awkward question. Whether any question would have been answered via this channel is doubtful, though, especially as SEC_Investor_Ed had twittered that questions should be emailed in. I d be interested to know what the SEC communicators think about their experiment with Twitter yesterday. Did it achieve what they had planned? Or did it not? And what had they planned? What would they do differently next time (and surely there will be a next time)? And what else might they have planned for their own use of social media? It seems to me that the climate within the SEC is fortuitous right now for pushing other social media envelopes. Elsewhere yesterday, there was live blogging going on. Stacy-Marie Ishmael, a reporter at the Financial Times and who writes at FT Alphaville, one of the best investor-focused blogs out there - I saw the nerve centre on my visit to FT headquarters in June - hosted a live blogging session with CoverItLive. Check out the recording for a blow-by-blow commentary of the webcast as it unfolded, including input from investor relations expert Dominic Jones (who thinks yesterday s event was largely a publicity stunt, and a successful one) and accountancy expert Francine McKenna. In a final thought about what I saw in the webcast, I was pretty impressed that SEC Chairman Cox demo d IDEA himself, actually sitting down and driving the presentation from a PC (a Dell, I noted). I suppose he could just as easily have had one of the other SEC executives directly involved with IDEA do the demo. But his doing it is a clear signal that he not only supports the project but also is highly conversant with it and able to confidently take you through IDEA, as you can see in the webcast recording. 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Overflow from today s FIR #372: News That Fits Searching by brand keywords on the rise Launch of Blogs.com Listen to these FIR Cuts: Download FIR Cut MP3s: Keywords (3:15) | Blogs.com (4:16) If you want to automatically receive FIR Cuts as they re published, subscribe to the RSS feed. (What are FIR Cuts?) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Next FIR Live on Aug 23; update on PR Week blog contest; discussion: Is PR dead? Oh, God, not again ; the Media Monitoring minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - Inc magazine study on US company adoption of social media, unique medical simulation in Second Life; Michael Netzley reports on Singapore s Social Media Breakfast 3; listeners comments discussion and FIR Friendfeed round-up; music from Manda and The Marbles; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (27.3Mb, 59:44) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Thursday August 21 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Overflow from today s FIR #371: News That Fits What should PR students be taught about social media? The teacher: Teaching social media; the student: What should we be taught about social media? Listen to this FIR Cut: Download FIR Cut MP3: Teaching PR students social media (6:53) If you want to automatically receive FIR Cuts as they re published, subscribe to the RSS feed. (What are FIR Cuts?) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.

Content summary: Shel s at the Ragan/eBay conference and on to New Media Expo; PR Week blog contest update; Dan York reports on WordPress 2.6, trusting the cloud, and more; the Media Monitoring Minute with CustomScoop; News That Fits - focus on social networking with Movable Type upgrade, visual trickery at the Olympic Games, reasons to embed content in your website; David Phillips explains Gartner s Generation V; listeners comments discussion and FIR Friendfeed round-up; music from The Tallest Man On Earth; and more. Listen to FIR now: Get FIR: Download the MP3 file (28.2Mb, 61:33) Subscribe to the RSS feed Get the show at iTunes Messages from our sponsors: FIR is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years, www.ragan.com; Save time with the CustomScoop online clipping service: sign up for your free two-week trial, at www.customscoop.com/fir. For Immediate Release: The Hobson call the Comment Line at +1 206 222 2803 (North America), +44 20 8133 9844 (Europe), or Skype: fircomments; comment at Twitter: twitter.com/FIR or at Jaiku: fir.jaiku.com. You can email your comments, questions and suggestions as MP3 file attachments, if you wish (max. 3 minutes / 5Mb attachment, please!). We ll be happy to see how we can include your audio contribution in a show. Join the FIR Discussion Forum and extend your conversations with the FIR community. You can also join the FIR Facebook Community and become an FIR friend. So, until Monday August 18 (Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel s and my podcast blog.) 2008 - visit the author for more great content.