March 7, 2007, Vol 1, Issue 9

March is here which means spring is near! (You didn’t know we could rhyme, did ya?) And despite the snow which fell here all day yesterday, we’re ecstatic at even the prospect of spring when everything becomes fresh, new and exciting – even in Cyberspace.

So this newsletter will focus on those “seedlings” of the Internet. Those sites that are breaking new ground in the WWG (World Wide Garden). Ok, we promise to stop the cheesy references to spring if you keep reading. And you’ll be glad you did, because we’re going to show you some of what’s new on the Net that can help you put a little spring in your work step. (Last one, we promise!)

Mind Games.

If you’re as old as Andrew (hee hee), the song “Mind Games” by John Lennon is now creeping into your brain. But enough poking fun at Andrew’s advanced age; what we really want to talk about is mindmapping.

We’re fascinated by the idea of collaborative mindmapping. One great new tool (in beta) is Mindmeister. MindMeister allows for visual, real-time collaboration online — which we think could transform brainstorming sessions. You can create, manage and share mindmaps online and access them anytime, from anywhere and, in brainstorming mode, you and your team can work simultaneously on the same map – no matter where you are.

Way cool. Very cutting edge.

Some other mind mapping tools worth checking: Bubbl.us Conzilla

Intermission.

Let’s all go to the lobby, let’s all go to the lobby….

Documenting. Everyone is doing it, but maybe you’re not sure if it’s for you. Never fear. Here’s a cool way to participate with a low commitment (and no cost…). Nowthen

Use your camera phone to record the things you see and do! Email photos and texts to Nowthen and they not only automatically store your messages and pictures, they send them to the list you have set up – immediately. It’ll be like your friends and family were there with you. The possibilities are endless!

Wikis. What and how?

No, a wiki is not a tropical drink. A wiki is a website or similar online resource which allows users to easily add and edit content collectively. It also allows for linking among any number of pages. A swiki is a searchable wiki.

They are easy to set up and can be customized a zillion different ways.

Try one of these… Seedwiki PB Wiki Edit Me Wikispaces Stikipad

Why wiki?

We know what you’re thinking. Why would I want to create a wiki? Or a swiki for that matter.

Each of you has a list of your best online resources for finding information. (Maybe we even helped you find some of them?) But does your coworker three cubicles over know what you know? Do you know where she goes to get industry news?

Why not create a private wiki to manage this information? It’s a great way to collaborate! Yeah team!

Or maybe you go check the same sites every day (or week) to keep up with an issue or industry. Make a wiki to house your information arsenal. You can acess it from anywhere and others can check it for you if you’re in Tahiti on the beach (leave your computer at home!).

Or perhaps you have a team collaborating on a project and some are working from other locations. How are you divvying the tasks, organizing and sharing the information, brainstorming, writing the report?

Chances are you’re using some combination of email, phone conversations, faxes, photocopies, etc. You may even be using knowledge or project management software. But if so it’s still likely that crucial information is piling up in extraneous locations. It’s hard to tell at any one time exactly who’s doing what, or exactly what information already has been gathered, or how what they have fits in. If you all update on the wiki, everyone knows everything. We love that.

This issue’s Stump…

A reader asks: I’ve been pondering hair. It’s so weird, hair is. Dead protein. That’s all it is. Do you know how much money is spent each year trying to get you to spend your paycheck on products to make your dead protein look better? Me either. But I bet it is a lot. How about a ballpark figure here?

Oh, reader. We can help….
Click here for the answer. It’ll just take a minute.

One more!

Ever wished for a whiteboard that you can use across the miles? Check out Imagination Cubed from your friends at GE. Pretty cool stuff.

So there you have it. Our fresh thoughts of the day. The next time we meet, we’ll be sharing some of the highlights from our trip to Sin City. Andrew and Wendy will be presenting Being a Better Buyer of Market Research at the IDFA SmartMarketing 2007 conference next week in Las Vegas. Yeah baby!

We hope to hear from you soon. We’ll be here, collaborating and thinking and writing. Oh, and gambling just a little. As always….

Until we meet again (in two weeks),