· July 13, 2007 at 9:14 am · Hot Web Topics
Tags: building, business, fame, geeks, popularity, Web-2.0
There is no doubt that the two “easy ways out” when it comes to Web popularity - you either know somebody famous that mentions your service or you. The second way would be to pay lots and lots of money on advertising. Other than that, building a “successful” brand on your own is really hard.
The main problem we suffer is that a lot of folks only focus on following the big voices Online. If somebody like Robert Scoble, Kevin Rose or Leo Laporte don’t mention it, use it, or give it a thumbs up you are dead to a lot of the world. That is not their fault, they are just folks Online as well that just happened to get lucky and gain a real voice out there in the geeky world we live in.
Firefox Facts gain most of its popularity because Chris Pirillo really helped inspire and lead me into the entire project from day one. So I have gotten a perk out of this type of popular voices driving the popular vote.
I’ve recently been actually spending money in promoting the Web Hosting Show in new audiences and I have to say it has been paying off a little ‘bit. Most of my projects are done as a hobby though - so not sure if I can count myself.
I do feel sorry for folks out there trying to build a business from the ground up because if your not on the A-list or know somebody on the A-list it is almost impossible to “make it”.
· March 28, 2007 at 7:12 am · Hot Web Topics
Tags: building, legos, news, ownership, schools, stupid, wacky
Come on people, don’t take the legos away, please! Think of the poor children!
According to the article, the students had been building an elaborate “Legotown,” but it was accidentally demolished. The teachers decided its destruction was an opportunity to explore “the inequities of private ownership.” According to the teachers, “Our intention was to promote a contrasting set of values: collectivity, collaboration, resource-sharing, and full democratic participation.”
So in other words, if I build a house that has no doors and kind of looks like a boat on wheels - this is a bad thing? Sure it is good to teach kids to play nice with each other but they are going to have to learn eventually that not everything looks the same in the real world.
Is it better to own your own blocks or use the blocks of the community? Personally I would like to have my own blocks. That way I know little Jimmy down the street with his runny nose didn’t get snot all over my gray blocks. If I work harder, I should have more blocks than the guy down the street. Everybody wants to own a little ‘bit of something.
Social issues and politics aside, lets just let the kids play with the damn legos. We are slowly ruining all other childhood pass times, lets not see legos go the way of dodge ball and tag (both known to be banned in some schools).
