di sole e d’azzurro, originally uploaded by tribalbob.
This is not a far drive from where our family stays in Pizzo, Calabria. The yellow cactus fruit, clear blue water and dreamy yachts…I gotta get there and bring my camera!
di sole e d’azzurro, originally uploaded by tribalbob.
This is not a far drive from where our family stays in Pizzo, Calabria. The yellow cactus fruit, clear blue water and dreamy yachts…I gotta get there and bring my camera!
Getting a Google Alert monitoring your name is essential. Made sense when I heard Intel blog pioneer Josh Bancroft mention it over a year ago. And it proved exceptionally useful and quick this week at the New Comm Forum 2008.

Rohit was hosting a panel on new communications strategies called “The Future of Marketing & Advertising” featuring:
Neil Chase from Federated Media – publishers and networks
David Takheim from Six Apart – platforms and publishing toolsKen Kaplan — me — offering stories from inside Intel
In keeping with the fast and real-time world we’re living in, Rohit encouraged the panalists to keep it raw and share their own insights. On the morning of the event, he sent out this blog post listing questions that could help shape the discussion. About one hour later, Neil and David arrived inside the room ready to go. One of the first things both guys said was: “Thanks for the questions, I just got them in Google Alerts.”
For me, this was the first time I saw Google Alerts work so well, in a timely manner. I’ve used Twitter for quick hook ups before, but this showed the power of blogs, search engines and being tapped into what’s important to “you.”
The panel was well attended with a fully engaged audience asking great, real-work world questions by the likes of Tim Marklein of Weber Shandwick PR and Jennifer McClure, maven of the Society for New Communications Research and the wonderful host of NewComm Forum event. Here’s what Rohit had to say after the panel:
I really enjoyed hearing from Neil and David what’s working and how much hard work is going into to relationship building, making connections and helping more people learn how to use new tools. At Intel, we’re trying a lot of new things thanks for my pal David Veneski teaming up with Federated Media. And Six Apart seems like a part of the Intel family, and continues to try new things, building new services into blogging platforms.
The event pulled together some great people, including Tom Foremski, Shel Israel, Joseph Jaffe , Katie Paine , John Cass (I had the pleasure of meeting — see earlier post), Shel Holtz , Todd Defren , Brian Solis, Geoff Livingston and Giovanni Rodriguez.
The New Comm Forum is an event brimming with good arguments and storytelling that help communication pros see where they are, how they got there and how to move ahead…with a little help from our friends.
Authors & Action Heroes at Web 2.0 Expo, SF08, originally uploaded by KenEKaplan.
There were many highlights from the Web 2.0 Expo:
The best part was getting to hang out with people like Rohit Bhargava and Tim Ferriss. Sure they’re authors (Rohit’s new book “Personality Not Included” and Tim’s 52 week NY Time top seller “Four Hour Work Week“), sure they’re idea guys…but they’re livin’ life and sharing ideas and best known methods with those who care and want to learn.
Web 2.0 Expo is not just about social media and the technologies behind it…it’s about the people and how they’re using the technologies to lead they way. And they way things are going, human behavior and personality is changing for the better as we share more, try more, do more of the things we’re passionate about.