Posts from — March 2008

Check out the post at  More than Talk about corporate communications.   I agree hugely with the first three points which I think are all related.

• Point 1. My take on it is, if your speed of communicating isn’t up to par with other sources, people will migrate to those other sources for their info.  Your value and credibility will be  diminished.  Iterate.  This isn’t a print world anymore.  You don’t have to get it exactly right before going to “print.”  You can get it close then send  updates with refinements and details.
• Point 2.  On this point, I believe over-controlling the message will reduce speed.
• Point 3.   I agree.  Transparency is key.  Always assume what you say or do could appear on YouTube.

This is a concept that has been ingrained through my military training.   Things will always change.  Change happens.  I’m always about getting better.  I want to be better personally.  I want projects and systems I’m involved with to improve.   Things will change without anybody doing anything.  Change can be good or bad.  Improvement by definition is good.  This difference is that improvement requires intent and action to provide feedback.   Not everyone has this as part of their ethos.  This is were skill and style come in.  Can you create the environment such that people are willing to accept the feedback so the whole can improve? Can you do this often enough that it becomes part of the organizational and individual’s ethos?  Please share how you do it.  I want to know.

I started a list when I was about 24 years old.    I just started writing down sayings that I thought were right on target with what I’ve learned.  Some are my twist on other peoples’ work.  Sometimes fun, sometimes serious.  I don’t claim all of them, nor do I claim to quote them exactly if I got them from someone else.  These are the “Best of” so many other people that I may or may not have given my tweak to.  I’ll roll these rules out occasionally.

I just read an article in Technology Review about Microsoft’s new Photosynth software. The quote that got me was by Alexei A. Efros from Carnegie Mellon. He said “As you get more and more visual data, the quantity become quality. And as you get amazing amounts of data, it starts to tell you things you didn’t know before.” The Photosynth software is able to infer 3D information from 2D photos. “This is something out of nothing,” says Alexei. I am impressed. “Quantity becomes quality.” With the capabilities of the network and SO much data available, I think there will be a proliferation of software advances mining this data and refining it into information that wasn’t there before. Or taking information and mashing it together in huge quantities to derive a new knowledge. This fits with the concept of Wikinomics.

As we connect more and more, in ever increasing numbers, bringing disparate data, information, and concepts together, we will create “something out of nothing.”

Is that stating the obvious or what?

I just registered to speak at PodCamp Ohio.  I will be talking about podcasting and new media for internal corporate communications.  Here are the sessions.

Here are a few links I’ve found helpful on the subject of cold weather flying / altimetry:

• GOVERNMENT/INDUSTRY AERONAUTICAL CHARTING FORUM Notes
• PilotOutlook.com – Basic info
• Aviation.com.ca – Article by John Tomkinson
• FlyingSafety Article – by Monique Yates – USAF Advanced Instrument School
• Transport Canada Regs – section 9.16
• Boeing Magazine Aero 16 – Airline training requirements for polar flying
• Flight Safety Foundation – Howard Long
• SANDEL AVIONICS ST3400 – For Beech King Air – Interesting use of inflight cold weather altimetry.

Don’t forget to watch my video on the subject here – Cold Weather Altimetry

I just read an interesting article in Wired magazine called “Free” by Chris Anderson. The timing was perfect. I’ve had some conversations with people on how to monetize their podcasts. They are considering making their podcast a “premium podcast” with a price.

I try to look at the world as a big, bell shaped curve. In other words, the world isn’t black and white, it is mostly gray. If I remember my stats correctly, two-thirds of everything exists within one standard deviation of the mean. So how does my view fit with the article? I think there will be many ways to monetize podcasts and new media. I just think most people will find a similar method. There will be fewer at either extreme, but they will be there and they, too, will be successful.  Can I predict what will be at the extremes?  No.  Can I predict what will be in the middle of the normal curve?  No.  I just know that there is room for all methods and room within the same business for different approaches. [Read more →]

I just added some items to the “About” page. I finished it up with one of my favorite native American sayings: “If what is in my head, is in my heart and is what I speak, then I am on the right path.” I can’t say it any more clearly than that. I’m always trying to make sure my head and my heart are in the same place AND that is what I speak. It is always a goal.

I’ve just been asked to speak at this years New Media Expo. Here is my working title: Internal Corporate Podcasts: Hurdles and How To’s. I will try to flesh out my presentation right here in my blog. Join along. Leave your comments and suggestions on the Expo2008 page.

I ran across this video on the web. I wasn’t flying “Ship 41″ on this trip, but I have flown this plane.