Month: February 2010

Once again, Google is making me crazy

Dave

Google’s announcement today of Google Buzz reminds me once again that they are on the way to owning our online life. We’re rapidly approaching the point where your single most important online identifier will be your Google username.

And what’s mine? dbt001.

I signed up for that back in the days when we were still being semi-anonymous on the Web. I’m sure I could have gotten davidbthomas as my username back then, but that seemed a little too specific, a little too revelatory. Why, that’s how I’m listed in the phone book! Who knows what might happen?

Now I’ve got a dozen or more services tied to my username. It would be a nightmare to change. But I want my online identity to include my name. Vanity? No, practicality. We’re all overwhelmed by information and incoming messages. I want to make sure that when someone sees something I’ve shared or directed their way, they know it’s coming from me.

So now I’m back to trying to figure out what I can add to the front or end of “davidbthomas” to make it unique, without sounding too ridiculous. And I’ve talked about this already online in several places, and with several people. My wife has suggested I consider medication, and she didn’t sound like she was kidding.

Is there a medical term for someone obsessed with their online identity? I mean, other than “dork,” of course.

Posted via web from David B. Thomas

My first unconference

Dave

I went to my first unconference this past weekend, AnalyticsCamp, held at the Kenan-Flagler Business School at UNC-Chapel Hill. I really enjoyed the format. For those of you unfamiliar with the unconference/barcamp model, there’s no schedule in advance. Speakers propose their sessions on a wiki, then on the day, they stand up and pitch their ideas, then post them to a board. If you want to go, you make a mark on the sheet. Some of the sessions were packed, some had only a few people, but it was very democratic. It’s also handy in that you get a sense of the speaker before you commit your time to his or her session.

I also just registered for IgniteRaleigh, which follows the same format but allows you to vote online. The topics range from social media marketing to what zombies reveal about society and psychology. So far it looks like the most creative and unusual topics are getting the most votes, which is great. If there’s one thing I’m tired of, it’s hearing the same old thing at conferences.

Once again I’m reminded why I love my job. My colleagues and I are breaking new ground every day, and finding new ways to communicate that people enjoy and want to participate in, not just endure. Unconferences are the real-world equivalent. If we all keep this up, we may never have to read another boring, jargon-filled press release again, and we may never again have to fight to stay awake while someone reads their PowerPoint slides to us.