I think Arik Hanson, Lisa Gerber, and I are the only people not in Austin this weekend for SXSW. Arik is turning off Foursquare updates, Lisa is turning off Facebook, and I’m turning off Twitter.
OK. Not really. Let’s be real. I’d die without Twitter, and I’m pretty sure my friends would die without their social networks. Even if we sit here and get more and more envious.
I remember being a little bit jealous last year, but it didn’t really bother me because I was traveling SO MUCH. For some reason, it’s bothering me more this year. It’s not like, you know, we have a new business launching in seven weeks.
But our jealousy is nothing compared to what we all learned when we turned on the news this morning. Our hearts and minds go out to those in Japan, Hawaii, and along the West Coast.
And now on to your regularly scheduled Gin and Topics.
5. Chrysler Loses Control of Twitter Account; Drops F Bomb. I’ve been trying to decide if I’m going to blog about this next week. Patrick Reyes keeps egging me on (maybe HE should write it!). I definitely have an opinion on it, but it’s not so much about the F bomb tweeted accidentally as it is about a client demanding an agency fire an employee. Read it and tell me what do you think. If I blog about it, I’ll include your thoughts.
4. Professors Paid by Qaddafi: Providing Positive Public Relations. As soon as Paul McConaughy sent this link to me, I knew my blood would boil. Yep. It boiled. And yours will too. Turns out Harvard faculty members were paid by the Libyan government to increase positive awareness about Qaddafi…without disclosing it.
3. Help PRSA Define Public Relations. The PR industry is under fire and Jayme Soulati is making it her mission to help PRSA define public relations, which right now reads as a publicity meme. It’s full of so much jargon, I don’t even understand what they’re trying to say. No wonder businesses can’t figure out what it is we do.
2. LinkedIn Launches Social News Site. There are two new features you should know about: Tagging your friends when you comment on Facebook (different than tagging in a status update) and LinkedIn Today. Check them both out – they’re great improvements!
1. Meet the Computer Geeks Who Are “Anonymous.” I love just about anything Vanity Fair writes – part hard news, part entertainment. I always feel much more knowledgeable when I read a story about something pressing. And this whole WikiLeaks thing is fascinating to me. Some of it I think is treasonous, while others (like the HBGary fake personas story) I think are extremely useful. Now we know who is hacking.
Tomorrow night I will be creating three or four recipes using Certified Steak & Seafood Company filet mignons and crab. Full disclosure: They sent me the meat (and yes, I’m a vegetarian), but I’m going to see what I can whip up. My friends get to be guinea pigs and hopefully I win something!
If you don’t get to come over to test the food, too bad for you! But I will post the recipes on my food blog so you can enjoy from your own kitchen.
Have a great weekend!
Always big thanks to Jennifer Hallowes for the image!