Enterprise 2.0: From Talk to Tactic in 2007?

I've been a big advocate of Web 2.0 and it's potential in the enterprise for some time now, but I find that more often than not when broaching the subject my POV ends up being shot down as unrealistic. True, up to this point Enterprise 2.0 hasn't seen much traction on a large scale, but the foundation looks to be in place for 2007 to be the year it breaks out from a good idea without fundamentals to a strong adoption possibility for many companies.

Whether it be small start-up developers with big ideas or large vendors with a focus on small business, Enterprise 2.0 applications are poised for a big year, and those who have drank the kool-aid can expect to be a part of the upswing in the near future.

For those of you without much knowledge of the concept and movement behind Enterprise 2.0, Dion Hinchcliffe from ZDNet has a great post today looking back at the year in Enterprise 2.0. As well, Jevon MacDonald of Firestoker (and Enterprise 2.0 developer) makes a few interesting and well-thought out predictions for what to expect in 2007.

Why I Hate My Friends

My friend, who shall remain nameless, is in a band and looking for album cover ideas. I made what I thought was a generous, thoughtful, and insightful suggestion to him first thing this morning. Within ten minutes, this is what my generosity and thoughtfulness received in return:

As you can see, there are more than one reason as to why I do not have a flickr account. First, and foremost reason I don't, though, is because I have friends who are far too good at photoshop and far too bad to their buddies.

Canucks Lead The Way....

comScore Media Metrix have released their latest stats on blog penetration, and surprise surprise it's us crazy Canucks leading the way. In October, more than 58% of all Canadian internet users visited blogs - 20% more of total users than our friends south of the border.

It's about TIME: You named Person of the Year

TIME Magazine has announced it's 2006 Person of the Year, and low-and-behold, it's YOU! Congratulations. That's some pretty heavy class you've just joined, putting you in the same company as Bill Clinton, Pope John Paul II, Martin Luther King Jr., JFK, Mohandas Ghandi, and even G.I. Joe.

Okay, so by "You", they're referring to the collective masses that have created Web 2.0, be it by creating or consuming content through outlets such as blogs, RSS, YouTube, MySpace, etc. etc. etc.

But just because the "You" referred to isn't inclusive to just "you", you should give yourself a pat on the back for the role "you" played in it. Without all the "yous" that make up the collective "You", "You" wouldn't really matter at all, now would you?

I think it's best summed up in this one line, direct from the article: "For seizing the reins of the global media, for founding and framing the new digital democracy, for working for nothing and beating the pros at their own game, TIME's Person of the Year for 2006 is you."

Maybe it's not a big deal to "you" or "you" or "you", but for "You" this is quite a feat. We can only imagine what 2007 might bring.

Apple Gets iPunked

After months of speculation, rumours and hearsay, the iPhone was FINALLY formally announced today.

Since early '06, people have been speculating on when it'll be available, what it'll look like, what features and functionality will be included and at what cost. Seemingly everything about the iPhone was a hot topic and the masses all had their own opinion about every aspect.

The long-standing global dialogue basically meant that there was no stone unturned and that odds are when the announcement came, there wouldn't be any surprises. Well, well. Looks like one stone was left unturned.

The iPhone was launched today, but NOT by Apple. Linksys, one of the Cisco brands, has launched the wireless iPhone, a VoiP based phone that will utilize Skype for free or low-cost long distance calls.

So, is this a branding coup of great proportions? Well, reports from October (which helped to fuel the iPhone fire) revealed that Apple had actually trademarked the term iPhone in numerous countries.

So, does this mean those reports were bogus, or was GB one of the countries where they couldn't get the trademark? We'll probably find out over the coming days...

Last Night...

I sat at home and did something I NEVER do - I watched two full, uninterrupted hours of the CBC.

CBC you ask? WTF? Why?

I'll tell you why - in less than 15 words no less: How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Is there something wrong with the fact that a grown man, in his mid-twenties, opted out of plans in order to sit on his couch, drink a beer and watch children's Christmas programming? I think not.

With so much "entertainment" in production today, these three Christmas favorites may be three of the only shows ever produced that are watched religiously by the masses. I got no less than six email reminders yesterday that CBC had this lineup tonight, coming from people who have words like Senior Vice President, Director, etc. in their business titles.

No one is fooled into thinking the animation is spectacular. I mean, all three were made in the fifties and sixties. But they all resonate with so many people, who regardless of their station in life can remember sitting in their PJ's, eating milk and cookies and watching the Grinch's heart grow three sizes, Frosty sacrificing himself for the safety of his young friend, or good old Yukon Cornelius tumbling over a ledge to defeat the Abominable Monster of the North. Talk about sustainable entertainment.

Now, if only as many people would have been introduced to Arrested Development as were to these three, there'd be some REALLY good programming on television these days.

Lets Face It....

The military has some crazy $#!^ that we'll probably never hear about. However, every now and then you do get to hear about some device that's been designed to "keep us safe from the enemy", or whatever their PR warchest has created as the key message for the month.

What's more worrisome - the fact that these weapons, which sound right out of a cartoon, are ready for military deployment, or the fact that I don't need an ADS to create the "Goodbye Effect" on most women? That is, unless you consider personality (or lack thereof) to be a weapon...

Matt Good on World AIDS Day

Another brilliant post by Matt Good today that I couldn't help but share with you, my dedicated, causeful readers. From Matt's blog:

"There is no denying that AIDS is a global epidemic and that its eradication should be a serious and highly urgent global effort. So isn’t it heartbreaking to think that globally over a trillion dollars a year is spent on armaments to kill perfectly healthy people?

Perhaps the earth is simply tired of us. Of all the animals in creation, we serve the least purpose, and our lack of humanity tends to demonstrate that on a daily basis when it comes to the fight against AIDS, especially in those parts of the world where help is needed most. If there was ever a greater need for a world super power to unilaterally and preemptively invade a region of the world, surely this cause is of far greater import than most. The ground troops of such a force could be populated by medical personnel, the stated goal of the mission to help the dispossessed who have thus far suffered under the ignorance of those who refuse to deal with the realities of this epidemic. That is an invasion that I would support, illegal or not.

Perhaps the earth is simply tired of us. Perhaps that is why the Ross Ice Shelf, which is the size of France, could, at any time, simply break off of the Antarctic continent causing global water levels to rise dramatically. Not that that should deter us from making any radical changes in our lives. Not that it should stop us from spending a trillion dollars a year on fascinating new ways of killing one another."

Honest, brutal truth. It's good to know that it's coming from somewhere these days.