Bullpen Bulletins

'Brain'-Fueled Internet Could Change CIO Thinking

From Internet Evolution 9/21/2009

If the brain is a network of neurons and the Internet is a network of nodes, can we develop the Internet to be a brain? Well, evidence suggests the Internet is already a brain and we're in the process of developing it into something larger and more useful.

At least that's basic precept of a book I've been reading this past week, Wired for Thought, written by Jeffrey Stibel, in which he discusses the implications of the evolution of the Internet as a brain -- not as an evil overlord that will one day replace humans, but as a sympathetic, predictive, and well intentioned network designed around the concepts that we carry around in our own brains.

Please read the rest of the article.

Startup Showcase Exposes CEOs

From Internet Evolution, 8/15/2009

A seasonal technology showcase for Web-based startups -- TechCrunch 50 -- rolled into San Francisco this week, highlighting both the problems and opportunities for CEOs of new companies.

Now in its third year -- perhaps its last? -- the show has become a blessing and a curse for those seeking fame and fortune in the investment community. Fifty new companies polish up their elevator pitches and PowerPoint presentations to impress the audience as well as a panel of judges ranging from investment gurus like Vossi Vardi, Ron Conway, and George Zachary, to luminaries like Digg's Kevin Rose, Google VP Marissa Mayer, and super-entrepreneur Marc Andreessen.

Read the full story.

Non-Profit Lessons For The Enterprise

The non-profit sector has much to teach and learn from enterprise Web 2.0.

This is my video conversation with "Mobilizing Generation 2.0" author Ben Rigby who is also co-executive director with Mobile Voter and Jacob Colker, a Grassroots field consultant.

We also talk about their project: The Extraordinaries

Interview done at the Craigslist Foundation Non-Profit Boot Camp in San Mateo on Oct. 18, 2008.

Swine Flu Lessons for CIOs

from Internet Evolution 9/8/2009  

Worried about viruses? Concerned about unscheduled downtime or preparing for a lack of workers on your network?

 This may sound like a pitch for a security software company, but in essence it's what the Center for Disease Control and Prevention is telling companies about the second wave of the H1N1 flu virus, or Swine Flu.

Since April, the CDC and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have been working together to educate people about the ongoing 2009 influenza A (H1N1) outbreak. In addition to the regular channels, the CDC is offering computer widgets, mobile apps, YouTube videos, and other social-networking tools to reach new audiences.

Now, CDC CIO James Seligman has handed over a five-point checklist to help employers keep workers on the job and out of hospital emergency rooms. It's a straightforward list, but it occurred to me that the same five points can be used by CIOs in any sector to help protect their networks.

Read the five points here...

Spam Your Way to $100K

From Internet Evolution August, 31

Times are tough all over, and good job leads can be hard to come by, which makes emails like the one I recently got all the more dispiriting, when it comes to how we get hired on the Internet.

I was laid off earlier this year, so I know from recent experience that the job market in IT can be dryer than a bone in the desert. Especially hard hit are senior managers and executives who are having a hard time returning to the glory days of the late 1990s when growth seemed endless. And it doesn't help that current bailout poster boys like AIG CEO Robert Benmosche are giving executive perks a bad name. So much for that golden parachute on my next job.

Despite statistics that say guys like me get better job leads, staging a comeback during this recession has been a challenge.

But what struck me in the aforementioned email was the spammy nature of the job recruitment site:

For more, read on...

That's Your Boss, Not Your Facebook BFF

From Internet Evolution 8/25/2009

If you are a social climber and are aiming for that corner office, you might be inclined to send your supervisor a request on Facebook or LinkedIn, or even follow him or her on Twitter.

Fair enough. But for the busy executive, is having access to your employees' drunken college photos on a list of best corporate practices that I'm not aware of? Probably not.

Take for example the case of "Lindsay," a disgruntled employee whose name was withheld in the press to protect her lack of common sense. Still, her rant has made the rounds on Digg and other sites.

The young English lady updated her Facebook status one day after work...

More here...

7 Deadly Sins of Mac OS X Snow Leopard

From Internet Evolution 8/28/2009

Let the Snow Leopard launch parties begin! Apple's freshest Mac OS X is here, and Mac fans are expected to snap it right up. Too bad the release won't win over most CIOs and may even convert some companies back to Windows.

It's not that the latest Mac OS is a bad kitty. By all reviewed accounts, it's faster, more secure, and improves graphics over previous versions.

But forget your lust over this operating system. Apple's won't make CIOs envious or tempt them to abandon their gluttonous Windows systems. In fact, Snow Leopard will barely register on their network radars, save for complaints from any wrathful Apple fanboys in their midst.

More here...