And you thought my awesomeness was limited to the printed word! I am every excited to introduce my new video blog series The Foush Reports, which will feature yours truly (obviously) as I navigate the wonderful and wacky world of New Media. You can look forward to cool websites, interviews and events. Snark to be added in accordingly.

Episode 1 - CaseCamp7

[Disclaimer: I was one of the organizers of Casecamp, although that doesn’t mean I won’t review the event honestly.]

In this first episode, I head over to Casecamp 7 , one of Toronto’s most popular “unconferences.” It is a free communications and social media gathering, with tons of networking and four 15 minute case study presentations from volunteers within the business community.

The keynote was by Brian Segal, ComScore who spoke about The state of the Canadian social web in three minutes. (5 second recap: it’s on the rise)

Unfortunately I couldn’t show you footage of the presentations, but I did capture what I think is the best part of Casecamp. Enjoy!!

Special thanks to Eli Singer who organized the event and Filter Five Productions for their kick ass shooting, directing & editing.

There was an interesting article from Time Magazine a few days ago about a new initiative being started by the super brains at Google.

It’s no secret that Google has been eying the gigantic social networking pie dominated by Facebook and trying to figure out the best way to enter the field. According to a new project, they don’t want to just enter the field, they’re going to level it.

Soon, every website will have the ability to be it’s own social network. Google announced that it will be entering the “social plumbing” business, and developing a set of tools that would allow each site to add an endless number of applications and the infrastructure to let users communicate amongst each other. Hey Googlers, when will you enter the “social electricity” business and figure out a way to bypass the ISP’s and power this bad boy of an internet?

The program is called Friend Connect. Any site can apply but only one or two dozen sites will be chosen for the initial preview release (aka pilot program)

What you need to know:

• One the program is live you’ll have to cut and paste a few lines of code onto your site.
• You’ll be able to choose from tons of applications, which range from creating a playlist for your favorite songs to the ability to geolocate your friends.
• The program uses OpenID, which is already utilized by some of the largest sites like AOL, and of course Google. So your Gmail Login is your OpenID, presto chango, no multiple login required.
• If you’re logged in, you’ll be able to see your list of contacts and follow their activities on any Friend Connect site. Privacy settings still stand, so if I posted a comment on a wall on a site, only my friends who read that site would be able to read it, strangers wouldn’t even see my comment at all.

What does this mean?

This is Google’s response to Facebook’s walled garden approach, which I previously blogged about

They are replicating Facebook’s key differentiator which is the ability to define your network (friends) as well as the applications or filters through which you view the world and allowing users to exert that control on the wide open web.

Where I see this going:

• Goodbye one way broadcasting. Interactivity on the web has been kicked up another level. If this program takes off, many more sites will have the ability to create networks and community without the hassle of multiple logins or data portability challenges.
• Evolution of new marketing metrics. This is the new age of marketing metrics. I foresee new consumer profiles being built (by Google) based on not only search engine parameters but by the applications that users prefer to communicate through. (For example, I wonder how you would market a product to a consumer who prefers wall postings, vs. instant chat applications…) Talk about a customized sales response!
• New Implications for Closed Communities. I wonder what’s going to happen to companies that don’t join OpenSocial. All the benefits of Facebook become less important if you can’t apply them to your regular surfing behavior. Maybe Facebook will introduce their own web browser to allow similar Friend Connect features within their home turf. That remains to be seen.

So I’ve been using my hybrid GTD system which merges David Allen’s Getting Things Done, with Dan Sullivan’s The Strategic Coach Philosophy.

As I continue to find the right balance between the number of contexts that I have, and the projects I need to complete I am finding myself constantly re-examining the way I am defining a set task.

Old Way:

For example, in my old to-do list system I had one item entitled “Post Blog Entry.” Ideally I wanted to post something every other day, but I found it hard to sick to that system. This meant sporadic and unreliable posting schedule.

New Way

When you factor in context and the type of day I actually discovered that blogging was a four step task.

1) Research blog post ideas, which fall into my buffer days.

2) Draft a blog post, which I would normally do on my Focus days

3) Review the blog post, which I would do on a buffer day

4) Post the blog post, which I could do any day.

* If you’re confused about the types of days, see the second post of my GTD series.

Why This Works

This breaks down the vague concept of “Post a blog entry” into concrete steps that I can actually do on different days while optimizing my time.

So on my buffer days, when I’m in research mode, it’s natural for me to be surfing the internet for cool stories. Instead of forcing myself to switch gears into writing mode, I simply flag the appropriate subject matter and email it to myself, or write a post it note on my mac.

On my next Focus day, I have already done all the grunt work, so I merely need to write up my findings. I can do multiple post drafts in a sitting because once I get my writing groove on, it’s easy to switch from one entry to another without having to jar my flow by needing more research.

When it’s time to edit, I’ve had some space from the piece, and am doing buffer related tasks. My buffer days tend to be filled with many smaller tasks which gets me in a good rhythm which prevents me from dawdling over a particular post.

That means posting has been reduced to a click of the button which can be done every other day with the peace of mind that I am posting pieces on a regular schedule.

I love GTD!!

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you probably are aware of the excitement (both online and off) surrounding the new Sex and the City movie! It’s in theaters on May 30 in Canada and judging by the buzz online is one of the most anticipated movie releases of the summer, if not the entire year.

I myself can barely restrain my excitement and glee. Can you believe it’s almost been four years since we left the fabulous foursome in New York? I’m clearly not the only one giddy! Along with a huge traditional ad campaign there has been a lot of buzz, and the web surfers have a multitude of ways of getting in on the fun.

Some Numbers:

• On Facebook, over 40,000 people have labeled themselves as fans of the movie.
• The TV series has over 100 applications where users can take quizzes to determine which character they most resemble and answer trivia questions. There is also an application counting down to the movie release.
• At the writing of this post Google Blog Reader had cataloged over 180,000 blog posts in the last month talking about the movie

Sex and the City Stuff:

• There are several widgets you can install on your desktop or blog to also count down the date.
• There are numerous fan blogs devoted entirely to the movie who faithfully report any sightings, gossip, magazine covers that are Sex and the City related.
• The New York Post has a cool interactive map with locations from the movie.
• If you want to plan your own sex and the city movie night party, you’ll want to check this site out.
• Many tour companies, event companies, bars & restaurants are planning special events so be sure to check your city listings if you’re in the mood for a shindig instead of an intimate girl’s night out. (I say, the more the merrier!)

The official movie site:

Shiny and pink, the site boasts tons of wallpapers, photos, screen savers and a countdown widget. It has a fun quiz to match your significant other with some of the movie’s leading men.

The Official movie blog has been up and running since Oct. 2007, which gives you a good idea of how long it takes to build up an audience. Community doesn’t happen over night.

The most interesting part of the site (for me anyway) was the Sex and the City partnerships: Skyy Vodka, MySpace, Mercedes Benz and the New York Times are some of the big wigs listed offering everything from discounts on movie gear to cocktail recipes and crosswords puzzles. I’ll be on the look out for product placement inside the movie!

In this day and age you have to be very conscious about what you write and what you say especially if there are cameras around. The web tends to grab the most insignificant moments, usually when you are angry, down or acting like a jerk and transmit them to viewers worldwide. So that temper tantrum you had on your ex’s voice mail, the snotty email you sent about a colleague or in this case, your handling of a stressful situation becomes public knowledge and a part of the collective online memory.

I originally wasn’t going to post this video because I really don’t like Bill O’Reilly, but I couldn’t resist because his reaction is so disproportionate with the situation at hand. So I am playing my part in the new online ecosystem by taking the information I have found [via collegehumor.com] and post it on my site in the hopes that you will watch it and share it with your network. And that my friends, is the circle of life online.

Apparently, Bill couldn’t understand the text on the teleprompter on how to end the show and had a melt down about it.

It should be noted that the O’Reilly camp has aggressively pursued Youtube to remove the video, so my congratulations to CollegeHumor for holding their ground.

The New Rules of Reputation in an Online World:

1) The Camera is always on. Someone, somewhere, will have a camera and capture whatever you are doing, wherever you are, especially if you are being loud, obnoxious or crazy.

2) Write as though you’re going to be published. What I mean by that is, take every email, IM or SMS and consider what would happen if it was broadcast on the news. If would be embarrassed by the outcome then I would urge a little more caution.

3) The Internet is like high school. Gossip is king, especially when it’s juicy. Unfortunately for you, once ignited, speculation tends to run rampant causing all sorts of damage to reputations, careers and even marriages.

There’s an old expression that goes something like this: “Keep your words soft and sweet for one day you might have to eat them.”

I am intrigued by the reputations that have been either made or ruined online.

If you’re wondering why there is a picture of the borg, it’s because I’ve merged two GTD philosophies and technologies to produce a system that is the embodiment of perfection and efficiency. (If you’re not familiar with Star Trek Terminology then just read on.)

In the first part of this mini-series I spoke a little bit about GTD philosophy including David Allen’s Getting Things Done, and Merlin Mann’s fantastic 43folders

The power of the system lies in the ability to assign tasks a context which takes into account where you are and what you have at your disposal at that time. So if you’re out and about vs. if you’re at your computer.

Which is all fine and good unless you’re like me, and the tasks are mainly done on your computer. Then I stumbled across Dan Sullivan, business strategist extraordinary, and the brain behind the Entrepreneur’s Time Management schedule.

DAN SULLIVAN STRATEGIC COACH:

The system outlines three “types” of days that Entrepreneurs should use to manage their time. From the site

1) Free Days

A Free Day is a 24-hour period, Midnight to Midnight, in which you, the entrepreneur, do not engage in any business-related thinking, communication, or actions. The idea is that by taking time away from the business to rejuvenate, you’ll tap into more energy and creativity.

2) Focus Days

A Focus Day is a 24-hour period, again Midnight to Midnight, in which you spend 80 percent of your time on the activities that create results for your business. On Focus Days, you concentrate on your most important business-related activities, relationships, and opportunities.

3) Buffer Days

If Focus Days are for performance, Buffer Days are for rehearsals. On Buffer Days, you handle all of the details that would otherwise distract your attention on a Focus Day. You use these days to catch up, clean up messes, delegate, and learn new skills. You use them to maintain and restore simplicity and order in your life – what could be more satisfying than clearing a week’s worth of phone calls to return from your to-do list?

How to use the days

Consider the emphasis and breakdown — Free Days first, then Focus Days, and finally Buffer Days, in a ration of about 3:3:1.

THE NEW SYSTEM

Ok, so stay with me here, I know it’s a lot.

You have David Allen who says we need contexts in order to be efficient, and Dan Sullivan who gives entrepreneurs a way to divide up you week. Mix them together and you get: a great set of contexts to use!

So now, I list all my tasks according to whether they are buffer tasks (Emails, phone calls, research), Focus Tasks (Writing, Consulting, Learning) and Free tasks (Readings, watching tv, hanging out)

At the beginning of each week I identify when each of my buffer, focus and rest days will be and voila, all my tasks are no organized based on priority and resources available.

It’s been working wonderfully for the last two weeks and I have been getting a lot more done.

I will let you know how the system is working, but so far, so good!

Tom Cruise must be reading this blog. Why else would he just launch a new just days after I blogged about him and Scientology? Coincidence? I think not. (Kidding)

In all seriousness, Cruise launched his new website TomCruise.com.

There is a letter on the site from Tom, which states:

“It’s almost impossible for me to believe that I’m celebrating the 25th anniversary of Risky Business, my first starring role in a film. In celebration of this occasion and my 27 years of making movies, I created this site as a thank you, to you, for sharing the journey to me and to invite you to continue to explore what the future will bring.”

He goes on to say:

My hope with this site is to bring you in and share with you the fun I experience every day during the film making process, from working on a script, to the making of the film through to what we see when we settle in our seats and the lights go down.

If I’m understanding correctly, Mr. Cruise wants to build a site that acts as a gateway between him and fans. He is trying to reach them and involve them without actually letting them get involved. He wants to build a “community” without actually building a community. He’s got a slick site, but that’s about it.

I have my doubts about whether or not this site will be successful for many reasons.

1) The Site Reeks of Old Media: Tom Cruise is building a very specific type of site; one that is centered around him as the main brand. Usually, these types of communities involve relationship building and a certain level of transparency between the fan and the figure head. However, with Tom Cruise making such interesting life choices, I wonder how honest the conversation will be. The site has no mention of Katie Holmes or Scientology so I assume it’s going to be a slick, carefully controlled site that only lets the world see the professional side of Cruise. The lack of authenticity might fool some of his more hardcore fans, but I doubt the rest of the web will take the site seriously. Especially when there are such interesting video clips available on the web.

2) Communities need interactivity and dialog. From what I can tell, the site wants to share Cruise’s experiences regarding film making with his fans, but he doesn’t want to cultivate a community. There are no message boards or areas for feedback. This is a one way transmission, in an age where interactivity is king. People want to contribute especially around a subject they care about.

3) Communities have a purpose. There is a plethora of online communities out there and they each have an underlying purpose, be it organizing around a topic of interest like DemoCamp or CaseCamp, or just giving people a way to stalk the people in their extended network (Facebook), there is some sort of pay off for community members to join and participate. Tom’s site doesn’t have much to offer, just a list of movies that he’s made, some pictures, and a few video clips. Nothing I couldn’t get off of IMDB, Wikipedia or Youtube. A site is great but it doesn’t really motivate the user to come back.

Granted it’s early days yet, and I will be watching, but color me skeptical.

This will be a two (or maybe three) part series about GTD.

I’ve been trying to find a time management/ Getting Things Done system that fits my schedule and lifestyle without much success. Then I found OmniFocus. The software uses some of the philosophy of David Allen’s Getting Things Done, which I discovered through 43folders, one of the web’s best personal productivity sites. I would highly recommend picking the book up. Allen’s philosophy in brief:

Stuff Can Be Your Worst Enemy

One of the biggest factors that can stop you from completing your tasks is “stuff.” You know, those lumpy, annoying tasks on the to-do list labeled “wishful thinking.” If you’ve ever thought to yourself: “If I only had a spare afternoon I would (insert task here)” or “I really should get around to (Blank)” then you know exactly what I mean. That list on the back burner of your mind that always seem to stress you out.

It’s anything that’s floating in your mind that you haven’t quite decided what you’re going to do with. Cleaning out the storage room, getting your filing system in check, alphabetizing your library, writing that thank you note, etc

Let Stuff Win and you Lose Control

So you always feel like you’re behind and you basically run around doing everything last minute never feeling that “zen” feeling that people who practice yoga feel because who even has time to GO to a yoga class let alone the gym.

Merlin Mann summarized how GTD works and did a better job then I, so am going to quote him:

This is a really summarized version, but here it is, PowerPoint-style:

1. identify all the stuff in your life that isn’t in the right place (close all open loops)
2. get rid of the stuff that isn’t yours or you don’t need right now
3. create a right place that you trust and that supports your working style and values
4. put your stuff in the right place, consistently
5. do your stuff in a way that honors your time, your energy, and the context of any given moment

What the means is that you take inventory of all of your stuff, all those loose floaty ideas and you turn them into actionable items or you get rid of them. As Merlin says “This gives you an amazing kind of confidence that a) nothing gets lost and b) you always understand what’s on or off your plate.”

The magic of context

A cool thing about this system is the use of context: which is the impact of the resources available to you has on your to-do list. So if you’re out and about your task list might have a different priority then say if you were sitting in front of your computer at the office.

A great feature of OmniFocus is that it lets you seamlessly view your lists in different perspectives: either by project or by context. That means I can create a “context” called “@computer, or @Out&About and assign tasks to it.

This comes in handy when you want to prioritize your tasks list in the most efficient way.

It gets a little more complex when your contexts are hard to define, but I think I’ve figured out a way for knowledge workers like me to get the most out of GTD system.

Look for part 2 coming up shortly.

I know everyone talks about social media and refers to the web, but I am always interested in the ways that a city engages members of a community to create and share creative content.

The Toronto Urban Film Festival is one example of how organizations are leveraging existing infrastructure by opening them up to citizens, in this case, to create cool short films. I like that they’re using the TTC screens to create a different experience for TTC commuters, and I like the short format, perfect for people waiting to catch their trains.

I also think this is such a great opportunity for budding film makers to experiment with the medium and get a lot of exposure. It would have been cool to have a mobile component where commuters could text in their votes while they are waiting for their train (or when they are at one of the outdoor stations) and select the more engaging video.

As a huge supporter of the Arts, I am also always interested in seeing these creative contests that strive to infuse art into our daily lives.

What is TUFF?

TUFF is an 8-day long public film festival on the TTC - the only one of its kind in North America - featuring a different urban-themed program of 1-minute films each day.

Films selected by the jurors for each thematic category will play on the network of 250 TTC subway platform screens repeatedly during one day of the festival. The 8th day of TUFF is programmed based on audience votes.

The themes are:

• Urban Encounters – the moments that make city-living worthwhile
• Urban Fears – the darker side of living in a metropolis
• Urban Growth – from skyscrapers to suburban sprawl
• Urban Imaginary – hopes for the future of municipalities
• Urban Natural – the living city, both nurtured and oppressed
• Urban Secrets – stories about the hidden or forgotten city
• Urban Travels – from taking public transit to practicing Parkour

What do you need to know?

• The contest is open to international film makers, so you don’t have to be from Toronto.
• You can be an expert or an amateur.
• They accept all genres of film, video & animation.
• ALL SUBMISSIONS HAVE TO BE SILENT AND NO LONGER THAN 60 SECONDS

Why should you participate?

• The chance to have your video shown to over one million people, and 250 TTC video screens around the city!
• It is free to submit, filmmakers retain rights, and receive $150 per selected film - $75 for taking part in TUFF on the TTC, and $75 for being a part of our websites.
• Selected films will also be shown on the TUFF website and TUFF Youtube channel

How do you submit?

• Send an email to A4C@torontourbanfilmfestival.com that describes your one minute film idea in one or two paragraphs. Also include a CV and contact information.
• The seven submissions that best capture the spirit of the TUFF THEMES will receive a TSV membership and up to $600 of-in kind support towards the production and post production of their movie.

Deadlines?

July 1st for TUFF Submissions and May 5th for TSV Pitches

I know as a frequent commuter I will be watching the videos and how other commuters respond to them. It’s an interesting little contest and I’m curious to see how it plays out.

My good friend Bob Hepburn recently wrote a great column entitled “Ten Reasons Why Hilary Should Stay” In last Thursday’s Toronto Star. We had lunch before he had finished the piece and we had the opportunity to debate it, since I’m an Obama fan.

After putting some thought into it, I decided to get into the spirit of things and try to figure out some more reasons of why Hilary SHOULD stay, just to see if I could. Here are Bob’s reasons:

1. She has strong, well-thought-out positions on topics from health care to Iraq and the environment. If anything, she has a wonk-like obsession with policy.

2. She is smart, has outstanding academic credentials, and was her husband Bill Clinton’s most trusted White House adviser.

3. She has a strong personality, enthusiasm, determination. She has never been afraid to fight for what she believes in.

4. She has a strong team of advisers who could form the backbone of a Hillary White House.

5. She is still winning primaries, and has won almost all the big states, including New York and California, that the Democrats must win in November to gain the White House. While Hillary trails slightly in elected delegates, she is virtually tied with Obama in popular votes. Polls show they are in a dead heat in Indiana while Obama leads in North Carolina, two states with primaries next Tuesday.

6. She is the beneficiary of the political damage inflicted upon Obama by the controversial comments by the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, who was Obama’s pastor for 16 years. Obama is outraged by the latest assertion by Wright that criticism of his incendiary sermons is an attack on the black church, but polls show his support slips every time Wright opens his mouth.

7. She fares better in polls against Republican nominee John McCain than does Obama. In a USA Today poll taken April 18 to 20, Clinton led McCain 50-44 per cent while Obama led him by 47-44 per cent.

8. She is ahead of Obama in winning support of “super delegates,” who are party officials and elected politicians. This is important because neither she nor Obama will have the 2,024 pledged delegates needed to win before the convention starts. Eighty per cent of those delegates are awarded through primaries; the other 20 per cent are super delegates, who can vote any way they want at the convention.

9. What is so wrong about a “contested” convention? They are rare in the U.S., the last one being in 1952 when Adlai Stevenson won the Democratic nomination. In Canada, though, we see them every time a party holds a leadership race. Here, emotions run high, bitter words are spoken, but no one argues that every candidate except the front-runner should drop out before the actual balloting begins. There will be lots of time after the convention to heal party rifts and focus on beating McCain on Nov. 4.

10. She is carrying the hopes and dreams of millions of women.

Here are some of the reasons that I am adding in the nature of good humor. (Read: Don’t email me about it, since it’s all in good fun)

My 5 Reasons are:

1) Women make better leaders than men. (That’s right, I went there) According to a CBC interview with former White House Press Secretary Dee Dee Myers who is the author of “Why Women Should Rule the World” if the fairer sex was in charge “Politics would be more collegial. Businesses would be more productive. And communities would be healthier. Empowering women would make the world a better place—not because women are the same as men, but precisely because they are different.”

2) She’s a bitch. And that’s a good thing. But don’t take my word for it. See what funny lady Tina Fey had to say about the subject. (Hilary portion at the 2:00 minute mark)

According to Fey, Hilary is as bitch, and that’s good because bitches get things done. LOL

3) We’d get co-presidents. All joking aside, Tina Fey also makes the excellent point that maybe having two smart intelligent people running the country might not be such a bad thing.

4) It would stop Canada’s brain drain problem. According to the Facebook group search I found several groups of people willing to move to Canada if she gets elected. I say, welcome!

5) She’s learned from her mistakes. Hopefully after almost destroying the US healthcare system and voting for the war on Iraq, she’ll have learned enough to know that entering into an illegal war is probably not the best idea for the economy, and that giving people access to health care is essential for the well being of the entire country. Just a thought.