What’cha think – can I run with this? Well – late – but there are reasons!

I just read this article by Rupert Murdoch and I can’t help but be inspired that someone as powerful a media mogul as Murdoch gets what’s going on! I remember my first thought when he bought My Space was that he would ruin the medium with greed – but now – I’m not quite so sure!

Either way – I definitely recommend this article he wrote for Forbes. If only my own country’s media moguls could speak the same way! The cynicism is just massive over here. At least we have Eirik Solheim – and I take comfort in that!

Companies that take advantage of this new meaning of network and adapt to
the expectations of the networked consumer can look forward to a new golden age
of media. Far be it from me to suggest that either I or my company have all the
answers. No one does. But the future of media is a future of relentless
experimentation and innovation, accelerating change, and–for those who embrace
the new ways in which consumers are connecting with each other–enormous
potential.

Rupert Murdoch

Stolen from The Long Tail

I got this charming mashup animation of a WoW raid by Deluthor in my mailbox the other day – and I have to say it gave me a few giggles! A wonderful little piece expressing exactly how intense these raids can be! Not to mention how authoritarian the leaders get!

And the language? Well, I think it’s only natural that swearwords become so essential in expressing anger, because they’re words that everyone understands, no matter where in the world you come from! But if you’re going to watch it at work with speakers, and not headphones I have to say, NSFW! ;)

Thanks, sis!!

One of my favourite men in the world is 30 today!!! Amazing! He’s even got the prime minister of Norway on film wishing him a happy birthday! Just goes to show what a brilliant enthusiastic politician he is! A great friend that goes out of his way to make people happy and is always available for a helping hand!

I admire and love him and I’m so freakin privileged to have him as friend! And like every woman who knows him – I feel we look like the PERFECT couple! Hehe!!! Have a great birthday, darlin’! And thanks for a glorious and spectacular party!

An while I’m at it, congrats to Kjell Magnus and Lisbeth’s beautiful Saga! Born October 5th 11.10pm! Seiously! Can you think of a better name than Saga?!! The girl is just destined to have an adventurous life!!

Sorry about the personal! But this was just too important! Sorry…something funky going on with my blogger account…pictures are proving to be a difficult task!

Thanks to Bruseth...I found this! And it’s amazing!! Make of it what you will…I luv it!

I know anybody who’s anybody has blogged about this already, but Paul Hemp’s Harvard Business Review article is actually sooooooo good it deserves another mention! This is a perfect example of good journalism we would like to see on virtual worlds, well researched and without ‘OMG, but it’s not real’ hype. I mean – it just includes everything!!
As the title implies, it’s about marketing in virtual worlds. From the McDonald’s stands in The Sims Online to the Coca Cola vending machines in Anarchy Online. And he even (and I applaud him specifically for this) mentions how Second Life clothes designers have been approached by real world clothing companies and links to Objects of Virtual Desire – yay! (Hey guys in case you’re egosurfing – what’s new? Update your site and let us know if you’ve sold something or made something new!!!)
So we know that there have been a few flukes when it comes to real world marketing in virtual worlds – like Subway in CounterStrike, and McDonald’s in The Sims Online – but is there still a chance?
Although Paul Hemp is a great journalist, I might be a really bad reader, because I’m not sure if the following statement is from him or Wagner James Au (they’re both brilliant either way):

“The potential of marketing directly to avatars doesn’t disappear after
they accompany their creators – tucked in their creators’ psyches – back to the
real world. A company might, for instance, create a real-world advertising
campaign aimed at a particular avatar “segment” – wizards, say, or
furries. Or you might offer in real-world stores a distinctive clothing
line available only to people whose avatars had, through achievements in an
online world, earned their creators the right to wear the gear, thus giving
people credibility in the real world based on their avatars’ virtual-world
status.”

Y
eah!!!!! I love this idea!!!! I mean, we’re pretty much evolving into a society that forms social groups on the basis of shared interest and tags (not that there’s anything new with that but – you know what I mean!) on the internett – why not bring that tag system to fashion? I think it would be brilliant if I had some sort of accessory that told the story of, ooops I mean represented, who I am in Anarchy Online! And I don’t mean the geeky t-shirt, I want something nice! And if I saw someone else wearing a piece I recognised to represent something I understood, I actually think I’d strike up a conversation with them!

Anyways! I just think it’s a great idea! Whether it’s Wu’s or Hemp’s! There’s a lot of potential in an idea like this – I’m not sure you could make millions yet….but I’m certain it has potential!

Oh how I love this stuff!!! But what is it with this MC Hammer revival? I feel like I hear ‘U Can’t Touch This’ all over!

I swear the people in the office next to me must think I’m sort of freak!! I keep howling out with laughter!! Yeah…motivation is quite low when everyone else is on Easter vacation! But I just love this stuff!!!

Lego Counter Strike 1:

Great fun!!!