web-based innovation
Re:publica 08 #2
Today is day 3 of re:publica 08, the last day of this year’s installment of this conference. Re:publica is the biggest and most important blogger & social media conference in Germany, organized largely by the Newthinking Team (i.e. the net activists whose most prominent member is probably Markus Beckedahl, author of Netzpolitik.org. Thanks Markus, and […]
Presentation: print is dead, at least to the young
The print vs online discussion is as old as the internet, and I can’t even recall how often I’ve heard that print is dead. However, it’s not quite as common to also deliver the necessary data to back up this statement. One person who really has the science pat down and can back up his […]
How to create the best workplace? Ask 37signals
37signals and their smart & usable (translation: awesome) web solutions like the project management pack Basecamp have always been inspiring. That alone, said about office and productivity software, is an amazing accomplishment. But what’s more, the girls and guys at 37signals also try to figure out the best work experience for all involved, and share […]
Well Done: Lonely Planet To Sell Guidebooks By The Chapter
Lonely Planet has always been very good at thinking from their customers’ point of view. You can see that clearly by the structure of their guidebooks, which are always built around your needs as a traveler.
Still, the most recent announcement surprised me, in the most positive way: Lonely Planet now sells their guidebooks by […]
Why Small Organizations See The Internet As A Chance, Big Ones See It As A Challenge
There is a thing about the internet, a notion that has been around since the early days: That the internet offers a chance to anyone to do something big, to start their own projects, companies, or even movements.
While this is true, what’s easily forgotten is that anyone refers mostly to individuals, or small organizations: […]
Avoid Clichés: Destroy The Web 2.0 Look
What happens if an aesthetic gets over-used? It becomes a cliché. (That’s bad.) This is what happened to rounded corners, reflecting logos, diagonal stripes, also known as: The Web 2.0 look.
Elliot Jay Stocks gives good advice: Destroy the Web 2.0 look - and thereby avoid clichés.
Here’s how, and why:
| View | Upload your […]
The LEGO Lesson: Embrace Your Fans
In Forrester’s Josh Bernoff / Charlene Li blog, Josh relates this story by Jake McKee (formerly Lego) of how Lego changed by engaging with AFOLs (Adult Fans Of Lego, sometimes referred to as ALE: Adult Lego Enthusiasts). There’s a lot to learn in this story - particularly for companies with a top-down corporate culture. Here’s […]
Wikia Search: First Reviews Are Coming In
Today’s the day Jimmy Wales’ open search project Wikia Search goes alpha, bringing in a new flavor of a human-machine-hybrid. (Some thoughts on human vs machine based search.)
By now, the first reviews of the Wikia Search alpha are coming in, with so so results. Techcrunch’s Michael Arrington rips it apart for not involving […]
Human vs Machine: What’s Better In Search?
The next few months should be interesting to watch: Monday, Wikia Search goes online. So there we have another powerful player in the next wave of search engine wars.
For the last few years, Google with its (mostly) machine-based search algorithms has been the dominant player in the search market, producing more or less the […]
Global Project Management
Global Project Management seems to be a really interesting project Jean Binder just pointed me to. It’s a whole collaboration framework, Jean is also author of a book on Global Project Management.
On GlobalProjectManagement.org, challenges, opportunities and techniques for cooperation and collaboration in a global environment are explored by five categories, or aspects: Global Teams, […]
Digital Information: Everything Is Miscellaneous, summarized in 5:28min
Embedded above, “Information R/evolution” is a great 5:28 video by Kansas State University’s Michael Wesch. It’s a very neat visualization of how information changes and behaves differently when it’s digital: No way will information ever again be restricted to individual categories, but instead tagged and thereby be connected to different topics, ideas and contexts. The […]
Do You Know How to Use the Web to Innovate?
The internet isn’t just a means to send email and look up information. It’s a powerful tool for all kinds of networked communication. But it’s also a great tool to innovate - in your product, your business, or your organization.
Lately, I’ve had a number of chats with my buddies and collaborators Max Senges and Thomas […]
My name is Peter Bihr. I live in Berlin, Germany. As a freelancer, I consult on web strategies, communities, blogging and social media. In this weblog, I jot down random thoughts, ideas and news. Hopefully, you'll find some are interesting for you, too. 