Month: July 2009

TwitterTasteLive meets Live Wine Blogging? Why the hell not!

We're going to announce a partnership soon with Craig (@binendswine) and WBC09 to allow the Live Wine Blogging event displayed across TasteLive.com just like a Twitter Taste Live event.  The difference being that the tag we're already using (#WBC09) will be used instead of the #TTL tag.  

So do everything as you are already doing, taste, blog/tweet, and use the #WBC09 tag and the folks who couldn't make it can follow along on TasteLive.com!

Cheers!

(p.s. – this only leaves the kitchen sink and Robert Parker as the only two things that aren't participating in WBC09!)

My evil plan unfolding…

Ins-logo

I'm in the process of implementing my evil plan on a new industry.  I am creating a new "consortium" to implement an OWC for their industry.  I originally created OWC figuring that a niche business network was really the only way to create a decent business network – there just isn't going to be another LinkedIN.  

I remember about 15 years ago when email was "all the rage" and the Internet was predicted to meltdown by Bob Metcalfe from the increased usage, there was a fledgling little company called International Network Services that had a list called "The Wizards List".  It was a simple email list (revolutionary at the time) that allowed a band of 50 (1995) or so consultants sit inside a client's site and tap collective knowledge of everyone on the Wizards list.  I was a 22 year old consultant fresh outta school.  While I did plenty of networking stuff at school, I had a client whose core router locked up right in front of me.  The client – John Hancock Insurance – was losing oodles of money when the router locked up.  They basically said "fix it and you're hired".  I jumped on the Wizards list, found out what the error conditions meant, and fixed it in about 15 minutes.  The client literally HUGGED me.

Fast forward to the OWC.  I figured that a social network, in order to survive, was going to need a purpose and focus.  Everyone joining should be coming for a reason, not just an amorphous blob that would organically organize groups.  So, with the help of Paul Mabray, I created the OWC and 15 months later its an extraordinary network with 4200 wine professionals on there and taught me an unreal amount about how to accomplish this.

Now I'm applying those lessons to another industry.  I think, in theory combining the concepts behind the Wizards' list and the OWC will be powerful indeed…

I guess we'll see!