happykatie :: katie rocks out the interwebs

The Story of Twitter (all pretty-like looking)

Huge hat to tip Monolith for their beautiful Story (so far) of Twitter:

One more reason to support the EFF - teach Copyright right!

I've been an Electronic Frontier Foundation supporter for a few years now, if you haven't donated or read up on them recently today is a great day to do so!

Recently, the Copyright Alliance Education Foundation unveiled its plans to disseminate a school curriculum titled "Think First, Copy Later" as well as other intimidating educational materials produced by the MPAA, RIAA, Business Software Alliance, and other content holders to frighten students into believing that making copies is wrong.

EFF knows that the creators and innovators of tomorrow don't need more intimidation. They need solid, accurate information to make smart choices about how to use new technologies. That's why EFF launced the free, Creative Commons-licensed "Teaching Copyright" curriculum and website to help educators explore copyright issues in their classrooms.

Knowledge is power!

Mom 2.0 Summit starts today - and so does the Laptop Mama coloring contest!

Calling all Internet-loving mothers and marketers - the Mom 2.0 Summit starts today featuring an enormous variety of super duper lady Bloggers and a few dudes (including Ed Schipul and Guy Kawasaki).

I'll be speaking this evening, but as my table chats last only a few minutes you might blink and miss me - so here is a 'She's Crafty' page outlining some of my favorite spots for inspiration, how-to help and links to help monetize your crafting obsession.

I am also running a 'Laptop Mama' coloring contest for Mom 2.0 Summit attendees and YOU!!  Download your favorite Mama Online coloring sheet (created by the AMAZINGLY talented Illustration Dan, he's so rad).  You have 2 choices:  NAUGHTY or nice.  Choose wisely.  Or don't choose at all - you can color both and submit, I'm not a coloring page nazi here.  Visit the www.happykatie.com/shescrafty page for further details.

Word to yo' mama!

Google Reader trends - b/c it's just darn interesting

Every now and then I like to take a look at my Google Reader trends (that is, the RSS feeds that I am reading the most in a particular month via my Google Reader - watch this ridiculously great Common Craft video on RSS if you don't get what I'm talking about) to get an idea of where my brain is at.

This month is INCREDIBLY different than any other month I've noticed in maybe years - which I'm thinking is probably indicative of work/life stress and me escaping into my Reader in the evenings to look at happy, crafty things.

Also, times be tight.  Instead of shopping blogs, I'm looking at 'sewing my own darn stuff' blogs.  Instead of foodies blogs, I'm reading 'cooking with the crap that's leftover in your fridge' blogs.  Instead of movie and/or gossip blogs, I'm soaking in 'doing more with less' blog posts.  Very telling.

So, in lieu of my usual geeky Web marketing, data mining/visualization and global political Blogs - I present you with my top 5 Google Reader 'let's hug and feel awesome' blog loves of the moment:

1. The Crafty Crow - a KILLER blog for crafty parents who want awesome creative ideas and projects to share with their kiddos.  Even better than their super posts are all of the other crafty/family blogs this site has introduced me to.
2. Whip up - A super handcraft-centric project blog.  Lots of great green ideas with strong sewing/knitting/crochet tips.  FUN!
3. CRAFT Magazine - the electronic Blog-love version of one of my favorite magazines.  Oh wait, the magazine formerly known as a print publication and now just electronic.  Because they hate me.  And the whole recession thing.  And such as.  South Africa.
4. Dooce - I think I scrolled through a year's worth of posts on this blog one day to look for something someone (who shall remain nameless) mentioned.  Not counting it.  Take that Google Reader.
5. Comments on my Flickr photos - it makes me happy when people have something to say about my Flickr stream.  Especially when it has to do with my incredibly awesome short person.  Or cupcakes.
6. Sew, Mama, Sew - a BEAUTIFUL blog dedicated to gorgeous fabric and sewing/quilting projects.  Love love love love the community of crafters on this site.

So, I've got to ask, have YOUR reading habits changed lately?  Is your Google Reader brain in a different spot than usual these days?

Social Networks for Small Business Marketing

Social Networks for Business

View more presentations from Katie Laird. (tags: social media)

I taught a fun class at the University of Houston's Small Business Development Center today on social networking for small businesses.  Little did they know, they got a lesson in the art of Storytelling as well as a walk through of some of the more relevant social networks.

Thanks so much to all who attended - we had a full house and lots of great questions.  Can't wait to hear from you again :)

I heart humancalendar.com

So much so, in fact, that it now lives on my happykatie sidebar (bottom left), just in case I ever forget what day it is.  Not that something like that would ever happen...

What's ahead for the techie big dogs in 2009

Influencers On IT & Tech 2009 Trends Predictions, By Trendsspotting

View more presentations or upload your own. (tags: green gadgets)

Trendspotting has a great presentation on technology thought leaders' predictions for 2009.  Among them:

• Streaming Web video goes mainstream into our living rooms
• Life streaming grows and grows
• Facebook continues on its Web domination spree
• Microsoft Office goes online with Web apps, Google Docs fights back
• Someone big will buy Yahoo (but no Microsoft, maybe Disney?)
• GPS gets even hotter
• Mobile video recording will improve and show up in fun places like the iPhone
• Neato gadgets:  Pico projectors and touchscreen everything
• Eco-geeks will focus more on server power management and increased energy efficiency

Be sure to also check out the 2009 Consumer Trends Predictions as well.  Great stuff.  What did they miss?

Mac photo nerds get to play Picasa (thanks Google!)

Woot!  Google has released Picasa for Mac geeks!

I use Picasa on my work PC as a way to manage/sort/keep my random picture hoarding self sane - as it tracks images and photos all over my hard drive (not just in a specified 'Photos' folder).  Picasa also automatically detects new images on your machine and updates itself immediately, so I can always rely on it to help me find an image that I have accidentally saved in a random file.  This happens a lot.  Ahem.

In a friendly gesture to iPhoto lovers, Picasa maintains your iPhoto library's integrity by asking to create separate copy of iPhoto images before editing, as they realized many users will use both iPhoto and Picasa.  This way I can manipulate and re-arrange images in Picasa (and play around with their collage features, etc.) and not worry about my iPhoto projects being disturbed.

Picasa for Mac is still a Google Labs product (meaning it's still in beta, but really what Google product isn't...), so some nifty features (like geo-tagging) aren't working quite yet and you might encounter some rough spots.  But hey, it's a great step - especially for those that go both ways (photographically speaking that is).

Storytelling - front and center in 2009

I spent much of the last year thinking deeply about the power of Story, whether in branding your company, creating your own personal brand or just plain communicating something that is important to you.  Stories just plain stick - we are anecdotal loving species.

At work (Schipul - a place I mention all over this Blog), we even read several books to help us get in the Storytelling mindset:  What's Your Story?, The Writer's Journey, etc.

For these reasons (and the fact that I lurve shiny new things), I'm super excited about our new Schipul Web design (check it out:  www.schipul.com).  The entire top fold of the site is dedicated to Stories - not the typical 'services we offer our clients' jargon, but the stuff that truly drives all of our lives and Communities.

We have a section to pull in the latest content and updates from all of our company Blogs (like the SEM Blog, the Tendenci Software Blog and the Schipul Blog) so all of our geekery is front and center. 

But THEN! (and this is my favorite part) we have an enormous block for nothing but Community stories, whether it be upcoming PhotoCamps, arts events, cool people doing cool things, LOL catz -- whatever.  If it's happening in our Community, this block will help tell the Story front and center.

This shift in Communication approach has got me thinking a lot about how I tell my own Stories on the happykatie Blog and elsewhere.  I've got so much going on and produce so much content online, this will be the year that I will (hopefully) be happy with how I tie it all in together.

Didn't know, but now I do: How to transfer data between Macs

Just one more way the interwebs keeps my life on track, an easy peasy Youtube tutorial from the BlueWire on how to transfer data between two Macs via Firewire:

1. Connect your 2 Macs with a Firewire cable (not a USB cable, don't be a goober)
2. Turn off the computer you want to transfer data FROM
3. When you turn that computer back on, immediately press the 'T' button
   1. This will put a Firewire logo on your screen, so do not be alarmed - nothing is going radioactive
4. On your other Mac (the one you didn't turn off and the one that doesn't have the Firewire logo dancing like a skippy sorority girl on it), you'll see the Mac you connected to as an external hard drive
5. In you finder, just start dragging and dropping from one machine to another
6. Brilliant.  The end.

Thanks Internet!