It’s so exciting how Information Today is using its content management system to build a community for their conference events that I’m using Google’s doodle to celebrate with some fiddling! Yes today is the 332nd birthday of Antonio Vivaldi, an Italian composer. But I digress, something unusual for me, right?
So go to the Computers in Libraries 2010 website and click on speakers. You can now reach those speakers through Twitter, Facebook, their blog, or LinkedIn when they update their speaker page. Check out Joe Murphy and myself, Jane Dysart, to get the idea. Computers in Libraries 2010 also has a wiki to build more community, and this year has a special section — 25th anniversary memory bank. If you have a vibrant memory of a past Computers in Libraries conference, please share it!
I have been fascinated by Google doodles for years and often include them in posts. Now here is an interesting article from Interbrand’s blog that all sites can learn from:
“Well, aside from being fun, inspiring, and surprising as a recent CNN interview with Google Doodle web designer Michael Lopez suggests, its also a fresh way to update Google’s extremely simple homepage—something that is harder than it might seem at first glance.”
With an extremely minimal and simple design, Google’s site is made up of three elements: “a colorful, iconic logo (the design of which, good and/or bad, is topic for another discussion), a search bar, and a massive amount of white space. This allows Google to be a calm, but positive breather before you dive into the bottomless whirlpool of information. ”
“And yet, while this approach is quite successful, these three elements can also be a little limiting when it comes to accurately representing a brand personality and staying fresh and relevant in the climate of an ever changing Internet. Google needed something else to visually carry the brand. Something that could speak to who they are, yet also be organic enough to mold to anything the world throws their way. Enter the Google Doodle.”
“What was initially a quirky holiday illustration is now becoming a vital tool in communicating Google’s brand personality. Visually, it gives Google endless possibilities in a technology market that has just that–endless possibilities. It enables Google to keep the pace and stay relevant in the world that is never static. And it does all of this in a way that celebrates the Google brand in a strategic and successful way.”
I am happy to see a site that archives Google doodles and logos, and lists a number of other sites to check for more! And also I’m honoring the Canadian Olympic Hockey team with my choice of doodle today! They definitely added to the smiles and spirit of all Canadians. Congrats to all the participating athletes from all the countries represented — well done!
I just love what social media is adding to the 2010 Olympics! From the thousands of tweets from the #Olympics Twitter feed, to YouTube videos, to Facebook, social media is definitely enriching my experience of the Vancouver Winter Olympics. Amazing.
My favorite tweets so far are from the people calling curling “ice shuffleboard” but the number of tweets supporting the athletes is truly incredible. On Facebook, I became a fan of Vancouver 2010 Olympics and last night right after the Canada/Swiss hockey game, they posted asking who had seen the game. Within 4 minutes I and three hundred others had responded that we liked it! Every time I refreshed my screen it went up by 50+ people and within 24 minutes over 1500 “liked” the post and a third had made comments. After 10 hours, over 3,500 “liked” the post and 1,150+ had made comments about the post. YouTube has a rich base of videos about the Olympics but several of my favorites include commercials about future young athletes and Canada’s first gold medal on home soil, but I also love Shaun White’s gold medal big air performance with amazing spins, flips and twists (all together!).
So social media is definitely engaging and bringing the world together over wonderful global events. Yeah!
Interesting to see the new style of Google doodle for the 21st Winter Olymics and fantastic to see all the wonderful international athletes gather in my country — 82 nations are represented. As my friend Stephen says,”with all their positive attitues and karma all in one place. They set an example that everything is possible.” I certainly believe that too!
How exciting to see how social media is affecting the games this year . The twitter feed was amazing during the opening ceremonies — seemed like 1000 tweets per minute at #olympics. I couldn’t keep up but had a good time reviewing some very funny comments!
Since my son used to do “spinny, flippy things” on a snowboard I particularly loved the beginning of the opening ceremonies with the snowboarder at the top of a pristine hill, racing down amid dramatic views, flying through a maple leaf llighted by many torch bearers, and culminating in the indoor venue (a first for the Olympics) of the opening ceremonies, B.C. Place. I do hope that segment gets posted on YouTube, as I’d love to see it again.
However, it is also a very sad beginning to this great event with the death of a 21 year old athlete, Nodar Kumaritashvill. Great to see that today’s Google doodle is indeed a luger.
What a shock — my childhood just rushed through my head when I opened up Google this morning and saw Popeye! My father had been in the Navy so Popeye was a favorite character in our house. And remember Popeye’s cans of spinach for strength? there it is! At any rate, is it wonderful that Google honors various artists with Google doodles. Today, E. C. Segar, the creator of the Popeye character is celebrated. Amazing that he died so long ago but his character lives on, especially in my mind. Makes me think of durability — durability of buildings like I saw in Rome earlier this year, durability of organizations (not so many ar built to last anymore), durability of practices, even if we would like to change them……..
Can you beleive that Google is now 11 years old? Hard to remember the tools we were using 11 years ago to search and connect. What do you think we’ll be using in terms of tools in 2020 (another 11 years hence)?
So today’s Google pic so reminds me of Toronto weather this summer — dark, stormy, noisy, with lots of flashes of lighening. However, it is really for the Perseids meteor show which peaks tonight. Maybe we’ll be able to see it in my neck of the woods, but I wouldn’t count on it!
Even though I’m disappointed in the weather during my excursion to the Eastern Shore of the US following a gruelling week of conference-going in DC (SLA and see our twitter feed) , I am blessed to spend the time in a beautiful environment with great friends and get re-energized. And I am always happy to see such great Google pics as today’s Father Day/First day of Summer/Beach pic. Let’s celebrate these ocassions, and hope for a great sunny summer with just enough rain to keep our ecosystem balanced and happy too!
Well, sort of. First, let me say the dueling pianos and great songs were truly amazing. The ACC in Toronto rocked. Elton John and Billy Joel are two popular, talented and entertaining guys. My ears are still ringing & I’m still humming their tunes. OK lessons.
I just tried out Topsy, “a search engine powered by tweets”. And I put in “Billy Joel Concert” since I’d just seen one last night and thought I’d fine some of my tweets and what others had to say. Interesting, I found a blog post from an earlier concert entitled, Sales Lessons from the Elton John/Billy Joel Concert. I loved the way this guy, Art Sobczak, used what he saw at the concert to make points about how to do sales. The post does point somewhat to the differences in audiences (Canadian versus US), and that Billy Joel used many of the same jokes in Toronto as he did in Omaha. Topsy also picked up a picture of Kevin Spacey with Billy Joel. Not much came up with I added Toronto to the search. Wonder where my tweets are. Topsy tells you to put in your twitter name, interesting that it only picks up three listings for me. Hmmmm, what are the lessons here about searching conversations?
And because I like info and wanted more, I checked out John & Joel websites. I looked at Elton’s website — pretty interesting with videos, ecommerce, philanthropy, community, and more. Not bad. And Billy’s website which also has podcasts and a mobile section where you can send him text messages. Even better. More marketing lessons here. And looking at Joel’s earlier pics I can certainly see why he referred to himself last night as Bill’s father! Anyway, enough lessons and trying to fit concerts into my regular stream of posts. But if you have the chance, take in the John/Joel concert. Fabulous.
Even better than last year’s pic for Earth Day. Thanks Google. Makes my day; especially the coral & undersea world combined with the green & waterfall. So peaceful, don’t you want to live there?
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