Totally Oz-some! - December 4th

G’day McMate On vacation in Australia last week we discovered that “free wi-fi” is not yet a well-established concept down under.  In fact, our hotel offered internet access at an astronomical $30 per day! And at many of the places where I could find a pay-for-use signal, the fees were equally aggressive. Unwilling to pay and yet even more reluctant to be severed from my online social network, I was relieved to find a free solution. At McDonald’s of all places. But I wonder, does fast internet sell fast food?

Ads for Adverts In a case of the shoemaker’s child going barefoot, it looks like the Interactive Advertising Bureau could use a little PR makeover.  The online ad industry group is worried that people might be creeped out by ads that recognize an individual’s location, income, shopping history, etc. So in order to alleviate the public’s fears, they’ve launched a campaign called, believe it or not, “Advertising is creepy.” As an article in Advertising Age notes “it’s a complicated issue and asks a lot of consumers to fully understand.” Or not.

Visiting an Emerald in the City : After writing in my personal blog about a very enjoyable run through Sydney’s beautiful Centennial Park, I was surprised to receive a nice e-mail the next day from Craig Easdown at the Parkland’s Office.  His note was remarkable for a couple of reasons — (1) he explained how he found my name through an automated blog search and (2) he offered to give me a free calendar if would drop by his office. Unfortunately I didn’t have time to pick up my free gift, but I definitely left with a great impression of a beautiful location. True social networking, it seems, means using technology AND maintaining the personal touch.

Speaking of Aussies Truth be told, I started following Simon Mainwaring because I liked his Twitter profile photo. Of course, looks aren’t everything.  But since there are a zillion people out there blogging about social media, it’s hard to figure out who might be worth following. Aside from Simon’s impressive credentials, a quick glance at his photo gave me the impression he was professional and friendly — not just a slick snake oil salesman. In this week’s blog he opines that “where you are, will become who you are” because he sees the mobile phone becoming the central hub of all communications. Sounds less creepy, when he says it!