OutThink has moved... [hello outthink.co.za]

OutThink has moved to outthink.co.za!

It had to happen... I started using Blogger early last year, trying to get into the swing of things and understand what this whole thing was all about.

Since then, I've become increasingly frustrated with the limitations imposed by the system [mainly relating to people struggling to comment on posts, and there being no way to subscribe to specific post comments]. Granted, I can't really complain about Blogger as its actually been very good to me and I have enjoyed it most of the time.

The time has now come to move on. I've been working on developing this stand-alone site, and still need to do some more tidying up, but I will be moving over to that platform from here. It's been quite an experience so far, and building a site has not been easy, but I've enjoyed the learnings - the main reason I decided to attempt it myself. So please be sure to visit outthink.co.za from now on for news. If you're a feed subscriber [email or rss], I will redirect that, so you shouldn't need to do anything.

Well, here we go... see you on the other side.

Regator, what's up???

Today we were hit with this news about Regator.com, which appears to be a not-very-well disguised clone of SA's own Afrigator.com [Justin, Mike, Stii, Mark... we know it's yours, so forgive me calling it SA's for purposes of this post].

On one hand it's absolutely terrible, in that the idea is clearly based on Afrigator [admittedly I have not seen the inner-workings or functioning of Regator, since I'm not going to sign on for the beta - the welcome page is clear enough], but c'mon, how likely is it that someone else would put alligator and aggregator together? And I won't comment on the name.

Okay, now the positive side... this little matter is definite proof that SA has leaders in the field of online development that others globally are now following. I've been saying for a while that SA needs more focus on our opportunities arising from technology, and this to me is one of the early signs that the world is starting to take notice of good ideas coming from our part of the world.

I'm also glad that people are making some noise about it. If Regator is legit, hopefully they will have the decency to at least address the issue and comment on the inane similarities. Well gents, what do you say?

Update: Regator has replied to Justin on his post - here. Great to see it is being addressed.

The SA Blook - in retrospect

A week has passed since the SA blook went live and it sure has been a fun ride.

Thanks to everyone that supported the idea. The main references I've seen out there are:

• Media Update
• justB[coz] - Support the SA Blook
• Brand South Africa blog - Look at Blook
• Mike Stopforth - the SA Blook
• Mobile Marketing - Brand significance through building communities
• Waiting in transit... - South Africa's first on-line book
• Living the Glugster life - Never too old to learn new things

I also want to thank Andy for posting about the blook on Techleader [and also on mygenius], and Mandy, who wrote a quick biography of the various authors just prior to the launch.

In considering how it's turned out, there are two distinct aspects I want to look at:

The topic of the blook and content of the various chapters

This topic proved to be a popular one, although at the time I distributed it to the authors I never would have dreamed we would be publishing this just after all the furore around the xenophobic attacks. Some of the authors even changed their chapters late to refer to what happened.

I believe this is a highly relevant topic, and that we only scratched the surface. Henre also alluded to this in his very interesting synopsis, and perhaps there is room to expand on this topic from here.

However, it seems that the chapters came together really well - especially considering that none of the authors saw any of the other posts before theirs were published [other than my introduction a few days before going live]. With this in mind, wouldn't you agree that there was an amazing amount of consistency to the content? [This might sound crazy, but it was part of the experiment].

The experiment, namely publishing an online book on blogs with a number of different authors

Some of the important things that I learned through this:

• Everything takes longer to do than you think it will. Everything. Take your estimate and multiply by four to get closer to the real time involved.
• Plan for the worst [have a backup plan]. On go-live day I encountered laptop troubles [my screen gave in so I had to use another computer]; Blogger went down for quite a while; one of the authors was away in Durban and was offline; a few other authors were difficult to track down; and a myriad of other business and personal matters arose rather suddenly that day.
• Don't think the worst of people when they don't respond - apparently quite a few of my mails regarding the project ended up in spam folders... darn gmail. So I had to resend. and resend. and resend. [nobody's fault, just causes communication problems and delays]
• No matter how well you [I] think you [I] write, there are many people out there who write way better than you [I] do. C'est la vie, so get over it.
• An average idea put into action is waaaay better than a brilliant idea that you sit on.
• Never make decisions for others or be afraid to ask people to be involved. All of the writers that took part are way better writers than I am, but they were willing to take part anyway.
• Bloggers are very willing to support other bloggers, as proven by the above fact and the links referred to at the top of this post. [I saw this post on Problogger shortly after contacting the various authors. A good read for those interested in blog projects]
• Venturing into the unknown is a wild, fun ride... and probably even more so online where information moves [almost] at the speed of thought.

One thing I also want to comment on is the mention of this being SA's first online book. I'm not sure if that's true [although I hope it is], but interestingly, Tertia Albertyn probably published SA's first real blook - and got nominated for a Lulu Blooker prize in the process. I don't know if she won, but that is a brilliant achievement regardless.

Now that I've said all this, the most important point - your thoughts and comments.

Please take a minute to leave your thoughts about these questions:

1. What do you think of the blook's content [each of the chapters] and did it mean something to you?
2. Do you think the blook as a concept/experiment worked, and what would you change to make it better?
3. Is this blook something that others should read [ie people that don't frequent blogs or social media sites]? If so, how would you suggest it would best be distributed to be relevant and effective?

Thanks for joining us on this exhilirating ride. It's been a blast! Please check back as we try to take the blook to South Africa, and hopefully shine a light on the amazing opportunities that await us.

The final list of SA blook authors

One thing I love about the blogging community is the willingness to take part in new things, as evidenced by the brilliant team of writers who have agreed to be a part of the SA blook group of authors.

Last week I announced the initial list of authors, with a promise to reveal the remaining two writers soon. Well, last week was one of those crazy weeks where the unimaginable happens, to the point where today I can't give you the remaining two writers...

... but only because there are more than two more to announce.

And here they are [again, in no particular order]:

• Kerry-Anne Gilowey
• Tycoon's Geoff Candy and Hilton Tarrant
• Mandy de Waal
• Andy Hadfield
• Grant Brewer
• And in true blog tradition, there will also be a guest post, written by someone who's writing I greatly respect [and who doesn't have a blog yet, even though I keep telling him he should have one!] - Siyabonga Nhlumayo
  

So then, the complete list of authors [bloggers] looks like this:

• Andy Hadfield
• Duncan Drennan
• Eve Dmochowska
• Grant Brewer
• Justin Hartman
• Kerry-Anne Gilowey
• Mandy de Waal
• Melissa Attree
• Nic Haralambous
• Paul Jacobson
• Saul Kropman
• Tycoon's Geoff Candy and Hilton Tarrant
• Siyabonga Nhlumayo - our guest writer/blogger
  

And some other information that people have been looking for - the blook goes live on 1 June 2008, so make a note in your diaries. I'll post an update next week listing some of the topics allocated to our writers.

In the meantime, here are some fun facts about the blook and the authors:

• At least six of the writers have their names as domain names [should be seven by the time the blook is released].
  
• There are a couple of Thought Leaders on the team, four Tech Leaders and a Times Blogumist.
  
• Many of the writers have ties to some of SA's great media players, including the Mail and Guardian, Avusa and Moneyweb.
• The field includes a bunch of entrepreneurs, an engineer, a lawyer and three CA's.
• The average age of writers is 30 [okay, I'm just guessing here - I figure the average must be somewhere between 20 and 50, but that just doesn't sound the same].
  
• Of those invited to write, two courteously declined to take part, and two did not reply at all.
  
• There are five awesome volunteers.
• At the time of posting this, eight of the writers are listed on the satwitter wiki.
• Bloggers use a variety of platforms including Blogger, Wordpress, Typepad and Movable Type [although Wordpress seems to be the clear favourite].

For those interested, you can find more information about the blook here

A blook for such a time as this

Most people would agree that we live in challenging times. This is true globally [with talk of a world political and economic crisis getting louder], as well as here at home in South Africa, where many are negative and heading for greener pastures.

And not only do we sit in the midst of uncertainty now, but our history is littered with tales of wars, disputes and general discontent. But this is true of almost every country, and having spent my whole life here and seeing so many people fleeing the country for no reason other than to get away, I wish that people could see the opportunities that sit right on our doorstep.

So with that in mind, here it is, the central theme that some brilliant writers have been tasked to work around and play with, along with the guidance of specific topics.

The blook will be about South Africa from the perspective of bloggers [taking into account their different viewpoints] - a positive and constructive look at where SA is today and the opportunities that lie ahead of us. There are many books about SA's history and lots of stories about how SA is struggling today, so I think that for a moment we should stop looking at history and problems, and start looking at the present, the future and some great opportunities.

City Press has an interesting billboard in Johannesburg that tells passers-by something along the lines of "Either you break it, or you build it". This is also true for SA - in the end, it comes down to nation building. I believe it was Augustine that said "I believe in order to know" - an amazing truth that often escapes us. I know that everyone who wants to help build this nation we live in has chosen to believe in its future. I hope that after reading this blook, all of us will see more of its amazing potential!

Certainly, the blook is aimed at the wired community [and could therefore have a slight technology bias], but hopefully it will also reach the eyes and ears of those who don't read blogs very often and mean something to everyone.

For those who missed it, the blook was mentioned on Media Update earlier this week. Many thanks to Pat for taking the time to look at this and include it in there.

Next week I will release the names of the other writers in addition to those already published [it's been an interesting week, for sure] and give some more details about the release.

Oh, and I have to give a quick mention to Nic's unusual approach to writing his blook chapter - you gotta love it!

SA blook - meet the authors

Here it is - a first look at some of the awesome writers that have agreed to take part in the SA blook.

One criticism often levelled against blogging and bloggers is that anyone can do it, and therefore the quality of writing in blogs is generally rather poor [here's a humorous take on this by Wired]. Although there is some truth to this, I must say that since I started blogging, I have come across a number of brilliant blogs, with writing that is both easy and enjoyable to read. So to the critics all I can say is: Don't generalise - there are some bloggers out there who have real talent and skill.

While it is impossible to include all the good SA bloggers in a project like this, I'm proud to say that our team for this one consists of some absolutely brilliant writers.

So without further ado, here are the bloggers taking part, in no particular order [since I would only do them injustice by trying to describe them myself, I have also included links to more information about each of them]:

• Eve Dmochowska [read more about Eve here]
• Duncan Drennan [read more about Duncan here]
• Paul Jacobson [read more about Paul here]
• Melissa Attree [read more about Melissa here]
• Nic Haralambous [read more about Nic here]
• Saul Kropman [read more about Saul here]
• Justin Hartman [read more about Justin here]

In addition to the above awesome writers, there are two more that are in the process of being finalised and will be unveiled within the next week.

While each writer has their own distinct style and opinion, I believe all these writers have one common characteristic being their positive outlook on our current environment and willingness to explore ways in which to shape our future into something stunning.

I have to say it again - I'm absolutely astounded by the quality of writers taking part and could never have imagined when I started that this would include writers of their calibre - so to all those taking part, all I can say is "Wow, thank you!".

I'll be posting the theme of the blook early next week and some more details about how it will be put together. I look forward to seeing what will come of it, and hope you'll enjoy it too!

If you have any thoughts, questions or suggestions, please leave a comment - it would be great to hear from you.

Blook bloggers [authors] to be announced soon

Watch this space for the names of the bloggers who will be writing as part of the SA blook.

I will be putting these up over the next couple of days, as well as giving some more info about the theme.

Hold onto your hats...

To let the cat out of the bag... or not....

I'm thrilled to say there are some awesome bloggers/writers confirmed to take part in the SA blook, although I'm still looking for suitable bloggers for a couple of topics I would like to include in addition to those already taken.

Not surprisingly, it seems that people are more interested in who is writing than in what the blook is actually about [one of the great characteristics of a social community]. Over the past week I've had a lot of queries via e-mail and twitter asking who the bloggers are... and so far haven't revealed to anyone.

Although I will be posting more details about the theme and how it will work soon, my question is this - Should I reveal who the bloggers are before the blook is published online, or leave it as a surprise?

I would prefer to leave it until it is published, the reason being that the final product will be a true reflection of a blook written with completely different viewpoints and expertise. Although a part of me would like to publish the names because I believe the bloggers/writers deserve a great amount of credit for agreeing to take part in this experiment, not knowing what will come of it, I also think there is more fun for everyone in not knowing... and the reading, links and credit will come soon.

What do you think? Reveal before, or only reveal when published?

A social media book for South Africans

How do you teach those who don't read blogs or take part in social media about social media?

It seems there is a good answer - target offline readers by putting together a book about social media [seems obvious in retrospect - isn't that we always say about good ideas].

Thanks to Eve Dmochowska for the heads-up on Linked by design, one of her newer projects. This is something which might be looked at as long overdue, but in actual fact is probably perfectly timed [considering the recent rise in popularity of social media usage beyond facebook and myspace].

Quite strange actually, with my recently noted desire to make an online book [the SA blook] and now this - seems that the lines between traditional- and tech-publishing are blurring faster than we realise... where to next?

Introducing the SA Blook. An online book written by SA bloggers.

*An experiment in online writing*

Yes, blog + book = blook.

But unlike a traditional blook [not that I've seen many myself, really], where chapters are written by one blogger and published one by one on the blog, how about a blook written by a group of bloggers and published across a spectrum of different blogs?

[Image courtesy of Flickr]

And I'm not referring to fiction either. I mean a blook about a subject that is relevant to all of us, something that a variety of writers could each contribute to - using their own specific skills, knowledge and experience.

This is an experiment in online writing. With the rapid development of blogging and social media , globally and in South Africa, it makes sense to try something new every now and then. This is something like that, trying to bring together great writers/bloggers by allowing a group to write about a variety of themes relating to one topic, just like chapters in a book.

Here is a rough explanation of the process I have in mind:

• Several bloggers have been identified [I'm still looking for a few more - so don't be shy to let me know if you're interested in participating] and will be asked to write one chapter around a specific theme - they will have full freedom to choose the title and content as long as it matches the theme and is positive/constructive.
  
• Posts should be suitable in length and easily readable [ie the book should be easily digestable by readers used to reading blogs, rather than being a several day or week undertaking].
• Everyone will be asked to publish on their own individual blogs [there is no point redirecting content from individual blogs as this will dilute the impact and audience reach], with a link to the contents page at the bottom with a brief explanation of how it works.
• Everyone will be asked to publish on the same day at around the same time.
• The main blook post will be published here on OutThink once all are live. I will post the introduction and contents here, with links to all the relevant "chapters" posted by the participating bloggers.

As I said, its an experiment, and I have no idea whether it will work or not. But hopefully it will be part of the online collaborative learning curve and people will be able to take good parts of this idea and develop it further... who knows what could come of it.

As for the subject of the blook and the themes, for now that's a secret and each blogger will be the only one informed of the theme that they are writing about...

... I'm hoping that this will make the final blook all the more interesting - it's part of the experiment, to see whether this can work. Another approach would be to disclose everything upfront and allow everyone to collaborate and work together, but I've decided on this approach for the first one.

There's still a bit of a way to go, but I will post updates here as it progresses.

If you have any thoughts or suggestions, please leave a comment or contact me here. I would love to hear it.

Basketball. It's not just a game.

I'm thrilled to say that a new project I'm involved in - MyBasketball.co.za - is now live.

Victor Shakineza, a friend and teammate of mine from back in the day [and one of the fastest players I've ever played with or against], set up a website called MyBasketball.co.za last year to try provide news and results relating to the South African basketball scene - something which has been sorely lacking here even though basketball gained a lot of popularity here from as early as 1992, when the infamous Dream Team wowed the world at the Barcelona Olympic Games that year.

Information about all the basketball in SA is not easy to come by, but Victor, along with Nenad Jovanovic, did a solid job of providing somewhere that players and fans could get some information. Despite the fact that the site was a web 1.0 site that provided little opportunity for interaction and was difficult to update regularly, they attracted a relatively large audience.

A little while ago, I approached Victor to see if we could take what he had built to the next level, and I must thank him for letting me get involved.

Since we're trying to build a community and make interaction easy, a blog was the most obvious choice. It's a community initiative with no specific funding at this stage, so we opted for wordpress.com and a redirect from the primary site for now, although this will probably change as it grows and develops.

Certainly there are still some issues to deal with, such as how to make it easy to post and keep track of scores and results, but we're convinced that what we've done now is the first step on the way to making this the number one SA basketball website.

Please visit us at MyBasketball.co.za, and if you have friends who are interested, please direct them there - we can only grow this and get more information with your help.

Personallly I'm thrilled to once again be involved in the game that I love, and I believe that this will only go from strength to strength.

It's not just a game!


P.S. White men can jump

Thought Leader? Really?

Is it just my imagination, or has Thought Leader lost its edge? It seems that every time the front page opens, we’re bombarded with individual’s views of how much is wrong with our country, and in that respect, there is little to distinguish it from the daily news [both newspaper and television]. During the course of last year, this site was one of my first and favourite stops for good reading, but now I struggle to even open the site without specific cause to do so, merely to avoid the onslaught of pessimism and camouflaged insults that permeate the pages. Judging from the first comment on this recent TL post, it seems I’m not the only one who feels this way.

“Thought Leader” is a truly great name. It conjures up images of inspiring writing, simply overflowing with innovative ideas and contributing towards leadership development amongst its readership. In fact, the Wikipedia entry for “thought leader” says this term is “used to describe a futurist or person who is recognized among their peers and mentors for innovative ideas and demonstrates the confidence to promote or share those ideas as actionable distilled insights.”

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll gladly admit that most of the contributors on TL are highly skilled writers with an excellent knowledge of their subject matter - hence they are most probably considered leaders in their field. And as a social commentary forum, I greatly respect what Matthew, Vincent and company have built here. It’s just sad to see that this social media leader now largely consists primarily of para-journalism and critical political commentary... and too often doesn't continue from there with the thought leadership that its name promises.

At my last count there were 112 signed-up bloggers. With so many contributors, its obvious that new posts fly through the front page faster than you can say “Mail & Guardian”. And what is the prevalent message being put out there? Well, I’m not too sure, because the consistent flow of bitter anger is drowning out even the real thought leaders amongst the arsenal of contributors.

[As an aside, if Vincent’s target of 1,000 contributors ever realises, it will be even more difficult to hear anything amongst all the noise. Perhaps allowing users to “follow” or “block” specific contributors [as used on Twitter] would help keep content relevant to readers individually?]

Surely thought leadership requires the exhibition of at least some of the following characteristics: innovation; constructive writing; inspirational thinking; instigating positive action; either describing or demonstrating leadership qualities; and encouraging readers to make a difference and change the world. In his post referenced above, Vincent even describes the characteristics required of contributors as being the ability to “provide high-quality critical commentary on his or her field of expertise and provide leadership in terms of starting important conversations.”

Okay, perhaps I’m wrong here. I actually hope I am. In the last paragraph of this TL post, Grant Walliser makes a fair argument that Thought Leader is indeed serving its purpose. I’m sorry to say that I still can’t agree with him. Do yourself a favour and just look at the posts on the front page at any given time, and ask yourself whether they are constructive, negative or irrelevant. Sure, this is a subjective assessment, but the best I could come up with was about half of the posts being constructive in any way at any given moment.

Most people would probably believe that the site as it currently stands is social media in all its splendour. I agree that it cannot be censored to weed out the negative commentary, nor can restrictive guidelines be used to ensure a warm and fuzzy tone, as that would defeat the purpose.

However, one thing I would challenge all involved to ask is why you do it. Are you just using it as a platform to vent your own thoughts, regardless of any consequences whatsoever and without thought to the thousands of influential and influence-able people that read these posts?

Or are you truly aiming to be thought leaders in whatever sphere you write about, to understand the world and environment we live in [yes, the good and the bad] and to put forth constructive ideas and solutions that generate real excitement and perhaps, just maybe, instigate change?

Is this really SA thought leadership at its best? Think about it.

8 Things

Justin Hartman has just tagged me in this little blog tag game of 8 things you didn’t know about me. Well, even though I don't usually get personal here, I thought I would give this a go. After all, what's the point if you can't have a little bit of fun too. So here are the 8 things you didn't already know about me:

1. I have three names [with the surname being the fourth]. Its pretty cool most of the time, except when you get a high score in games and you only get space for three initials. In cases like this, I just resort to “DAZ”.

2. Apparently Paul Kruger is my great great great great great uncle [that’s five greats]. I’ve never confirmed it, but that’s the old family story.

3, I have only ever broken two bones in my body – two teeth, when they hit the ground before I did. Either the rest of me is very resilient, or I haven’t climbed enough trees in my time.

4. I first dunked a basketball when I was 15 and about 6 foot tall. This is my only consolation [and my primary retort] to the horrible statement “White men can’t jump”.

5. We moved house three times in the past three years. Ironically, we’ve ended up in the house we started off in. Long story.

6. I’m one of “those people” that travel from Pretoria to Midrand/Johannesburg every day. I choose to take the back roads rather than spending time on the biggest parking lot in the southern hemisphere. Its amazing how much you can do in a car when you’re not actually going anywhere.

7. I taught myself to play piano, to programme [mainly basic and turbo pascal - back in the day], to do magic, to make balloon animals and to swim. Needless to say, I can do all these things, just not very well.

8. My father is British, meaning that I could leave SA tomorrow if I really wanted to. However, I believe we’ve been put here for a reason, so I’m not going to be running away anytime soon if I have anything to do with it.

It seems I need to tag 8 more people with this, so folks below, consider yourselves officially tagged:

Charl Norman
Eric Edelstein
Feistyfemale
Grant Sidwell
Jason Bagley
Marc Forrest
Max Kaizen
Tyler Reed

7 reasons why you should want to blog [and you really want to even though you won't admit it]

Stefano Sessa and Nic Haralambous have recently taken opposite sides in the debate about whether it is worthwhile blogging or not. Although each has made good points, they are currently tied at 7 each, so here is my attempt at tipping the scales.

If you, the reader, are uncertain about whether or not to start a blog, here are 7 reasons which may just convince you to take the plunge:

1. You have instant justification for owning [yourname].com. No questions asked.
2. You get to be a writer, designer, artist, developer, and specialist all in one. And it doesn't matter what anyone else says either.
3. You get to proof to everyone how well you kan spel, and how wonderfill your grammar are.
4. You get exposed to new languages and get to meet new foreign friends [like Camiseta, who thoughtfully left a comment on one of my posts here. Now if only I could understand it...]
5. You get to supplement your income [I don't know what I would do without my Adsense cheques]
6. You have a valid reason to add yet another facebook application to your profile - Flog Blog [and you can join the throng of people who blog about facebook. Yay]
7. You don't need a licence to drive a blog [yet. China is possibly the one sad exception]

So, if that doesn't seal the deal, I don't know what will.

Hopefully you've realised by now I'm just having a bit of fun here. In all seriousness, Nic and Stefano's posts are good illustrations of the fact that blogging is a completely personal choice. Fun, yes [mostly]. Easy, no [I might already have stopped if not for the encouragement of a special person]. But definitely a personal choice, made for personal reasons.

Now my only question is - who will be brave enough to write the next post in this "7 reasons why . . . blog" thread? Perhaps something like "7 reasons why my boss should be paying me to blog" or "7 reasons why cows can't blog"?

Here are links to the two previous posts in this unofficial thread:

• Stefano Sessa - "7 reasons why I don't blog"
• Nic Haralambous - "7 reasons why I DO blog"

Old media, meet New media [intro courtesy of Twingly]

Here's a fascinatingly obvious concept - merging old media news stories with the blogs that are talking about them - thereby highlighting the social talk surrounding these traditional news stories. Well done to Twingly and the Times for putting this in place [its the first time I've spotted it, although it might have been around a while already].

Here's a brief glimpse of how the links appear on a Times' article:



While new media has taken off and articles are often dugg, muti'd or otherwise tagged, I believe this development will stimulate the transition to new media commentaries and articles for those who have found themselves glued to the traditional larger media house websites and stories.

Freedom, at last!

This is just another step along the way to growing awareness and increasing social news platforms - but a significant step nonetheless. Today, old media - tomorrow, the world.

Just when I thought I was starting to understand...

...they went and changed the rules.















Saw this link to my site here today [in case you can't read it - OutThink features as #1 under 'Today's Recommended Blogs'] - this list is sorted by "Fastest Gain in SocialRank". Really?

Yeah, I love writing and always wanted to have my voice heard out there, but in reality I know the readership here is still, well, not huge. Those guys in MindValley must be on something :-) Still, its always a blast to see your blog featured high somewhere, so I'll enjoy the moment while I can. Thanks SocialRank and dailyvoices and the brains at MindValley. [Has anyone told them about all the other blogs listed on Amatomu and Afrigator yet?]

However, in the end quantity is totally irrelevant - its the quality that counts. So here's to what I hope will be quality content all the way.

And thanks for reading. Much appreciated!

Is a blog just a bad business in disguise?

After two related posts relating to blogs for sale, I got to thinking about the real value of blogging. WHY DO WE DO THIS?

Eve Dmochowska's question here relating to a blog for sale had me thinking the answer was obvious, but then to see Adii seriously considering purchasing one here made me rethink it for a second.

Just to take a little step back... I see a distinguishing factor between a great business and a great businessman. You can be a great businessman/salesman/widget-maker-extraordinaire but still not have a great business. One of the marks of a great business is that the system runs regardless of whether the owner/manager is there [ie the business doesn't go home at night when you do]. I've written previously about the great education model that's been built at CIDA - but in reading this article in the Economist ["CIDA remains intimately associated with its founder and chief executive, and there are questions about whether it would survive without him."], it seems that this is even an issue in their hallowed halls.

Building a business away from yourself is largely contradictory to how most blogs are developed - where the personalities involved often become the main attraction, and advertising revenues [see the two examples Adii cites] are the business model. I'm sure we've all seen many blogs simply dripping with tons of paid links awaiting your beloved clicks. Shouldn't a blog be more than this?

That's one of the reasons I don't have any Adsense or other paid-links here. I love writing and want to enjoy it for what it is. Do I want a blog that is widely read and respected? Sure - we all do. What I would also love to do is build an AWESOME, amazing business one day that will change the world!!! But will a blog ever be that? Sure, it can be a part of it, but I don't believe the blog should ever be the business itself.

Please don't take this the wrong way. I know sites that attract lots of eyeballs are valuable. I know there's huge potential and the possibilities are amazing - but there's still quite a lot of work to be done in this particular case. Buying it is a shortcut which many might be able to use well, so if someone is willing to pay over $8,000 for a blog, without any other clear business model built around it [precious few contracts, current relatively low revenue levels, etc], I wish them all the best, and can only say congrats to the high-school going developer. Hey - that's the entrepreneurial spirit!

Does Amatomu digg this?

Had two bizarre online encounters a little earlier which, despite the surging growth of blogs and aggregators in SA and abroad, baffle my little cranium:

1. Reading the "Thought Leader" blogs, I noticed I was easily able to "Digg this" post that I was reading, but I wasn't able to "schmaak this". With the definite [if not obvious] link between TL and Amatomu [via one of SA's front-footed media companies], surely it should be the other way around. Or perhaps I'm just missing something?

2. When I decided that I did in fact digg the post [as trying to schmaak it was beyond me at that point], I was confronted by the following spelling check error on digg.com's site:



For those who can't read the small print, it says that "blogging" is not in the dictionary. Of all the places that the term "blogging" is not recognised, I would hardly have thought that Digg would be one.

Oh well, c'est la vie.

[Just for the record, I am a fan of digg, Amatomu and Thought Leader as they are all quality sites; and yes, I don't have the buttons yet either - its still a work in progress]

Those who can, do. Those who can't... blog?

It seems there are those who think this way. Andrew Keen for instance, with his new book "The Cult of the Amateur: How today's Internet is killing our culture" [on principle I refuse to link to it].

I had a quick look at the book in a store, and while I disagree with his stance, I must admit he makes some good points, and raises some intruiging questions.

The primary issue that stood out to me pertains to [business] society in its entirety and not just to blogging - its apparent that we have entered the age of the "amateur" [where every Tom, Dick and Sally can lecture to a global audience on any topic they wish] - as a business leader, is it better to be an expert in a specific field, or is it better to have a good general overview without favouring any particular skill?

"Jack of all trades, master of none". Usually negative connotations. Can it be a good thing?

Having done some hard time at a large financial consulting firm, I watched in horror over five or six years as experts became increasingly necessary. In terms of accounting standards, there were people who specialised in one specific standard. On the tax side, you needed people specialising in one hairy area of tax law. I can just imagine what a law firm's skills profile looks like today. [perhaps we should ask Paul Jacobsen or his firm?]

But as a business leader [where entrepreneurial skills are a must, rather than technical knowledge and expertise], perhaps this is not the case? Even if the environment has gotten tougher, the old maxim of "surround yourself with people better than you are" is even more true [and possibly easier, with the increasing number of experts around]. Perhaps being an "amateur" [ie not an expert] is a better qualification for being a leader?


Perhaps the "Amateur" [inexpert?] business leader is the glue that holds all the experts together - all working seamlessly to create an incredible business?

Just a thought.





Going back to the fuss about blogging particularly - it was interesting to see Matthew Buckland commenting on a very similar matter when blogging hit the spotlight here in SA earlier this month.

Even the infamous Vincent Maher, who could perceivably ride above this wave, was affected by it and had to face the question, as he admits himself, here.

By the way, Matthew and Vincent, courtesy of Mail and Guardian, have done a stunning job with Amatomu [one of my new favourite landing sites] - well done gentlemen! This should become one of South Africa's premier blog directories in the very near future, if it isn't already.