Writer, Agilist, Elder Geek
You can find previous articles on Customer Service and Business Sense.
If you're a fan, you're probably ambitious in at least some way – you've got fanfic or fanart, leaderboards to rise up in your games, conventions to run. If you think about it, your fandom goals often take a lot of planning, organizing, achieving, and initiative.
If you're a fan, you've probably been learning a lot about Entrepreneurship.
The economy sucks, but you may be able to use your cell phone as a credit card. It's a slow news day, but we've got some interesting stuff still!
Economics/Geekonomics:
Bob Herbert is angry, and he may have a right to be. Evidence that job cuts were worse than needed and people aren't sharing in a recovery. If he's right, then there's a gap in expectations, employe/employer relations, and social expectations of economic growth.
Internet connectivity and economic development.
Technology:
It seems almost every carrier is working on a way to replace credit cards with smartphones. That's just a boost to the smartphone market if any of this works.
Social Networks and gaming account for a third of time online – I'm surprised it's that low.
Video Games:
Zynga has a new CFO. Which isn't surprising considering the changes going on. Now what that means for how they spend money may affect the future . .
How playfish demonstrates the use of the cloud in games – A thoughtful read.
Total Nerdity:
Using an episode of the Last Airbender in a class on manga. And you thought you couldn't use this stuff . . .
Question of the Day: So when do you think the media will panic over smartphome-as-credit-card security?
I know Hello Kitty has fans. In fact, I have to admire Sanrio for creating a sort of Seinfeld of cuteness.; Hello Kitty really isn't about anything. Hello Kitty is sort of a brand of general adorable cuteness and pathological amounts of pink. It's just that when it comes to it, there's not a whole lot of "there" there. Hello Kitty just sort of is.
She's darling, as is her collection of friends, but she's not about anything.
Sanrio's success aside, you don't want to use her as a role model for personal branding. Even if you like Pink. A whole lot of Pink.