People taking sleeping pills are now going to be warned of the potential for ‘complex sleep-related behaviors’, which may include “sleep-driving, making phone calls and preparing and eating food (while asleep).” No doubt, such complex sleep-related behavior explains some blog posts I’ve read.

Sidenote: I can’t wait to post the following on Twitter: “I’m in bed, but displaying complex sleep-related behaviors.”

From Dave Winer: “I’m very reluctant to dismiss Twitter as a passing fad, aware that many people said that about blogging, and I was sure they were wrong, and they were. Whenever so many people are so excited about something there must be some substance.”

Citizen of the world Joi Ito the other day observed in his SXSW session how Americans look at new technology and immediately ask, “What’s the business application?” In Japan, however, new technology is handed to children who are told, “Go play with it.” The kids play and do stuff that later becomes things that others realize would make sense also in a business context.

I am definitely in the “playing” phase with my use of Twitter. I’ve already “un-followed” some folks (like I unscubscribe to RSS feeds). I turned off the texting option now that I’m home from SXSW, but I found it helpful at times to sort out where I was heading and who I’d see at a specific panel. When I’m at my desk, the IM feed of Twitter reminds me of an open IRC channel. The website version is the most passive interface — sort of like visiting a blog rather than subscribing to the RSS feed. Another way I’m playing with Twitter is by placing a bit of code (a widget w/out any glitter) that displays my most recent Twitter post on my blog’s sidebar. I’ve placed it under a heading, “Where is Rex?” — which you can see if you’re reading this on my blog.

My “play” has led to some thoughts on business uses, primarily as an easy-to-administer group texting tool for a team or project. An “enterprise” version, perhaps? One thing the Twitter folks have: a drop-dead easy-to-use service and a critical mass of users in a small corner of the geekosphere. Oh, and buzz. Lots and lots of buzz.

(Why that photo?)

Technorati Tags: twitter

Next month, April 25-26, I’ll be at the EconSM Conference in Los Angeles which is being organized by my friends at PaidContent.org. The conference is being billed as “the first focused on business models and deals as much as the creative process and enabling techologies in the social media ecosystem.”

While there are plenty of the big-name “speakers” you’d expect, the thing about the conference that appeals to me most can be found in Rafat’s post today on PaidContent.org:

“Given the subject of social media, our view on conferences is especially appropriate: you’ll be part of the conversation, not an audience. EconSM isn’t about top-down presentations; it’s about sharing, challenging, learning and twisting the kaleidescope for different views of that morphing world.”

Technorati Tags: social media

When I saw a link to John Battelle’s post titled, “A Modest Proposal To YHOO and MSFT: Spin Out A Search Company,” I thought surely it must be a tongue-in-cheek reference to Jonathan Swift’s bitingly satiric essay (1729) from which the term “Modest Proposal” comes. Quick version of Swift’s satire: his “modest proposal” of preventing poor people from being burdened by their children was for (again, this was satire) poor parents to sell them as food. (Sort of an 18th century Soylent Green.)

But then I read Battelle’s post and I think he’s serious — I think the term “Modest Proposal” in his headline is not a nuanced reference indicating to the reader (granted, a literate reader) that his essay is satirical, but, rather that he is actually proposing that Yahoo and Microsoft spin off a search company in which both companies would own 50%.

However, now that I think about it, Battelle’s post works both ways: It probably does make sense (the straight version). Or, is John Battelle recommending to Yahoo and Microsoft that they sell their babies in order for them to be eaten for breakfast by Google (the satirical version).

Later: John responds (see comments) to suggest it can be read either way. So I will.

This is old news to some but for others (like me digging out of SXSW and a day of meetings), it’s just now hitting the radar. Starting yesterday, NYTimes.com is granting free access to the pay-wall content called “Times Select” (according to Editor & Publisher) if you have a .edu email address. While that is designed to open it to faculty and students, it seems also to open it up to a rather large group of individuals who attended universities that provide .edu addresses to alumni (mine does but I could never figure out before why I’d want one). I feel certain that hole may be plugged, but I can’t find the information. (I post this strictly for information purposes. I am not suggesting anyone who is not a student or faculty member but who may have paid tens of thousands of dollars so that you or our child could have a .edu email address do this.)

From MediaPost: Starting in June, business-to-business media brands will be able to report an aggregated figure — including qualified circulation, web site unique visitors, pass-along recipients, and e-newsletter distribution. The data will be included in a sidebar on the front page of ABC publishers’ statements and audit reports.

Technorati Tags: magazines

• Oprah Winfrey, destroyer of forests?
  Interesting strategy of a “green” organization: go after Hearst through Oprah.
  (tags: greenzine magazines)