Love the FLIP

It’s not about the ultimate product feature; it IS about the ability to share a part of you and be accessible and connected with others. IT is about moments worth sharing and having the ability to share while the memories are still fresh and being savored.
IT is being on the #30 Stockton Muni bus in the heart of Chinatown, San Francisco, CA, USA. The bus is crowded and chaotic and I stand squished by the rear door on a cool summer day. The bus brakes wheez to a jerky stop, doors creak open and proceed loading and unloading passengers.

An oriental rhythm, bright red and yellow colors and the action of a parade dragon catch my eye. I smile at the sight. I swing up the Flip; lean over and place the Flip into the rear door window and press the big red button. All the while I am staring out, enjoying the suprise observation. The dragons’ ten feet work the tone colors of the beat. I am not looking through the camera lens, which enables me to enjoy the first hand experience as well as create the replay. A crowd gathers, children and adults, all smiling and encouraging the dragon dancers.
The bus doors close, and begins to slowly rumble and roll us all toward the next stop. I click the red button again to stop the recording. The rhythm I can hear changes in the bus to the uphill struggle of the engine from the drum beats for the dragon.
I peer down, click replay and have the chance to see and hear the event again. The noise of the bus and the jostling people all slip away from me for the moment. And I smile again watching the replay, noticing for the first time the dragon dancers sharing trinkets with the children who were gleefully observing and mimicking the dancing dragon. The children were eager to receive the trinkets and bow their thanks to the dragon.
This is an example of the accessibility of using the Flip camcorder. Easy to carry, easy to record and playback, holds a few hours of clips. Get to a computer and see why the name of the camcorder is Flip… the USB flips out of the camera, and plugs in via those wonderfully universal ports.
And now, another opportunity to watch the dragon dancer scene is made available to me. 34 seconds of vibrant video. I email it right way (from within the flipshare software application) to my son in Chicago. I enjoyed sharing with him this vignette from my San Francisco vacation, ‘back home’, also his birth city.
I love the Flip sharing to all my favorite social sites, such as Facebook and YouTube. I am not required to know details such as file format or file size is, software does the file type/uploading wizardry. This is what makes it all possible, the pocket-sized camcorder, the basic software and fast process to upload, email and burn memories into permanency.
It is great to share short video moments with friends and family of all ages.

And it has been so wonderful to see them embrace this technology. An example, just now -- I opened my email and a Flip video had been shared with me by a super fantastic and wonderful 80 year old friend. He recited an old Irish poem by Robert Burns. His eyes were bright as he recited to his shinny new Flip. What a phenomenal gift.
These are the reasons my favorite brand is Flip and my favorite product is the Flip Camcorder.

Becoming Socially Savvy

DigiMaven Knorr will assist you with a personal Social Media Profile or your company with a social media marketing strategy. 

Learning to effectively manage your own brand presence is important and training is an integral/critical component of our service. 



in/kathyknorrchicago




digimavenknorr.blogspot.com



@tweetsbyknorr



Give the DigiMaven a Tweet, LinkedIn message or Facebook Friend us!  or use the phone, our mobile number is always IN and ON

About Kathy Knorr

I have proven experience in producing high quality Social Media strategies and implementing successful campaigns. My extra value is in my depth of business experience and training expertise. This translates to a complete, organized handbook for each client in addition to a blended learning strategy to bring the team up to speed and loving the social media marketing platform.

This year I have excelled in a six month City of Chicago program, Chicago Career Tech, to add new skills to current technology expertise. The cutting edge social media marketing, analytics and strategy and implementation skills are at the top of my toolkit.  I graduate in September 2010.
I am seeking an energetic and engaging commitment to be a a critical player in a social media campaign or consutant group.  My value add is the deliverables in the implementation phase and excellent customer service skills.


I have been responsible for coordination between the marketing groups to assure branding consistencies. I was also responsible to be the voice of the brand in webinars, videos and community.


Also, I have over three years experience completing training projects within deadlines that produce well executed outcomes and products for several large-scale initiatives. I have been responsible to ensure quality and measure results. I have worked with management and stakeholders to create and improve processes.


With the LearningExt.com division of NCSBN I have online education experience from the development, delivery, editing and tracking of elearning programs online and script, storyboarding and producing screen capture videos. During my time with NCSBN we reworked the website, developed online communities and ventured into social media with our customers.

Kathy Knorr
kknorr@rcn.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/kathyknorrchicago
312-981-2601

DigiMedia Social Media Assignment.... ideas due for July 7, 2010

Social Media Marketing Plan
   July 6, 2010
   Client:   Chicago School of Woodworking, LLC (“CSW”)
               4700 N. Ravenswood Unit SW 4
               Chicago, IL 60640
               773-275-1170
               info@chicagowoodworking.net

Enjoy the experience
The Chicago School of Woodworking, with 2 human and 1 canine employees, has a web page with information about the school and class calendar.  There are many social media techniques and tools that can be used to improve the visibility of the school and increase enrollment.

A goal of the SM policy will be to increase awareness through the implementation of a SM Plan, of which the following are to be included:
Additional goals will be to increase the enrollment in the courses for the October 11 session of 9 week courses.

1. Promote the new facilities (to open October 10, 2010) - press releases, business page, opening event (absolutely rock bottom cost, i.e. just the lights on and a giveaway)
2. New business Facebook page
3. Find local bloggers on woodworking and begin networking (ie you have lots of sources listed on the website, so tap into their customers.
4. Promote the places student purchase wood on your site. They do the same for your classes on theirs.
5. Twitter...? And a YouTube channel, maybe even flickr
6. Have a booth at a few local craft faires.
7. Find free publicity in places unexpected. I.e. donate some left pieces, auction them from Facebook and
8. Queenie is a great mascot. She can have her own page too!
9. Invite all former students to the opening - and we can video their comments on experiences
10.  Meet with the local High School to explain the school, see if there is any interest in a class for the students.  Also ask about spring/winter break ideas.  have a number of students identified before hand.
11.  google calendar

12. On the web, add more pics and links to the class photos so they are easier to find. And add an interactive google calendar (?)


Background: 
CSW's Mission Statement:
“To train students in the art of furniture making. Principally focused on the novice hobbyist, CSW’s goal is to use a progressive skills based approach to teaching individuals how to make furniture.
Through lectures, demonstrations, and most importantly, practical application, CSW’s intent is to produce graduates who can safely and effectively build furniture both with hand tools and machines.
Our primary business objective is to instruct and educate students. Our facility is conducive to the learning process and geared for a quality educational experience. We have chosen machinery and tools that are safe, up-to-date, and well maintained, so students can focus on learning and enjoy the varied aspects of building a quality piece of furniture.”
 

About the Owners

Mark, Shaun and Queenie

Shaun Devine
Experience: Shaun, a graduate of Northern Illinois University, taught in the Chicago Public Schools for eight years. Tired of that, she quit to compete on the U.S Kendo team. She worked for two years as a photographer. After that she spent about five years as a restaurant manager. She saved her money so she could quit her job and complete a one year unpaid apprenticeship at The Chicago Bauhaus Academy. Upon the death of the founder, Berthold Schwaiger, she cashed in her retirement, emptied her savings account and opened The Chicago School of Woodworking with her business partner Mark Hamester.
E-mail: shaun@chicagowoodworking.net
Mark Hamester
Experience: Mark, a graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago, served for 23 years in the United States Marine Corps where he held a variety of instructional billets. Following his retirement from the Marine Corps, Mark taught basic woodworking at the Chicago Bauhaus Academy.
E-mail: mark@chicagowoodworking.net

off topic, yet....well worth 15 minutes!

OHhhhh would I love to blog about Beer

Actually PALE ALE and American Pale Ales very specifically!
What is different about pale ale
What makes a pale ale – an ale and pale?
Why American – and others, India, Scottish, etc
Hoppy factors and grading
Ratings go from 0 – miller light beer to 100 (sierra Nevada is my 100 American Pale ale)

Content:
Why be interested
What to try
Create conversations easily
Links to large mfgers sites that describe their ales
Audience
other pale ale lovers, novices and interested parties to learn, others to converse and share knowledge and home beer brewers to share great receipes and ideas.


Post Ideas:
Ratings
A post on prices
A post on local brewers that make their own, at home or in small batches
Interview
Ah ha! Visits to breweries for tastings
Publicize: Publicize an event at a local spot that does either a beer tasting or is a beer place, ie Brazarie Jo
Comment on other blogs
Facebook and ask a few 20somethings to post on their blogs (I have 2 in the family that woud do this!

What will be the impact of AdWords on the Digital Landscape?
What an impact AdWords is having already on the Digital Landscape!

1. buy google stock (GOOG) and then some more.

2. OMG when the boomers are no longer in this world there really will be a chip with preset AdWords we can plug in a slot on our temple. This is when reality begins the shift into digital communities and our perspectives are augmented and altered to keep us buyers happy.
3. ROI! Ha, just a click of a report will tell me THAT and prove to my boss that I have done a great job buying AdWords and tracking their success...
4. A new Digi-age Stock Market? such as NASDAQ was new in 1971 -- ad words? Words will be a commodity, and an English major who studied Latin will get a great job!
5. Students off to college, remember when your parents said NOT to study English anthropology or psychology? Today's social media jobs are looking for just this, writers and those experienced in studying human behavior and doing research on lab rats.
The Impact will be big, bigger and biggest on how we live digitally with words controlling what we view!
It is not just the ADWORDS that are active. Think about my blog on adding Interests to your blog so it can search for "like minded individualist" (isn't that an oxi-moron?) with blogs that match your interest words. Tags, and meta tags are all in this same realm of locating us.
And my final thought. I met my husband out one evening through an introduction by a mutual friend in SF in 1980. Hum, who meets anyone that way now? Dating and romance -- they too are online with keywords, interests, "like clicks" and tags. AND there is even an app to see what your kid might look like floating out there somewhere too.
This is a ramble on purpose. Just responding to the quick bursts from the Internet sites/RSS feeds and keywords I follow.

tweet @kathyknorrchicago if you want to be friends and text.

Google Doc's Update Video

http://www.brandon-hall.com/workplacelearningtoday/?p=10882&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+workplacelearningtoday+%28Brandon+Hall+Research%3A+Workplace+Learning+Today%29

Search for Blogs of Interest

This morning I was looking to share my new blog, with my new address so the Flashpoint assignment may be accessible to everyone!


Hum,  then I read the community info under HELP on how to find similar blogs.  Ah Ha, sounded good, probably we all put CCT or Chicago Career Tech in our profile under INTERESTS. 


When you do this you can search for blogs with the same keywords in their Interests. 

Shall we 'standardize' -- CCT Flashpoint may be a good combo?  Thoughts. Try it, add cct flashpoint to your interests, then click the link created for you, and you will see the dragon dancer!  - best - Kathy K  kknorr@rcn.com