Monday 4.19.2009

Published by Robi | Filed under General, Ramble

As we all ponder the value of twitter in our lives. My friend Wild William Westerman (aka 3W,W cubed or WWW) at least gave me a couple of good chuckles by pointing me in the direction of 30 Funny Twitter Comics. http://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2009/03/50-twitter-comic-strips/

Saturday 4.18.2009

Published by Robi | Filed under General

There is a Boston Cream Dunkin Donut in the office fridge… it is tempting me. However, I remain vigilant and strong.

This morning I have become an expert of Somalia piracy, their history and tactics. For those of you interested, to ease the research process the obvious starting point is http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Somali_pirate

Taking a break from the grind I just got a Russian evening tea (Kousmichoff du Soir No 50 http://www.us.kusmitea.com/black-tea-traditional-blend/c1_11/p26/russian-evening-na50/product_info.html) from Freedom of Espresso in Armory Square. I noticed all of the runners out in preparation for the upcoming Mountain Goat run. As firmly as I still believe in the concept of only running if being chased I give them credit and look forward to watching my friends cross the finish line in a few weeks. I am going to volunteer to hand out water or something (ok, probably not).

Convergence – As I continue to ponder the concept of consumer convergence enabled by new information technology principles it became clear that I needed a definition of convergence. So here are some thoughts.

• Media convergence definition. “The flow of content across multiple media platforms, the cooperation between multiple media industries, and the migratory behavior of media audiences.” Henry Jenkins and Dr. DeFlorz http://www.nyupress.org/books/Convergence_Culture-products_id-4756.html
• If, in the above definition, you replace the concept of media with information you gain another parallel train of thought.

I enhanced the above media convergence definition by incorporating “information.” Here you go… Adapted from wiki. Convergence, simply put, is how individual consumers interact with others on a social level and use various media / information platforms to create new experiences, new forms of media, content and information that connect us socially, and not just to other consumers, but to the corporate producers of media as well as the corporate consumers of the information in ways that have not been as readily accessible in the past. Resulting in industry specific cycles of consumer convergence.

Destination Operating Ecosystem

Published by Robi | Filed under Brain Buster

For several years, I was involved with a multi billion dollar development in Syracuse NY. It is over this time that I developed a philosophy surrounding destination developments (both physical and virtual – virtual is coming later). Every destination (place that involves people’s resources) has some sort of operating ecosystem. Owners / developers have the choice to either accept that it is there or ignore it. It seems that based on the size of the development, usually ignoring it is the outcome. Consider the impact that Disney has had on Orlando, the Strip on Vegas, Dubai on the Middle East as well as a local Walmart (I have yet to address impact on an entire portfolio as oppossed to one destination)or shopping facility.

Currently, I am the process of defining this ecosystem and creating a set of services to assist owners / developers / public policy influencers make decisions. Below is my first draft of the mind map that lays out the stakeholders and associated actions. More is coming on this topic. Feel free to provide me any feedback or questions. robi@robibanerjee.com

The week of 4/13/2009

Published by Robi | Filed under General

Monday 4/13/2009.

Enjoyed a great weekend. Looking forward to the weather turning a bit warmer.

• My favorite weekend reading, the New York Times had a restaurant that interested me. I am going there next time in NYC just so I can say I ordered the Conflicted Jew. Check it out. http://www.chefjoedoe.com/menu_appetizers.html
• Zoho what? Started having fun with Zoho.com. I agree that the Zoho wiki is more of a content management system.
• Squirrel Haters Unite. Stumbled across one of my favorite videos.
• At the end of my day… grilled the best steak (lightly seasoned) I have had in months! Served with a baked potato (yes, sour cream and butter) and broccoli.

Tuesday 4/14/2009.

• Had breakfast with an old (not in years but as in the past tense) colleague at the Miss Syracuse Diner across from City Hall – had some good laughs and excellent hash browns.
• Had a Blueberry tea from Coffee Pavilion (with antixoidants) with tourism leader for Upstate NY. Talked about the relevance of cultural tourism and the visit America program.
• Continued my research on both measuring a companies performance as well as the convergence of consumer expectations with what they actually get. Made me remember discussions with David Norton about consumer happiness. http://www.gostonemantel.com/insights turns out he is hosting a seminar this Thursday and Friday on the topic.

Wednesday 4/15/2009.

• Curious about the cost of the captain rescue / pirate removal operation. I know it is for the greater good (protecting Americans and the open seas). However, what did that cost the average American tax payer.
• Furthering defining my role on this planet (yes it needs to be globally impacting). More to come on that topic next week.
• As always spending time thinking about cooking and food. I need to respond to my new friends at www.thejiveturkey.com. Not doing the actual deep frying seems like cheating but that Peach Bourbon Turkey looks and sounds so good.
• Finishing my first draft of a “major destination” ecosystem. Can and should be in the minds of owners / developers of destinations regardless of size (scaling and future planning should always be factors).

Thursday 4/16/2009.

• Giving up Dunkin Donuts for a while. Had to say good by to the Boston Cream… maybe I will go back to the apple and spice shortly. That at least sounds healthy.
• For my friends around the country who loved the Dinosaur when I dragged them to Syracuse on little or no notice… the are opening an upstairs venue tonight for parties and events http://blog.syracuse.com/listenup/2009/03/upstairs_at_the_dinosaur_to_op.html
• Reading all about the GGP bankruptcy. Even though the retail sector is hurting and consumer demand is leaning towards discount and necessities, I tend to agree with the analysts who believe that beat down anchors can and should be replaced with more vibrant venues.
• Updated www.robibanerjee.com with a little help from my friends.

Friday 4/17/2009.

• Started off the morning bringing back a business idea I started 1st quarter 2008. The product was called KNext – standing for KNowledge EXTentsion. Its general premise was around improving the ways organizations create, store and communicate information (my definition of information is a blend of data and content).
• About to post for this week and then go and get another Blueberry tea from Coffee Pavilion in Hanover Square.

Squirrel Haters Unite

Published by Robi | Filed under Amusing

Fun with Squirrels – Peta Beware

Starting Today

Published by Robi | Filed under General

The unadulterated thoughts and events of my life.