Monthly Archives: October 2011

Freddy vs. Jason. The OWS Story

Freddy Vs. Jason the OWS story

A nightmare tied in with all the arguments for and against the OWS protest; a predominant perception; an epic battle brews between Capitalism and Communism/Socialism.

I’d think Freddy to be communist. Tempting with dreams of utopia, only to dismember you in a fiendish, otherworldly gulag.

Jason on the other hand, seems more capitalist. A purposeful, indomitable and unfeeling monstrosity. Leading unlucky victims to an ill-fated destination.

Really though? Is it really about that?

Be they glorified by ‘Atlas Shrugged’ (on my fav list) or ‘The Communist Manifesto’, both these ideologies are relatively new to human history. At least in their recent implementations, if not in a broader sense.

In the past few decades we saw communism fail. I think we are now seeing capitalism doing the same, if not being thoroughly tested.

It’s obvious that something is wrong. In the financial Titanic the Europeans seem to be sailing on, the protests in streets across the globe, and the pain of the jobless and destitute in many western nations. Even the BRIC countries are bracing for an expected slowdown. Brazil has cut it’s interest rates today, and China could lose 70% of its jobs tomorrow.

You may think the OWS movement an incoherent hippie, as is the stock market these days. However, one cannot deny that there is a palpable negativity directed against the financial system.

The OWS movement is growing in strength, spreading. The reactions of a previously skeptical chemist, the artwork of ad creatives, are all testament to a yearning for change. Technology abets the spread, creating a perfect storm to bring that change about.

Occupy Wallstreet- Infographic on Dollar Bill

Infographic on dollar bill - see 'ad creatives' link above for more

Anybody who is buying or selling anything should be well advised to pay attention. Especially those who are selling, better recognize the undercurrents lest they continue peddling sugar water to the morbidly obese.

Which brings me to the digital marketing circles I often associate within. Though posts by Aaron Beibert and Eugene Farber show a tad too much affinity for Jason Voorhees, at least they are speaking outside the Klout-decked, online marketing echo chamber; part of the debate. Of course, as Americans they can be forgiven for thinking that it’s all about them conservatives vs. democrats. Here too there is hope, however slim, the twain shall come together, as Barry Ritholtz opines brilliantly.

I think neither capitalism nor communism to be infallible. If there is room for these ideologies to evolve, NOW is the time. That, can really come about, only if all of us are part of the process and debate.

Is OWS about the right and the left? Some conspiracy funded by George Soros and Spanish communists? Whining of the lazy? Is lynching industry and innovation the answer? Socialism? OR Is there something going on that we all can work together for.

After all, the only thing that can now keep people away from the streets are jobs. You see that coming in Greece, Spain or even the US? The longer this financial drama goes on, the worse it gets globally.

Our best option seems to be to shape the debate and the inevitable change. Maybe not on the streets or a makeshift tent, like the more passionate ones. Have your say here, on your blogs or wherever.

If not, the danger is real; nubile teens will fall to Freddy as Jason loses ground.

So. What do YOU think?

Narcissism vs. things that really matter

Alien Facebook

With technology a pervasive and often intrusive part of our lives, many of us struggle for balance. Sometimes responding to a notification or online conversation seems more tempting than attending to my son’s request, to find time to go cycling together.

There seems to be two sets of human instincts competing with each other. The instinct to nurture and cement close personal relationships on one hand; and the need to be understood by, understand, and connect with a broader set of people, even strangers, on the other.

While some may argue that the balance sought, is actually between narcissism vs. things that really matter, I’m not so sure it is quite that simple. Social connections do have a time-tested role in human evolution.

Technology has been the great enabler of the ability to harvest broader connections, by projecting our presence virtually.  The fact that we can now use technology to cement and forge bonds, only adds another facet to our social relations. This is as true today for online social networks as it was for the telephone.

At this point in our history, all of us are trying to figure out how it all fits together. There are bound to be mistakes, as we experiment.

Will our predispositions compel future tech entrepreneurs to innovate around, and augment our closely held values? Or do you think we will allow technology to forever alter/update our value systems?

What is your incentive to be on social media today? Do you think you are able to use it in a positive way or do you have negativity attached to the experience?

Most of my posts this month are part of the Halloween-Hollywood inspired series. You may republish the above parodic art-work online as long as you link back to this post.

The lightness of being a beginner again

“I didn’t see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was the best thing that could have ever happened to me. The heaviness of being successful was replaced by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure about everything. It freed me to enter one of the most creative periods of my life.” - Steve Jobs’ at Stanford Commencement Address

 

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About me

Based in Montreal, I'm a Digital media strategist, with almost 20 years of accumulated experience in SEO, SEM, Social Media, Email Marketing, web design and development (CMS), project management (including offshore-teams), animation (2d/3d- including 8 years at Softimage), video/T.V,  and Design (Print). More>>

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