Food for Thought at Christmas

It's Christmas eve. I'm in Virginia, celebrating with family. It's real. It's important. It's love.

It's why I always read Shel. I love what he writes. I adore Shel -- he has taught me more than he knows.

So have the all the folks I recently added to the blog roll here and lots of others. Neville and the other Shel....so many more. You all have shared and taught much (more another time.....its all about generousity of web 2, I spoke about it in Toronto and will write more)

Today Shel Israel writes about someone who I love working with. How appropriate.

Lionel is a treat to work with, and a joy to be associated with.

So then Shel points me in his wonderful way (he says "just go read it.")...with an instruction like that, how do you resist? He's right. Just go read it: http://www.gapingvoid.com/Moveable_Type/archives/004377.html

I adore Hugh too, even though we have never met or really been in contact. But his piece on creativity speaks to me professionally and artistically, often. His cartoons, speak to me every day...obviously, they get lead position right here. Its where I picked up today's theme...although I chuckled he should have put number 7 and 10 (pasted below) right beside each other (ie as number 7 and 8)...just for a little shock positioning.....and he should not limit 7 to websites, but all we are up to :-)

"7. A lot of what fuels The New Marketing is quite simply, the most important word in the English Language: "Love". It's hard to get someone to read your website if you're not passionate about your subject matter
10. Why is it so hard to explain The New Marketing to large companies? Because the people who work there are simply not prepared to relinquish the idea of control. Live by metrics, die by metrics etc."

So if its about love and losing control and jumping in, here are some folks to love, in addition to Lionel. For them its more than marketing, these individuals are humans from a large company that "get it" (and "it" is about web 2 and believing it is a significant shift that enables us (individually and BIG company Dell) to listen, learn and converse -- to nurture and strengthen relationships.

What a great group to work with: JohnPatdell, Caroline, Bruce, Vance, Geoff and the blog outreach team, Lynn and the IR folks, Bob and Michael, Andy and Mark....and so many others who listen and converse every day at Dell...and those who are learning to listen and converse and lose control (more about this control issue another time too).

Thats just a core team, a great team, in a large company. People, individuals, working to make a difference....even if we are not Apple or Nokia or LG (and some of the others Hugh mentions).

We are Dell. We are listening. We are part of many conversations. ...and we love that too

New Binhammer Photography - a photoset on Flickr

New Binhammer Photography - a photoset on Flickr

Was working on some photos in the "digital dark room" as part of the holiday break. I updated the previous uploads over at Flickr, and began a new set for the emerging Texas work.

At the same time, I reviewed an "old" artist statement from an exhibit at 70NW in Pennsylvania and thought it was appropriate as ever, so decided to share it and post here. Part of these posts taking a little turn for the holiday season.

Binhammer Photography Photo Statement, 2005
While it is common to base notions of photographic art on capturing that “decisive moment,” I prefer to think about the photograph as a means of creative expression. The image is put together in a manner that turns the everyday into something more. The things we take for granted have the potential to become a dream and a place in our mind to venture. A captured moment of reality becomes a place to explore, a path to realization, a place of quiet solitude, rather than a specific time and place in reality.

This series of twelve images, “The End of Summer,” is meant to provoke contemplation about the possibilities and opportunities of what is so often considered the “dormant” season. By shooting black & white and color infrared images I hope that the photographs beg questions about there being something more here than usually meets our eyes and assumptions. For example, the stream of light, the place might be a spot in our imagination, or they might make for something beautiful and unexplored or to be explored.

Hope you enjoy

Holidays and Reflections

Thinking it's the time of the year when we pause, breath and reflect. Yes, there is the rush rush rush....and then we hit the holidays and see family, friends and take a breath.

As a result, the posts over the next little while from me will take a little turn.

David Travis wrote this wonderful book on photography. Its called "At the Edge of the Light." He quotes the contemporary poet Gary Snyder about poetry...and perhaps it applies to photography...and perhaps it applies to much more.

The photo is one of mine and a personal favorite from the last show I had called "Destinations"

"It comes blundering over the
Boulders at night, it says
Frightened outside the
Range of my campfire
I go to meet it at the
Edge of the Light."

A Vision of Students Today...Really?

But it is not just about students, is it? Thanks to the folks that brought us the "web is us" and Deborah Shultz at http://www.deborahschultz.com/deblog/

Four Conversations, 24 hours. Back to Austin Reinvigorated in our being a listening company

Those Canucks, Me Among them

I have a had great time coming home to Canada and chatting with social media pros, getting to know online contacts in the real world and hearing about others who are thinking about what the journey in social media might or could mean for them.

Third Tuesday on the first Tuesday Toronto, as well as on a First Monday in Ottawa were amazing groups. I am still dumb founded by your atttention spans. So much for Web 2 folks having attention spans of a "nano second".

Dave Fleet has an overview post at his place here.....and he and Connie Crosbie had a significant and accurate twitter stream going from Third Tuesday in Toronto....to add to Joe Thornley's from Ottawa, which I blogged about earlier. Next time I get to ask more questions!!!

The Journey

I am very impressed with the Web 2 savvy-ness. I am equally and importantly greatful. Thank you to everyone in Ottawa and Toronto for the support you all showed for the journey Dell has embarked on. The warmth, encouragement and helpful pokes, pushes and prods makes the journey even more exciting, perhaps even pioneering.

As I indicated, we have found social media a wonderful way to listen and learn and we do it every day -- more and more. It is a journey. It is a journey down a long and sometimes uncertain road, which is a change. Traditionally, "big companies" are suppose to have all the answers, not be uncertain, or even trip -- and we do....trip that is, and lack all the answers.

It's why we started Ideastorm, its why we are trialing all kinds of exciting new ways to really build relationships, not just transactions.

Listening companies

Listening companies, I think, enter a continuous learning process....and like I said in a presentation, you stumble, everyone gets to laugh at you (thank you "gaping void" for that cartoon) and my response is, "get up, keep moving, try again...and GET OVER IT"

To err is human and humanizing big companies = occassional errors.

But listening is never an error.

A listening company is a significant and bold evolution of the original Dell direct model -- moving from direct model and mass customization and price differentials to connections and listening with customers that nurture and build relationships -- on the web, one at a time, and revolutionizing business and the web, just as happened in the web 1.0 e-commerce era. It is also a big differentiation too. A solid and good one.

And, so we continue on that journey, pushed and prodded and supported by leadership with a vision to make a difference.

But also with the affirmation and support from people like I met in the last few days. Its that community support and conversations that nurture the soul and keep one going sometimes. I said at the conference Web 2 is generous, even in a crises. You have been very generous....and no crises right now thanks very much :-)

So as I board a plane in Toronto (with a cold, and Dave Fleet so you Know, I will likely sleep :-) I just want to say THANK YOU!!!!

Thornley Tweets RichardatDELL in Ottawa

Joe Thornley, who is a wonderful host and leader in Canadian ......ummm, why limit Joe.......He is a leader in social media period.

Anyway, he did a pretty fair job of the discussion at second Tuesday (on a first Monday) in Ottawa. I completely enjoyed the free flow.Thanks to all for a fun discussion.

Thanks to Ian Ketcherson for a great job moderating.

You can catch Joe's feed of the comments here :-)

Third Tuesday, Come snow or snow or snow in Ottawa and Toronto

Thrilled to be back home for a visit to Canada. Had wonderful dinners with friends, old and new, saw some great art at the national gallery, including the re-positioning of art from native and european peoples, interwoven in a distinctly Canadian way. BEAUTIFUL!

Not to mention special and FRESH photography from Africa. Congratulations to the International Center for Photography in New York, an old and favorite haunt, for the exhibit and National Gallery of Canada, for picking it up. Thanks to my dear friend and artistic mentor Jennifer Dickson for the treat

Now its time to join folks in Ottawa tonight, Toronto tomorrow and Wednesday at the Canadian Institute Social Media Conference. The Third Tuesdays (on 1st Monday in Ottawa and 1st Tuesday in Toronto) should make for some exciting discussions about social media and business.

Im going to focus on "listening companies" and corporate reputations, as well as on listening, understanding and acting...like the posts referenced below.

These folks have had some pretty special and senior speakers in the field. I am very honoured (note that "u")to be their guest, share what I can but also listen and learn and understand from those attending.

Just to prove I still have some Canadian blood, pop on over to Flickr or see video below. Thanks to my host Joe Thornley

Bill Maher - Bye Jerry Falwell

In recognition of World AIDS Day, I post this food for thought