“Web 2.0″ certainly doesn’t work in that whole fake alliteration lingo from days gone by, but that’s OK. It fits GREAT with the new direction that education will most certainly take in your schools soon …€” if not already. Take a peek at what’s in store for your kids. Read this comprehensive (long and three part) article from Solution Watch. It covers the gamut … everything from “applications” to “wikis” … and covers all the right technologies and how these new tools will impact the learning process.

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A friend of mine sent me this link and described it as “amazing and disturbing”. Our team of designers can pull off equally miraculous things in Photoshop just like what you see in the video. They spend their day creating images that evoke very specific emotional connections … weaving fonts, colors and images together in beautiful ways. They do this to sway the consumer to buy our client’s products and services. Here’s an example of what 30-40 minutes can do for a local Landscape Designer…. It’s not really different than what happens in the world of beauty and cosmetics. A LOT of it is, indeed, illusion.

As practioners of this craft, we need to be sensitive to the ethical issue of whether we are simply swaying minds or are we permenantly altering the psychology and self esteem of the consumer. If it’s the latter, I’m not OK with that.

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I’m sure the ad team for Honda who conceptualized this ad didn’t expect it would take 3 months, $6 MILLION dollars and over 600 takes. In fact, I bet there were some individuals on the team that were questioning the sanity of the idea after 300 or 500 failed takes. Luckily, that didn’t sway those individuals who truly believed in sticking with the effort. It’s really no wonder why this is one of the most downloaded ad videos on the Internet. It’s remarkable.

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Free goodies including; computer wallpaper, buddy icons, poster art and e-cards. Free product downloads (bucking a generations long industry tradition). Online product sales. Organizing a cruise to meet the “team”. Blogging. Newsfeeds. Forum. HOT site design.

Who am I talking about? A computer giant? A techie software developer? A Manhattan marketing firm? NOPE! It’s the “Bare Naked Ladies“! Wake up RIAA … it’s GAME ON! As a consumer, I’m not going to connect with Universal or Sony/BMG or EMI or Warner. I WILL, however, connect with “the band”.

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Described as a “Coding Horror“, I’d have to agree that the old Windows “Hot Dog” theme was obnoxious, loud and in your face. What it had going for it, however, was it was different, fun, playful, fresh (for its time) and … oh yeah, DIFFERENT! Parked in front of a Mac AND a PC every day for almost 15 years gives one perspective. I change the screen savers and wallpaper on the Mac every couple of weeks. I don’t even bother on the PC because it’s that much more difficult and the selections are …. um …. errrr …. let’s just say that there’s a reason why it’s called Windoze.

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How our brains pick up powerful imagery on a subconcious level can be really amazing…. This article from HealthSciTech reviews results from a study analyzing the effects of subliminal erotic imagery on the subjects focus…. Amazing insight.

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If you’re an SEO guru or if you’re just contemplating a dive into the world of Search Engine Marketing, this fab resource will get you up on the lingo. Check out the SEOBook Glossary of Search Engine Marketing.

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