“Tara defines Whuffie as: the store of social capital that is the currency of the digital world. In short, it’s the secret sauce of Web 2.0 companies who have learned to cultivate and work with their communities to create a successful online business.”

“Why ad budgets are better spent on Facebook apps then Facebook itself”

“Virtual Earth, Twitter and Flickr all based on Disney Parks in Orlando.”

Walter loves GTA IV.

“…a great interview posted with the head of Nike+, Michael Tchao. Nike continues to set the bar with their use of branded utilities and social media to support their customers.”

“A young kid growing up in an oppressive family situation suddenly learns that he is one of a special class of children with special abilities, who are to be educated in a remote training facility where student life is dominated by an intense game played by teams flying in midair, at which this kid turns out to be exceptionally talented and a natural leader. He trains other kids in unauthorized extra sessions, which enrages his enemies, who attack him with the intention of killing him; but he is protected by his loyal, brilliant friends and gains strength from the love of some of his family members. He is given special guidance by an older man of legendary accomplishments who previously kept the enemy at bay. He goes on to become the crucial figure in a struggle against an unseen enemy who threatens the whole world.”

“Americans value free time over money.”

When it comes to brands doing digital marketing, I’m a big fan of trying to incorporate your online presence into the audience’s life on an ongoing basis instead of trying to get a bunch of their attention for a brief moment before they move on forever. MSN definitely took the latter approach when creating the [...]

“There’s glory, money and fame to be made in California but the problem is that only a tiny percentage of web apps will ever find it.”

“…this woman is behind a fierce assault on the music industry and its tactics for combating music piracy on the Internet.”

When we first started out, one of the only examples out there of a genuinely useful website that was built with exclusive advertiser sponsorship as its driving force was Change Everything built by the folks at Social Signal. I wish I could say a lot has changed, but there aren’t exactly a plethora of sites [...]

“One of the most jarring and frustrating differences I’ve seen between the web and gaming worlds is the dominance of middle-men: publishers and platforms trying to control the distribution of games. In the web industry, there’s nobody controlling distribution and I don’t need anyone’s authorization to launch a new project. But the gaming industry is dominated by gatekeepers.”

“In a major step forward on ‘The Hobbit,’ Guillermo del Toro has signed on to direct the New Line-MGM tentpole and its sequel.”

“FLW Fantasy Fishing has gained a quick following in the cluttered world of online fantasy sports by offering $1 million to anyone who can put together the best team of professional anglers in coming months.” [thx Dave]

Excellent Lego ads. They look to me like something an agency might do for a vodka brand.

We’ve discussed the evolution from banner ads to branded widgets to full blown branded web applications. Many marketers are starting to understand the value of delivering useful “content” to their audiences as a means of engaging them. However, it’s worth spending a moment to examine the word “content” and how it’s used. It’s critical that [...]

“Jason Allemann unveils a working brick-built mousetrap that actually caught two mice.”

Lego minifigs unpacking an iPhone.

It didn’t take long after advent of the internet for marketers to look at it as a medium for advertising. And as most creators do when they see a new medium, they create for that new medium using the techniques and approaches that have served them well in more established mediums. In our specific example [...]

“We had tried to sell it for $60,000. Thank God, no one bought it.”

“Murakami Tells io9 About His Secret Love For J.J. Abrams”

Since January we’ve been working hard on our third Jackson Fish experience. Today, on Earth Day, we’re proud to release Carbon Grove™.

Carbon Grove lets you sign up for reminders for small things you can do to reduce your carbon footprint. Every time you respond to your reminders you can watch your own virtual tree (choose [...]

In case you missed it, we’re having our first Secret Society meeting tomorrow night — Tuesday, April 22, 2008, 6:30pm. The details are here. You may want to consider an alternative to driving alone in your car for a couple of reasons:

It’s Earth Day.
The Mariners are playing. Parking will be scarce and pricey. [...]

“Steve Jobs hired him, says Bird, because after three successes (Toy Story, A Bug’s Life, and Toy Story 2) he was worried Pixar might struggle to stay innovative. Jobs told him: ‘The only thing we’re afraid of is complacency—feeling like we have it all figured out.’”

I have no idea what you do here, but it’s worth the long load time just to look at it.

(Click on the thumbnail on the bottom row, second from the left.)

It’s just my opinion but I think Seattle (our home) is where modern architects come to do their worst work. Philadelphia looks like they’re having better luck.

…come see our presentation on next generation consumer software.
By no means do we claim to be experts, but hopefully from our first two apps (They’re Beautiful! and Invitastic) as well as our blog you can tell that we definitely have opinions on how to create a web experience. I get to share our philosophy tonight [...]

“Batman is a detective, a scientist, a master of disguise, and a martial arts expert; Superman is a burly asshole in a red cape with big muscles.”

“Barry Diller is wrecking parties. I may never be invited anywhere ever again, but I must speak out against Evite, his company, for stamping a hideous brand on hospitality.” [thx Chas]