“Exploring the intersection of technology, strategy, investment and social innovation…”

New Media

Business Strategy

How You Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm?

August 3, 2010

“How You Gonna Keep ‘Em Down On The Farm” (excerpt) by Andrew Bird

Oh, how ya gonna keep ‘em down? Oh no, oh no Oh, how ya gonna keep ‘em down? How ya gonna keep ‘em away from Broadway? Jazzin’ around and painting the town? How ya gonna keep ‘em away from harm? That’s the mystery

______________________

This week, my 18 month old Blackberry finally bit the …

Read the full article →
Economics

Meeting Productivity: Central Planning Versus the Market

March 21, 2009

The 20th Century was defined by an ill-fated search for a better world, inspired by late 19th Century, Victorian thinking. The irony, then, is that the 20th Century turned out to be probably the most destructive in human history, based on often misguided applications of powerful new technologies.

If you define a utopian society as one where governments plan to have …

Read the full article →
Business Strategy

Fail To Understand the Net Generation at Your Peril

March 6, 2009

The Net Generation (born 1977 to 1997), also known as Generation Y or the Millennials, is an ill understood lot. Don Tapscott, noted thought leader on digital technologies, is a real cheerleader for them in his recent book Grown Up Digital.

However, while some of his examples may represent the bleeding edge thought leaders of this generation, almost everything he says …

Read the full article →
New Media

Choices, Choices – Sorting Out Social Media

January 17, 2009

“Editor: a person employed by a newspaper, whose business it is to separate the wheat from the chaff, and to see that the chaff is printed.” – Elbert Hubbard

Being an inveterate early adopter, and loving the fusion of new research and web reach coming from the innovation in social media (see Science Fairs, Social Media & Fads – …

Read the full article →
Arts

Prosperity Council of Waterloo Region: Task Force on Creative Enterprise

September 24, 2008

Earlier today, a much heralded conference took on the heady task of defining the future cultural landscape of the Waterloo area. Called “Creative Dimensions in Prosperity”, it was a major milestone for the Prosperity Council of Waterloo Region which is an initiative of Communitech, Canada’s Technology Triangle and the Chambers of Kitchener/Waterloo and Cambridge.

Over the last few decades, the Waterloo …

Read the full article →
Arts

Kitchener Gets Unhinged – Not Just Another Waterloo Conspiracy

September 8, 2008

Back in May, we provided a sneak preview of Waterloo Region’s newest performing arts organization, Flush Ink Performing Arts in  Gotham in Kitchener: Waterloo Area Arts Truly Striving for World Stature. In just over a week, Flush Ink will take the wraps off their true piece de resistance by launching Unhinged - Kitchener’s Festival of Site-Specific Theatre, September 18-27, 2008. As a founding Board member, …

Read the full article →
New Media

Digital Policy #1: Why Bill C-61 Is a Bad Idea for Canada’s Digital Economy

September 3, 2008

As we approach a Canadian Federal Election, the long simmering issue of proposed Bill C-61 copyright “reform” (often known as Canada’s even more onerous Digital Millenium Copyright Act, patterned after its US counterpart) has surfaced as a potentially big election issue, at least among those who participate in our digital economy. This is the first in a series of posts …

Read the full article →