The Social Network (the film, the myth, the legend)

Can't wait to see The Social Network when it opens the weekend of October 1st (though it premieres Friday night at the NYC Film Festival).

Is it about social media? Sort of, I suppose, in its look at the early days of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg. But more than that, it's drama, it's 'a modern day Rashomon' (see below), it's fantasy, it's Zuckerberg. I'd also like to know who Columbia Pictures is using for all the social media promo efforts, like its Tumblr blog, its Twitter page, and (duh) its Facebook page.

The film has heavy H'wood hitters behind it - written by Aaron Sorkin, directed by Fight Club's David Fincher and adapted from Ben Mezrich's 2009 book "The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal."

Rolling Stone movie critic Peter Travers wrote:
"This is the first film I've seen so far in 2010 that deserves my highest rating, 4 stars. It's better than the movie of the year. The Social Network also defines the decade. How so? Director David Fincher, working brilliantly from a dazzlingly complex script by Aaron Sorkin, uses the rise and rise of Facebook to examine a generation that can't communicate despite its obsession with social networking. The performances are award caliber, led by Jesse Eisenberg as Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who conceived the idea as a Harvard student. The squabbling between Zuckerberg and his friends who want a piece of the site, including Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield is outstanding) and Napster co-founder Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake, an acting revelation), makes for a fierce and funny powerhouse, a modern Rashomon that will pin you to your seat."

Here's the trailer:

The Colors of Web Brands (Mashable)

Isn't this cool? A look at the most oft-used colors around the web by companys, organizations and more. Blue Wins!

Mashable writes at "The Colors of the Web's Superbrands":
"As it turns out, web brands love color. Only a few of them are predominantly grey or black and white. The most popular color is blue (nearly all big social networks use it), followed by a variety of reds and oranges. Also, many of the web’s top brands, such as Google and MSN, have a multicolored logo.

COLOURlovers used data from Alexa, Compete and Nielsen to compile the list of the top 100 brands on the web, and while one can always question their methodology, the infographic definitely paints an interesting picture concerning color usage by some of the most popular brands on the web."

Google Instant - Your Search NOW

Google Instant launched today on browsers everywhere!



PC World's Google Instant Searches the Web As You Type pretty much captures the experience:
"When typing a search query with Google Instant, results appear after the first letter is entered, and they update as the user types. Marissa Mayer, Google's vice president of search and user experience, said results are actually delivered "before you type," because Google Instant predicts and automatically completes search terms. According to Google, a typical searcher spends nine seconds entering a query, and 15 seconds searching for answers. Google hopes to shave two to five seconds per search using Google Instant."

Google Instant is all about shortening your search time and being more relevant in the process. For many of us, those extra seconds will definitely come in handy!

Google writes at its blog: "We are pushing the limits of our technology and infrastructure to help you get better search results, faster. Our key technical insight was that people type slowly, but read quickly, typically taking 300 milliseconds between keystrokes, but only 30 milliseconds (a tenth of the time!) to glance at another part of the page. This means that you can scan a results page while you type."

Here's a clip below that explains what Google Instant can do for your searches online:


Click here to read LOTS more about Google Instant.

Revisiting SMAZ 09 - Jay Baer's Developing a Social Media Strategy in 7 Steps

The presentation below "Developing a Social Media Strategy in 7 Steps" was given by smart social media consultant (and new Indiana resident) Jay Baer at last year's Social Media AZ conference. It's worth revisiting, as Social Media AZ 2010 is being held tomorrow in Tempe, AZ and there will certainly be much new insights to gain and take away for ourselves, our clients and our livelihoods.

Developing a Social Media Strategy in 7 Steps

View more presentations from Jay Baer.

Jay's blog is always full of good stuff - for instance, read his post today on lessons learned from MySpace's demise.

See you at the conference tomorrow!