I have to run around the city and try to save the world! I love the imagination and i want to have a coffee with the minds that thought this up. Its simple but so outside. I want to run around Montreal and New York and Bangkok.

via Brady Forrest and the O’Reilly Radar

You can try out a demo of the game on any website, “The Last Guy  promotional site.”

So from my last post on Michael Wesch’s video An anthropological introduction to YouTube that i ended with the question “Where is it all pushing our culture? Maybe its enough, if it just gets us dancing in front of our webcams:)” Jodi commented and posted this link, dancing to one of my songs Hey Kids (that features my friend Tegan, of Tegan and Sara)

Thanks for reminding me why i love making music:)

This come via Bob Lefsetz blog on music and Mitch (Joel) also mentions it in his post Youtube is Culture. Michael Wesch talks about the real impact of Youtube on our society at the Library of Congress. Its long but there is a lot to take away.

Its important to remember we are just at the beginning. The real impact of all the things we are doing online and the radical changes in the ways we communicate, exchange information and build communities won’t really be understood until we have a little time and space to look back and see where we are. Facebook has only been around for a few years. They just hit 100 million users. Think about that, 100 million people!

The question is: Where is it all pushing our culture? Maybe its enough, if it just gets us dancing in front of our webcams:)

I know I’m late to this, but sometimes in a world of so many sites and posts and feeds things have to come at you from a number of directions before you actually check them out. My wife Sabrina told me her theatre company Bluemouthinc were talking about Kiva (after i told her about the Akoha pre-launch Im playing). Then Chris Brogan mentioned it in his blog today. What a great way to use social media for positive things. Directly connecting people.

As they describe it:

“Kiva’s mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs in the developing world.”

Empowering individuals, love it, I’m in…

Bloggings great but there is nothing like face to face. Im taking part in a number of conferences, the topic, you guessed it…Social Media

Aug. 28th, Akoha.org- launch party, I’m going to play a few acoustic songs to help pre-launch Austin Hill’s new startup. A “Private Screening of Akoha for our play testers”. Ive seen it, I love great ideas!

Sept. 20th, Podcamp Montreal- one on one conversation with my good friend Mitch Joel, his company TwistImage is also one of the sponsors of the event.

Oct 29th, Inforpresse Keynote- also in Montreal, promises to be a crazy time, ill be right in the middle of the fall tour.

April 27th, Canadian Marketing Association Keynote- I’m back on stage with Mitch. We’re taking our act on the road:)

What is possible? We are just at the beginning of seeing how social media can join people together to make positive change in the world. Take a look at my friend Allan Isfan’s project:

Dont forget to vote!

What ’social’ social media initiatives have you been inspired by lately?

Cuil is the new search engine with the crap name. (Pronounced Cool, yes that’s terrible)

1. Test your product before launch. You need the bloggers and first adopters on board so its a good idea if they actually appear when they search for themselves. If Chris Brogan searches for Chris Brogan and he doesn’t show up, well that’s just bad isn’t it. You only get one shot at it so you better impress.

2. Do anything and everything to avoid being seen as going up directly against an established player. Even if you have lots of ex Google folks involved don’t position yourself as an alternative to Google. We all like Google’s search engine, its simple and it works and we are comfortable with it. Instead, find a niche and fill a void that will draw me in. Get me to start using you for some special reason and then show me all the ways you are better than Google. Be a Trojan Horse.

3. Find a good name. Its important. If people don’t want to say it, or don’t understand the cryptic spelling they are less likely to talk about it and try it.