A great turnout for Destra and Brad Howarth at The Domain

Brad Howarth and Domenic Carosa (CEO of Destra) drew quite a crowd at The Domain networking event in Melbourne, held at Digital Harbour in the Docklands. Attendees received a music CD from Destra and a copy of Australian Anthill magazine (Subscribe to Anthill for the secret bargain price here – thanks Rich).

Brad “Best Technology Industry Journalist” Howarth wrote an article in The Age which is firing up the local blogosphere. It’s web take 2.0 is creating a lot of discussion around whether Australian big business gets Web 2.0 (Brad’s full Aussie 2.0 list is here). One of my favourite quotes is from Mick Liubinskas at Tangler “So they keep chasing the users wherever they go, and the users are running away because they are sick of the corporates yelling at them”. As a Gen Y in the workforce, communication is clearly aimed at older generations. I’ve grown up as a consumer hearing the noise that is the corporate monologue, the same-again tv advertising, empty promises and not-so-hidden-agendas. This not only changes my behaviour as a consumer, it also changes what I want in communication in the workplace. I want two-way communication, input, rapid dissemination of news, subscriptions to news based on topic, a human voice, a giant repository of collective knowledge that can be searched… the list goes on. These technologies and techniques are native to me, part of how I get things done. I don’t fax, I don’t send letters and I hear blah blah blah when communication is inhuman and unnatural. Many older style companies are not connecting with their Gen X & Y employees, just as old media is not connecting with their Gen X & Y readers (if they have any). It’s a generation gap. (Rupert is one of the few who gets it)

The Global Geek Podcast recently asked Cameron Reilly “What motivates someone to walk away from the relative security of a six-figure-income corporate job to weather the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune that go with running a start-up?”. Cam posted If You Start Me Up… on Startup Stories,

Creating a startup is already enticing to Gen X & Y for the seemingly unlimited challenge and job satisfaction, but I increasingly wonder whether the human voice (Naked Conversations) is going to be a greater factor in job choice for the coming decades. Money is only useful in that it leads to greater freedom. If you have freedom already, what exactly is the money for?

In other news, Scouta has released Hicks (thanks, no one else was going to) and MODM #2 is on 7th June at Federation Square. Put it in your calendar, RSVP and subscribe to the MODM rss feed. All the cool kids will be there.

Calling for survey participants for blogging thesis

Hi there Danielle, welcome to the blogosphere. I heard (Frank sent me) you’re doing a thesis on blogging and looking for some people to complete the survey. As well as a blog, something else you’ll need is a public email address (I recommend Gmail) for people to contact you “offline”, as your Microsoft blog is locked down, and won’t let people without a Microsoft account create a comment, so I can’t respond to your post, except here (by the way Frank, that totally and utterly sucks, please get someone at Microsoft to fix it).

This is a flaw of any website or blogging platform, where open communication is not allowed, or technically prevented. Web 2.0 is about two-way communication, less boundaries, more conversation. If you really want people to talk to you, you’ll need to give them other tools to communicate with you, in addition to the blog you have now.

You can email me at scientaestubique AT gmail DOT com
I can pass your details on to quite a few people which fit your description, if required.

Anousheh Ansari – Inspiration for the Y Generation

Anousheh Ansari – First Blogger In Space
No posts, been too busy reading the SpaceBlog

I wanted to also use this trip to inspire and promote interest in space exploration and other sciences and technology for our youth, because I believe that’s very necessary for the future of our race.
– Anousheh Ansari