by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director of Atomic Tango LLC The belief that Twitter is more than just another communications platform continues to spread, kind of like swine flu for media geeks. And like the flu, it’s plunging victims into feverish hallucinations: “Twitter saved the Iranian protestors!” they cry, neglecting the fact that [...]
by Freddy J. Nager, Twitter Scout and Founder of Atomic Tango LLC Critical times like these spawn critical questions: How do we provide healthcare to 300 million people? Can conflicts over culture and religion ever be resolved? If wind blows into one of Sarah Palin’s ears will it come out the other? But the question [...]
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Talk about truth in advertising: this really is a dream job. Murphy-Goode Winery in Sonoma County, California, is offering one lucky applicant a six-month gig to be their “social media whiz.” The job involves blogging/posting/tweeting/videotaping the winery, its products, the lifestyle and the surrounding [...]
Tags:branding·buzz marketing·careers·contests·jobs·Murphy-Goode·social media·viral marketing·Web 2.0·wine
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC L.A. contains miles of velvet ropes that pack more protective power than the Great Wall of China. They’re fronted by large scowling men armed with high-caliber clipboards. And they’re assaulted nightly by swarms of wannabes, who are then repelled by blatant acts of discrimination [...]
Tags:business·Facebook·NIN·social networks·Spam·Super Chirp·Trent Reznor·Twitter·Web 2.0
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder of Atomic Tango & Entrepreneurial Advisor Too many entrepreneurs treat their start-ups like Hollywood relationships: the affair begins with a lot of passion, is great for headlines, and might even lead to deals, but as soon as things get a little rocky — or something better comes along — the [...]
Tags:business·business plan·Deadpool·dotcoms·entrepreneurs·entrepreneurship·exit strategy·Google·Inc·IPO·Jack Stack·Silicon Valley·SRC Holdings·start ups·TechCrunch·Twitter·Wall Street·Web 2.0·YouTube
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Over my fifteen years of working in website development, I’ve encountered some bizarre and fascinating characters rivaled only by the people who gravitate to show business. Here are just a few I’ve met — perhaps you recognize some of them?…
Tags:dotcoms·Flash·satire·Silicon Valley·spoof·Twitter·Web 2.0·web design·web development
Former Senator Ted Stevens was roundly mocked for his comment that the Internet was a “series of tubes.” Now, I can think of a hundred reasons to ridicule venal old Ted, but his analogy wasn’t that off the mark. Yes, it was technically wrong, but many Web 2.0 companies share the same purpose as public [...]
Tags:business·Facebook·Mark Zuckerberg·marketing·Napa Valley·Silicon Valley·Ted Stevens·utilities·Web 2.0
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC Just over a year ago, Wired magazine proudly proclaimed that the future would be free, an argument based partially on ad-supported free sites like NYTimes.com. Of course, it was hard to take this manifesto seriously since Wired still charges for their magazine (cover price [...]
Tags:advertising·business·free·Google·Imeem·LinkedIn·marketing·micropayments·New York Times·revenue models·SpiralFrog·Splashcast·subscriptions·TechCrunch·Web 2.0·Wired·YouTube
A long time ago, in an Internets far far away, the people were promised a galaxy free of corporate-empire dominance, where the little guy would have a fair and equal shot at being heard, where small businesses could claim riches once envisioned only by multinationals, and where unsung individuals would finally be sung. The playing [...]
Tags:AOL·dotcoms·Facebook·Kevin Nalts·LinkedIn·Reddit·social media·Twitter·Web 2.0·YouTube
by Freddy J. Nager, Founder & Fusion Director, Atomic Tango LLC When I was a kid, the object of all crayon lust was the Crayola 64 box with the built-in sharpener, because a dull crayon was almost as bad as soggy Cocoa Pebbles. And yet, that Crayola 64 contained some bizarre colors like Maize, Burnt [...]
Tags:blogging·Crayola·Facebook·Fail Whale·marketing·network effect·podcasts·Second Life·social networking·social networks·TechCrunch·Twitter·virtual worlds·Web 2.0·Yammer
"Common sense is the little man in a gray suit who never makes a mistake at addition, but it's always someone else's money he's adding up."
- Raymond Chandler
Let's hear it for uncommon sense: that inner itch that inspires you to stray from the herd, ditch the training wheels and leap into the fast lane. As we all know, it's the risk takers who get their faces on the cover of Wired magazine and their words on National Public Radio. No one ever remembers who won "honorable mention"...
Cool Rules Pronto celebrates uncommon sense in marketing and media. It's written by Freddy J. Nager, the Founder & Fusion Director of the L.A.-based creative strategy agency Atomic Tango, and marketing instructor at UCLA Extension, the University of Wales, and Antioch University L.A.
