Christine

Mission Research Raises Series B Financing

Though I don't normally pass on 'press release' type news, I'm making an exception today. As a common shareholder and advisor to Mission Research, I'm thrilled to disclose that the company has closed on its Series B financing, led by TBL Capital. Mission Research launched as a vendor of customer relationship management software for nonprofits (GiftWorks), and is now entering the small business market with SalesWorks. Congratulations to Charlie Crystle and team!

Top Ten Mashups for Social Change (Vote Now for Your Favorites!)

Mashups for social change? Apparently, you're not the only one that thinks this is a good idea. Last week, 122 project ideas were submitted to the annual NetSquared Mashup Challenge. This week, you (yes, you) get to choose which of these projects will get support.

Dr. Carlos Brown Provides Raw View Into Iraq War

Former US Navy Commander (and trauma surgeon) Dr. Carlos Brown was deployed to Ramadi, Iraq in 2006, and at the urging of his tech-savvy brother, chronicled his experience on a video blog, Trapper Los MD. It provides a close, raw view behind the scenes of a MASH unit in the war. As a comparison, the typical trauma center input in the US is 15 patients over 24 hours, but in Iraq you may get 50 patients in 15 minutes.

Jane McGonigal on Why Gamers Are Happier Than You

There's a backlash against people spending all of their time on the Internet. But are they happier? Jane McGonigal of Institute for the Future spoke on happiness, alternate reality gaming, and gaming as a new langage at SXSW 2008. (And oh yes, she wrapped up by doing the Soldier Boy!)

Midnight Ride in the Great White Snake at SXSW

Our EFF/Plutopia party posse came across a gorgeous piece of Burning Man-type movable art tonight at SXSW 2008: a giant and sinuously elegant snake cycle. The core multi-cycle structure appears to be constructed of welded bike parts, beach tires, and PVC. Strips of white, corrugated plastic; 2-liter bottles spray-painted white; and riveted tin plates make up the snake body around it, with stitched nylon over the head form. Take a closer look, and get the inside view of Brad Templeton and I pedaling furiously away inside:

I googled a bit, but wasn't able to discover the story and makers behind this project. If someone knows the details, please comment!

Quick Picks on How to Market via Social Media

Stopping in to an overcapacity panel on 'Marketing Without Marketing' at SXSW 2008, I picked up a few great sound bites on how to reach out to customers 'without being skeevy':

Andreas Weigend and Ming Yeow Ng Design Interaction, Reputation, and Identity

I'm behind on posting from yesterday's SXSW sessions, so there will be a series of speed posts today. Here's the first: what are the smart ways being used now to design interactions? Andreas Weigend and Ming Yeow Ng explored the science of designing interaction at SXSW 2008:

Mark Zuckerberg Opens Up at SXSW, and Crowd Turns on Sarah Lacy

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg gave a surprisingly interesting keynote interview today at SXSW 2008. (Photo by skidder.) Not only because interviewer Sarah Lacy drew Zuckerberg out from his normally quiet shell, but also because it caused the SXSW crowd to turn on Lacy for too much pedantry.

A quick tangent on the hubbub: The audience grew frustrated with Lacy's decision to storytell rather than to interview. The audience members that I spoke to also wanted her to dig into new, interesting topics that hadn't already been beaten to death in the mainstream and tech press. e.g., tell us more about how Facebook is supporting the guerrilla government revolt in Columbia?  The best snippet may be that Lacy told Zuckerberg that if he wanted to know the real story behind his company, he needed to read her upcoming book of Silicon Valley startup lore. No doubt, the strange interactions will be called out in depth on the gossip sites, and there's a good deal of commentary on twitter.

This being said, let's get back to the details of the Zuckerberg interview. Lacy's drawing-out of Zuckerberg is what made the SXSW crowd warm up to him. Here's the gist of the discussion: