Jerry,

I don't understand this on the on hand you agree, on the other hand ...

So you want to build a whole town first and wait for people to move into the houses? Expensive. What if you can't attract people to move there? You'll get a ghost town but you still have to pay the house constructors.

Start with the town hall (the magazine) and show potential homeowners what services the town administration will deliver.

And I say it again, when you're done with the first issue of the magazine it would be no big deal to publish it on the website (html, PDF, and flipbook style)

Boris

Maybe Tia can explain this in more detail to the group.

Is RD going to collaborate with us through this platform? If so he definitely has to register here as soon as possible.

edited on 10/03/2009 by Boris Jaeger

Hi Boris.

Answering both of your posts.

The virtual reality community was a wild idea I woke up with one morning, recalling Tia's Second Life site of some time ago and then discovering a new product that is way more advanced than that. Whether Smart People becomes more than a magazine -- a suite of products and services provided by a community -- is moot. For example, I'm setting up a network of social networks which will be interlinked with a Smart People Forum in the Smart People Community. Right away we'll be offering Webinars, Talk Radio, maybe a blog -- all intended to help spread the reach of Smart People the magazine. And the magazine will be doing likewise -- spreading the reach of the other parts of the community.

Regardless of the debate, there is no doubt in my mind that the magazine is the catalyst, the springboard to the community. Tia and I have some disagreement on the 'org chart', but as long as all the elements are supporting each other it doesn't matter to me 'who's on first'. It's a collaborative community. Period.

Now, the reason I got to thinking about virtual reality is this: Regardless of all the talk about virtual communities, they are as intangible as Knowledge Management. Can't touch it, feel it, see it. So, why not dream of a virtual space where we come through the gate or door into a virtually real community. Drive over to the Virtual Convention Facility, park and head for the meeting room where an expert will be holding a workshop on Internet search techniques. It would be awesome, and we'd feel a lot more like the community is a place.

Well, yes, it's way out ... especially for us. But hey, isn't the magazine all about thinking differently? And shouldn't we demonstrate the meaning of that by demonstrating same?

Okay, I'm back down to actual reality. And, you and I are taking the first baby leaps!

And secondly, I admit it. I've been collaborating back channel. Actually, I've been collaborating at every opportunity and in every place I can. Sure, we want to share it all with our friends here at the Worksite, but I don't think the measure of value is whether it occurs here.

But that issue is resolving itself as we (you and I) collaborated yesterday and today -- back channel, by the way.

edited on 11/03/2009 by Jerry Ash

Our first review.

Michele and I have been sharing stuff with a close friend of ours in New Jersey who is our market model. So far she has pushed back on a lot of things, but when we sent her a PDF of the first several pages of the magazine (We're in layout stage), here's how the correspondence went:

Dain wrote:

I liked it. Thought it was interesting to read, the layout was very nice and reader friendly. I was surprised at seeing the movie review. I wasn't expecting that, but, again, it was interesting to read. Good, current information. All in all, I thought it was good.

I wrote:

I know you are frank, Dain, and so your accolades are heartening. What REALLY pleased me was that you were "surprised" by the movie review (Slumdog). That's exactly what I'm shooting for -- surprising people with stories they're actually interested in but that also deliver the theme message of the magazine -- that everyone is involved in some way in the 'knowledge game'. By infiltrating reader interest, our strategy is to capture their interest, inform them, teach them, inspire them, to give them an understanding of the power of knowledge available to them and help them become more successful than they ever dreamed of being.

At the same time (and I think it will be more difficult to accomplish) our aim is to capture the business community by raising their awareness of the real value of smart people and encourage them to change their corporate and work environments to accommodate a different view of employee worth in order to inspire innovation and, therefore, success for the company and its people beyond anything they ever dreamed of.

This is not a dream of my own. It is a strategy well known in the Knowledge Management field, but poorly (if at all) executed. As I say to my KM friends, I'm taking the knowledge factor (not management) mainstream.

Thanks for all your comments so far. Very helpful.

First Pages in PDF.

We have begun laying out the premiere edition of Smart People magazine and it has us very excited. I thought it might excite you too and so I've uploaded a PDF in the files section of this site. You will find several blank pages, but just click on until you find the ones that have been finished.

The page that has a bar down the side with the word 'Living' in it is the beginning of the first section. The other sections are 'Learning', 'Deciding' and 'Working'. I have appreciated all the suggestions for section titles and factored them into the final decisions. Hopefully these general four section titles will be appropriate for all the subject matter you have suggested. If not, we'll adjust in future issues.

While Michele is working on the PDF version, Boris is working on the html online version. A third version will be an online flip reader. Your feedback has prompted me to offer the magazine in all three formats because there is no concensus. Everyone has his or her own way of handling online publications. Again, your feedback has been very helpful.

We are now absolutely on track for an April launch except for a marketing strategy to coincide with it. I'm working toward that end and hoping we will be off and running in that department next week.

I'm getting very short of breath, and so something BIG must be happening. People, I honestly believe we are on the cusp of something very important here! Congratulations!


• First Pages in PDF.

edited on 15/03/2009 by Boris Jaeger

Great, I like it! Thanks to Michele. - Boris

The first pages look great. Enjoyed reading through the articles. Nice design. I liked the way sections such as "Living" look on the page. Will every section like this have its own color to distinguish it?

With the first issue scheduled for Apri 15th, this is less than 3 weeks away! Looking forward to see an updated draft of the first issue and the full list of articles and topics.

edited on 27/03/2009 by Avigdor Sharon

Thanks Avigdor. With your publishing background, that is meaningful praise. I'll pass it along to Michele.

Yes, each section has its own color scheme. You and Michele think alike or you would not have guessed!

We are on track for an April 15 premiere. Meanwhile, I'll be glad to send an advance PDF to anyone in this work group who requests it. Otherwise, look for my announcement mid-month.

When it's available online, you will be able to choose between three formats: online flip reader, html online and pdf online or download.

Our only failure (and it's a biggie) is that we have not yet secured a marketing professional who will work on contingency. And so, we will have to depend on our supporters to help us with viral marketing. That means aggressively sharing the first issue with colleagues and friends. And it means joining our volunteers who are setting up as co-hosts on several social networks including Facebook, MySpace, Linkedin, Twitter, Xing and Ning. A few co-hosts are alone so far, and need partners. And, there are at least 15 major networks we could expand to.

We are keenly aware that the very best product won't make it without aggressive marketing. Smart People needs a buzz and it needs it to be loud around launch. Please do more than intend to help. Make a plan.

Jerry

P.S. If you need a role model, think of Boris Jaeger. His contribution to this project is unparalleled!

edited on 28/03/2009 by Jerry Ash

I see no activity on the Facebook group yet. The LinkedIn group is much more active. Overall, groups on Facebook are an almost hidden feature. Unlike personal profiles and content feeds from colleagues, the link to the groups is on the bottom bar and is less apparent than other areas on Facebook. Therefore these groups need constant nurturing and are harder to promote than the groups on LinkedIn or Ning. However, due to the large number of persons on Facebook, this is worth the effort.

I am visiting Facebook and Ning nearly every day. Facebook and Tweeter are important communication channels. I created the new AOK Future Center and the new website of the Israel Knowledge Managers Forum on Ning and therefore go there every day.

I propose my assistance in administering and co-hosting the groups on Facebook and Ning. Also, I think we should all use the badges offered by the Ning group (see http://smartpeopleforum.ning.com/main/embeddable/list) and place it all on our personal websites.