I’m proud of Gabba calling ourselves a social media agency. We’re not ashamed to admit we operate a range of services in and around the somewhat ambiguous “social space”, nor I suspect will people like Brian, Chris and Jeremiah. Sure, each has a different spin on what they do, but do they add any less value because of what they call themselves?

As a social media agency, we know we are smart, digital natives, we’re bloody good at what we do and get results (our client list suggests other people think so too), but does any of this come by isolating social media channels from other digital channels? No. Has it come from thinking that the ONLY way is through social channels? No. It comes from smart, joined-up, digital thinking.

Sure, the post makes the point that this stuff can be learned, but:

• If SEO can be learnt and taken in-house, why do SEO agencies exist?
• If Google say PPC is so easy to do, why do media companies sell the management of PPC campaigns?
• If a business has an in-house tech/dev team, why do digital agencies exist?
• If a business has a PR/Communications department, why do PR agencies exist?

There are dozens of examples in the digital space where tasks needing to be done properly have to be done by skilled people:

• Being able to write an email does not make me a copywriter.
• Sticking a few pertinent keywords into a web-page does not make us an SEO expert
• Does me having a Facebook profile mean I understand the intricacies of reputation, nay, crisis management?

You get the point…

But the reality is that there ARE subtleties in behaviour on social networks that warrant brands especially, to behave in different ways, all of which have an impact upon their public perception and reputation – now who would you rather have managing THAT? A specialist agency with a “nom du jour” who operates professionally in these channels day in day out, or a digital agency with a much more sensible name, established “raison d’etre” but who has little experience of managing reputation in social channels and who has perhaps employed a couple of bouncy young graduates to operate their client’s social media channels?

For god’s sake, don’t confuse personal use with professional. You’re on a hiding to nothing.

So, get off your high horses people, there is enough to go around for all of us, whatever we are called, whatever and however we do it. You don’t like it? Put up, shut up or change whilst the rest of us get on with it.

Interesting how this actually evolved into mini-laptops rather than what the ipad has become, but was it the ecosystem that let it down? Apps were nowhere to be seen when Origami was around in March 2006, instead, machines were literally that – Ultra Mobile PC’s – doing the same on your desktop/laptop . Wifi was far from being everywhere…and Vista promised a lot, but delivered somewhat less.

All credit to Apple, they have varnished the UMPC concept with their usual sexy gloss (my 32gb wifi is on order BTW!) but don’t be sucked into thinking that Apple were first to this. They weren’t.

But what have you shipped?

Yes, I know you’re a master of the web, that you’ve visited every website written in English, that you’ve been going to SXSW for ten years, that you were one of the first bloggers, you used Foursquare before it was cool and you can code in HTML in your sleep. Yes, I know that you sit in the back of the room tweeting clever ripostes when speakers are up front failing on a panel and that you had a LOLcat published before they stopped being funny. But what have you shipped?

What have you done with your connection skills that has been worthy of criticism, that moved the dial and that changed the world?

Go, do that.

If all the social media “fluff” has shown us one thing, one good turn deserves another, social media CAN be used for social good etc., etc., yet it is amazing how little respect it has taught many at conferences when individuals don’t have the respect to keep their negative opinions to themselves.

Seth’s point reminds me of the Blue Monster – change the world or go home. If not, keep your negativity to yourself.

Highlights today:

David Siegel, talking about the semantic web in a complexity, yet simoucuty that made it JUST MAKE SENSE. I hope we can get the slides from his talk because it really did make what is inevitably going to very quickly become mainstream (and therefore clouded by pseudo-intellectuals) appear a very simple way to add context to allow machines to understand what we do.

Mary Ann de Lares Norris presented G-speak to a stunned audience. G-speak to the now initiated is the cool technology that made Tom Cruise look cool in Minority Report.

The best thing about this technology is that it was actually based on something that existed at the time the film was being produced (how many years ago was THAT?). Mary Ann reckons this kind of tech will be in our homes within 5 years – much less if I have my way!

Jer Thorpe is one of the editors of wired uk magazine and the chap responsible for Inforporn (stunning visualisations of data a la Jonathan Harris). The video below, gives you some idea, but DO have a look at Jer’s blog and flickr account for more goodies!

Tom Scott, Geek Comedian told a fab story about a Chat-Roulette-style flash-mob debacle. A taster of some of Tom’s mad stuff can be found here:

One of the highlights of the day was Ralf Herbrich of Microsoft’s Fuselabs who presented a really exciting learning engine for Twitter (image nicked from Clayton).

Pick a lens (Twitter stream of mainstream topics life sport, technology for example) and teach the system with a few clicks what tweets you like or dislike. In short, the system then learns this and ensures it only presents you with tweets of a similar nature. I’m pretty sure i;m not doing it justice, but I hope there is more of this kind of stuff to come out of MS as this ALWAYS helps to build a reputation of innovation which then filters down into other products. Steve does it slightly better justice than I could!

All-in-all, yet again, Thinking Digital delivered some amazing stuff and even though Gabba played only a miniscule part in it, just being here was reward enough.

Wow, what a day, it’s 1.40am and the energy that has persisted throughout the day has almost dissipated. Still, if I was Rory Sutherland, I’d probably still be wide awake and regaling audiences with some painfully witty insights into the human condition!

What a day, and one which I wish you could all experience. Thinking Digital does, unlike many conferences, gets you thinking about this wonderful new digital world in which we live.

This isn’t your conventional crap about new age of consumer control and social networks, this is about a hugely diverse group of people who are helping shape our world with incredible vision, observations and above all, imagination. If you didn’t make it this year, I compel you to get your tickets next week (or within the next few days anyway).

In short, today we had:

Rory Sutherland talking about behavioural economics – not your wooly, enthusiastic amateur-sociologist Rory. He’s one of the most entertaining, compelling and credible people I have ever heard speak.

The hugely entertaining, Luis von Ahn, the guy who invented the captcha image, telling the story about how each time you type captcha text you are really, actually, helping to digitise a book.

Brian Solis who talked about contextual networks and relationships (really fascinating stuff when you consider personalisation of the web experience thanks to what Facebook is doing/did with our privacy settings these last 2 weeks.)

Quite the most spectacular display or Origami I PROMISE you will ever have seen from Robert Lang. He explained how, post-NASA, he decided to apply proper maths to Origami to enable him to create some spectacular works of art.

Julian Treasure from The Sound Agency, who work to help businesses understand the impact of noise on their sales, productivity, happiness etc. From a somewhat “what on earth is this guys going to talk about”, Julian turned his talk into a really compelling and exciting (and involved) journey into how sounds affects out mental state. I now feel guilty typing this as I listen to Spotify…

We also hosted a small lunch session with Brian which, from the feedback we’ve had so far was really well received.

(there was actually some other really good speakers today, but a Clayton and Solis-induced hangover prevented me from lifting my head off the pillow before 9am…and I do have a 2-week old son so I think I have a pretty decent excuse…) Check out Wadds’ blog for a much more detailed view of things.

Herb, you and the gang have pulled it off again. Thought-provoking, interesting and utterly enjoyable.

See you all tomorrow…

Enjoy.

This year, we are all very fortunate (and I do mean fortunate, given his schedule!) to have Brian Solis speak. What’s just as exciting however is that Gabba are getting involved to bring you an exclusive lunch with Brian taking place on Wednesday 26th May at 1pm.

There are only 30 places available and you can win one of TWO through this blog.

Here’s the event from the Codeworks email:

Social Media Café with Brian Solis: this lunch is being sponsored by an old friend to Thinking Digital, Paul Fabretti & his new social media advisory firm, Gabba. Brian Solis will be leading the lunch to talk about some of the insights to his brand new book, Engage. If you’ve not heard of Brian, he is a Silicon Valley legend in social media, brand development and marketing. His A-list clients range from blue chips like Microsoft to Hollywood stars like Ashton Kutcher, whose also written the foreword to his new book.

Food aside, as the description says, Brian will be giving some insights from his new book Engage and yours truly will be hoping to get the chance to ask Brian some questions…which is where you come in.

Places are STRICTLY limited to 30 but I have 2 tickets secured for the lunch which you can win through this blog and this blog alone.

So, what do you need to do?

Simply leave a question in the comments section below for Brian and RT the post using #TDlunch

I’ll be selecting 2 WINNERS, one from the comments section below and one from all the retweets.

(I don’t want you not to take part just because you don’t want to ask him a question!)

I’ll be selecting both winners AT RANDOM at 6pm on Monday evening and posting the winners back on the blog within minutes. I’ll drop you a line shortly afterwards by however you have entered.

In the meantime, the comment box is below and the hashtag is #TDlunch

Enjoy and see all of you on Tuesday!

There’s some really interesting stuff in here and proof (if ever it was really needed), that to consider social media/networking as a single communication channel is probably the worst thing you could do!

UK Online Audience Landscape

This time around anyway…Fortunately, Brian has agreed to attend TD2010 and speak, but all our efforts have not been for nought…there will be more…so come back for more on the announcement soon and be quick on the button.

Nuff said.