It’s been a while everyone, but I wanted to talk about why it’s been a while. Hopefully you’ll be able to gain something from this little insight.

I’ve been overextending myself.

Isn’t that always fun? Workaholics always like taking on more and more projects until they hit a point where they realize it’s dropping their productivity in the tank.

So I have taken a brief reprieve and organized my work into tasks. If you don’t know, I have two jobs: My primary job as the Interactive Content Manager for Spine-Health.com and my second job as a writer for Mashable.com. In addition, I’m working on two business ideas (TechThrill and another unnamed project), this blog, a novel, the GMAT (Business school exam), and…

Well, you get the idea at this point.

I’ve decided to put things to the side and blaze through different projects one-by-one and get thme done before I add anymore or progress on anymore. I will still be writing for Mashable, working to grow and improve Spine-Health, and occassionally writing practical and entrepreneurial posts on this blog, but I will be putting TechThrill, the GMAT, and my other business project on the backburner until I’ve got the novel done. It is a chapter or two away, but I need to tie it together.

Expect me to vanish for a week to finish writing it. Should be an interesting way to spend my vacation time. I’ll be sure to inform you all when I finish. The next post I write will be a summary about my fiction novel. I’d love to tell you all about Tarell Larant and the war-torn world of Desel.

In keeping with the spirit of my blog, though, here’s a few things you can do to make sure you keep your focus and productivity at their peaks:

• Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! Setting up lists can seem like a chore or a time waster, but you must think in the long term. Knowing which tasks are most important in projects and in life overall will make your work flow easier.
• Finish. My dad has a saying: Do what you say. If you commit to finishing a project, finish it before going on to the next task. 10 projects 10% done mean nothing compared to one project 100% done.
• Stop multitasking when you need to focus. I have spoken about multitasking in a previous post, but it’s worth reiterating - you get more done with focus. Turn off your email, remove all distractions, and work diligently through task after task. By getting distracting you lose your train of thought and focus at what you’re trying to do
• Know your limits and set expectations by those. You can accept every project thrown at you, but if you know you can’t put your heart into each and every one, you’re doing your team, clients, and friends a disservice. We only have 24 hours in a day, and remember: you need to sleep, have a social life (yeah, seriously), and relax sometimes.
• Do what you love. You’re simply going to focus better when you’re doing something you’re passionate about.

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It’s been a while everyone, but I wanted to talk about why it’s been a while. Hopefully you’ll be able to gain something from this little insight.

I’ve been overextending myself.

Isn’t that always fun? Workaholics always like taking on more and more projects until they hit a point where they realize it’s dropping their productivity in the tank.

So I have taken a brief reprieve and organized my work into tasks. If you don’t know, I have two jobs: My primary job as the Interactive Content Manager for Spine-Health.com and my second job as a writer for Mashable.com. In addition, I’m working on two business ideas (TechThrill and another unnamed project), this blog, a novel, the GMAT (Business school exam), and…

Well, you get the idea at this point.

I’ve decided to put things to the side and blaze through different projects one-by-one and get thme done before I add anymore or progress on anymore. I will still be writing for Mashable, working to grow and improve Spine-Health, and occassionally writing practical and entrepreneurial posts on this blog, but I will be putting TechThrill, the GMAT, and my other business project on the backburner until I’ve got the novel done. It is a chapter or two away, but I need to tie it together.

Expect me to vanish for a week to finish writing it. Should be an interesting way to spend my vacation time. I’ll be sure to inform you all when I finish. The next post I write will be a summary about my fiction novel. I’d love to tell you all about Tarell Larant and the war-torn world of Desel.

In keeping with the spirit of my blog, though, here’s a few things you can do to make sure you keep your focus and productivity at their peaks:

• Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize! Setting up lists can seem like a chore or a time waster, but you must think in the long term. Knowing which tasks are most important in projects and in life overall will make your work flow easier.
• Finish. My dad has a saying: Do what you say. If you commit to finishing a project, finish it before going on to the next task. 10 projects 10% done mean nothing compared to one project 100% done.
• Stop multitasking when you need to focus. I have spoken about multitasking in a previous post, but it’s worth reiterating - you get more done with focus. Turn off your email, remove all distractions, and work diligently through task after task. By getting distracting you lose your train of thought and focus at what you’re trying to do
• Know your limits and set expectations by those. You can accept every project thrown at you, but if you know you can’t put your heart into each and every one, you’re doing your team, clients, and friends a disservice. We only have 24 hours in a day, and remember: you need to sleep, have a social life (yeah, seriously), and relax sometimes.
• Do what you love. You’re simply going to focus better when you’re doing something you’re passionate about.

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Live streaming video by Ustream

I hosted a panel on the future of online video on behalf of Mashable. If you missed the live stream, you have the chance to watch the recording of the show - it’s intense and hilarious! Highlights include

• Toy cars driving over my foot
• Live root beer tasting
• Audience questions
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Me trying to get the mic from Gary to ask questions

So here you go. Enjoy!

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Live streaming video by Ustream

I hosted a panel on the future of online video on behalf of Mashable. If you missed the live stream, you have the chance to watch the recording of the show - it’s intense and hilarious! Highlights include

• Toy cars driving over my foot
• Live root beer tasting
• Audience questions
• Attention Deficit Disorder
• Me trying to get the mic from Gary to ask questions

So here you go. Enjoy!

Share This Post!

For those of you who haven’t been following my Twitter updates (shame on you!), you’ll know that I’ve been phoneless since Sunday. My phone can no longer charge, I don’t have a way to replace that battery, etc. You get the idea.

And although it’s sucked at times, it really hasn’t been all that bad (at least until I check my text messages…). But it’s given me some interesting thoughts about our current standards for communication that I want to share.

So here are ten things I’ve learned since I became phoneless:

1) It’s not so bad

Despite how easy it is to connect and to manage things with a phone, it’s hasn’t been so bad post-phone. It’s worse at home since I have no landline, but I can use other people’s phones and my work landline for those conversations that need a phone. I’ve used the Internet more to supplement my lack of calling, and Skype is also a wonder.

But it’s not calling out that’s the problem, it’s receiving messages, and that I do miss. However, I function just fine without a phone.

2) But you WILL miss out on important things if you are phoneless

My dad’s in the hospital for a foot infection (he gashed his foot and thought continuing a triathlon would be a good idea). I didn’t know until late the next day because I couldn’t call or be called. That’s one of those htings you don’t want to miss or be told about late.

And if you’re phoneless, you’ll miss out on some of the important things. Or at least the news will be delayed, especially news you need now.

3) I am unwilling to get an iPhone without the $200 subsidy on principle.

I have been a loyal AT&T customer since I was sixteen. I’ve never used any other provider and have been satisfied with my service and customer support.

When my phone first broke, I knew what phone I wanted next - the iPhone 3G. My current phone is a smartphone, but without the keypad, I can’t blog, I can’t do fast email replies, and I can’t surf very fast. The iPhone has all the functionality I am looking for, plus the app store for added features.

With all that said, I am completely and utterly unwilling to pay $400 for the iPhone when others are getting it for $200. Come on AT&T - I’m 1.5 years into my current contract and know others who have gotten the iPhone subsidized with just a year on their contracts.

In fact, with the temporary phone I’m about to get, I’m going to be paying less to AT&T and Apple. My plan will cost less and the phone costs less as well.

I wish AT&T would reward loyalty and allow me to purchase the phone for the $200 price tag, especially since I am so far into my contract. Being stingy about it isn’t good customer service and in the end, it’s not going to make you money. By January, I may have found a better phone option. You need to lock me in when I really want something - which would be now.

And if you’re reading AT&T and Apple, I still want my iPhone. Just not for $400 bucks. Never. No way, no how.

4) Cindy Talbot of AT&T Customer Support deserves a promotion and a raise

She is the one of the most incredible customer service reps I’ve ever talked to in my life. She tried everything to solve my problems, was nothing but courteous and helpful, despite being sick. That woman is a trooper. She didn’t get the result I was hoping for (an iPhone for $200), but she did get me a temporary phone to help me along until I get that iPhone. She deserves a medal, a raise, and a promotion. And as soon as this post is done, I’m emailing AT&T customer service.

5) Twitter, Gmail, and IM are close to replacing phone functionality

Those three do a good job of supplementing your contact needs. I can do quasi-texting with Twitter Direct messages, I can email friends and inform them of my issue, and I can IM people for faster conversations when I’m not using Skype. It’s worked out pretty well, especially with my techie friends.

6) But Twitter, Gmail, and IM still do not match the convenience of a phone

Nothing beats full two-way voice communication with a set of numbers you’ve built up since you were sixteen. I can’t do tweets while driving, and I can’t tweet a restaurant order on the go. I still need a phone for a lot of things.

7) Contact with those outside the tech circle’s nearly impossible without a phone

Outside of my tech friends, I’ve had almost no conversations. I can only inform so many friends and have been on the phone with only a handful of people. They probably don’t know I’m out of the phone world. And who knows what calls I’ve missed from outside family given my father’s condition.

8) Memorize key numbers and backup the rest

I tried to back up the numbers when I realized that my phone could not be powered up again, but I didn’t have enough time to pick the top 250 numbers and stick them onto my SIM card while in the airport.

Keep back-ups of your numbers on your computer and memorize the numbers of your best friends. I know my family numbers, but I need to keep the numbers of those closest to me in my wallet or in my head so I can talk to them from anywhere at any time.

9) Nothing beats a phone on the road or planning meet-ups

There’s a reason why it’s called a mobile phone. Calling for directions cannot be replaced. And I can’t check Google maps on the go anyway without my phone.

10) You will not die without a phone

I’m still blogging, aren’t I?

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For those of you who haven’t been following my Twitter updates (shame on you!), you’ll know that I’ve been phoneless since Sunday. My phone can no longer charge, I don’t have a way to replace that battery, etc. You get the idea.

And although it’s sucked at times, it really hasn’t been all that bad (at least until I check my text messages…). But it’s given me some interesting thoughts about our current standards for communication that I want to share.

So here are ten things I’ve learned since I became phoneless:

1) It’s not so bad

Despite how easy it is to connect and to manage things with a phone, it’s hasn’t been so bad post-phone. It’s worse at home since I have no landline, but I can use other people’s phones and my work landline for those conversations that need a phone. I’ve used the Internet more to supplement my lack of calling, and Skype is also a wonder.

But it’s not calling out that’s the problem, it’s receiving messages, and that I do miss. However, I function just fine without a phone.

2) But you WILL miss out on important things if you are phoneless

My dad’s in the hospital for a foot infection (he gashed his foot and thought continuing a triathlon would be a good idea). I didn’t know until late the next day because I couldn’t call or be called. That’s one of those htings you don’t want to miss or be told about late.

And if you’re phoneless, you’ll miss out on some of the important things. Or at least the news will be delayed, especially news you need now.

3) I am unwilling to get an iPhone without the $200 subsidy on principle.

I have been a loyal AT&T customer since I was sixteen. I’ve never used any other provider and have been satisfied with my service and customer support.

When my phone first broke, I knew what phone I wanted next - the iPhone 3G. My current phone is a smartphone, but without the keypad, I can’t blog, I can’t do fast email replies, and I can’t surf very fast. The iPhone has all the functionality I am looking for, plus the app store for added features.

With all that said, I am completely and utterly unwilling to pay $400 for the iPhone when others are getting it for $200. Come on AT&T - I’m 1.5 years into my current contract and know others who have gotten the iPhone subsidized with just a year on their contracts.

In fact, with the temporary phone I’m about to get, I’m going to be paying less to AT&T and Apple. My plan will cost less and the phone costs less as well.

I wish AT&T would reward loyalty and allow me to purchase the phone for the $200 price tag, especially since I am so far into my contract. Being stingy about it isn’t good customer service and in the end, it’s not going to make you money. By January, I may have found a better phone option. You need to lock me in when I really want something - which would be now.

And if you’re reading AT&T and Apple, I still want my iPhone. Just not for $400 bucks. Never. No way, no how.

4) Cindy Talbot of AT&T Customer Support deserves a promotion and a raise

She is the one of the most incredible customer service reps I’ve ever talked to in my life. She tried everything to solve my problems, was nothing but courteous and helpful, despite being sick. That woman is a trooper. She didn’t get the result I was hoping for (an iPhone for $200), but she did get me a temporary phone to help me along until I get that iPhone. She deserves a medal, a raise, and a promotion. And as soon as this post is done, I’m emailing AT&T customer service.

5) Twitter, Gmail, and IM are close to replacing phone functionality

Those three do a good job of supplementing your contact needs. I can do quasi-texting with Twitter Direct messages, I can email friends and inform them of my issue, and I can IM people for faster conversations when I’m not using Skype. It’s worked out pretty well, especially with my techie friends.

6) But Twitter, Gmail, and IM still do not match the convenience of a phone

Nothing beats full two-way voice communication with a set of numbers you’ve built up since you were sixteen. I can’t do tweets while driving, and I can’t tweet a restaurant order on the go. I still need a phone for a lot of things.

7) Contact with those outside the tech circle’s nearly impossible without a phone

Outside of my tech friends, I’ve had almost no conversations. I can only inform so many friends and have been on the phone with only a handful of people. They probably don’t know I’m out of the phone world. And who knows what calls I’ve missed from outside family given my father’s condition.

8) Memorize key numbers and backup the rest

I tried to back up the numbers when I realized that my phone could not be powered up again, but I didn’t have enough time to pick the top 250 numbers and stick them onto my SIM card while in the airport.

Keep back-ups of your numbers on your computer and memorize the numbers of your best friends. I know my family numbers, but I need to keep the numbers of those closest to me in my wallet or in my head so I can talk to them from anywhere at any time.

9) Nothing beats a phone on the road or planning meet-ups

There’s a reason why it’s called a mobile phone. Calling for directions cannot be replaced. And I can’t check Google maps on the go anyway without my phone.

10) You will not die without a phone

I’m still blogging, aren’t I?

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A nice side-effect of tracking the blogosphere’s reaction to my Mashable post on Social Media Jobs has been a debate on the definition of Social Media. What the hell is it?

I agree - the definition is vague and sometimes completely idiotic. So let’s finally put this question to rest and get a consensus. What is Social Media?

I’m going to define it in the most basic way possible - by breaking down the term into its core parts:

• Social
• Media

Social:

First line of Wikipedia: Social refers to human society or its organizations.

The social in social media refers to human society and human organizations. Broad, but it’s a start.

Media:

First line of Wikipedia: Media are the storage and transmission tools used to store and deliver information or data.

So Media is about communication and communication tools. Alright. Still too broad, but we’re getting somewhere. We’re talking about primarily electronic media - you haven’t seen someone use a chisel or a pen to Tweet, have you?

So now we’re talking about using electronic communication storage and transmission to deliver information or data. Because we have “social,” that means it’s the transmission of data to other people and other social groups.

So far, social media is the use of electronic tools by humans to communicate with one another.

Closer, but we’re not there yet.

The vein that flows between FriendFeed, Facebook, Digg, Twitter, etc. is sharing. The sharing of experiences, of information, of Rick Astley to unsuspecting YouTubers. Traditional media presents information to you for you to digest. Social media allows you to pick, choose, comment, parse, and retort - all at the same time.

Now we have it to this: Social media is the use of electronic and Internet tools for the specified use of sharing and discussing experiences and information with other human beings.

But doesn’t a general website do that?

Sort of but, social media tools do it more effectively and they do it faster. That’s the point of Digg - you can share something you found with a lot more people than your IM buddy list. It’s more efficient.

Social Media:

First line of Wikipedia: Social media is an umbrella term that defines…

Enough.
From our deduction, here’s a standing definition:

Social Media is the use of electronic and Internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other human beings in more efficient ways.

One too many “ands”, but oh well - I’m very happy with this definition. If you disagree with me, please debate it in the comments. Otherwise, someone change the first paragraph of the Social Media article on Wikipedia, because I’m tired of the ambiguity.

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A nice side-effect of tracking the blogosphere’s reaction to my Mashable post on Social Media Jobs has been a debate on the definition of Social Media. What the hell is it?

I agree - the definition is vague and sometimes completely idiotic. So let’s finally put this question to rest and get a consensus. What is Social Media?

I’m going to define it in the most basic way possible - by breaking down the term into its core parts:

• Social
• Media

Social:

First line of Wikipedia: Social refers to human society or its organizations.

The social in social media refers to human society and human organizations. Broad, but it’s a start.

Media:

First line of Wikipedia: Media are the storage and transmission tools used to store and deliver information or data.

So Media is about communication and communication tools. Alright. Still too broad, but we’re getting somewhere. We’re talking about primarily electronic media - you haven’t seen someone use a chisel or a pen to Tweet, have you?

So now we’re talking about using electronic communication storage and transmission to deliver information or data. Because we have “social,” that means it’s the transmission of data to other people and other social groups.

So far, social media is the use of electronic tools by humans to communicate with one another.

Closer, but we’re not there yet.

The vein that flows between FriendFeed, Facebook, Digg, Twitter, etc. is sharing. The sharing of experiences, of information, of Rick Astley to unsuspecting YouTubers. Traditional media presents information to you for you to digest. Social media allows you to pick, choose, comment, parse, and retort - all at the same time.

Now we have it to this: Social media is the use of electronic and Internet tools for the specified use of sharing and discussing experiences and information with other human beings.

But doesn’t a general website do that?

Sort of but, social media tools do it more effectively and they do it faster. That’s the point of Digg - you can share something you found with a lot more people than your IM buddy list. It’s more efficient.

Social Media:

First line of Wikipedia: Social media is an umbrella term that defines…

Enough.
From our deduction, here’s a standing definition:

Social Media is the use of electronic and Internet tools for the purpose of sharing and discussing information and experiences with other human beings in more efficient ways.

One too many “ands”, but oh well - I’m very happy with this definition. If you disagree with me, please debate it in the comments. Otherwise, someone change the first paragraph of the Social Media article on Wikipedia, because I’m tired of the ambiguity.

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People need medication to relieve their pain.
People don’t need another way to bookmark and share websites.

People need to learn about their options in battling cancer.
People don’t need to learn about their options for microblogging.

As a technology evangelist, I feel weird saying all this, but really, think about it. Back pain is a problem that has existed since human existence. Social media overload and noise is a problem that has existed for a year, maybe two tops. It’s important to solve the new problems we’ve created with the Internet, but it’s still more important to solve the problems that can kill us.

I’m not saying start a health website - follow your passion, always. But I want you to think and understand why so many technology blogs have low eCPMs and health websites the opposite. Learn from that.

If you’re writing about technology and want to make a living off of it, you need to help solve a problem people actually have. If you’re aspiring to start the next Google, you need to solve an actual problem, not a niche problem. Manage your expectations based on how many people actually have that problem.

Just a little something I’ve picked up working for a web health company.

- Ben

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People need medication to relieve their pain.
People don’t need another way to bookmark and share websites.

People need to learn about their options in battling cancer.
People don’t need to learn about their options for microblogging.

As a technology evangelist, I feel weird saying all this, but really, think about it. Back pain is a problem that has existed since human existence. Social media overload and noise is a problem that has existed for a year, maybe two tops. It’s important to solve the new problems we’ve created with the Internet, but it’s still more important to solve the problems that can kill us.

I’m not saying start a health website - follow your passion, always. But I want you to think and understand why so many technology blogs have low eCPMs and health websites the opposite. Learn from that.

If you’re writing about technology and want to make a living off of it, you need to help solve a problem people actually have. If you’re aspiring to start the next Google, you need to solve an actual problem, not a niche problem. Manage your expectations based on how many people actually have that problem.

Just a little something I’ve picked up working for a web health company.

- Ben

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First of all, I want to thank everyone who has visited my article on the things Google would do if it bought Digg. It’s been an incredible response (over 2100 Diggs as of this post) and I’m honored you think so highly of my article.

I want to keep everyone up-to-date on my blog happenings. As I have hinted on both Twitter and FriendFeed, I am building a new blog to replace BenParr.com. It’s going to be called TechThrill and it is in the early stages of being built.

The blog’s goal is to make the internet technology you use more useful and more accessible to the average person. To that end, here are some of the features of the TechThrill blog:

• A live, weekly web TV show co-hosted by Matt Schlicht and me, that will focus on Internet trends and internet technology
• A daily round-up of the most useful posts and discussions related to technology and productivity on the web
• “Centers” that will house and link to the most useful third party apps for websites such as Twitter and FriendFeed.
• Bi-weekly articles on making existing technologies more useful
• Reviews of new technologies and whether or not they’re worth your time to adopt
• Question answering posts and sessions by multiple authors answering the questions that plague most people about technology.
• The Internet Tools Wiki, which will expand in scope and strength.
• A new, multifaceted, and entertaining approach to technology.

It’s not going to be just a blog, but a center for technology information and technology development. I’m looking for help in executing my goal, so if you are interested in writing or are just interested in learning about the blog when it launches, subscribe to my RSS feed or keep in the loop by adding me to Twitter, FriendFeed, or the other services I have put in the left-hand side of the site. You are also welcome to IM me at my AOL IM: YGRPG.

- Ben

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First of all, I want to thank everyone who has visited my article on the things Google would do if it bought Digg. It’s been an incredible response (over 2100 Diggs as of this post) and I’m honored you think so highly of my article.

I want to keep everyone up-to-date on my blog happenings. As I have hinted on both Twitter and FriendFeed, I am building a new blog to replace BenParr.com. It’s going to be called TechThrill and it is in the early stages of being built.

The blog’s goal is to make the internet technology you use more useful and more accessible to the average person. To that end, here are some of the features of the TechThrill blog:

• A live, weekly web TV show co-hosted by Matt Schlicht and me, that will focus on Internet trends and internet technology
• A daily round-up of the most useful posts and discussions related to technology and productivity on the web
• “Centers” that will house and link to the most useful third party apps for websites such as Twitter and FriendFeed.
• Bi-weekly articles on making existing technologies more useful
• Reviews of new technologies and whether or not they’re worth your time to adopt
• Question answering posts and sessions by multiple authors answering the questions that plague most people about technology.
• The Internet Tools Wiki, which will expand in scope and strength.
• A new, multifaceted, and entertaining approach to technology.

It’s not going to be just a blog, but a center for technology information and technology development. I’m looking for help in executing my goal, so if you are interested in writing or are just interested in learning about the blog when it launches, subscribe to my RSS feed or keep in the loop by adding me to Twitter, FriendFeed, or the other services I have put in the left-hand side of the site. You are also welcome to IM me at my AOL IM: YGRPG.

- Ben

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I thought I would remind everyone of that. In the meantime, I am working on the design of my new multimedia weblog (multilog? mlog? I haven’t though of a name since it isn’t completely a blog). That’s why posts have become a bit more infrequent. TechThrill will incorporate FriendFeed, a uStream.tv web show with Matt Schlicht, a Tumblr, and other multimedia in the goal of making tech exciting, useful, and more accessible. It will have daily gems as well as your standard blog posts, so you’ll always get something interesting every day on TechThrill.

Now I need to find a way to get work done on a computer without sitting on my ass or standing for three hours.

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I thought I would remind everyone of that. In the meantime, I am working on the design of my new multimedia weblog (multilog? mlog? I haven’t though of a name since it isn’t completely a blog). That’s why posts have become a bit more infrequent. TechThrill will incorporate FriendFeed, a uStream.tv web show with Matt Schlicht, a Tumblr, and other multimedia in the goal of making tech exciting, useful, and more accessible. It will have daily gems as well as your standard blog posts, so you’ll always get something interesting every day on TechThrill.

Now I need to find a way to get work done on a computer without sitting on my ass or standing for three hours.

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So the last background on my Twitter profile was of Cancun, Mexico. Nice, but not unique or all that interesting. Then I read this post on Digital Inspiration about how to make a photo collage of your Facebook friends. I decided it would be fun and interesting and thus I went nuts, created a rectangular collage of my friends, and put it up on my Twitter page.

It’s one of many ways to see your social graph - doing this type of collage can be a quick way to take in your entire social graph in a quick and visual way.

If you make one, please post it in the comments and share with the rest of us!

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So the last background on my Twitter profile was of Cancun, Mexico. Nice, but not unique or all that interesting. Then I read this post on Digital Inspiration about how to make a photo collage of your Facebook friends. I decided it would be fun and interesting and thus I went nuts, created a rectangular collage of my friends, and put it up on my Twitter page.

It’s one of many ways to see your social graph - doing this type of collage can be a quick way to take in your entire social graph in a quick and visual way.

If you make one, please post it in the comments and share with the rest of us!

Share This Post!

FriendFeed rooms have been a major hit on the lifestream aggregate service, but being part of too many rooms just adds to the noise. If you want to focus, choose FriendFeed rooms that have the ability to help your productivity or even land you a job. Thus below are six rooms I believe are hugely beneficial for productivity.

1) Invites - Invites is a room for sharing and exchanging invites for new Web 2.0 services, services that are simply private, or ones inextended beta. Socialthing, jaiku, lifestream.fm are all traded on a daily basis. Even if you aren’t looking to add to the services you use, it’s a great place to track emerging companies and trends. Learn about new services before they become hot and prosper.

2) ProBlogger Room - Regardless of whether or not you read ProBlogger, the community within the ProBlogger room is great for those who have questions about blogging. Want to know about Wordpress themes, advertising, user or user experience? The ProBlogger Room is a great place to start.

3) AnswerFeed - I am biased as I am AnswerFeed’s administrator (anyone want to join me in that role?), but AnswerFeed is a great place to get insight on any topic that you have questions about. Need opinions on computer monitors, finding jobs online, or even hacking and code? You can leave your question in AnswerFeed and expect answers and even a conversation around the topic.

4) LinkedIn - This room is not just about LinkedIn as a service, but about your professional profiles and optimizing them. You can post your profile and have members of the room give their opinions and advice on it. It’s also a great place for some networking.

5) All Things Productivity - This room is exactly as the title states - about articles and discussions related to improving your productivity. This room isn’t as active as some other rooms, but there is some incredible content and links to great articles that will help you work faster and work happier.

6) Web 2.0 Jobs - Finally, I have saved the best for last. Web 2.0 Jobs, created by Andrew Wise, is about helping recruiters, businesses, and job seekers get together in a Web 2.0 setting to find jobs in the Web 2.0 world. People have found jobs on the board and that trend will probably continue. If you’re looking for a unique job in social media or with tech start-ups, I suggest taking a stroll through the Web 2.0 board.

Do you have any other rooms to add to this list? Then add them to the comments (or comment on FriendFeed - Your comments there will appear on this blog as well!)

Like this post? Then start following me on FriendFeed. And stay tuned - I’ve begun a blog redesign and rebranding work as I move my writing onto the upcoming TechThrill blog/online show/podcast.

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FriendFeed rooms have been a major hit on the lifestream aggregate service, but being part of too many rooms just adds to the noise. If you want to focus, choose FriendFeed rooms that have the ability to help your productivity or even land you a job. Thus below are six rooms I believe are hugely beneficial for productivity.

1) Invites - Invites is a room for sharing and exchanging invites for new Web 2.0 services, services that are simply private, or ones inextended beta. Socialthing, jaiku, lifestream.fm are all traded on a daily basis. Even if you aren’t looking to add to the services you use, it’s a great place to track emerging companies and trends. Learn about new services before they become hot and prosper.

2) ProBlogger Room - Regardless of whether or not you read ProBlogger, the community within the ProBlogger room is great for those who have questions about blogging. Want to know about Wordpress themes, advertising, user or user experience? The ProBlogger Room is a great place to start.

3) AnswerFeed - I am biased as I am AnswerFeed’s administrator (anyone want to join me in that role?), but AnswerFeed is a great place to get insight on any topic that you have questions about. Need opinions on computer monitors, finding jobs online, or even hacking and code? You can leave your question in AnswerFeed and expect answers and even a conversation around the topic.

4) LinkedIn - This room is not just about LinkedIn as a service, but about your professional profiles and optimizing them. You can post your profile and have members of the room give their opinions and advice on it. It’s also a great place for some networking.

5) All Things Productivity - This room is exactly as the title states - about articles and discussions related to improving your productivity. This room isn’t as active as some other rooms, but there is some incredible content and links to great articles that will help you work faster and work happier.

6) Web 2.0 Jobs - Finally, I have saved the best for last. Web 2.0 Jobs, created by Andrew Wise, is about helping recruiters, businesses, and job seekers get together in a Web 2.0 setting to find jobs in the Web 2.0 world. People have found jobs on the board and that trend will probably continue. If you’re looking for a unique job in social media or with tech start-ups, I suggest taking a stroll through the Web 2.0 board.

Do you have any other rooms to add to this list? Then add them to the comments (or comment on FriendFeed - Your comments there will appear on this blog as well!)

Like this post? Then start following me on FriendFeed. And stay tuned - I’ve begun a blog redesign and rebranding work as I move my writing onto the upcoming TechThrill blog/online show/podcast.

Share This Post!

I’m going to go a little off topic, but I felt compelled to post this. My friend Jeff Brenman created this incredibly visual presentation on our water crisis. We worry about energy and oil, but the most vital resource to life is dwindling down at the same time.

Take a look. I’ve got some notes on effective presentations below.

Some things to learn from his presentation:

• Don’t overwhelm your audience with text. People can only process so much - be sure to keep your slides short and simple
• Always use visuals! Visuals add to the experience and understanding of any presentation. People remember Jeff’s presentations because of the emotions they evoke and their simple, clear message.
• But visuals are only effective if they’re relevant. Don’t put an image in for its own sake - put it in because it adds or reinforces a key point.
• Be consistent He uses the same font and keeps things like emphasis and imagery consistent. Too inconsistent and you lose your audience.
• Pick a single message or theme and stick with it. The worst presentation is one that doesn’t lead to one clear and distinct conclusion or call to action.

There is a reason Jeff Brenman won The World’s Best Presentation Contest last year. And if you loved this presentation anywhere near as much as I did, vote up his submission for the 2008 World’s Best Presentation Contest

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I’m going to go a little off topic, but I felt compelled to post this. My friend Jeff Brenman created this incredibly visual presentation on our water crisis. We worry about energy and