A while back we decided on the phrase, Harmonious New Media, as our company “tag line.” As of today, June 21st, 2008 I have decided to make that the official name for this blog as opposed to the more generic “SpinningSilk Multimedia Blog” as it’s a part of our company web site. You might not notice a change much on the web site immediately but the RSS feeds, and the way we link from blog comments, etc. will start using that title. Official the “long title” will be - Harmonious New Media - The blog of SpinningSilk Multimedia. The reasons for doing this are as follows;

• Showing the difference between the blog and the web site as a whole
• I want to keep that mantra in my head and also the heads of my readers
• Harmonious is part of our consistent branding promise and I want to communicate that on a daily basis
• I want to showcase the fact that “New Media” is our core focus, not just web design per se but how that is a hub for graphic design, photography, podcasting and online video.
• It’s my desire that the majority of posts will focus on the concept of harmonious new media
• As we get ready to produce a podcast associated with this blog I want to focus of it to be the same

I also plan on changing the header graphic slightly for the blog portion of this web site.

It recently occurred to me that I am subscribed to too many blogs in my newsreader (Newsfire). I’ve started noticing that they are some feeds I though I should stay subscribed to but instead I never leave comments on them, much less read them. If I have left a comment on one of your blogs I can guarantee you are safe and I will continue reading and/or commenting. However I have noticed they are several categories of blog or information I receive via RSS they I quickly glance at but never read. If you blog fits under these categories be warned I may not be subscribed to your blog however I probably wasn’t paying much attention anyway and thus my requests won’t be hitting your server. Here is a list of blogs or other information feeds types I will probably be deleting from my RSS feed reader;

• Posts the are nothing but a compilation of links and where the title usually has a very un-compelling title like - “Links for 6-20-08″
• Feeds from sources that are nothing more than services that link to other blog and news sources
• Categories that don’t help or something you can just do a search on when you need it. For instance I have a “humor” category in my feed reader. I’m taking it out. When I need a laugh I think I can find something just as quick when I need it.
• feeds that basically repeat when is found in other sources you are also subscribed

Your time is valuable and it’s amazing how much information we can skim though in such a short period of time but when it get to the point the “skimming” becomes the talk and not the reading then you need to look at cutting back on some stuff. Last Saturday I got rid of a bunch of coffee mugs in my kitchen cabinet that were taking up space. This Sat. I am looking over my RSS feeds to determine how I can save time and focus more on quality reading in the future. This same idea can apply to browser bookmarks, e-mail newsletter subscriptions and in the print world, magazines. What sources of information do you think you should cut back on?

One of my biggest pet peeves in both new and old media is seeing the same thing or formula day after day. Soap Operas have often been a target of many a joke with people saying they could watch one episode a year and not really miss anything. Several radio talk show hosts are guilty of this as well. I’ve all but stopped listening to certain radio shows not because of their political or philosophical stance but rather I feel it’s a waste of time hearing the same thing over and over again. I’m probably going to get into deep water and offend some people by saying this but one radio show that is guilty of this is the Dave Ramsey Show. Before I say anything critical I love and deeply appreciate Dave’s stance and principle of being debt free. I also appreciate how is confronts callers who try to make excuses for their debt behavior however as a listen I have noticed the show does get into a formula of sorts and while kind of “cute and funny” in the beginning playing the “FREEDOM!!!” sound clip from the movie, Braveheart gets extremely old to the point I want to shout, “Enough Already! I get it!”

In the 90’s The Ken Hamblin show was on the local talk radio station in my city. Ken’s referred to himself as the “Black Avenger” and in my opinion he tried to bring home the point he was black (or African American if you prefer that term but he said “black) and conservative. I “got it” the first few times listening but hearing anything over and over and over again can be a big turn off. Maybe the mindset in radio is repetition because they are expecting turnover ever so often but in the past few years I have had the opportunity to listen to many more hosts and read writers either in the new media through blogs and podcasts or in the old media of print journalism or broadcast media and I have enjoyed and stayed a long time reader. listener or viewer as a result of the hosts or writers “keeping it fresh.” Here are some of the things I have noticed that have kept things fresh for content producers;

• A catch phrase at the beginning or end of the show is fine but don’t let such stuff “hog up” the whole presentation
• Respond and comment on current events - people are often in “shock” during times of change. Help them cope with your unique product or service
• Avoid stereotypes, cliches and out of style terms
• Dare to be eclectic - a local auto repair shop has a radio show hosted by the owner who also loves classical music which he uses for bumper music. Definitely not a stereotype and the unique mix doesn’t get old. BTW, The show is know as the Driving Line and is now available as a podcast. I highly recommend it.
• Be known for consistently surprising your audience in a good way.

How do you keep it fresh and what experiences have you had with encountering things that “got old” way too quick?

One of our core business slogan and commitments is, “Committed to creating, organizing and delivering compelling content.” However I’m learning more and more that a better strategy is to not say everything or as the poker players say, “Lay all your cards on the table.”

Sometimes the greatest impact in a piece of music is the rest right before the big notes. Anyone remember the time of silence right before the movie Star Wars started? Before you heard the loud majestic notes of the theme song as the title scrolled across the screen you were presented with a still frame with the words, “A Long Time Ago In a Galaxy Far, Far, Away…. ” and then Boom! To me that we an excellent transition from the “real world” and the fantasy world of Star Wars.

If you look at this web page you will see a significant amount of white space. Without it it would be hard to digest the words you are reading.

Think about photographs you view. What has greater impact? A scene where you see a lot of stuff or a focused subject and a blurred background?

In conversation with clients we may know a lot of technical facts but more often than not it’s best to keep our mouths shut and our ears open. What are some examples you have encounter in media and working with companies where receiving too much information was a problem? I’d love to hear your stories.

I had to attend a local business network meeting at lunch today and when I left the office I decided to leave my large laptop bag (I have a smaller one for short trips that fits into the bag with all the extras) and power adapter at the office so I wouldn’t have to carry as much. My reasoning was that I wouldn’t need to carry that much extra weight when I might not even use the stuff in it over lunch. All seemed well but when I returned to the office I picked up my larger laptop bag but forgot that I left my power adapter on my desk.  As soon as I arrived back at my home office I realized I left the power adapter on the desk at my downtown Greenville,SC office. Needless to say I was angry with myself because I would have to “waste gas” to drive back.  I did however need to make a bank and post office so the trip wasn’t totally frustrating. I figured I might as well take advantage of the situation and write an article about it too.

As mentioned in a previous post I am the kind who hates to spend money yet  I’m also in a business that pretty much demands one spend a  bit more on new technologies from time to time. Thankfully it is money I am putting to good use by turning it around to provide great services and products to my customers. I can take comfort in that I am not the only one with these struggles.  Many potential clients are afraid of spending more money than they have to but as I have discovered with myself I am often better off spending a little more with some added features than having to go through an upgrade process when if I had the tools in front of me I could have saved that much more time.

Take it from someone who has been there.  If you think you might need something go ahead and get it or have it with you. It can make the difference in getting a sale or losing precious time. It doesn’t save you money  to take a bargain route if you will need to make a return trip.  Sometimes the return trip is across town or it may be lost time in not having what you need to get the job done or the ability to get the word out.

Odd that in less than positive economic times I  am thinking more about the times I should have spend a little more upfront. What are your “packing light” or going minimal mistakes of the past? What would you have taken with you or invested more in times past?