Ecobuddies is a Massive Multiplayer Onlne Game based on an ecological theme that hopes to reach a goal of a $500 million valuation (based on the companies already on the market, like Club Penguin and NeoPets).
Ecobuddies aims to fill a niche in the MMOG space, since there are very few games aimed at young children. The site will be "safe, secure and sanitized," so that parents can introduce the site to their children with no worry of inappropriate content (the intended demographic is 5 to 12 year olds). The site will also be ad-free, instead using micro-payments to generate revenue.
Ecobuddies is also the only MMOG to combine green themes and eco systems within a virtual world, such as characters driving in electric cars and using windmills in their virtual houses.
The website is currently in the testing phase, with the revenue stage about to begin.
EcoBuddies Interactive Ltd. is a Vancouver-based company that recently launched its same-named website at www.ecobuddies.com. Ecobuddies’ goal is... [more]
Social Media Direction, a Vancouver-based social media consulting agency, will be hosting Beyond Technology: Making ‘Cents’ out of Social Media conference on Thursday, November 20, 2008 from 1:00pm - 4:00pm at the Pan Pacific Vancouver Hotel. The session aims to provide organizations with a high-level overview of the social software industry and opportunities available to increase community involvement, internal communications, and the bottom line.
Keynote Speakers:
Social Media Direction (SMD) specializes in helping companies save and make money using social media. SMD's Captive Audience Video Sharing Platform... [more]
The final Toronto Girl Geek Dinner of 2008 is coming up on November 20th at the Hot House Cafe at 7:00pm and PriceWaterhouseCoopers is picking up the tab this time around. The theme this month will be surviving bad economic times through innovation and the evening will focus primarily on a roundtable discussion, facilitated by Connie Crosby of Crosby Group Consulting, about how technology leaders can continue to innovate during tough economic times.
Some of the topics Crosby will cover include taking smart risks, using a downturn as a catalyst for innovation, finding a solid strategy, and the opportunities for people inside organizations and for entrepreneurs.
Crosby helps organizations and individuals start their social networking and knowledge management projects. She is an expert in social networking, communication and information organization. Crosby has acted as a leader in the Canadian legal and library industries, blogging, writing and speaking to lawyers and librarians, and has connections with social media innovators around the world. She is an instructor with the Professional Learning Centre at the Faculty of Information Studies at the University of Toronto, teaching continuing education courses on social networking tools. She is also a teacher with the Special Libraries Association Click University.
There are only 40 spots available, so sign up on the wiki now if you're interested.
Connie Crosby founded Crosby Group in January 2008 to help organizations and individuals visualize and start their social networking and knowledge... [more]
The leaves are falling and that means it's awards season. Vancouver-based Invoke Media received 3 nominations and 2 Davey awards, honouring small ad firms. The two awards, Silver in the Branded Content: Video/Films/Movie category and Silver in the Not-for-profit category, were for the Wells Fargo Someday Stories campaign, using their Memelabs platform.
This is the second campaign that we have run successfully with Wells Fargo, and they have been incredible to work with as they continue to showcase creative outreach strategies, setting new marketing goals and initiatives with a keen focus on community development, on-line interaction and the alignment between brand and Non-Profit.
It's phenomenal to be acknowledged for this campaign. Invoke is extremely proud to be honoured, especially due to the nature of the campaign. We love supporting non-profits and you can expect many exciting projects similar to this to be announced in the future. — Nadia Nascimento, Invoke Media
Congrats Invoke on this recognition. Earlier this year Memelabs won a New Media BC PopVox award for Best User Generated Content site.
Invoke is an Award Winning Interactive Agency that specializes in transforming ideas into tangible results executed within a complete interactive... [more]
Once upon a time before the Web, there were user groups: clubs focused on a particular technology or platform. Through monthly meetings and other events, users could interact with like-minded others for learning and socializing. With the growth of the Web, the popularity of user groups waned as it became easier to build communities and share knowledge online. Today, user groups still exist but more commonly exist in the form of less formal meetup groups.
I've had experience with various groups over the years and have enjoyed them as an excellent way to learn and network. I organized an engaging Ruby on Rails meetup group in Edmonton for a short time before I moved. My motivation was to meet others using it, learn from them, and perhaps network for a job. From that experience, I learned how relatively easy to organize people together when there is a common topic of interest. Later when I moved to Vancouver, I helped organize the first Vancouver Facebook Developer Garage, which ballooned into a huge event with the popularity of the platform at the time. If there is a subject area you think is under-served in your area, I encourage you to start a group, and offer these tips for doing so:
Web Presence: At a minimum, set up a mailing list. Keep up conversation on the list between meetings. Google Groups works well, as does Meetup.com though they charge a fee. A website makes it easier for people to find your group, and a Facebook group makes it easier to invite folks to events. Don't go overboard, especially for small groups; too many communications mediums can dilute the conversation.
Location: Finding a suitable location can be tricky, given that a meetup usually has no budget. Coffee shops work well for small informal groups, but limit your ability to scale or have presentations. Offices after hours are great (tell your boss that supporting meetups is free advertising and brings community recognition.) Students may have access to school facilities after hours. Using someone's home is uncommon, but can work if the space is suitable. The presence of a projector is a key element to consider.
Content: General practice is to have someone give a presentation of 30-45 min. After a few meetups, willing presenters can be hard to find, so keep it flexible and low pressure. An evening could perhaps feature two short presentations instead. A case study of a project you're working on can make a good presentation; even if you don't think of your work as interesting, it can be compelling to hear _how_ you work. In lieu of presentations, start discussion: recent developments in the area of interest, problems you've encountered, novel solutions, personal experiences, or anything that will send the room off on a thread.
Meetups are made of people, so treasure and tap people as the greatest resource. In a world where we all spend too much time behind screens and keyboards, people yearn for contact and community with like-minded people. The medium to light duties of meetup organizing can pay off well in community stature, knowledge learned, employment solicitations, and good times.
