Being Mark Cohen

I just came across a really neat service called Drop.io. The service describes itself as follows:

Drop.io enables you to create simple private exchange points called “drops.”

The service has no email signup and no “accounts.” Each drop is private, and only as accessible as you choose to deliberately make it. Create multiple drops, add any type of media, and share or subscribe as you want.

This service is really simple and looks like it could be useful in a lot of ways. One of the cooler functions is that you can call a drop by phone, and an MP3 “voicemail” of your call will be posted to the drop. A drop has 10 MB of space, and it is possible to upgrade to a “commercial” product – ie it’s following a web 2.0 Freemium model. They’ve got some good ideas in there. It will be interesting to see where the product goes.

I have an iinet adsl2+ service at home. I’ve been a happy client for years. Only their voip quality of service has gone down the gurgler lately. People say it sounds like we’re underwater. So I just called the support desk to try resolve the issue and the call system told me the expected wait was 30 minutes. 30 minutes! That’s not support. Who on earth has 30 minutes to sit on hold for tech support. That is just plain disappointing.

If you want to keep your customers try not to alienate them – especially when they are having issues with your service.

One of the nicer corners of maroubra. I’m chilling out, having nando’s and thinking life’s pretty good. That’s the wheel of my bike in the corner. My new environmentally friendly way of getting around.
Blogged from my mobile

This one is excellent! Nicked from here, a rhymes with orange cartoon:

So speaking of conferences…. I’m heading to Mix 08 in Vegas. I’ll be spending time in the company of great men and enjoying the sessions and interesting speakers. Like Steve Ballmer. I’m really keen to hear what magic is going to happen this year around Silverlight.

I’m totally stoked that I will be in a keynote address where Guy Kawasaki is speaking. I buy his books. I read his blog. In my opinion, he’s like a superhero for adults

Sessions are largely geared around Blend and Silverlight, and WPF this year again, but I’ll have a slightly different focus as my role has changed a lot in the last year. One session that really grabs my eye (excuse the pun J) is titled “The Human Brain Relationship: Advanced and Adaptive User Interfaces”. I’m hoping to catch a whole lot more of the UX sessions.

And of course our very own Frank Arrigo will feature on a panel discussion titled “Web 2.0 and Beyond: What is the Business Reality?” I’ll be there for sure!

And to think at the beginning of this year, I thought it was going to be short of excitement. I could not have been more wrong.

Fairfax has rolled out a website publicizing a conference that will be hosted on Friday 7^th March, at Jones St Wharf. The conference features a host of interesting international speakers,including Richard McManus of ReadWriteWeb, and Mohamed Nanybhay, the head of New Media at Al Jazeera.This will also be an opportunity to hear from Jack Matthews, CEO of Fairfax Digital and David Kirk, CEO of Fairfax Media. Kay Gruenwoldt, head of Title Marketing (North America) at Nokia is also right up there with people I would like to hear speak.

From the conference site:

Media 08 is an international gathering of executives, entrepreneurs and innovators from the world’s leading online media companies.

Media 08 sets the agenda for Australasia’s digital media, news, marketing, entertainment and technology professionals.

If you’re seeking creative solutions, bold predictions, radical thinking, inspiring innovations, hard boiled analysis, or simply an injection of fresh ideas, Media 08 is the one-day conference you can’t afford to miss.