Okay, we're open for business! Buy adspace on my laptop for USD 1.00 / 0.5"x0.5" (basic) or USD 2.00 / 0.5"x0.5" (premium, includes elevator pitch). Hurry! BarCampEarthToronto is just a few days away!

Props to Gabriel Mansour for helping me work things out!

See also my previous blog entries:

• Networking for Geeks: Advertise with your laptop!
• Whoa, onto something cool here: advertising on the back of my laptop

Other people's blog entries:

• http://www.stoweboyd.com/message/2006/08/sacha_chua_does.html
• http://racoma.com.ph/archives/problogger-idea-renting-ad-space-on-laptop-lids/
• http://www.blaptops.com/articles/advertising-on-laptop-lids/

Reserve ad space now!

On Technorati: advertising, marketing, crazy, idea, barcampearthtoronto, barcamp, laptop, geek, business, entrepreneurship

Mmkay. I took that wild idea of selling advertising space on my laptop and ran with it. The page is up, I've taken new photos, and I'm waiting for AdSense to get approved. Please digg and del.icio.us and forward my advertising page! <laugh>

No, I don't expect to raise a million dollars through this, although that would certainly help me not worry about funding graduate school and even move out of the shared double room I currently live in. ;)

I've built it. Will anyone bite? If not, hey, I've got a bunch of laptop signs I've been meaning to make...

I expect to get a good story or two out of it, though. Simon thinks it's probably more trouble than it's worth. <laugh> Perhaps for him it would be--he's already used to earning money. *I* think that whether or not I'll actually be able to buy myself a cup of hot chocolate from the proceeds, it'll still be totally worth it for the experience.

If nothing else, it was great just forcing myself to learn how to set up a totally small-time e-commerce thing. =) I want to get better and better at chasing wild ideas and getting them off the ground quickly, like the way situational apps seize the moment. This will probably help me out a lot in the long run!

I have a feeling that there are the seeds of a semi-business in here somewhere. I don't mind letting the idea go so that other people can take advantage of it. Have fun and make cool things happen!

On Technorati: business, entrepreneurship, advertising, marketing

I'm not sure how much I can say because I'm doing my research with IBM, which is a pity because we're working on some *really* cool enterprise applications of these newfangled Web 2.0 ideas. It's beyond blogging or social bookmarking - talk about mashups, situational apps, integration, web as platform... fun!

Microsoft's getting into the game, too. Liz Lawley dropped a few hints about the social bookmarking thing she's working on, and it sounds awesome.

I'm not too worried about missing the boat or being late to market on this one. I think we've got something unique and really really cool, and I have a feeling that I'm close to the edge.

Fun!

Stowe Boyd

Catch amazing street performers at the Toronto BuskerFest, which runs from Aug 24 (Thursday) to Aug 27 (Friday). I went to the one last year and I was impressed by people's skill and flair.

I love watching street performers. Every time I watch one, I learn more about stage presence, drama and suspense, comedy and patter, even how to invite audience participation. I see many tricks again and again: juggling random dangerous objects, riding a unicycle, juggling random dangerous objects while riding a unicycle. Each performer brings a certain spin to things, though, and I enjoy their achievements just as much as the rest of the audience does.

The 2006 BuskerFest starts tomorrow--and the strange thing is, I feel more excited about going to IBM. I know that BuskerFest will delight and amaze me, but I don't want to just be delighted and amazed. I want to participate, to push the edge, to make things happen.

Somewhere in the sunlight, I know there will be kids laughing at the jugglers' demos and ooh-ing and aah-ing at the acrobats' antics. No one will miss me there; no one would even notice if I went. But in IBM, I can do something cool, learn tons of stuff, and be appreciated for it. Given a choice between watching a show and being part of one--you know what I'd choose.

I'll sleep early tonight. I don't want to feel tired tomorrow. I want to be wide awake and bursting with energy! There are so many cool things to do, so many people to reach out to. =)

What a terrific feeling!

On Technorati: ibm, research, buskerfest