Remember my crazy idea to sell advertising space on my laptop during BarCampEarthToronto? Well, Matt Mullenweg of WordPress.org – *WORDPRESS.ORG!* My favorite blogging platform! (Okay, my *second-favorite* – nothing beats Emacs Planner)

!!

They are *uber*cool. Another thing I really, really, really, really like. Whenever I need to set up a blog for someone else, the very first thing I do is download the latest version of WordPress, unpack it, and set it up. I like it a lot.

So here's what's going to happen. I am going to make the logos for Orange & Bronze and WordPress.org as large as I can. I don't mind potentially wasting space. It'll be a *fantastic* story.

I'll blog more from BarCamp tomorrow, and I'll post my D*I*Y tutorial on Sunday. =) Or today, if I feel particularly diligent…

Anyway. WordPress.org. They are totally, totally cool.

Mmkay. I took that wild idea of selling advertising space on my
laptop and ran with it. I put up a page, 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!

 

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!

UPDATE: See https://sachachua.com/advertise-on-my-laptop.html

Want to grab the eyeballs of every geek at BarCampEarthToronto
and the other tech events I go to? Advertise on the back of my
laptop. Even better: tell me enough about your stuff so that I can
enthusiastically talk about it.

I'm an evangelist. Give me something cool to talk about.

The back of an 8.9″ laptop screen *really* doesn't seem like much
space to advertise on, but *everyone* looks, believe me. It's the
irresistable combination of cute geek girl _and_ insanely tiny laptop.

And it happens *every* *single* *time.* It helps that I have small
hands. Most people just can't deal with something that small. Sure,
black Macbooks are trendy, but they're not as rare as a *teensy*
little laptop that a geek girl is happily typing away on. (In Emacs,
no less.)

Amber MacArthur (TechTV) called attention to the sticker I had on
my laptop (“The geek shall inherit the earth”) and the pins I have on
my backpack (“No, you can't just explain it in the manual” – Human
Factors International). Random strangers cross the street to
compliment me on my outfit, ask about the stickers on my skateboard,
or wonder out loud if that's a *real* computer I'm typing away on.
(Yes, as I walk.) And that happens both in geek-heavy get-togethers
and while just walking in cosmopolitan, blase downtown Toronto.

I can't help it. I get attention. I might as well make use of it.

More to the point: _you_ might as well make use of it.

So here's what's going to happen:

• TONIGHT: I'll decide on a pricing scheme. E-mail me or leave a
  comment if you want to hear about it as soon as I've come up with
  it (probably later tonight).
• TONIGHT: I'll set up a static page, blog about it, and tell people.
• WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY: I'll accept orders.
• THURSDAY: I'll figure out exactly how to mount it. Don't worry, I
  have several plans.
• FRIDAY: I'll select and confirm orders, and print out and mount the
  final thing on Friday afternoon.

My skateboard's also open for advertising.

E-mail me at sacha@sachachua.com or leave a comment using the form
below to find out about the next step as soon as possible.

See also my previous blog entry:

Networking for Geeks: Advertise with your 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/

(leave me a comment to get linked!)

UPDATE: See https://sachachua.com/advertise-on-my-laptop.html

Want to meet interesting but don't want to have to make the first
move? Use the back of your laptop to get people to talk to you. ;)
Stickers are a great way to do that. My laptop reads “The geek shall
inherit the earth.” I can't count the smiles, chuckles, and
conversations I've gotten out of it—and all I have to do is open my
laptop! It helps that I have an eyecatching ridiculously small laptop,
of course, but this technique would work even for regular laptops.

LapLooks goes one better. They sell a
frame that attaches to your laptop and allows you to slip in a photo.
I don't think I'll ever find something in my size, but maybe I can
cobble something together with duct tape. Actually, you know what this
reminds me of? Those little reusable drawing pads. I could so totally
rig up a better system.

I'm going to have that up and running before BarCampEarthToronto this Saturday, for sure. I have *just* enough space for a 3×5 index card and part of a business card. So: laminate-style cover, or clear plastic and duct tape? ;)

Which reminds me, I need to get business cards printed. Another thing
to take care of tomorrow. =) Good stuff.

I'm so tempted to sell advertising space on my laptop. ;) After all, Stowe Boyd sold his T-shirt rights…

LapLooks link via Solo Business Marketing, via Business Opportunities Weblog.

See also:

My next blog entry:

• 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/

I have big dreams. I have these thoughts I thought I was alone in. Then I found the blogosphere. I found people around the world with these thoughts. I couldn't put my finger on it. It's not about a list of ideals or definitions, it's about intent. Eight months ago, I was really fortunate to be drafted through my blog to join the mecca that is Silicon Valley. I want to get a good sense because what I'm realizing eight months later is that everything has changed. I left thinking there wasn't a tech community in Toronto, that what I was thinking was crazy. We led into mesh with BarCamp. Stuff around the world. Toronto has a really amazing tech community here. I want to see and gauge, first, where everyone is at.

I like to think that everyone blogs for multiple reasons. I like to think that I'm creating my own personal history. Others to cennect with others. Others to rant, others to report on what's going on in the industry, sort of thing. Photos online.

What's happening is that this sort of media is what is buzzing the consumer the revolution.

(Again, few words, lots of pictures! =D Keynote speakers rock. They're getting it)

“Consumers.” I really hate that word. We're people, we're a community…

Anti-consumerist revolution changed here. Good alternatives growing out of the

Threadless. T-shirt design. Oooh.

bowiechick.

You can't create viral. It's not about creating connections.

• Inbound messages! Totally!
• 100% authenticity! Totally!
• Niche markets! Totally!
• Open source principles! Totally!