I've been playing around with mapping tools. Here is one of the more interesting ones:

I always wondered where all my twitter friends are located:

This is powered by @andymurd's Yahoo Pipe.

Here are a few more very useful add ins for Firefox that I've been using for the past few weeks. Let me know if you like any of them:

There are a few things that really get under the skin of Twitter users. One is really annoying: people that follow you for a few weeks, then suddenly quit following you, expecting you to keep following them.  The fastest way to spot this is the quick direct message inviting you to view their ultra cool way to get rich.

As the Mumbai terrorist attacks unfolded, I was struck by how much information hit Twitter - the 256 character microblog.  You could literally watch as people arround the events reported in little bits of information - resulting in a much more clear picture of what was going on. 

I'm in the middle of a business transformation from an internet marketing agency to a full service blogging agency.  I can't believe how powerful the process has been.  So far in order to get the new business right, we've had to look at everything, and one thing has really stuck with me:

I use and love Mozilla Thunderbird for email. It's flexible, fast, compatible and with a little extra plumbing, slices, dices and cleans up the mess.  Here are a few add ons I've found indispensable.

Having come off several awful business relationships that have just sucked the life and cash out of my business, I ran into an article that actually explains why people are easily duped. Turns out the culprit is a "circuit" in our brains called THOMAS - one that releases ocytocin when we are trusted.  In other words, the con man trusts you and your brain makes you feel good. From the Article:

Last year, we pulled the plug on MySchoolAlert.com, a system that was to be a text message alert system for schools.  The reason we pulled the plug on the project was:

High growth startups are particularly prone to bad news. One big question is how will social media respond.  LinkedIn's Reid Hoffman (who owns several other social startups) says LinkedIn is good to go:

This election is one of the most polarized elections in history, until you look at it with the eyes of a 12 year old. It's no longer about dubious policy promises and outrageous claims about how bad the opposing candidate is. It's suddenly a war hero, a single dad, a black man and a mom from a small town. The best part is that all of the candidates are the kind of people I would want my children to meet. The story is amazing when you look at it that way. And it's amazing that we are guaranteed that something extraordinary and historic will happen in the near future:

When: 11am - 12pm Friday, October 10 2008
Where: I Fishers Office Suites, 11650 Lantern Road

The Indiana Business Network Fishers Chapter which meets weekly at I Fishers Office Suites is located at 11650 Lantern Road, 1st Floor Conference Room. All current IBN members and any one wishing to expand their current base of business relationhips is welcomed. 

When: 9:30am - 10:30am Tuesday, October 14 2008
Where: Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Home, 1305 Broad Ripple Avenue

IBN's Broad Ripple Chapter is a weekly hour long networking mixer that takes place every Tuesday morning at 9:30 am at Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Home, downstairs, located by Broad Ripple High School, 1305 Broad Ripple Avenue. It is IBN's oldest chapter and allows businessowners looking to make business connections an excellent venue to others like them.

When: 12pm - 1pm Tuesday, October 14 2008
Where: Greenwood Office Suites, 3209 West Smith Valley Road, Greenwood, IN

IBN's Greenwood Chapter meets Tuesdays for an hour long networking mixer at Greenwood Office Suites, a Yeager Properties yellow, 2-story building located at 3209 West Smith Valley Road in Greenwood, just slightly west of the innersection of State Road 135 and Smith Valley Road. This group is made up mostly of Indy southside and Greenwood businessowners but is open to be attended by all IBN and non-IBN businessowners who seek to make connections with other professionals in this key geographical area.

When: 10am - 11am Wednesday, October 15 2008
Where: Grape Inspirations Winery, 1307 South Range Line Road, Carmel IN

IBN's Carmel Chapter meets for an hour long networking mixer at Grape Inspirations Winery in Carmel, located at 1307 South Range Line Road. The winery is easy to find as it is located very close to the intersection of Range Line Road and Carmel Drive. IBN's Carmel Chapter is almost three years old and represents an ideal place for Indy northside business professionals to make connections with other business professionals but like all IBN events is open to IBN and non-IBN businessowners.

When: 10am - 11am Thursday, October 16 2008
Where: Old National Bank, 385 South Main Street, Zionsville Indiana

IBN's Zionsville Chapter meets every Thursday morning at 10:00 am in Zionsville Indiana at Old National Bank, at the south edge of Zionsville's historic village, at the intersection of 334 & Main Street in the bank's conference room at the most eastside entrance. Our Zionsville Chapter is made up of many of Zionsville's most established business professionals and a number of other northwest Indianapolis based businessowners but as always is open to all IBN and non-IBN businessowners who are looking to market their businesses and establish connections with other businessowners who make up this section of Indianapolis and Zionsville.

When: 11am - 12pm Thursday, October 16 2008
Where: E.F. Marburger Flooring, 9999 Allisonville Road, Indianapolis, IN

IBN's Castleton Chapter meets Thursdays at 11:00 am at one of Indy's oldest, most established businesses, E.F. Marburger, located at 9999 Allisonville Road, on the southern tip of Fishers, IN. The 11:00 am meeting takes place in the back part of the flooring showroom in the store and is hosted by the ever gracious Kelly Marburger. It is a group that is looking to offer IBN members and non-IBN guest attendees an opportunity to market their businesses and make connections on the northeast side of Indianapolis and Fishers.  

When: 12pm - 1pm Thursday, October 16 2008
Where: Old National Bank, 9901 Fall Creek Road, Indianapolis, IN

IBN's Geist Chapter is a Thursday noon weekly event held at the Geist location of Old National Bank, located at 9901 Fall Creek Road, in their conference room that is right at the front of the bank's entrance to the right. It is an hour long from noon to 1:00 pm and provides IBN and non-IBN members an opportunity to market their businesses and make business connections in the Geist area.  

When: 11am - 12pm Friday, October 17 2008
Where: I Fishers Office Suites, 11650 Lantern Road

The Indiana Business Network Fishers Chapter which meets weekly at I Fishers Office Suites is located at 11650 Lantern Road, 1st Floor Conference Room. All current IBN members and any one wishing to expand their current base of business relationhips is welcomed. 

When: 12pm - 1pm Friday, October 17 2008
Where: II Fishers Office Suites

IBN's Noblesville Chapter meets every Friday at noon at II Fishers Office Suites in Fishers, located at 14074 Trade Center Drive. It is a Yeager Property that is just off the intersection of 141st Street and SR 37. It is a location made up primarily of Fishers and Noblesville businessowners and offers IBN members and non-IBN business guest attendees an opportunity to market their businesses and make business connections in this part of metropolitan Indianapolis. 

When: 9:30am - 10:30am Tuesday, October 21 2008
Where: Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Home, 1305 Broad Ripple Avenue

IBN's Broad Ripple Chapter is a weekly hour long networking mixer that takes place every Tuesday morning at 9:30 am at Flanner & Buchanan Funeral Home, downstairs, located by Broad Ripple High School, 1305 Broad Ripple Avenue. It is IBN's oldest chapter and allows businessowners looking to make business connections an excellent venue to others like them.