feed hat blog

I’ll admit it. I have a soft spot for Thanksgiving.

First, because it’s an excuse for me to bake for three days. (If you need a last-minute recipe for the world’s best chocolate cream pie, I’ve got you covered.)

And second, because it reminds me to quit grumbling and start noticing all of the amazing stuff I’ve got in my life.

Here’s my list of 10 things I would humbly recommend you add to your own “gratitude list” this year. They’ve done great things for my business and I think they’ll do great things for yours.

1. The crummy economy

I know, this seems weird. I’m not discounting the very serious and significant problems this has created for millions of people. One of whom might well be you.

But in cracking open the existing systems and shaking them like an ant farm, the horrible economy has also created some amazing opportunities.

If you think of the big companies as dinosaurs who’ve just been hit between the eyes with a gigantic meteor, remember that you’re the smart, agile, adaptable monkey who’s going to inherit the earth.

Frankly, the economy is going to suck for awhile no matter how you feel about it. So you might as well look for the angles that can benefit you.

2. The social web

Brian’s not a fan of this term, since of course everything about the web has always been social. It was built by humans, after all.

But there’s no question that a revolution in communication technology lets you be social with more people, more easily, over incredible geographic and cultural distances, with less friction than ever before.

Which means you can get the word out about what you do for hardly any money, with no special technical ability, to tens of thousands or even millions of people.

And that’s just cool.

3. The quality of free information

Stewart Brand didn’t just say “information wants to be free.” He also said, “information wants to be expensive, because it’s so valuable.”

What this boils down to is that a lot of smart people have put together great tips, techniques, and help for you to do just about anything. Very often, they start by selling that information at a hefty price tag, to those for whom it’s most valuable.

Then some time goes by, they keep developing their stuff, and they “move the free line” by giving away tremendously valuable information for free.

Yes, the free goodies take time to sift through. Yes, there’s a whole lot of junk.

But if you’re bootstrapping your project, you can spend a little more time and energy and find the answers you want.

Because the current ethos is “give away incredibly valuable stuff for free to build trust and rapport,” you can benefit from that.

You have to choose wisely, of course. Don’t spend your time watching or reading anything from people you don’t respect or relate to. But if you stick with the people your gut tells you are right for you, you can learn amazing things without spending a dime.

4. The quality of paid information

Because there’s so much excellent free material out there, it means that for people who are creating paid information products (membership sites, ebooks, home study courses, etc.), their stuff has to be top notch.

So when you find yourself crossing that line where you’ve got some spare money but not much spare time, you have increasingly excellent opportunities to educate yourself online.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re learning to fly fish, climb the corporate ladder, design gardens, potty train your kid, be a happier person, or even (yes) market your business online, there are terrific resources that will teach you to do that for a very reasonable fee. And you can access these courses from virtually anywhere on earth.

5. Twitter search

Companies have taken hundreds of millions of dollars in VC funding to build tools that “listen in” to the conversations buzzing around the Internet.

That’s fine, but you can do an amazing job of this for free by signing up for a Twitter account.

Too many people think Twitter is mostly about telling people what kind of sandwich they’re having for lunch today. But for smart business people, Twitter is mostly about listening.

Search Twitter for the kinds of phrases your customers tend to talk about. Maybe it’s low-carb dessert recipes or finding a karate school for their kids.

You’ll find out what they’re saying, what kind of language they use to talk about it, what bugs them and what delights them.

These are staggeringly useful things to know when you’re trying to market a product or service. And you can get it by spending maybe 6 or 7 minutes a day, for free.

6. Connections with incredible people

Whatever it is you like to blog or write about, there are amazingly cool people who like to blog and write about that, too.

They’re posting wonderful articles and interesting perspectives and asking fascinating questions. And you can get to know them just by writing about their stuff (with a link, of course), posting reasonably intelligent comments on their blog, and following them on Twitter.

The smart, funny, snarky, interesting, kind, and entirely wonderful people I’ve met by blogging have blown me away. And I’m always finding new folks. (That was true before I started writing for a “big blog,” by the way. In fact, it’s how I started writing for a big blog.)

7. Aweber

Aweber (www.aweber.com) is my email newsletter management tool. They do a great job getting mail into in-boxes (mostly because they hate spammers even worse than you do). They have useful tools, a fantastic how-to blog, an easy-to-understand interface, and I can’t recommend them highly enough.

A great email autoresponder sequence is my single favorite marketing tool (above a blog, even), and Aweber is the tool I think is best for the job.

8. Backpack

37Signals is another company I think is terrific, and I would be toast without their Backpack product.

Backpack keeps everything I do in one spot. Half-written blog posts, GTD lists, my calendar, reference notes for client projects, wild-hair ideas for new ventures, gardening plans, checklists for things I’m building, even backups of the million ebooks and audio education products I buy.

For me, they have the exact right combination of flexibility and simplicity, at an excellent price. If it doesn’t fit into my Backpack, I can probably live without it.

9. My copywriting library

A lot of those “secrets of the internet money-getting zillionaires” came from books you can buy for $12 on Amazon.

You can’t make money unless you can persuade someone to pay attention to what you’ve got, and then build a case for its value. That’s copywriting. (It’s even copywriting if you’re doing it with video.)

Classics like Scientific Advertising and Tested Advertising Methods are joined by newer giants like Robert Cialdini’s Influence and Seth Godin’s Permission Marketing, and a handful of great web-based references like Gary Bencivenga’s Marketing Bullets.

Learning to write great persuasive copy is mostly a matter of studying the techniques (which don’t change much, because human nature doesn’t change) and then trying them out. There’s no “push button” service that will magically do it for you. But the truth is, it’s well within your ability. You just have to get out there and start trying it.

10. The Third Tribe

This was an idea that bubbled up on Copyblogger back in February, after we were asked the question “Whose side are you on?”

Brian and I talked about this question quite a bit, and realized that we definitely weren’t on the strict yellow-highlighter-squeeze-page side. But we weren’t on the “blog for 20 years before you dare to ask anyone for the sale” side either.

So we made up a third side.

Actually, it had been there all along, going back four years to when Brian first created this blog. But once you have a label, you find that you start to articulate what you’re doing more clearly.

That led directly to the brand-new Copyblogger email newsletter, which kicks off with a 20-part course on how to be an ethical, non-sleazy, relationship-based kumbaya blogger and still make a very nice living. If that sounds like something that would interest you, you can learn more about the newsletter here.

What’s on your list?

What are you grateful for this year? What do you think other readers would be grateful for if they knew more about it? Let us know in the comments.

About the Author: Sonia Simone is Senior Editor of Copyblogger and the founder of Remarkable Communication.

Original post:
10 Things to Be Grateful For

Why do some people easily get hordes of comments on their blogs and quickly build a massive following, while others struggle?

It’s not because they hit the front page of Digg.

It’s not because they’re super-connected with A-listers.

It’s not even because they’re really smart.

It’s because they kill their good ideas.

And because they kill all the “good ideas,” they don’t chase the stuff that seems to have potential, but doesn’t really matter. They only do the stuff they must do: what they’re insanely passionate about and what they were born to do.

Of course all the other things, like great headline writing, social networking, and SEO, matter too.

But they’re all secondary to caring. No amount of hype can make up for it. While you can certainly create an outward shell of success with publicity and marketing tricks, that success only lasts until the next marketing gimmick falls through.

Working toward something you genuinely care about is like laying your roots deep in the earth. Trying to fake it at something you don’t like is clutching at sand.

Faking your passion for a product is like dipping a salmon-flavored ice cream cone in chocolate and hoping no one can taste the fish.

The sad part

Every day, vast amounts of time, money, and energy are put into creating things that people don’t want and don’t care about.

Brochures and fliers are made by the millions, and when handed out, it’s like they’re saying “Here, you throw this away.” (Thanks, Mitch, for that one.)

Tons of graphic design, copywriting, marketing, and all kinds of finagling is done in attempt to sell people things they don’t really need, and could care less about.

Sometimes these efforts work, at least temporarily. But there’s always a sense of something false beneath the surface.

When you don’t care about the work you do, not only does your audience know you’re not excited, you’re also unmotivated. The work is slow and painful, because you are easily distracted. You have to psyche yourself out to start your day.

The awesome part

The good news is that there are vast amounts of amazing endeavors you can pursue right now. You don’t have to do boring work, trying to slap feel-good emotion on top of boring products.

The even better news is that when you actually care about the work you do, it’s easy to stay motivated about communicating your message. You’ll still have to figure out how to market it and how to get people’s attention, but once you do that, the heavy lifting is already done.

Plus, you can delete all that nauseating highlighted text and neon-orange, fear-based marketing.

Take a deep breath. Notice the lack of carcinogens? It’s called fresh air. That’s what authentic marketing tastes like.

Some cool side-effects of caring

The nice thing about caring about your work is that it leads directly to respect for your audience.

It feels good to know your doctor actually cares about your health. It’s nice to know that your mayor actually cares about pesticide-free drinking water, too.

Caring builds respect. It also builds trust. But most of all, it helps you connect.

If we care about the same things, you’ll probably listen to what I have to say. A relationship is formed. You open up the channels of trust and permission.

Character may almost be called the most effective means of persuasion. ~ Aristotle

Caring emanates character and builds trust; the most powerful method of persuasion.

Sure, you can slap as much marketing as you want on top of a hollow product that you really couldn’t care less about. And if you’re skilled enough, you can probably get a decent amount of people to take out their wallets.

But why not use marketing to back up something that lights your head on fire with passion? Then, all of your tools of building curiosity, persuasion, and conversion not only get people to take out their wallets, they will tell their friends.

Kill your good ideas. Don’t do what you think might be profitable. Don’t do what you think is “sensible.” Don’t do what you think you might be willing to live with.

Do what you can’t not do.

About the Author: Jonathan Mead is a professional ass-kicker (life coach), raw foodist, and student of Jeet Kune Do. He recently released a free ebook called The Zero Hour Workweek, aimed at helping people find freedom from the 9 to 5.

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Kill Your Good Ideas

Michael Jackson’s sudden passing last week catalyzed fans around the world to remember the King of Pop’s awesome legacy. World’s greatest entertainer, most talented performer, best-known celebrity — these grand titles pale when compared to the outpouring of passion and love being shown by his fans. And the devotion is much-deserved; Jackson is indisputably a talent for the ages. His artful dedication to music and dance will live on through memories and, thankfully, video footage.

Memorabilia will be collected and preserved by those with deep pockets, but the rest of the world will hold on to his memory through his unique dance moves. The most-adored and most-imitated of Jackson’s moves is undoubtedly the moonwalk. Through Jackson’s signature moonwalk, fans may be able to forge a lasting connection with music’s brightest star.

And there are other connections worth making, too. In thinking about how the moonwalk revolutionized performance art, I was struck by how, in many ways, the infamous dance move is similar to search engine optimization. Both were groundbreaking technical achievements. Both opened doors for future generations. And both are sometimes shrouded in mystery. Here are the top five ways Michael Jackson’s mesmerizing moonwalk is like SEO.

1. It changed the game.

There’s a universal understanding that Michael Jackson’s career welcomed the dawn of a new musical age. Jackson’s unique dance style, epitomized through the moonwalk, inspired countless dancers and choreographers that followed. By the time the moonwalk reached the far corners of the earth, everyone recognized that dance and entertainment would never be the same. In many ways, search engine optimization has changed the online business game. SEO introduced a measure of order and control to business owners interested in growing their online business but uncertain of how to do it. The dance world and the online business world were both shaken up by the advent of these moves.

2. The beauty is in the simplicity.

Despite the outrageous and overblown dance moves being invented today, nothing will ever quite compare to the simple beauty of a man floating backwards across the floor. Jackson wasn’t hiding anything up his sleeves when he performed. He gave everything he had to the stage — every spin, every step, every screech. If anyone was to ever attempt to capture the essence of a Michael Jackson performance, there’d be no backstage secrets to comb through. In the moonwalk, what you see is what you get: an effortless mastery of movement. In SEO, secrets are constantly chased with hopes of gaining an edge. But the truth is, the core tenets of SEO have all been shared before. There are no secrets to successfully executing SEO or the moonwalk; the answer’s in front of us.

3. Everyone thinks they can do it.

When Jackson first broke out the moonwalk in front of a concert audience in 1983, you have to believe that millions watching on their TV screens at home started gliding backwards to the beat. And how many of them successfully executed the move? How many can even replicate it today without watching countless videos and practicing for hours? Likewise, the search engine optimization industry is fast expanding as people hop on the Internet marketing bandwagon. As SEO enters the mainstream, more and more people will look for their share of the pie. However, success in SEO requires time, patience and long-term dedication. Sure, experts make it look easy, but successful execution requires skill.

4. It’s part of a larger whole.

Audiences watching Jackson perform would wait with bated breath for the moonwalk. Any performance would be lacking without it, but the moonwalk alone was not the reason they watched. A high-pitched “ooh!” and gloved fist punching skyward would be equally missed. If Jackson performed an exhilarating show filled with smooth, pop-and-lock moves and fresh, energetic vocals, the moonwalk was the icing on the cake. Internet marketers recognize that search engine optimization is also part of a larger whole — the greater marketing mix. Cross-channel integration multiplies the marketing effect, so a healthy marketing budget will have a diversified selection of mediums. Whether it’s choreography or the marketing mix, the moonwalk and SEO alone do not a performance/online strategy make.

5. To the uninitiated, it seems like magic.

After a few unsuccessful tries, a Jackson imitator might realize that the moonwalk is deceptive in its simplicity. In fact, it could almost be deemed impossible if it weren’t displayed in all its glory in the video above. If it’s not impossible, one might posit after watching a Jackson performance, then it may as well be magic. Similarly, it might seem impossible that a search marketer can get a site into the top rankings of a competitive Google SERP. But as we all know, search engine optimization practices are applied, tested and measured with scientific precision. Without background and experience, SEO might just look like magic. Then again, in Jackson’s case, maybe it really was.

The rest is here: 
Five Ways the Moonwalk is Like SEO

Photo by Lee Carson via Creative Commons

Who hasn’t made time for their TGIF chair dance? It’s okay, I’m not judging. It’s just that I know how hard you work, and sometimes you gotta make some time for yourself, you know? On three, let’s tap our toes, wiggle our hips, point our fingers in the air and create a little doo-wop moment. One, two, three… Happy dance!

Ahh. That’s better. Now we can take a look at some of this week’s neat news.

The SEO Newsletter comes out Monday and if you’re not already subscribed, there’s no time like the present. See the form in the blog’s right-hand nav that says “Subscribe to our SEO Newsletter”? Yeah, it’s that easy. If you’re the type that needs convincing, here’s a quick teaser: wonder no more what Matt Cutts really said regarding PR sculpting with nofollow.

Tonight at midnight Eastern, Facebook will put vanity URLs up for grabs. Profiles and pages are both eligible for custom addresses, although every page or profile is only allowed one each and there are restrictions on length and character usage. The social media wizards at 10e20 have put together a helpful preparation guide that includes eligibility requirements. According to Mashable’s sources, fan pages with less than a thousand followers can claim a custom URL after June 28. [Face it, it's not like you're doing anything else on date night, right? --Susan]

Photo by Srini G via Creative Commons

It’s always impressive when a company captures a bit of viral video magic, considering how rare this hallowed rite of online marketing truly is. Carl’s Jr.’s latest campaign has amassed more than 3 million video views. Of course it helps that the video for the mushroom burger features such a fungi. (Ah, I crack myself up!) [Rimshot --Susan] If you’re looking to get into the online video space, check out ReelSEO’s list of tools that let you to upload videos to multiple video sharing sites. Both paid and free tools make the list, so whatever your budget, it’s worth checking out.

The release of the iPhone 3GS was announced this week. Gadget lovers are understandably excited, but the shiny new toy could have marketers smiling, too. AdAge has listed features of the new smartphone, explaining how marketers can leverage each technology. If you’re more of an RIM fan, you can snag a free BlackBerry before the deal ends Sunday. This is one seriously awesome offer. [Having bought my 8900 when it came out four months ago, I now know how iPhone owners feel. And I don't like it. -- Susan]

FYI: I have not been bribed to write about the above products. If I had, the FTC would come after me, and I’m not looking to get on any federal agencies’ bad side. If you do find yourself in dire straits with the authorities, take a deep breath. I hear it’s pretty easy to get a pass from the Commander in Chief. Tellingly, comic book writers have translated the President’s inner superhero into pen and ink, and Comicbook.com thinks a few other celebs might have what it takes as well.

Photo by chrs_snll via Creative Commons

Unfortunately, even the POTUS can’t save us from an otherworldly threat. In a billion years, when Mars or Venus decide to stop by for a visit and inadvertently smash Earth to smithereens, I have a feeling I might not make it. One teen got a small-scale preview of the action when he was hit by a pea-sized meteorite. It left him with a scar and the absolute coolest story ever.

In the Googleverse, updates and releases are raining down faster than comets. Last week we read Search Engine Watch’s super-sized list of Google updates, and this week we get a list of nine more. Links to more info on reconsideration request updates, the new mobile iGoogle, and the updated Webmaster Tools interface — they’re all there.

Before we part ways, I just want to cheer us all on as we enter a new age. An age where “Web 2.0″ is the one millionth word to enter the English language. Does anyone else see good times on the horizon?

Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:

• Is your goat bored? Unmotivated? Has the old sparkle left his eyes? Build him a goat tower!
• Next time don’t skip lunch. Instead, warm up some beans with your computer. Appetizing. [Yum yum fail. --Susan]
• As soon as some evidence of extraterrestrial life surfaces, the kids go and burn it.
• Sure the bird can dance, but can it head bang with a gusto that would put Judas Priest to shame? Uh… that’s a yes!

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Friday Recap - Shoot for the Stars Edition

Tony Adam, Pamela Lund & Christopher Hart at IM Spring Break

During IM Spring Break last April, Christopher Hart spoke during the Internet Marketing Business session with Pamela Lund and Tony Adam. Pam talked about managing client expectations. Tony focused in on SEO evangelism. And Chris framed the conversation of online business as an evolution in response to a changing environment.

Understanding where we’ve come from and where we are now can help companies position themselves for the environments of the future. The evolution that has occurred in the business world since the advent of the Internet is not unlike the evolution that has occurred in the natural world. Chris was reminded of this while watching Planet Earth one evening, and, in a stroke of creative genius, drew some vivid parallels to illustrate the state of our evolved business environment today. He presented those lessons at IM Spring Break and was kind enough to share his presentation with me. Since these are stories we can all learn from, I thought I’d share them here on the blog.

Cooperation and Understanding Add Up

Photo by El Cap’n via Creative Commons

Did you know that Blue Whales measure up to 108 feet long and weigh up to 172 metric tons? The Blue Whale is the largest living animal and may be the largest animal to have ever lived. However, these giants feed almost exclusively on krill, tiny shrimp-like animals. For the massive mammals to survive on a diet of these tiny treats, they have to consume 40 million krill, or 8,000 pounds, each day.

It’s hard to believe that all those miniscule sea-bugs can sustain a marine titan like the Blue Whale. But it happens, every single day. Companies are like huge Blue Whales thriving on a steady stream of bite-sized nutrients. They require a constant input of small accomplishments in order to achieve large-scale success. At an organization, a number of employees within many departments each play a part in an online business initiative.

For instance, the task completed by the copywriter is passed on to the SEO who meets with the marketing manager to get approval for a new landing page on the site. The new page will be implemented by a member of the programming department in partnership with someone on the Web design team. A thousand tiny decisions from a hundred different people might be made on the journey from idea to reality. Evangelism at the highest levels is required before the culture of understanding required for communication and cooperation is cultivated. With everyone onboard, it’s more likely that the many decisions made across the company will support the best interests of the organization’s online success.

Communication is Crucial

Photo by exfordy via Creative Commons

Elephants, the largest land animals, live for 50 to 70 years in a highly structured social order. Herds are made up of 5 to 15 adults plus several young. These tight-knit family groups are lead by the matriarch, and female elephants are the core members of the herd with male elephants leaving the group upon puberty. When a herd gets too large, a female may break off to form her own small group. If resources are scarce or if migration is necessary, hundreds of herds may come together to form a clan that aids in sharing or safety. Considering the complex family systems that unite and divide on a constant basis, it’s no surprise that elephants rely on advanced communication to keep track of the process.

Imagine the chaos that would ensue if these mammoth animals, which can weigh up to 13 tons each, didn’t have tools of communication at their disposal. But because they do, elephants have evolved into large, intelligent animals with sophisticated social relationships that bring them to superior levels of efficiency. Like elephants communicating among the herd, a business must develop its internal communications so that the whole can function most effectively. The ability to easily and clearly communicate in terms that everyone understands is crucial to the success of each initiative and to the company’s survival as a whole.

The potential for chaos within a company is just as real as it is within a clan of elephants. A refined online business initiative will incorporate SEO, PPC, SMM and ORM, among other things. And yet we know that no one part can be eliminated without an exponentially negative effect on the whole. With so many vital working pieces coming together, it’s necessary to have clear and continual communication at every stage of a project, from every level of the organization. Only then can the full potential of an online business initiative be realized.

Flourish When Faced by Challenges

Photo by Oakley Originals via Creative Commons

Most of a cicada’s life is spent underground as a nymph. However, before the end of their life cicadas come to the surface to mate. With vast numbers emerging from the soil at the same time, cicadas avoid population devastation. North American cicadas have a life cycle of either 13 or 17 years. It’s believed that these long cycles occurring at prime number intervals are a mechanism to help the insects avoid predators. For instance, predators with shorter life cycles, such as two to five years, can not rely on cicadas as prey.

There’s a thing or two we can learn from our creepy-crawly cohabitators. Cicadas have evolved in ways that make sustainability of the species most likely. These insects, which are usually just one to two inches long, are vulnerable to any number of predators looking to engulf a juicy snack. And yet the 2,500 species of cicadas around the world continue to flourish thanks to clever evolutionary adaptations. In its own way, a company must adapt to today’s marketplace in order to survive. Fast reaction times, creative problem solving and flexibility are required to stay on top in the online marketplace.

Remember how the cicada spends much of its life below the visible surface? The majority of what an organization does will never be seen by the public eye. But, those “invisible” tasks that are accomplished every day are crucial to the success of the company. And while it would be nice for ROI, profitability and efficiency to always come measured in constant, reliable formulas, it’s usually not the case. Your marketplace, your competition, the search engines and the company itself are always moving, changing and growing. There are no cookie-cutter solutions to the challenges of doing business online; each obstacle requires a fresh strategy and understanding in order to craft a solution that works.

[ED: Our friend Dan emailed us to point out that the picture above is not of a 13 or 17 year cicada but a Tibicen superbus, a 2 year cicada. This Magicicada septendecim is the bug we were referring to. We regret the error especially because Magicicada is totally a cooler name than Superbus. --Susan]

The Natural World Meets the Business World

In the natural world, animals have adapted to environmental hardships for millions of years. But in the business world, the challenge of a new online environment has forced unexpected adaptations. Time-tested evolutionary methods employed in the animal kingdom can serve as a lesson to companies struggling to gain footing online. Remember that attaining buy in from the top down will facilitate cooperation and understanding. Of course, maintaining communication across the organization is crucial. And forget out-of-the-box solutions; custom adaptations are much better suited to the fast-changing online environment. Obviously, Mother Nature knows what she’s doing, so don’t be afraid to apply nature’s knowledge to your online business evolution.

More here:
Online Business Evolution: An IM Spring Break Presentation

Phew! What a week of cut throat competition. Life in the song and dance world can get heated! American Idol and Dancing with the Stars fans fell prey to some shocking upsets as underdog Kris Allen was crowned idol and Shawn Johnson took the mirror ball trophy home to meet her Olympic medals. [Spoilers! --Susan]

But there’s always room for new blood in the entertainment industry, and the BCI writers have located the next rising star. Katie Luke, you have a fan club!

Katie is the daughter of our favorite senior account analyst, Gary Luke. Last week Katie starred in the Moorpark High presentation of Thoroughly Modern Millie and got rave reviews (from me). Believe me, it’s just a matter of time before this starlet’s on Broadway.

While I’m on the subject of absurdly talented musicians, looks like Google has more than one on staff. I was tipped off to a video of the gnarliest beat box performance ever during what looks like a talent show at the search engine’s UK office. Fluteboxing is my new favorite performance medium.

Getting to share best skills and talents with your co-workers is the kind of positive energy generator that keeps staffs happy. But even Google’s stellar work environment hasn’t stopped the company from developing an algorithm to predict what employees are at risk of quitting. Forget the behaviorally targeted ads and monopolistic tendencies — this is real freaky.

At Ask this week, the engine’s home page boasts a skin ad for an upcoming movie. On Search Engine Land, Barry Schwartz asks readers if it’s “desperate or cool“. But hey, I want to see Night At The Museum, users don’t see the Ask home page for long, and I’m a fan of getting creative, so I gotta say I’m digging it. [I, however, am not. Stay classy, Ask. --Susan]

News surrounding Yahoo this week was mostly about its search event held Tuesday. The message from Yahoo was that the focus is shifting from a “web of pages” to a “web of objects” — whatever that means. At the Outspoken Media blog, Lisa Barone helped me wrap my noggin around the point of it all: Yahoo’s going to make user intent, engagement objects and openness its mighty search trinity. As Lisa shows us, those are values we can all share.

So, like the post title says, I’m all about the awesome talent today. That’s probably because wicked skills were spilling out of the Internet all week. There was the adorable tale of a banker who spent all day saving ducklings from almost-certain injury as they tumbled perilously toward concrete 12 feet below. Way to go, duckling-catcher-hero-man!

Then there are the college students playing hamster, generating electricity by working out on campus ellipticals. I’m always looking for new ways to reduce my carbon footprint, but physically pumping electricity back into the grid? That’s gotta feel good.

And you can’t forget the honorable service provided to us through product testers. At Gizmodo the question we’ve all been asking is finally answered. Which is best: the Slanket, the Snuggie, the Freedom Blanket or the Blankoat? Ahhh, finally. Wonder no more!

If like me, you’ve got a keen eye for detail, in the pictures linked to above you’ll notice some Star Trek memorabilia dressing up our Gizmodo author’s side table. One interior designer takes it a step further — or maybe a marathon further — by decorating his entire flat as the transporter deck of the star ship Enterprise, TNG style. The story says he Trekified his flat after his wife left him. What affection he lost from her has surely been replaced by this labor of love. [She must have been a Star Wars fan. --Susan]

And finally, everyone at Bruce Clay, Inc. wants to send an excited congratulations to tech and SEO blogger Tamar Weinberg and family. This week Tamar gave birth to a beautiful baby boy. Just precious!

Things I learned from Boing Boing this week:

• Talking with your hands actually helps you think! [Finally, I am vindicated! --Susan]
• Distaste for the word “moist” is almost universal. And just FYI, my least favorite word has always been “spore”.
• Next time you try to mount a Twitter marketing campaign, watch out for any rogue documentarians looking to hijack it from you.
• There’s a shark eating a kid’s head! Someone get this woman on Etsy, STAT!
• If you needed another reason to be scared of soda, researchers say it will make your muscles mush.

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Friday Recap - We’ve Got Talent Edition