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Self Contained Network

Self Contained Network published on 3 Comments on Self Contained Network

Sometimes renaming things can get out of hand.

It seems that too often, companies try to breathe new life into a product or brand by renaming it.
In all too many cases, however, those efforts fail to yield the desired results.

On the one side are people who think it’s a fantastic idea (usually this is called the ‘Marketing Department’).
They claim that the old name had problems, gave the wrong impression or was out of touch with modern consumers.

On the other side are people who think it’s a terrible idea. This group is normally known as CONSUMERS.
If they are used to the old name, it can be to abandon it. Regular users may lose faith in the product, or not even know it is the same thing and stop using it altogether.

Often, a renaming occurs when a product or service has recieved negative press coverage.
This may be a justified course of action in order to re-establish the brand.

Other times, when sales are flagging, a product name can be changed (or chosen) to take advantage of buzzwords and terms that the “modern consumers” are using.
There has been no bigger example of his than the recent “Isnack 2.0″ incident in Australia, by Kraft foods.
This was a spectacularly massive fail which proved that Marketing people are very often out of touch with the very people they claim to be able to interact with – the general public.

Here are some helpful tips for any marketers who may be reading this:
– putting an “i” or an “e” in front of a word does not make it modern or futuristic
– web 2.0 is nothing more then a buzz word
– not EVERYTHING has to have a Facebook fanpage
– do not add “TW” to the front of your product name to try to appeal to twitter users. (I have mentioned this before)
– social networks are about the INTERACTION, not the FOLLOWER numbers
– not every new campaign needs to be crowd-sourced. (Try doing something yourself & stop being so lazy, ffs)

If you like zombies, then you should check out this site – Rezatron is by Reza Rasoli.
Reza makes these fun zombie inspired illustrations.

So, take a few minutes and enjoy the undead goodness.

The Perfect Comic

The Perfect Comic published on 4 Comments on The Perfect Comic

This is the most perfect comic ever created!

It’s a shame we will never see it….
But that is OK, because there will never be a perfect comic.

Comic Art is like any other form of art, in as much as it is subjective to the viewer and their personal preferences.
There are so many artistic styles active within the comics world that a single style will never be the one that meet with the approval of all people who view it.

Some people prefer highly stylised images, whilst others want a more photo-realistic version given to them to indulge in.

But the one thing that I think CAN be a common thread throughout all comics, regardless of popularity, the style in which they are created or even the medium they appear – and that is that they should be created by artists who enjoy what they are doing.

Too often in the comics world, artists will clash over the smallest things (often just due to a mis-interpretation of what may have been implied) and full on melee will erupt between two parties. Very often, in these cases, sides are taken and many more artists pop-up, just to throw their hats into the ring and be seen to be part of it all.
Pros and cons of the medium in which a comic is presented, will be debated vigorously.
Egos will be inflated and former glories will be held high as proof that that party is the correct one in the current debate.
And names are always called.

When I see this occurring, I cringe.
I want to just say out loud “can’t you just do what you do and love what you do?”

Not everyone wants to be a pioneer.
Not every comic artist will make a living from their passion.
No one medium is the ultimate and best one to use.
No one knows it all – there is always more to experience.

@ryanstegman posted on twitter recently, a great piece of advice to the newer artists out there – “STAY POSITIVE. There is no conspiracy against you breaking in! Work hard and make your own luck.”

The fact that there is even a perception of a “conspiracy” that newer artists have no hope in breaking into comics and achieving what they want to, is too much for me.
All this fighting and bragging can actually dissuade some upcoming artists from trying, which may then deprive us of some fantastic comic art in the future!

Those who have “made it” in the comics world should be setting examples of how to behave as a professional, as well as portraying what a unified and sharing community the Comics world actually is.
Too often though, they spend their time baiting others just because they can, or defending their own techniques or methods.

I would love to see 2010 be the year that the comics community worldwide, takes a step back and lets little comments roll off their back. Raise thos tolerance levels and become the “bigger man”
Ignore that ridiculous post.
Refrain from commenting, especially when you know the shit-storm it may create.
Let that twitter comment wash away in the tweet stream.

Let’s just remember that we are not journalists or politicians.
Our work should speak for us. Not the other way around.

Overall, I feel that comics creation should stem from of a love for creating comics and drawing – nothing else.
We do what we personally feel is right for our art.
The rest is just gravy.

CSI : Google

CSI : Google published on 4 Comments on CSI : Google

Will this CSI show be the lamest of them all?

As nearly everyone on the planet already knows, there are three CSI shows going already, as well the Law & Order / SVU types shows, which really go hand in hand with them.

These shows are popular, but I would challenge you to find someone who is not expecting, in the back of thier mind, to see another one pop up in the near future.

As it is, the shows are shown in 200 countries with an audience of around 2 billion people.
They have had a large cultural impact, creating what has been termed “the CSI Effect“. This effect has created many situations in which juries often have unreasonable expectations of real-life forensics because of what they have seen on CSI.

However the CSI effect has a negative side too.
Criminals are learning form the shows, and are frequently covering up evidence that could be used to trace them

Due to all these shows, the numbers of people looking to study forensic science, has jumped dramatically worldwide.
All of these future Crime Scene Investigators are expecting the job to be just as glamorous and challenging as they see on TV.

Well, since I have a background in science, and also have friends involved in Forensics, I can tell you that they are all in for a serious shock.
Most of the time, these crimes are solved by labwork. And the ones doing the labwork are scientists.

Forensic Science is what it is called, and there is a good reason for that.
IT IS SCIENCE. You wear a lab coat, measure with pipettes, prepare agar samples and look at specimens under a microscope.
Of course, there are some exciting times too –  like burning stuff with a Bunsen flame, or when you unevenly balance samples in the centrifuge. (Science guys will know what THAT is all about)

But, you are not going to be running around, being the one who finds the single stray hair or miniscule drop of blood, which cracks the case. And even if you do, you won’t get the recognition. That goes to the Law Enforcement Officer who in charge of the case.

So, just be warned (again) that Television is NOT real life.
Real life is more boring and has less close-ups.

Disconnection

Disconnection published on 12 Comments on Disconnection

Another example of the generation gap in action.

As you grow up, you are exposed to technological changes almost unconsciously.
Sure, your parents may talk about their brand new appliance or electronic gadget, and you may also recall these occasions when you are older.

As you grow up, exposed to these technological advances, you become so accustomed to what they offer, that you assume that what you know is just how things should be.

By the time my children are adults, they will just take for granted things like wireless internet, cable/satellite TV, in-car navigation devices, social networking, blogging and mobile phones which are actually more personal computer than just a phone.

Already, when my son speaks on my iPhone, he looks at the screen, trying to see the person at the other end.
And why shouldn’t he? In a few years, video calling will be the norm, rather than the exception.

I think that is some ways, taking the current technology for granted is good for the children of today.
Let them get comfortable enough with it all, so that they focus on improving it and taking us even further along the path of modern technological marvels.

Yet, part of me also believes in the old adage “You don’t know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been”.

So, I am a little torn in exactly which side of the fence I sit on.
I will teach my children about what came before, in order for them to understand where they are, much better.

But overall, all I really want is for them to be safe and happy.
Oh, and a flying car, because traffic should be a thing of the past by now.

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