Elegance

Elegance
Originally uploaded by Wilhelm Augustus Hohenzollern

Sometimes elegance isn't what we think it is.

When I got my Macbook Pro in 2006, I quickly started to get a design sense, so when my rather ordinary laptop bag broke, I decided to go back to the Mac store for my next bag. It's been a good bag - until about 2 months ago.

Somehow, 2 months ago, the doohickey that holds the strap onto the bag just disappeared. The little metal thingie was gone.

It still held up alright when the strap was around my shoulder, but as soon as the strap slackened, it would come off. Quite stressful when your expensive laptop is in the bag!

For the want of a little metal doohickey, I was willing to buy another bag at around $65 (yeah, it was on special!). I asked at the shop about whether they sold parts and they said if I had the receipt they could replace it.

I couldn't find the receipt.

I was seriously considering shelling out $65 on a new bag, until I remember a story about Einstein. (I won't bore you with the story, suffice it to say Einstein was involved with a paper clip).

I chose a matching colour paper clip, twisted it around a bit, and voila. I now have a whole lot less stress carrying my bag around.

Which to me is elegance, even if it is not the traditional Mac way (ie. pay lots for whatever you do).

Scary Washing Machine - behind the scenes! iJumpTV 59

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Who bought the famous Scary Washing Machine from auction site Trademe? It was appliance retail chain 100%, and Tango Communication's Zac Pullen tells us how it happened. Here's the original listing on Trademe (check out the comments): http://www.trademe.co.nz/Home-living/Laundry/Washing-machines/Top-loader-6kg-under/auction-223309871.htm And here's Scary's new home online: http://blog.100percent.co.nz/

The legal profession needs reinventing

Lawyers and/or geeks, correct me if I'm wrong.

Laws are made (theoretically) by the people for the protection of the people's rights.

Yet a whole industry (okay, profession) has arisen that makes its money by charging people $2000+ for a template agreement.

They're able to do this because of inertia. Simply because that's the way they've always done it.

Isn't it time the legal profession came in for a bit of reinvention?

Here's the geeky part: laws are made for the people, (kind of) by the people. Just like an open source code base.

Others then interpret the code base in order to apply it to particular needs - as we've seen with the hundreds (thousands, even) Twitter apps that use Twitter's open API.

What if we took the same approach to law?

How much of law is just code, and not dependent on interpretations?

My Dream Scenario

I'm a business owner. I want to hire a contractor, or partner with someone on a project.

I want an agreement that is legally binding, but as an entrepreneur who does a lot of partnering, I don't want to need a lawyer on staff to get stuff done. I just want to do stuff.

Wouldn't it be great to go to a website where I and my potential partner in crime can go and fill in dynamic forms that automate the process of lawyering.

Where my partner and I work out the kind of business relationship we want to have, enter the necessary parameters, and then the software would show us areas we need to think about.

Instead of the anxiety of

1. a trip to a lawyer's office
2. a conversation where it's highly possible to get the details wrong (after all, you may not have all your paperwork with you)
3. not knowing what you'll be paying until afterwards

you get

1. an agreement, that reflects your wishes, that is legally binding.

And if there are any anomalies, you can contact a lawyer through chat on the site. Or send an email.

It's the kind of disruption that's hitting every single industry. Milk the system (music industry, lawyers) and people will live for the day when you will be automated.

Act like a valuable partner, live to serve, and move with the times, and you'll be closer to the original definition of profession.

(Awesome photo from Steve Punter!)

The HTC Magic, NZ's first Google Phone - iJumpTV Extra #58

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Vodafone loaned us the brand new HTC Magic for a couple of weeks. It's the first handset in NZ to feature Google's Android operating system. What does this mean? Find out.

Social Media and Social Change in New Zealand

I gave this presentation to a group of students from Regis University in Colorado this morning. Thought I may as well spread the word further.

Social Media and Social Change in New Zealand

View more presentations from Simon Young.

Chris Brogan and more at Marketing Now - iJumpTV #54

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The highlights from the hugely successful Marketing Now Conference in Wellington, New Zealand. Features: Chris Brogan http://www.chrisbrogan.com David Meerman Scott http://www.davidmeermanscott.com Sharon Crost http://www.getbusinesswow.wordpress.com ...plus your invitation to join http://nzsocialmedia.ning.com/

ANZAC Day thoughts

(Written on ANZAC day)

Every year, the news on ANZAC day leads with growing numbers of young people attending dawn parades.

And on Twitter this morning, it was people in their teens and 20s encouraging us all to remember ANZAC day.

Why? Why is this solemn occasion such a hit amongst younger people?

Here's my theory:

• We have deformalised much of our society, and missed out the opportunity to feel completely in awe. The closest thing we have is a music concert, and often that is limited to a particular age group. ANZAC Day is a rare occasion to gather as a whole community and contemplate something truly awesome - the utter destruction of war. (By awesome I don't mean good, I mean something that strikes you speechless)

• We have ignored our European/British/Western heritage, and we hunger to understand it better. ANZAC Day ceremonies are full of distant memories of the past - uniforms, cenotaphs, Bible readings, brass bands, traditions. Where did this all come from? Even when I was at school I learnt more about New Zealand and American (!) history than the British Empire from which New Zealand came. And while I'm a statistical minority for growing up in church and understanding the history of Christianity (somewhat), I'd guess most young people these days know very little about this religion that really defined the Western world. So taking part in an ANZAC ceremony must be a mixture of the familiar (celebrating our basic New Zealand-ness, or even Antipodean-ness) with some aspects that are as unfamiliar as a Hindu or Buddhist ceremony.

Other observations:

• ANZAC Day is not about glorifying war, but it is about celebrating soldiers. Might be a difficult distinction to make. I think what unites us is the sheer emotion - the realisation that war is crazy, and maybe some wars shouldn't have happened, but these men and women were incredibly brave to go through what they went through, and they need our help and recognition to heal.

It's also set off a lot of thoughts in my mind about why war memorials are as formal as they are. War is certainly not formal. It's chaotic, violent, unpredictable. Maybe the solemnity and formality of our ceremonies is part of the healing.

What do you think?

(Image courtesy of Hugo90)