What the tribes say (part 1 of many)

At the beginning of this year, or even earlier than that, I had come across Tribes, the popular book by Seth Godin. I have not commited myself to get the book as yet because a long list of titles awaits my attention near my bedside table, my virtual desk and at the office. But with Tribes, comes The Tribes Casebook, which is a free ebook written by the tribe at Triibes.com. Before leaving this page to read more about Triibes.com, you may want to to know that this community is currently by invite only. If on the other hand you are smiling simply because you are one of the Triibes clan, then please be kind and send us at BLAB an invite. We're really delighted to know more!

Well in brief, the Tribes Casebook is a book written by a community which started off as part of the actual book project. The book is some 250 pages long and says a lot about small/big communities in society. I would like to commit to share some of them. This should help me to write and read regularly about different communities, which are key in the 2.0 world!

So the first tribe falls in the category of Tribes you don't want to belong to, one of which is 'The tribe of the Disabled'. Jon Morrow, the author of this section of the book, starts off by explaining how people may join this tribe, sometimes by accident, sometimes involuntary from birth. Jon states:

"Some people take it hard. They feel like they’ve been kidnapped from another tribe, the Tribe of Normal People. They feel like everything they were and everything they knew was taken away.

Eventually though, most of us realize that the Tribe of Normal People doesn’t actually exist. There’s no bond between the nondisabled. There are no leaders among them. There are no rules. It doesn’t exist."

And from a tribe which no one wants to belong to, many realize this tribe is about courage. "It takes courage to look at yourself and accept your imperfections. It takes courage to love yourself anyway. It takes courage to go beyond merely trying to survive your life and start trying to actually enjoy it."

This is the first tribe the Casebook speaks about, but i think it sets the parameters for most of the other tribes, what's common within and what's alien to the ones outside.

The above discussion is drawn from The Tribes Casebook. Get the Casebook here: http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2008/10/free-tribes-ebo.html

For the lost facebook souls

Facebook has a new layout and many are lost. I think the homepage tour helps navigation so here it goes: http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/homepage_tour.php

Strangely, Facebook never seems to please its networks members in each redesign. Also, the redesign is not a gradual one which results in the need of a map/tour!

Vodafone launches first netbook in Malta

Vodafone has over the weekend launched the first netbook locally. For the record, a netbook is a laptop with in-built mobile broadband functionality. In simple terms, you may get the netbook, go on campus and start browsing without the need of an internet key, WiFi or wired connection.

The usual disclaimer follows: I work with Vodafone and so am bound to be slightly biased so have a look for yourself:

More info:
http://www.vodafone.com.mt/page/DellInspironMini9.html

Online enquiry:
http://www.vodafone.com.mt/jsp/vfm_online_enq/view.jsp

I'm an iPhone, I'm a Blackberry!

If you are into Apple you may have easily come across the 'I'm a Mac, I'm a PC' ads. Well since Apple is moving into phones and mobiles, it has another rival...Blackberry!

Even tough I am more of the impression that Blackberry is a business device whilst iPhone is a fun smartphone, any brand wants a bigger share of the pie, even if technically it was never originally its own.

The below ad. is evidence of this and is doing very well virally speaking:

Work in progress

We're currently re-designing our web layout. Feel free to feedback. It's a totally transparent process!

The Valletta Waterfront’s new site goes live with ICON

VISET Malta plc’s Valletta Waterfront is loved by passengers, tourists and locals alike and offers state of the art sea passenger terminal facilities and is an ideal shopping, dining and entertainment location, in one of the most unique spots in the Mediterranean. The historical development, which dates back more than 250 years, is set overlooking the majestic Grand Harbour and the picturesque Three Cities.

What was once a derelict piece of land has been well and truly transformed into an area oozing appeal. With the help of web-development company, ICON, VISET Malta plc now has a website to reflect their forward-looking approach.

ICON is one of Malta’s leading web development companies known for their world-class sites that are both design-focused and feature-rich. This recently launched site is expansive and covers all facets of VISET’s varying focuses. It features an easy-to-use interface which walks visitors through the corporate section of the site offering detailed information about the company and the terminal facilities. It also boasts sections on the commercial parts of the Valletta Waterfront including a comprehensive list of restaurants, bars, clubs and offices. An exciting addition is the EarthCam which links directly to live images of the Grand Harbour 24 hours a day.

ICON company director Gege Gatt said: “VISET approached us with their creative ideas for their new site and we were happy to assist them every step of the way”.

Anna Maria Sciberras, Business Development Executive at the Valletta Waterfront commented, “Now launched, the site provides valuable information, to ensure that all visitors and people in the trade are updated and well-informed. Through the tailor-made tools provided by ICON, our personnel can easily update the information on the site as regularly as needed. Its technology benefits both the company and our esteemed clients.”

The site is now up and running at: www.vallettawaterfront.com.

Creative squares at 68th St. Lucy Str.

The original house which launched the Redprints exhibition some months ago will be soon hosting Square. The good news for all creatives is that Square will be hosting your 10 by 10 creative squares. Submission deadline is in a month's time.

Read it all online at:
http://redprintsblog.com/2009/02/12/square/