The Central Ohio Network

Experience Columbus Days is this weekend!

By Rocky VanBrimmer | October 9, 2008

CO Net’s good Twitter friend Irene at Experience Columbus alerted us to this worthwhile event this weekend in Columbus Ohio.

According to Irene “It’s an incredible effort among Columbus attractions and Columbus Dine Originals restaurants to offer discounts throughout Columbus Day weekend, October 10-13.”

Discount flyer’s are available at http://ExperienceColumbusDays.com and can be used to get 50% off attractions and 25% off dining.

Here is a list of some of Columbus Hot spots participating in this wonderful event:

BalletMet’s audience favorite “Dracula.”The Wexner Center for the Art’s blockbuster exhibit “
Andy Warhol: Other Voices, Other Rooms.”
The Columbus Zoo and Aquarium.
The Kelton House Museum and Garden
Columbus Italian Festival.

As in previous years, many attractions and events will offer 50 percent discounts off admission. For a second year, a 25 percent discount will be offered by the more than 40 members of Dine Originals Columbus, a group of independently owned and operated restaurants and one of several chapters of Dine Originals America.

For complete details, visit ExperienceColumbusDays.com where you’ll find a flyer needed to secure discounts at participating establishments.

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Topics: Food, Startup Weekend, Thank You, Twitter, Uncategorized | No Comments »

Is the Sky Really Falling?

By Don Ryan | October 8, 2008

Image via Wikipedia

This would be all of my second post but I am inspired to write due to the impending financial doom that is apparently upon us. If I were a regular watcher of CNBC or any number of financial sites, I would need to double up on my Prozac just to get to my morning coffee. Allow me to be contrarian for a minute:

IT’S A GREAT TIME TO START A BUSINESS!!

No, I have not gone off my rocker and I certainly am aware that credit is tight. Fortune 500 companies aren’t hiring? The stock market is in the toilet. So what? Small business is the driver of the American economy. It has never been more affordable to do something completely inspiring. Equipment is cheap. Bandwidth is cheap. Office space is your kitchen table. What are you waiting for?

I’m not here to pimp my particular firm but, as we’re less than a year old, allow me to share our story. We started in February and found a niche that needed filled. We’re a service company so there is minimal overhead. After buying some computers and business cards, we threw passion into the mix and we exploded. In fact, we exploded to the point that we’re looking to hire in the first quarter of next year. You can’t fake passion. People are drawn to it and repelled by a lack of it and no matter how lousy the credit markets are, there will always be businesses attracted to people who are passionate about what they do. Fortunately, Central Ohio is an enigma to the rest of the “rust belt” in that it seems to be a magnet for innovation and ingenuity. I can’t think of anywhere else I’d rather set up shop.

Okay, there’s your daily motivation. Now go build something AWESOME!

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Topics: Web 2.0 | 6 Comments »

Ohio 2.0 event coming to Columbus

By Lara Kretler | October 8, 2008

Editor’s Note, The Central Ohio Network does not endorse or support any political candidate or party. Although this event does highlight Web 2.0 and technology, it does have a political nature and should be attended at your own discretion. The Central Ohio Network reserves the right to edit or delete any comments that are for or against any candidate and/or respective party.

Every once in a while, things happen that make me realize anew just how cool Columbus really is. The magical James Turrell million-dollar light installation at Franklin Park Conservatory is one such example (if you haven’t seen it, what are you waiting for?).

Another is this Friday evening’s Ohio 2.0 event - an opportunity to see and hear Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, and Judy Estrin, author of Closing the Innovation Gap:Reigniting the Spark of Creativity in a Global Economy and former CTO of Cisco, at a 2.0 technology event in support of Senator Barack Obama. It’s free and sure to be a fantastic opportunity to network, see and be seen with central Ohio’s technorati.

Regardless of who you favor for president, you have to admit this is pretty cool - national tech talent right here in our own backyard. There’s even a VIP afterparty (priced accordingly) for a lucky few to meet and hobnob with these folks and others (like Craig Newmark, founder of Craigslist) after the general session.

I plan to be there and may do a little blogging from the event. I’m psyched to rub elbows with the local tech crowd and hear some new perspectives on innovation, business and social networks. Above all, I’m thrilled to see Columbus being recognized as the tech-savvy city we are.

Are you planning to attend the Ohio 2.0 event or post-event reception? Looks like a good night to be a geek!

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Topics: Central Ohio Events, Connecting, Networking, Web 2.0 | 1 Comment »

Social Media and Nonprofits

By Mary Wehrle | October 7, 2008

Nonprofits depend on donors in order to stay in business an with the recent events in this country’s economy, nonprofits need social media now more than ever if they want to survive. Family budgets are tight and one of the first thing to go is donations to charity. Volunteerism slides as gas prices go up. So what are nonprofits doing? The smart ones have moved beyond the standard brochure site that provides pages explaining their organization’s history, programs and how to donate and added social media content in order to engage the public directly.

There are several online resources nonprofits can use to jump start the move to social media and engage with the public. Here are some of the few that I’ve found to be extremely useful:

NetSquared: Is an initiative of TechSoup the assist nonprofits in creating and launching a social media plan. NetSquared has created an online community for nonprofits to learn skills, share information and develope expertise in social media. There are a host of tools for nonprofits to take advantage of as well.

Squidoo: Is a web site founded by Seth Godin. Pages in Squidoo are called lenses and are hand built by people like you. Squidoo is a way for nonprofits to develope lenses to help educate the public on issues that the agency works to address. Squidoo lenses can be developed for teachers to use in class rooms or even to train volunteers. The site does allow advertising but, the money from ads goes towards the charities involved in the Squidoo community.

For ideas on how your nonprofit can use social media, See The 59 smartest orgs online. This list is chock full of nonprofit organizations who are using web 2.0 tools successfully, with links to the web sites and explanations of why they are considered smart.

Smart nonprofits will take advantage of these free tools to boost their message and increase donations with very little cost. A must do in these economic times.

If you are on Twitter, and have a particular issue that you are passionate about, you can find other like minded folks by checking out Twits Like Me. Twits like me is also a great way to connect to others in your industry and expand your network beyond your local boudaries.

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Topics: Uncategorized | 2 Comments »

October Columbus Tweet-Up!

By Denise Baker | October 2, 2008

Our second evening Tweet-up! Don’t miss the October 22 Tweet-up sponsored by Opera Columbus. Come for the networking, stay for the Opera Columbus dress rehearsal for Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers. Tweet-up participants will have VIP seating in the Loge of the stunning Ohio Theater.

At the age of 25, Bizet (who also composed the popular opera Carmen) wrote The Pearl Fishers. Set in the exotic location of Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka), the opera tells the story of the love triangle between Zurga, Nadir and Leila. The show also features one of Opera’s most beloved songs “Au fond du Temple Saint” (Peral Fishers Duet). Afraid you won’t be able to understand the opera? Have no fear. There will be subtitles (just like the subtitles in foriegn films) projected in ENglish across the top of the stage. Dress for the event is casual. For more information about The Pearl Fishers please click here.

The Ohio Theatre

39 East State Street

Columbus, OH 43215

5:30 - 7:00 - networking
7:00 - Opera Columbus dress rehearsal

Hors o’dourves sponsored by Opera Columbus and a cash bar will be available during the networking portion of the evening.

There is a charge of $6 for the event and you must register in order to attend.

There will also be raffles and give-aways during the evening.

We look forward to seeing you there!

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Topics: Uncategorized | 6 Comments »

The journey into social media begins with one click…and then another…

By Shane Haggerty | September 29, 2008

As a supplement to a presentation on social media marketing I gave with a colleague at the Ohio ACTE Conference in Columbus on August 7, 2008, comes The Get Social Project: The List of 15. The purpose of the list was to introduce people to and allow them to explore social media tools on their own time and at their own pace. It was my thought that if they would take the time to complete the list of 15 they would be more aware of the tools and might even decide that they can be useful in marketing, communications, or recruiting. One of the biggest things I run into when talking social media to people who don’t understand it is their fear of it and their feeling that it will take up too much time or have no purpose or benefit. But, I also find that when people take the time to explore it themselves, at their own pace, and with an open-mind, they seem to be able to adopt it how they want to utilize it and they become yet another convert! To get started, you have to understand the reason why social media can be valuable. View this video for an easy explanation.

The List of 15:
Phase one:
1. Read one or two blogs and post a comment on at least one. Posting comments is an important part because it contributes to the online conversation. Read any blog you want and make a comment.
2. Once you find a blog or blogs you are interested in, subscribe to it by adding your email if it has that option. If you can’t subscribe to it, subscribe to the RSS Feed on the page. Need more help on understanding an RSS Feed? Watch this video.
3. Create your own iGoogle page where you can host various blogs all in one section. Here you will be able to view the various blogs you subscribe to and see if they have been updated. An iGoogle page is just a way to host your RSS feed subscriptions.
4. Create your own blog! You can create a personal blog (maybe you have something to say!) or create one for your school district or organization. You can use WordPress, TypePad, LiveJournal, or Blogger.
Phase two:
5. Visit Flickr and search around. Then, create a Flickr account to share photos or videos.
6. Watch YouTube videos. There are a number of colleges, especially, that have their own dedicated channel on YouTube for hosting. If you are brave, create a video and post it on YouTube. The thing to remember about YouTube or all online video is that people want videos to be REAL. This means it doesn’t have to be slick or have high production quality. People enjoy rough, grainy, unplanned, transparent, etc.
7. Visit other video sites like Viddler, VeOh, and SchoolTube.
Phase three:
8. Visit Wikipedia and see what a Wiki is all about. Also, visit WetPaint and see what you can do there to create a Wiki. WetPaint is a bit more user friendly and controllable, in my opinion. Wikis are great tools for classroom collaboration and for internal staff collaboration. You can use Wikis for long-term project planning, meetings, etc.
9. Check out Yahoo! Groups and Google Docs and see all the tools you can use there. Yahoo and Google Groups are also tools you can use for collaboration and planning. Google Docs also has web analytics, e-commerce options, chat, organizational email services, and other services that allow you to manage better and embrace collaboration and cooperation.
Phase four:
10. Join Twitter and start following people. You don’t need to know people you follow, but rather pay attention to the field they work in or what they are interested in. Twitter is a great way to network and seek out advice or professional help. Also, many news organizations and corporations (airlines JetBlue, Southwest) are on Twitter and you can follow them and benefit from their updates. You can follow me @shanehaggerty or follow Ohio Hi-Point (my work) @OHPthisminute. If you still don’t get it, watch this video for an explanation.
11. Sign-up for a Facebook profile. It’s easy and fast and you can divulge as much info as you want. Once on there, search for friends, search for groups (most colleges have alumni groups) or professional interest groups. Many businesses and organizations (especially non-profits) have embraced Facebook.
12. Sign-up for a Linkedin profile. Linkedin is a place for adults and professionals and is a great way to network and seek out professional advice and services. Many organizations and companies have started using Linkedin (which allows people to basically post online resumes) for human resource purposes.

Phase five:
13. Explore del.icio.us and sign-up. Use this site to easily bookmark websites you come across you’d like to use later for resources or for presentations or just for enjoyment.
14. Explore StumbleUpon and sign-up. Again, this site can easily help you explore the web and keep track of it all.
Phase six:
15. Visit Second Life and learn more. Visit the Ohio University Second Life Campus video on YouTube to see it in action.

Share what you create, how you are using social media, what works and what doesn’t, and your opinions by posting your comments directly to this blog. Of course, you may not want to do all 15 things on the list so you can pick-and-choose and explore what you wish. By completing everything you are guaranteed to at least educate yourself on what social media is all about.

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Topics: Twitter, Web 2.0 | 1 Comment »

Social Networking - What is it to you?

By Denise Baker | September 27, 2008

Social Networking - One of the hottest buzz words out there. What does it really mean? And what does it mean to you?

Networking has been around. . . well, forever. What makes social networking different? Couldn’t one argue that social networking is networking? Or is networking the word for business networking and social networking the word for fun networking? Or is it based on how the networking is done? Could it be that networking is face to face and social networking is using the online tools that have “social” in their title? And, in the end, does it even matter?

WIth the recent wind storm, my husband and I (and our three cats) were without power for a week. I was unconnected except at work (where it was too busy to focus on any type of networking). While getting ready in the mornings really was difficult, the evenings were actually fun. We did things we haven’t done in a long time. Things that we had been thinking about doing all summer but we didn’t do because other things (electronic things) seemed to be more important.

We saw more people out riding bikes, walking dogs, talking to neighbors. When meeting somewhere that did have electrcity, people were connected by the wind storm event. Everyone had a story to share and hope to pass on to those who were still without power. Even the Canadian power company, who graced our neighborhood on Sunday (a full week AFTER the electricity had gone out) had smiles for us as they worked hard to restore the power.

All this reminded me that, as much time as I spend online, as many online friends I have, as big of a supporter of online soical media and networking that I am, I cannot forget the power of face-to-face interaction. While I don’t want to be without power for that length of time again, and I will never give up my online social interests, I have to remember to get outside once in awhile and enjoy the weather and talk to my neighbors.

All that said, I am looking forward to being a part of this growing online community that has had the foresight to encourage face-to-face interaction through monthly Tweet-ups. Please let me know what you would like to see discussed on this forum. You can follow me online in a few places:

* Follow me on Twitter. I’m @denisebaker

* Find me on Facebook

* Connect with me on LinkedIn

I m looking forward to networking, social networking, or whatever you call it!

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Topics: Uncategorized | No Comments »

A Top Tenish List of Observatiosn about the power outage.

By Rocky VanBrimmer | September 17, 2008

My ”Top Tenish” observations from having no power for 3 days in Central Ohio.

I like my food & showers hot and my drinks cold, not the other way around.
The store had thousands of AA batteries left.
I own no flashlight or radio that takes AA batteries.
Foraging for firewood SUX!
Jason Mays likes the word “forage,” it has a naturistic appeal to it.
Investing in a generator may be a good idea.
Car, cell phone, and car chargers can be a life saver.
Food smells bad with ZERO refrigeration.
Twitter was a lifesaver with 2 of the 3 Central Ohio TV news outlets sharing news over the stream (thank you NBC4 & 10tv).
I have neighbors!
FEMA did not stop by with a debit card for $2000.00
It was nice not having a TV or Internet for a couple of days.

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Topics: Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Does Columbus Need Another Social Network

By Alvin Borromeo | September 12, 2008

That’s what Jason Blanton asked on Majelly, a social network for the Columbus social networker. Here’s what he said in a recent forum post:

The reason we started Majelly was not to clutter your life with another social network and cause more chaos. Rather, Majelly is a place to help organize all the social networking events and groups in Columbus OH. And maybe it will help us restore some kind of order in our lives.

Currently there are several monthly meet-ups all with a different web sites, posting info and invites all over the place. Majelly won’t replace any of that, in fact the goal is to help promote those events and help grow them by using groups and events here on Majelly. It will just act as a hub to find the event your looking for.

Its really up to you, The Columbus Socialite. What do you want Majelly to be? I encourage you to explore and use this site the way you want to. If you have suggestions feel free to post them here or send me a message.

I couldn’t have said it better. That’s why I just copied his post here.

Please feel free to stop by Majelly and join. Contribute and interact. That’s what we’re here for.

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Topics: Networking | No Comments »

Its Time for A CBus Tweetup!

By Central Ohio Events | September 11, 2008

Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, get your calendars ready for the next installment of the “CBUS TWEETUP” with a twist, presented by Lifestyle Communites and our Twitter friend @duckygator!

When? Septemeber 30, 2008 4:45 pm to 7:30ish pm.

Where? The Goat, 6400 Preserve Crossing Blvd South Columbus, Ohio 43230

What? Pulled Pork, Chicken, Veggies, Chips & Salsa, cookies, and a “corn hole tournement”

How Much? $6.00!!!!

You mean to tell me for $6.00 I will get a couple of hours of networking, good food, and a game of corn hole?

Yes, you get all that and the game of corn hole! We will register 16 teams to compete for CBUS TWEETUP CORN HOLE CHAMPS! Pick your partner and be ready to sign up at the door!

We are asking that you pre-register for admission. Please email tweetup@thecentralohionetwork.com with your name to confirm your spot. Pay your $6.00 at the door.

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Topics: Tweetup, Twitter, Uncategorized | 11 Comments »

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