jim wilde's blog

The Couture Catalog site was developed using #Drupal, an open source content management system. It took me about 2.5 weeks to complete the first phase. To fully appreciate the site, click through the "options" page or visit the "home page".

"Feds Launch Social Media Group -- In December 2008, the members of the Federal Web Managers Council presented a white paper to the Obama transition team addressing perceived and real barriers as well as o

"New York City has a $15 million plan -- a fraction of its $43 billion budget -- to help laid-off investment bankers start new careers as entrepreneurs. This month, the city began offering office space, complete with computers and kitchens, at the low rate of $200 a month per person. The city is seeding a $3 million "angel investment fund" for start-ups.

The Obama administration is using Drupal (an open source software project) for the government's 2.0 recovery website. Great. recovery.gov

With Drupal being used on such a nationally recognized site, a gigantic government one, it should be proof that it is enterprise ready.

"As a youngster (mid-twenties), this situation has taught me to be incredibly skeptical towards anyone peddling financial advice. I have, however, learned some rules for the future.

"As Washington D.C.'s CTO, Kundra posted the bidding process for city contracts on YouTube, encouraged employees to use Twitter as a workplace tool, adopted Google Apps for better collaboration among city agencies, and was working on letting drivers pay parking tickets and renew their licenses on Facebook.

"...Twitter Search changes everything. Imagine you are in line waiting for coffee and you hear people chattering about a plane landing on the Hudson. You go back to your desk and search Google for plane on the Hudson — today — weeks after the event, Google is replete with results — but the DAY of the incident there was nothing on the topic to be found on Google.

If there is a silver lining, the large-scale downsizing from major companies will release a lot of new entrepreneurial talent and ideas — scientists, engineers, business folks will be looking to do other things. There will be a lot of forced entrepreneurship that will lead to innovations and new markets.

"The best recommendation tools perform a balancing act: They connect to consumers' sense of individuality as well as their group identification. Similarly, the tools must come up with recommendations that stretch horizons with suggestions that are new and a bit surprising, yet not off-putting.