Hiya, folks! I am a busy nerd at the moment and knee-deep in that wonderful blend of right and left brain activity I love so much, but I didn’t want you to think I forgot about you! Here is some news from the world of new media!
TalentTrove wants you to shred.
I like TT and apparently so do you, from the comments I get whenever I mention them. They have a neat contest for you new media musicians that guitarists should check out. From the press release:
TalentTrove Launches Best Guitar Solo Contest Sponsored by Michael Kelly Guitars
WOODBRIDGE, N.J., June 8, 2009- Can you Shred the guitar like Slash or play blues like Eric Clapton? Guitarists will have their chance to be a star with global Internet talent Web site, TalentTrove.com’s Best Guitar Solo Contest sponsored by Michael Kelly Guitar Company. Submissions will begin being accepted June 15 at 1 p.m. and last until July 22 at midnight.
“Having a sponsor like Michael Kelly Guitar will not only give the winners quality instruments to make their music, but will take all of the participants one step closer to their dream of discovery and that’s what we’re all about at TalentTrove,” said Jaime McGee, Director of Marketing at TalentTrove.com
Contestants will go directly to the contest page where they will be prompted to upload their audio or video files for submission.
A grand prizewinner will receive a Michael Kelly Patriot Custom electric guitar along with $500 provided by TalentTrove.com. The second place winner will receive a Michael Kelly Nostalgia 60SJCE acoustic guitar.
“I love what TalentTrove is all about,” said Tracy Hoeft, Founder and VP of Marketing for Michael Kelly Guitars. “This world is filled with talented people and it is exciting to see this great venue where those people can get noticed. Michael Kelly Guitars is thrilled to be able to partner with them to create a virtual stage for guitar players specifically to showcase their talent and passion.”
For more information visit the Web site www.TalentTrove.com or email questions to contest[@]TalentTrove.com.
Wordpress wants you to update.
Everyone’s favorite open source blogging platform has popped their latest version into the main distribution. People who use the hosted service at Wordpress.com will get new features as they roll out, but for the industrious bloggers with their own installs you can upgrade now manually or automatically via the “Tools” menu in your WP backend. WP 2.8 includes some new features such as a rebuilt widget interface, faster admin navigation, and a revised plugin interface.
Users who use a lot of plugins should wait to update, as I have seen some serious bugs already, and don’t forget to back up your database first.
StumbleUpon wants you to be Su.pr.
SU has launched a new service called Su.pr, which attempts to be a better Diggbar. It allows you to post your links to Twitter and Facebook and then track the activity through those links. So far I have had great results, and in general find SU to be a better overall source of traffic and promotion for quality new media content than Digg or similar sites.
Su.pr is in private beta right now, so you will have to sign up and hope you can get in. For more great tips on using StumbleUpon to promote your work, check out SU Comments, a great little blog that will get you up to speed.
GapingVoid wants you to buy his book.
Hugh MacLeod, aka GapingVoid of “cartoons drawn on the back of business cards” has released his new book “Ignore Everybody: and 39 Other Keys to Creativity“. It’s available in text and will soon be available on audio, and no one in new media should give this one a pass. Hugh is a great cartoonist and has some great things to say on the world of creative professionals, creativity in general, and of course he is a wonder of new media, so check out both his cartoons and his books for some funny, smart, and considered ideas.
Online luminary Seth Godin has also asked an important question I want to return to in a later post, but first I wanted your opinions:
Some people avoid Hugh’s work because he’s unafraid (even eager) to write about sex and to use language that looks good on Jack Nicholson. I have no problem with this, but a lot of people do, certainly at work.
So, the question: Should Hugh leave it out?
So, should he?
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No way. That’s just part of what makes it all work. I believe it’s called honesty.
David Everitt-Carlson´s last blog ..This is not a post. Just watch and listen.
Hi, David!
I would generally agree with you, but at the same time, there is also a thing called professionalism, and there are plenty of people who won’t listen to a word you say if you intersperse it with profanity and sexual humor.
It’s all part of the mix I guess. Maybe they should wake the fuck up! (PS: I’ve known Hugh since 1989 so maybe I’m just used to it.)
David Everitt-Carlson´s last blog ..This is not a post. Just watch and listen.
Haha, yeah I know Hugh online and I am used to him, too. Since this is partially a how-to site, I just want to make sure the readers who are still starting out writing/creating know that this can be an issue, and that the choice of how to present one’s work needs to be a conscious one. Not everyone is a George Carlin…it takes the right style, insights, and luck to make that kind of material work.
Ok, so i told you I would be back to coment about TalentTrove.com. And I agree with everyone else, its a pretty good site. To bad I can’t play guitar, or I would totally enter this contest.
Does anyone know if TT offers or will offer any writing contests?
Thanks!
Hollie
Hiya, Hollie! Welcome back!
I have an inside connection over there and he assures me that the contests are just starting. He knows this started out as a purely writing-oriented blog, and that most of my readers are still coming from those days before the rebranding and new domain, and I have discussed it with him. The moment I know, all of you will know (within reason, I am a busy man, after all).
Thanks Neal!
Awesome!!! This contest is going to ROCK
AWESOME! I can’t play myself but I’d love to listen to the submissions. Some of the “completely unknown talents” are so amazing that I’m left speechless whenever I stumble upon one.
The community is growing but I am very interested to learn more about those already sharing their work and talent in this community. It’s always good to know that there are businesses out there that aspire to give others a shot at making the best of their talents. TalentTrove certainly sets the bar high.
Thanks to Talent Trove for stepping and putting on such great contests despite the criticisms!
Wow… this sounds cool!
What I like most about these competitions is that they seem to uncover new talent that can either excite you or else bore you to shreds.. I’d like to get involved in this one!
Jamie @ jamorama review´s last undefined ..If you register your site for free at