Archive for May, 2007
If you work for or ever go to a Starbucks read on for experimental instructions.
Hypothesis: Turning the music volume way down or even off makes Starbucks a better experience
Step 1: Go to a Starbucks, preferably a busy one and observe the noise level (music, talking, blenders etc)
Step 2: Go to counter and tell them to turn the music down “because its too loud” (must use that exact phrase).
Step 3: Once music has been turned down, note the overall noise level (music, talking, blenders etc) AND how you feel.
Ask yourself “Do I feel calmer and more comfortable?” and “Is the environment more pleasant?”
I think you’ll be reliving the environment of the way Starbucks used be, a real coffee shop, made for pensive moments and quite conversation. Neither of which is possible with the music turned up the way they do. The louder the music the louder the conversations to the point where people are nearly yelling to be heard above the din.
Note for Starbucks: Track the noise level with a decibel meter. Change the level of music. Then measure the decibels again and ask your customers how they feel. There’s a real gold nugget here for ya. No charge.
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May 25th, 2007
What do you think of the following idea? I’m sure I haven’t thought this through.
Twitter gives us eyes and ears networked around the globe in 140 characters or less.
Ian Green illustrated this perfectly while he twittered what he saw and felt during the AC Milan defeat of Liverpool earlier this week. (I think he’s finally emerged from the hole he dug and hid in!) He’s a journalist so I guess he couldn’t help Twittering through the game.
Nicole Lee and others Twittered about Maker Faire and the goings on there. (I will go next year to see the giant nose picker.)
So it occurs to me that in the world of change and major events that we all either witness, read or hear about, we all, through Twitter, can play a leading role in documenting key snippets and observations.
Here’s how it could happen and you could join in.
- Major unexpected important event occurs (You fill in the example from your own imagination)
- Twitter-capable witnesses (You and others) text observations to Twitter
- Twitter community reads
- You continued twittering from and through the event and on the periphery
- Archived Twitters become a key source of record.
Imagine a world full of Twitterites ready to report from “the field” when something crucial happens. Some events might only be observed by a few, and some by many from a wide variety of vantage points. Hmmm. Twitter grabs and publishes the truth of observation in real-time by all of us.
What do you think of this idea? I’m sure I haven’t thought this through.
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May 25th, 2007
The heavy breathing is over…
The results of my unscientific survey on gasoline use for May 15 are in, and the results are interesting to say the least.
Here’s the good stuff:
92% were aware of the effort to reduce gas consumption yesterday. Wow!
62% said they were thinking of driving less. Good!
29% believed they’d actually drive less than usual yesterday.
So a large group of people understood the effort reduce gasoline use, but less than a third said they’d join in. Ho hum?
Does this mean that most of us are Social Voyeurs, peeking in on those who actually “do IT” versus just “talk about IT” or “think about IT”?
Maybe so. However apparently a lot of people thought about driving less. This is huge! And if the 29% who believed they’d actually drive less than usual did so, that’s quite a feat of social mobilization. If it could be replicated every week our gasoline prices and carbon emissions would be knocked way down.
How to do it?
The last question of the survey focused on working from home.
If you could work from home one day each week would you want to do so? 96% said yes!
So imagine if a portion of the commuting population could work from home for 1 day each week (Wednesday to prevent the potential of a three day weekend effect).
The amount of gasoline that could be conserved each year is staggering. From my previous Dead-Dinosaur-Juice blog entry I conservatively estimate a demand reduction for gasoline close to 1 billion gallons in year.
Seems that we need a “Work-From-Home” initiative. What do you think?
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May 17th, 2007
Don’t be afraid. Take this 4 question gasoline use survey by clicking on this link http://tinyurl.com/22z3kf .
Please use the “Share This” to send along to a couple of friends. Thanks.
Results to be published shortly.
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May 16th, 2007
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