R U in the Loop?

One of my favorite restaurants is called Hobees. One of my favorite things about Hobees is its bulletin boards where there are pictures of customers in far off places wearing a Hobees tshirt. So I've decided to create the digital version of this so that we can all “meet” each other.

Hence, I've created a loop for you to add your picture. To get to it, click here.

1. Drag and drop a picture yourself in the loop. Choose a picture that captures your essence. For example, my picture shows me in the penalty box of where the Calgary Flames play. Everyone who has subscribed to the loop will shortly see it--we call this “real-time, two-way collaboration”--admittedly, a phrase that violates many of my anti-buzzword sentiments. :-)
2. Change the caption of the frame from the default name of the file to your name and location by double clicking on your picture. The caption area is in the lower left part of the picture. It usually has something like “img22334” in it.
3. Be clean. Only two people can delete the picture: the person who posted it and moi. I will delete pictures in bad taste--you can be sexy, but you can't be pornographic. :-)
4. A single loop's capacity is 200 pictures. When it gets close to this limit, I will create another loop and link it to the previous loop. This means you'll see about 199 pictures then a frame that says something like “Click here to get the next volume.”
5. There are a mere 10,000-15,000 readers of this blog. If everyone submits a picture, we will create the longest chain of loops in the history of, well, mankind. If I'm asleep or away from the computer when the loop fills up, you won't be able to add your picture. I'll be checking often to try to minimize this. However, please come back later and try again.
6. Power users can add a “frame action” to a picture. Put your cursor (without clicking) on your picture. A yellow frame will appear, click on the arrow, and select “Set frame action.” In the “Set Photo Action” popup, select “Go to website.” Enter your web address. Now when people double click on your picture, they will go to your web site.
7. If you want to share this loop with anyone, click on the “Share” button. Then enter that person's email address and send it.

Looking forward to “meeting” you.

Addendum: My firm, Garage Technology Ventures is an investor in FilmLoop, and I serve on its board of directors. Please refer to the sidebar called “Alignment of Interest,” to see a list of the companies in our portfolio that I am most active in. (Get it: :Alignment of interest“ versus ”Conflict of interest“?) Maybe you ”had to be there...“ :-)

Written at: Vallco Shopping Center, Cupertino, California

Comments

[sanyo]

What compelled you to invest in these companies in the first place. Was it vision, passion,management, or an opportunity to make a lot of money from it quickly? What your company could have done differently that would help these businesses turn out more successful? A little insight would be very educational.sanyodenki

[lolly]

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[Gay Gloryhole]

"Note that I posted an entry of high info value (business plans) before this to make sure people didn't think I'm ONLY a marketer. :-)"

I absolutely noted, some of those are masterpieces, too... and I dutyfully del.icio.us-d them :-)

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[GMATxperts]

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[Sebastian]

Cool to see, how the NHL gets some notice. Do you know how for the negotiations between NHL and Apple's iTMS are going?

[Servant of Chaos]

The filmloop helps us make sense of the chaos of information that is part of our daily lives. Cool stuff.

[Zoli Erdos]

"Note that I posted an entry of high info value (business plans) before this to make sure people didn't think I'm ONLY a marketer. :-)"

I absolutely noted, some of those are masterpieces, too... and I dutyfully del.icio.us-d them :-)

[Smittie]

Nice marketing, Guy. I installed the "pre-beta" Mac software (what's up with that?) and posted my picture to the Loop.

Aloha

[Sunny Vijay]

Guy,

I like your blog and its really good. But wont be interested to download a tool to upload my photo.

BTW, these days when everything is happening online (web 2.0) why would you still want a tool ?

Vijay

[Creative One]

Gk, many VCs doesn't talk much about their failed investments.I know that this is a PR thing, but from your perspective can you tell us what happened to businesses that failed. Do you just shaked their hand and say goodbye, or there is a more lengthy process that failed businesses have to go thru with a VC, when business doesn't work out. What compelled you to invest in these companies in the first place. Was it vision, passion,management, or an opportunity to make a lot of money from it quickly? What your company could have done differently that would help these businesses turn out more successful? A little insight would be very educational.

[Dan]

I love the loop! It's been fun today watching people drop in their pictures. This is a great idea.

[Guy Kawasaki]

re: Vallco

Yes, I'm always there because that's where my son practices and plays hockey.

[Dennis T Cheung]

Are you always posting from Valco because of the ice rink?

[met]

Now if only this would work without downloading anything. :(
Can't someone cook up something? Unfortunately I am not in the coding business. I'll see if I can get someone to do something, unless there is some patent on this :)

I am thinking -
If google maps can be panned smoothly then why not the same? with drag and drop (provided you have to sign into the service to filter postings).

[Bartek B.]

Guy, just added myself (+wife) to 'the loop' - great idea!
All Best from KubaKounter maker's friends!
B.

[MKB]

Guy,
I don't get the idea behind this FilmLoop product. I think it is like taking a step backwards. I hate tickers on TV but can reason why they exist but why have a ticker like UI on a computer where users can pick and choose what to see.

Can someone explain what is the big hype about FilmLoop.

Thanks

[Michael Bernstein]

Guy, is there a way for a linux user to participate?

[C. Enrique Ortiz]

Awesome idea. After reading this blog entry, it occured to me to have my own Film Loop, about the people who read my Mobility blog... So I have created The Mobility Weblog Loop -- to see and learn about the blog readers. More info at http://www.cenriqueortiz.com/weblog/People/2006/01/22/R-U-in-the-Mobility-Weblog-Film-Loop.html.

Guy, I did have to tweak the FilmLoop HTML/script a bit -- email me, and I will elaborate.

ceo

[George Howard]

Guy,

LOVE the blog. thank you for all the great info. i was trying to create a Loop for the entrepreneurship class i teach, but apparently i can't create a link to post on the class site (as you did on your blog) because i'm on mac. i wanted to share this with my students (and show them the functionality), b/c i think it's very cool, but also a great entrepreneurial example. I just can't stand that I’ll have to use a PC to do so. I know I can enter in their email addresses and send them invites, but it sort of loses some of the punch.
I figured since you're on the board and a Mac guy, you might be able to get this functionality added.
Again, thanks.
George

[Chester]

Fun Trial !! I'd really love to take part in :) But unfortunately the version of MacOS doesn't work properly ..

[Charlene Chong]

This is good fun! Thanks. I hope I didn't screw anything up.

[Kalle Haglunds]

Ok, so how much money did you really invest in FilmLoop? I really really like your blog, but all this loopie-loop stuff give me a feeling I'm tricked.

Maybe I've got it all wrong and you just happen like FilmLoop, but if you want to advertise the service, please do it in a more frank manner.

[Rimantas]

Now I get why it has "loop" in the name. Got caught in the loop of reverting info back to
filename :/

[Sebastjan]

Well, the problem is that this is not the perfect world and nobody wants to register and download some 3MB(!!) big program just to frekin watch some photos.
Can't you use Flickr or some other normal service? I really don't see what's the big deal with this Filmloop.

[John C. Randolph]

Nothing wrong with Hobee's but the food...

You were kidding, right? Hobee's is right smack in the middle of the Denny's-TGIFriday's-Bennigan's restaurant mediocrity league.

-jcr

[Sara]

Guy, I'm wondering why you link to this through snipurl.com? I assume the actual link is too long maybe? I dunno because snipurl seems to be down right now, when I click the link I just get page not found. Why not just link to the filmloop page? I don't understand the need to use snipurl in this case. Seems a bit redundant.

[Julian Vandercook]

No 10.3 support in OS X? Pre beta? I don't mind downloading and installing but most Winderz users hate downloading and installing because it could easily make their computer stop working. I tried to put up a nice photo from Japan though. : (

[Harold Hane]

I think that 99.5% of the readers of your blog don't have a clue about what that restaurant is.

[met]

If I have to download this thing, it has to be more useful than just getting me in the loop :)

[Gregory Keeney]

Hobbee's is great. It is nice to have a place wher you know you can always find something delicious that is also healthy…

I tried to add a photo, but the Mac OS X version of FilmLoop doesn't seem to like OS X version 10.3.9—not that I fault them; they did say it was a "pre-beta".

[Guy Kawasaki]

Alex: Glad it makes sense.

Zoli: Glad you think it's a masterpiece. Note that I posted an entry of high info value (business plans) before this to make sure people didn't think I'm ONLY a marketer. :-)

Creative One: I was 49 in that photo. No alterations to it at all. Thanks for thinking I was younger!

Miles: I think that in a perfect world, we would buy computers with an operating system and Microsoft Office. No one would ever download anything else. :-)

Guy

[Miles Archer]

I thought about taking a picture an uploading it. No way I'm going to download a control to do so. Sorry dude!

Otherwise, I enjoy your blog.

[Creative One]

Okay GK....you need to put up your most current photo. That photo doesn't look anything close to a 50 years old man, and you still play hockey, impossible! Where's the white hair? Did you touch it up with photoshop?

[Zoli Erdos]

Haha, talk about a masterpiece of Guerilla Marketing! :-)

[Alex Krupp]

See when I looked at your bomb shelters loop, I was thinking who would ever use this software? I didn't get it. Now it all makes sense to me :-)