Social Media and Cross-border Collaboration

Social media, Web 2.0, blogs, Twitter, Facebook, Buzz, Google Docs, FTP, Jaiku, Qaiku, Ning, microblogs, Wiki, LinkedIn, etc. can be used to enhance and improve cross-border collaboration.

I’ll be speaking about this at Tallinn BlogFest 2010 May 25 and now writing a manuscript for success. What did we learn from the Innovationtrain? Where are the limits of self organization? How good is BarCamp?

What are the obstacles we need to overcome when we have long distances, cultural differences and the participants can’t use their mother language? 

Satama's Eeva-Liisa Ylälahti

I follow the Google track: Corporate Blogging Finland. The person below is next on the list. The blog is Voice Satama. I try to get an idea about what Satama Voice is writing about.

"In this article Satama’s Director Eeva-Liisa Ylälahti discusses the various approaches to analyse consumer behaviour and means to bring consumer understanding as business-relevant as possible." Eeva-Liisa is writing.

There are several persons posting to this blog. The blog is about mobility, Internet services, Web 2.o, connected services, mobile marketing.

Does the marketer need to understand the buying process of a consumer in the market for a vacation package, mobile phone, or a new home? Yes – by understanding the consumer’s buying process, the marketer can learn to both manage and make the most of media convergence.

This is the jargon of a service provider. There is a well written content. Several persons are contributing. I try to analyze if there is a specific voice or tendency.

Does the consumer in the market for a vacation package, mobile phone, or new home need to understand media convergence? No – the consumer simply lives media convergence by using different marketing channels in a variety of ways and by moving back and forth between channels in search of products and/or services.

This is a Corporate blog written by a knowledgeable collective. I'm not yet ready to jump to any conclusions. This blog is informative. I get an understanding about the company and its know-how.

Young CEO Corporate Blogger from Finland

Helge: My next corporate target is Teemu Arina, CEO and young entrepreneur. I try to analyze what patterns are typical for corporate bloggers. Teemu is by far much younger.

Teemu Arina Writes in his blog: “The structures of our society are shaking under increased communication and complexity. I’m a good example having spent 1/3 of my life as an entrepreneur before the age of 25, teaching my first semester when I was 17 years old, building two large Open Source projects and now working as an advisor to many companies, universities and non-profit organizations on the impact of social technologies on their operations. I’m well connected with leading thinkers and I perceive my network as my second brain where most of my learning occurs.”

Helge: Open source man. Young and talented entrepreneur, connected to leading thinkers. Great. One pattern emerges. Teemu is also related to Kone Oyj.

Teemu: My name is Teemu Arina. I’m partner and CEO at Dicole Oy, a company focusing on understanding the role of social technologies in knowledge work and networked learning in organizations.

Helge: Sounds familiar, Social Media, knowledge work and learning organizations.

Teemu: We also develop our own Open Source based software called Dicole Knowledge Work Environment. We use it in cases where we can’t find any better/easier/cheaper alternatives. It integrates wikis, blogs, feed readers, forums and files in a unified system that supports multiple separate or interconnected work areas for individuals and groups. Some of our users use it as a PLE (Personal Learning Environment) too, when they connect del.icio.us, Flickr, Youtube etc. with it..

Helge: Open source and Web 2.0, PLE, good…Read more about Visualradio at Kauppalehti Presso

Teemu: I’m a programmer, teacher, consultant, networker, mentor, entrepreneur, self-directed learner and artist who has deep interest in Open Source, networked learning, collaboration, cooperative work, social software, self-organizing systems, complexity, networks and related emerging technologies. I like spicy food, juggling, underground electronica, online gaming, gadgets and thoughtful conversations.

Helge: He is young and talented, many roles, modern, learning, also time for some fun in life.

My blog is a tool for my own personal learning. It’s a place for reflection and sharing of ideas. I write ideas down for later reference and starting point for discussion. It also serves as a portfolio of my work. In the right-side of my blog you will also find my recent del.icio.us bookmarks and Flickr images.

Helge: The blogging objectives and motives are nearly the same.

I will write about a wide variety of topics but the general themes will be things like Open Source, networked learning, software industry, futures, knowledge management, knowledge work, emerging social technologies, personal publishing and creativity.

Helge: Multiple writing styles, I have several blogs, I travel fast from one subject to another on a global scale.

Juha: MY writings on Open Source in education will be posted in FLOSSE Posse, where I’m a co-author.

Helge: I’m not OS but we have one in our company leaning towards Linux. But we all try to implement the Open Source Methodology in our work.

If you like my blog, please leave a comment on any of the entries.

Disclaimer:
Everything I say in this blog is an opinion of my own and is not the official opinion of any companies or customers I work for.

Here is my digital contact information:

• Skype: infe00
• AIM: infe00
• Google talk: teemu.arina AT gmail.com
• ICQ: 220322382
• Email: teemu AT dicole.com
• Phone: +358-50-555 7636

Helge’s Digital Contact information

• Skype: visualradio
• Googletalk: helgekeitel at gmail.com
• Email: helgekeitel at gmail.com
• Phone: + 358 50 309 2021

Corporate Blogger

I will start tracking Finnish and International Corporate bloggers and analyze what they are writing about. I guess that is going to be a thrilling task.

• How personal should or could the blog be?
• It's a way to learn to understand your company
• Corporate blogs for big companies
• The business blog and small business blogs
• Being personal, fresh, transparent and honest
• Creating a personal voice, taking down the PR-barrier
• Show the low of running a business and being an entrepreneur

What's an example? How genuine are the blogs?

• Dell is a good example
• They don't sound like the business talk
• PR people doesn't need to be controlling
• Should you ask the PR department to write
• It's better to sound real and have a genuine voice

Give a window to the inside information

• Robert Scoble changed the attitude towards Microsoft
• Scoble helped to look at the companies differently
• The business blog can help you to move a step ahead of your competitors
• Customers expect to have a conversation with your business in real time