Request for Testimonials or Quotes

We're getting close to rolling out a new and improved version of
CommonCraft.com and I have a favor to ask. We're planning to include testimonials in the new design. These are short quotes that will display the names (and organization names, if desired) of the people providing the quotes. 

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Common Craft is 5!

It's true, Common Craft (the company and blog) is 5 years old today, or sometime around now.  I recently went back to the very first blog posts I wrote in 2003.

One of first was called "My Intentions for this Weblog" of June 24, 2003. Here are two quotes:

This weblog will be written in the language of a lay person. I feel strongly that a key to my success is being able to relate technology and technical concepts to people that are not educated or well-versed in technology. I think that the language of technology is very much focused on technologists. My goal is to make communication technology easy to understand for people like my Mom.

And...

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Two Quotes on Simplicity

The first is by Antione de Saint Exupéry, author of The Little Prince and a pioneer in aviation:

Perfection is not when there is no more to add, but no more to take away. 

The second is by William of Occam (1288-1347)  You might know the name from Occam's Razor.

It is vain to do more with what can be done with less.

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Why We Do This

Every once in a while we get an email that reminds us why we started making videos for the Common Craft Show.  Here is a quote from an email today:

I love your films! We were so inspired by the Wiki-Plain English that we have now set up 5 active team workspaces and have totally revolutionised the way we work. (I spent 10 years as a TV/Radio Producer and now work in behaviour/social change communication and I can say I have never come across a short film so motivational yet so simple!)

Yay!

This email put smiles on our faces.   Any thing we do that can help people create positive change is time well spent. 

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To Be Rather Than to Seem

I'm originally from North Carolina and I once learned that our state motto is "Esse Quam Videri" which translates to "To Be Rather Than To Seem"

If you ask me, this should be the motto for businesses (and individuals) who are trying to adapt to the new world of community, marketing and advertising on the web. The days of "seeming" are over and success in the future is all about "being". Really, there is no choice - the customer now decides what is real.

To Be Rather Than To Seem - it makes sense to me.

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Sage Words from Mr. Jobs

Richard MacManus quoted a passage from Steve Jobs' commencement address at Stanford.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary."

Those words mean a lot for me, and not because I worship at the alter of Steve.

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Guy Kawasaki- Art of the Start

I just read (and recommend) this .pdf from Guy Kawasaki's book, Art of the Start. For folks thinking about starting a company, I think it's good and somewhat non-conventional advice.

I thought this was an interesting this "key principle":

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Definition of Honesty

I heard a few powerful words regarding honestly recently and wanted to pass them on. I had never heard it put this way:

Honesty is the intent not to deceive.

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Wiki Creator Ward Cunningham on Wikis

[luvly] Talking to Ward Cunningham about wiki

While I'm writing about wikis, I thought this fit well- it's a transcript of a call with Ward. I really liked some of the thoughts Ward has about wikis (go figure). I particularly liked his comparison of wikis to a fragile civilization...

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Interview About Innovation with Andrew Hargadon

ACM: Ubiquity - A Conversation with Andrew Hargadon

I really enjoyed this interview. Andrew is an associate professor at UC Davis Grad School of Management. In this interview he debunks many of the widely-held ideals about innovation. I like the way he thinks.

On the difference between innovation and invention:

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