In Bed with Mike and Jack
I wandered over to Mike Walsh’s blog a few weeks ago and berated him mildly for not putting on another On The Couch withMike Walsh/Fourth Domain Estate Extravaganza. Lo and behold, we get an email to come chat with Jack Singleton. I doubt he listened to me (he doesn’t seem to dialogue on his blog)…
I wandered over to Mike Walsh’s blog a few weeks ago and berated him mildly for not putting on another On The Couch withMike Walsh/Fourth Domain Estate Extravaganza. Lo and behold, we get an email to come chat with Jack Singleton. I doubt he listened to me (he doesn’t seem to dialogue on his blog) but I am still gonna claim responsibility for cracking the whip.
So, last night we (the usual suspects) hopped into bed with Mike and laughed and giggled our way through the chat with Jack. His 1800 Telstra story was hilarious. I intend to ring it next time I’m drunk and disorderly and have lost my purse and need a cab ride home. Heh. Though I ‘spect, like all advertising giants, its just a great way to keep repeating his main business number. I really must ring it soon (drinks anyone?).
Prior to the chat I wanted to find out more about phonenames.com, Jack’s core business (well there is an advertising agency but he claims to be so over that). I had lots of lovely fun putting in telephone numbers at the Phonespell site (what does your number spell?) – I moved back and forwards between there and 1300words.com.au looking for incriminating numbers/names. In the end, Jack gave us the best story around FindGod/DineIn (Press 1 for God, 2 for Pizza). One always wishes one’s name spelt “SexyFox” or “Footy4U”… doesn’t one? Instead of, in my case 1300 Laurel (1300 528735) spelling 13005 Curdle 
But what does my inebriated social life have to do with online communities? I’m glad you asked! Jack rambled on regarding his tickets.com.au and how they would be an aggregator for Ticketek and Ticketmaster et al. Well, Jack, talking about point-of-difference, how about creating a theatre-going community,and market to an entertainment ‘swarm’? Online forums for groups to get together and discuss plays and concerts, a dating/meeting site. I’m always looking for a playmate myself (that is, someone to go to plays with). User generated content reviews, blogs with fotos, loyalty program that rewards both purchasing tickets and number of posts in forums. The list goes on. I’d join. Sign me up as hyper-consumer #1 Mr. Singleton! Bah I missed that play about America invading Australia or something. It was at the opera house, anyone have the name?
Technorati Tags Online Communities, Mike Walsh, Jack Singleton, Fourth Estate Domain, Phone Names, PhoneSpell, 1300Words, Tickets.com.au, Ticketek, TicketMaster
And I really wish Jack hadn’t lobbied as hard as he did. The auction based system we have for phonewords was introduced under the guise of “efficient allocation” but only pursued by the Government so they could make money from a “scarce national resource”. But telephone numbers are as scarce as grocery item barcodes – industry self-regulates those and there is no tax in sight.
Plus, there is something bizarre about investing in phonewords at the same time as net connections are making numbers redundant.
By the way, do you know that telephone numbers were introduced because of an outbreak of measles? In the days of a manual switchboard callers asked for each other by name and the operator “knew” which plug hole connected to which name. Except when an outbreak of measles hit the town the local Doctor was concerned that communication would fail if both switchboard operators got sick, so everyone got told their “number” and you asked by number not name – hence deskilling the operators. That is, numbers predated automatic dialling.
I’ve worked a plug and cord board. For ummm Link Paging, I think it was. And nah I’m not that old. The term ‘legacy technology’ predates PC’s y’know!
We don’t do everything the Americans do. It’ll be interesting in a Skype world, what will happen with phone numbers.
And no, I’m not saying Voip will win the day. Where’s the money in it, I ask ya?