Moving On
Today I announced that I’m moving on from what has been an incredible three years at Sun. When I joined the Company I was handed a huge challenge and together with the team we stepped up to it. All of them – from media and analyst relations through events, marcomm and Diana on the web – can take a lot of credit for helping all those connected to Sun understand that the turnaround is afoot and that Sun is back.
I want to thank all my team – Sun-side and agency-side – for all your support and friendship over the past three years (about ten years in the real world :-). Your kind words over the past day mean a huge amount to me. I am immensely proud of all we’ve done together and the perceptual change we’ve been able to drive in the market. The real story will be told by you as you shine a light on Sun’s successes – and what the new Sun stands for. We’ve built an amazing foundation on which that story can now be told. You are an immensely talented group and I’m certain you will continue to build on our successes and momentum. Take care of each other – I’m proud to have been able to work with you all.
This wasn’t a decision I made lightly. I have huge respect for Scott (and all of Sun’s leadership team) and believe Sun is back on offense, so the time is right for me to make my next move.
This is undoubtedly one of the most exciting times to be a communicator. A confluence of technologies – from blogs and podcasting to wikis and digital media – are radically changing marketing, supply chains and how buyers/consumers make decisions. The web is a platform that is changing forever the way communications occurs (citizens as journalists, commentators and pundits is the earliest sign of this change). New communities of influence are emerging.
It’s also a huge time of personal change for me as Kristen and I look forward to the arrival of a baby girl in April.
So now you’ve got a hint as to where my head is heading… Keep an eye on my blog for announcements.
I’ll also pen a longer note in the coming weeks on my time at Sun and some of the things I learnt. It’s an incredible company staffed and led by some of the brightest minds on earth. It’s a company with the right strategy, and the right leadership – all at the right time. Ok – so not everyone gets this but as the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer said “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.”
Kia Kaha!
Pew Report On Blogging
Worth a read.
By the end of 2004 blogs had established themselves as a key part of online culture. Two surveys by the Pew Internet & American Life Project in November established new contours for the blogosphere: 8 million American adults say they have created blogs; blog readership jumped 58% in 2004 and now stands at 27% of internet users; 5% of internet users say they use RSS aggregators or XML readers to get the news and other information delivered from blogs and content-rich Web sites as it is posted online; and 12% of internet users have posted comments or other material on blogs. Still, 62% of internet users do not know what a blog is.
Stunning Images…
From Digital Globe which capture the before and after effects of the Tsunami. Credit to NBR for the story.
Blogs On the BBC
Great story on blogging over at the BBC. While essentially a short primer it reinforces my view that participatory journalism and the growth of social networks on the web change everything.
“We are entering one era in which the technological infrastructure is creating a different context for how we tell our stories and how we communicate with each other. “
Andrew Nachison, Director, Media Center
Current growth rates are just stunning ~
US research think-tank Pew Internet & American Life says a blog is created every 5.8 seconds, although less than 40% of the total are updated at least once every two months.
Also, Dan’s last column at the Merc runs today. We’ll miss his reporting on all things tech at the Merc but I am sure see more from him here.
Decimals and Decibels…
So, a big night of decibels as we saw the New Year in with friends… and some gratitude that the US Govt has added a few decimals to the tsunami relief effort. Happy New Year!
