The LinkedIn platform, known as the LinkedIn Intelligent Application Platform, consists of two parts, a way for developers to build application that run inside your LinkedIn account (via OpenSocial) and the far more useful and interesting part — ways to pull your LinkedIn data out and use it elsewhere. read more@Wired.com

A final, but significant note to round out 2007 that actually made headlines a few weeks ago, is the new developer plaform debuted by LinkedIn. The concensus in social networking circles seems to be that LinkedIn is “…now a step ahead of the competition” making it the “…better business social network.” (VentureBeat).

Lucian Beebe from LinkedIn’s Product Management Team tells how LinkedIn’s Intelligent Application Platform will enable you to be more productive by being able to pull your profile data out of LinkedIn and use it elsewhere.

Another fun way to wind up 2007 and show how fun geeks can be. Though a parody, the music is actually pretty well done…guitar work is reminiscent of an old 38 Special song named “Hold on Loosely“.  Some might also say it has under tones of a Tommy Tutone song, “Jenny, Jenny - 867-5309“.  The lyrics are alot of fun…all Web 2.0 lingo. Here are the first few lines:

—————————–
LoV3 7Wo Po1Nt oH (th3 k3y)
—————————–
Let down your Firewall baby let me upload packets of love
Directly into your heart tonight

I’ve got your SSID all I need now is your WEP Key
C’mon girl, everything’s gonna be alright

Don’t wanna be be your myspace friend, already got a million and one of them
But maybe I could be your friend on facebook?

read more

Here’s a great way to round out 2007 and ponder 2008. The original version was entitled “Shift Happens” (quaint) and was narrated. I think they took a great idea and improved it even more. Thought provoking, contemplative, sobering, poignant…with music captures the essence of the video very gracefully.

The original version of this presentation was created for a Colorado (USA) high school staff of 150 in 2006 to start a conversation about what our students need to be successful in the 21st century. By June 2007, it had started more than 5 million conversations around the world.

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It takes a lot of guts …and a HUGE reputation to preamble a blogpost with something this strong. John Reese has both!

This may be the single most important blog post you may ever read.

I MUST WARN YOU… it’s very possible that the first time you read this post you will overlook it’s power. It’s very easy to do.

So I beg of you… PLEASE follow just two rules before you continue…

1. You must PRINT-OUT this blog post before reading it. I want you to read this entire post while being able to hold it in your hands. This will give you the best chance of getting it.

2. Read this entire blog post with an OPEN MIND. Promise yourself that you will not cast judgment, ‘react’ or even try to discount anything you are about to read until you have read the entire post all the way through AND have given it all a chance to sink in.

If you can follow those two simple rules you are ready to continue. You are ready to change your life.
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The Federal Trade Commission approves Google’s buyout plan. Those who fear Google’s growing private data collection don’t.
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Should innovation-minded managers look at the fast-growing Internet company as a model — or an anomaly? This decade’s most re­markable business story has been the rise of Google from the dot-com ashes.
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Microclimates, Microclusters, Niche Neighborhoods…High Tech, High Profile, High Life, High Times…only in the Valley.

Silicon Valley is a collection of remarkably local clusters based on industry niches, skills, school ties, traffic patterns, ethnic groups and even weekend sports teams.   read more

Image - News.com

In the seemingly waning days of the U.S. government’s antitrust review of the Google-DoubleClick union, consumer groups are lodging a last-minute plea: don’t forget about privacy.
That was the message during a conference call with reporters Tuesday morning hosted by the Electronic Privacy Information Center and the Center for Digital Democracy. read more

Google’s latest videos released that cover some very specific privacy issues on a product-by-product basis. They join some other video content to help grow the Google Privacy Channel on YouTube that was created last month. read more

Viewed by some as a meticulously constructed image campaign waged by Google to overcome lingering user privacy concerns, it’s probably no coincidence that the Don’t Worry Be Happy messages propagate resolutely as the FTC winds up it’s antitrust review of the controversial $3.1 Billion megamerger of Google and Doubleclick.

We’re looking at OpenSocial carefully and feel that we may potentially have a lot to contribute once the API is fully baked and OpenSocial has matured a bit.  …read more