Over the course of my career I have had the good fortune to work with some very smart folks. Among the brightest are two multi-faceted, multi-talented programmers, Josh “Joshy” Marinacci and Robert “Cooper” Cooper. These guys are dedicated to continually improving Java, and bringing innovative frameworks and applications to the programming community. Recently they launched an open source project to create an entirely Java-based version of desktop widgets. Widgets are currently offered by Yahoo (formally Konfabulator) and will also be familiar to Mac users in the form of the popular Dashboard widgets.
Originally the project was launched under the mysterious working name “AB5k” and had already begun to attract a following of enthusiastic developers. In a mad dash just before the recent JavaOne conference I pitched in on an effort to rename the project and create a logo to help give it some identity. The current name is now Glossitope. The name is the end result of numerous iterations and eliminations. The word derives from a blend of Glossy and Isotope – intended to evoke a sense of a tangible item with a dynamic core. Once the name was settled on I began to work on logo variations, eventually settling on the “atomic G” which is currently in use on the Glossitope site. For those interested in this sort of thing, we deliberately decided to go for a logo that was more web-friendly than print-friendly although if the name sticks I’m sure we’ll be making one and two-color variations in vector art rather than bitmaps. Naming is always an interesting puzzle as it involves a wide variety of factors including: the input of various stakeholders (in this case we are expecting some eventual guidance from Sun), the time allotted to the process (a frenzied crunch before JavaOne), the intended use and display media, the overall brand message, language and distribution considerations, trademark and domain availability, and lots and lots of opinions. Generally the best way to approach these issues is with considerable amounts of caffeine. A process helps too, but in the end a small amount of gavel banging by a project leader will help keep the timelines on track (thanks Josh).
So at the moment there is a Glossitope project, with a shiny new logo, and rumors of a T-shirt that has yet to surface, but the real story is this very cool new widget platform that promises greater portability and an enhanced range of features over its predecessors. Check it out!
Superheroes, a call to arms.
“Superman didn’t become Superman. Superman was born Superman. When Superman wakes up in the morning, he’s Superman. His alter ego is Clark Kent. His outfit with the big red ‘S’? That’s the blanket he was wrapped in as a baby when the Kents found him. THOSE are his clothes. What Kent wears – the glasses, the business suit – that’s the costume.” ~Quentin Tarantino
I love that quote because I believe that we all have something authentic to offer, something that makes us special, something that can make us a beacon to others if we would just let that light shine for all to see. However we don’t always trust that talent, that passion, that superpower – we hide it behind a job title, we bury it underneath professional conformity. We’re taught to fit in, not stand out, but branding is about standing out.
Branding requires the risk of being noticed, especially when it comes to personal branding.
If you’re not noticed then your brand never has that seed from which to grow. You may be awesome, heck I’ll even go out on a not-so-skinny limb and say that you are awesome, but if we don’t know you and don’t know you for your awesomeness, well then we can’t help you and sadly we’re not going to give you the opportunity to help us.
My ambition, my purpose, my superpower if you will, is to help you to identify your difference, to give your powers names – so you can accept the mantle of your inner superhero. Yes, I’ve got a soft spot for the mavericks who were born on Krypton, but there are plenty of Earth-born humans who are mutating, who took the super-soldier serum, who’ve been bitten by radioactive spiders and feel that light burning inside. I see them all around me. I meet them every day, but they haven’t all yet come to recognize their powers or to trust them.
Kryptonite! Poisonous vapor of doubt. Kryptonite! Energy-sapping force of the dont-make wave (believed to emanate from meteorites made during the explosion of planet Me-Too). Admit it, it’s not easy to give yourself permission to stop being a face in the crowd. The life of a superhero can be super-risky, even super-embarrassing.
Have you ever worn a cape? It’s a tough look to pull off. Even Clark Kent can’t work that look because it clashes with the briefcase – it is not part of the costume, but when you dare to shrug off the Clark Kent disguise and reveal your authentic super self that’s when the cape fits – it’s not a costume it is a part of who your are. That’s when you’ll pick the color of that cape, stock your utility belt, build your secret lair… and name your powers.
“Look! Up in the sky… It’s a bird… It’s a plane… It’s you!” Super.