World Wide Rave

Hey you. Yes, you with your eyes on the computer screen. You’re witnessing a World Wide Rave as you read this. What’s that you ask? It’s something that people from all corners of the globe are currently a part of. It’s nothing and yet everything at the same time. In the strictly literal sense, it is the phenomenon that is the subject of an upcoming book by Marketing and PR guru David Meerman Scott. He defines a World Wide Rave as follows –

“A World Wide Rave is when people around the world are talking about you, your company, and your products. Whether you’re located in San Francisco, Dubai, or Reykjavík, it’s when global communities eagerly link to your stuff on the Web. It’s when online buzz drives buyers to your virtual doorstep. And it’s when tons of fans visit your Web site and your blog because they genuinely want to be there.”

I heard about the World Wide Rave book and project from my Digital Media professor Michael Netzley at the Singapore Management University. He wanted some of us in class to utilize the tools we’re learning in class, and become involved in spreading the word about the World Wide Rave. So, to do the same, my friend Radhika and I went down to Palawan Beach on Sentosa Island in Singapore.


What’s so special about this place? It’s the southern-most point in continental Asia. And now, it’s a part of the World Wide Rave project.


Watch out for more posts on the World Wide Rave from Singapore this week. For some awesome posts from Singapore visit Ephraim, Dorothy and Andrew Peters.


Prof. Netzley gave us a choice regarding the assignments we needed to do. But many of us voluntarily chose to do this project. We read up about the concept of World Wide Rave and discussed it with each other. Not because we thought it would get us better grades; but because we genuinely found this assignment very cool. And now we’re blogging about it and linking to it. And I’m sure many of us are also going to grab a copy of World Wide Rave when it is released in Singapore.

That, right there, is a World Wide Rave.

Tennis Elbow

Roger Federer is one of my favorite athletes ever. I've watched all of his big matches, and I've supported him despite him being kicked around by Rafael Nadal in the recent past. Fedex has always been a true champion - grace, humility, elegance, dominance et al. But not tonight. Not after what ensued once he was called to address the Rod Laver Arena after his loss to Rafa in tonight's epic final at the Australian Open.

Being emotional is one thing. Breaking down completely, is another. I honestly don't know what to make of Federer right now. Not because he cried. That's fine. But rather, what his crying clearly showed. Rafa is in Federer's head. He's frying him slowly and painfully. The 13-time grand slam winner cannot figure out what he must do to beat the sheer audacity of Nadal. And that pisses me off. A true champion has the character to keep his emotions in check, and learn from past defeat. Roger did none of those tonight. What he did do, was take away from a ceremony that Nadal truly deserved.

Maybe I'm being too harsh on Federer. It was one of the best matches ever. But breaking down in front of Laver, Rosewall, Roche, and Newcombe? No man. That should have been Rafa's moment among the legends.

Or maybe that was the problem.