Several cool things

Cool thing #1: If you're interested in ideas on using technology to actually teach people something, check out the Golden Swamp blog from Judy Breck, author and general connectivity guru. She argues, rationally and with a great deal of authority, that we are experiencing a new golden age as the result of the Internet and that, in fact, many Web 2.0 tools can be used to truly engage the younger generation in learning on whole new levels. Technology used to motivate and inspire instead of anesthetize -- who'd have thought?

Cool thing #2: My first car was a Plymouth Duster, and boy was it hideous. Plus it didn't really run very well. But now I wish I had pictures of it because no one would believe I owned it. Plus, there's something nostalgic about your first car -- especially if it was a muscle car that all the boys drooled over. The folks at Pontiac are offering the opportunity for a new generation of car fans to use Web 2.0 tools to express their fanatacism to the world. At the new Pontiac Underground site you can blog or post pictures / videos about your car. Not only is it somewhat interesting for the true fan, but Pontiac is doing a great deal to build fan loyalty (a la the Mini Cooper clan). What's most interesting is that both companies are applying these techniques to a truly "brick and mortar" style product -- the car!

Cool thing #3: Move out of the way television. Recent research shows that Frequent YouTube visitors watch less television. OK, so if you're one of those people who think that any time spent in front of a screen is inherently bad, this may not be good news. You'll think "oh, we're just exchanging one axis of evil for another." But the interesting point here is that people are starting to choose user generated content over network generated content, a trend that will only continue!