Rob Hahn, the Notorious R O B, had an interesting blog post about where the rebarcamp experience has gone… from where it started.

I was lucky enough to make it to the first real estate bar camp (rebc), in San Francisco, in 2008.  It was a really cool experience.  The thing that most struck me about the event was that it was built on and based in sharing.  It was completely peer-to-peer. There were no PowerPoint presentations, no scheduled presenters, no vendor alleys.

Since then, I have been to a few rebc events in different markets.  I’ve even been involved in organizing one.  And I have seen a variety of events, from the fairly heavily commercialized, to the zero presentation model.

The issue that Rob pointed out was that many rebc events had morphed into a “Social Media 101” or “Tech 101” class format.  One presenter (likely with a PowerPoint presentation) would lecture the rest of the attendees on the subject du jour.  It wasn’t about peer-to-peer interaction, but rather, it became about a more traditional class experience… with a free lunch and free T-shirt.

What is the solution? So many real estate professionals (real estate agents and mortgage brokers) seem to need that entry level instruction from folks that aren’t necessarily product vendors.  At the same time, those of us that have been involved in social media and technology for a while now REALLY need to get feedback and interaction at a different level.  We are actually pretty left out…

Advanced technology and social media discussion and training is pretty tough to find… or an arm and a leg… or completely “vendor targeted” (use our system, blah, blah, blah).

So, what’s next?

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Remember from the intro post, these are the primary requirements I have for a To Do app for my phone/computer/the cloud…

Among the requirements I have for a to do list are:

• Repeating Tasks… I write on 4 blogs and maintain a couple of dynamic websites that always need fresh content.  So, I need to remember where I need to write posts each day.  My repeating tasks include:
  • Same day each month (gathering statistics in my local MLS)
  • Same day each week (weekly posts like my 53 Cool Concept series each Sunday)
  • Every X number of days (for places I post every four, eight or ten days, etc)
• Ability to tag or note which tasks are for which purpose
• Prioritization (so I don’t get caught up in stuff that doesn’t matter… missing things that are more important)

Ability to sync between my mobile device and other devices (laptop, cloud, etc.)

That seems pretty simple…

Second up is GOALS ToDo Free.

Repeating Tasks

This is the one that kicks out most of the To Do Lists for me.  There are several options, which may make this a great opportunity for some folks, but I felt a little limited.

• Daily – You can set tasks to repeat daily, as well as set them to repeat after a certain number of days…  In the free version, there doesn’t seem to be an option to have a task repeat each weekday.
• Weekly – Tasks can be set to repeat on a weekly basis, as well.  So, if you have a task that needs to be done every Tuesday, or one that needs to be dome every three weeks, this is the option you would use.  I don’t see an option to do a task each Monday and Wednesday, for example.
• Monthly – The next option would be a monthly task.  This can be set a specific day (November 20th for example) but not on a trigger (like the 3rd Saturday of the month).
• Yearly – This option allows longer range tasks (like birthdays) to be set up.  It can even be set up to remind about the task after a period of years.  To do this, it has to be set up to repeat in 12 months… or 24 months… or whatever.

Tags

I don’t see a Tag capability, but there is a Context that can be applied to tasks to help group them.

Prioritization

We HAVE to be able to focus on the things that are most important.  GOALS ToDo Free has three priority levels: Immediately, Soon and Next.  There is an interesting option to be able to “refocus” tasks.

I haven’t seen an option to sync with Google Calendar.  I’m also not aware of a Website or a way to deal with the tasks from my computer.

Overall, I from my limited exposure, GOALS ToDo seems like an excellent option for project managing, or many other situations.  In fact, I can see it being very useful to track real estate contract and closing dates… but as an overall tasking calendar, it doesn’t seem to work for me.

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FaceBook has some pretty specific rules regarding how people use Profiles on FaceBook.  They are officially NOT supposed to be used for business, but as a Real Estate Agent, I see a LOT of my peers using their Profile as a promotional tool.  I can’t claim innocence, either.  I have been known to “talk shop” on my Profile as well.

But, FaceBook has included another option… one that IS allowed.  The Fan Page. Pages are specifically designed for business usage.  They still have some shortcomings, but they are a safe alternative to trying to use Profiles for business.

One thing to keep in mind regarding personal Profiles is that you can’t change your custom URL.  So, if you connect it to a company, and then leave, sell or close that company, you are stuck with that FaceBook URL.  You can’t change it for a Page, either, but you can always start a new page for the new venture.

So, are YOU using your personal Profile for business?  Just curious…

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I have it on shaky authority that there will be an real estate technology event on May 18th, 2011 in the Atlanta area.  It is rumored to be a collaboration between rebarcamp Atlanta (#rebcATL) and REtechSouth (#retso).  The rumors are that it will be a hands on workshop focusing on implementing technology and social marketing plans like those developed during #retso and #rebcATL.

Like I said, this is an early stage rumor…  There is no word yet on cost, venue, presenters or any other details… but keep an eye peeled here and at rebcAtlanta.com for the latest details and rumors.

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It is always SO cool to open up a new toy tool… I mean tool.

But, one of the parts of being self-employed is not only getting the cool tools to help expand or streamline the business, but learning how to really leverage them to the max… getting your money’s worth from them.  It doesn’t matter if you got a cool new Android phone, iPad or All-in-One Multi-Function Printer.

And one thing I have found seem to bind many self-employed people together is that we often have the contradiction of not wanting to call for tech help (we can handle almost anything, right?  That is what pulled us into entrepreneurialism) and not really having the time to sit down and read the manual from cover to cover. In fact, a lot of us might even admit to being willing to take a class on using a piece of technology… but we can’t find the time to take the class.

I’m here to tell you, make the time.

The tools can make you more efficient (saving time) and more productive (more business/profit/money).  But the ONLY way they work is if they are used fully.  And the best way to get that type of use from the tools is to get someone experienced to teach you the tips, tricks and best practices.

I have a pretty deep stable of friends that are WAY tech savvy.  They teach me constantly how to better utilize the tools that I have.  They also help me filter WAY down the tools that I want.

Taking advantage of opportunities like rebarcamps and events like REtechSouth are also great options.  In addition to the sessions, networking with experienced technology users (like my stable of friends) and even talking directly with the manufacturers and marketers of niche specific technology.

Play with your new technology.  Get used to it.  Enjoy it.  But also think about getting a little deeper into it.  At the very least, look for something a little more complete than the average user manual.

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I guess we could call this Twitter Thursday…

I think that a lot of times we forget that the “Founding Fathers” were real people.  they were also hanging out on the edge of technology for their time.

Thomas Jefferson could have REALLY used a Kindle.  The guy was a reading machine.  Not to mention that he was a genius…

George Washington was a gifted leader and he wasn’t afraid to employ battlefield technology as he found it.  He recognized that the training that his soldiers could get from Baron von Steuben was beyond what he could provide… and the battle style of Francis Marion could add power to his army.

What can one say about Ben Franklin?  He was a technology freak!  Printing was probably what he was most known for, but his Pony Express concept rocked.  Letters could be posted and replied to in the same day.  The modern post office doesn’t touch what he was doing between Boston and Philadelphia in 1776…  Ofc ourse, there are numerous inventions and technologies he employed.  He would be an iPad guy…

All of them were into communications, and I would bet that they would be sporting iPhones and Androids if they were alive today.

As I study our founding fathers, I get more and more impressed with them.

We’ll skip over the inaccuracies in the tweets (Washington didn’t actually wear a wig, apparently), and focus on the guys.

Can you see the founders of this country sitting around a table in a pub, knocking back a few beers and coming up with the ideas that would eventually form the basis of this country?

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