Web2.0 has proved itself as an excellent communication tool. If it's being used for marketing, then how can politics be far behind....if we take a macro view of the situation, politics to some extent is a form of marketing...marketing the candidate, marketing the political party etc.

Interesting evidence is available from overseas about the usage of this communication tool in politics...India of course cannot claim to be part of this...why would the Indian politicians bother... their vote banks lie in those lands where web 2.0 is of no consequence.

Internet marketing, once upon a time talked about Search Engine Optimisation and Search Engine Marketing. Now it talks about Social Media Optimisation and Social Media Marketing.

Social Media Optimisation or SMO, a term recently coined by Rohit Bhargava ,Vice President for Interactive Marketing with Ogilvy Public Relations Worldwide, aims to “Leverage all the links and marketing value you can get from social and business networks”.

As we browse across the motley mix of people in an organisation, there exists a complete genre of executives who are a storehouse of good ideas and business plans...plans which can be hugely beneficial for an organisation...all they lack is the presentation of the same in the right perspective. I remember reading an article on '10 biggest mistakes marketers make' written by Roy Young at marketingprofs.com.

As more and more research goes into understanding the contributions and characteristics of entrepreneurs and their ventures, there emerge newer experiential learning opportunities such as internship, networking events and mentorship programs.

Another visible rising trend is that of young techies giving up cushy jobs for the sake of venturing into different fields.High employee burnout is not the only cause for this, but the desire to get into challenging, upcoming fields, as also to channelise their creativity and energies in the same direction as their dreams.Also, India offers the right opportunities , both in terms of an optimum environment for innovation, a highly knowledgeable resource pool of individuals and the

The Asian DevelopmentBank has launched the Asia Regional Integration Center (ARIC) website, a knowledge and information portal which facilitates the tracking of progress in the region’s accelerating economic cooperation and integration.

The new ARIC website supports the Asia and Pacific region’s efforts to promote regional cooperation and integration.

As per the ADB President, Haruhiko Kuroda, the ARIC website is a valuable tool for monitoring progress and understanding ongoing and planned regional initiatives.

The quintessential technique of writing to share information in relevant media and fora has finally come of age.

Online Communities, networking sites and online blogs are the latest resource pool being used by headhunters for recruitment. A large number of Manpower Consulting Firms are now actively browsing these sites to secure the right candidates.

As people participate in online forums and discussions, their talent comes to the fore ; also key knowledge areas are exhibited, henceforth giving the recruiters greater insight into the right people for the job.

In his article on 'An emerging interactions economy', John Chambers,President and CEO, CISCO Systems has analysed the ripple affects of ICTs
and outlined how India's inherent strengths of focussing innovation, coupled with a strong education system and backed by fruitful partnerships, has furthered the cause of the country's socio-economic development.

Some keypoints-

1.ICTs back the three key areas of Entrepreneurialism, Innovation and Education,thus providing unparalleled opportunities for thecommunity.

Here is an interesting excerpt from Seth Godin's book on
Permission Marketing

"Interruption marketing versus Permission marketing.
THE TWO WAYS TO GET MARRIED
The Interruption Marketer buys an extremely expensive
suit. New shoes. Fashionable accessories. Then,
working with the best databases and marketing
strategists, selects the demographically ideal singles bar.

As e-learning sweeps the marketplace and as more and more corporates concentrate on both the subjective as well as objective aspects of e-learning, some important trends are emerging.

More sophisticated, qualitative content not only streamlines processes,but also helps in delivering a more structured approach to the learning paradigm.

The learning-by-doing approach to learning eliminates the gap between theoretical classroom-based study and hands on practice in real life situations.Similarly,problem based learning ensures relevance of skills and expertise gained.

Further to my discussion on the use of ICTs in Education, and the importance of the role of the teacher, this is a brief case study about an Indian initiative in this direction.

CASE STUDY:

Background:
As developing countries increasingly realise the demand to prepare their youth to be able to compete in a world driven by information, technolgy and knowledge,traditional classrooms have undergone massive changes.Information technology has entered the classroom in a big way to aid the teaching-learning process.Computers are no longer stand-alone subjects;but infact used to empower teachers to teach other subjects with greater ease.