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A common theme today is revolving around a couple recent articles I’ve been reading.  What got me started on this was an article I saw by Umair Haque, the director of the Harvard Media Lab who was writing to challenge the new culture and talent of Web 2.0 entrepreneurs in the Bay Area (and elsewhere) to use their talents and technology to focus on more pressing world issues, rather than always trying to create the next cool, awesome, bitchin’ web app that will get them industry (and wider) fame and big advertising dollars along the way to their dream acquisition.

Umair’s article was also influenced by Tim O’Reilly’s keynote address at the Web 2.0 conference recently, some of which is here.  The points discussed in both cases are well taken, and something I truly believe in.  It also appears to be the same sort of spirit that lives at the TED conference, and is where we should be throwing our innovative efforts going forward.  TED is actually a good place to start thinking about how we can utilize some of the amazing talent in the Web 2.0 community.  A great example of using Web 2.0 design and implementation is the Open Architecture Network, created to foster the development of ‘open source architecture’ that will be built for communities around the world in places that need to have cheap, sustainable housing.  This project, site and community is helping to improve living standards for people everywhere.

Of course many web 2.0 creative folks don’t necessarily start out with the means to self finance projects like the Open Architecture Network, and are trying to first make their mark in the industry.  I do encourage VC’s and other invesment types to use their resources to further the development of helping to fix some of the world’s issues.  People want to help with the world’s issues, and as you can see by some examples already, there is a lot that the Web 2.0 community can do to help…

Extended Twitter:
Sitting here working in T and Kip’s kitchen in Central Square Cambridge.  Went over to Arlington to play poker last night with some friends at “The Zone”, a house shared by numerous bachelors outside of the main drag of town, yet still within striking distance.  Fun night, but unfortunate that we couldn’t meddle in some music with Timbo and co…

Found out that I’m rusty at Texas Hold’em.  When I first moved out to the Bay Area and was living in Oakland, I’d head over to Oak’s Card Club from time to time for some limit hold’em action, but would usually walk away frustrated and disappointed about losing my money.  I was successful some of the time, but I felt that when I did win it was mostly luck, so I eventually dropped the habit before it became to addictive.

My cousin Taylor is sitting here across the table from me, both of us with our laptops running around midnight, not an unusual place to find us at this time of night.  He’s working on a Twitter reminder bot called Remindo (check it out!!!!) that will direct Twitter you any reminder you wish at the specified time as long as you direct Twitter ‘remindo’.  Pretty sweet.  Especially impressive is the fact that the kid has been working on this for less that 10 hours and it’s almost done (mostly working with some frustrating bugs from the time parsing algorithm that he’s using).

Headed over to the NERAX beer festival to meet friends for a drink.  Hopefully I can get a ticket.  Back on the left coast tomorrow morning.  More then…