I've found myself thinking lately about all the small ways we, even in the business, prop up our digital toys. We sometimes sound incredibly codependent as we talk among ourselves. Then my mind wandered to a couple of habits that seem to have become acceptable that I would actually consider misuse.

I've been with the same mobile carrier for 10 years. I almost left two years ago over a billing issue, but a special customer-service SWAT team swooped in and took things over. Since then, my family has enjoyed the benefits of a dedicated customer-service rep. This is the real deal, as I know my rep's full name, personal email address and mobile phone number. Unfortunately, this is not the norm, not even with my own mobile carrier.

Creating an "unfair competitive advantage" seems to be a persistent goal in the tech start-up world. It is a pretty standard question that venture capitalists ask entrepreneurs seeking funding (with a lot of stress on the word unfair). I find that it can be a great way to focus critical analysis of a business's true differentiation and realistic competitive advantages. Earlier this week, in a conversation with an industry analyst trying to divine the ideal characteristics for ad agencies of the future, I found myself pondering this question in the context of ad agencies.

Have you hugged your agency partners today? OK, I'll admit that sounds a little extreme, but the question is intended to be exaggerated to highlight the state of agency/client relationships these days.

If you are reading this, you are likely in the advertising industry, and if you are in the advertising industry you have undoubtedly heard all about the phenomenon that is "The Old Spice Man." When Old Spice, W+K et al, made the decision to produce extremely rapid custom content based on the popular character, they changed the very way we will look at advertising going forward. The big question for everyone is: What does it all mean? Here are a couple of thoughts.

Have you ever thought of journalism as an inconsolable sinner? Have you ever then thought of mobile as journalism's second chance? Neither had I -- until an article I read this weekend suggested it. The piece revisited the long woeful conversation about opportunities lost by legacy journalism in its poor handling of content monetization, in a different light. It presented mobile as the promise -- as the light.

If you're reading this, it's probably because the headline above convinced you to click on a link or open an email. Now here's the catch: First, this article has nothing to do with Satan. Second, I didn't even write the headline myself. I used the totally awesome Linkbait Generator. (If you're seeking a chuckle and have a few minutes to burn on your summer vacation, I highly recommend it.) And there lies the point of this article: sensational linkbait.

Many folks in the media industry look at Facebook and think that they are only seeing a short-lived, youth-based social communications phenomenon -- maybe the CB radio of the 21st Century -- not a revolution in the entertainment industry. They are wrong. I believe that Facebook and other social Web services are going to dramatically change the landscape -- and economics -- of the media and entertainment industries. Here's why:

The phrases "process paralysis" and "death by committee" are universally known and equally frustrating to me, because I've personally witnessed too many good ideas go into a meeting and never come out. I'm certainly a person who relies on structure, but I also know when a good idea steps up and smacks you in the face, you need to move quickly. You need to make decisions and you need to take a shot. As Wayne Gretzky once famously said, "You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." Truer words were never uttered in any line of work.

My column two weeks ago, "Buying Banners = Burning Money," has generated a lot of conversations, both public and private. Most people would concede that "reach" without impact is not truly reach, but rather defend the impact of impressions. As I said two weeks ago, some impressions are valuable, but most are not, and it's in the ability to tell the difference where the problem lies.