Second Period of My Life

19Jun09

As of today, the first period of my life has finished. Yesterday, I did my master thesis presentation and sent the latest version of my final report to my examiner which was my last assignment for the “first part” of my life, which can be summarized as studying and gathering as much information as possible.

Starting from Monday, I will be a “young professional” and it will be the beginning of the second period of my life which can be summarized as “having a career and improving yourself”. The first stop in my professional career is being a “Pre-Sales Engineer” at NetInsight AB. I hope that, I will learn a lot and succeed with the company for many long years.

My final report from my master thesis could be found in my “e-marketing master thesis” blog if you are interested. Otherwise, this is the latest news from my side and I wish a great “midsummer” for everybody!

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Twitter: I am still alive, open the coffin!

29May09

A new Swedish webservice (Webwill) is going to let you prepare twitter, facebook or even myspace messages those will be sent out after your death.

Your Online Heritage

Swedish design student Lisa Granberg from Beckmans College of Design states that an average Swede spends almost 2,5 hours online for twittering, sending messages on Facebook and even blogging. But there is no way to control your online life after your death.Yet, it is most probable that none of your friends or relatives will have the necessary information to access your social networking accounts. So how are you going to say your last words to the people out there?

Facebook Status: Parachuting..

Would you want your facebook status to remain as “parachuting..” forever after your sudden fall from 4.500 meters? Of course not ! What about your confession about your unknown kid, would you trust technology to let everyone know about it ?

Real Thoughts

The idea is really bright in a way that it took a lot of attention from the media at least here in Sweden. It can be argued if it really solves a problem but it sure made my day. What do you think, would this idea take off?

Introduction Video In English

The Local (Sweden’s News in English) Article

Filed under: Business   |  2 Comments
Tags: afterdeath service, swedish webservice, webwill, webwill svenska, webwill.se

My First Swedish Video

13May09

I attended the exam for the “Intermediate Swedish Course” at KTH last Saturday. So I decided to see how my Swedish sounds and created this video in order to test it and get comments. It is becoming more and more easier to understand the others but speaking is definitely something else. Let’s check the video and please let me know what you think :

Filed under: Personal   |  6 Comments
Tags: gökhan dogan, my first swedish video, svenska, svenska turkiska, swedish presentation, swedish test

Facebook’s Vanity Url Move

26Apr09

Facebook is preparing itself for selling “vanity urls” to its users. “Vanity url” is like having a meaningful address such as “facebook.com/gokhandogan” instead of complicated set of strings.

Myspace has already been letting its users to have “vanity url”s for their profiles for a long time so it seems like a no-brainer for Facebook.

Who has it now?

The only pages that presently have vanity URLs are bands and businesses that partnered with Facebook for the initial launch of this new product:

• http://www.facebook.com/demimoore
• http://www.facebook.com/kevinrose
• http://www.facebook.com/u2
• http://www.facebook.com/ashtonkutcher

Who would pay for it?

Not me! Even in my wildest dreams, wouldn’t I pay for it BUT it would be a lucrative business for Facebook given the potential of bidding for some words. Think about having “facebook.com/sports” or “facebook.com/computers”

What would Facebook get from it ?

Although some people say that they’d pay for the ability to get the old UI back, the following are some potential benefits for Facebook:

• Obviously, income by selling vanity urls.
• More search engine traffic from the people who search for these names i.e. “Demi Moore”

What Alternatives Do Users Have ?

• Subdomain: Simply create a “facebook.gokhandogan.com” subdomain and forward it to your actual facebook profile.
• Tiny-Fb: Go to tiny-fb and create your own FREE vanity url such as http://tiny-fb.com/gokhan

Question ?

Would you pay for it and if YES how much ?

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Tags: "facebook business model", "facebook strategy", "facebook vanity url", "vanity url facebook", vanity url

Strengths Test Results

08Apr09

Recently I have taken the “VIA Signatura Strengths Questionnaire” which is a scientific research-based test that measures 24 character strengths. It takes nearly 40 minutes and includes 240 questions. Here are my results, what about yours?

Your Top Strength:

Industry, diligence, and perseverance
You work hard to finish what you start. No matter the project, you “get it out the door” in timely fashion. You do not get distracted when you work, and you take satisfaction in completing tasks.
Your Second Strength:

Humor and playfulness
You like to laugh and tease. Bringing smiles to other people is important to you. You try to see the light side of all situations.

Your Third Strength:

Social intelligence
You are aware of the motives and feelings of other people. You know what to do to fit in to different social situations, and you know what to do to put others at ease.
Your Fourth Strength:

Creativity, ingenuity, and originality
Thinking of new ways to do things is a crucial part of who you are. You are never content with doing something the conventional way if a better way is possible.

Your Fifth Strength:

Hope, optimism, and future-mindedness
You expect the best in the future, and you work to achieve it. You believe that the future is something that you can control.

Filed under: Personal   |  2 Comments
Tags: character test, self-awareness, top strength, via signature strengths questionnaire