Join the Baseline Community

No surprise that Microsoft is buying a stake in Facebook, the juggernaut social network. With more than 50 million active users and market valuation of $15 billion, Facebook is poised to become the next Google as it turns the corner from peer-to-peer connectivity to online advertising.

If anyone thought social networking was a fad, the Facebook deal (Microsoft paid $240 million for 1.6 percent of the company) confirms that it’s not only here to stay-it’s the wave of the future. Look at any social networking site, from MySpace to LinkedIn, and you’ll see that social networking is rapidly becoming the next killer Internet app because it transparently and effortlessly (OK, near effortlessly) brings people together.

Similarly, Baseline is more than just a magazine or a Web site, it’s a community. I accepted the position as editor of Baseline because I saw the power of Baseline to bring a broad IT and business community together in a way that we all can learn from our collective experiences. Baseline delivers world-class case studies, analyses and research reports on the success and failures of IT in business. The exchange of that information-the willingness of companies to open up about their IT issues and the absorption of that experience by others to emulate it—is the foundation of the Baseline community.

I believe our primary mission at Baseline is to continue to build our community and act as a conduit for sharing technology and business experiences. I ask that you join us in this effort by becoming an active Baseline community member. You can help us and your Baseline peers in very simple ways:

  • Join the Baseline Advisory Council
  • Contribute story and issue ideas to the editors
  • Write blogs and columns for Baselinemag.com
  • Participate in podcasts, Web video presentations and roundtables
  • Speaking at Baseline and Ziff Davis Enterprise conferences
  • And more…

I will be looking for people to fulfill these roles. If interested, just drop us an e-mail or e-mail me directly.

On behalf of the Baseline staff, I welcome your suggestions, contributions and critiques. My office is always open and I will respond to all calls and e-mails. You can reach me at (212) 503-5789 or [email protected]. If you’d like to learn more about the Baseline staff and me, check out our “About Us” page.

Lawrence M. Walsh is editor of Baseline magazine and a columnist for eWeek Channel Insider [channelinsider.com]. You can reach him at [email protected].