On March 9th 2010, the BabelFish became extinct

On March 9th 2010 the BabelFish after it’s many years of fine service to the Internet, became extinct.

What happened? A benevolent and scrappy online upstart – www.mojofiti.com launched an upgrade to their free services that combines machine translations (just like the kind used in BabelFish) and a crowdsource of human translators then started giving the service away to members of the mojofiti social network.

So what that means is, if you are a member of www.mojofiti.com you get the power of WordPress blogging, combined with mega awesome super translations all language enabled for a global audience.

No reason to stop there. Considering that you can now publish for the globe why wouldn’t you be able to read the content from global publishers in your own native language? Mojofiti does that.

So we bid a fine adieu  to the BabelFish and with it’s extinction move on to a brave new world of Mojo.

Here we are at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Last night we spent time on the subway platform at the Waterfront station. There, we greeted locals and tourists with “Breaking Down Language Barriers” in the form of free chapstick with the Mojofiti URL

Alan and Tasha took lots of FLIP video which I’ll post when I get a chance. The kids Tucker and Lucy were a big hit, greeting people with Mojofiti messages and freebies. The wife has been a real champ juggling babies and working the crowds (sheesh how does she doit)… John’s been keeping us all on schedule, and stocked with logostuff for the masses – I wonder we’re he’ll have us working today?

Oh did I mention Declan has been giving “high touch” consultation (one on one style) about the fact that Mojofiti is breaking down language barriers worldwide? For some reason everyone he’s giving the pitch to, is a gorgeous single woman. Ahh good times. Somehow I’m not sure mojofiti translates “the language of love” quite yet.

Other than that, we took in the opening ceremonies from a nice hotel restaurant, watched the flame be lit and then retired to the Sheridan Wall Center for the evening. More tomorrow!

Go MOJOFITI STREET TEAMS!

Here’s a link to the Mojofiti Groups : Winter Olympics where you can blog, or reblog any content associated with any of the events. What’s really sweet is that whatever you write is automagically translated into 27 languages.

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Here’s a form letter that we’re circulating around the world to get people involved, if you want to use it to send to your contacts or address book please be obliged.

Some close friends of mine have launched Mojofiti, a new company based in Denver. This company is on a mission to create a global community by using technology to break down language barriers. At the beginning of this month, they launched the current version of their beta site http://mojofiti.com/ This is a social networking and publishing platform available in 27 different languages. The platform uses blogs, messaging, wires, and groups to facilitate interaction between people living in different countries who speak different languages. The system automatically translates postings into the native language of the user.

For example, those of us who speak English automatically see live content at the website in English and people in Germany see the site in German.

Already, since launching the current site on January 1, 2010, artists, musicians, photographers, cultural lovers, students, scientists and philanthropists from the U.S. and more than twenty countries have signed up.

The user base has been growing at 3%-5% per day during January, which tells me there is something special starting to happen at Mojofiti.

Mojofiti resonates with me.  For those of us who value artistic expression and desire a better, more positive and peaceful world, this seems like a good place to work toward those goals. Please go to the site http://mojofiti.com/ sign up, look for me there and let me know what you think. The account is free.  I believe you will find this approach (multilingual globalism) to be the next wave in social networking and also a way to make our world a better place.

From the Guggenheim Museum to galleries in Zurich, Bill Gian has inspired people with his architectural wonders and abstract canvases.

What inspired us at the Mojofiti Launch party in the fall of 2009 was that this Internationally known artist introduced Tucker Wakabayashi to his world of art. Tucker was standing in awe of Gian’s work during his live performance. Gian noticing this young fan, asked him to join the performance.

Hours of colors and splattering paint on dress clothes, wide eyed baby Modignliani or more appropriately a young GIAN painted in the spotlight.

And more on a personal note, I’ve known Bill for more than a decade and have had a chance to work with him on projects in the advertising industry. This guy is pure heart and soul – obviously. Bill’s stays true to art and to artists. His studio packed with artwork – not for mass consumption but for mass appreciation, giving of himself, his symbology, his love of color and shape to the people.

I ask you, what kind of artist sacrifices his limelight for his friends kids? Some may have an answer but they might be wrong. The real answer is that this guy, loves art, wants kids to imbibe in it, and cultivates it with his being, careless, of pretension.

Maybe next time it will be your kid watching with wide eyes as an artist performs on stage.  Then you’ll hope it’s Gian.

Thanks Bill.