Perhaps less valuable to Google than a test market with a mayor willing to do silly stunts, but pretty good nonetheless:

Comments

[Account Deleted]

I guess it goes without saying that this is a great video. Kudos to Tom.

[Will]

Informative video, I learned some stuff about my hometown. Nice inclusion of RFMD and Honda Jet...what about FedEx. Combine the 3rd largest hub (after Memphis and Anchorage) with "warp speed" internet from Google, stir in a litle quality of life and companies will beat a path to have a presence here. Good for the Google too.

10 + years after announcing GSO as a hub and few still have an understanding of the positive economic impact FedEx will help facilitate.

But nice video nonetheless. Thank you Tom.

[Roch101]

Let's see, the president of Bennett College, the president of GTCC, the chancellor of UNCG, the president of Guilford College, the dean of Elon School of Law, interim president of Greensboro College... someone is missing.

[Thomas]

Well done. I'm sold.

[Patrick Eakes]

Tom never disappoints. That is a great way to capture some of our community's best features in seven minutes.

[Michele Forrest]

Solid, informative video. But Dr. Sankar from A&T stood out. He was by far the most engaging and entertaining. Dr. Sankar should get his own video. Or series. ;)

[Ryan Shell]

As others have said, kudos to the video.

On another note, I hope video highlights the importance of our colleges and the economic impact that the students make, as well as their potential. Here's a little something I previously wrote on another site,

"As a young professional I have had several opportunities to leave Greensboro, but have not done so. I want to work towards bringing opportunities here for an array of individuals, but also feel as though we need to do a better job of focusing on young professionals.

In terms of job creation and recruiting, companies like to locate where there are large talent pools, and I think our pool has a pretty big leak. I’ve been searching for a statistic that shows the number of graduating college seniors leave Greensboro each year, but haven’t been able to track the number down just yet. I can only imagine that it is a significant number."

The Google initiative has helped bring a lot of groups together... hopefully we can keep the momentum going and address additional opportunities.

Ryan

[Roch101]

I'm told A&T thought they'd get more mileage from the appearance of Dr. Sankar. I have to agree with Michele, he was inspiring -- heck, everybody was. Super!

[David Hoggard]

"The Google initiative has helped bring a lot of groups together... hopefully we can keep the momentum going and address additional opportunities."

Perhaps we could call it... oh, I don't know... perhaps.... Oh! I've got it!

ConvergeSouth.

I'll provide the pig and beer.

[mick]

Are trolls allowed?

[Ryan Shell]

David, it's larger than Converge.

[David Hoggard]

I know, Ryan. Not my point.

[Jim Caserta]

I think Ryan has the YP calculus backwards. I moved to Austin in 1998, not initially because it is one of the coolest towns in the country, but because I got a job with Motorola. You might get young people moving to Greensboro w/o from some parts of NC, but you aren't really going to get them moving from FL, CA, NY w/o a job. Austin is also unique because it is a liberal enclave in TX and always attracted a lot of musicians - helping the YP scene. What enabled Austin's phenomenal growth - adding nearly 300k residents since 1990 - was it's large tech base. It is probably the #3 region of the country for semiconductors (behind NoCal & Boston) and that led into software. Tech employees tend to be younger, and that's the recipe.

Austin could not have achieved nearly the same result by first attracting YP's and then trying to get businesses there. Austin is also a lot like RTP because IBM was the hub company - both of those serve as examples of how attracting a large business can create conditions for an area to thrive in a type of business.

The better pop comparison is b/w Travis cnty & Guilford cnty. Travis cnty has grown 73% since 1990, while Guilford only 36%.

[RecycleBill]

There's only one sure fire way to get fiber optics in Greensboro.

Sadly, considering Greensboro long time lack of effective leadership and ties to Time-Warner we'll never see it happen.

[Sue]

Hogg wrote and someone sent me the link,

"Perhaps we could call it... oh, I don't know... perhaps.... Oh! I've got it!

ConvergeSouth. I'll provide the pig and beer."

Big smooch, Hogg, on 2 fronts. After the Library mentioned ConvergeSouth (they were first and curiously the only one to that point) as one part of what Greensboro has proven it has to offer, you were the second. It's nice to see the conference mentioned as part of our creative effort in the city and yes, I take it a trifle personally, but not that much. Just thought it deserved a thank you.

Second, if you're really on board for pig & beer, damnit, you're hired. We will be Converging on October 1-2, 2010, and I'd feel a whole lot better if you were on with us again. Can I write that in with indelible ink?

[Sue]

@Ryan who wrote, "David, it's larger than Converge."

No doubt. In fact, ball-facedly partially-quoting the VP (who followed the former VP's model behavior regarding the f-bomb), the Google thing is a huge f...g deal. But with all due respect for your nonexistent participation in ConvergeSouth (to the best of my knowledge, at least as a volunteer or fund-raiser and perhaps as a participant either), and your turning down a volunteer opportunity I offered you specifically for this year, I don't think you're in a perfect position to evaluate what's bigger or smaller than anything using ConvergeSouth as a reference point.

That's what made ConvergeSouth huge (and will again this year): people who are also too busy are taking the time to volunteer on behalf of something slightly larger than themselves and that speaks volumes about the creative talent and spirit in this 'burg that I, ever the optimist, refuse to think has died.

[Tony Wilkins]

Sue just verbally kicked Ryan's ass right in front of his friends. I would not want Dr. Polinsky mad at me as I am very fond of her. Just a suggestion Ryan.

[Sue]

@tony
And I wore my good shoes, too.

But I can criticize your beliefs (and you can crit mine) and we can STILL go out for lunch and be friends. That's an important quality for two adults to share and I, like many others, have friends with whom I disagree wholeheartedly but like personally. I wish that were reflected in our online discussions more than I've seen of late.

[Ryan Shell]

Sue,

You hold Converge close to your heart, and that is to be appreciated. Obviously my comment got under your skin, maybe down to the bone, but I don't think it should have because it was in no way a dig at the event.

My original comment focused on bringing large variations of groups together to go after opportunities for the community. I apologize if my "It' larger than Converge" seemed to have a negative connotation - that wasn't how it was meant. We have had several conversations about Converge and I would have imagined that you know I think it's on point.

And yes, you did offer me the chance to volunteer with Converge, but booking hotel rooms wasn't the best use of my time when you ask.

I'd hope that you'd pick up the phone next time and have this discussion with me verbally given that comments can be misunderstood.

Tony,

Shouldn't you be throwing bricks at windows? I kid. :)

Ryan

[Sue]

You got it wrong, Ryan. I didn't and don't take CS personally - it was a comment about your using a parameter with which you aren't familiar and I can't respect that.

You have every right to choose what's the "best" use of your time. So does everyone else who volunteers. I've done plenty "beneath my dignity," as has Mr. and Mrs. Hogg (who feed a community AND clean it up) and tens of others who haul and schlep, run around, follow up, and choose/order/haul food for 5 years. There is servant leadership that is measured in terms beyond one's own best interests when a community volunteer-led event is planned and held. I wasn't - and still am not - sure you get that.

Badly paraphrased from what someone said (that was said to him) when handing me an award a few years ago: "Just imagine what could get done if we didn't care who got the credit."

[Ryan Shell]

Sue, I still don't think you understand what I was trying to get across. Maybe I'll do something crazy tomorrow... like call you so we can discuss this. And by the way, don't give me the beneath my dignity speech, I've done plenty that falls into that category. It came down to time and being spread to thin for a year... I needed to scale back for a bit.