The web is a weird and wonderful place.

It’s also the perfect environment in which to lose yourself for hours and hours when, perhaps, you should really be focusing on getting something productive done.

In this month’s newsletter, my esteemed ISL colleagues have provided you with some truly solid and interesting information about usability and web analytics. Yay for them. Now it’s my turn to lighten the mood.

My favourite thing about the web is sheer volume of “huh, that’s neat” material that’s out there to consume. I was working on an article for you, dear readers, entitled Simple is Sexy, which was about the need to keep your websites clean, readable and simple to navigate.

However, whilst I was typing up Simple is Sexy, I got distracted from the task at hand by the following things I discovered online. So....I’ve made an editorial decision and am focusing on some of the more interesting things happening online recently. Here ya go:

The Launch of Skittles.com

Mars Snackfood, which produces the treat, is using the social media realm to promote its candy. For example, Skittles.com took social networking site Twitter by storm on March 2nd. On that day, Tweeters who mentioned the word “Skittles” were featured on the site’s homepage – wowee – instant junk food fame! The site is actually gathering content from a variety of online social hubs including YouTube, Flickr and Wikipedia and then surfaces the information on Skittles.com. This means Mars Snackfood is getting its consumers to be the ones to generate and seed buzz about its products throughout the web.

“The teen audience relies heavily on their peers for advice on products. This is a unique, unexpected way to engage and to be a part of the conversation," spokesman Ryan Bowling told the Wall Street Journal.

Hmmm, it’s a whole new world. Chances are many corporations are keeping a close eye on the marketing technique, to see what peer-to-peer conversation about products can do for their own bottom lines. It’s a veritable rainbow of possibilities.

Martha on Twitter

If you haven’t investigated the Twitter world – take a few moments out of your day and visit www.twitter.com to check it out. Basically, Twitter allows users to post single sentences describing their whereabouts or activities. Users build a network of those they’re following and Tweeters who are following them. It’s all the rage (Facebook is so 2008). Annnnnnnyway...in the file I’ve marked “Heh, This Amuses Me” is the fact that Martha Stewart uses Twitter and I am following her.

A sample of her updates? “Lunch with Ludacris in an hour, will try to take pics for my blog” and “My doggies are now blogging, very cool.” For some reason I just find this ridiculously hilarious. Maybe you will too. I especially like her Tweets about egg dying tips and cupcakes.

The sad and scary fact is many people are worried about their professional future as markets fall and companies slash workforces. My tip for weathering the storm is to laugh it up. That’s why I’m recommending you read Top 10 Things Nervous Employees Don’t Want to Hear Right Now.  Here’s #3 on the list: ‘“We don't look at this as a problem - but as an opportunity.” Generally delivered with an insincere Pollyannaish lilt.’ It’s funny, in a semi-sad way.

Tina Fey 

 J’adore Tina Fey...as do most people with a sense of humour. I’m not such an enormous fan of her Saturday Night Live former colleague Jimmy Fallon. However, Jimmy recently launched a new talk show and THANKFULLY his old pal showed up. The interview, posted on YouTube.com, is well worth a watch. (Psst: I’m also following Jimmy on Twitter, just in case he decides to follow me, realizes how witty I am and makes me super famous and I THEN get to meet Fey.)

Barack Obama is In My Network...Sorta

How cool is it that the insanely popular world leader has his professional profile on the popular professional networking site LinkedIn? I love that my write-up under “Current” position is “Internet Analyst/Consultant” and his is basically the leader of the free world, more simply put: “President of the United States of America”. I’m feeling a little bit like a slacker now. Also, under specialties, most of us list things like “proficient in Microsoft Project and Adobe Photoshop” or something like that. He says:

• “I have worked to rebuild trust in government by allowing every American to go online and see how their tax dollars are spent.
• On the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have fought to help veterans get the disability pay they were promised.
• Recognizing the threat posed by weapons of mass destruction, I traveled to Russia to begin a new generation of securing weapons worldwide.

• Most of all, I am proud to be husband to my wife, Michelle, and father to my two daughters, Malia and Sasha.”

Wow, the President really is only a click away. Happy surfing.