The IBM #MySmarterCommerce Program

As I'm sure you know...I'm a rather social creature. I like hanging out in the Twitterverse and the Facebook...o...sphere (or whatever). It's awesome to be able to chat with people continents away about the subjects I love (whisk(e)y and cigars). It's all gravy. But I'm not a professed EXPERT at it. I'm not even adept at it. Fluent, maybe. Bumbling idiot with a keyboard and the ability to type fast is actually the most accurate. I try to converse as much as possible but I'm not perfect. I'm not optimized. I don't breathe it like guys like Gary Vaynerchuk do.

So color me surprised when my email's inbox gets blasted by a prompted for participating in a program with IBM. Only instead of surprised...it was suspicious. Call me cynical, call me pessimistic...but I actually thought it was spam. I was moments away from hitting the "Spam" button on Gmail when I decided "Well..."

I'm glad I did.

As you can PROBABLY tell at this point it wasn't spam. Either that or I'm REALLY dedicated to going through with a ruse. Pretty sure its IBM. Like 99%. 95%. Whatever. Either way, IBM selected ME...ME! to take part in their #MySmarterCommerce program. So what is this program? Well, if I told you I'd have to kill you.

Super serious here.

Can't say anything.

...Alright, I can.

The #MySmarterCommerce program is something that I'm actually cool with. It's the use of normal, every day people to tell their story of how they interface with technology. How it helps them live daily, work daily, function normally. This has been a topic I'd wanted to go into at some point but never had the motivation or focus to do. It's a heavy, lofty, and hefty tome of analysis that I generally save for over pints or a good cocktail. But instead, I've decided to take part in this and share it with you, instead of my long-suffering friends whom I'm not entirely sure are capable of bearing any more of my nerdy beverage industry analysis.

So here's how it works: I put up posts...and Tweets, and Facebook stuff about my relation with technology and social media and how it works for me. IBM waves its fingers and makes magic happen. I don't get much for doing this at first but if you guys pull through with me, we can be on the winning team that sees me on stage telling my story at SXSW. And if you're a booze geek or a cigar nerd like me...you WANT to see me on stage repping our collective nerdiness to the SXSW masses. YOU WANT THAT, I SWEAR.

As things go along...they get serious. Game faces get put on and someone breaks out the boot polish and puts those weird stripes under their eyes. Seriously, what's with that stuff? I heard it prevents reflection from the sun from blinding but all I can think it does is smear uncomfortably into your eyes. Anyway, the serious bit comes in when they follow me around with a camera. That's right, In With Bacchus: The TV Show. You get to see my lovely face.

Stop laughing.

After that, I don't know. Things get crazy, I think. Maybe lavish parties at mansions...helicopters full of gold bullion...Ferraris full of Pliny the Younger and and trunks full of cigars. At least that's what I'm hoping. But I can't do it without you fine folks. So join in and let's rock this.

NOTE: This is a sponsored post from IBM. They haven't given me anything YET...but they will. I don't know what it is yet. Maybe it's the gold bullion I was talking about. In all likelihood, it will probably be products, access, content, or any other form of reward or remuneration. As has ALWAYS been the cast, the opinions here are honest (usually brutal) and all mine. I have also chosen the most unobtrusive banner I can. <3 you guys.