Another sharp observation. It’s so easy to use boring corporate copy throughout a web app or web site. I guess this happens because we are so focused on coding and design that we leave copy until last, if we think about it at all. The lesson, as you said, is to set your persona free!!

By the way, great link to the Smashing magazine list.

Agreed on the use of the newest tech in order to achieve goals. I ran into this quite a bit myself as I spent too much time on Facebook, Myspace and a few others. The problem is that marketers are expected to understand these things in order to use them correctly for their company. Getting sapped up in too many services will be something that everyone must manage in the future.

Being more human online is difficult for people because they naturally do what they have seen. Brand personification is a great idea for many companies, and if implemented correctly should reach across all your marketing, including the web.