Who is Shingy?



Shingy is David Shing, an Australian. He is 44 years old. He lives in New York City.

Why are people talking about him?



Shingy rose to prominence earlier this year after an appearance on MSNBC. The short segment brought to attention Shingy’s job title: he is a “digital prophet” at AOL. His appearance was also of interest: Shingy wears his long, receding hair spiked up and out, which makes him look a bit like a timid lion. Shingy was the subject of a short feature in the New Yorker on Monday which has raised fresh intrigue.



What is a digital prophet?



According to Shingy, his role involves “watching the future take shape across the vast online landscape”. Shingy also told the New Yorker: “I fly all around the world and go to conferences.”

OK, but what is a digital prophet?



“I listen to where media is headed and figure out how our brands can win in that environment,” Shingy said. He says there is “no typical day” for a digital prophet. He is paid a six-figure salary.



Again. What is a digital prophet?



Among Shingy’s achievements is the coining of the phrase HoMo, which means home/mobile and pertains to the notion that people spend time at home using their mobile phones.

Still struggling. What is a digital prophet?

The New Yorker profile reveals that Shingy, in his capacity as digital prophet, recently approached Erika Nardini, AOL’s chief marketing officer, and handed her his iPad Mini. The following conversation ensued:



‘Wanted to show you a little brain fart I had on the plane,’ he said. It was a cartoon he had drawn of a bear wearing zebra-print pants and a shirt covered in ones and zeros. ‘Love it, love it, love it,’ Nardini said. ‘I’m thinking of the bears more as a metaphor.’ ‘A thousand per cent,’ Shingy said.

One more time. What is a digital prophet?

Nardini describes Shingy as her “muse”. When Shingy is not doing that, he redesigns, or “reboots”, people’s offices. He recently changed AOL CEO Tim Armstrong’s office. Shingy removed Armstrong’s desk and replaced it with some chairs.

So. What is a digital prophet?

It remains unclear.

