Category: Technology

I Tweet Therefore I Am

The fascination with Twitter has less to do with the number of users and everything to do with the ability to observe and study a notable online community of passionate short-form content creators and consumers. This is of course, not just any online community. Twitter is quickly becoming the lens into all that moves us as individuals and also as a global society.

Twitter’s simplicity is part of its brilliance. The ability to interpret, analyze and in turn, predict behavior, currently sets it apart from most other social networks. Twitter has become a human seismograph,  measuring and broadcasting the pulse of not just the Web, but also world and local events. News no longer breaks, it Tweets. And if you’re plugged-in to the human seismograph, you are part of a movement, one that defines trends and distributes information before the rest of the reverberations are felt across the rest of the world. You become part of the new information system.

In many ways, Twitter’s openness creates a new genre of digital anthropologists, sociologists and ethnographers.  Twitter users reveal the state of all things captivating attention and inspiring action, all in real-time. As new found social scientists, we learn everything. Most notably, we can pinpoint how Twitter, as well as Facebook, is transforming popular culture and the behavior that defines it.

via briansolis.com

Posted via web from e1evation, llc

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Easy Posting for Blogging Experts and First Timers Alike

I´m pleased to share with ThePRLawyer audience another amazing tool for public relations and marketing professionals called posterous.com. This website is designed for just about anyone to post music, videos, pictures and content on the Internet just by sending an email. There are options for first-time bloggers with simple instructions to get started and more advanced options for seasoned blogging experts.

Getting started is easy, sign up by sending an introductory email to posterous@posterous.com with the option to attach files like photos or videos and voilá! The reply is almost instant and you are set up with your very own part of the information superhighway. A variety of platforms (up to 30!) such as Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, and/or Picasa can be integrated with your posterous. Once set up, you control where your information is going to be posted. It´s just that quick and easy.

Duct Tape Marketing´s John Jantsch explains the benefits for users by pointing out that “for many people, particularly those that rely on email as their primary communication and storage tool, this is a great way to create and curate content.” Jantsch also points out that posterous can be used as a hub for distribution with easy options to pick and choose what information to post and which platform it will be sent to.
via theprlawyer.com

Posted via web from Inside Posterous

I’ll be doing a webinar on using Posterous to establish thought leadership tomorrow at noon. It’s not too late to sign up…

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Tool of the week: Gist

This week I fell in love with Gist all over again — it gives me a dashboard that shows what my network is doing online with little or no effort on my part…

Posted via email from e1evation, llc

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[Lifestyles of the] Lazy and ‘low-bandwidth’ed

Almost every advancement in simplifying my social media toolkit comes from the simple fact that I do most of my news consumption and production with a 1Mb/s connection from a hundred year old farmhome in rural Wisconsin over a cellular modem. I simply have to be effective in order to be productive! My ‘low-bandwith’ lifestyle is actually a blessing in disquise…

Oh, that and I’m lazy so my toolkit is very efficient as well!

:-D

Posted via web from e1evation, llc

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“Creating beats consuming”

Auren Hoffman has a great post on consuming vs. producing. He says…

“We are meant to be both creators and consumers. Today, however, most people consume far more then they create. Part of the reason for this is because being both a consumer and a creator at the same time is very difficult, and because goods and services have never been more accessible. But a healthy life is one that balances both creation and consumption.

When you consume you are often appreciating other’s work. You eat, watch movies, visit nice places, read books, and party. You vegetate to the sounds of your favorite musical artist on a wonderful couch while surfing Facebook on your beautifully designed laptop.

Creators do just the opposite: they strive to make something that others (or their future self) will appreciate. Creators toil, try different things, fail, and try again.” Source: Summation: creating beats consuming

…follow the link for the rest of his article.

It’s not hard to move from consuming content to producing content for your internet marketing. I’m working on a screencast to show you how Google’s Chrome, Shareaholic and Posterous can work together to help you make the transition from thinker to thought leader. Stay tuned…

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How to Write Social Media Press Releases

http://d1.scribdassets.com/ScribdViewer.swf?document_id=2264754&access_key=key-6l3feiqff5hz8bx1k4t&page=1&viewMode=list

via scribd.com

Good stuff from the brilliant Brian Solis…

Posted via web from e1evation, llc

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Where Small Businesses Get Online All Wrong

via feedproxy.google.com

Can it be that small business owners just don’t know what they want? What’s your opinion?

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Facebook Now Commands 41% of Social Media Traffic [STATS]

via feedproxy.google.com

Ummm. Tell me again why I’d want to have a Facebook page? ;-)

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Starbucks CEO on ‘luck’

“Life is a series of near misses. But a lot of what we ascribe to luck is not luck at all. It’s seizing the day and accepting responsibility for your future.”

Howard Schultz (1953 – ), American entrepreneur, chairman of Starbucks ” Source: Newsletter

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Google Docs; the next generation

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6_hJ3R8jEZM&feature=player_embedded

You can read about all the new improvements here. Just a reminder! If you’re already using Google Apps for your organization, these improvements to your product have already been made free of charge…

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Decluttering Google Reader

Image representing Google Reader as depicted i...
Image via CrunchBase

If you read this blog on a regular basis, you know that I’m a huge fan of Google Reader. Here’s a great post on what to do when you save too many feeds to Reader…

“If your Google Reader inbox has grown out of control, and you’re spending more time trying to keep up with the flood of news than reading about things you care about, it’s time for a little Google Reader spring cleaning.

Newsreaders like Google Reader are meant to help us read more content without constantly refreshing a list of bookmarks, in theory saving all kinds of time. If your Reader addiction feels more like a timesink than timesaver, it might be time to think about decluttering and reorganizing your RSS feeds for a more efficient reading experience. Today we’ll walk you through our favorite methods for pruning and organizing your feeds to get the most from your Google Reader experience without overloading yourself.” Source: How to Declutter and Streamline Your Google Reader Inbox – Google Reader – Lifehacker

Go to the source for some really great ideas that will help you be even more productive using Google Reader…

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The answer is ‘both/and’

I’m always fond of saying that the answer is rarely either/or but both/and. Mitch Joel says the same thing here but in a slightly different way…

“Digital Marketing is not the silver bullet. Digital Marketing is not the only marketing a brand should be doing.

Branding works. Traditional mass media advertising words. Direct Marketing works. PR works. And every other niche of Marketing, Advertising and Communications still works too. It’s a matter of understanding the strategy of the brand, the marketplace of your consumer and then implementing a healthy strategy that will help you achieve your business goals and ROI. Yes, for some brands, that will mean a heavier focus on the Digital Marketing component, but it might also mean looking at your market from a different perspective. And yes, because of the growth of Internet usage and the multitude of new opportunities, Digital Marketing definitely deserves a seat at the adult table of a proper marketing mix.

Everything is “with” not “instead of.”

Some of the brands understand this so well. I’ve been in meetings where a CMO has shown me how their 30-second spot drives sales (and when they stop the TV advertising, the sales plummet) and how their Social Media activity keeps the interest and loyalty in-between and during campaigns. It’s that healthy balance that we all too often forget about. Just the other day (March 24th, 2010, to be exact), eMarketer had a news item titled, Combining the Strengths of Social and E-Mail, which stated:

“‘Even though people are spending more time using social media, they are not abandoning e-mail,’ said Debra Aho Williamson, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, Maximizing the E-Mail/Social Media Connection. ‘The two channels can help each other, offering the opportunity for marketers to create deeper connections.’ More than four in 10 business executives surveyed by StrongMail said integrating e-mail and social was one of their most important initiatives for 2010, just after improving e-mail performance and targeting and growing opt-in lists.”” Source: Everything Is “With” Not “Instead Of” | Six Pixels of Separation – Marketing and Communications Blog – By Mitch Joel at Twist Image

When I spoke last week at the Ashwaubenon Business Association, I was chatting with a direct mail marketer afterward and I wanted to be sure that he understood — as I hope that you understand — that I don’t advocate stopping ANY traditional marketing methods that are working for you. Just add the social media ones that make sense!

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Let your customers lead the way

Lessons from 1-800-Flowers…

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hk1Xg3zR4rE&feature=player_embedded

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Google Apps. Again.


Image via Wikipedia

Matt Silverman of Mashable does a much better job of explaining what I’ve been trying to tell you for years…

“Google Apps for business has a number of benefits over traditional business IT and desktop software. Using the full suite essentially places all of your data and entire workflow in the cloud, meaning you can access it all anywhere, any time, from any Internet connection.

At $50 per year per user, the fully integrated apps system is certainly cost-effective, and even adding the free versions of Gmail (Gmail), Calendar (Calendar Tweet), and Google Docs (Google Docs) into your workflow can keep your employees coordinated.

For more casual users, or even those who might not be acquainted with Google Apps, here’s a guide to how the software can benefit your small business.” Source: The Small Business Guide to Google Apps

Please go the source for his excellent overview…

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I talk to strangers

Thread Heads meet Micki | SXSW 2008 - Austin, ...
Image by Moth via Flickr

The social media elite are gathering in Austin, TX this week for SXSW. Here’s a reminder for the rest of us…

“No matter how shy you think you are, the person next to you may be even more shy. So be the one to break the ice, and just say hello. Start up conversations with the person in line behind you, with the person walking down the hall near you. Smile and make a comment about the long, long walks between sessions or the beautiful sunshine outside that everyone is missing. I met a guy from Belgium as I walked back to my hotel yesterday and got some wonderful insight into how others perceive our country and our conferences.” Source: 10 More Tips For Enjoying SXSW – WebWorkerDaily

Me? I’m one of those guys that usually talks to strangers. It’s fun. Sometimes it’s rewarding. Last week, while stranded in Detroit, I struck up a convo with a guy named Marty who was my twin separated at birth from a business standpoint. Coincidentally, we were joined my a mutual friend who also ended up being stranded [thank God he had a pass to the Delta Sky Club and could get us in for the rest of the day!] at the Detroit airport until later that evening. Try it! It’s an interesting way to pass the time and sometime, just sometimes, it can be really rewarding. You just have to make the first move…

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Better than TV

Gin with Muddled Summer Plums
Image by thebittenword.com via Flickr

Interesting perspective on the use of time and intelligence…

“I was recently reminded of some reading I did in college, way back in the last century, by a British historian arguing that the critical technology, for the early phase of the industrial revolution, was gin.

The transformation from rural to urban life was so sudden, and so wrenching, that the only thing society could do to manage was to drink itself into a stupor for a generation. The stories from that era are amazing– there were gin pushcarts working their way through the streets of London.

And it wasn’t until society woke up from that collective bender that we actually started to get the institutional structures that we associate with the industrial revolution today. Things like public libraries and museums, increasingly broad education for children, elected leaders–a lot of things we like–didn’t happen until having all of those people together stopped seeming like a crisis and started seeming like an asset.” Source: Gin, Television, and Social Surplus – Here Comes Everybody

Television is to us, however, what gin was to the British a few hundred years ago and smart people are beginning to take notice…

“Clay Shirky has noticed the trend of talented people putting five or six hours an evening to work instead of to waste. Add that up across a million or ten million people and the output is astonishing. He calls it cognitive surplus and it’s one of the underappreciated world-changing stories of our time.” Source: Seth’s Blog: But it’s better than TV

Think about it! How much time do YOU spend watching tv? How could you use that time to take over your world?

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Spring clean your PC; outside and in!

CCleaner
Image via Wikipedia

Here’s something constructive to do this weekend…

“Most of us clean our computers about as often as we spill something on the keyboard. But to keep your computer in good working order, you should scrub it down about twice a year–more often if you like to eat chips at your keyboard. Before you start, you’ll need some supplies: a large microfiber cloth, a can of compressed air, and a solution of 50 percent isopropyl rubbing alcohol and 50 percent mineral water, and a pair of tweezers. Once you have everything together, shut your computer down (if you’re cleaning a laptop, remove the battery as well). Now that you’re ready to go, review these five simple steps for getting your hardware shiny again…” Source: Spring Clean Your PC in 5 Easy Steps — Life Scoop

You’ll have to go to the source to get the list, but before you do, here are some thoughts for cleaning the INSIDE of your PC…

Click the ‘Tune Up Utilities’ button at the bottom of the right sidebar and download a free trial — Tune Up Utilities is the only utility that I pay for every year. Unlike most tools of this nature, it works quietly and unobtrusively in the background without sucking the life out of your computer. If you only have $50 to spend on improving your computer [subsequent years are $30] then this is where you should spend it! Now, if even that’s too much for you, I suggest you go to Ninite.com and download these 5 things:

  • Ccleaner [used to be called ‘Crap Cleaner’; for getting rid of computer detritus and fixing other issues]
  • Defraggler [for defragmenting your drive]
  • Revo Uninstaller [for performing CLEAN uninstalls]
  • Microsoft Security Essentials [this free Microsoft tool will fix all your antivirus and security needs — after all, Microsoft caused them! It’s about time they cleaned them up…]
  • Chrome browser [because it rocks with Google products and if you’ve been reading this blog, you’re using Google products!]

These tools will serve you well — almost as well as Tune Up Utilities — as long as you remember to use them at least every week…
;-)

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Creators and Curators

From my perspective, there are two main types of blog content; creation and curation…

“The idea behind curators and content curation is that there is such a flood of new content pouring through the Internet pipes these days that being aware of all of it and sorting it out in meaningful ways is simply not possible. Curators are people or organizations that do the hard work of sifting through the content within a particular topic area or “meme” and pulling out the things that seem to make most sense. This effort involves significantly more than finding and regurgitating links, though.” Source: Who are your curators? | Content curator | Digital Curator

You don’t have to ‘create’ original content in order have original blog content — you can curate content from other thought leaders for incorporation into your site. The content you aggregate from other sites [properly attributed, of course] along with your perspective is a public reflection of your brand as well! I rarely post anything without at least one quote from another thought leader — in fact, it’s usually those quotes [like the one in this post] that encourage me to weigh in on my blog in the first place. Where do you fall on this issue?

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Top 10 passwords you should never use

For most people who experience a password hacker in real life, they find out too late that using a strong password is important.  Like the kid who think he is invincible and jumps off the roof because he doesn’t believe in gravity, having your website, Facebook account, or your system’s server hacked into is a lot like the ground smacking you in the face.  Gravity does exist and so do bad people who would love to gain access to your life and wreck havoc.

According to a report, most users still haven’t answered the call by security experts to implement more robust passwords. In fact, in a list of the most easy to hack passwords, simply typing ‘123456’ took a truly forgettable top prize.

Security firm Imperva recently released its list of the passwords most likely to be hacked based on 32 million instances of successful hacking. Imperva named their report “Consumer Password Worst Practices,” and some of the entries near the top are truly simple and could lead to theft or identity fraud.

Top 10 Worst Passwords
The following is a list of the most predictable passwords, and should not be used under any circumstances (Source: pcworld.com):

123456
12345
123456789
Password
iloveyou
princess
rockyou
1234567
12345678
abc123

Hopefully you don’t see your current password on the list, but if you do or don’t, it doesn’t really matter.  Most people have a simple enough password that it could be hacked by someone who knows what they are doing.  Even if you have a better than average password, you may be like the millions who a. never use it or b. use it for every account they own.  After all, who wants to remember all those passwords!

We’ve all received those Phishing emails from people trying to gain access to your various accounts, right?  Facebook, MySpace, Banks, and Twitter.  Well, if you fall for one of those emails and they figure out one password, they then check to see if you’re using the same password on the other sites too.

If you are using social media, most of your other accounts are visible to everyone so they can connect with you and that makes you vulnerable to getting hacked.

How to Strengthen Your Passwords
Other key findings in the report: it seems that almost 1 in 3 users choose passwords comprised of six or fewer characters; more than half use passwords based on only alpha-numeric characters; and almost 50 per cent used variations on their name, popular slang terms, or simple strings of consecutive characters from the average QWERTY keyboard — such as ‘asdfg’.

Imperva has made several obvious recommendations, suggesting most users adopt passwords with at least eight characters and to mix those characters between upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols. Passwords should be simple enough that they won’t be too easily forgotten, but the idea is to make cracking the code virtually impossible for either an unknown or known hacker.

About this article: Dennis Faas is the CEO and Chief editor of Infopackets.com: a daily, digital publication dedicated to MS Windows, computing, technology trends and solutions to real life computing issues: all written in simple English. Subscription to Infopackets Windows Newsletter is free. Visit us today! http://www.infopackets.com

So, how do you create a password that is easy to remember, unique for each account, and extremely difficult to hack?  I want to give you the answer! Leave a comment on this post and let me know what you think.  I’ll post the answer to the question soon.

Kirk Anderson
Guest Contributor

Kirk is owner of Interactive Business Solutions, a Business and Marketing Development Consulting company in Northwestern Wisconsin.  He works with small and medium size businesses to to implement technology solutions that help a business become more productive and profitable.  Interactive123.com

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This reminds me…

…of how I spent my Sunday! Observing humans at Wal-Mart…

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