JL CherryWas surprised to log into Facebook and be hit with this comment. I’ve never been a Facebook Fan, it’s not a secret, but still. . .
Will she stick to her guns, or cave to peer pressure? Stay tuned.
Archive for the ‘IT’ Category
All Things In Moderation. . .Including Consumer E-blasts
Posted: September 15, 2011 in Branding, IT, Marketing, Social Media
A recent article in the August issue of Direct Marketing magazine caught me by surprise. The publication dedicated space to a case study on a product which allowed email blast list subscribers to take a hiatus from the list, for I believe up to about 90 days, as opposed to simply opting out.
Instead of demonstrating to readers a viable application for the product, they were introduced to an outdoor retailer set in their ways and determined to blast to their customers with a great ferocity. . .whether the emails being distributed were wanted or not.
The representative from the company using the product explained the product was not a stopping point. They intended to advance email software options and allow subscribers greater control over their “opt ins” in the future.
First, if as a company marketing representative, you have to pursue this type of software, your company has a problem. It means that there has been significant backlash from members of your subscriber list-enough that you’ve been motivated to actually take action. As a business, the message is that you’re not doing something right. Perhaps, it would make sense for the company to review the frequency with which it distributes such material. The quickest and simplest solution would be to reduce the frequency of consumer contact.
Secondly, it’s concerning that there is no rush to alter the system and the method for making this transition is piecemeal. The ability to opt in and specify, which blasts you’d like to receive from a singular organization has been available for several years. Not sure why a transition tool would be required. This particular organization sends blasts twice per week. At a time when people are often trying to simplify their in box clutter and remove themselves from e-blast lists, a good web company can make the opt in process relatively painless. At the very least, subscribers can be invited to opt in/out for Monday or Thursday (or whatever day it is these blasts are distributed). More advanced options can be added at a later date as needed. This, to me, would seem like a better start than letting customers take a 90 day hiatus because you’re clogging their in-boxes.
Not a case study of a company with a successful product to help manage email blasts, but an example of a company that doesn’t understand how to review the feedback it gains from its consumers and act accordingly.
Do you agree?
Real Men Don’t Use Emoticons ;)
Posted: March 4, 2011 in Brain Droppings, IT, Social MediaTags: emoticons, Facebook, online chat, Skype, Yahoo
Yahoo's Iconic Smiley
I was up before 7 a.m. this morning. That never makes for a good start. What was keeping me awake you ask? The unrest in Libya? Global Warming? An even MORE serious matter?
No. Not at all. I was thinking about emoticons.
You know emoticons, aka ‘smileys’ used as shorthand expressions in online conversations. MyEmoticons.com explains:
“The word ‘emoticon‘ is a combination of the words ‘emotion’ and ‘icon’ and is exactly that – an icon used to express msn emotions. The ‘smiley’ or the ‘smiley face’ is a stylized representation of a smiling human face with the most simple smiley being a yellow circle with two small dots representing eyes. That’s the theory. In reality as we look around websites similar to ours we see the words used interchangeably to mean the same thing e.g. some say. . . emoticons, some say. . .smileys but they are talking about the same images. It seems that Europeans tend to call them ‘emoticons’ and Americans tend to refer to them as ‘smileys’ and when you get to Asia, it’s different again.”
Like so many of us, I spend a lot of time online. I might be chatting on Skype, Facebook or Yahoo IM. It might be a quick email, but whether you call them emoticons or ‘smileys,’ one thing is for certain, I still have trouble taking someone who uses them seriously. When I see a person use them, I automatically assume their IQ is 50 points lower than it actually is.
Next time you’re having an online conversation, glance down at the page after a few minutes and observe the trail of smiley faces looking back at you. It looks like you’re talking to Mr. (of Ms.) Sunshine. . .constantly. . .regardless of the context.
That’s not to say emoticons are not useful. They are. Text conversations lack the non-verbal cues such as body language and tone – cues which give your conversation partner the true meaning behind what’s really being said. All I’m suggesting is a redesign. Perhaps it’s time emoticons grew up. After all, it’s nearly 30 years old. Maybe the new emoticons which look more like actual people and less like a balloon at a child’s fifth birthday party?
Let me start the brainstorming session on this topic. A symbol like this one (with image kindly borrowed via the fabulous Writing Factory blog) might be more appropriate to signify a smile in conversation from a gentleman?
When I started this post, I intended to argue that smiley face emoticons shouldn’t be used by real men. They’re just NOT manly, right? But I’ve changed my mind in the course of this dialogue. For the reasons stated above, we do need them. Emoticons have been around for a while and simply need to be brought up to the times. I’m open to suggestions for new designs-both for men and women.
There, I feel better. Time to go back to sleep.
Really. Did you think it existed?
Truth is: There is none.
Huge security flaw in Google revealed by TechCrunch. Ooops. And Google has yet to respond. Remember. This is the company that was “accidently” sucking other data from users as they were updating Google Maps.
Turns out I’ve been ahead of the curve. Never set out to be a trend setter. Simply trying to be practical and make my life convenient.
When you mention the term “cloud computing,” most people still scratch their heads and shift their gaze. They may have a vague idea, or so they say. Others feel it’s this grandiose, rather esoteric concept to only be grasped by the dedicated folks in the depths of a corporate basement IT department.
Fact is, millions of people have been “cloud computing” for years, just without the fancy name affixed. In its simplest form, Cloud computing is the practice of using web-based or Internet servers and resources to house and run programs and files.
I was reminded of the fact when I purchased a new computer and began working to build it from the ground up. My last computer had died suddenly (Well, suddenly is a relative term. It was made by HP so I had been waiting for it to die from the day I bought it).
My software had been severely out-of-date and I decided to splurge. As I was wrapping up my purchase, the clerk asked, innocently enough, about my email. You see, I hadn’t purchased a program or upgrade for a tool like Outlook. Did I have a gateway by which to access my email? I had a similar question when I shared with a friend that I wasn’t bothering trying to recover my computer’s contents. Wouldn’t that be inconvenient? What about all the email I lost?
The interesting thing is, more than a decade ago, I began doing what many now would call “cloud computing.” All of my email accounts are housed outside of my PC. Many of my documents are too.I hadn’t lost more than a few photos, which I had lazily left on my desktop. My bad.
My “cloud computing” was originally done out of necessity. High school student and then a college student. Always on the go. I didn’t always own a laptop, but wanted ease of us to my emails, contact lists and papers regardless of where I was.
I don’t have stats, but I’m sure the number of people who only access their email via the web is sizable. Why do so many people marry themselves to a program which downloads their email and saves it to their computer? Are they afraid someone will gain access to their highly confidential, noble prize-winning secrets? Yes. That’s probably it, and by the sarcasm in my tone, they shouldn’t worry. Cloud computing has been deemed largely secure. Nothing is hundred percent. Even email saved to your computer.
What started out of necessity, has now become a growing segment of the technology industry. Not everyone is on board yet, though they will be soon. After all, somebody had to be Facebook’s first friend.
