Archive for December, 2007

I think I need to spring for a faster wireless network or I’ll definitely be dead before these files get copied.

1. Amazon Prime - This returned probably 500%+ ROI. Worth every dime.
2. EndPCNoise Workstation - the sweetest Windows XP machine I’ve owned. Spooky quiet.
3. Fujitsu ScanSnap - This was the year I went digital on just about everything. This was the reason.
4. Simulscribe - My voice mails, transcribed, and emailed to me. (I don’t know why people don’t just use email, but this takes care of that.) I got rid of my PBX, which was good, but total overkill and I got behind on voice mails to the point of embarrassment. Now I am staying on top of it.
5. Jajah- Simplified calling, mainly because you can add phone calls to your Windows Start menu - that saves me time! Jajah went downhill fast after I wrote this.  It is now unusable - cutting calls mid-call, a frustrating and unreliable website, etc.  Just horrible and a bit sad
6. A special separate monitor to run Quickbooks on, with the weekly timesheet on at all times.
7. Moondog Digital - encoded my entire CD collection for great office tunes.

Products that weren’t right for me:

• Blackberry 8300 - The 8800 would have been so much better. I’m going to get a 3G IPhone next year.
• Dell Precision 360 - Actually bought in Nov 2005, this noisy, finicky machine will hit the heap as soon as I can replace it. Dell put me through three on-site calls with a talentless hardware technician who screwed up 2/3 of what he did. No more Dells for me!

Holiday stress, money problems, and more causes child abuse to rise during this time of year. During this time it’s more important than ever to keep a watchful eye on the kids who are part of these situations.

This list, from a release posted at St. Louis University should be read by every parent.

1. Use common sense to determine how many “extras” really need to be done during the holidays. Don’t attend every holiday party, do lots of extra cooking, baking and decorating, mail cards and spend days shopping for perfect presents if the demands of caring for a child already are leaving you feeling stressed.
2. Stick within a budget and spend what you can afford on gifts. Pass on buying your child the extra-expensive gift he is requesting in favor of something else he wants that is within your means.
3. Try to get out, even if the weather is cold and gloomy. A change of scenery can prevent you from feeling so boxed in.
4. Know your personal limitations. Some people can’t handle the incessant crying of a colicky newborn but are fine dealing with a pre-schooler’s non-stop questions.
5. Talk to your spouse about the potential for child abuse. Make the topic a legitimate part of your communications. Don’t be afraid to ask for a break from caring for the children, and conversely, be willing to take over childcare responsibilities if your partner needs some time away.
6. Recognize when you’re about to lose your cool and do something about it. Make sure your child is in a safe place and leave the room. Counting to 10 is another way to cool off.

USA National Child Abuse Hotline
1-800-4-A-CHILD
(1-800-422-4453)
TDD: 1-800-2-A-CHILD

National Numbers and Weblinks by State is here

To report suspected child abuse or neglect in Kentucky call 800-752-6200.

I thought about how ridiculous this product was. It was a good idea to get all the charge-ables together in a single place. It was not a good idea to do it all on paper and never test the feasibility. But it clearly doesn’t work in the real world. The solution? Shall we redesign it so it really works? Nahhhh…Let’s SELL IT ANYWAY!

Let the top 10/20/30 lists begin! Here’s my top stories round-up, using information I collected as I write my latest article for Business Lexington. I’m almost certain to come back and adjust links, so bookmark me, and add your own - cause I know I’m missing some!

iPhone Stirred the Mobile Internet marketplace. While the iPhone earned raves for its interface and sleek styling, it still was designed to operate only on the AT&T/Cingular wireless network, lacked a keyboard and did not operate on 3G broadband networks. Buyers still swooped in after the device, buying one million iPhones in 74 days. The iPhone platform readily integrates a number of Internet technologies that will benefit greatly from the planned 3G version in 2008. Still, it’s worth keeping in mind that the iPhone is still only around 1% of the marketshare. Later it was announced that a 3G iPhone will be available soon.

Merger and Aquisition Madness in the Search Advertising Google acquired Internet Advertising Company Doubleclick for $3.1B, Microsoft bought Ad Agency aQuantive (including Avenue A/Razorfish) for $6B, and Yahoo! bought Right Media creating a potential for conflict of interest in the web search advertising giants that some see as an unfair monopoly.

Google’s Street-Level View Google’s “Street View” solutions for Google maps allows a “virtual drive” of certain cities via 360-degree images captured by specially equipped cars. Privacy advocates quickly found people in compromising positions on some images and Google offered a “blur-out request form” on their website. Microsoft’s version garnered some attention as well, showing scenes through the windows of a race car.

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I was swindled last week.

I poured my heart out about a post (this is the “copy”) I found at creativebits.org being one of the best I’d seen in 2007. And today, I realize it was a knock-off. Others tried to express their concerns, as well, in the contents area of the post, but it appears they were ignored.

The original post, 10 Absolute “Nos!” for Freelancers, written about 60 days ago by Samuel over at the “Sleeping Late: Freelancing, Online Income, and Sleeping Late” blog, is A BRILLIANT list of guidelines that would serve any consultant well. Print and memorize it if you’re in web development (or related ventures) and you will find more success with less heartache. Nice work and Great Blog. 2800 Diggs and counting and it deserves the attention.

Fooled …I shake my head, but earlier I even went over and gave the copy a vote at Mixx.com. I wonder if CameronLow or the other 56+ voters knew it was a copy? I’m betting that Joshua, James, and Thomas didn’t know. The tiny little attribution links or mentions at the bottom doesn’t cut it. In my mind, creativebits had written, sorry, pasted the article on their fully-monetized blog with the intent of enhancing the blog’s reputation and ringing the cash register.

(ps: It appears in several other autoblog sites and and in another, obscure blog that somehow reminds me of those pictures you see of Chinese knock offs that say “Sone Playstaten” - this one even disabled the links. Ug.)

Lastly …

I’m not used to this in the blogosphere I circulate in. A blog is mean to be authentic, transparent, and to help us learn about the very essence of the organization or person writing it. It builds trust that is returned through through comments, links, and attribution. To copy posts from those who spend the time and energy to create great stuff is to break trust, and people are getting called out about it. This stuff wouldn’t be tolerated in print, so why would it be online?

It’s not that they had a RSS feed, forum posts, or blog excerpts, which can be done in a respectful way that in my non-attorney opinion invokes “fair use.” They copied the whole damn thing.

I’ve been told the readership of creativebits is a “small group” - but I ask, what is a “small group” on the public Internet, and does that matter? The post shows up in Google, in Technorati, and other search engines. So, please find a better excuse.

So, have I missed something about the blogosphere, fair use, and what has transpired? Do you agree with my point of view?

As I had review creativebits.org, I find great content, some very interesting posts, and a lot to like. But until they start giving authors their due, they’ll have to do without this Kentuckian’s participation and link equity.

If this is happening to you, there are some great resources on the issue you should check out. But most importantly, keep your cool and enjoy life.