Archive for May, 2008

I’ve tried them all.

GotoMeeting works, but is total overkill for my 1:1 conversations and is expensive at $40-50/month. Yugma works, and is cheaper, but thanks to its Java interface, 8 of 10 times I wanted to use it with clients they couldn’t launch it. The web marketing discussion turned into a frustrating Java Virtual machine discussion. Using Windows Remote Desktop works, for one person - the one doing the connecting.

There are other tools too, but most of them are “in the way” of the conversation - distracting noise with tabs hanging off the windows or floating configuration boxes, blah, blah blah!

VNC has Been Around Forever. But It Was Designed for Geeks.

VNC is old school. But in the past it required a well choreographed dance of launches and clicks to make the listening viewers work. And the client/customer had to install the whole app - faced with a myriad of confusing features.

So I had never really considered VNC (Virtual Network Computing) because it was too geeky for clients. In my mind it fell into the same category as telnet, SSH, and navigating VI. Stuff I took great pride in being able to master but would simply frustrate my clients. I’ve used VNC and tunneling of various types for 15 years, but things had to change when less tech-savvy clients were waiting for me to show them something.

The Solution.

The other day I ran across UltraVNC (typical VNC server/client) and it’s little “applet-maker” for the client-side called Singleclick IT ROCKS. And it works every time.

Here’s How Singleclick Works

The client has to do this:

1. Unzip it to their desktop.
2. Run it when asked.
3. Done.. nothing else

You (consultant) need to install it: This took me 20 minutes including configuring the Singleclick config file

1. Download it and Install it on your Windows based PC.
2. Configure your firewall to accept connections. You can configure it on a variety of ports for security.
3. In the install directory there will be a folder containing a configuration file, some icons, and the core of an application.
4. Adjust the config file and add your company logo. Here you identify the ports you’ll use, the host name of your VNC server, and other information. I used the funny cat because I can always tell when the application has been run for the first time on their end. They chuckle.
5. “Compile” the applet at the UltraVNC website’s “SC Creator Tool.” It spits out an .exe file ready to run on any Windows computer.
6. Run a virus scan on the resulting application just in case. This is one time.
7. Give that file to all of your clients using Windows. Tip: You need to ZIP the EXE so it will pass through email and anti-virus systems.

Using The System

1. You run the Listening VNC viewer on your end whenever you’re about to do a call.
2. When you want to do a connection, you ask the client to run the program, and click on “Internet Support” on the SingleClick applet. It is configured to hit your IP address (or in my case host name) thanks to the info you put in the little config file.
3. The system pings my VNC server and a dialog appears….”are you sure you want to allow a connection” I click “Yes”
4. I’m now looking at my clients’ desktop along with them. Clean, fast and no confusion. No windows or tabs hanging off the side. You can do it plainly or with 128 bit encryption.
5. When done, the system shuts itself down and uninstalls itself from memory. It can never be initiated without permission at both ends of the wire.
6. By the way - you don’t have to use an ugly cat. You can use your nice corporate logo. :-)
7. If the client has a webcam, you can run Skype and have a pretty decent virtual meeting!

What about Firewalls?

Not an issue as far as I can tell. The client’s initiation of a conversation is akin to a simple ping, and since I initiate the inbound connection on my end, things just work.

After struggling with Yugma for months, this system now works wonders. Every single client has been able to use it flawlessly and we’ve saved hours (and gallons of $4/gal gas) getting little things done. It’s transparent tech the way it’s supposed to be - out of the way of what you’re actually trying to do.

It’s spontaneous and well designed for a busy consultant.

What’s the Catch?

The downside is that the system is not intended for multiple viewers. It’s really just a quick and simple way to get your clients’ screen in front of you. It’s at least 10 times easier than any other method I’ve seen now that Singleclick is in place.

I have been doing SEO for almost 12 years now. In that time I’ve done dozens of Yahoo! Directory submissions under an embarrassingly large number of Yahoo! Ids (remember when the SPAM solution was just to change IDs?)

But my credit card number has remained the same. So each year, $299 charges appear for Yahoo directory submissions I did after they started charging for it (I have dozens that were grandfathered in.) The trouble is, I am unable to identify which URL they go with - and in a few cases I used my clients’ Yahoo! ID for submissions. I realize now what a horrible mistake that was.

None of the charges appear on my Yahoo! billing screens for any of my current Yahoo! ids. I assume that the most recent charges were done on a client ID, but somehow my billing info was used. So I call the billing department…..

Me: Hi, I have these $299 charges on my card for Yahoo! directory submissions I did.

Yahoo: Can I have your Yahoo! Id?

Me. Sorry. The charge doesn’t appear for any of my Yahoo! ids. However, I do have the charge card information and can PDF you the statement to review.

Yahoo: Can I have your charge card number.

Me: Sure, [I give it]

Yahoo: Ok, I see the Y! directory entry.

Me: Great! [I’m thinking the call will be short and sweet]

Yahoo: Do you know the alternate email address?

Me: I just need to know the URL so I can determine if it should be in the directory or not, and that will probably tell me which client Yahoo! Id I need. I’ve changed email addresses since the late ’90s a few times and in a couple of cases used my client’s Yahoo! ID for submissions. I don’t have access to the old one. But here are my current email addresses [I list them] and my current Yahoo Ids.

Yahoo: Sorry, none of those match the ones on these Yahoo! directory submissions.

Me: Probably not - it’s an oldie. Can you move them to my current account? The billing information should be the same on each account.

Yahoo: Yes, it’s the same

Me: Great!

Yahoo: But we cannot use that information.

Me: [growing concerned] So, even though I’m being charged for this Yahoo! directory entry you cannot tell me which URL it’s for if I don’t have the old Yahoo! id that was used to submit it?

Yahoo: That’s correct.

Me: Doesn’t this seem a little out of whack to you? You have tons of evidence at your disposal to see that it’s me, including my phone number [I offer to have them call me back] and my billing information.

Yahoo: Sorry, that won’t work. I can cancel the Directory listing for you and give you a refund.

Me: [feeling out of options - I don’t want $300 charges for clients I don’t have anymore]

In the end. They would NOT tell me which URL the charge was for. I ended up having to cancel the listing, possibly affecting the SEO performance of my client and waiting to see which one vanished from the directory.

The URL of a charged directory entry is not a security risk. There is no good reason not to tell this to the party who is being charged.

dead end sign by David Joyce used under Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic Creative Commons License

If you want to see a company who knows how to work the blogosphere, it doesn’t get any better than what I’ve been seeing over here at Vinny Carpenter’s blog.

David Friend, CEO of Carbonite is all over the blog post answering questions and solving problems for people - and impressing the hell out of me.

I can’t use his products so I cannot say much about them… Why? I used external fixed disk drives and Carbonite doesn’t support right now.

I use Mozy - but now have a far better opinion of Carbonite since watching this guy and if they ever add the support I need, I’ll be in the right mindset to give it a try. It looks to me like they are taking care of consumers and that is terrific to see.

But I now have a new example of doing this right.

From Yahoo Answers..

…it’s okay dude, we know how you feel.

Well, the hotels are filling up, the restaurateurs are looking a bit frazzled, and the traffic is getting a bit worse so it must be that time of year - the Kentucky Derby. While I realize Derby Parties will be happening all over the world, I thought I’d provide a little bit of help to make those parties a bit more successful and authentic. Thanks to Jason for this link, and be sure to check out his Eastern Kentucky Mint Julep video.

I post this today because Julep Bourbon takes 2-3 days to marinade in the freezer. So do this TODAY!!!

Here’s the Maker’s Mark Mint Julep. After having some pretty badly made Juleps, this may just be the one to take home the roses this year. We have been going to derby parties as long as I can remember and hopefully some of you will check this out. And good luck on your horse.

Here are some others posting about this famous cocktail.

Mint Julep Roundup: Kentucky Derby Edition from Jeffrey Morgenthaler
Looking for a Mint Julep in Orange County?
The Perfect Mint Julep on Drink of the Week uses Maker’s Mark recipe too.
Got money to burn?  Check out the world’s most expensive Mint Julep Cup