My next step is to grab an old pool filter from for to convert to a rain barrel and plumb it up to the down spout and get a watering system hooked up! Pics of that when it’s in!

Technorati Tags: garden

We have things like TiVo to skip ads on TV, and ad blockers to hide the banners on websites. I think that is some proof of my point.

So why do people think it could be even remotely effective to JUST push ads on social sites? Really think! We don’t like to be interrupted when we can’t control it so we build new tools to gain back the control. With all these social sites the control is baked into them from the start. That is where the phrase “permission based marketing” came from. Users who choose to follow you are giving you SOME permission to market to them. Abuse the privilege that the user has the control to unfollow you.

So how do you get, and keep, followers. We first let me ask you a question. Don’t you like to support that guy you know in the shoe business more then the chain store that interrupts the finale of LOST? Be that guy you know. When you’re on Twitter don’t just push links. Be a real person, talk a bit about what you are having for lunch, about the hockey game last night. If people see you as that person, then you are that guy they know who is in the shoe business and when they go looking for shoes guess whose name will pop up!

Technorati Tags: friend, marketing, permission, tivo, Twitter

Spell check is genius. It should have been on the iPhone from the start, so much so that I’ve had it thorough a jailbreak for a long time.

It is however one heavy unit. That is part of the reason I still like my Kindle for actual book reading. I’ve found that after about twenty minutes of reading, while holding the iPad without resting it on anything it starts to wear on the hands and arms.

I also think as a book reader there are two other issues. One is that the screen hurts my eyes, especially in the dark. I’m OKay reading email and feeds on it, it the long term page after page reading of a book that gets to my eyes. It also does to much. Too many distractions that just are not there on the Kindle. I used to think a clock on the Kindle would be nice but I kind of like that it’s not there to distract from the mission when picking up the Kindle. Neither points are a big deal, don’t get me wrong I love the iPad. It just isn’t a book reader replacement for me.

While I was first setting up the iPad I did find the App compatibility frustrating. One app doesn’t work at all, some work with scaling, some are universal and some are iPad only. Just sorting it out is a job, don’t know how this can be made easier. I also think there are some apps that are not universal that are a rip off. The iPad version doesn’t add functionality but you have to pay, often more, to get a version that works. This isn’t Apples fault but cmon guys, give me something extra or make it free.

There are a lot of things about this thing that are just magic! It’s an amazing device in a lot of ways. I’ll be working on some write ups of some of the things I’ve learned. I can do a lot of neat tricks mashing up a few apps and other tools that I’m looking forward to sharing. Probably in the near future so stay tuned.

Technorati Tags: apple, iPad

This isn’t about how to get successful fast. It is, however, one of the keys to success.

Don’t worry so much about everything being 100% perfect. The key is to do something to your best  and if your are going to fail, fail FAST. Do what you think is right, measure the feedback and change as fast as possible.

It’s the fast change part that matters.

From experience in my daily business to special projects I’m involved with I can see the difference. In organizations that have the will and ability to change fast and those that don’t. The ones that don’t (or can’t) are not necessarily the ones that fail long term, they just tend not to have the same overall success, suffer more during downturn, have less fun and work on boring projects.

Iterate, iterate, iterate. It’s all a process of launching, gathering feedback, change and relaunching!

Be nimble, be quick and fail, FAST!

First, I’ve decided to give the Nexus One a real go. For the past couple day’s it’s been the only phone I carry. I’ll probably keep it up for a week or so. I really want to like it I just have a lot of my life set up on the iPhone. I just figure I should give it a fair shake since I have the phone and all. So far so good, I’ve found a good set of apps to replace the stuff I really miss on the iPhone. The only thing I find lacking is a notes app that syncs to the cloud and multiple Macs. Got a suggestion? I do really want that Kindle App I’ve heard about and I’d be over joyed if I had the 2.2 update pushed to me! Oh, and I find I spend less time on the phone, just less to do. I don’t think it’s a bad thing, I can probably stand to spend less time connected!

Second, I’ve jumped to Chrome as my browser. Nothing against Firefox, I’m just loving the speed. Part of that move also means I bit the bullet and stopped using delicious for ALL my bookmarks. I’ve done the export and pulled them all into Chrome. I kind of liked having them all, or mostly, public but I doubt to many people actually used my sharing. The syncing features of Chrome seam to work great to keep all my Mac’s up to date, just the same as I had set up on Firefox, all I really want now is a 1Password plugin to make my logins easier!

Third. In light of all the privacy concerns surrounding Facbook, I’ve spent a bunch of time sorting out my friends list and setting group so I can pick who can see what. I removed a lot of people and cleaned up my profile. I’ve never been all that concerned with the privacy stuff my self, I tend to not put anything in networks that I wouldn’t tell someone I’ve just met over a beer. I think I’ve got it to the point where there is actually some value in using Facebook and I might actually spend some time there!

Lastly, I upgraded to the latest version of TweetDeck. I’ve always like TweetDeck and I think they’ve knocked it out of the park with this last release. With my cleaned up Facebook account in there and the Google Buzz integration I think I can better keep on top of the info from the folks I care to follow!

So, how are you improving your online existence?

PS: #GDLDN moved! We’re at Gigs now, info on the meetup site

You need a username and password to “update your profile settings” to stop the email. WHY???

It’s always some weird domain to login to and, when you try and reset the password, that email takes a day to get in. By then you’ve forgotten why you even were doing it in the first place!

It shouldn’t be that hard to simply get off the list. Just removing that address isn’t  a huge security threat. I’m not trying to buy something without a password here. It’s just a list. There is more value to making simple options easy and accessible then one more address on the list and it’s not worth filters getting trained to mark your messages as spam.

Bottom Line, don’t frustrate your “customers.” You can’t afford that anymore. Everyone has a voice and they are willing to use it!

I’ve already set up my iPhone sort of like that. Eight screens, main is the third, two to the left and four to the right. Double tap the home button jumps to the search so that isn’t an issue.

I just need to find a jailbroken app that let’s me set the screen a single home button press goes to!

Technorati Tags: android, iphone

The point I want to make comes from an observation that I’ve made from watching folks on both sides of the Digital Native divide.

On the Native side, folks just “get it.” With each new tool they quickly and efficiently learn how things work and what button X does and how to fully utilize the tools.

On the other hand (what do/should we call this? Paper Native?) you watch people deal with a new facebook account and watching is like pulling teeth. Seams like their afraid to click a link for fear of spontaneous combustion!

What it all comes down to if fluidity. Folks who get it move like fluid through the digital sea. Is that where the “Surf the Web” line came from? The ability to adapt to the change in tide, to know that googling “facebook login” MAY not get you to the login page for facebook.

You should be paying them to help you make a choice as to where your efforts should be focused and how to use the tools. These tools aren’t just another brochure or thirty second spot.

The concept is easy, everyone has experience in the theory of social media.It’s called “Social” media for a reason, it’s social.

So here’s the big point, the reason you’ve paid a ton of money to read this blog. Wait you didn’t pay!?!

Just think about the last interaction you had as a retail customer.Was it good? Why? Was it bad? Why? Aren’t the better ones the ones where you were treated like a REAL person not just being sold too?

Take the points you’ve learned from being a customer, not in your business by personally, and apply them to your social media efforts. That’s all people are looking for. We just want to feel validated, like we mean something.

The first group are the self promoters. They have no problem boasting about themselves. About how many followers they have. They spend all their time to boost their chosen metric by any means necessary. Leads to short term gain, often a bunch of money too, but it’s short lived. I’ve seen these folk come and go. This weeks top hit for “SEO Guru’s” blog 404′s next month.

The second don’t self promote. They don’t care about how many followers they have, or subscribers to their blog. Instead they choose to just focus on doing cool things and let the promotion work itself out. They let someone else pass on word of the cool new project and endlessly devote their passion to the cause. They are the real doers and the folks I admire. You can usually pick one out, they’re often the ones fuming over the person from group one’s latest buzz word filled self promoting title!

I prefer to think of myself in the second group but… ?

Hate that this kinda seams like a group one style post but I had to make the statement. Also I’m not saying that you should tell people about you latest cool project or write a blog post about what you’re working on. The promotion just shouldn’t be the point, the cool stuff should be!