Brandonomics en-ushttp://brandonomics.org The Internet is made up of users, publishers, and advertisers. Brandonomics explores the trends, habbits and influences of these groups from all perspectives. 2007 Brandon Hauber brandonomicshttp://feedburner.google.comSubscribe with My Yahoo!Subscribe with NewsGatorSubscribe with My AOLSubscribe with BloglinesSubscribe with NetvibesSubscribe with GoogleSubscribe with Pageflakes An Introvert's Guide to Client Meetings http://brandonomics.org/blog/an-introverts-guide-to-client-meetings http://brandonomics.org/blog/an-introverts-guide-to-client-meetings/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/an-introverts-guide-to-client-meetings Sat, 08 Mar 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Being labeled an introvert doesnt necessarily mean your not a "people person" but it does often mean that you will avoid human interaction whenever possible. Unfortunately in the creative world, people often like to meet face to face before handing you their business. For introverts like me, these meetings can cause an increase in stress and anxiety, yet are required to be successful. Here are a few tips I have learned along the way to help cope with the unnecessary fears of client meetings. Make an Agenda When you feel anxious, nervous or stressed out, your mind becomes more forgetful. Its always important to prepare an agenda with everything you want/need to cover in the meeting. This is also a good time to put yourself in the clients shoes and think of possible questions they might throw at you at different parts of the meeting. Use your agenda as a script and rehearse it prior to the meeting. Meditate, Exercise or Yoga The days and hours leading up to a meeting are often the most stressful. Even if you dont fit healthy activities like meditation and exercise into your daily life, you should definitely make time when your feeling stressed about a meeting. Being too stressed about a specific event can lead to more serious health problems like depression. Meditation will help relieve unnecessary concerns or doubts you may have which will give you a more positive attitude in your meeting. Exercise or yoga can relieve physical stress which will also help your mental attitude prior to a meeting. Dress Your Style I once worked with a guy that believed you always had to wear a suit if you wanted to be taken seriously. He was clearly not comfortable wearing suits and the one he always wore didnt fit right and made him look like he borrowed his pants from MC Hammer. The end result was him looking flushed and nervous in meetings while he was constantly wondering if the client thought he looked as unnatural as he felt. Its always important to feel comfortable in a meeting. If youre a "creative type" (designer, developer, photographer etc.), people often even expect a more casual style. If your style is sweatpants and a hoodie, you will need to step it up a bit; you dont want to look like you wandered in straight out of bed. Best judgment should always be used in determining what is appropriate for each circumstance but remember that the more comfortable you feel, the more comfortable you will look when talking or presenting to your client. Be Dynamic It is often hard to gauge your clients attitude and personality prior to a meeting. Youre client may be a straight to the point business shrew or a down to Earth free spirit. They might even be a freaking psychopath. Either way, you need to stay mentally present and be prepared to adjust your strategy. If the client mentions having a busy day, skip the small talk and get to the point. If your client is talkative, engage them in a conversation (but eventually get to your agenda). Being dynamic and on your feet will keep your client interested and result in a more happy client experience. Gain Experience Have a post meeting roundup and think about what worked well and what did not. Keep some type of record or journal that you can look at before future meetings to prepare. Every meeting will not go as planned but it wont be all for nothing, as long as you learn from your mistakes and focus on you strengths. Additional Reading 8 Essential Tips to Overcoming Shyness & Making a Good Impression 10 Phrases Every Freelance Should Kick-Out of Their Vocabulary Meeting a New Client 10 Things you Need to Know About Your Prospects Being labeled an introvert doesnt necessarily mean your not a "people person" but it does often mean that you will avoid human interaction whenever possible. Unfortunately in the creative world, people often like to meet face to face before handing you their business. For introverts like me, these meetings can cause an increase in stress and anxiety, yet are required to be successful. Here are a few tips I have learned along the way to help cope with the unnecessary fears of client meetings. Make an Agenda When you feel anxious, nervous or stressed out, your mind becomes more forgetful. Its always important to prepare an agenda with everything you want/need to cover in the meeting. This is also a good time to put yourself in the clients shoes and think of possible questions they might throw at you at different parts of the meeting. Use your agenda as a script and rehearse it prior to the meeting. Meditate, Exercise or Yoga The days and hours leading up to a meeting are often the most stressful. Even if you dont fit healthy activities like meditation and exercise into your daily life, you should definitely make time when your feeling stressed about a meeting. Being too stressed about a specific event can lead to more serious health problems like depression. Meditation will help relieve unnecessary concerns or doubts you may have which will give you a more positive attitude in your meeting. Exercise or yoga can relieve physical stress which will also help your mental attitude prior to a meeting. Dress Your Style I once worked with a guy that believed you always had to wear a suit if you wanted to be taken seriously. He was clearly not comfortable wearing suits and the one he always wore didnt fit right and made him look like he borrowed his pants from MC Hammer. The end result was him looking flushed and nervous in meetings while he was constantly wondering if the client thought he looked as unnatural as he felt. Its always important to feel comfortable in a meeting. If youre a "creative type" (designer, developer, photographer etc.), people often even expect a more casual style. If your style is sweatpants and a hoodie, you will need to step it up a bit; you dont want to look like you wandered in straight out of bed. Best judgment should always be used in determining what is appropriate for each circumstance but remember that the more comfortable you feel, the more comfortable you will look when talking or presenting to your client. Be Dynamic It is often hard to gauge your clients attitude and personality prior to a meeting. Youre client may be a straight to the point business shrew or a down to Earth free spirit. They might even be a freaking psychopath. Either way, you need to stay mentally present and be prepared to adjust your strategy. If the client mentions having a busy day, skip the small talk and get to the point. If your client is talkative, engage them in a conversation (but eventually get to your agenda). Being dynamic and on your feet will keep your client interested and result in a more happy client experience. Gain Experience Have a post meeting roundup and think about what worked well and what did not. Keep some type of record or journal that you can look at before future meetings to prepare. Every meeting will not go as planned but it wont be all for nothing, as long as you learn from your mistakes and focus on you strengths. Additional Reading 8 Essential Tips to Overcoming Shyness & Making a Good Impression 10 Phrases Every Freelance Should Kick-Out of Their Vocabulary Meeting a New Client 10 Things you Need to Know About Your Prospects


]]> Apparently it Really Sucks to Work at Adsense http://brandonomics.org/blog/apparently-it-really-sucks-to-work-at-adsense http://brandonomics.org/blog/apparently-it-really-sucks-to-work-at-adsense/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/apparently-it-really-sucks-to-work-at-adsense Wed, 05 Mar 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Like many others, I am yet to receive a response to specifically why my Adsense account was unfairly banned. Maybe the problems with Adsense can be blamed on the fact that Adsense and Adwords are reportedly the crap jobs of Google where promising college elite have their spirits broken with bad management and 45K salary. A current Google employee tells Vallywag: "Im surprised that you guys dont shed more light on this, but AdWorders only make $45,000 base plus meager bonuses that are only a few hundred per quarter. Its the worst department because everyone hates their job "Hello, this is AdWords, how may I help you?" The dreaded phone shift, chat shifts, answering emails is the core job. They dont tell you that when recruiting and hiring kids from elite universities." So if you happen to be the unlucky Adsense representative finally getting around to reviewing my appeal, I want you to know I understand that having a crappy job sucks but give me my damn account back. Its not my fault Google killed your dreams. [via Vallywag] [photo by: altemark] UPDATE: Google recently reinstated my account with no mention of why it was suspended. At the risk of being called a hypocrite, I will eventually put Adsense back into a few advertising spaces on this site but for the most park my replacement ads are matching or out performing the Adsense ads that I was using prior to getting temporarily banned. Like many others, I am yet to receive a response to specifically why my Adsense account was unfairly banned. Maybe the problems with Adsense can be blamed on the fact that Adsense and Adwords are reportedly the crap jobs of Google where promising college elite have their spirits broken with bad management and 45K salary. A current Google employee tells Vallywag: "Im surprised that you guys dont shed more light on this, but AdWorders only make $45,000 base plus meager bonuses that are only a few hundred per quarter. Its the worst department because everyone hates their job "Hello, this is AdWords, how may I help you?" The dreaded phone shift, chat shifts, answering emails is the core job. They dont tell you that when recruiting and hiring kids from elite universities." So if you happen to be the unlucky Adsense representative finally getting around to reviewing my appeal, I want you to know I understand that having a crappy job sucks but give me my damn account back. Its not my fault Google killed your dreams. [via Vallywag] [photo by: altemark] UPDATE: Google recently reinstated my account with no mention of why it was suspended. At the risk of being called a hypocrite, I will eventually put Adsense back into a few advertising spaces on this site but for the most park my replacement ads are matching or out performing the Adsense ads that I was using prior to getting temporarily banned.


]]> Google Cant Handle the Truth. Another Example of Why Adsense Sucks http://brandonomics.org/blog/google-cant-handle-the-truth-another-example-of-why-adsense-sucks http://brandonomics.org/blog/google-cant-handle-the-truth-another-example-of-why-adsense-sucks/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/google-cant-handle-the-truth-another-example-of-why-adsense-sucks Mon, 03 Mar 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Anyone who uses Google Adsense to display advertising on their website has probably seen the many warnings online about how Adsense will unfairly disable publishers accounts without explanation. While this well known practice is shady and goes against the Google pledge to "do no evil", it is within their legal rights because users agree that "Google may at any time, in its sole discretion, terminate all or part of the Program, terminate this Agreement, or suspend or terminate the participation of any Property in all or part of the Program for any reason". An Adsense account may be banned for many unfair reasons such as an increase in regular traffic or even by simply having a malicious user clicking on ads repeatedly. In my case, Google recently disabled my account with no mention of suspected fraudulent activity but rather because my "AdSense account has posed a significant risk to our AdWords advertisers" and that keeping my account in their network "may financially damage our advertisers in the future". Really? My little blog may financially damage Googles advertisers? How can that be? I guess someone at Google didnt like my recent post about the sad truth of online advertising where I suggest that lost and confused users make up the majority of ad clickers. I highly doubt I will receive any official answers to if this was the reason but given the timing and the tone of the email I would say that Google is scared of advertisers finding out the truth of who really clicks on their advertisements. The thought that a simple blog post could get my account banned and months of hard earned ad income stolen is alarming to say the least. While my post may be harsh to the online advertising industry, I never once suggested that advertisers should stop advertising. I was hoping the post would draw attention to the fact advertisers can run successful campaigns using more traditional brand recognition than relying only on click through rates. The suggestion that I am in any way financially harming their advertisers is way out of line. If anyone stands to be financially damaged "in the future", its the advertising companies that cling to the out dated advertising strategies of the dot com bubble, not the advertisers. Like the many other users displaced by Googles actions, I can only piss and moan and offer this post as another warning to anyone currently using Adsense or thinking about using it. In addition to the obvious problems with using Adsense, you also run the risk of having your money stolen if you say something they dont like. I have started to look into other Adsense alternatives and will give more detailed recommendations after I have a chance to test out some other services. UPDATE: Google recently reinstated my account with no mention of why it was suspended. At the risk of being called a hypocrite, I will eventually put Adsense back into a few advertising spaces on this site but for the most park my replacement ads are matching or out performing the Adsense ads that I was using prior to getting temporarily banned. many warnings online about how Adsense will unfairly disable publishers accounts without explanation. While this well known practice is shady and goes against the Google pledge to "do no evil", it is within their legal rights because users agree that "Google may at any time, in its sole discretion, terminate all or part of the Program, terminate this Agreement, or suspend or terminate the participation of any Property in all or part of the Program for any reason". An Adsense account may be banned for many unfair reasons such as an increase in regular traffic or even by simply having a malicious user clicking on ads repeatedly. In my case, Google recently disabled my account with no mention of suspected fraudulent activity but rather because my "AdSense account has posed a significant risk to our AdWords advertisers" and that keeping my account in their network "may financially damage our advertisers in the future". Really? My little blog may financially damage Googles advertisers? How can that be? I guess someone at Google didnt like my recent post about the sad truth of online advertising where I suggest that lost and confused users make up the majority of ad clickers. I highly doubt I will receive any official answers to if this was the reason but given the timing and the tone of the email I would say that Google is scared of advertisers finding out the truth of who really clicks on their advertisements. The thought that a simple blog post could get my account banned and months of hard earned ad income stolen is alarming to say the least. While my post may be harsh to the online advertising industry, I never once suggested that advertisers should stop advertising. I was hoping the post would draw attention to the fact advertisers can run successful campaigns using more traditional brand recognition than relying only on click through rates. The suggestion that I am in any way financially harming their advertisers is way out of line. If anyone stands to be financially damaged "in the future", its the advertising companies that cling to the out dated advertising strategies of the dot com bubble, not the advertisers. Like the many other users displaced by Googles actions, I can only piss and moan and offer this post as another warning to anyone currently using Adsense or thinking about using it. In addition to the obvious problems with using Adsense, you also run the risk of having your money stolen if you say something they dont like. I have started to look into other Adsense alternatives and will give more detailed recommendations after I have a chance to test out some other services. UPDATE: Google recently reinstated my account with no mention of why it was suspended. At the risk of being called a hypocrite, I will eventually put Adsense back into a few advertising spaces on this site but for the most park my replacement ads are matching or out performing the Adsense ads that I was using prior to getting temporarily banned.


]]> Who Clicks On Advertisements? The Sad Truth of Online Advertising http://brandonomics.org/blog/who-clicks-on-advertisements-the-sad-truth-of-online-advertising http://brandonomics.org/blog/who-clicks-on-advertisements-the-sad-truth-of-online-advertising/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/who-clicks-on-advertisements-the-sad-truth-of-online-advertising Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Simple question: do you click on online advertisements? 99% of people asked that question will answer "no". But with so many internet based companies, all of which relying mostly on advertising to generate income, how is it possible to make money online if only 1% of internet users click ads? Who are these people anyway? When website owners look to setup advertising on their site, they often try to suit the advertising to the core user base of the website. A sad truth of internet advertising is that nobody who likes your site will click on ads. The average demographic of a typical ad clicker is a middle aged female from the Midwest but that stereotype holds less true with different website niches. Regardless of the website content or its core users, the 1% of users who click on ads will most likely to fit into one of the following categories: The Lost User These people make up the largest portion of ad clickers. They are not interested in the content of the site and only click on advertisements that they feel are more suited to what they were looking for. This is why many publishers have success with contextual ad services that place ads somewhat related to the sites content such as Google Adsense. For example, I recently made a post about how it was ironic that an advertisement for a pop-up blocker usually appears in my post about why people shouldnt use ad blockers. While this appears to be a glitch in the ad server, it actually works out well for me because someone searching for certain phrases related to ad blockers might find my post. They eventually realize its not what they were looking for and then follow the advertisement for an ad blocking download because thats what they were initially looking for. The Confused User While a lost user had an intended purpose when they clicked on an ad, a confused user probably didnt even know they were clicking on an ad or leaving the website they were on. Confused users are of course not very computer and/or internet savvy and are considered very low quality for the advertiser. They typically dont purchase anything online and are hard to retain, making them only useful on per click advertisements and not for more lucrative lead based ads or affiliate programs. What does this mean? For me, this means that online advertising is still stuck in a 90s way of thinking. Advertising online should be more about getting a brand recognized within its intended market and less about creating obnoxious per click advertising to compete with content. With so many people using ad blockers and even more users becoming blind to online ads, the entire online advertising world depends on the lost and confused to keep it all from crashing down. [photo by: ChrisL AK] Simple question: do you click on online advertisements? 99% of people asked that question will answer "no". But with so many internet based companies, all of which relying mostly on advertising to generate income, how is it possible to make money online if only 1% of internet users click ads? Who are these people anyway? When website owners look to setup advertising on their site, they often try to suit the advertising to the core user base of the website. A sad truth of internet advertising is that nobody who likes your site will click on ads. The average demographic of a typical ad clicker is a middle aged female from the Midwest but that stereotype holds less true with different website niches. Regardless of the website content or its core users, the 1% of users who click on ads will most likely to fit into one of the following categories: The Lost User These people make up the largest portion of ad clickers. They are not interested in the content of the site and only click on advertisements that they feel are more suited to what they were looking for. This is why many publishers have success with contextual ad services that place ads somewhat related to the sites content such as Google Adsense. For example, I recently made a post about how it was ironic that an advertisement for a pop-up blocker usually appears in my post about why people shouldnt use ad blockers. While this appears to be a glitch in the ad server, it actually works out well for me because someone searching for certain phrases related to ad blockers might find my post. They eventually realize its not what they were looking for and then follow the advertisement for an ad blocking download because thats what they were initially looking for. The Confused User While a lost user had an intended purpose when they clicked on an ad, a confused user probably didnt even know they were clicking on an ad or leaving the website they were on. Confused users are of course not very computer and/or internet savvy and are considered very low quality for the advertiser. They typically dont purchase anything online and are hard to retain, making them only useful on per click advertisements and not for more lucrative lead based ads or affiliate programs. What does this mean? For me, this means that online advertising is still stuck in a 90s way of thinking. Advertising online should be more about getting a brand recognized within its intended market and less about creating obnoxious per click advertising to compete with content. With so many people using ad blockers and even more users becoming blind to online ads, the entire online advertising world depends on the lost and confused to keep it all from crashing down. [photo by: ChrisL AK]


]]> Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer Reads My Blog, wants to acquire Ustream http://brandonomics.org/blog/microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-reads-my-blog http://brandonomics.org/blog/microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-reads-my-blog/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/microsoft-ceo-steve-ballmer-reads-my-blog Tue, 12 Feb 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Well, Steve Ballmer probably doesnt read this blog. But Microsoft is reportedly in "deep talks" to acquire Ustream for $50 million. Ustream is a video streaming service that was listed in my recent post of 14 companies Microsoft should acquire. Yahoos board of directors have also turned down Microsofts $44.6 billion bid, so if the hostile takeover doesnt go well, maybe my idea should be Microsofts plan C? [via Vallywag] Well, Steve Ballmer probably doesnt read this blog. But Microsoft is reportedly in "deep talks" to acquire Ustream for $50 million. Ustream is a video streaming service that was listed in my recent post of 14 companies Microsoft should acquire. Yahoos board of directors have also turned down Microsofts $44.6 billion bid, so if the hostile takeover doesnt go well, maybe my idea should be Microsofts plan C? [via Vallywag]


]]> MicroDream Team: 14 Companies Microsoft could Buy for Half the Price of Yahoo http://brandonomics.org/blog/microdream-team-14-companies-microsoft-could-buy http://brandonomics.org/blog/microdream-team-14-companies-microsoft-could-buy/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/microdream-team-14-companies-microsoft-could-buy Tue, 05 Feb 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Only time will tell if Microsofts 44.6 billion dollar bid for Yahoo was a good move (assuming it gets accepted). Im not going to pretend to be a professional business analyst but I do know $44.6 billion is a crap load whole lot of money, so even without Yahoo -- there are options. The recent VC boom has produced many worthy companies that can rival Yahoos services plus give Microsoft a better chance against Google at half the price. I tried to only include companies that do not have a large parent company and/or would be considered "acquirable". The cost for each category is a very rough estimate of the top value for each company but lets not get caught up in specifics. User Network (roughly $15 billion) Facebook – It may take Facebooks over-evaluation of $15 billion to get Mark Zuckerberg to give up control but its well worth the price to Microsoft. Facebook comes with both a huge user base, as well as several former Yahoo and Google personnel. Netvibes – Windows Live could use a Netvibes integration to boost quality and users. Microsoft will need to strengthen that brand to compete with the more popular iGoogle. Iminlikewithyou – This is probably the biggest odd ball on the list but buying an innovative site like iminlikewithyou could give Microsoft an edge in the saturated online dating market should Google decide to make a move. Media Network (roughly $1 billion) Gawker Media – Gawker has more online readers than the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times. The price tag may be steep and impossible to guess, but its still a good purchase to distribute content and breathe new life throughout Microsofts dormant portals. Digg & Revision 3 – Its hard to see anyone buying one without the other, but if you have the cash to take a chance, why not? While Digg has more users, I think Revision 3 is the better purchase in the long run. Video Network (under $2 billion) Ustream – Ustream is the video casting site of choice among many stars including the 2008 presidential candidates. Microsoft might also find some opportunities to integrate with their new Silverlight development platform. Break.com – Break has possibilities to span out into a full fledged entertainment site, which Microsoft needs. Vimeo – While it probably wont give YouTube much of a run right now, Vimeo is popular in online video and could emerge as a front runner someday. Communications (roughly 3 billion) Skype – Aside from being a great buy for any company, Skype could be a great way to compete with Google on the mobile front. There are rumors that Google is also looking to acquire Skype from parent company Ebay, so a quick steal by Microsoft might also hurt Googles strategy. Twitter – Its popular and there are a lot of users. Makes sense to me. Meebo – Meebo is an Innovative communications/IM company that could benefit from integrations with some of Microsofts plethora of business partners. Advertising (200 million?) Federated Media – Microsoft has paid a lot of money to serve ads for sites such as Digg and Facebook, so FMs respected line up of conversational sites seems like something they would love to have even if its not nearly as big as the $6 billion purchase of aQuantive Microsoft made in 2007. Applications (500 million?) Automattic – I know Microsoft acquiring the company behind WordPress might strike fear into most bloggers, however I think Microsoft would benefit from having the most used blogging platform be a "Microsoft Product" even if it cant be monetized well. RockYou – After acquiring Facebook, it makes sense to snag up a top application developer for both Facebook and rival Myspace. Search Yahoo is the only logical purchase to compete with Google at their own game. Without Yahoo, Microsoft should only try to improve its Live Search and work to grow the roughly 10% market share it already has. Conclusion (roughly $22 billion) Microsoft buying 14 of the hottest tech companies just to take on Google will probably never happen, but I still think a similar strategy might work for the right company with enough cash. Whether or not Microsoft should even be attempting to take on Google is a whole other topic for another day... [photo by: terina] Only time will tell if Microsofts 44.6 billion dollar bid for Yahoo was a good move (assuming it gets accepted). Im not going to pretend to be a professional business analyst but I do know $44.6 billion is a crap load whole lot of money, so even without Yahoo -- there are options. The recent VC boom has produced many worthy companies that can rival Yahoos services plus give Microsoft a better chance against Google at half the price. I tried to only include companies that do not have a large parent company and/or would be considered "acquirable". The cost for each category is a very rough estimate of the top value for each company but lets not get caught up in specifics. User Network (roughly $15 billion) Facebook – It may take Facebooks over-evaluation of $15 billion to get Mark Zuckerberg to give up control but its well worth the price to Microsoft. Facebook comes with both a huge user base, as well as several former Yahoo and Google personnel. Netvibes – Windows Live could use a Netvibes integration to boost quality and users. Microsoft will need to strengthen that brand to compete with the more popular iGoogle. Iminlikewithyou – This is probably the biggest odd ball on the list but buying an innovative site like iminlikewithyou could give Microsoft an edge in the saturated online dating market should Google decide to make a move. Media Network (roughly $1 billion) Gawker Media – Gawker has more online readers than the Wall Street Journal and the LA Times. The price tag may be steep and impossible to guess, but its still a good purchase to distribute content and breathe new life throughout Microsofts dormant portals. Digg & Revision 3 – Its hard to see anyone buying one without the other, but if you have the cash to take a chance, why not? While Digg has more users, I think Revision 3 is the better purchase in the long run. Video Network (under $2 billion) Ustream – Ustream is the video casting site of choice among many stars including the 2008 presidential candidates. Microsoft might also find some opportunities to integrate with their new Silverlight development platform. Break.com – Break has possibilities to span out into a full fledged entertainment site, which Microsoft needs. Vimeo – While it probably wont give YouTube much of a run right now, Vimeo is popular in online video and could emerge as a front runner someday. Communications (roughly 3 billion) Skype – Aside from being a great buy for any company, Skype could be a great way to compete with Google on the mobile front. There are rumors that Google is also looking to acquire Skype from parent company Ebay, so a quick steal by Microsoft might also hurt Googles strategy. Twitter – Its popular and there are a lot of users. Makes sense to me. Meebo – Meebo is an Innovative communications/IM company that could benefit from integrations with some of Microsofts plethora of business partners. Advertising (200 million?) Federated Media – Microsoft has paid a lot of money to serve ads for sites such as Digg and Facebook, so FMs respected line up of conversational sites seems like something they would love to have even if its not nearly as big as the $6 billion purchase of aQuantive Microsoft made in 2007. Applications (500 million?) Automattic – I know Microsoft acquiring the company behind WordPress might strike fear into most bloggers, however I think Microsoft would benefit from having the most used blogging platform be a "Microsoft Product" even if it cant be monetized well. RockYou – After acquiring Facebook, it makes sense to snag up a top application developer for both Facebook and rival Myspace. Search Yahoo is the only logical purchase to compete with Google at their own game. Without Yahoo, Microsoft should only try to improve its Live Search and work to grow the roughly 10% market share it already has. Conclusion (roughly $22 billion) Microsoft buying 14 of the hottest tech companies just to take on Google will probably never happen, but I still think a similar strategy might work for the right company with enough cash. Whether or not Microsoft should even be attempting to take on Google is a whole other topic for another day... [photo by: terina]


]]> Updated: Can a Blank White Page Make the Front Page of Digg? http://brandonomics.org/blog/can-a-blank-white-page-make-the-front-page-of-Digg http://brandonomics.org/blog/can-a-blank-white-page-make-the-front-page-of-Digg/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/can-a-blank-white-page-make-the-front-page-of-Digg Fri, 25 Jan 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Anybody that frequents the social news network Digg.com knows the entire community is buzzing about algorithm changes in the way stories become promoted to the front page. Diggs once powerful "top submitters" are now mad their submissions can no longer be promoted to the front page simply by Diggs from the arsenal of followers (or friends) the have. While I see this as a good thing for the future of Digg, it does seem odd that some stories have been making the front page with only 19 Diggs over a 16 hour period. While I was thinking about how to cover this story in a creative blog post, I came to the conclusion I would rather just see if a blank white page can make it to the front page of Digg. UPDATE: Looks like a blank white page will not grace the front page of Digg this time around. I am sure someone else with more "Digg success" (friends/fans) will do it in the future so I wont say that it "cant" happen. Thanks to everyone who dugg the story (and understood the point). If you want to Digg this, please digg the story that links the blank page and not this post. Digg.com knows the entire community is buzzing about algorithm changes in the way stories become promoted to the front page. Diggs once powerful "top submitters" are now mad their submissions can no longer be promoted to the front page simply by Diggs from the arsenal of followers (or friends) the have. While I see this as a good thing for the future of Digg, it does seem odd that some stories have been making the front page with only 19 Diggs over a 16 hour period. While I was thinking about how to cover this story in a creative blog post, I came to the conclusion I would rather just see if a blank white page can make it to the front page of Digg. UPDATE: Looks like a blank white page will not grace the front page of Digg this time around. I am sure someone else with more "Digg success" (friends/fans) will do it in the future so I wont say that it "cant" happen. Thanks to everyone who dugg the story (and understood the point). If you want to Digg this, please digg the story that links the blank page and not this post.


]]> Contextual Advertising Can be Ironic Yet Profitable http://brandonomics.org/blog/contextual-advertising-can-be-ironic-yet-profitable http://brandonomics.org/blog/contextual-advertising-can-be-ironic-yet-profitable/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/contextual-advertising-can-be-ironic-yet-profitable Fri, 18 Jan 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon So my post about being a jackass if you use an ad blocker probably didnt deter anyone from using them but may of led to more people using them thanks to Google. I dont really understand why someone who would click on an ad for ad blocking software would want to block ads though. Oh well, guess I still stand to profit from the clicks (thats all that matters, thanks Google). So my post about being a jackass if you use an ad blocker probably didnt deter anyone from using them but may of led to more people using them thanks to Google. I dont really understand why someone who would click on an ad for ad blocking software would want to block ads though. Oh well, guess I still stand to profit from the clicks (thats all that matters, thanks Google).


]]> 5 Reasons You Are a Jackass if You Use an Ad Blocker http://brandonomics.org/blog/5-reasons-you-are-a-jackass-if-you-use-an-ad-blocker http://brandonomics.org/blog/5-reasons-you-are-a-jackass-if-you-use-an-ad-blocker/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/5-reasons-you-are-a-jackass-if-you-use-an-ad-blocker Thu, 10 Jan 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon So you may not be a complete jackass for using products like Adblock Plus -- but thats only if you also run an orphanage or donate all your income to charity. Pirating music and movies is one thing, it may take away from the greedy studios and record labels but really has little affect on the actors/artists paychecks. Ad blockers directly affect the smaller guys more than anything. As Dennis Miller would say, "I dont want to get off on a rant here but:" Nobody "likes" advertising The only people who actually pay attention to advertising are advertisers. Many people who block ads believe that because they would not be interested and/or click an advertisement, they are doing nothing wrong. Online advertising has changed quite a bit over the years and is no longer just about pure clicks. Sure advertisers would love your click but they are also interested in building their brand awareness similar to how they would in a magazine (where there is no ability to click). This change from the old school CPC model lets content providers still make money even if you dont click on an advertisement. "Better bend than break" – Scottish Proverb If a website has advertising that you feel is too obtrusive for your liking, you need to evaluate if that sites content is worth the advertising – if its not, dont go there anymore. There are probably many sites just like it with less advertising. I typically find that if a site has quality content that I am interested in, they dont have any annoying or obtrusive advertising because they are serious about building a loyal user base. You are (probably) stealing directly from the content creator Chances are every website you visit is not an overly funded startup hoping to get bought by Google. For many site owners advertising is vital to even paying the operational costs of running the website. Premium services for everyone When everyone and their dog have ad blockers installed, there will eventually be more incentive (money) for content providers to offer their content/services at a fee (such as a subscription model) rather than have it ad supported. While some people think price ads value, I would much rather be advertised to, then be forced to pay for most of the sites I visit. Advertising isnt that bad (unless you surf shady sites) There are always going to be link farms and abandon websites of the 20th century with over obtrusive ads. Then again, just like you have to watch out where you go real life, you have a responsibility to watch where you go on the Internet. If you often find yourself at somewhat shady sites with shady advertising tactics, you might want to consider at least letting your most commonly visited legit websites through your ad blocker. If you like this post, do me a favor and Digg it. Let me know if you agree or disagree in the comments. (photo by: Missty)
So you may not be a complete jackass for using products like Adblock Plus -- but thats only if you also run an orphanage or donate all your income to charity. Pirating music and movies is one thing, it may take away from the greedy studios and record labels but really has little affect on the actors/artists paychecks. Ad blockers directly affect the smaller guys more than anything. As Dennis Miller would say, "I dont want to get off on a rant here but:" Nobody "likes" advertising The only people who actually pay attention to advertising are advertisers. Many people who block ads believe that because they would not be interested and/or click an advertisement, they are doing nothing wrong. Online advertising has changed quite a bit over the years and is no longer just about pure clicks. Sure advertisers would love your click but they are also interested in building their brand awareness similar to how they would in a magazine (where there is no ability to click). This change from the old school CPC model lets content providers still make money even if you dont click on an advertisement. "Better bend than break" – Scottish Proverb If a website has advertising that you feel is too obtrusive for your liking, you need to evaluate if that sites content is worth the advertising – if its not, dont go there anymore. There are probably many sites just like it with less advertising. I typically find that if a site has quality content that I am interested in, they dont have any annoying or obtrusive advertising because they are serious about building a loyal user base. You are (probably) stealing directly from the content creator Chances are every website you visit is not an overly funded startup hoping to get bought by Google. For many site owners advertising is vital to even paying the operational costs of running the website. Premium services for everyone When everyone and their dog have ad blockers installed, there will eventually be more incentive (money) for content providers to offer their content/services at a fee (such as a subscription model) rather than have it ad supported. While some people think price ads value, I would much rather be advertised to, then be forced to pay for most of the sites I visit. Advertising isnt that bad (unless you surf shady sites) There are always going to be link farms and abandon websites of the 20th century with over obtrusive ads. Then again, just like you have to watch out where you go real life, you have a responsibility to watch where you go on the Internet. If you often find yourself at somewhat shady sites with shady advertising tactics, you might want to consider at least letting your most commonly visited legit websites through your ad blocker. If you like this post, do me a favor and Digg it. Let me know if you agree or disagree in the comments. (photo by: Missty)


]]> A Unique Twist on Evolution vs. Creationism http://brandonomics.org/blog/unique-twist-on-evolution-vs-creationism http://brandonomics.org/blog/unique-twist-on-evolution-vs-creationism/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/unique-twist-on-evolution-vs-creationism Sun, 06 Jan 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon Duelity is a well done online presentation made at the Vancouver Film School. The creative idea behind the project is using a scientific style of reasoning to explain Creationism and a biblical style to tell the story of Evolution. No matter which side of the debate you stand, this project is a fun experiment on how the way you say something is just as important as what you are saying. My favorite quote: "On hour 144, GOD complied with industry standards and removed a central rib quadrant of Adam creating Eve V.01". www.duelity.net Duelity is a well done online presentation made at the Vancouver Film School. The creative idea behind the project is using a scientific style of reasoning to explain Creationism and a biblical style to tell the story of Evolution. No matter which side of the debate you stand, this project is a fun experiment on how the way you say something is just as important as what you are saying. My favorite quote: "On hour 144, GOD complied with industry standards and removed a central rib quadrant of Adam creating Eve V.01". www.duelity.net


]]> Most Pirated Shows and Movies of 2007 http://brandonomics.org/blog/most-pirated-shows-and-movies-of-2007 http://brandonomics.org/blog/most-pirated-shows-and-movies-of-2007/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/most-pirated-shows-and-movies-of-2007 Tue, 01 Jan 2008 08:00:00 CST Brandon TorrentFreak released their list of the top 10 pirated movies and shows this year. The list is compiled of data from Mininova, so its only a "representative sample". I would expect to see Entourage or possibly Weeds included, as those shows always seem to have a ton of seeders when I download them be popular on bittorrent sites as well. Most Pirated Movies 01. Transformers 02. Knocked Up 03. Shooter 04. Pirates of the Caribbean 05. Ratatouille 06. 300 07. Next 08. Hot Fuzz 09. The Bourne Ultimatum 10. Zodiac Most Pirated Shows 01. Heroes 02. Top Gear 03. Battlestar Galactica 04. Lost 05. Prison Break 06. Desperate Housewives 07. 24 08. Family Guy 09. Dexter 10. Scrubs TorrentFreak released their list of the top 10 pirated movies and shows this year. The list is compiled of data from Mininova, so its only a "representative sample". I would expect to see Entourage or possibly Weeds included, as those shows always seem to have a ton of seeders when I download them be popular on bittorrent sites as well. Most Pirated Movies 01. Transformers 02. Knocked Up 03. Shooter 04. Pirates of the Caribbean 05. Ratatouille 06. 300 07. Next 08. Hot Fuzz 09. The Bourne Ultimatum 10. Zodiac Most Pirated Shows 01. Heroes 02. Top Gear 03. Battlestar Galactica 04. Lost 05. Prison Break 06. Desperate Housewives 07. 24 08. Family Guy 09. Dexter 10. Scrubs


]]> 2007 Brandonomics (random) Internet Awards http://brandonomics.org/blog/2007-internet-awards http://brandonomics.org/blog/2007-internet-awards/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/2007-internet-awards Thu, 27 Dec 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Well its that time of the year when every blog does some lame end of the year wrap up for their respective niche. If you thought Brandonomics was any different, shame on you. Im even inventing the first annual "Brandonomics Internet Awards" to showcase my internet related picks of 2007. Most Innovative: Crooked I – Hip Hop Weekly For many music artists, 2007 was filled with innovative promotional and revenue generating ideas outside the old school record label approach. Many artists also heavily utilized social networks such as Myspace to increase and feed their fan base. Crooked I, a relatively unknown rap artist, gets the innovation award for taking the social network approach a step further by releasing a new free song every week in a series he calls "Hip Hop Weekly". Each song, which is usually more of freestyle over a sampled beat, serves fans the same way a celebrity blog might with current events, personal commentary, fan requests and occasional Myspace shout outs. While giving fans new content each week (currently in week 39), Crooked I has also created an innovative platform to speak to his fans as well as a great outlet to expand his fan base. I expect to see more ideas like this from many more artists in 2008. Most Successful: 2 girls 1 cup Lets face it, no matter how many billions of dollars the business side of the net generates; the internet has always been the home for extremely gross stuff. While not entertained by the site (which gets no link from me), I commend the creators for starting another internet revolution we have not seen since the days of goatse and tub girl. The biggest advantage 2G1C has over the past legends comes from the advancement in online video, which allows everyone to capture and post their reactions to the video on YouTube. (gross viral video + web 2.0 = success) Most Lame: Digg User Base There are weekly rumors of Digg being sold for a few hundred million, yet none ever seem to pan out. While many have speculated on why nobody wants to buy Digg, I think the main reason is based around Digg pursuing profits over wisdom. The quality of front page content has gone way down, and the discussions around each story are hardly worth wading through the buggy comments section for. Disclosure: I am a Digg user. Most Disappointing: Facebook Application Developers I knew Facebook was flirting with stupidity when they introduced applications in May of 2007. Sure there have been a couple useful applications out of the thousands created, but for the most part developers have turned a once good great idea into sad attempts at viral success. While I commend Facebook for being innovative, the lack of quality developers and/or ideas has turned the clean look of Facebook into the jumbled and cluttered profiles of Myspace. Most Innovative: Crooked I – Hip Hop Weekly For many music artists, 2007 was filled with innovative promotional and revenue generating ideas outside the old school record label approach. Many artists also heavily utilized social networks such as Myspace to increase and feed their fan base. Crooked I, a relatively unknown rap artist, gets the innovation award for taking the social network approach a step further by releasing a new free song every week in a series he calls "Hip Hop Weekly". Each song, which is usually more of freestyle over a sampled beat, serves fans the same way a celebrity blog might with current events, personal commentary, fan requests and occasional Myspace shout outs. While giving fans new content each week (currently in week 39), Crooked I has also created an innovative platform to speak to his fans as well as a great outlet to expand his fan base. I expect to see more ideas like this from many more artists in 2008. Most Successful: 2 girls 1 cup Lets face it, no matter how many billions of dollars the business side of the net generates; the internet has always been the home for extremely gross stuff. While not entertained by the site (which gets no link from me), I commend the creators for starting another internet revolution we have not seen since the days of goatse and tub girl. The biggest advantage 2G1C has over the past legends comes from the advancement in online video, which allows everyone to capture and post their reactions to the video on YouTube. (gross viral video + web 2.0 = success) Most Lame: Digg User Base There are weekly rumors of Digg being sold for a few hundred million, yet none ever seem to pan out. While many have speculated on why nobody wants to buy Digg, I think the main reason is based around Digg pursuing profits over wisdom. The quality of front page content has gone way down, and the discussions around each story are hardly worth wading through the buggy comments section for. Disclosure: I am a Digg user. Most Disappointing: Facebook Application Developers I knew Facebook was flirting with stupidity when they introduced applications in May of 2007. Sure there have been a couple useful applications out of the thousands created, but for the most part developers have turned a once good great idea into sad attempts at viral success. While I commend Facebook for being innovative, the lack of quality developers and/or ideas has turned the clean look of Facebook into the jumbled and cluttered profiles of Myspace.


]]> College OTR Needs New Bloggers http://brandonomics.org/blog/college-otr-needs-new-bloggers http://brandonomics.org/blog/college-otr-needs-new-bloggers/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/college-otr-needs-new-bloggers Mon, 10 Dec 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon College OTR (on the record) is a company that hires students from various universities to blog about their respective colleges. In my experience from occasionally reading the University of Missouri OTR blog, most posts are random opinions about already published news articles from anonymous students. Most of these supposedly anonymous bloggers can be found simply by searching their user names on Google and finding their Myspace pages, but you can also get some good information by reading the College OTR blogger profiles. Dan Friesen AKA "The Benevolent Asshole", a former College OTR blogger and local college paper contributor left a pretty entertaining farewell "post" via his profile. "The Benevolent Asshole is not impressed by what this blog has turned out to be. He was told it was going to be a humor blog, but in time he learned that it was being run by dishonest, greedy, humorless finks who were more interested in gossip than making jokes. They offered him a job with the understanding that he was to be one of four editors of the blog who would have absolute editorial power. It only took them a month to hire some out of town, out of touch shill to decided what goes on the site and what doesnt. Who better to decide what goes on a "local" Columbia blog than some chick in New York? His title was changed from "editor" to "blogger." He no longer had the power to post what he wanted. So he quit. Fuck this blog. How many posts have even gone up in the last two weeks? 5, maybe, and one of them is a video that doesnt even work. Very impressive. Case in point for why this blog is fucked: he quit two months ago, and his login still works, thus his being able to change his profile. Is he bitter? Slightly. The Benevolent Asshole resents people who pretend to be serious about humor, but arent. Also, he really wanted that thousand dollars they promised him. The Benevolent Asshole would request that you stop wasting your time with OTR. He would also like to formally invite you to his web site at friesenpoint.wordpress.com. God bless." I guess the reported $500/semester that student bloggers make isnt enough to get quality content or keep them around an entire semester. College OTR (on the record) is a company that hires students from various universities to blog about their respective colleges. In my experience from occasionally reading the University of Missouri OTR blog, most posts are random opinions about already published news articles from anonymous students. Most of these supposedly anonymous bloggers can be found simply by searching their user names on Google and finding their Myspace pages, but you can also get some good information by reading the College OTR blogger profiles. Dan Friesen AKA "The Benevolent Asshole", a former College OTR blogger and local college paper contributor left a pretty entertaining farewell "post" via his profile. "The Benevolent Asshole is not impressed by what this blog has turned out to be. He was told it was going to be a humor blog, but in time he learned that it was being run by dishonest, greedy, humorless finks who were more interested in gossip than making jokes. They offered him a job with the understanding that he was to be one of four editors of the blog who would have absolute editorial power. It only took them a month to hire some out of town, out of touch shill to decided what goes on the site and what doesnt. Who better to decide what goes on a "local" Columbia blog than some chick in New York? His title was changed from "editor" to "blogger." He no longer had the power to post what he wanted. So he quit. Fuck this blog. How many posts have even gone up in the last two weeks? 5, maybe, and one of them is a video that doesnt even work. Very impressive. Case in point for why this blog is fucked: he quit two months ago, and his login still works, thus his being able to change his profile. Is he bitter? Slightly. The Benevolent Asshole resents people who pretend to be serious about humor, but arent. Also, he really wanted that thousand dollars they promised him. The Benevolent Asshole would request that you stop wasting your time with OTR. He would also like to formally invite you to his web site at friesenpoint.wordpress.com. God bless." I guess the reported $500/semester that student bloggers make isnt enough to get quality content or keep them around an entire semester.


]]> Hulu.com Is Better Than Expected http://brandonomics.org/blog/hulu-better-than-expected http://brandonomics.org/blog/hulu-better-than-expected/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/hulu-better-than-expected Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Every important blog or news site did their reviews of Hulu when it launched the invite only beta a few weeks ago, but Im not a respectable media source, so I just got my invite a few days ago. I have heard mostly semi-positive, back handed reviews which are expected when evil empires News Corp. and NBC Universal create a fairly decent site. The only real outstanding feature of the site is the fact its simple and not over loaded like typical corporate web ventures. Content is what makes the site worth visiting. Most users would expect the typical watered down clips, but Hulu provides full length episodes of your favorite shows right in your browser as promised. I dont watch a lot of TV anymore, so I found it convenient I could catch up on recent episodes of Family Guy, The Office and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Other shows people might like are The Simpsons, Heroes, 30 Rock, King of the Hill and Prison Break among others. The service obviously comes with ads, but to my surprise they were not that bad (yet). There are usually only a few 15 or 30 second ads during an average length sitcom, which is much better than watching it on TV. The ads did break my Firefox when watching in full screen a few times, but it resumed playing where it left off when I came back after restarting the browser. Every important blog or news site did their reviews of Hulu when it launched the invite only beta a few weeks ago, but Im not a respectable media source, so I just got my invite a few days ago. I have heard mostly semi-positive, back handed reviews which are expected when evil empires News Corp. and NBC Universal create a fairly decent site. The only real outstanding feature of the site is the fact its simple and not over loaded like typical corporate web ventures. Content is what makes the site worth visiting. Most users would expect the typical watered down clips, but Hulu provides full length episodes of your favorite shows right in your browser as promised. I dont watch a lot of TV anymore, so I found it convenient I could catch up on recent episodes of Family Guy, The Office and Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Other shows people might like are The Simpsons, Heroes, 30 Rock, King of the Hill and Prison Break among others. The service obviously comes with ads, but to my surprise they were not that bad (yet). There are usually only a few 15 or 30 second ads during an average length sitcom, which is much better than watching it on TV. The ads did break my Firefox when watching in full screen a few times, but it resumed playing where it left off when I came back after restarting the browser.


]]> Comfortably Numb http://brandonomics.org/blog/comfortably-numb http://brandonomics.org/blog/comfortably-numb/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/comfortably-numb Tue, 13 Nov 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon To be honest, I hate baseball way too much to figure out why this picture was on the front page of Yahoo Sports today. To be honest, I hate baseball way too much to figure out why this picture was on the front page of Yahoo Sports today.


]]> Jay-Z Pulls New Album From iTunes http://brandonomics.org/blog/jayz-pulls-new-album-from-itunes http://brandonomics.org/blog/jayz-pulls-new-album-from-itunes/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/jayz-pulls-new-album-from-itunes Fri, 09 Nov 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Jay-Zs newest album American Gangster hit shelves on Tuesday and is already expected to be the number one album in the country next week according to Nielsen SoundScan. You wont however find the album in the popular iTunes Music Store because according to Jay: "movies are not sold scene by scene, this collection will not be sold as individual singles". While I respect Jays decision to keep the creative flow of the album intact, I kind of think it will only lead more people to pick up the album (or good tracks) off the back of the internet truck AKA bit torrent. For those Jay-Z fans that refuse to make in-store purchases, the album is available for digital download in its entirety from amazon.com. American Gangster hit shelves on Tuesday and is already expected to be the number one album in the country next week according to Nielsen SoundScan. You wont however find the album in the popular iTunes Music Store because according to Jay: "movies are not sold scene by scene, this collection will not be sold as individual singles". While I respect Jays decision to keep the creative flow of the album intact, I kind of think it will only lead more people to pick up the album (or good tracks) off the back of the internet truck AKA bit torrent. For those Jay-Z fans that refuse to make in-store purchases, the album is available for digital download in its entirety from amazon.comstyle=border:none.


]]> Who is Ron Paul? ... You may be surprised http://brandonomics.org/blog/who-is-ron-paul http://brandonomics.org/blog/who-is-ron-paul/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/who-is-ron-paul Tue, 06 Nov 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Vandals across the nation can put their stencils away and stop vandalizing sidewalks and campuses with "Who is Ron Paul?". Months of research finally led me to the answer ... John Mahoney, the loveable dad from "Frasier". digg_url = http://brandonomics.org/blog/who-is-ron-paul;
Vandals across the nation can put their stencils away and stop vandalizing sidewalks and campuses with "Who is Ron Paul?". Months of research finally led me to the answer ... John Mahoney, the loveable dad from "Frasier".


]]> 5 Geek Friendly Reasons to Support Obama http://brandonomics.org/blog/5-geek-friendly-reasons-to-support-barack-obama http://brandonomics.org/blog/5-geek-friendly-reasons-to-support-barack-obama/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/5-geek-friendly-reasons-to-support-barack-obama Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Ron Paul seems to be the hands down favorite presidential candidate for many geeks, however Barack Obama sports many geek friendly features as well as strong plans for universal health care, Iraq, poverty, and improving education. Net Neutrality Unlike geeks, most regular citizens are unaware of the vital importance of Network Neutrality. Obama has a clear understanding of the implications and has supported bills protecting Net Neutrality in the Senate. While Ron Pauls amazing internet support would not be possible without Net Neutrality, he does not believe the government should prevent big corporations from ruining the internet. Online Fireside Chats & Town hall meetings Obama knows typical Americans have little involvement in government and is worried that "messages are filtered through the media, and many times the hard questions are not asked." Thats why as president, Obama would hold interactive fireside chats as well as have his national security officials hold periodic national town hall meetings via Web cast to discuss foreign policy. Online Government Transparency Obama sponsored the "Google For Government" law which makes records of every dime the government spends available online. This allows the public to keep tabs on where federal tax dollars go and creates better checks and balances for government spending. Obama has also promised to make every bill needing his presidential approval available online for the public to better understand the issue and his presidential stance before he signs it. Fighting the man Unless the man is Steve Jobs, the geek community always has it out for the man. Obama believes strongly in fighting the big corporations and special interest groups that control Washington. He does not accept donations from lobbyists and believes that special interests are the biggest obstacles for change and why the government no longer represents the people. Prove It Geeks are notorious for the phrase "pics or it didnt happen". With expert fact checking skills, most geeks pride themselves on not being sheeple. While I hear Ron Pauls policies everyday, I have yet to see how he can prove they will be implemented or successful. How does Ron Paul plan on providing reliable public education to poor children with no Department of Education? A better question would be how does he plan to disassemble the government without support of the House and Senate? (Does Ron Paul understand the powers of the president?) Obama has introduced detailed plans for his proposed policies, and his ability to work well with both Democrats and Republicans gives hope that change is possible in Washington. universal health care, Iraq, poverty, and improving education. Net Neutrality Unlike geeks, most regular citizens are unaware of the vital importance of Network Neutrality. Obama has a clear understanding of the implications and has supported bills protecting Net Neutrality in the Senate. While Ron Pauls amazing internet support would not be possible without Net Neutrality, he does not believe the government should prevent big corporations from ruining the internet. Online Fireside Chats & Town hall meetings Obama knows typical Americans have little involvement in government and is worried that "messages are filtered through the media, and many times the hard questions are not asked." Thats why as president, Obama would hold interactive fireside chats as well as have his national security officials hold periodic national town hall meetings via Web cast to discuss foreign policy. Online Government Transparency Obama sponsored the "Google For Government" law which makes records of every dime the government spends available online. This allows the public to keep tabs on where federal tax dollars go and creates better checks and balances for government spending. Obama has also promised to make every bill needing his presidential approval available online for the public to better understand the issue and his presidential stance before he signs it. Fighting the man Unless the man is Steve Jobs, the geek community always has it out for the man. Obama believes strongly in fighting the big corporations and special interest groups that control Washington. He does not accept donations from lobbyists and believes that special interests are the biggest obstacles for change and why the government no longer represents the people. Prove It Geeks are notorious for the phrase "pics or it didnt happen". With expert fact checking skills, most geeks pride themselves on not being sheeple. While I hear Ron Pauls policies everyday, I have yet to see how he can prove they will be implemented or successful. How does Ron Paul plan on providing reliable public education to poor children with no Department of Education? A better question would be how does he plan to disassemble the government without support of the House and Senate? (Does Ron Paul understand the powers of the president?) Obama has introduced detailed plans for his proposed policies, and his ability to work well with both Democrats and Republicans gives hope that change is possible in Washington.


]]> Sorry for the lack of posts http://brandonomics.org/blog/sorry-for-the-lack-of-posts http://brandonomics.org/blog/sorry-for-the-lack-of-posts/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/sorry-for-the-lack-of-posts Wed, 19 Sep 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon There is never an excuse for not updating a live web site for long periods of time, but here is mine: I have been busy. I sincerely apologize to the literal dozens of you that subscribe to this blog, and promise that a lot of fairly good content is on the way. Also some noticeable bugs with certain browsers (IE6) will be less noticeable shortly. subscribe to this blog, and promise that a lot of fairly good content is on the way. Also some noticeable bugs with certain browsers (IE6) will be less noticeable shortly.


]]> Like God? Like YouTube? Try GodTube http://brandonomics.org/blog/like-god-like-youtube-try-godtube http://brandonomics.org/blog/like-god-like-youtube-try-godtube/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/like-god-like-youtube-try-godtube Thu, 09 Aug 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon GodTube launched a crappy Beta version back in January that attracted some mild media attention, but has now revamped their YouTube clone and is starting to get noticed. They claim to have 500,000 unique visitors per month, and say the aim of the site is to bring young people back into the church. If you ask me, God could do better. Isnt copyright infringement a sin? GodTube launched a crappy Beta version back in January that attracted some mild media attention, but has now revamped their YouTube clone and is starting to get noticed. They claim to have 500,000 unique visitors per month, and say the aim of the site is to bring young people back into the church. If you ask me, God could do better. Isnt copyright infringement a sin?


]]> Separate News Articles Reveal Unlucky Coincidence http://brandonomics.org/blog/separate-news-articles-reveal-unlucky-coincidence http://brandonomics.org/blog/separate-news-articles-reveal-unlucky-coincidence/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/separate-news-articles-reveal-unlucky-coincidence Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon While reading the online edition of my local newspaper, I noticed the first two news articles were about separate crashes, one involving a helicopter and the second involving a overturned dump truck. After reading each article I realized that not only did each crash involve the same local hauling company, but both crashes also happened on the same road just one hour apart. Helicopter crashes in north Columbia "A helicopter crashed today on North Stadium Boulevard, leaving the aircraft overturned in a field and the pilot with minor injuries. The helicopter owned by Triple S Hauling took off around 1 p.m. from a small helicopter pad when its rotors hit the ground, causing the aircraft to overturn. The pilot had minor cuts and bruises. He was transported by private vehicle to a local hospital." [Full article with picture] Dump truck driver injured in accident "Firefighters extricated a dump truck driver this afternoon after the truck overturned and left a pile of dirt around a car at Stadium Boulevard and Old 63 South. The accident closed eastbound lanes on Stadium from Ashland Road to Old 63 South shortly after 2 p.m. The dump truck driver - who authorities have yet to identify - was trapped in the truck for about 10 minutes while firefighters cut through the roof of the truck. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The truck is registered to Triple S Hauling of Columbia." [Full article with picture] While reading the online edition of my local newspaper, I noticed the first two news articles were about separate crashes, one involving a helicopter and the second involving a overturned dump truck. After reading each article I realized that not only did each crash involve the same local hauling company, but both crashes also happened on the same road just one hour apart. Helicopter crashes in north Columbia "A helicopter crashed today on North Stadium Boulevard, leaving the aircraft overturned in a field and the pilot with minor injuries. The helicopter owned by Triple S Hauling took off around 1 p.m. from a small helicopter pad when its rotors hit the ground, causing the aircraft to overturn. The pilot had minor cuts and bruises. He was transported by private vehicle to a local hospital." [Full article with picture] Dump truck driver injured in accident "Firefighters extricated a dump truck driver this afternoon after the truck overturned and left a pile of dirt around a car at Stadium Boulevard and Old 63 South. The accident closed eastbound lanes on Stadium from Ashland Road to Old 63 South shortly after 2 p.m. The dump truck driver - who authorities have yet to identify - was trapped in the truck for about 10 minutes while firefighters cut through the roof of the truck. He was taken by ambulance to a local hospital. The truck is registered to Triple S Hauling of Columbia." [Full article with picture]


]]> Recent Digg Postings: Still Not Diggworthy http://brandonomics.org/blog/recent-digg-postings-still-not-diggworthy http://brandonomics.org/blog/recent-digg-postings-still-not-diggworthy/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/recent-digg-postings-still-not-diggworthy Mon, 23 Jul 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon 50 Cent Bashes artists for NOT cursing in future albums (1 Digg) I thought it was interesting, but I was the only one. How to Save Hip-Hop (Hint: its the internet) (2 Diggs) No love. Picture: Funny Looking Burglar (1 Digg) Just look at him. I have seen way less funny pictures on the front page of Digg. Hilarious: 50Cent Explains What Happened at BET Awards (7 Diggs) While I am proud of my record setting 7 Diggs, I can only say I think this story should have been more popular seeing as it was a follow up to a story on the front page which had 2700+ Diggs. Top Interactive Ways to Prank People Online (1 Digg) The most popular post on Brandonomics is not interesting to anybody (according to Digg). Nurse give Ritalin to Wrong Kid at Elementary School (4 Diggs) I thought the description would be enough to get people to check it out. "When I picked him up from school, he said the nurse called him in to take a pill, when he asked why, the nurse told him he was sick. Hes 7. He listens to adults and did what he thought he was supposed to do." Fowler said she watched his mood change throughout the evening. "Hed just sit there and daze off." 50 Cent Bashes artists for NOT cursing in future albums (1 Digg) I thought it was interesting, but I was the only one. How to Save Hip-Hop (Hint: its the internet) (2 Diggs) No love. Picture: Funny Looking Burglar (1 Digg) Just look at him. I have seen way less funny pictures on the front page of Digg. Hilarious: 50Cent Explains What Happened at BET Awards (7 Diggs) While I am proud of my record setting 7 Diggs, I can only say I think this story should have been more popular seeing as it was a follow up to a story on the front page which had 2700+ Diggs. Top Interactive Ways to Prank People Online (1 Digg) The most popular post on Brandonomics is not interesting to anybody (according to Digg). Nurse give Ritalin to Wrong Kid at Elementary School (4 Diggs) I thought the description would be enough to get people to check it out. "When I picked him up from school, he said the nurse called him in to take a pill, when he asked why, the nurse told him he was sick. Hes 7. He listens to adults and did what he thought he was supposed to do." Fowler said she watched his mood change throughout the evening. "Hed just sit there and daze off."


]]> How to Save Hip-hop (hint: it's the internet) http://brandonomics.org/blog/how-to-save-hip-hop-hint-its-the-internet http://brandonomics.org/blog/how-to-save-hip-hop-hint-its-the-internet/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/how-to-save-hip-hop-hint-its-the-internet Tue, 03 Jul 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Any hip-hop aficionado will tell you, hip-hop may not be dead, but it is certainly fading. Rap and hip-hop sales are down 33 per cent, double the decline of the CD album market overall. While the likely cause is the decline in quality commercial rap, people often forget hip-hop is a culture based off more than just music. The hip-hop culture is often forgotten or overlooked online. If music quality can bring the hip hop community down, then could better online communities help build it back up? (Yes) Any hip-hop aficionado will tell you, hip-hop may not be dead, but it is certainly fading. Rap and hip-hop sales are down 33 per cent, double the decline of the CD album market overall. While the likely cause is the decline in quality commercial rap, people often forget hip-hop is a culture based off more than just music. The hip-hop culture is often forgotten or overlooked online. If music quality can bring the hip hop community down, then could better online communities help build it back up? (Yes)


]]> Top Interactive Ways To Prank People Online http://brandonomics.org/blog/top-interactive-ways-to-prank-people-online http://brandonomics.org/blog/top-interactive-ways-to-prank-people-online/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/top-interactive-ways-to-prank-people-online Fri, 29 Jun 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon A popular method in viral marketing has been setting up interactive (fake) websites that allow people to prank their friends and family. While the end result is usually just an advertisement spoiling the joke, people can still get a kick out of creating fairly elaborate pranks with almost no effort. For this list I created a gullibility rating which will let you know how gullible the victim of the prank needs to be for it to be funny (1=not very gullible, 5=very gullible). Icetruck TV (Gullibility: 2/5) The setup: Icetruck TV appears to be video on a YouTube knock off site, with the title "Who is (friends name)". The video is a news report from Miami detailing the finding of a 5th victim of a serial killer. All the victims are around the same age; same sex, and have the same occupation as your friend. A message written in blood says your friends name is next, and a chilling note found at the crime scene freaks your friend out even more, followed by a real text message from the killer. This site is promoting a new series "Dexter" on FX which starts July 8th ... In the U.K. For everyone else, its the same show thats already been airing in the U.S on Showtime. A popular method in viral marketing has been setting up interactive (fake) websites that allow people to prank their friends and family. While the end result is usually just an advertisement spoiling the joke, people can still get a kick out of creating fairly elaborate pranks with almost no effort. For this list I created a gullibility rating which will let you know how gullible the victim of the prank needs to be for it to be funny (1=not very gullible, 5=very gullible). Icetruck TV (Gullibility: 2/5) The setup: Icetruck TV appears to be video on a YouTube knock off site, with the title "Who is (friends name)". The video is a news report from Miami detailing the finding of a 5th victim of a serial killer. All the victims are around the same age; same sex, and have the same occupation as your friend. A message written in blood says your friends name is next, and a chilling note found at the crime scene freaks your friend out even more, followed by a real text message from the killer. This site is promoting a new series "Dexter" on FX which starts July 8th ... In the U.K. For everyone else, its the same show thats already been airing in the U.S on Showtime.


]]> Enhance Windows Vista Search http://brandonomics.org/blog/enhance-windows-vista-search-to-search-google http://brandonomics.org/blog/enhance-windows-vista-search-to-search-google/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/enhance-windows-vista-search-to-search-google Wed, 27 Jun 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon One of the best new features of Windows Vista is the integrated search in the Start Menu. To launch a program or find a file you simply start typing the name and the search quickly finds it for you before you\re even done typing. Start++ is a program developed at BrandonTools (no relation to Brandonomics) that allows you to add the ability to search Google, Wikipedia or even play a certain song or movie directly from the search box. I had to kind of force myself to use it at first, but after that I saw how practical and convenient it truly is. You can setup your own special searches to launch websites, programs or whatever you want by typing anything you want. For example, I could set it so if I typed "b windows vista" it searches Brandonomics for windows vista. Start++ is a program developed at BrandonTools (no relation to Brandonomics) that allows you to add the ability to search Google, Wikipedia or even play a certain song or movie directly from the search box. I had to kind of force myself to use it at first, but after that I saw how practical and convenient it truly is. You can setup your own special searches to launch websites, programs or whatever you want by typing anything you want. For example, I could set it so if I typed "b windows vista" it searches Brandonomics for windows vista.


]]> How to Optimize Your Facebook News Feed http://brandonomics.org/blog/how-to-optimize-your-facebook-news-feed http://brandonomics.org/blog/how-to-optimize-your-facebook-news-feed/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/how-to-optimize-your-facebook-news-feed Sat, 23 Jun 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Most peoples main complaint about Facebooks news feed is not caring about the information and/or friends displayed. Facebook has given you the perfect solution to this, you probably just didnt notice. Just click the "preferences" link to the right of the news feed header on your Facebook home page. From here you can move each slider to show less or more of any information type (events, groups, photos, notes, relationships, friends, wall posts, profiles, status, and posts). You can also specify friends you want to hear more about, and friends you want to hear less about. Facebook home page. facebook From here you can move each slider to show less or more of any information type (events, groups, photos, notes, relationships, friends, wall posts, profiles, status, and posts). You can also specify friends you want to hear more about, and friends you want to hear less about.


]]> AOL Explains Why They Ripped Off Yahoo http://brandonomics.org/blog/aol-explains-why-they-ripped-off-yahoo http://brandonomics.org/blog/aol-explains-why-they-ripped-off-yahoo/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/aol-explains-why-they-ripped-off-yahoo Fri, 22 Jun 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon AOL left many people shocked and confused when they released AOL.com Beta, an almost exact copy of Yahoos front page back in April. I guess it took a couple months for someone at AOL to notice and respond in a blog post to what they called "more feedback on this topic than any other since we launched the Beta test". As far as I can tell, the blog is only accessible by clicking the "Tell Us What You Think" link on the beta homepage (I wonder why they would hide it there?) After admitting to copying Yahoo, AOL also confesses they stole from MSN as well, claiming they are only helping to standardize the internet and make websites easier for users. AOL left many people shocked and confused when they released AOL.com Beta, an almost exact copy of Yahoos front page back in April. I guess it took a couple months for someone at AOL to notice and respond in a blog post to what they called "more feedback on this topic than any other since we launched the Beta test". As far as I can tell, the blog is only accessible by clicking the "Tell Us What You Think" link on the beta homepage (I wonder why they would hide it there?) After admitting to copying Yahoo, AOL also confesses they stole from MSN as well, claiming they are only helping to standardize the internet and make websites easier for users.


]]> Microsoft Calls Out Advertising World http://brandonomics.org/blog/microsoft_calls_out_advertising_world http://brandonomics.org/blog/microsoft_calls_out_advertising_world/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/microsoft_calls_out_advertising_world Wed, 20 Jun 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions has produced this online video showing how out of touch advertising is with consumers. Together with a blog Bring The Love Back, Microsoft has put together a nice campaign to highlight their media network which includes Xbox and Microsoft Live. I am not sure how well Microsofts advertising solutions actually perform, but I give them credit for getting advertisers attention by giving a dose of reality. Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions has produced this online video showing how out of touch advertising is with consumers. Together with a blog Bring The Love Back, Microsoft has put together a nice campaign to highlight their media network which includes Xbox and Microsoft Live. I am not sure how well Microsofts advertising solutions actually perform, but I give them credit for getting advertisers attention by giving a dose of reality.


]]> Brandonomics is Live http://brandonomics.org/blog/about-brandonomics http://brandonomics.org/blog/about-brandonomics/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/about-brandonomics Tue, 19 Jun 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon Today marks the official launch of Brandonomics.org. In addition to the website, there are multiple RSS and email feeds. There are already a few posts to get things started and new posts will be added a couple times a week. What is Brandonomics? My official definition is: "The Interactive World is made up of users, publishers, and advertisers. Brandonomics explores the trends, habits and influences of these groups from all perspectives." As far as content goes, you can expect a fair share of website reviews, interactive news, interviews, rants, guides, and recommendations. Powered By Brandonomics is built using Blogtra blogging platform. Blogtra is currently only in beta testing, but if you would like early access just contact me. RSS and email feeds. There are already a few posts to get things started and new posts will be added a couple times a week. What is Brandonomics? My official definition is: "The Interactive World is made up of users, publishers, and advertisers. Brandonomics explores the trends, habits and influences of these groups from all perspectives." As far as content goes, you can expect a fair share of website reviews, interactive news, interviews, rants, guides, and recommendations. Powered By Brandonomics is built using Blogtra blogging platform. Blogtra is currently only in beta testing, but if you would like early access just contact me.


]]> Net Neutrality, It's Not Mumbo Jumbo http://brandonomics.org/blog/net_neutrality_is_not_mumbo_jumbo http://brandonomics.org/blog/net_neutrality_is_not_mumbo_jumbo/#comments http://brandonomics.org/blog/net_neutrality_is_not_mumbo_jumbo Thu, 31 May 2007 08:00:00 CST Brandon You might wonder why the major telecommunication companies would want you to believe Net Neutrality is "clever mumbo jumbo" instead of explaining the issue. Network Neutrality or "Net Neutrality" is the principal that prevents these companies from deciding what websites you can access or the speed that a website will load. Imagine instead of downloading music for $1 a song, you have to pay $3 a song, because AT&T decided offer music downloading and didnt want competition from ITunes. Imagine paying to use AOL Search, because they pay Bellsouth to be loaded fast and to have competitors like Google blocked. Net Neutrality protects Internet users from having to pay more for content and protects the freedom to choose which services they prefer.

]]>