I promised to make an important announcement today. You'll find it in this post. Unfortunately, I am not ready to make the full announcement I was planning. The announcement I'll make today is truly the most important I've ever made on this blog, but the rest of the announcement will have to wait about a week till I am ready.

Four years ago today, I made the first post on this blog.

It's been fun. I've made some blogging friends. I've had some impressive visitors who've left comments. I hope I've helped some other people along the way too.

I did a lot of things wrong when I started this blog.

It's got that stupid .info domain name. I did not really know what I was going to do with this blog when I started it. It has sort of meandered around different topics and not had a clear message and theme. At least not as clear as it should be. It seems to get the most search engine traffic for the keywords hair salon in Pacific Mall, Toronto. Did I mention it has that stupid .info domain name?

After four years, it really has not gotten very far.

I have other sites that get far more traffic. I have other sites that make far more money. I can stumble a page on another site and bring more traffic there than any post on this site will get naturally. I get far more spam comments than real comments. It's kinda sad, really.

So, the most important announcement ever on this blog (till next week) is:

I am giving up on Digital Key.

Rest in Peace Digitalkeyto.info

I will soon no longer be promoting this site. I don't expect to be making many posts in the future, although I may still make the occasional rant (without trying to criticize anyone in particular). I'll probably make some feel good posts that I like to write, like the post before this : "I am not going to die here."

For the most part, after the announcment next week, this blog will be dead.

Make sure you read that post, or you'll miss something truly big.

It had been a particularly awful day.

He had achieved what he thought was his lifetime dream. He had made it to what was suppossed to be, the top of his profession.

He had practiced literally for years, studied, and practiced more. Upon achieving the top of his profession he found all was not what he expected.

He worked long hours. He was underpaid. He was just another cog in the wheel. It was depressing.

Arriving home that one day he told his wife:

"I am not going to die here."

Andre Rieu now lives in a castle.

He is one of the most popular classical artists in the world. How much can change when you make the decision to change it.

I heard this part of an interview with Andre Rieu as I was passing through the living room. My mother was watching him on PBS (once in a while they do have something worth watching). I became an instant fan of Andre Rieu. Waltzes are not my favorite classical music but I admire Rieu as a man.

For me, that statement "I am not going to die here." represents a determination to change what may be wrong in life and make it what you expected it to be. To not continue down the same path when you know it is not going where you want. To not settle for less than you expect.

What Andre Rieu has done since that day is amazing.

He has his own orchestra. He lives in a castle. He is living life the way he dreamed.

For me, the statement above has become a source of motivation when I don't quite feel like putting in the extra work I need to do to go forward. If I am not going to die here, it is going to take some work to get out of here and somewhere I want to be.

How about you? Are you where you want to be? Are you doing what you want? Are you going to change it, or are you just going to die there?

You can post to your blog from a Blackberry Curve Smartphonr

The iPhone, Blackberry, Droid, Android, Palm Pre, and the others. Smart phones. They are becoming increasingly common. Are they a good choice for you?
A few months ago, I finally got a Blackberry. For me, I think the only bad choice was waiting too long. I feel maybe I should have gotten an iPhone when it came out.
The convenience of near constant internet access is some thing that I truly appreciate. Being able to get news or do a Google search whenever I want has many advantages. I can keep up with my email. I can Twitter and for the first time my Facebook profile doesn't look neglected. I have something to do while my wife is shopping
For many people, a smartphone could be a replacement for a computer. I think a smart phone could probably handle most of what many people use a computer for with the added convenience of always being with you and always being connected to the internet.
Smartphones do have a few disadvantages. Small screens make it difficult for those with not so good eyesight. Small keyboards make typing tedious. Batteries can also be a limiting factor. Even the iPhone's Safari browser is not quite as good as a full browser. In time, these limitaions will be overcome.
If you are a heavy internet user and you, like me, have put off a smartphone, it's getting to be time to jump in. No, it's not going to replace a real computer for a heavy user but it does offer a convenient alternative to hauling a laptop around just in case you want internet access.
Can a smartphone be effetive for a blogger or internet marketer? This entire post was written on a Blackberry. The accompanying photos were taken with the phone also. While I will probably edit a bit later on, it's not a bad way to use some time that would otherwise be wasted.
Of course, what I would really like is an iPhone or even better, the new Google phone.

Nokia e63 Smartphone

Don't miss the post on April 13th.

By now, nearly everyone has gotten the Buzz when they checked their Gmail. Some people love it. Others, hate it.

Will Buzz be around next year? Or, will it be about as popular as Orcut or whatever Google's other social network is? Will it be another one of the failed attempts to dethrone Twitter and Facebook from their kingdoms?

Where does Buzz hit it right?

Convienience

It's right there with your Gmail, and you have the ability to open a chat right there for a more privacy or serious chatting. I know I am not the only one that has the Gmail page open most of the time. It has a real advantage here.

Buzz is great for photos.

Adding your Picasa or Flickr streams to Buzz is easy. Images are previews a bit larger than the postage stamp size I see in Twitter. Clicking the image enlarges the photo and darkens the rest of the screen. It is easy to comment on the image right there. This is something I see done a lot on Facebook. It seems a bit easier to me here.

There is no album feature like Facebook, but it is easy to link to an original album on Picasa or Flicker. It sure beats seeing a photo on Twitter and going to Twitpic to comment on it.

I've heard good things about the phone apps.

They seem to be well done for the iPhone and I've heard some say they really like it on the iPhone. A few were able to use it on their phone a while before it was available to them on Gmail. I have to wait till the Blackberry app comes out.

Easy integration of other social services.

You can add a feed from nearly any blog. You can add your Twitter stream. I already mentioned Picasa and Flickr. Your Google Talk status is also Buzzed. I was surprised at the list of feeds Google already had ready for me to add. It's also easy to add or remove a feed you don't want on. It could be a lot like Friendfeed, a social network that would be interesting, but I don't have time to visit another site.

Privacy settings that are easy to understand and use.

Unlike Facebook, the privacy setting is easy to understand. Just choose public or private when you post. With the private setting, you can choose a group in your contacts that are allowed to see it. Great if you want to share baby's bath photo with the family and not worry it will end up somewhere you don't want it.

I really like the way this is done. I am pretty smart but Facebook's privacy setting page is totally nuts. I still have no idea what is private on my Facebook page and what is not. Again, there are things that I might not mind sharing with close friends that I would not want to share with a casual online acquaintance. You could also almost use this as a group chat system.

There are some problems with privacy on Buzz as I'll get to in a moment.

You can edit your comments.

The only thing worse than my spelling is my typing. Most of my blog posts get edited 3-4 times in first few minutes after posting. It's nice to be able to correct that quick thought that didn't come out right the first time.

What's not so hot about Google Buzz?

For many, your email is now where anyone can figure it out and spam you. This could be the biggest concern. It does not take too much to match someones Buzz profile to their email address. This is something that Google needs to figure out soon.

Email notifications and notifications and…

Ok, you can turn it off, but then you don't get any email notifications for Buzz. A bit more control over when or for whom Buzz sends an email notification would be nice. I don't need to be notified about everything.

Buzz needs lists like Twitter lists.

This was the real savior to me for Twitter a few months ago. When it got to the point I could keep track of the people on Twitter I really wanted to follow I started to unfollow many of the accounts I had been following. It was too much noise. With lists, I can now follow everyone I want and still keep a close eye on the Tweets I don't want to miss.

On the whole, I like Buzz.

It has gotten a real strong start. I guess we will see if Google Buzz will become a real player in social media.

What do you thing of Buzz?

Related articles by Zemanta

• Google Buzz (teabreak.pk)
• Google Goes Social with Google Buzz (shoutmeloud.com)
• FriendFeed (and Gmail) Founder's Reaction To Google Buzz: "This Seems Vaguely Familiar" (techcrunch.com)
• Ultimate List of Tips And Tricks for Google Buzz (techie-buzz.com)
• Can Google Buzz Succeed Where FriendFeed Couldn't? (readwriteweb.com)

What does your image say about you and your blog? What does it say about your business? Do you even have one (a photo that is)?

Image via Wikipedia

Believe it or not an avatar is important for your business.

You should have a photo of yourself on your website or blog. There is a reason that realtors all started having their photo on business cards long before it became common in the rest of the business world. Even if you decide to use a logo for an avatar you still need back it up on your site with a photo.

A personal photo brings recognition to your name and trust.

When people can relate a name to a face, it helps create a relationship. On the internet, taking advice or purchasing something from someone you have not seen can be intimidating. Your photo on the site will help the reader feel that they know you. It builds trust. If you are afraid to show who you are, why should I trust you?

What kind of photo should you use?

As a former photographer, I would recommend getting a professional portrait taken. I see a lot of photos on websites that are almost as bad as no photo at all. The top of the head is chopped off. The color is way off (shot with a webcam with the glow from the screen as a light). Some look like an audition for a horror movie.

You can get away with a good photo by a friend. Make sure the background is not distracting if it is not related to your blog or business. Make sure it is a close up. Most avatars are fairly small so it will need to be close to be much use. If your friend can't get a good photo of you, then find a good professional that will help make sure the photo will work for the online use you need it for. Tell the photographer up front what you need and be prepared to pay for it.

You want to look professional, but not artificial.

No need for a suit if you don't wear one usually. At the same time, don't be too cute. Let us see the real you, but don't be too real. Professional is the word. On the other hand, if you are the SEO of a Fortune 500 company, a photo in a suit is a requirement for most purposes.

Once you have a good photograph make sure you have it sized and cropped right.

Some uses require a square crop, otherwise the top of your head is always cut off. Others need a normal vertical photo. Some need a smaller resolution (like 100×100 pixels) others need a higher resolution or the image looks bad. You'll need several resolutions of both vertical and square formats. It's always a pain when you find you need to resize the photo yet again for some new site or social network, but take the time to present yourself right.

After you get a good image, use it.

Add it to Gravitar, MyBlogLog, and Blog Catalog. Use it in your Google profile and Yahoo profile. Make sure it is on your Facebook page. Make yourself famous by using your image as a press release. Use it for your Twitter avatar. Have it ready to use and add to any site you join that takes an image.

In my own case, I misplaced my portrait for a while.

Yeah, I know, you would expect more from a photographer. I thought I had it handy, but it ended up I only had a low resolution image and it took me a while to find the full image. In the meantime, I used a photo of my wife and I. While my wife is the most important part of my life, she really does not have much to do with the marketing of my blogs or my online presence. I needed to find that portrait (or I would have needed to get another one taken). I am glad I took the time.

Your online business is not the place to be anonymous.

Let people see that you are someone to be trusted. Let them see that you are someone to be taken seriously. Let your social networks see that you are social. In the end, a good photo for an avatar and on your website will pay off.