KnowtheNetwork.com

If you aren’t on the internet you don’t exist

Keith — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 02:06:45 +0000

Your immediate reaction to this headline will place you into one of the following camps:

Absolutely
What? Are you insane?

If you find yourself with the last reaction let me offer a challenge, find someone that is under age 35 and ask them 2 questions.

When is the last time you used the Yellow Pages?
How often do you read the local paper?

If your business’s visibility depends on these traditional methods you are in for a shock. There is an entire generation that expects your business to have a digital presence.

This doesn’t mean that traditional media isn’t important it means that your audience is listening differently. If you tell me about a sale or a grand opening at a new location and you pique my interest I fully expect to remember NONE of the details beyond your Company Name and maybe your URL. Once I get home or to work I’m gong to visit your website or just as likely I’m going to forget your URL and simply Google your name. No URL? No search result? You might as well not exist.

The money you spent that radio ad, 30 sec TV spot, or direct mailer is completely nullified because you don’t exist online.

This is not a special case for IT companies or consumer electronics retailers. This is my method of operation for restaurants, dry cleaners, doctors, insurance agents, roofers, etc…. Without a URL or relevant Google result you’ve probably lost me as a potential new customer.

As a side note this is even worse when you have your domain name in your email address (and you should) but there isn’t so much as a landing page when I paste it into the address bar.

Your URL is the first and maybe last place that I look to learn about you or your organization.

The Good News…

Getting on the web doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. It isn’t a requirement that you spend $25,000 for a website that’s going to garner design and usability awards. These days some of the largest web brands run websites based on free blogging software like self hosted Wordpress or the Tumblr blogging service coupled with a custom domain name.

However, establishing your online presence should be a thoughtful process that includes a great designer, branding considerations, content management, and tracking tools. These are invaluable resources but they shouldn’t be a deterrent that leads to inaction. The cost of not being online at all is too great. In short, good design is important but “being there” should be the priority.

Buy a custom domain name and get online. There is an entire generation that expects you to be there.

Need help finding web designers or the right hosting package? Or if you just aren’t sure where to start. I’d love to help. Contact me at kei…@knowthenetwork.com

KnowtheNetwork.com is your resource for information about emerging technologies, social media, productivity tech tips, software reviews, network technologies, and tons of links to free guides and free software. Connect with me on Twitter, Friendfeed, or Tumblr.

The vast opportunity of Social Media in the Heartland

Keith — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 00:12:08 +0000

It is easy to lament not living closer to NYC or the Silicon Valley because so many thought leaders and conferences evolve from these locales but the being a proud resident of the heartland has one major advantage.

I’m surrounded by organizations that have an opportunity to be a forerunner in their respective markets.

The fact is my area code doesn’t adopt or employ technology quite as quickly as the coasts and that means the doors to helping people, charities, organizations, and churches are wide open. Obviously, there are companies and individuals doing amazing things with social media throughout this country but for the most part Heartland USA is a wide open field.

Think of the opportunity:

You can be a pioneer in your market
There are few if any competitors to contend with
Social Media is the most efficient Word-of-mouth marketing and this is amplified in smaller cities
Social Media is free. It isn’t without cost when you consider time and effort but it doesn’t require a financial stake to get started.

The time is now. Don’t wait, don’t wonder. Start listening and talking to your community today. Your customers and clients are either already interacting within these online communities and the adoption rates are rising every day. There is simply no good reason to postpone your entry into this amazing interactive space.

If you’ve got questions or your unsure of how to build your presence online feel free to contact me kei…@knowthenetwork.com

Update: I must share my friend @KenCamp’s tweet that so correctly identifies a perilous mindset.

Don’t settle. Innovate. Connect. Welcome to the world of Socialnomics (© by @EqualMan)

Consider this a “Best of” Social Media thinking

Keith — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 04:03:51 +0000

One of the keys to success is understanding what you do well. Personally this is an easy task because I’m dreadful at lots of things. However, I do one thing very very well.

I’m phenomenal at finding smart people.

If you’ve read this blog or followed me on Twitter for any length of time you will discover that I one of my main objectives is to be a conduit and a connector to help you find the best, the most thoughtful, the most informative, and the most thought provoking content. So to further that goal I decided to create a new venture to be an even more effective recommendation engine.

I’m proud to introduce NetworkEvangelist.com

NetworkEvangelist is simple a “Best of” Social Media thinking. It will be my ultimate resource of social media theory and practice.

Consider it Keith’s 1-stop shop for learning how to harness social media. I love networks and I know how we can transform the lives of people and organizations through using them correctly. After all this is Social Media. Let’s learn together.

Aren’t smart folks great?

Twitter Lists – the big picture

Keith — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 07:13:01 +0000

By now you’ve heard that Twitter has released a new feature called “Twitter Lists”. In case you haven’t check out TheNextWeb’s great intro and explanation article, “How Twitter Lists Work”.

This is a watershed move by Twitter and I find myself wondering how lists might change how we interact with twitter. I think I may have stumbled upon the question that could be the driving force behind the feature release.

Will Twitter Lists bring people back to the web interface?

Twitter has been a victim of its own success. As users become more involved in the service the less useful the web interface becomes. Many hardcore twits survive only because great apps that allowed user defined groups. I dare say it was this feature alone that initially rocketed Tweetdeck into such broad adoption. The only problem with this solution is that the groups are tied to the app. There’s no ability to import/export groups. This is a real barrier to adoption of other apps once you’ve spent hours organizing groups within Tweetdeck. The answer is an official list model from Twitter, but notice there hasn’t been any tips about an API update.

Why does Twitter care whether you use the web interface?

My guess, money.

There has been a ton of speculation on Twitter’s monetization strategy and the discussion revolves around 3 ideas

Twitter could purchase an app like Tweetdeck and charge a fee for usage.
Ad support, 3rd party revenue model
Freemium model where they would charge for premium accounts that would offer additional features or increased API calls

I don’t think any of these methods are out of the question but which is easiest to launch?

Freemium just doesn’t feel right for Twitter at the moment and might result in a user uprising. They could purchase an app but that takes lawyers, negotiations, and with an open API people would probably flock to free competitors.

The fact is Twitter has put a ton of development into the web interface the past few months. They’ve implemented suggested users for new members, RT functions, saved searches, etc…. If their overall goal is to bring people back to Twitter.com then Twitter Lists have to be an essential component of that plan.

Simply put Twitter.com just got a lot more useful. In a single stroke they create an official recommendation and discovery system while satisfying the need for breaking up people into more consumable containers.

I’m still exploring how this will change my personal usage but I can see already that creating and discovering lists are going to radically enhance how we find and share quality twits. Not to mention an easy way to keep up with different streams.

I’ll be the first to admit I could be totally wrong but its hard to argue that it seems like Twitter is wanting use to come home to roost.

Update: I’m still developing my lists but here’s a few lists I’ve created you might find useful

SecurityTwits – http://twitter.com/tsudo/securitytwits
LRTweetup – http://twitter.com/tsudo/lrtweetup
Social Media folks – http://twitter.com/tsudo/socialmedians
Some of my fav folks – http://twitter.com/tsudo/favorites

Have you created some lists? Share them in the comments or send a reply to @tsudo.

The 411 on my Twitter Directories

Keith — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:22:21 +0000

Twitter has always needed a good way to recommend people for others to follow. Since reputation and reccomendation goes to the very nature of a social networks I’ve found a new tool that’s a great way to share a list of folks, TweepML.org

I’ve created a couple of lists and due to the overwhelming response I felt that I needed to lay down some guidelines and explain the nature of these 2 lists.

The 2 lists are:

The unOfficial Arkansas Twitter Directory – http://TweepML.org/Arkansas
Locals that are active in the LRTweetup Community – http:/TweepML.org/LRTweetup

These lists are distinct and I like to offer some explanation and how you can contribute.

Arkansas Twitter Directory

The unOfficial Arkansas Twitter Directory (uATD) is an unofficial extension to the unOfficial Arkansas Twitter Guide (uATG). The uATG was compiled and maintained by Lance Turner (@LT). I can’t fully appreciate the amount of work he put into building such a comprehensive directory but I know many of us have used it as a touchstone for finding locals on Twitter. Once I discovered the TweepML service I thought it would be a natural extension to his work.

How was the directory built? – I took all the names from his page, pruned the closed accounts and added everyone to the directory. This directory is not affiliated with any organization or individual. It’s simply a list of folks that are active on Twitter and in Arkansas.

How can you be added to the list? – Please understand that if you were omitted that it was meant as no slight and we’d love to add you and any suggestions you have. There are 2 ways to make suggestions to the directory.

Suggest to the List Creator – There are links in the sidebar on the directory page where you can additions or request removal. Simply submit the form and it will notify me.
Reply to me – You can also make suggestions directly to me via Twitter. Click here and just modify the tweet for addition or removal. Make sure and reply to @tsudo and include the tag #uATD

The list is by no means comprehensive so I welcome your suggestions.

LRTweetup List

The LRTweetup Directory is a bit different. You can read the announcement of the list at LRTweetup.com, “Localizing your Twitter Stream”.

How was the list built?

This list was built at my discretion and by ongoing suggestions from the LRTweetup community. The general requirements are

We have seen your face at least once at an LRTweetup Event
You are active within our online community. (Mainly I look for RSVPs to events and #LRTweetup tagged posts).

This is not some exclusive group but LRTweetup exists to connect people in the Central Arkansas Area online and offline. The requirements are not set in stone they are simply guidelines. I follow every single person on this list and they add a massive amount of value to my stream.

How can you be added to the list?

Suggest to the List Creator – There are links in the sidebar on the LRTweetup list where you can additions or request removal. Simply submit the form and it will notify me.
Reply to me – You can also make suggestions directly to me via Twitter. Click here and just modify the tweet for addition or removal. Make sure and reply to @tsudo

I’ve had some great feedback concerning these lists and its my desire to help you connect with other great people. If you’ve built a list make sure and share it in the comments.

Branding and Staying Power in the largest social network ever

Keith — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 23:01:20 +0000

The ugly truth is that many individuals and small businesses don’t understand the importance of branding and permanence when it comes to this 30 year old social networking technology we call email.

Most people don’t even realize that they are making a dreadful mistake or have any idea there is a better way.

The Problem Exhibited

Exhibit One

My wife and I were wandering around at Riverfest this past spring and I noticed a nice vendor setup selling widgets. (I honestly don’t remember their product but it was creative and marketed to families with children). I was impressed by their product and by their setup. They had their wares nicely laid out in a great trailer and had some well produced signs and a nice logo. Here was a very small business making a go of it and I was pleased… then I saw their email. buymywidget@comcast.net (ugh)

Exhibit Two

Today I received an email from a friend notifying me that his email address had changed from jdoe@comcast.net to jdoe@att.net, while I was glad to get the update I immediately thought, “you are making a mistake”

Both of these nice folks fell into the trap of not understanding the importance of branding and permanence of email.

The Problem Explained

Branding

There is no easy way to say this, If your small business is using an email address that contains @comcast or @aol then you are giving people the impression of being a small time operator.

This doesn’t mean people are prejudice against small businesses it just means we all make a judgment call. If you are planning a party who are you more likely to contact first?

We immediately assume that MyPartyRocks.com has their business more in order and they are more established. This first impression is invaluable and you want to give the right message.

Permanence

How long will your contact info stay the same?

Consider the following standard contact form:

FirstName LastName
Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone #
Email Address

What if you decided to accept a position with a new employer in a new city next week?

Every piece of contact information you possess is going to change except two. Your name and your email. Our address, phone number, and work email addresses are all tied to situations that life can alter. Once you realize how permanent your personal email address is then we must consider ways to help preserve that address.

My friend (Exhibit 2) is a world traveler and regular speaker had to change his email address simply because he changed his telcom provider. Sometimes, it isn’t even our choice. Southwestern bell rebranded as SBCGlobal then merged with AT&T years later. Their users had to migrate from swbell to sbcglobal to att because of boardroom decisions.

It’s an unnecessary evil to rely upon such a fluid relationship for your email. What we need is a email provider that is going to be around for the long haul and isn’t affected by your choice of internet service.

The Solution

For individuals

The answer is simple, find a good stable webmail provider. In today’s world I can only recommend

Gmail (Google)
Yahoo
Live/MSN (Microsoft)

All 3 have proven staying power and all three offer mailbox sizes that should be adequate for most anyone.

If you are a power user or prefer to use Outlook then you need to look no further than Gmail. They offer more options like POP3/IMAP for Outlook, larger box sizes, and advanced filtering rules. I’d never use anyone but Gmail but choose who you like.

As a side note get a real name. monkeyboiz2012@msn.com just isn’t a good idea. If you can’t find a good email address consider the small biz solution.

For small businesses

The right answer is to purchase your own domain and get an email address associated with that domain. Don’t worry this isn’t hard and its cheap.

I won’t go into Domain branding do’s and don’t but if you get creative there are plenty of good domains out there. Try sticking with a .com but .net and .us names are better than nothing.

Surf over to GoDaddy.com and start searching for available domain names. Once you’ve found the right name you just need to add email. An email plan that will give you 10 addresses and unlimited storage is around $2 a month or get a single email for just over $1. In total you can have your own domain and email address for around $25 a year and that is a small price to pay to make a good impression.

But before this sounds like a GoDaddy commercial let me give you another option.

Google Apps Standard Edition

Google Apps is a way to use the Gmail system with your own domain name. They offer a free service that will support up to 50 users. Sign up for Google Apps and then follow the instructions to verify your domain. Once the process is completed you can use Google Mail, Calendar, and Docs all from your own domain.

The free version doesn’t included support so if you want someone to call when your email goes down stick with the paid products.

Don’t forget that you can use forwarding rules to do all sorts of magic with email delivery. Gmail and Google Apps can offer you a ton of options to send a receive emails from multiple accounts all within Gmail.

Email is important and you should have access to it anywhere you have an internet connection and it should only change when you decide. Can your email do that?

If you have questions or need help getting setup feel free to contact me I’m Keith@aol… just kidding, you can find my email here.

Disclaimer: All domains and email addresses are completely made up and any resemblance to persons real or fictional is due to the fact you’ve got nothing better to do than see if kate really exists

What the world needs now… is not another Intro to Twitter post

Keith — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 22:38:00 +0000

While perusing my RSS feeds and twitter stream I invariably see a well titled post that promises to unlock new secrets to branding and connecting on twitter I click to find another cookie cutter post about the basics of Twitter.

Really?

Don’t we have plenty of posts that highlight the basics to success on Twitter?

Picture, Profile, Engage.

There you go, 2000 posts summed up in 3 words. Your welcome, I’m a giver.

Peewee Herman is on twitter for goodness sakes. Everyone has heard of this thing. Write something new for a change! Let’s stop the Twitter 101 posts and talk about the subjects that matter.

Engaging your audience
Adding value
Being authentic

Twitter isn’t the new kid on the block so we can start elevating the conversation?

Highlights from #IMLR

Keith — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 21:07:44 +0000

Rob Mcbryde (@RobMcbryde) and I tweeted some of the highlights from the Integrated Media Conference (#IMLR) today so if you were unable to attend here is a sample of what you missed.

PS: Expect a longer write up and presentation links to soon. My pics can be found here.

Fun with UDP conflicts and DNS port randomization

Keith — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 19:01:04 +0000

If you running a Windows server there is a good chance that you will some day encounter a conflict when a particular service tries to start and it will state that the UDP port is already in use.

If you run a report to see what service is currently using that port there is a very good chance you’ll discover that DNS has claimed that port, along with 50 million others.

Why? How do you fix this?

Last summer Microsoft released a major DNS patch (MS08-037) to address a vulnerability in the DNS protocol. For the security geeks in the audience you will recognize this was part of a multivendor coordinated release in response to Dan Kaminsky’s DNS vulnerability disclosure.

One of the functions of this update is to randomize DNS UDP connections. This helps prevent spoofing but can lead to conflicts with other services.

Defining the Problem

The event log should give you a clear error message which port and service is having the problem. Here’s an example an error concerning Exchange ActiveSync.

Event Source: Server ActiveSync
Event ID: 3015
Description: IP-based AUTD failed to initialize because the processing of notifications could not be setup. Error code [0x80004005]. Verify that no other applications are currently bound to UDP port [2883], or try specifying a different port number.

We know Exchange ActiveSync is failing because UDP port 2883 is already bound to another app. Next we need to find which application is causing the conflict. There is a built-in command line interface tool (CLI) called Netstat that displays open TCP/IP connections. Just go to command line and type

“netstat –a –b –o > netstatlog.txt”

[-a shows all connections and ports, –b shows the executable name, and –o displays the Process Identifier (PID). The > command pipes the output to a text file because the result will overwhelm the CLI buffer and roll results off the screen.]

Open the text file you created and do a search for the port using Ctrl-F

The result will look like this:

UDP SEVERNAME:2883 *:* 7348
[dns.exe]

The port after the server name is the local port and the executable is the program listening on the port.

There are much better tools than netstat so if you are comfortable with CLI use the Microsoft tool PortQry or if you prefer a graphical option I highly recommend Active Ports

We now know that DNS is using this port and we need to fix that. (The rest of this article will concern itself with DNS so if a different application is the source of conflict then google and the vendor support options are your friend)

Fixing the Problem

We need to now tell DNS to never use port 2883 so it can be reserved for Exchange ActiveSync.

If you are running Windows Server 2000 or 2003 open the registry editor (Start->Run->type “regedit”->Click Ok) Note*: Always, Always, Always, make a backup of your registry prior to modifying it

Navigate to the following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Tcpip\Parameters

Look for a key named “ReservedPorts”, if it exists just modify the key to exclude a range of ports. To exclude a single port my range would be 2883-2883. Click OK.

If the key does not exist create a new “Multi-string Value”, name it ReservedPorts, and then modify the key with the ports you need to excluded.

Normally you have to restart the server for these changes to take effect but you should be able to restart DNS and the port should no longer be in use by DNS.

Rerun your netstat and verify that port 2883 is now being used by a different service. The output for Exchange Active Sync netstat should look like:

UDP KINCOSVR01:2883 *:* 7348
[w3wp.exe]

Note the executable has changed.

Well I hope this saved you some headaches. For more information see the following Microsoft articles

KB956188 – You experience issues with UDP-dependent network services after you install DNS Server service security update 953230 (MS08-037)
KB812873 – How to reserve a range of ephemeral ports on a computer that is running Windows Server 2003 or Windows 2000 Server
MS08-037 – Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-037 Vulnerabilities in DNS Could Allow Spoofing

3 great iPhone apps for staying connected

Keith — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:00:00 +0000

SimplyTweet – $4.99 Web Link / iTunes Store Link

There is no shortage of twitter iPhone apps but none can compare to SimplyTweet.

I’ve been a Tweetie devotee with brief affairs with Twitteriffic and Birdfeed but somehow I always ended up returning to Tweetie because of its performance and clean interface. Then I met SimplyTweet and I’ll never look back.

Why should you switch?

Push Notifications – This feature is simply awesome. Once you enable notifications of DMs and/or @replies you’ll find yourself much more connected to your Twitter community.
Landscape compose mode – big keyboard=less typos
Hootsuite integration – If you use Hootsuite to manage multiple accounts you can import them all in a single step.
Bookmarklet Support! – You can now easily tweet any website from the iPhone web browser.
Posterous integration – Post your pics, videos, and long tweets with the help of your own Posterous blog. This is a major plus because all your media is now contained on your site.

SimplyTweet is a bit pricey at $5 but it’s worth ever penny

MyPhone+ – $2.99 Website Link / iTunes Store Link

This is brilliant app. It syncs your contact list with Facebook and imports profile pics, birthdays, phone numbers. I love having the majority of my contacts now including a picture and the synching feature works like a charm.

PixelPipe – FREE Website Link / iTunes Store Link

This is the only photo upload app you’ll ever need. Never worry about synching or a phone failure again. I love this app because I’ve got my pictures on the web before I even get home.

Pixelpipe.com supports a ton of sites including Flickr, Picasa, Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr, and Posterous. It does require a free account at PixelPipe.com but you’ll soon wonder how you lived without it.

There you have it. My app recommendations for Twitter, Contacts, and Pics. What apps do you consider essential for staying connected?

Blog For Books

Keith — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 05:11:12 +0000

I get to take a break from Technology today and tell you about my 2 favorite children’s books as part of Blog for Books. Blog for Books is a special day to raise awareness about childhood illiteracy and support Little Rock Twestival 2009.

Our local tweetup group, LRTweetup, is hosting a fundraiser for Reach Out and Read Arkansas next Thursday and we are blogging as a community to show our support.

Today I celebrate the books that helped make me a lifelong reader.

My Favorite Books

It took me forever to remember the title but I finally found this now vintage book that my parents were forced to read to me a thousand times.

The Crows of Pearblossom by Aldous Huxley

This book doesn’t fit the profile of sweet morality tales and my wife said that it explains a lot about what’s wrong with me. I don’t care if I’m weird, I love this book.

The book tells the story of 2 married crows trying to hatch an egg but they are foiled by hungry and ruthless rattlesnake. Mrs. Crow demands that her husband kill the snake but he thinks there has to be a better way. Mr. Crow gets some help from his friend Mr. Owl and let’s just say the snake gets what’s coming.

The Crows of Pearblossom is apparently out of print but some dear soul scanned the book into Flickr so you can enjoy this wonderful tale. The illustrations by Barbara Cooley are magnificent. This book is a real treasure and I know you’ll love it.

For more info check out the Crows of Pearblossom on Wikipedia, read the book via Flickr, or order your copy from Amazon.

The other book I absolutely love is a favorite of millions

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

If kids could only read books from 2 authors I think Dr. Seuss and Shel Silverstein would suffice. It is a tribute to the genius and humanity of Shel that to this day I love his books. So much so that my wife got me “Runny Babbit” for an anniversary present a few years ago and I read it cover to cover. It’s one of the most thoughtful gifts I’ve ever received. I make no apologies for being a big kid.

One of my favorite poems from this book is “Wavy”

I thought that I had wavy hair
Until I shaved. Instead,
I find that I have straight hair
And a very wavy head.

I can remember this poem and illustration 20 years later.

All of his work is fantastic and your kids will grow up to be heartless and humorous if you don’t get them his books.

Grateful

I’ve been blessed mightily in my life and having parents that made reading a priority is something for which I’m eternally grateful. I’ve loved reading all my life and can’t imagine a life without loving words, language, and books. This is why I’m supporting Reach Out and Read Arkansas and Twestival. Please join the fight at LRTweetup.com and find the details of the event at LRTweetup.com/Twestival

What is a book that you loved as a child?

Dear @FoodNetwork, your social strategy needs some spice

Keith — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 03:03:00 +0000

I hate seeing businesses waste golden opportunities so it’s high time someone tells the Food Network they need to get with the program. They are asleep at the wheel and this is their wake up call.

Let’s pretend you are watching Diners, Drive-Ins, & Dives (DDD) and you are salivating while watching Guy Fieri hunch into a half pound dream of a hamburger in a dive in Florida. Wouldn’t it be cool to stop by and taste it for yourself on your next vacation?

So you surf over to the DDD show page at FoodNetwork.com and you are greeted with a page organized by… episode? Seriously? I’m supposed to know the episode number or title? I’m looking for a joint in Florida. Where’s the listing by state or better yet why not a Google Map mashup?

If there was only…

No, wait here’s another idea. What if someone created a website that would let you rate restaurants or add ones you’d like to visit to a wishlist? Then the Food Network could create a tie-in that would allow me to easily add these sites to my profile. Urbanspoon anyone?

What if there was a twitter account that would allow me to @reply a zip code and get a search result of a restaurant near me?

The possibilities are endless.

Google Earth Layers
Trip Planners to show great places to eat along your route
Let diners “Tell Guy you stopped by” and encourage them to tweet from the places he highlights
… anything but an episode guide

I guess this is a bit much to expect from the folks with a the worst search engine ever (proof), contact addresses of “DDDinfo@mac.com”, and a twitter engagement ratio of less than 5%)

It’s tragic that the Food Network’s social network strategy leaves such a sour taste.

The Next Big Thing in Mobile Marketing

Keith — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 05:54:07 +0000

Have you seen one of these images before?

If you live in the United States there is a good chance you haven’t noticed these strange little pictures but that will soon change. This bit of technology is gaining adoption quickly and you need to understand the opportunity this little picture can offer you and your business.

Welcome to QR codes.

QR codes are a simply an image with encoded information. QR codes are similar to bar codes in the sense that they contain information that a specialized reader can extract. The big difference is that the QR reader is your mobile phone.

Here’s how it works. You take a picture of a QR code with your mobile phone and then you use a QR reader mobile app to retrieve the embedded information. This information can come in the form of URLs, plaintext, or phone numbers.

No more trying to remember an ad, a book, or where you placed that business card. If any of these items contained a QR code then you have all the information you need with a single picture. No paper to keep track of, nothing to remember!

QR codes are not new. They were developed in Japan in the mid 90s and they are marketing fixtures in many countries. The arrival of QR codes in America has been predicted for a couple of years but we are finally seeing them penetrate the U.S. market. Here are just a few examples

The book “BrandDigital” has a QR code on the back cover that links directly to the books listing on Amazon.com (I’m partial to this idea because I often browse for books at a local retailer and then go home and order it via Amazon)
Several Film Posters are using QR codes that link to video trailers
Websites are now offering QR codes on discount coupons so there is nothing to print out for a visit to the store
Print advertising is making fast use of these codes to offer links to more info, videos, and more.

QR codes are a perfect fit for everything from business cards to conference signs and museum exhibits. The possibilities are endless.

Tools to get started

Create your own QR code at QRcode.kaywa.com
- If you’d like more options there is a good list of QR code generators at 2d-code.co.uk/qr-code-generators
Get a QR reader for your mobile phone
- iPhone – Try “QR app” or “BeeTagg” (both free)
- Blackberry – Try Beetagg
- Other – For more mobile apps check out 2d-code’s applications page at 2d-code.co.uk/qr-code-readers/

Do you have a great idea for how you can use QR codes? Share it with us by leaving a comment below.

Understanding Social Media in 2 Minutes with @GaryVee

Keith — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 00:05:36 +0000

Some people inherently understand the power of social media, especially as it relates to building businesses and brands. Gary Vaynerchuk is one of those people. Gary gets it and more importantly he wants to share it. Gary’s proven himself within the community by using social media to build his own business and then he leveraged that platform into sharing his knowledge with others so they can do the same. He’s intense and passionate and I can appreciate that.

I’ve been watching Gary for awhile now and I really like how he communicates about branding and social media. I haven’t shared much from Gary previously because many of his talks are littered by his tendency for foul language. I know we are all adults and this mentality may seem a bit quaint to you but its a personal choice. That being said I want to share the best 2 minutes of video that I’ve seen in quite sometime.

In the next 2 minutes Gary will share the underlying paradigm shift that businesses must come to grips with as well as what Twitter is all about if you are a business. It’s an awesome 2 minutes

Takeaways

We have gone from a broadcast culture to a world where you aren’t in play unless you can work a room.
Twitter is not about what you say, it’s about you listening.
Search.twitter.com is the game

This entire video is worth watching. The next 10 minutes will inspire and encourage anyone looking to build a presence online. If this doesn’t get you excited then this probably isn’t your game.

If you are interested in learning more about Gary Vaynerchuck I highly recommend this interview by Robert Scoble of Building43.com. Check out more of Gary’s talks on his keynote page, and you can follow him on Twitter @garyvee.

The 3 most important questions that no one asks

Keith — Sat, 15 Aug 2009 05:23:30 +0000

I exist at a strange intersection where computer networks and social networks collide. These may seem like odd bedfellows but both accomplish the same goal. This story is not about me, this story is about us.

What is the power of technology?

This fundamental question isn’t asked anymore because everyone assumes that we all understand why we keep inviting technology into our lives and businesses. Unfortunately the reality is that most people never consider the purpose of the technology with which we surround ourselves. If we have forgotten its purpose we have forgotten its power.

The power of technology lies solely in its ability to transform our communication, our efficiency, our effectiveness, and our lives. If technology isn’t transforming your world in a meaningful way then something has gone desperately wrong.

I solve problems for a living and I do so through technology. Often these solutions may manifest themselves as switches and servers but they are only the right fit when I can help a business accomplish its goal more effectively. I’m the link between their goal and the method to accomplish that goal. It’s this passion for understanding the power of a network to enable people that marries these two worlds.

How so?

What is the purpose of Computer Networks?

This question may strike you as odd because we are always talking about speed, security, and access but these are aspects of computer networks, Not their purpose.

The purpose of a computer network is to enable communication and ideas between people.

So simple. So overlooked.

Here’s where the underlying connection is made.

What is the purpose of Social Networks?

The purpose of a social network is to enable communication and ideas between people.

Same exact purpose.

I seldom proclaim anything profound but if I understand one thing it is this, technology exists to connect people. People with ideas and dreams and goals. My passion is driven by a love of using technology to enable an individual or organization to accomplish their goals. Period.

I exist at this intersection because technology is transforming our lives in a myriad of ways and I have chosen to stand in the gap, to be a connector between people and technology. Power exists in these networks that I help create and I’m addicted to people having a Eureka moment when they “get” what this is all about. Whether that moment comes as the result of a computer network or a social network is immaterial because in the end they are all about the same thing.

Have you forgotten? Let’s start asking these questions again.

People you should follow – Aug 14

Keith — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:30:00 +0000

This feature started as a replacement to Twitter’s Follow Friday but I’ve decided to broaden the list so I can share great writers, thinkers, and friends that offer more than an interesting Twitter stream. You can connect with all of them through Twitter and isn’t that really the point?

So if you are interested in Brands, Marketing, Business, and Social Media here is my shortlist of people you should follow for Aug 14.

Ken Stewart (@changeforge) – Ken is a thinking man’s businessman and you should follow him because he has exceptional understanding and insights into 2 key areas, Leadership and Change. Ken’s writing at ChangeForge.com is inspiring and educational. He is mostly active within Friendfeed but you can expect anything shared to his Twitter account is worth reading. On a personal note Ken is a very good friend of mine and although we’ve never met face to face he has been confidant and advisor. There are times that the internet will lead you to a real treasure, the day I met Ken was one of those moments.

Here is an idea of what you can expect from Ken

Just What is ChangeForge? This post is a must read. The back story and lessons he shares are truly enlightening.
Will Your Team Bring You Home? Ken is passionate about his team and you can hear his passion load and clear.
If You Want Them to Like, Expect Them to Hate You This is leadership 101.

What you should follow

An interesting note – Ken is an ex-Marine so be nice

Bryan Jones (@bryanjones) – Bryan Jones is a rock star. He’s an icon around these parts for his expertise in marketing, branding, and interactive media. In all seriousness Bryan is absolutely one of the most thoughtful and creative people I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet . You should follow him because he is both a leader and student in this rapidly changing era of new media. On a personal level he is warm, inviting, and his tweets about being a Father are priceless. Check out his blog wholebrevitything.com (make sure and hover over links in his posts to get an idea of the little extra that Bryan puts into everything)

What you can Expect from Bryan

I think I’m a pretty capable dad…then @sarabethjones leaves me in charge of breakfast & my illusion is shot to Hell
Almost Everything I Know About Social, So Far… This is a collection of presentations that you can’t miss.
Time Bandits – Delivering a well crafted message

What you should follow

An interesting note – bryan has an e.e. cummings thing with capitals on his main blog and a penchant for great domain names

Michael Hyatt (@michaelhyatt) – Michael Hyatt is the CEO of Thomas Nelson publishers and is one of the few CEOs that really gets social media. You should follow him because of his expertise not only in business but using social media as a tool for leadership and influence. I love his blog and if anyone embodies a personal voice as an online CEO it’s Michael.

What you can expect from Michael

Twitter as a Leadership Tool This is still one of the best Twitter articles I’ve ever read and I share it often
Beginners Guide to Twitter Can you believe a CEO wrote a beginners guide? That’s Michael for you.
The Importance of a Leader’s Heart Passion is the source of great leaders

What you should follow

Mario Sanchex-Carrion (@mariobox) – I discovered Mario very recently but I had to include him in this list because I’ve been reading his archives for 2 days and I’ve yet to find a post that I didn’t value. Mario blogs about marketing and branding at ShoestringBranding.com and he is definitely worth following.

What you can expect from Mario

Challenging the Wisdom of the Crowds This was the post that led me to discover Mario his summation is a great business strategy
My Definition of Personal Branding Mario offers the best definition I’ve ever seen.
A personal branding strategy to stand out from the crowd How to set yourself apart when Job hunting (or anything else)

What you should follow

His Blog ShoestringBranding.com
His other blog MarioSanchez.org
His Twitter

As always I appreciate you taking the time to read and interact with me. If you decide to follow one of the people above make sure and let them know that tsudo sent you.

It’s not about Friendfeed, It’s about Friends – A Requiem

Keith — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:56:06 +0000

As you are surely aware it was announced today that Friendfeed has been bought by Facebook.

You could have hit me with a pine tree and I’d been less surprised. The announcement has been quite disturbing and disheartening to most of the community as we fully expect Friendfeed to be shuttered as its features are integrated into Facebook. There are plenty of reactions across the web so you might wonder why so many of us are so passionate about a little under-the-radar social network called Friendfeed.

Honestly, my reaction caught me off guard. I’m in the tech industry and tech comes and goes as shifting sands. I’ve long ago learned to adapt and not get married to a brand or technology. In fact, numerous sites could close tomorrow and at most I might be miffed or disappointed but I doubt I would have such a visceral recoil. My mood begged the navel gazing question of, “Am I really upset over the loss of Friendfeed?”

Yes, and here’s why.

Friendfeed as a technology was cool, innovative, open, fast, and amazing. It was the edge of discovery and content but these features alone are not why I’ll miss Friendfeed. After examining my reaction I realized the underlying cause of my woe.

It isn’t about Friendfeed. It’s about Friends.

I’ve met the most interesting and intelligent people you can imagine from across the globe through this single service. I now have a host of friends that I might not have ever had the chance to meet and our watering hole is drying up. I’m not disturbed by losing the technology, I’m just going to miss the people.

Social media is about people. It’s about making connections.

Without Friendfeed I would have never met (much less had the opportunity to converse with) people like Louis Gray, Ken Stewart, Mike Fruchter, Micah Wittman, Kol, Zee, Hutch Carpenter, Steven Hodson, Robert Scoble, Marco, Tamar, Anika, and Rizzn. (Trust me the list goes on and on). These people and hundreds of others have enriched my life in a more ways than I can count. These are my people. I’ve learned from them, argued with them, laughed with them, and shared my life with them. Heck, I’m watching Louis’ twins grow up on Friendfeed. When Friendfeed closes we will lose the only place that we’ve all come to congregate.

We don’t need your pity or sneers for we are a salty bunch. We will find ways to connect without Friendfeed. Many of us are early adopters so this isn’t our first rodeo of seeing a service change and evolve. Some of us are optimistic that perhaps the proclamation of the death of Friendfeed is premature but that notion does little to lift my spirits. Friendfeed was the Scholars College and Facebook is the student union. Friendfeed is full of engaging content and conversations and Facebook is full of useless updates and quizzes. We’ve been expelled and told to go play somewhere else and that stings a bit.

Adapt or die. The motto of any technologist. We move on…

We will just miss our friends.

Thanks Friendfeed

Comments – The missing link in your social media toolset

Keith — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:57:00 +0000

Among the methods and technologies that are often heralded as the key to being an influencer within social media you seldom hear “Comments” mentioned as an integral piece of your online presence. Blog comments are underrated and unsexy in these days of new media but you’ll do yourself a great disservice if you overlook their importance. To understand their critical role we must consider the method and technology of blog comments.

Technology: Spread the word

Using the right blog commenting platform can make or break your reader interactions so it is vital that you make the right decision about the underlying technology. Commenting systems come in 2 main flavors, they exist as a standalone systems built inside of a blog or they are integrated via a 3rd party.

Stand-alone systems are installed by default with any blogging platform so they require little to no setup, unfortunately they also have a dreadful Achilles heel. Stand-alone commenting systems are an island that only exist within your blog. You’ve trapped a major reader input system within the confines of your own site. Islands are by their very nature not social and limit conversation. In addition, your system may be unfamiliar and if you require registration prior to commenting you force your readers to create yet another account to simply comment on your blog. This requirement alone will probably scare away over half of potential commenters. It is simply a hurdle that most of us aren’t willing to cross.

The value of 3rd party systems lie in their ability to take the conversation and extend it beyond your blog while still tying it back to your original content. In this arena there is only one true contender, Disqus. I’ve tried all 3 major commenting platforms (Intense Debate, Backtype, and Disqus) and I can say for certain that using Disqus is a major shortcut to increasing your social media interactions. To examine how Disqus excels in as a commenting platform let’s consider blog comments as inbound and outbound entities.

Inbound refers to lowering the barrier of entry to potential commenters. As a blogger you want to provide an easy and inviting commenting system that offers several avenues of access. Disqus makes this process dead simple. The vast majority of your readers already have a Facebook, Twitter, or OpenID account so why not leverage this ubiquity into your commenting platform by allowing your readers to leave a registered comments via their existing accounts. As an added benefit many readers already have Disqus accounts and surf while logged on so they are already in a position to comment. The platform and technology is already in widespread use and by offering logon by existing accounts you’ve offered your readers a system they are already familiar with and in turn you’ve drastically lowered the barrier to entry.

Disqus takes “inbound” a step further by gathering fragmented conversations across multiple platforms. Disqus calls this system “Social Media Reactions” and its defined as finding and displaying mentions and comments about your post from other services around the web. Supported services include Friendfeed, Twitter, Digg, Blogger, Wordpress, YouTube, Vimeo and more. This collection system gives your readers multiple ways to respond or mention your comment and you don’t miss a thing. One of the most important aspects of this inbound integration is how Disqus brings Friendfeed comments back to your blog post. Friendfeed can spark some excellent conversations and its an awesome benefit to have these conversations brought back to your blog. Disqus+Friendfeed is undeniable synergy. In total, these inbound reactions are crucial to judging response and visibility.

Outbound speaks to the ability to extend the conversation beyond the confines your blog and this is where Disqus really shines. What if you could leverage your comments as external outposts that increase the visibility of your content? Sounds like the easiest marketing plan ever right? Well Disqus has done a great job of integrating comments with Twitter, Facebook, and Friendfeed so that it is very easy for a reader to duplicate their comment on another social network while linking back to you. This integration works in a number of ways. To illustrate let’s use some common examples of these external outposts:

Friendfeed Integration – Many users import their Disqus comments into their Friendfeed stream. I’ve often found interesting posts by reading a Disqus comment from someone I follow on Friendfeed and because of their reply it piqued my interest and then I click the link back to the original article. I may never have heard of your blog but through an outbound source I’ve been introduced to your content. This recognizes an important realization that good comments are usually good content themselves and by allowing a reader to spread their good content they are in turn giving my post visibility.
Tweet this Comment – A reader can checkmark a simple option at the bottom of a Disqus comment box and Disqus will post an excerpt of my comment as a Tweet in @reply to the author. This is an excellent way to bring your comment to the attention of the author as well as giving the original content visibility in my Twitter stream.
- A perfect example of this is a conversation I had with a friend a few months ago concerning giving certain venues ratings on UrbanSpoon and Yelp. A blog post encouraged our community to leave ratings for a venue but he was concerned that we were tilting the scales to get positive ratings for venues that had hosted our group. That was not our intention but since we both tweeted our replies we had the conversation in a much more public forum and allowed others to see the conversation that was taking place. It educated everyone and without the Twitter component might have gone unnoticed.
Facebook Integration – Disqus has provided the easiest method for allowing users to comment using the Facebook connect platform. This super simple integration allows Facebook logon but also allows a user to republish their comment to their Facebook stream

Disqus invites readers to leave comments with little hassle and allows them to use outbound sources to not only bring comments to the attention of the you but to a larger community. It’s a Win/Win

Method: Say the Word

In rediscovering the value of comments you must realize that most bloggers read almost every comment they receive. Judging from their reader interactions even the titans like Chris Brogan, Louis Gray, and Robert Scoble are very active on their own comment threads. This is the most important lesson on comments:

Leave Good Comments
Read and Respond to your Readers

How do you leave a good comment?

READ: The first requirement to leaving a good comment is reading the entire article. We all have a tendency to skim a post and then leave a comment with our own opinion. DON’T Take time to read the entire article, digest it, and think about it. Then leave a comment about what it means to you, what you learned, what you agree with, what you disagree with. Don’t simply state “Good post”. While the author will appreciate the compliment you haven’t sparked a conversation. I’ll often leave a few sentences of my reaction and then compliment the author on something specific. Personally I think about what was the difficult part of writing that article. Good bloggers put time into things like research, screenshots, and well reasoned arguments. Complimenting an author on these specifics lets them know that you really read and appreciated the post.

LINK: Don’t be afraid to add a link. Once you’ve fulfilled the previous requirement don’t be afraid to add a link to a post that might build on the conversation. Don’t link just for the traffic but do so to engage the author. Writers are conversationalists and if you leave a good comment, a good compliment, and include a descriptive link there is a good chance they will take the time to read what you wrote. However the litmus test for sharing a link must always be, “Use your comment and link to enhance the conversation and don’t simply look for an opportunity to get visibility”.

SHARE: Last piece of advice, if you’d like to get your comment noticed try sharing their post manually via Twitter or Friendfeed. Add your own take or reason for sharing in lieu of a simple headline. Add value! Not only have you commented (and possibly Tweeted/add to Friendfeed) you have also manually drawn the attention of your audience to this post as well. If it is worth commenting on there is a good chance it is worth sharing. An author will notice and appreciate your effort.

Read and Respond

It can’t be said enough, Engage your Readers. If someone took the time to read your post and left a comment you owe them the consideration of a response. Now obviously I’m not talking about responding to trolls or responding to someone that linked to their affiliate marketing scheme (neither comment should hit your post anyways) but if there is a high value comment respond. Click on the commenters URL link, find an article you like, read it, leave them a comment. Let them know that you appreciate them taking the time read your writing. Simple interaction can begin strong loyal relationships.

Final Word

Commenting done right can increase the visibility and interaction on your own content and it can spark conversations and relationships across the web. Never forget that social media is about people.

People you should follow – Aug 7

Keith — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:49:17 +0000

I don’t participate in the Twitter meme of #FollowFriday because it has lost most of its value among the noise. So how can I share people that I love following and I think you should follow as well? To do a recommendation justice you need a longer format to introduce people so I’d like to introduce my Inaugural “Tsudo Recommends” blog post. I have tons of people I’d like to recommend so stay tuned as I attempt to make this a weekly feature.

4 folks Tsudo Recommends following on Twitter.

Steve Brewer (@stevebrewer) – Steve and I go way back and we’ve recently been able to reconnect online. I can assure you that you’ll enjoy his wit and the way he can turn a phrase. He is a software dev by trade but you’ll find his tweets ranging from amusing to technology, security, and programming. Steve is a very intelligent gentleman and a very good friend.
- What you can Expect from him on Twitter
  - Twittorists – I declare this to be a new word for people who DOS twitter. My gift to you, twitterverse
  - At a wedding, Catholics on one side, protestants on the other. 50 years of birth control has a pretty profound effect on a family.
Kerri Jackson Case (@kerrijack) – Kerri Jack is a riot. She is bold and wonderful! Kerri blogs about her life at http://damnyoulittlerock.wordpress.com and you should add it to your must read list. I normally don’t enjoy lifestyle blogs but Kerri’s is a rare exception because of her outrageous humor and style. She is in an elite group of someone that I read everything she posts. (I’d love to see her write a book someday).
- What you can Expect from her on Twitter
  - We got ourselves a new SC Justice. Today is a good day for the smart chicks and the mouthy broads!
  - Just missed the shackleford exit and had to jump the median to correct course. #neversellingthisjeep
Amy Bradley-Hole (@amybhole) – I met Amy for the first time a few months ago and knew I liked her immediately. She is a modern intelligent lady that carries on that great tradition of Steel Magnolia Southern Ladies. A perfect mix of grace and fire. She’s become a great friend of mine. Amy blogs about her life and everything else at http://thebeedot.blogspot.com and I just love her writing. From hair styles to patent leather she keeps this ultra male geek in stitches. She’s a fantastic PR/social median for the classiest hotel and restaurant in town and they are lucky to have her.
- What you can Expect from her on Twitter
  - My “k” is sticking. And I’m writing lots of copy about Arkansas this afternoon. I’m fuced.
  - My car place leaves a bag of cookies in my car when they get done with my oil change. It’s a love/hate relationship. #ellisinfiniti
Natalie Ghidotti (@ghidotti) – Natalie is one of the premier Marketing and New Media in our region and she is loved by everyone (including me). Natalie has an infectious laugh and you just can’t help but be entertained and enriched by connecting with her. Natalis is as smart as she is vibrant so expect some great Tweets and insights about marketing and social media.
- What you can Expect from her on Twitter
  - I’ve decided that Twitter’s crash this morning was God’s little wakeup call to tell us we’re WAY too addicted to this thing.
  - Giving a half-full bag of M&Ms to an 8-yr-old at 10:30 at night might not be the smartest move. But, wait, he’s not mine! Dr. Evil laugh …

Well there you go. You’ll get more great social media, IT, and infosec folks in the future but I had to start somewhere. Take a moment and check and old friend and 3 most entertaining ladies on Twitter.

A collection of the best guides and tips for using Twitter

Keith — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:17:56 +0000

Contribute to this collection here

14 Social Media Articles That You Can’t Ignore

Keith — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 14:00:00 +0000

A list of articles that I’ve found over the past month that are absolute “must-reads”.

5 Steps for Successful Social Media Damage Control by Sharlyn Lauby – Her post is as excellent guide for protecting your reputation during a online PR crisis.
Old Media, New Media and Where the Rubber Meets the Road by Mark Sigall – This post isn’t specifically about social media but I’ve included it because of his outstanding insight into understanding the value you offer your audience.
Measuring the Success of Social Media by Tom Chapman – The correct answer to understanding social media ROI.
The Everyday Evangelist by Jess Sloss – This piece reminds us about the most important people that your organization should be influencing.
Social Media: 4 Proven Models for Connecting with People by Leigh House – A slideshow presentation that offers the crystal clear examples of how organizations should be using social media to connect with people.
You are Always On by Chris Brogan – How to approach a sticky situation when you are the representative of a brand
Tapping the Power of the Groundswell by Charlene Li – She wrote the book on social media and this slideshow is a shortcut to strategies for focusing on relationships
Since When are blogs NOT Social Media by Brian Clark – A reminder not to neglect one of your most important online outposts
Laying Out Your Online Experience by Chris Brogan – Forget the jargon, what do people want when they turn to social technology?
6 ways to Use Twitter to Market your Small Business by Alison Woo – This is as simple as it gets.
Friendfeed as a social media strategy tool by John Haydon – A wonderful article outlining how you can use Friendfeed to enhance your social media strategy. (Yes I talk about Friendfeed a lot but for good reason… and you don’t have to take my word for it)
Top 10 Guidelines for Corporate Social Media Policies by Todd Defren – This is absolutely the best set of guidelines I’ve ever seen concerning social media. Excellent resource for individuals and organizations.
The Hardest Things to Teach your Clients about Social Media Marketing by Rebecca Kelley – An very complete list of the realities of Social Media

And finally for a bit of a lighter take on Social Media check out:

10 Questions to Evaluate a Social Media “Expert” by Ian Lurie – This piece will have you in stitches!

Let me know which articles you like best and if you have a recommendation just leave a comment or Tweet me @tsudo. Thanks for reading.