There’s been a lot of hype about the recent set of privacy changes by Facebook. And usually I don’t necessarily have a problem with privacy changes as long as they’re done in a way that allows choice and protects individuals. But these latest changes by Facebook really are just plain evil. Even if you opt out according to the instructions, your information is still being shared out without your permission. This lack of any control and the fact that your network can do things that infringe upon your personal privacy (and you can’t stop them) makes Facebook more evil than Google in my book.
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Apr
15
2010
My Hopes & Expectations for FutureMidwest 2010 #fmw10
FutureMidwest starts tomorrow (although there are a lot of great events happening all week):
FutureMidwest is the region’s largest two-day technology and knowledge conference taking place in Royal Oak, Mich. April 16 – 17, 2010. Founded by Adrian Pittman, Jordan Wolfe and Zach Lipson, FutureMidwest is the fusion of two successful conferences held in Michigan in 2009 – the Module Midwest Digital Conference and TechNow.
I’ve been to a lot of conferences – some great – some not so much. And the bar is set really high for my expectations of this weekend. I know I will meet a lot of great people and do some valuable networking. I’m sure there will be some great conversations and this event is part of our energized rebuilding of Detroit & Michigan. But my hopes – for better or worse – are for even higher levels of achievement.
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Apr
08
2010
When You Shouldn’t Listen to Your Customers
Mark Cuban wrote an interesting post earlier this week on why you should never listen to your customers. Never listening is probably taking it a bit far. After all, customers are the ones giving you money in exchange for your product or service, so you should listen to their feedback and concerns. But I do think there are specific situations when you shouldn’t listen to your customers, which may go against everything you’ve ever heard, but hear me out…
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Sep
22
2009
How to Encourage Participation With Your Brand
You’re really excited about your brand, your company and your products and services. You think everyone will also be excited so you get all the various social media and networks and start posting links to your products and your website and sit back waiting for everyone to hop on the bandwagon. Nothing. What’s the deal?
Sep
18
2009
Google vs. Facebook – Really?
There was some interesting news on Mashable yesterday:
People Spend 3x More Time on Facebook Than Google – Mashable: Back in July, we reported that Facebook had become the Internet’s ultimate time waster, with users spending an average of 4 hours, 39 minutes on it per month, more than any other site on the Web…. [Read more...]
Aug
12
2009
Why Your Crappy Free Wireless is Costing You Business
Many businesses, especially restaurants and coffee shops, have free wireless these days. However, many have really crappy free wireless (it’s slow or it cuts out, etc.) and that is costing them business.
Do it Well or Don’t Do it
If you’re going to have free wireless, you probably advertise it. It’s an enticement to come to your shop. It’s a reason why people have meetings or work there. If your free wireless isn’t that good, they’re not going to return when they want somewhere to meet or work and that’s lost business.
Jul
16
2009
Are You the Grain or the Chaff?
Are you the grain or the chaff?
When people thresh through their inbox or social media network, are you the grain that they find useful or the chaff that they throw away? People are selfish. They’re only going to listen to you if they find what you you’re saying to be valuable or interesting. With so many people tweeting and posting and producing content, there’s a limit to how many people anyone can read regularly. – Are You the Grain or the Chaff? – Sarah Worsham – Insights Group
In my post over at Insights Group today, I write about how to distinguish yourself from the chaff and stand out as a grain.
(photo by KevinLallier @ Flickr CC)
Jul
15
2009
Don't We Have More Important Things to Regulate Other Than SEO & Google?
Recently there was a call for the government to regulate Google in terms of how the search engine displays results. The anonymous author of the post called for transparency in terms of how Google’s algorithm works. Reading the post, I became convinced that the author’s company had recently had some type of run-in with Google – which probably means they did something that was against Google’s TOS. Just like any 5-year old that gets caught with his hand in the cookie jar, our anonymous author has started to throw a temper tantrum and scream “It’s not fair!”
Jul
09
2009
Can People Be Taught How to Use Social Media?
Last night, Chris Brogan asked whether Social Media can be taught based on a post by Adam Cohen, which got me thinking. My initial reaction is yes, of course, people are fairly intelligent (for the most part) and they know how to have conversations in person, so having conversations with social media shouldn’t be too much of a jump. Using social media to have conversations just requires understanding the technologies and the techniques needed to keep track of what’s being said.
Jul
07
2009
Your Website is Your Business Card
What does your paper business card look like? It probably has your name, your company logo, some contact information and maybe a quick tagline summarizing what your company does. People can find all the information they need to contact you just by glancing at your card.
Digital Marketing & Strategy
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