Buzzwords

For those in need of another game for your buzzword/jargon junkie needs (you know who you are FL), there is Buzzword Bingo.

The first documented buzzword bingo occurred when the then Vice President of the United States Al Gore, known for his liberal use of buzzwords hyping technology, spoke at MIT’s 1996 graduation. The graduation class had distributed bingo cards containing buzzwords to the audience.

Thankfully, this game has been updated for Web 2.0 Bingo, so we no longer have to depend on the dot com bubble Bingo version. 

And I have to admit, Ruby on Rails is a new buzzword for me… I must be slackin. 

Here are some other gems (or check out BuzzWhack): 

1.      Robust 2.      Powerful 3.      Flexible 4.      Integrated 5.      Seamless 6.      Extensible 7.      Scalable

8.      Interoperable 9.      Easy-to-use 10.  Intuitive 11.  User-friendly 12.  Comprehensive 13.  Best-of-breed 14.  World-class

Online Calendars

I’m still waiting on a decent integrated Web 2.0 Calendar, but it seems like there is some progress. I want a sync with my Outlook on multiple computers, sharing, and email integration, which I have found closest with Yahoo Calendar.

• Yahoo Calendar - Yahoo Mail (A review based on Walter Mossberg article) is in beta so hopefully Calendar will get upgraded next. Does currently sync with Intellisync, includes tv listings and sharing.
• PHP iCalendar - Software to download on your own server, but a nice set of features, but no sync. A demo online.
• Kiko - Web 2.0 Ajax Calendar in beta.
• Google Calendar - Speculation

The Web 2.0 Drinking Game

Can’t resist the "Geeks with alcohol" mention, from the Web 2.0 Drinking Game.

When someone says…

• Web 2.0 - take a drink
• Long Tail - finish your drink
• Open Source Stack - take a shot
• Monetizing - take a drink
• Productizing - take a drink
• Business Models (plural) - take a shot
• Ruby on Rails - everyone trade drinks
• Ajax/AJAX/AJaX - pour out half your drink (for your homies)

Marketing Your Company Online

Here are some suggestions as to how to use the Internet for marketing your company.

• Provide an email account and check it regularly. No point in providing something that you are going to frustrate people with unmet expectations. Checking once a day shouldn’t tie up too much time.
• Use an email address based on your website, instead of your AOL email (or any other ISP). It’s all about branding, and even if you have it forwarded to AOL, using a corporate looking email (also called a ‘vanity’ email) still gives you future options to switch ISPs later. Best case would be to just use a web-based email from your website hosting provider.
• Create an simple professional looking website. You don’t have to pay lots of money for a fancy graphical Flash site, but avoid lossing credibility by just “throwing something up”. Needless to say, a website should reinforce your company branding.
• If you want to provide extra value on your site, create some FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions) that will answer the most common inquiries about your company and how you stand apart, and provide an easy way for people to get in touch with you.

Instant Messaging

In this day and age of instant gratification and ADD, nothing adds more fuel to the fire than IM. So here are my best IM options available:

On the Mac:

• AdiumX - The best IM client I have seen with the best selection of creative skins. Build on the Gaim platform. Download.

On Windows:

• Gaim - A useful and clean IM client, open-source and ad-free. Download.

On Anything:

• Meebo - A very nice Web 2.0 web based client. Should be handy if you don’t have admin access on a computer to install apps. Nothing to download.

But my big wishlist item : one account that can send to the different systems, so that you don’t have to create accounts on Yahoo, AOL, Google, etc.

I use Gaim since I’m on the PC, and the Plugins I use are:

• System Tray Icon
• AutoProfile - which allows me to keep my Away message updated to whatever I am listening to in iTunes.

Now as far as which IM system is better, I don’t think it matters much. You are pretty much stuck with whatever system your friends happen to use, and if you use one of the aggregators above you can communicate with them all… once you setup accounts on each.

Ackupuncture

Last week I tried something I have been interested to do for years now… I had an acupuncture treatement. I won the session at a health fair at the office, so I really had no excuse not to try it.

So I got eight needles stuck in: my feet, forearms, shoulders, and temples. I can’t say they hurt much, but the one in my right foot and left forearm were a bit sensitive and I felt my muscle stiff where the pin was. I had to hold my left arm slightly awkward so I had the muscle tense, and hense didn’t relax. But my feet and arms were “wired” together in a figure eight to help the energy flow. All in all it was very relaxing and I felt great after the experience.

Bill Weinstein is classically trained in Acupuncture and can speak to the holistic and eastern aspects of it, which I have always been very keen to know more about. I’m very interested in finding out what sort of impact it will have with me. I also learned I have a “damp tongue” which I find intriguing and will require its own post.

Bill has a website and newsletter - Access to Acupuncture.

Some Acupuncture Treatments:

• Headache
• Stress & tension
• Insomnia
• Allergies
• Asthma
• Infertility
• Pain & Arthritis
• Carpal Tunel
• Smoking cessation & weight loss

Google’s Copy and Print Strategy

A straight-forward explanation by Tristan Louis of the Google Print Library v. Author’s Guild and the American Association of Publishers.

Internet Faxing

Internet Faxing Service Review:

Quick Summary of the 4 big services

* Efax - Undisputed leader in the field of Internet faxing. Offers free version. Free version doesn’t provide you with a local number. Regular service is expensive. Offers many other products - remote control of computer, etc. Requires proprietary fax viewer software to view faxes. The most local area code numbers available in the US. Free receiving. Plus Account: $13 setup, $13/month ($140/year); Pro Account: free setup, $19/month ($220/year).

* Fax-away - Competitive regular service. Web faxing not supported. Many customizable features and options for sending. The personal fax number they assign you is not local - they are all in some location where the area code is not local to you - just like the free eFax service - not too useful for your customers. Free receiving, $10 deposit, $1/month service charge, 0.11/minute within US.

* Internet Fax Provider - Offers toll-free numbers which can be used anywhere in the US - very convenient for the people sending faxes to you. Best rate for broadcast faxing. Many customizable features and options for sending. Comprehensive Web faxing features. $10 setup, $10/month service fee, Free 100/month sending & 200/month receiving, 0.10/page after.

* MaxEmail - Offers local numbers in the US. However, you will find that only the major cities are covered. No web faxing available. Good receiving plans. Plus Account: $10/setup, $69/year (or $9/month) for 200 pages or voicemails received/month ($0.05/page after), $0.05/30 seconds of transmission.

I had an eFax number for years and enjoyed using their service (used it maybe once a year). Than about a year ago I started getting fax spammed so they killed my account, and I’m pretty sure they sold my fax number for marketing. I currently have a J2 number (same company) and find it pretty annoying with the spam. I will be trying out Ourfax to see how obtrusive the ads are on the faxes.

But if you are looking for a free service for sending, there seems to be:

• TPC is a non-profit collection of fax servers around the world. You can verify a fax number and it might be worth a test. Might be best with simple text.
• OurFax is ad supported and “allows any email user in the world, to send faxes directly from their email address, to almost any fax machine in the world.” Ad supported and their website is sketchy, so not sure if I would trust this operation.

Reviews of all Internet fax services can be found at FaxBeep. Kevin Savetz keeps a very current Internet faxing FAQ.

Google-Mart

And speaking of Google taking over the Internet, here is an interesting article by Robert Cringely on Google-Mart.

Sam Walton Taught Google More About How to Dominate the Internet Than Microsoft Ever Did

Wired also did a story on Why Google Is Like Wal-Mart.

Do’s and Dont’s of SEO

SEO will make or break a site, and as Google gains control, this only becomes more important. The trick is to watch out for unethical SEO “experts”. Article by Mark Lloyd on Purchased SEO.

What is SEO?
SEO or ‘Search Engine Optimization’ literally refers to a set of techniques used to improve the ranking of a website in search engine listings. The importance of being high up in a search engine listing is common knowledge, the number of visitors a site receives can literally dictate weather or not a site will succeed or fail.