tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-82843452024-03-07T19:11:13.173-08:00Streight Site SystemsStreight Site Systems presents: MENTALLY CORRECT MARKETING. Mentally Correct = conforming to the laws governing how the human mind reacts to and retains persuasive messages. Opposite of psychologically unsound hype. Need specific strategies for your business? CONTACT: steven DOT streight AT gmail DOT comsteven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.comBlogger46125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-5590717982498886942012-06-02T15:54:00.001-07:002012-06-02T16:03:01.501-07:00All About the Arts campaign<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrpseTbs97dXYCviBAc3d_iTYUuU17kTIp6SSGiQ0nkujnBzszEVzQjZEjDvmk7G4Q392Lw75rVgPinB_H3wd_o5Vn6QYyOBCifaFfrt7ko3XzrFLoECKDkIyHWVIA0744a8a/s1600/Arts+Partners+arts+for+everyone+poster+Barry+Cloyd.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrpseTbs97dXYCviBAc3d_iTYUuU17kTIp6SSGiQ0nkujnBzszEVzQjZEjDvmk7G4Q392Lw75rVgPinB_H3wd_o5Vn6QYyOBCifaFfrt7ko3XzrFLoECKDkIyHWVIA0744a8a/s400/Arts+Partners+arts+for+everyone+poster+Barry+Cloyd.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
During the month of October 2012, the Central Illinois arts community is planning a series of arts-related activities that will coincide with National Arts and Humanities Month and the grand opening of the Peoria Riverfront Museum.<br />
<br />
ArtsPartners is encouraging local artists to send us colorful, dramatic images of you caught in the act of expressing your own art form.<br />
<br />
We are also looking for business people to provide us a photo of them doing their thing, even if it's not traditionally considered "art". We believe there is something creative and aesthetically-pleasing about any job that's done with skill and enthusiasm.<br />
<br />
Along with your photo, please send us a clever, one-sentence action statement that describes what the arts do for you (vs. just describing the arts) starting with the words "The Arts..."<br />
<br />
The statement should be catchy and tie in with what you're doing in your picture.<br />
<br />
EXAMPLES:<br />
<br />
A dancer leaping, with the statement "The Arts give my heart wings."<br />
<br />
A chef sprinkling curry powder into a pot of chili, saying "The Arts spice up our lives."<br />
<br />
A lawyer in court, with the phrase "The Arts help us judge true beauty."<br />
<br />
A bus driver behind the wheel, saying "The Arts transport us to new realms."<br />
<br />
This statement can be insightful, poetic, inspirational, or humorous. The sky is the limit in terms of the statement you send us.<br />
<br />
If you don’t have a photo and need us to send a photographer your way, let us know, as several photographers have volunteered to take the photos.<br />
<br />
If you can’t think of a catchy statement to go along with your photo, send us your photo anyway. Our creative team will come up with some catchy statements.<br />
<br />
Send your photos and statements, or requests for more information, to:<br />
<br />
admin@artspartners.net.steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1113229177396665432005-04-11T07:10:00.001-07:002012-06-02T11:48:43.569-07:00Blogs That Are Unique<blockquote>Have you ever heard professional people ask, "How could a blog benefit my business? What would I do with a blog? Why do I need to consider having a blog? What would I blog about?"<br />
<br />
The following unusual and special interest blogs prove the point: <b>any</b> business can use a blog. Note that these are not all business blogs. I've included blogs on philosophy, science fiction stories, cartoons, ham radio, free expression rights, biology, art, bird watching, etc.<br />
<br />
I don't endorse every blog listed, nor do I approve of every aspect of them. Some may even deviate in some ways from usability and blogology guidelines. <br />
<br />
These blogs are simply here to serve as examples of adventurous blogging in unexpected terrain. It's my hope that this interesting variety of blogs will inspire you.<br />
<br />
Just take a few moments to visit them and see what you think, see how they're using a blog for their specific purposes. It could be very eye-opening and in some cases (e.g., The Home Depot Bet Blog), rather amusing.</blockquote><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>Unusual Blogs: Examples of Innovation</strong><br />
<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="http://www.kurzweilai.net/">Kurzweil Accelerating Intelligence</a><br />
http://www.kurzweilai.net<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.10000birds.com/">10,000 Birds</a><br />
http://www.10000birds.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.wibsite.com/wiblog/dull">World's Dullest Blog</a><br />
http://www.wibsite.com/wiblog/dull<br />
<br />
<a href="http://cigarsinthesand.blogspot.com/">Cigars in the Sand</a><br />
http://cigarsinthesand.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blogs.salon.com/0002762">Drug War Rant</a><br />
http://blogs.salon.com/0002762<br />
<a href="http://edenprairieweblogs.org/html/dan_carlson.html"><br />
A Police Chief's Weblog: Chief Dan Carlson</a><br />
http://edenprairieweblogs.org/<br />
html/dan_carlson.html<br />
<a href="http://edenprairieweblogs.org/html/george_esbensen.html"><br />
A Fire Chief's Blog: Chief George Esbensen</a><br />
http://edenprairieweblogs.org/<br />
html/george_esbensen.html<br />
<a href="http://edenprairieweblogs.org/html/scott_neal.html"><br />
The Blog from City Hall: City Manager Scott Neal</a><br />
http://edenprairieweblogs.org/<br />
html/scott_neal.html<br />
<a href="http://www.adrants.com/"><br />
Ad Rants</a><br />
http://www.adrants.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://glutter.typepad.com/">Glutter</a><br />
http://glutter.typepad.com<br />
<a href="http://seislog.blogs.com/seislog"><br />
A Seismology Log</a><br />
http://seislog.blogs.com/seislog<br />
<br />
<a href="http://realclimate.org/">Real Climate</a><br />
http://realclimate.org<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.boingboing.net/">Boing Boing</a><br />
http://www.boingboing.net<br />
<a href="http://www.ephilosopher.com/"><br />
ePhilosopher</a><br />
http://www.ephilosopher.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://umsu.de/wo">Wo's Weblog</a><br />
http://umsu.de/wo/<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.ucalgary.ca/~rzach/logblog">Log Blog</a><br />
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~rzach/logblog/<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.agagreflex.blogspot.com/">A Gag Reflex</a><br />
http://www.agagreflex.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://typicalcrap.net/home_depot/hdlog.shtml">The Home Depot Bet Blog</a><br />
http://typicalcrap.net/home_depot/<br />
hdlog.shtml<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.mackerelstreet.com/pesky/pesky.html">Pesky the Rat</a><br />
http://www.mackerelstreet.com/<br />
pesky/pesky.html<br />
<br />
<a href="http://lambda-the-ultimate.org/">Lambda the Ultimate</a><br />
http://lambda-the-ultimate.org<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.scrappleface.com/">ScrappleFace</a><br />
http://www.scrappleface.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://johnsons-rambler.blogspot.com/">The Rambler Musicology</a><br />
http://johnsons-rambler.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/SIMPLICITY">SIMPLICITY</a><br />
http://weblogs.media.mit.edu/<br />
SIMPLICITY/<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.openefp.com/frontiers">Epistemic Frontiers Project</a><br />
http://www.openefp.com/frontiers<br />
<br />
<a href="http://milov.nl/">Milo Vermeulen Photoblog</a><br />
http://milov.nl<br />
<br />
<a href="http://blog.johndepoe.com/">Fides Quaerens Intellectum</a><br />
http://blog.johndepoe.com<br />
<a href="http://akma.disseminary.org/"><br />
AKMA Disseminary</a><br />
http://akma.disseminary.org<br />
<br />
<a href="http://glowlab.blogs.com/news">Glowlab</a><br />
http://glowlab.blogs.com/news<br />
<br />
<a href="http://gmpg.org/">Global Multimedia Protocols Group</a><br />
http://gmpg.org<br />
<br />
<a href="http://pharyngula.com/">Pharyngula</a><br />
http://pharyngula.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://catalogablog.blogspot.com/">Catalogablog</a><br />
http://catalogablog.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://bgbg.blogspot.com/">Bag and Baggage</a><br />
http://bgbg.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://daily.greencine.com/">Green Cine Daily</a><br />
http://daily.greencine.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://redcouch.typepad.com/">The Red Couch</a><br />
http://redcouch.typepad.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cosmosblogmos.blogspot.com/">Cosmos Blogmos</a><br />
http://www.cosmosblogmos.blogspot.com<br />
<a href="http://www.arttestexplosion.blogspot.com/"><br />
Art Test Explosion</a><br />
http://www.arttestexplosion.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.blurty.com/~kb6nu">KB6NU's Ham Radio Blog</a><br />
http://www.blurty.com/~kb6nu<br />
<br />
<a href="http://jerz.setonhill.edu/weblog/index.jsp">Jerz Literacy Blog</a><br />
http://jerz.setonhill.edu/<br />
weblog/index.jsp<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.simonwaldman.net/">Simon Waldman/Guardian Newspaper</a><br />
http://www.simonwaldman.net<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://electricgirl.blogspot.com/">futuristicky</a><br />
http://electricgirl.blogspot.com<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
I hope you enjoyed checking out these blogs. Perhaps you discovered a few to bookmark as favorites. Maybe you even have decided to write a post about one on your own blog.<br />
<br />
Come up with your own list of Unique Blogs and email it to me.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-weight: bold;">[Comments on all my blogs have been temporarily turned off effective today, to deal with a comment spam attack. <br />
<br />
This attack against my blogs will not succeed--and I <span style="font-style: italic;">will retaliate</span>. <br />
<br />
The attackers don't know what weapons I have at my disposal, but they're about to find out soon. <br />
<br />
WARNING to All Cyber Vandal Comment Spammers: I strongly suggest you refrain from looking into laser with remaining eye!]</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
[signed] <a href="http://www.vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/">Steven Streight<br />
aka Vaspers the Grate</a>steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1111864935641635052005-03-26T11:13:00.000-08:002005-03-26T14:00:43.330-08:00Writing and Technology: A Student Interview with Steven Streight<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/3 KLCC robots.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/400/3 KLCC robots.jpg'></a><br />"Three KLCC airport (Malaysia) robots" - photo manipulation by S. Streight, original photo of single robot, by Messy Christian. <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br /><br />A senior student at Arizona State University, majoring in Technical Communications, contacted me today via email. <br /><br />He said that his assignment in a course was to contact a marketing professional. <br /><br />He had read my article "Slogan Slogging" in the TC EServer data base, went to this blog, read my bio, and decided to contact me.<br /><br />Here is the email survey and my responses...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;"><span style="font-weight:bold;">Writing and Technology: <br />A Student Interview<br />with Steven Streight</span></span><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">In your direct marketing career, what kind of tasks did you/do you perform on a daily basis?</span></blockquote><br /><br />STEVEN STREIGHT: I began as an Account Representative at a pioneering direct marketing company, Ruppman Marketing Services, Peoria, Illinois, which was started by guys from IBM and Donnelly Yellow Pages. <br /><br />The company was low profile, but all the big corporations (General Motors, Sony, State Farm Insurance, Caterpillar, Hitachi, Panasonic, Sears, Lennox, Department of Defense, etc.) used their services in yellow pages advertising, inbound telemarketing technical helpdesk customer service, data warehousing, direct mail campaigns, product literature distribution.<br /><br />I had approached the company with a portfolio of short stories, reports, dummy ads, a ridiculous hodge podge of "writing samples" and was merely interested in learning what they did. The "exploratory interview" (as opposed to "employment interview"). <br /><br />They liked my zeal, my thinking, my personality, my shoes, whatever, and they offered me a job. I wasn't even finished with college. I never did finish. My career took off during my junior year at college. <br /><br />Since then, too busy to complete university work, and no regrets. I create my own credentials through my work and prestigious clients.<br /><br />Well, I found that I was okay with "schmoozing" clients at fancy restaurants, but not liking sports, and having bizarre interests (surreal French fiction, underground electronic music, avant garde films, science fiction), I was limited in potential as a "good old boy" account rep. <br /><br />But--voila! (er, Eureka!)--I was best at writing and marketing strategy.<br /><br />So I moved onto other firms in the field of advertising copywriter. <br /><br />Today I'm a web usability analyst and blogologist, but the core of everything I do, and the cause of success, is super strong writing skills, coupled with intense fascination with psychology and marketing concepts.<br /><br />As a direct marketing copywriter, I've promoted Crafts, Shooting Times, Rotor & Wing, Profitable Craft Merchandising magazine subscriptions, Troy-Bilt tillers, Doubleday (including their mystery and science fiction bookclubs), General Motors, Pepsi, American Express, Chemical Bank, Wall Street Transcript, dental supplies, Governor Cuomo's loaned executive program, Scholastic magazines, wood burning stoves, chamber music ensembles, greenhouses, and Pantone color selection products.<br /><br />My responsibilities included:<br /><br />* meeting with clients to understand what they want to achieve with the marketing, meeting again to show them alternative ideas (never present just one or two options, show several, but emphasize what you most believe in).<br /><br />* talk to the engineers to discover facts about the products.<br /><br />* research competitor products and their marketing campaigns, ads, commercials, direct mail, etc.<br /><br />* focus group sessions with prospects or with customers.<br /><br />* home visits to customers to gather testimonials and listen to complaints, suggestions, and questions.<br /><br />* interacting with the art department, making "writer's rough" sketches of brochure or ad design, then workting with artists on the real design: they often considered the copy to be just another "graphic element", didn't even pay much attention to the words, even of headlines, just slapped it on the layout. This had to be remedied. But I loved working with artists and designers, as I also create digital art at my <a href="http://www.arttestexplosion.blogspot.com">Art Test Explosion</a> art gallery blog.<br /><br />* sometimes even visiting the production shop to see how material is printed and packaged for distribution.<br /><br />* studying books on direct marketing, advertising, technical writing, and whatever field my clients were in (gardening, magazine publishing, whatever).<br /><br />* knowing enough about office politics to not fall into traps or play the game poorly (worst part of job, I was not too good at it, I didn't see how stupid or mediocre people could defeat me in gossip or other political ways).<br /><br />* read great classic or modern literature, great--not trendy trash, to keep my overall writing level high (this was a requirement I imposed on myself).<br /><br />* study great classic and modern art to stay sharp about design concepts (another self-imposed duty), plus works on the creative process, innovators, new ideas in various realms.<br /><br />Although I was a direct marketing writer, a lot of it was highly technical, especially the Troy-Bilt tillers and other gardening machinery products of Garden Way Manufacturing Company. <br /><br />Also, I wrote brochures for Caterpillar's usability testing lab and multimedia training programs. <br /><br />So in these cases, I had to understand and use technical terminology, yet in a way that customers would understand and be able to see the clear benefits of the products or services being promoted.<br /><br />Daily tasks were largely: talking to clients, doing research, writing, and interacting with art department.<br /><br />Mostly writing, writing, writing. I loved it.<br /><br />Daily tasks now are more: studying the top ranked blogs of all types, studying marketing blogs, learning web design and development, researching various topics to then write about them in my own blogs and in books I'm preparing for publishing, occasional writing of online articles for other online magazines or newsletters, meeting with clients, reading books on sales, marketing (Seth Godin and Al Ries especially), psychology, classic literature, art. Mostly the same as when I was a direct marketing writer, just new tech fields now, such as blogging and webs.<br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">What kind of skills are involved? Software skills?<br />Writing skills? <br /></span></blockquote><br /><br />STEVEN STREIGHT: As a copywriter and tech writer, I had to have typing skills and word processing expertise. <br /><br />(Actually I began by writing copy with pen and handing it to a secretary to type up on an IBM Selectric, then a "memory typewriter", then I advanced to skipping the secretary and composing on my own Macintosh). <br /><br />I had to have good interpersonal ("people") skills, good personality, get along with all types of moody, arrogant, lazy, workaholic, mediocre, genius, etc. people.<br /><br />I had to have tremendous self-motivation and self-confidence, especially when presenting marketing strategy and copy to the creative staff and the clients.<br /><br />I had to have some skill in understanding scientific, technical thinking, and in sales psychology.<br /><br />I think a tech or marcom writer should excel in everything, or at least try, including poetry, novels, magazine articles, press releases, owner's guides, screenplays, radio and television commercials, technical manuals, catalogs, newsletters, personal journals, email, blogging, all forms of writing. <br /><br />Some you'll do better at, and enjoy more, than others. But at least be familiar with the basics of all. <br /><br />You make yourself more valuable. You don't want to say "I've never done that" when a boss asks if you can help out or if you can tackle some new aspect of the job, like for a new client. <br /><br />Force yourself to master, as much as possible, all forms of writing.<br /><br />I started as a poet and song lyricist as a teenager.<br /><br />It was poetry (Rilke, Emily Dickinson, Edgar Allen Poe, Longfellow, Wordsworth, Wallace Stevens, William Carlos Williams, Auden, Bill Knott, Arthur Rimbaud, John Asbery, Kenneth Patchen, Kerouac, Sappho, Allen Ginsberg, John Lennon, Bob Dylan, Lou Reed, Leonard Cohen, Horace, all the modern poets and some ancient poets) that prepared me for technical and advertising writing.<br /><br />Another big influence is Marcel Proust, though his writing style is almost the very opposite of effective advertising, email, web site, blog writing. I guess I enjoy reading Proust as a change of pace. Long-winded sentences that may fill an entire page, obsessively minute details of flowers and personalities, frequent use of analogy to amplify descriptions of characters.<br /><br />Learn as many computer skills as you can. Know about web services, wireless networks, VOIP, online virtual musical instruments, podcasting, email marketing techniques, online community software, image file formats, JPEG optimizations, all the stuff coming down the pipeline into the working world and the art circles.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Did you work in a team environment? What are your<br />thoughts on teaming?</span><br /><br />STEVEN STREIGHT: I'm an average team player, I admit. I'm not a star<br />team player. I have trouble keeping my thoughts to myself, though I try to be diplomatic and sensitive to others.<br /><br />I have a strong "do it myself, to do it right" streak in me. I hate to hand over projects to others. Not that I'm vain or possessive, I just know a lot about art and design and marketing and sales, so I try to have some control or input in all aspects, even the paper and the ink that is used.<br /><br />I'm a good teamplayer in the sense that I truly believe in helping the employer or client succeed. <br /><br />I'm not a sandbagger who just wants to do the bare minimum and get a paycheck. And I enjoy working with other people, as long as they are high caliber professionals or at least willing to learn. Mediocre, immature, mind-gamers I can't stand and can't work with very well.<br /><br />Get the book "How To Work for a Jerk" by Robert M. Hochheiser (Vintage, 1987). I think there is a recent title that's similar and it may be good also. But this book is filled with anecdotes and practical tips on dealing with difficult bosses and employees. One of the best business books I've ever read. Sheer genius.<br /><br />Like: if your boss keeps complaining, unjustly, about your writing ability. <br /><br />The author, Hochheiser, began teaching a course on technical writing at a local prestigious university. <br /><br />Next time boss complained, "This ad is poorly written, and you better improve it. Your writing skills are not all that good.", he just said, "That's not what Columbia University thinks. They hired me to teach a class on technical writing for graduate students." <br /><br />He pulled out a sheet of paper displaying the course description, with his name as the instructor. "Now, what specificially do you not like about that ad?" <br /><br />The boss mumbled a few dumb, incoherent things and walked away, never to trouble him again on that matter.<br /><br /><br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">What kind of computer software did you work with back in the early days of your career in direct marketing?<br /><br />(This is not part of my assignment, just a personal<br />question. I have always had an almost perverse<br />interest in the early days of computers and graphic<br />design.)</span></blockquote><br /><br />STEVEN STREIGHT: From pen to IBM selectric to IBM "memory typewriter" to Apple Macintosh to IBM desktop computer.<br /><br />I loved the Mac, hated the IBM. This was around 1983. The Mac had the mouse and clicking, whereas the IBM was all keyboard commands you had to memorize. I still avoid keyboard commands, though I could probably use them in composing email, for bold or other stuff.<br /><br />I remember how in 1978, Ruppman Marketing Services in Peoria, IL used microfiche a little bit, and also had a "mainframe" that used big reels of tape and punchcards. That's when "floppy discs" were really floppy, flexible plastic discs. <br /><br />They refered to their mainframe as "FRED" the frigging ridiculous electronic device. <br /><br />An older VP used to complain that PCs will never be a revolution, because nobody can figure out what the heck to do with a home computer. <br /><br />The story back in 1978 was you could use a home computer to organize your shopping lists, to inventory your groceries, to send out invitations to parties. Huh?<br /><br />It turned out to be Communication (email, online shopping, financial transactions, and blogging) that was the killer app for home computers, plus file sharing (photos, music, films).<br /><br />First: computer. Second: home/office work station computer. Third: internet. Fourth: web. Fifth: blogs.<br /><br />Next (my best guess today): wearable computers, "glogs", bio/info/nano applications, the internet as a unified assembly of seamless web services, wireless wonders, embedded computers, computerized lifestyle and environment, influencing the external world via home and wearable computers (negative example: virtual hunting, where you kill a real deer in Colorado while operating a home PC in Taiwan).steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1110955859357592492005-03-15T22:47:00.000-08:002005-03-15T22:56:34.026-08:00Stop Putting Personal Details in Your Blog<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/dangers of personal blogging.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/400/dangers of personal blogging.jpg'></a><br />keep personal details out of your blog <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br />Extreme distress was caused by my post "<a href="http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/2005/03/you-are-not-blog.html">You Are Not A Blog</a>", in my Vaspers the Grate blog. <br /><br />In this post, I cautioned bloggers against putting personal details into a blog, especially a business blog.<br /><br />I have now written a sequel. Since this topic is so important and urgent, I have reproduced the "Dangers of Personal Blogging" post at my Vaspers the Grate blog. Here is what I need to tell you...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Vaspers the Grate on<br />"Dangers of Personal Blogging"</span><br /><br /><br />Hype machines are spewing forth how every individual and every organization must start a blog.<br /><br />I agree. In fact, I have called blogs the mandatory interactive business cards of the 21st Century. <br /><br />Blogs can, theoretically, provide a competitive edge to a company, when the blog is done right. (However, if done wrong, a blog can cause massive damage to a company.)<br /><br />I've sung the <a href="http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/2005/02/blogs-and-free-speech.html">praises of blogs</a> ever since I gave Blogger a try and fell in love with it. I have aggressively promoted blogs to clients, friends, pastors, entrepreneurs, military organizations, you name it.<br /><br />I wrote a post called "<a href="http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/2005/02/blogging-is-good-for-you.html">Blogging is Good For You</a>." Writing daily or weekly blog entries can improve your writing and thinking skills. I like blogging as an activity.<br /><br />I've described how blogs are helping to <a href="http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/2005/02/for-whom-blog-tolls-death-of-msm.html">kill the evil monsters of Main Stream Media</a>: "For Whom the Blog Tolls: Death of the MSM".<br /><br />But now it's time for a word of caution, a warning.<br /><br />Now it's time to explain the Dark Side of Blogging.<br /><br />My preliminary research has provided me with three primary dangers of personal blogging. There are bound to be more hazards out there, but the big three are as follows...<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">3 Big Dangers of Personal Blogging</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">(1.) Alienating Employers</span><br /><br />Seth Godin has recently published a post entitled "<a href="http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2005/03/blogging_doesnt.html">Blogging doesn't matter</a>":<br /><br />http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/<br />2005/03/blogging_doesnt.html<br /><br />In Seth's post, he provides a link to the article "<a href="http://the.taoofmac.com/space/blog/2005-03-12">Ten Reasons Why Blogging Doesn't Matter</a>" by Rui Carmo at Tao of Mac blog. Rui's post is a point by point commentary on "Ten Reasons Why Blogging Is Good For Your Career" by Tim Bray.<br /><br />http://the.taoofmac.com/space/blog/2005-03-12<br /><br />Rui discusses how a blog can hurt your chances for employment or promotion. <br /><br />Here are some nice quotes to ponder:<br /><br /><blockquote>"...organizations...will always promote the quiet, reliable guy over the noisy troublemaker, even if (s)he is merely outspoken."<br /><br />"Getting noticed by having strong opinions is more likely to label you as a prima donna even before you step into a meeting room, be it for interviews or for decision-making."<br /><br />"Valuable people are noticeable because they get things done, not because they make noises about what they're doing..."<br /><br />"...most of the time what you've written about is not what they are looking for when they're evaluating you either as a prospective hire or for a promotion."<br /><br />"...this hysteria about corporate blogs and blogging in business settings seems to be almost completely US-centric..."</blockquote><br /><br />Seth Godin and others are warning bloggers about reckless blabbering, grammar and punctuation errors, ill-conceived topics, vulgar language, poorly researched articles, lack of substantiating links, and other aspects that cause your blog to make you look bad.<br /><br />Remember--the personal details you dump into your blog, whether personal blog or business blog, could come back to haunt you. Don't be paranoid or excessively self-censoring, but exercise some restraint and wisdom in what you reveal about yourself.<br /><br />Ask yourself: Could this glimpse into my private life be misinterpreted? Could this personal detail be distasteful to certain types of people? <br /><br />Could some people take this the wrong way, read into it more than I mean to convey?<br /><br />If I rave about a movie in which drugs are glamorized, would a professional person consider me a possible drug user?<br /><br />I just posted a seemingly justified rant against something that annoys me. But--could this rant cause others to see me as a potentially violent, unstable, immature person who cannot control his temper?<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">(2.) Attracting Stalkers</span><br /><br /><blockquote>"...any personal information on the internet is going to be abused. When it comes to posting on the internet, it's like using heavy machinery. Make sure you have your wits about you."<br />Parry Aftab, NYC lawyer and Executive Director of WiredSafety.org<br />(Quoted in www.jacksonville.com)<br /><br />"My advice to new bloggers is to be careful what you share. It can be dangerous."<br />Robyn Pollman<br />http://www.tampatantrum.com/originalindex.html<br />(Quoted in www.jacksonville.com)</blockquote><br /><br />There are stories of stalkers seeking blogs of local people, perverts and child molesters seeking photos of children to kidnap, harm and kill, and many other tragic consequences of posting personal information in blogs.<br /><br />Are you a mom? Do you have a blog? Do you talk about your children in your blog? Most moms probably do. Do you post photos of your children? Do you tell their ages? Do you describe the toys and movies and restaurants they like? Have you revealed what school or daycare center or church they attend?<br /><br />Are you crazy? You're giving child molesters and older males who prey on teenage girls exactly what they're looking for. You're practically handing your children over to them.<br /><br />You need to read this eye-opening article about the <a href="http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/apnews/stories/081003/D7SR4Q3O0.html">dangers of personal blogging</a>:<br /><br />"Risks abound in online journals, some turn to password protection"<br />by Ron Word, Associated Press Writer<br />http://www.jacksonville.com/tu-online/<br />apnews/stories/081003/D7SR4Q3O0.html<br />(Not sure if it's oh zero, oh oh, or zero zero, dot html)<br /><br />One woman mentioned she had a miscarriage, and then shuddered in horror as weird freaks made fun of her, and even saw this intimate revelation discussed on other web sites and blogs.<br /><br />A woman who used her blog to express political opinions also disclosed what restaurant she was going to check out one night. When she arrived at the restaurant, she was confronted by angry blog readers who disagreed with her politics and wanted to hurt or harass her.<br /><br />You have no idea who is reading all your personal details, nor what they intend to do with that private information. The consequences could be far different from what you expect. <br /><br />You're nice and normal. You may think the blogosphere is populated with decent, ordinary people. You can't begin to fathom how evil, mentally sick, and horrible some blog readers can be.<br /><br />Some personal diary bloggers have shut down their blogs and created password protected digital journals that only friends and family can access.<br /><br /><blockquote>For example...<br /><br />FORMER PERSONAL BLOG:<br /><a href="http://www.tampatantrum.com/originalindex.html">Ain't Too Proud to Blog</a><br />http://www.tampatantrum.com/originalindex.html<br /><br />NEW PASSWORD JOURNAL:<br /><a href="http://www.sooner-born.com">Sooner-Born.Com</a><br />http://www.sooner-born.com</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">(3.) Enabling Identity Theft</span><br /><br />Any personal details you provide on your blog can help an identity thief to assume your identity and ruin you financially, or worse.<br /><br />Identity theft criminals go through garbage cans and dumpsters. What makes you think they won't comb through your blog, looking for what city you live in, what company you work for, what bank you happen to mention in passing (perhaps a complaint or a compliment), what church you attend, what companies you do business with...anything that can lead to eventually gaining sensitive private and financial information.<br /><br />What details are you providing on your blog that could be used by identity thieves?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">NEGATIVE ASPECTS<br />of Personal Details<br />in Blogs:</span><br /><br />(1.) Personal details are often interesting only to you. To others, these facts are usually boring, trivial, trite. They can make readers think less of you as a person.<br /><br />(2.) Personal details are usually irrelevant to the main purpose of your blog, especially a business, marketing, academic, or other serious topic blog.<br /><br />(3.) Personal details can alienate an employer, who just doesn't like or agree with specific opinions, attitudes, or habits that you reveal.<br /><br />(4.) Personal details can be easily misinterpreted and used against you. People may "read between the lines" or otherwise inflate what you reveal and blow things out of proportion.<br /><br />(5.) Personal details about your family can lead to endangering family members.<br /><br />(6.) Personal details, from a teenage girl for example, can entice male perverts and kidnappers to try to seduce the young female blogger into meeting them in some dark part of town.<br /><br />(7.) Personal details about your lifestyle, habits, and haunts can be used by stalkers who don't like the opinions expressed on your blog, and wish to harm you physically.<br /><br />(8.) Personal details can make you an easy target for identity theft.steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1110599533651095612005-03-11T19:32:00.000-08:002005-03-11T20:21:19.296-08:00Spammy Subject Lines in Email<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/spammy subject lines.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/400/spammy subject lines.jpg'></a><br /><a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br />*****<br /><br /><br />If you send email to those who may not know who you are, you need to avoid putting certain words and phrases in your Subject: lines.<br /><br />Spam filters block email messages that have certain words in the Subject: line, and human recipients may consider any Subject: line with these words in it to be spam, virus, or phishing emails.<br /><br />Here are some words to avoid using:<br /><br /><br />* Please reply to my email<br /><br />* Please respond<br /><br />* Final warning<br /><br />* Update your account information<br /><br />* RE: your account<br /><br />* Pre-approved application<br /><br />* Hi<br /><br />* Hello<br /><br />* We need your update information<br /><br />* Free<br /><br />* Act now<br /><br />* RE: your code # [number]<br /><br />* Tired of paying high costs for your medications?<br /><br />* Did you receive my email of last week?<br /><br />* Thank you for your attention<br /><br />* Rate approval<br /><br />* Lowest rates [prices, cost, etc.]<br /><br />* Security update<br /><br />* Security warning<br /><br />* Full length adult DVDs<br /><br />* Downloads<br /><br />* Your application has been approved<br /><br />* cheap meds<br /><br />* pharmaceutical<br /><br />* enhance<br /><br />* enlarge<br /><br />* software<br /><br /><br />Even if your message is non-commercial, sincere, requested by a customer, still--avoid these words at all costs.<br /><br />Think of some other words and phrases to use in your Subject: lines and in the first sentence of your message. Some email clients display the Subject: line and the first several words of the first sentence, prior to the recipient opening the email.<br /><br />Another ignorant tactic of spammers is to put my email address in the To: line, instead of my name. This is a dead giveaway that the email is spam, or worse.<br /><br />Remember: when you open a spam email message, simply out of stupidity or curiosity, you have sent a signal to the spammer that your email address is valid and active. Then the spammer will send you more spam and will also sell a list with your email address on it to other spammers. <br /><br />You may greatly increase the amount of spam that is sent to you, just by opening a spam email message.<br /><br />Fight back.<br /><br />Delete all email that looks strange, unprofessional, amateur, or like it's trying to trick you into revealing sensitive personal or financial information. <br /><br />Never give your email address to your bank, insurance company, hospital, etc. That way, if you receive an email from such a sender, you'll know it has to be fake (phishing).steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1109758958685674162005-03-02T01:45:00.000-08:002005-03-02T03:03:16.790-08:00Serial Killer Detection via Mentally Correct Perception<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/mcsk%20detection.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/400/mcsk%20detection.jpg'></a><br />Behold and See. <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br />Here we go again.<br /><br />Another suspected serial killer is taken into custody, and the familiar chorus rings in our ears.<br /><br />About half of those who knew the BTK killer suspect say he was a nice, normal, stable, job-holding guy...<br /><br />...a family man and church leader...<br /><br />...with all the trappings of the achievement of the "American Dream".<br /><br />The other half claim he was creepy, a bully, and did suspicious things, like videotaping the back of a person's house while her husband was on a business trip.<br /><br />Or "acting weird" in the Cub Scout pack, so that a mother removed her boy from it.<br /><br />I side with this second group. I side with the skeptics.<br /><br />I have always maintained that, from a Mentally Correct Marketing viewpoint, there is no such thing as the "Separation of Surface and State."<br /><br />What I mean is, the truth about a company, a nation, or an individual always leaks out, somewhere, somehow.<br /><br />I believe that a rotten company (morally corrupt leadership or inferior products) will have advertising that contains subtle, if not obvious, lies, exaggerations, or stupid claims about its products.<br /><br />Likewise, the evil in a person's heart cannot possibly be rigidly contained at all times. If it explodes in a rage of murder, rape, or other hideous act, it will also tend to leak out in other situations where such behaviour is not safe for the perpetrator.<br /><br />A murderer will tend to be a bully, a grouch, a manipulator, in both gruff and brutal behavior and in sly, charming characteristics, which are the two ways in which victims are caught and trapped.<br /><br />My point is this: many people are so lulled into comfort zones, especially in America, they have great trouble believing any neighbor or family member could be a child molester, serial killer, terrorist, or other illegal and immoral type.<br /><br />People are often just mentally lazy, dreamy, living in a delusional world where everything seems just fine and everybody's "nice".<br /><br />They are not sufficiently skeptical, cynical, or suspicious.<br /><br />They brush aside disturbing comments or aspects of other people. They don't want to think about potentially or seemingly evil people, because then they might have to leave their comfort zone and do something about them.<br /><br />I have alerted people to highly suspect potential child molesters and serial killers. Nothing is done. I am made to seem like a bad person for even stating my concerns. <br /><br />The defense of the suspect is always, every single time: "But he's such a nice guy."<br /><br />In the case of the almost certain child molester, I hear: "So what if his only friend is a 5 year old boy? So what if he lavishes money and attention on him, avoiding all other people? So what if he demands that the child and everyone else call him grandpa, when the child already has two real grandpas?"<br /><br />Why is it that the pastors, who are supposed to have some grandiose connection to Almighty All-Knowing God, and the church people, are the dumbest of all?<br /><br />Is it because it's so easy to be a church fake, to go through the rituals and pot luck suppers with a smile on your face and a hymn on your lips? <br /><br />Take a look at this newspaper clip:<br /><br /><blockquote><br /><br />Detroit Free Press<br />"THE VICTIMS: BTK killings suspect was Jekyll and Hyde, cops say.<br />Churchgoing family man charged in 10 killings over 17 years."<br />March 2, 2005<br />by Sharon Cohen, Associated Press<br /><br />Some described him as a friendly man who helped neighbors and recently brought spaghetti sauce and a salad to a supper at Christ Lutheran Church, where he was an usher, president of the council and a member for 30 years. "Dennis was in church as often as I was," said Pastor Michael Clark.<br /><br /><br />Others said he could be a nitpicker and a bully, always looking to cite his neighbors for petty violations, once using a tape measure to determine whether a neighbor's grass was too long.<br /><br /><br />If Rader turns out to be the BTK killer, he won't be the first serial killer to lead two lives.<br /><br /><br />"They lead a benign, if not friendly and helpful life with family and friends. Then they kill strangers," said Jack Levin, author of several books on serial killers and director of the Brudnick Center on Violence and Conflict at Northeastern University in Boston. "It's almost like the death camp doctor who goes home and plays with his children."<br /><br /><br />These two lives are "the way they survive. That's the way they're not detected," said Steve Egger, a serial killer expert and associate professor of criminology at the University of Houston-Clear Lake. "Their actions with people who love them, with people they associate with, are very natural. But they're able to split off and compartmentalize these fantasies they have. ... Then they go out and have to act on them."<br /><br /><br />Rustigan, the California criminologist, said he wonders how Rader, if he is the BTK killer, could hide a sinister life from his wife.<br /><br /><br />"You can fake 'nice guy' at work," he said. "But how do you fake 'nice guy' when you're married? That's a very powerful question in this case."<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br /><br />I hate all this "mystery" supposedly surrounding serial killers and their ability to assume supposedly split personalities. I don't buy it.<br /><br />It's not that the serial killers are so good at hiding their evil personality.<br /><br />The reason the serial killers can be two separate people, is that many dumb people don't see the serial killer lurking in the creepy bully, who is also a family man and church leader.<br /><br />Consider the creepy, evil church leaders, like Jim Jones, David Koresh, Oral Roberts, and Jim Baker. <br /><br />Baptist physical abusers and Catholic homosexual predators. Hare Krishna temple sexual misconduct allegations. Every type of religion and secualarism has its creeps and bullies.<br /><br />Some local ministers in my home town are examples of deeply unspiritual, profoundly sinister church leaders, who are in effect, nothing but cultish dictators.<br /><br />We have to ask more questions and pay more attention to those around us. Your Cub Scout leaders, your pastors, your priests, your school bus driver, your doctor, your husband, your wife, your children, everyone.<br /><br />If serial killers, child molesters, and sleeper cell terrorists escape detection, in my opinion it's not their genius or brilliance.<br /><br />It's our laziness, exaggerated optimism, and plain stupidity.<br /><br />It's our fault, not their cleverness.<br /><br />People want to believe that this is the best of all possible worlds. They don't want to really face the horrors and suffering and insanity that lurk everywhere.<br /><br />Some person tonight is doing their usual routine, and will be kidnapped, tortured, and killed.<br /><br />Some child is playing happily, but will soon be violated sexually and ruined for life.<br /><br />Largely due to our laziness, dreaminess, and stupidity. Not entirely our fault, but we are more to blame than we like to admit.<br /><br />Let's wake up. <br /><br />Let's ask more questions. Let's take steps to investigate, or ask the proprer authorities to look into, some of these things that have bothered us.<br /><br />I'm pursuing something today, writing letters to the directors of a certain local religious mission organization. And it involves a suspicious, possible serial killer or sexual predator. <br /><br />Evil leaks out of its phony "nice guy" shell.<br /><br />Watch. Behold and see.steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1109234230115753642005-02-24T00:37:00.000-08:002005-02-24T01:05:19.266-08:00They Destroy, They Do Not Terrify<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/destructionists%20not%20terrorists.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/destructionists%20not%20terrorists.jpg'></a><br /><a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br />*****<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">LESSON IN MENTALLY CORRECT<br />LANGUAGE USAGE<br /></span><br /><br />Politics has nothing to do with it.<br /><br />Marketing uses words. Even in war and insurgency, words are used. But are the words used correctly?<br /><br />This is simply a critique of the word "terrorist" as applied to those who destroy, maim, and kill as a means of accomplishing their goals.<br /><br />I have seen "terrorists" who were unable to stop a fledgling democracy from holding free elections. Insufficient "terror" was generated.<br /><br />I have seen "terrorists" who were shocked to discover that U.S. Marines run toward shots that are fired, and not away from them.<br /><br />I have seen women bravely attend school in lands where such an act by the allegedly "inferior gender" used to be punishable by death.<br /><br />I have seen "terrorists" who began to kill women and children, who occupied a school building, who kidnap defenseless civilians. <br /><br />I have seen "terrorists" hide behind scarves and masks, afraid to reveal their identities.<br /><br />I have seen average civilians, surrounded and infested by "terrorists", stand in line to vote, and look into television cameras, with no disguises or concealment of faces.<br /><br />I wonder who is truly terrified and who is simply hoping to cause terror.<br /><br />This use of "terror" and "terrorist" may be very inappropriate.<br /><br />We do not call someone a surgeon if they've never operated on anyone.<br /><br />We do not call someone a chef if they've never cooked anything.<br /><br />So why do we call someone a "terrorist" if they fail to inspire terror? <br /><br />If a person kills, that's a killer.<br /><br />If a person rapes, that's a rapist.<br /><br />If a person destroys, blows things up, but fails to scare people, that's a destructionist, not a terrorist.<br /><br />The Main Stream Media (MSM) seems to like saying that beheading videos or threats of nuclear attack "strike fear into our hearts." Not my heart. I have had zero fear ever since 9-11. I'm more observant, more skeptical, more suspicious, but not more fearful.<br /><br />Not one person I know, including soldiers in Iraq, is "terrorized" by anyone. If shots are fired, they have a healthy "fear", or actually the better word is "avoidance reaction", to being an easy target. They don't cringe in cowardly terror. They get angry and fight back.<br /><br />"Fear" and "terror" are not operative in much of the world. Governments may give in to "terrorist" demands out of concerns for public opinion, but I doubt that even weak governments have much real "fear". The only thing they fear is civil war, or not getting elected again. <br /><br />I will not refer to those who kill civilians and blow up buildings as "terrorists", since they fail to cause much terror. <br /><br />I prefer to refer to them as "destructionists".<br /><br />Why glorify them by granting them a title they have not earned, and thus do not deserve?steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1107844923535266432005-02-12T23:19:00.000-08:002005-02-14T01:52:47.180-08:00Lightning Strikers Manifesto*****<br /><br /><a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/Lightning%20Strikers%20Manifesto%202.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/400/Lightning%20Strikers%20Manifesto%202.jpg'></a><br />LiStriMani. Copyright 2005 by Steven Streight. Created in Paint Shop Pro 7. <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Against Guy Kawasaki's Marketing Mediocrity</span><br /><br />I just read a bizarre post on a blog, a post that spoke of the <a href="http://www.ercb.com/feature/feature.0036.html">"Don't Worry, Be Crappy"</a> theory of marketing.<br /><br />This idea is declared in <span style="font-style:italic;">Rules for Revolutionaries</span>(1999) by Guy Kawasaki.<br /><br />Is this the old "put out the flawed product, hype it like crazy, and generate enough hysteria that you'll sell tons of it before anybody knows what's really going on"?<br /><br />You bet it is.<br /><br />One aspect of it is the attitude of "Who cares if the product is junk? Hype it and hard sell it."<br /><br />Generate fast revenues from it, then, at your leisure, after many duped customers have invested heavily in the crap product, issue "patches", "fixes", "add-ons", or "upgrades" that fix the flaws, using the income derived from the shoddy product.<br /><br />It's the opposite of "Disciplined product development process and the refusal to ship crap."<br /><br />As my web developer discussion list friend, Peter McGregor stated in a recent post:<br /><br /><blockquote>I recall way back in the early 1980s when the first PCs appeared and software for them was not plentiful, someone (who shall be nameless) telling me: <br /><br />"If you write a program for the PC and place a small advert for it in the pages of Byte Magazine, (circulation was huge both sides of the pond) even if is riddled with bugs, you'll have 100k responses within a couple of weeks. Charge $10 a time for your offering CWO and you then cut and run as a rich man before anyone realises it isn't that good a product!"<br /><br />Yes, a small percentage of a large base can be very profitable. (Sometimes wish I'd followed the advice - but at least I can live with my conscience!!)<br /><br />---Peter MacGregor (used with permission).<br /></blockquote><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">This "Don't worry, be crappy" concept is the single most vile, self-destructive, anti-consumer, pro-mediocrity concept to hit marketing in probably the last 50 to 100 years.</span><br /><br />Let's take a closer look at this "real piece of work" of misguided Marketing Stupidity. <br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Here's what Joe Agliozzo, over at <a href="http://disruptivebusiness.blogspot.com">Disruptive Business Models</a> blog, says about releasing defective, shoddy, poor workmanship, dysfunctional, or bare minimum function, bug-ridden products to the consumer:</span><br /><br /><br /><blockquote>What you lose in "polish" and "presentation" along with some functionality is more than made up for in finding out (1) whether the customers are interested in buying what you are selling and (2) what you forgot about that customers actually need. <br /><br />No matter how much thinking the team does on product features, customers will always come up with different or additional stuff that they have to have and they will let you know about it.<br /><br />Of course, you always have to reach out to your customer base and communicate that your product is under development and needs more work, you want to partner with the customer in making the best product possible, etc. Don't claim your product is perfect when you know it is not, be humble.</blockquote><br /><br /><br />Heaven forbid that the pharmaceutical companies follow this "crap product" release idea. <br /><br />Or the automobile airbag manufacturers.<br /><br />Or the vehicle child safety seat manufacturers.<br /><br />Or railroads.<br /><br />Or any product or service related to public safety and health. Which means most products and services, except for pure entertainment.<br /><br />"Be crappy" with software and computer products?<br /><br />Well, they tie in with national defense, food distribution systems, nuclear reactor regulation, etc.<br /><br />See the <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,110281,00.asp">PC World "What's Biggest Security Problem?"</a> article, the third subhead, "Holey Software" at:<br /><br />http://www.pcworld.com/<br />news/article/0,aid,110281,00.asp<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Here's what I recently added to the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guy_Kawasaki">Wikipedia entry on Guy Kawasaki</a>:</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">[UPDATE EDIT Sunday Feb. 13, 2005: Wikipedia administrators deleted my comments. So if you follow the link, and don't see my statements as provided below, it's not because I lied. It's because they removed my wiki edit.]</span><br /><br /><blockquote>Some of Kawasaki's ideas are not accepted by experienced direct marketers or consumer advocates.<br /><br />For example, in Rules for Revolutionaries he advances the controversial principle of "Don't Worry, Be Crappy" in which he encourages companies to release shoddy, buggy, dysfunctional or barely functional "crap" products to the consumer. The hope is that the consumers will then forgive the company, send in their specs for improvement, and eagerly await the new improved version. Some consider this the "dumbing down" of beta testing and sheer marketing suicide, since it ignores negative word of mouth advertising by "chumped" customers.<br /><br />"Ship shoddy, but ship first" can also be open to allegations of false advertising. Also, it is not universally valid to state that "first in the marketplace" equates to "market dominance" or the lion's share of all potential sales. Many leading brands were not the first in the marketplace with an offering in a specific product category.<br /><br /></blockquote><br /><br />This "be crappy" seems bass ackwards to me. <br /><br />Worse, it sounds misanthropic. <br /><br />Talk about betraying the trust of your customer base!<br /><br />This is definitely *not* "mentally correct marketing". <br /><br />It sounds like "marketing suicide for dummies."<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />The dumbing down of beta testing.</span> <br /><br />Beta versions should ideally not be sold, but distributed free to typical, representative users, who provide feedback on bugs and malfunctions.<br /><br />Beta testers then ought to be altruistically offered a steep discount on the improved version, prior to general release of the mass distribution/improved product to the general public.<br /><br />This "Be Crappy" approach to product development and distribution blatantly ignores the devastating effects of "word of mouth" advertising by angry, disgruntled, cynical customers who have been "taken" and "suckered" by a "crap" product.<br /><br />No way will customers send complaints to the manufacturer, wait for the manufacturer to supposedly fix the product, then rush out to buy the new, improved version of the "crappy" product.<br /><br />What idiotic dream world is this, where customers forgive a provider for gross, intentional foisting of bad products on them?<br /><br />I buy a "crap" product once and I never go back and buy anything from that manufacturer ever again. <br /><br />Screw me once, and I hate you forever. There are too many competing products and brands out there to muck around with a loser.<br /><br />From what I hear proclaimed about his theories, in my opinion, Guy Kawasaki knows NOTHING about marketing or consumer psychology.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.gandalf.it/netmark/netmar54.htm">NetMarketing</a>, No. 54, December 18, 2000 quotes Gerry McGovern's article of December 1l, 2000 "In Praise of Simplicity":<br /><br /><blockquote>The technology industry is a speed addict.<br /><br />The only thing that matters for many companies is to get the product to market before the competition, regardless of whether it works or not. Ship then test. The consumer is not happy [with such shoddy, fault-ridden tech products]. <br /></blockquote><br />So now let me introduce you to the very opposite of "Don't Worry, Be Crappy" marketing strategy...<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Lightning Strikers Manifesto</span><br /><br /><br />(1.) Find out what customers want, before you create and release a product into the marketplace.<br /><br />(2.) Test the usability and desirability of the product, before you release it to the public.<br /><br />(3.) Use instant intuition where accumulated facts and data are lacking.<br /><br />(4.) Once you have the most perfect possible product, based on customer needs (Deming's "voice of the customer") and manufacturing capabilities (Deming's "voice of the process"), strike like lightning with it.<br /><br />Like lightning, hit the market with your perfect as possible product.<br /><br />Like lightning, hit the public consciousness, the main stream media, the blogosphere, whatever, with accurate, enthusiastic information about your as perfect as possible product.<br /><br />Like lightning, hit the competition with sales of your perfect as possible product, taking market share away from them.<br /><br />Listen to the thunder of customer applause, critical reviewer raves, and competitive groans.<br /><br />(5.) Reject the "if it ain't broken, don't fix it" mindset of mediocrity. Like lightning, speedily seek weak spots, improvement points, enhancement exciters in your product before the competition does. Constantly seek to find new and better versions of your as perfect as possible product.<br /><br />(6.) To produce a "good enough" product is to invite the total and irreversible loss of credibility. Once the consumers form a mindset, a belief, a conviction that your products are junk, inferior, or faulty, expect a horrendous, nearly impossible uphill battle to change that perception.<br /><br />(7.) "Don't Be Blurry, Be Snappy" is a better slogan for those who would destroy the competition and win the hearts and minds of customers. Don't have an unfocused image of the ideal product and settle for an lesser version. Be "snappy", have quick response to verified customer needs and manufacturing capabilities. <br /><br />(8.) Instant Perfection and Immediate Dominance does occur. Aim for this, and if you fall a bit short, if you must make a gradual progression toward it, at least your target is admirable and worthy of the best thinking you can generate.<br /><br />(9.) Never release to the public a product that you know is not as good as it could be. Never treat the marketplace like a focus group. When you release a "crappy" product to the customer, you're expecting them to buy something so you can learn more about it. Treat customers like "guinea pigs" and they'll let you wallow in the mud of shame,failure, and poverty.<br /><br />(10.) Think: is this product, and marketing/distribution strategy, altruistic/philanthropic (i.e., good for others, with others as the priority, but also, therefore, ultimately, eventually, inevitably good for me too)...or narcissistic/misanthropic (i.e., good for me, but detrimental to others).<br /><br />We have enough "crap" products, "junk" food, "garbage" television, "toxic" politics, and "dysfunctional" family relationships.<br /><br />Don't dump more waste material on this planet, on sentient beings, or on your precious customers.steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1108147825974146462005-02-11T10:15:00.000-08:002005-02-14T21:53:46.863-08:00Donald Trump and Mentally Correct Marketing*****<br /><br /><a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/what%20the%20sea%20cucumber%20said%20to%20the%20soup%202.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/what%20the%20sea%20cucumber%20said%20to%20the%20soup%202.jpg'></a><br />"what the sea cucumber said to the soup" (Copyright 2005 Steven Streight. Created in Paint Shop Pro 7.) <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Donald Trump and Mentally Correct Marketing</span><br /><br /><br />By now, everybody's buzzing about last night's episode of <span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Apprentice">The Apprentice</a></span>, the reality television show on <a href="http://www.nbc.com">NBC</a>. <br /><br />The Apprentice features Donald Trump, marketing and business operations project assignments, and a bunch of losers who try to act managerial and intelligent.<br /><br />For a great recap of <a href="http://www.nbc.com/nbc/The_Apprentice_3/episode_recaps/304_1.shtml">The Apprentice Dove Commercial episode</a>, and a brilliantly short and coherent URL query string attached to it (other web masters please take note, especially online newspapers), please rush over right now (I'll wait for you to read and then return to this blog) to:<br /><br />http://www.nbc./nbc/The_Apprentice_3/<br />episode_recaps/304_1.shtml<br /><br />When the two slacker project teams tried to put together a tv commercial for new Dove Cool Moisture Body Wash, they failed, predictably, miserably.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Donny Deutsch</span> said they had to be crazy to make commercials that stupid.<br /><br />Cucumbers, token gay lovers (admittedly based on "Will & Grace" which does NOT portray the reality of most gay men, who don't hang all over women like they're hetero coupling), street race runners, sweat and towels.<br /><br />In one "commercial," I thought I was watching the Subhuman Special Olympics Parody on Saturday Night Live or Mr. Show.<br /><br />In the other "commercial," I thought I was in dilapidated dork brothel, or some no-budget, no-imagination, satirical, wanker-core porn movie set.<br /><br />Here's what the NBC recap states:<br /><br /><blockquote>The first thing out of Donny's mouth was the team can't wear goofy outfits and be taken seriously. <br /><br />So Donny made them take off their hats. Then Donny and the two managing partners watched Magna's commercial. <br /><br />Donny shook his head, but made no comment. He thanked the team and sent them out. Next, Net Worth presented their commercial. Donny thanked the group and sent them out. <br /><br />Donny started the discussion with his two managing partners by saying that he was really disappointed. He thought that both commercials were "silly", "stupid" and "off". Both executives agreed. <br /><br />One said that the choice was between a disgusting commercial where a sweaty runner rubs on body wash without using any water and a semi-porn piece. <br /><br />Donny brought both teams back into the conference room and got Trump on the line. Donny pulled no punches and said that both teams "missed big." He had to tell Trump that there was no winner - an Apprentice first! <br /><br />So, Trump responded with his own first and said that both teams would return to the boardroom to face him and someone would be fired.</blockquote><br /><br />Such wretchedly awful advertising and marketing incompetence!<br /><br />The likes of which neither Dons had ever seen before.<br /><br />And yet...forgive me for being so hard on the project teams. They had no experience in advertising or television. Why did anyone think they could avoid a total disaster? <br /><br />This "make a tv commercial for Dove" was really just a "3D" publicity stunt: for Dove, Deutsch, and the Donald.<br /><br />The worst commercial was the Deutsch spot. They are a real ad agency. And they still blew it bad. <br /><br />You can't sell soap with dancing, smiling, and Miss Piggy. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />What's so hard about advertising? </span><br /><br />We're all experts at it, since we have consumed millions of radio and televison commercials,print ads, and junk mail since babyhood. <br /><br />We have all formed opinions and discussed commercials with friends and co-workers. Those slackers on The Apprentice should have not been utterly clueless dolts.<br /><br />No one had the guts to say, "This sucks. We cannot go through with this. We'd be better off doing nothing and apologizing, than doing something this brain dead."<br /><br />I used to turn the volume OFF on the tv programs, and ON during commercials, when I was in my 20s and trying to study advertising. An ex-girlfriend named Molly can vouch for this, and she still giggles about it.<br /><br />The Apprentice aired the actual Dove commercial produced by the ad agency, and I have to speak my mind here again: it sucked too.<br /><br />Very trite, unimaginative, pointless.<br /><br />Was that Miss Piggy? Who cares about Sesame Street or whatever Miss Piggy stars in? <br /><br />This commercial contains no solid, problem-solving or benefit-providing message, no dramatized reason to buy the Dove product, and I would not have signed off on it.<br /><br />Here's what I posted on the "<a href="http://www.adrants.com">Ad Rants</a>" (www.adrants.com) blog site:<br /><br /><blockquote>Deutsch should have dramatized dry, rough, itchy skin. Seth Godin says you have to explain the problem to most consumers before you can offer the solution and make the solution attractive. I agree. There are lots of ways to dramatize what it is that the Dove Cool Moisture Body Wash provides as a benefit. But too many pseudo-ad types think: "Let's have fun with the product. Let's have people dancing and smiling. Let's show happiness and imply that the product ultimately enhances happiness." So the problem and the product's unique solution get lost in the haze of stupid theatrics, music, costumes, Miss Piggy, and other brain dead idiot ideas--in the name of "fun."</blockquote><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">How To Produce an Advertising Concept</span><br /><br />Just look at the product.<br /><br />Look at the problem it solves.<br /><br />Look at the benefit it provides.<br /><br />Think about why people need<br />that solution or benefit.<br /><br />Think about what it's like<br />to NOT have that<br />solution or benefit.<br /><br />Think of a good way to convey how<br />the product solves the problem<br />or how it provides a benefit...<br /><br />...and why this product<br />is ideal and necessary NOW.<br /><br />[That's the hard, but fun part.]<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Streight Site Systems<br />Mentally Correct Marketing Version of a<br />Dove Cool Moisture Body Wash commercial</span><br /><br /><br />Take One:<br /><br />A guy takes a gal on a date.<br /><br />Everything is romantic and wonderful.<br /><br />He goes to brush a crumb off her bare arm.<br /><br />His hand starts bleeding, scraped by the rough skin.<br /><br />He looks in shock and horrror as the gal begins<br />to turn into a Sandpaper & Barbed Wire Monster.<br /><br />He runs for his life, dripping blood.<br /><br />Dove Moisturizing Body Wash.<br />Antidote to dangerously dry skin.<br />Soften YOUR world...with Dove.<br /><br />THE END<br /><br />You could do all sorts of things<br />to dramatize dry skin.<br /><br />Criminally dry skin.<br /><br />Monstrously dry skin.<br /><br />Embarrassingly itchy dry skin.<br /><br />Dry skin that itches at<br />inopportune moments.<br /><br />That's it.<br /><br />Dove will have to pay me<br />to learn more.<br /><br />My wife had an even better idea<br />for the commercial, but it'll<br />cost you to hear it, Dove.<br /><br />BTW, Dove shampoo, conditioner,<br />and shower gel liquid soap stuff<br />are incredible. <br /><br />I highly recommend<br />all Dove products.<br /><br />Now if only somebody would do<br />some astonishingly smart and<br />effective television commercials.<br /><br />Like EarthLink.<br /><br />Like that financial company<br />(Edward Jones, I think)<br />commercial where the therapist<br />speaks a foreign language to<br />the mental problem "client".<br /><br />(It must not be that good,<br />however, if I can't recall <br />the company name, some broker?)<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Donald Trump: <br /><br />"Mediocrity is always<br />due to laziness, <br />the refusal to go <br />the extra mile."<br /></span>steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1107464828251190072005-02-03T12:45:00.000-08:002005-02-05T02:49:12.746-08:00Selling the "Pre-sold" Customer******
<br />
<br />First, let me explain what led up to the uproar over the issue of allegedly "pre-sold" ecommerce web site visitors.
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />The Law of Promo Photos</span>
<br />
<br />In a certain internet-based forum of mutual technical assistance, and occasional heated debate, I recently read a statement that amazed me.
<br />
<br />I had stipulated in that forum that in direct marketing, it is a proven fact, based on numerous A/B split tests, that photos in advertising and sales material should show:
<br />
<br />Product.
<br />
<br />In use by customer.
<br />
<br />Solving a problem.
<br />
<br />(or)
<br />
<br />Providing a benefit.
<br />
<br />(or)
<br />
<br />Enhancing someone's life.
<br />
<br />Again: show typical users as they use the product, or obviously just finished using the product, to accomplish some specific goal.
<br />
<br />Never just show the corporate office building, or a flagship product, or the entire line of products.
<br />
<br />Those photos can come later, somewhere within the promotional/sales material, but not upfront and dominant.
<br />
<br />When Product in Use photos were tested against Product Alone photos, in measurable direct response test situations, the Product in Use photos always produced greater customer response than the Product Alone photos.
<br />
<br />There are exceptions, especially for universally known brands and products, like Coca Cola, IBM, or Madonna.
<br />
<br />For some products or services, it may be difficult or impossible to show them being used by the customer. But in most cases a little imagination, plus knowledge of the customer, is all that's needed to come up with some type of product benefit image.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Application of Promo Photo Law
<br />to Web Sites</span>
<br />
<br />I believe that this general guideline applies to web sites also.
<br />
<br />A web site performs many functions for a company.
<br />
<br />It can POTENTIALLY act as a virtual product showcase, corporate receptionist, advertising billboard, salesperson, brochure, catalog, order form processor, distribution point, PR agent, customer service department, etc.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />The Comment That
<br />Freaked Me Out</span>
<br />
<br />So, in the midst of debating these principles, my importation of database direct marketing principles into the realm of ecommerce applications at web sites, this comment occurred [paraphrased slightly, not the exact quote]:
<br />
<br />"People visit an ecommerce web site to get information about the product. They already know they need an item, so they just want to know what the site has to offer in that product line. Photos of products are sufficient. The site visitor doesn't need a full sales pitch. He or she is already sold."
<br />
<br />See that pile of hair on the floor?
<br />
<br />It's okay, believe me.
<br />
<br />I'll grow more eventually, to replace what I tore out.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />Selling and Overcoming Buyer's Remorse
<br />of "Pre-sold" Customers</span>
<br />
<br />"Pre-sold" customers visiting ecommerce web sites?
<br />
<br />That's ill considered, unintentionally negligent, and abundantly disproven.
<br />
<br />Remember the dot com bust in the 1990s?
<br />
<br />That was one of the detrimental, self-defeating assumptions that caused so many ecommerce "web presences" to sink and disappear forever.
<br />
<br />You must NEVER assume any customer or prospect is "pre-sold".
<br />
<br />They don't visit your site eager and ready to part with their hard-earned money. A certain percentage of web site visitors may be wanting to quickly pick out appropriate or desired products and proceed to the virtual check out counter...but never assume that all visitors are so disposed.
<br />
<br />Even if a web visitor is "pre-sold", what about upselling and cross-selling them? Sales pitches, of varying intensity and depth, should be taking place on an ecommerce web site.
<br />
<br />A Web Developers Virtual Library tutorial on ecommerce <a href="http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/Design/Basics/ecom1.html">shopping cart abandonment</a> "Ecommerce and Usability" by Andrew Starling:
<br />
<br />http://www.wdvl.com/Authoring/
<br />Design/Basics/ecom1.html
<br />
<br />states that up to 30% of ecommerce site shoppers abandon their shopping carts. They selected products to buy, but did not proceed to the order form to actually purchase anything.
<br />
<br />Studies have also shown that even when a person is 100% ready to buy, the mentally correct marketing strategy is to Sell Them Again, at least to reinforce their wisdom in deciding to buy your product, and to buy it now.
<br />
<br />In fact, some customers, including me sometimes, will view an ecommerce web site to gather product information and price quotes, then go to a bricks and mortar store to wheel and deal with that information as ammunition.
<br />
<br />This is a far cry from being a "pre-sold" customer visiting a web site.
<br />
<br />Then there's Buyer's Remorse.
<br />
<br />"Buyer's Remorse" is the technical term for what Selling The Already Sold Customer overcomes:
<br />
<br />**Soon after people buy any product, uncertainty assails them, and they begin to wonder if they made a huge mistake. Most medium to high level purchases are subject to this principle of Buyer's Remorse, while it rarely occurs with the purchase of candy bars or habitual purchases like cigarettes.**
<br />
<br />No matter how "pre-sold" any customer is when they walk into your store...or visit your ecommerce web site...they still desire, in most cases, to be reassured.
<br />
<br />Reassure your customers about their supposedly "pre-sold" condition. Reassure them that they have indeed made the right decision.
<br />
<br />For those customers who really are "pre-sold", provide them with detailed product comparisons to help them determine which product offering is best suited to their needs. Then give them a fast and easy route to ordering the products selected.
<br />
<br />Do your best to accommodate each customer type, but don't assume that most are "pre-sold" and don't need any reminders of value, or reassurances that their decision to buy from you is wise.
<br />
<br />This is the essence of Mentally Correct Marketing, and one of its most important principles.
<br />
<br />******************
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />EDIT UPDATE (Thursday Feb. 3, 2005 at 11:45PM):</span>
<br />
<br />I just got "flamed" on that same forum.
<br />
<br />I will not divulge the name of the forum,
<br />nor the name of the flamer.
<br />
<br />But here is my response:
<br />
<br />[________] asked me to provide sources and
<br />citations for my claims.
<br />
<br />How about WDVL web site?
<br />
<br />http://www.wdvl.com/
<br />Authoring/Design/Basics/ecom1.html
<br />
<br />An article on Ecommerce Shopping Cart Abandonment
<br />["Ecommerce and Usability" by Andrew Starling]
<br />at the Web Developer Virtual Library site states:
<br />
<br /> "...[ecommerce shopping cart abandonment statistics]
<br />are generally reported at around 30%.
<br />
<br />You don't see 30% of customers in a real supermarket
<br />abandoning their carts, so why is the figure so high
<br />on the Internet? There are many factors including
<br />security, reliability, and high shipping charges (a
<br />major influence) but another big factor is the
<br />intimidating nature of the Web. It's technical and
<br />lacks human contact."
<br />
<br />This is related to my claim that we cannot assum that
<br />visitors who go to ecommerce sites are somehow
<br />"pre-sold" and just seek product details and ordering
<br />information.
<br />
<br />That is really a wrong-headed idea.
<br />
<br />I stand by my post on Selling the "Pre-sold" Customer
<br />over at Streight Site blog, but thank you for pointing
<br />out the fact that I really should provide links to
<br />reputable sources.
<br />
<br />ConsumerWebWatch has reviewed my web sites and found
<br />them to be in compliance with their guidelines for Web
<br />Site Information Credibility, and I am listed on their
<br />site as a company that has pledged to continue to
<br />adhere to these guidelines.
<br />
<br />Have you any credentials this good?
<br />
<br />I have the advantage of many years experience in
<br />database direct response marketing, and some years as
<br />a web usability analyst and user observation test
<br />designer and administrator.
<br />
<br />I'm just a beginner at HTML, XML, network security,
<br />and other web-related issues.
<br />
<br />Most of the [_______] list folks could make me look bad
<br />quite easily and quickly on those technical issues,
<br />which I therefore avoid debating.
<br />
<br />I'm a tiny wee bit concerned to hear someone I like
<br />and respect, who sent [did me a certain favor],
<br />claim that he has:
<br />
<br />"not heard a SINGLE thing contributed to ANY
<br />conversation [I] have joined [er...I start some
<br />conversations, I'm not just a joiner or a lurker]
<br />based on ANYTHING BUT preponderance and speculation."
<br />
<br />Search the [_______] archives and see if I merely make
<br />wild statements of pure, unverifiable opinion.
<br />
<br />"preponderance"?
<br />
<br />the word means "weighs more than something else" and
<br />yes, my comments on usability, and especially database
<br />direct response marketing do "weigh more" than
<br />comments on this topic from someone who lacks such
<br />experience.
<br />
<br />I never mean to "bait" or "flame" anyone, but if I
<br />read a statement that in my professional expertise I
<br />consider wrong, or even potentially detrimental, I
<br />will speak out.
<br />
<br />---Love and German (not French) Kisses,
<br /><a href="http://www.vaspersthgrate.blogspot.com">Vaspers the Grate</a>
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EDIT UPDATE (Friday, Feb.4, 2005 at 10:34 AM)</span>
<br />
<br />
<br />My beloved flamer had to respond to my [flame response] post in the forum.
<br />
<br />Though he's a web designer/developer, he said he went to Consumer Reports WebWatch and was unable to find me listed on their site. I'm not going to take him by the hand and teach him how to navigate a web site.
<br />
<br />He asked what on earth is "database direct marketing" and if I'm one of those people that call him on the phone in the middle of his dinner. Well, at least he has a sense of humor. But if he doesn't know what "database direct marketing" is, he should find out for himself.
<br />
<br />He insists on mentioning, by first name even, the person whose statement he claim I have horribly mangled, misrepresented, and used in an "inflammatory" manner.
<br />
<br />Well, the person said words to the effect (I refrain from giving exact quote, to make it harder to trace, because I don't want to embarrass the person) that visitors to an ecommerce web site are already "pre-sold" and don't need any sales pitch, just details about the product line and instructions on how to order.
<br />
<br />He, as many flamers tend to do, avoids direct discussion of the ecommerce and "pre-sold" customers issue. I guess he knows it is indefensible and outrageous.
<br />
<br />Instead, he attacks my credentials, my expertise, my supposedly wild speculations. This is a common ploy that I'm used to encountering in online debates.
<br />
<br />He also, and I had to chuckle heartily on this one, asked who I was, since all he could see was "a collection of free blogs."
<br />
<br />So now he wants a list of all my clients, and all the web sites I've helped to improve via usability analysis and user observation testing? Sorry, he's just not worth the trouble to go into all that. But I could, if I deemed it truly important to do so.
<br />
<br />He also has not been initiated into my esoteric faith, what I refer to as the doctrine of Zero Budget Marketing, a slightly revolutionary concept based on:
<br />
<br />"What can a company do with zero, or near-zero expenditure of funds? And if a lot can be done with virtually no budget, just think what might be done with decent or merely average funding of a program!"
<br />
<br />I will be posting an article soon here on my theory and implementation of Zero Budget Marketing.
<br />
<br />As much as I enjoy lively discussion, passionately held beliefs, and dedication to facts obtained via long professional experience and rigorous research work, I feel I should not make any more replies.
<br />
<br />Sometimes self-defense and explanation is appropriate. Other times, it just makes you look pathetic and overly concerned about being perceived as "right" about something.
<br />
<br />Love and combative generosity,
<br /><a href="http://www.vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com">Vaspers the Grate</a>
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />EDIT UPDATE (Friday, Feb. 4, 2005 at 11:30 AM)</span>
<br />
<br />At the forum, someone expressed his habit of going to ecommerce web sites knowing exactly what product he wants, thus he is "pre-sold".
<br />
<br />He was so happy that others are proclaiming that ecommerce web site visitors are "pre-sold". His expression of delight and relief was odd.
<br />
<br />Perhaps he has grown to hate sales and marketing. Maybe he's shy and passive, and has been chumped by unscrupulous, slick, aggressive sales people in the past.
<br />
<br />Maybe he doesn't know much about sales and marketing, thus resents being told that ecommerce web sites must incorporate such knowledge, knowledge he is not adept at.
<br />
<br />Who knows?
<br />
<br />He claims, or maybe I should more accurately say, he seems to think perhaps that he is typical of most ecommerce web site visitors.
<br />
<br />Doubtful.
<br />
<br />His anecdotal evidence may be true for him in most of his ecommerce experiences, but I question if his experience is typical for most ecommerce site visitors.
<br />
<br />I press this point, because of how important it is for ecommerce site owners to decide upon the expected nature of visitors to their site.
<br />
<br />Ecommerce is about intelligent, appropriate sales messages, not "here's our stuff, and here's the order form."
<br />
<br />Here's my recent reply to this thread at the online forum...
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />[Me]:
<br />
<br />"Then try this experiment:
<br />
<br />Set up an ecommerce site that assumes that *all or
<br />most* visitors are "pre-sold" and need no solid
<br />explanations of the benefits and great features of
<br />your products.
<br />
<br />See how profitable it is, compared to another version
<br />of the site that assumes that *all or most* visitors
<br />can bear to be exposed to a stronger, but appropriate,
<br />marketing message explaining or at least listing the
<br />benefits and great features of your products.
<br />
<br />This idea of an ecommerce web site being simply a
<br />"digital brochure" or "online catalog" with little or
<br />no marketing or sales strategy is not only old
<br />fashioned presumption, but is largely responsible for
<br />the dot com bust of the 1990s:
<br />
<br />...thinking "if I just have an online presence,
<br />customers will flock to it and buy my products
<br />online".
<br />
<br />There are many reasons for shopping cart abandonment
<br />and for the fact that most web visitors bail out of a
<br />site within 1-2 page views and within 10 seconds.
<br />
<br />But assuming the "pre-sold" nature of web visitors is
<br />a fallacy that contributes to failure."
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />[NOTE: Now watch them swarm that statement of "bail out of a site within 1-2 page views and within 10 seconds". This will probably offend them as web designers, some of whom can't bear to think of anybody not being awed by their site designs.
<br />
<br />If they are typical flamers, they'll attack at what they think is the weakest point of my argument, not knowing all the reputable internet research statistics that support the statements.]
<br />
<br />
<br />Love and debatable debacles,
<br /><a href="http://www.vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com">Vaspers the Grate</a>steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1107288235574780012005-02-01T11:31:00.000-08:002005-02-02T12:45:11.156-08:00Any Idiot Can Innovate*****
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />What is innovation?</span>
<br />
<br />First, consider the fact that the human mind, by intrinsic nature, hates excessive conformity and overbearing tradition. "Variety is the spice of life", they say. It's been proven.
<br />
<br />I once ran across a university study that consisted of a tape playing during a party. One word was repeated over and over again. At a certain point, all the people at the party thought a different word was being repeated.
<br />
<br />Their minds manufactured variety where none existed.
<br />
<br />Sensory deprivation experiments on human subjects produce hallucinations. Where no sensory input exists, the mind manufactures its own.
<br />
<br />I will hunt down the actual URLs to verify these facts for you, put them into an EDIT UPDATE at the end of this post, later, so I remain credible in all my statements, and I hope I can easily find links to this info.
<br />
<br />But for now, think about how the mind revolts against excessively static environments.
<br />
<br />I could go on about this topic, but I don't want your mind to rebel against my repetition of a fact, thus proving my own point in an auto-reflexive boomerang ironic paradox.
<br />
<br />This issue of variety has direct bearing on the issue of innovation.
<br />
<br />
<br />Innovation means:
<br />
<br />new
<br />bizarre
<br />clever
<br />creative
<br />non-conformist
<br />crazy
<br />"different" (i.e., weird)
<br />obvious, but neglected
<br />imaginative
<br />inventive
<br />idiosyncratic
<br />unfairly rejected
<br />overlooked
<br />seemingly absurd
<br />abnormal
<br />unexpected
<br />
<br />ways of satisfying the needs of customers.
<br />
<br />Innovation is extremely easy.
<br />
<br />Any idiot can innovate. That's right. You heard it here first. It doesn't take a genius to be innovative. It actually requires bravery, independence, anti-medicrity, and a slight touch of silliness sometimes.
<br />
<br />This is so important, I'll say it again:
<br />
<br />Any idiot can innovate. It's so blasted easy, it's pathetic.
<br />
<br />It's like "stealing" candy from a basket with a sign that says, "Free. Help yourself."
<br />
<br />Innovation is based on the laws of creativity that have been defined and explained by much more articulate persons than your humble blogger. But allow me to recap two of them:
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />Creativity: Laws #1 and #2</span>
<br />
<br />1. Opposites.
<br />
<br />* Tiny boombox televisions to wide screen televisions.
<br />
<br />* Sour candy to liquid meat (protein shake drinks).
<br />
<br />* Slow static new age drones (Biosphere) to fast techno rave beats (Squarepusher).
<br />
<br />* Tight slacks to baggy jeans.
<br />
<br />
<br />2. New combinations and applications.
<br />
<br />* Marketing techniques for churches.
<br />
<br />* Text messaging, typing into a telephone.
<br />
<br />* Microwaves to heat food and to transmit information from remote control to tv.
<br />
<br />* Virtual simulations of musical instruments.
<br />
<br />* Pimp bragging to rap music.
<br />
<br />* Classical music played on balloons and bicycles (PDQ Bach).
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Since I love electonic music, allow me a bit of self-indulgence as I speak briefly about innovative music.
<br />
<br />The artist calling himself SQUAREPUSHER (real name, Tom Jenkinson) is a case in point.
<br />
<br />All I know is that, according to reviews displayed at the Barnes & Noble web site, Tom Jenkinson, aka SQUAREPUSHER, used to play some variety of jazz music, then shifted into "drums and bass", aka "drills and bass", aka "jungle beat" electronic dance music. Then he evolved into "fragmented break beat", where typical dance club beats are interrupted and distorted.
<br />
<br />Now, in his 2002 release, a double CD entitled "Do You Know Squarepusher", he is emulating the pioneers of electro-acoustic music and musique concrete: Vladimir Ussachesky, Edgard Varese, Pierre Henry, Pierre Schaeffer, Stockhausen, John Cage, Pauline Oliveros, Oskar Sala, etc.
<br />
<br />His music still contains elements of "fragmented break beat" and "drill and bass", but some selections are flat out synthesizer violence, shimmering shattering sine waves and oscillation aggressivity, long loud explosive waves of electronic doom.
<br />
<br />It's experimenting with the opposite of new age slow chord change/static simplicity type music, and I like "Do You Know Squarepusher" CD a lot.
<br />
<br />Some tracks are mellow, murky, strange reverberation music, but most of this CD is frenzied bizzaro splendor, with vocal mutilations and loopy disorientation methodology.
<br />
<br />"F-Train" is one track where he seems to be reading a poetic manifesto on action discrepancy, anomoly, telemetry, swans songs colliding, disability, electrocution integration...like a digital age beatnick...whilst cool electonic noise swirl overhead and weave in and out like a drunken space shuttle.
<br />
<br />The second CD is Alive in Japan July 2001 and it goes nuts with really wild harsh, uncontrolled electronic noise bursts and sound pattern corruptions.
<br />
<br />All SQUAREPUSHER did was combine club break beat with early electro-acoustic and musique concrete styles, plus radical noise band aesthetics, add his own personal idiosyncrasies and moods, and voila!-- musical innovation.
<br />
<br />In his "Ultravisitor" CD of 2004, he even has a track called "Iambic 9 Poetry" (instrumental) in which soft pretty guitar is accompanied by techno type rhythms...but the beats are played on acoustic drums, with clicking drum sticks together, and NOT with the standard, expected **electronic** drum machines.
<br />
<br />This use of acoustic, human hands hitting the skins with wooden sticks type drums, instead of electronic, programmed drum machine modules, is very surprising and a nice turn of events, something different and unthought of.
<br />
<br />Different and, until he did it, unthought of. Innovation.
<br />
<br />SQUAREPUSHER (Tom Jenkinson) is no idiot.
<br />
<br />But neither is he a true, original, rare genius.
<br />
<br />Perhaps, in the near future, he shall indeed dazzle us with unimaginable genius.
<br />
<br />But for now, his music, as of 2002-2004, is innovation in the musical realm.
<br />
<br />If you can think...
<br />
<br />If you can dream...
<br />
<br />If you can challenge tradition...
<br />
<br />If you can turn things
<br />inside out and
<br />upside down...
<br />
<br />If you despise mediocrity...
<br />
<br />If you like the "weird" and unusual...
<br />
<br />If you seek an "edge" over competitors...
<br />
<br />If you seek a "refreshment" or
<br />"increased morale" in your firm...
<br />
<br />If you want to make a name
<br />for yourself, while providing
<br />new product advances,
<br />
<br />for the good
<br />of all mankind...
<br />
<br />You CAN innovate!
<br />
<br />Get up and innovate something today.
<br />
<br />
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1106462306944045882005-01-22T23:27:00.000-08:002005-01-22T22:38:26.946-08:00Vanity Blogs of Random Personal Thoughts are Doomed*****
<br />Why do I predict that Vanity Blogs of Random Personal Thoughts are "doomed" and will one day soon no longer exist?
<br />
<br />Because:
<br />
<br />1. These blogs are boring
<br />
<br />2. These bloggers (blog authors) will not have the stamina, the energy, to keep writing on and on and on, while no one visits their blog and if by some miracle they do get a visitor, that visitor won't bother to leave a comment.
<br />
<br />Since these "digital diary" bloggers talk a lot but have nothing to say, how can anyone really respond to their blog via a comment. A comment? A comment on what? On nothing? Okay....
<br />
<br />
<br />Here's what I copied and pasted from an actual blog entitled (charmingly and creatively enough) "My Life":
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />[POST TITLE]: Confused..
<br />
<br />
<br />Never feel so confused before... Now I don't seem to know what I want... or worst what I feel.. Feel like my past is haunting me n my future is pressuring me... God... can u enlighten me in someway or another...Nobody knows bout my past two years... they may know it by the surface... but the real impact of my last two years still remain a secret... A secret I really hope to reveal to someone I hold dearly to...Someday... maybe I'll...
<br />
<br />Went out today... it's was fun I must admit... but it added a lot to my thoughts.. like... What was I doing?? What was I longing for?? Am I looking for something?? or worst... someone?? What is it?? Why is it so hard for me to know.. Am I drown in my own emotion...or am I blinded by the light.... I need an answer ... n I need it fast... Too many sleepless night... Too many tears... I'm a confused soul... Longing to be found...
<br />
<br />I know I need to calm down... no one can help me except me alone... but how calm is calm... n how will I know when the answer finally arrive... Will it ring a bell... or will knock... will I miss it... or will I see it... I'm too worried to know... But I think I'm too scared to know... I need to go for a heart operation... I need a new heart... this heart is worthless now... it's trying to wonder off alone.... but I'm too scare to follow it... scare to be hurt once more... I know life is all bout risking... but I've risk much for the last two years... n I've lost all... All that is important to me... My ego..my reputation..my feelings n my soul.... They are coming back to me now... I know the are.. I'm just too scare to let them go again... too scare to try...
<br />
<br />Well... I hope things will be clearer as time passes by... I have faith it will... What is mine will be mine... My ego.. my reputation... my feelings n my heart... it'll all come back... back to me... so that I may once again risk ....I need to rest my thoughts....I'm...too...confused
<br />
<br />posted by Mei Yin @ 10:30 PM
<br />1 Comments:
<br />
<br /> *
<br />
<br /> At 10:25 PM, Steven Streight said…
<br />
<br /> Suggested upcoming post titles:
<br />
<br /> Bored
<br /> Troubled
<br /> Worried
<br /> Worried Sick
<br /> Lethargic
<br /> Deleting This Blog Due to My Not Having Anything to Say
<br /> About Anything Important and Worth Reading
<br />
<br />
<br />While I don't mean to hurt anybody's feelings, blogs like this are cluttering the webscape.
<br />
<br />They have a right to create any blog they want and write anything they want on their blog. But did they ever consider how impolite and selfish it is to take up space on a server and on the internet with such rubbish?
<br />
<br />Vanity blogs are doomed. Very few people have stacks and stacks of print medium diaries or journals. Generally, people just keep a journal or diary for a short period of time, like during some crisis, tragedy, or transition, then stop and move on with their lives.
<br />
<br />Thus, vanity chatterboxing blogs won't exist forever. People will stop maintaining them and stop creating them. The sooner, the better.
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1106123290410834052005-01-18T23:37:00.000-08:002005-01-19T02:00:08.346-08:00Slogan Slogging for Enhanced Creativity *****
<br />
<br />It's time to share a little secret of mine with all my beloved fans.
<br />
<br />This is a little exercise in creativity, a way to train your mind to think outside the brainwashing box.
<br />
<br />It's a simple deconstruction technique that has been used, but maybe never defined, by advertisers and salespeople for ages.
<br />
<br />Ever heard of "slogan <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=slogging">slogging</a>" aka "proverb busting" aka "motto mangling" aka "topsy turveying"?
<br />
<br />Of course you haven't. I invented those terms myself and have, to date, never really revealed them to anyone in any serious exposition.
<br />
<br />It's fun, safe, and provides hours of diversion for the whole family. All it takes is a little imagination, boredom, and contempt for conformist group think.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Step-by-Step Guide to Slogan Slogging</span>
<br />
<br />Here's how it works:
<br />
<br />1. Select a commonly accepted, oft repeated phrase that bugs you.
<br />
<br />2. Now, start changing words in the phrase. Show no mercy. Warp and distort at will. Try reversing the meaning or expanding the intention. Or re-craft the phrase as a reply to the one who used it. (See Example 5)
<br />
<br />3. Next, re-write the phrase retaining all the demolishing and mutations. Voila! you got yourself a slogged slogan. Congratulations!
<br />
<br />4. Finally, start using the mangled motto as often as possible, forcing it aggressively into conversations and email messages.
<br />
<br />5. Someday, eventually, someone will get tired of your busted proverb and will turn it upside down or inside out, perhaps reverting back to the original statement. This cannot be helped or avoided, since it's beyond your control.
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Examples of Slogan Slogging:</span>
<br />
<br />
<br />In case you didn't quite follow clearly what I described above, let's look at some real world samples of slogans I've slogged.
<br />
<br />I'm not trying, in these examples, to create real advertising slogans, but to just show you the process.
<br />
<br />This process may come in handy when you're trying to come up with ideas for product names, sales material, marketing strategies, etc.
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #1 </span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "Today is the first day of the rest of your life."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "Yesterday was the last day of the past of your life."
<br />
<br />Okay, that was a technique called Topsy Turveying: standing the statement on its head, turning it in the opposite direction.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />EXAMPLE #2</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "Two heads are better than one."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "Two hands are better than one thousand."
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />EXAMPLE #3</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "If you can't beat em, join em."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "If you can't join em, start your own club."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #4</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "It's raining."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "What's raining?"
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />EXAMPLE #5</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "Same difference."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan, as distorted feedback]: "But different sameness."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #6</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "There must be a reason for it."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "There must be an id for reason."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #7</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "What's up?"
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan, as technical answer disguised as inquiry]: "What's the opposite of down?"
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />EXAMPLE #8</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "Be the change you want to see in the world."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "Change the world, you want to be in the sea."
<br />
<br />[Alternate Slogan Slog]: "See the bee you want to change in the world."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #9</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "God helps those who help themselves."
<br />
<br />(According to a recent survey, this is the favorite Bible verse of Americans, but it's not in the Bible, so I can safely slog it.)
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "God heals those who hurt themselves."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #10</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "I think, therefore I am."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "I think I am, therefore I think."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #11</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "If the human mind was simple enough to understand, we'd be too simple to understand it."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "If the simple understand was human enough to mind, understand: we'd be too human to mind it."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #12</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "I have mixed feelings about it."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "I have felt mixings about it."
<br />
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">EXAMPLE #13</span>
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "When it rains, it pours."
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "When it pains, it's sores."
<br />
<br />
<br />EXAMPLE #14
<br />
<br />[Original Slogan]: "What's the sound of one hand clapping?"
<br />
<br />(Supposedly anti-logic Zen koan devised to demonstrate how the mental understanding is limited and word play can supposedly stymie the mind. I disagree. I believe the mind is more than words, though I'm using words to convey this.)
<br />
<br />[Slogged Slogan]: "What's the point of one hand shaking?"
<br />
<br />[Alternate Slogan Slog in the form of a reasoned reply]: "Since one is half of two, the sound of one hand clapping is half the sound of two hands clapping."
<br />
<br />[Alternate Slogan Slog in the form of a seasoned supply]: "Whoosh. Whoosh." (sound of one hand slapping the empty air.)
<br />
<br />
<br />Okay.
<br />
<br />That's enough for now.
<br />
<br />You've got the hang of it, right?
<br />
<br />Okay, good.
<br />
<br />Now it's your turn.
<br />
<br />Go ahead.
<br />
<br />Slog a slogan.
<br />
<br />This is how you can come up with advertising slogans and headlines and product names.
<br />
<br />By putting a new twist on an old saying.
<br />
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1104631008912926492005-01-01T17:35:00.000-08:002005-01-01T18:07:02.760-08:00Products That Market Themselves*****
<br />
<br />Here's anecdotal evidence to demonstrate
<br />how some products can market themselves.
<br />
<br />If you visit the <a href="http://www.kswiss.com">K-Swiss</a> tennis shoe
<br />web site at www.kswiss.com
<br />you'll discover, in their <a href="http://www.kswiss.com/cgi-bin/kswiss/store/about.html?id=AHP2sGEz">About K-Swiss</a>
<br />page, that they "do not pay
<br />millions of dollars to" athletes
<br />or sports stars to endorse their products.
<br />
<br />This is revolutionary news.
<br />
<br />The K-Swiss company tells shoppers
<br />that one pair of their shoes will
<br />convince you to become a loyal customer.
<br />
<br />They ask you to put your own
<br />"spin" on the shoes and their quality.
<br />
<br />It's absolutely true.
<br />
<br />Once you own a pair, you are hooked.
<br />
<br />I bought a pair of "Classic" style
<br />K-Swiss flat bottom leather tennis
<br />shoes several years ago.
<br />
<br />I wish I could tell you exactly
<br />how long ago, but I think it was
<br />about 6 years ago.
<br />
<br />They would not die.
<br />
<br />They did not fall apart.
<br />
<br />I walked the daylights out of them.
<br />
<br />I mowed the grass wearing them.
<br />
<br />I walked 4 to 10 miles at a time.
<br />
<br />I tromped through snow and mud.
<br />
<br />They got soaked, then dried harshly
<br />in the heat of my apartment.
<br />
<br />They maintained their integrity.
<br />
<br />Eventually, the rubber soles were so
<br />worn, I had to buy a new pair.
<br />
<br />The leather upper portion of the shoes
<br />was scuffed and stained, but not
<br />compromised, not torn, no holes,
<br />no unravelling of thread, nothing.
<br />
<br />The stitches stayed stitched.
<br />
<br />The leather remained intact.
<br />
<br />I actually considered giving them
<br />a decent burial, they seemed so much
<br />like dear, faithful friends.
<br />
<br />I was now a fiercely loyal lifetime
<br />evangelist of the K-Swiss brand shoe.
<br />
<br />Today I bought a new pair of K-Swiss
<br />white leather "low" cut (free ankle)
<br />"Kendis" style tennis shoes.
<br />
<br />Only $49.
<br />
<br />Other brands were on sale, but
<br />I didn't bother wasting my time.
<br />
<br />I knew what brand I wanted: K-Swiss.
<br />
<br />When I tried them on, instantly
<br />they felt cushy, luxuriously good.
<br />
<br />They felt sturdy and balanced.
<br />
<br />They look very sharp.
<br />
<br />I will tell everyone I know about
<br />how much I like K-Swiss shoes.
<br />
<br />No other brand of tennis shoe
<br />interests me in the slightest.
<br />
<br />I wrote an email to K-Swiss
<br />customer service telling them
<br />what I've divulged in this post.
<br />
<br />The K-Swiss shoes market themselves.
<br />
<br />This is the essence of
<br />Mentally Correct Marketing.
<br />
<br />Produce a product that is so good
<br />and so reasonably priced, they
<br />sell themselves via word of mouth.
<br />
<br />Try on a pair of K-Swiss shoes.
<br />You won't want to take them off.
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1102615242065835102004-12-09T09:32:00.000-08:002004-12-09T10:04:42.386-08:00Test Your Instructions With UsersI'm not in a good mood and there's a reason for it.
<br />
<br />I just spent over 5 hours mucking around with installing a popular software program, actually an upgrade/renewal of a subscription to a service, and it should have taken less than 2 hours.
<br />
<br />Why the extra 3 hours?
<br />
<br />Somebody forgot or refused to test actual average typical users on the download instructions.
<br />
<br />There are complex instructions, with many "if this occurs, it MAY BE due to (whatever), so you MAY TRY clicking on this, then this screen SHOULD appear, and then you should click on (whatever)"--totally worthless user guidance
<br />
<br />The instructions were wrong most of the time. Certain functions to click on did NOT appear on the screens. Certain events did NOT occur as predicted in the instructions. Many things had no relation whatsoever to reality. Bogus.
<br />
<br />Who approved these worthless yet complex instructions?
<br />
<br />One thing's certain: the instructions were not field tested with users.
<br />
<br />The software upgrade/renewal had to go through these phases:
<br />
<br />1. Website Contact via Browser
<br />2. Download
<br />3. Install
<br />4. Activate
<br />5. Refresh via Computer Re-start
<br />6. Operate (allow the software to scan and perform its functions)
<br />
<br />I really like the company and their superior quality product.
<br />
<br />I trust the company.
<br />
<br />I will not even consider any competitive products.
<br />
<br />But the Customer Service is rotten, horrible, ridiculous.
<br />
<br />Another case of asinine Outshore Outsourcing strikes again.
<br />
<br />First, the online instructions are a nightmarish mess.
<br />
<br />Next, the toll free 800 Customer Service is manned by people seemingly in India or Pakistan, and while I love both of these countries and wish them no harm, the Customer Service representatives CANNOT CORRECTLY PRONOUNCE ENGLISH WORDS.
<br />
<br />"Status" was garbled into STAY TUSS, sounding like SLAVE BUS or something. I explained that I pronounced it STA (A as in "AT" and "BACK") TUSS. I tried to be polite and patient. I feel sorry for these poor workers who are improperly trained by the ignorant American corporations.
<br />
<br />I predict that Offshore Outsourcing is Corporate Suicide, and it will play a major role in the irreversible decline of the United States.
<br />
<br />Offshore Outsourcing will enable China and the European Union to rise to global dominance, usurping the USA. Maybe we deserve to devolve into a third rate republic. Judging by American corporate customer service, I'd say we're shooting ourselves in the foot so we can hobble around like Oedipus, only to be blinded by the light of the truth.
<br />
<br />You must TEST your instructions and procedures on actual representative users.
<br />
<br />Too many companies seem to be throwing up instructions on their web sites, in manuals, in software, etc. without knowing if anyone outside their offices can figure out the damn things.
<br />
<br />This is a user-hostile attitude.
<br />
<br />This is Psycho Narcissistic Pseudo-Capitalism, based on selfish negligence.
<br />
<br />My post on "Customer Service IS a Profit Center" needs to be heeded.
<br />
<br />My post on "Dumbing Down vs. Simplicity" over at my Vaspers the Grate web usability blog needs to be heeded.
<br />
<br />Common sense and decency are all it takes to understand that companies cannot merely assume that instructions are followable.
<br />
<br />Just because the instructions make some degree of sense to the writer, designer, and manager does not mean that the market, user base, audience is going to be successful with them.
<br />
<br />How many sales and repeat business are lost due to this crucial step in the implementation of a product?
<br />
<br />Bosses should not be allowed to test anything.
<br />
<br />Your only testers should be typical users, average customers, of your product. Test them with no coaching, no added explanations, just the raw instructions provided on the web site, or in the manual or software. steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1101874573920946892004-11-30T19:40:00.000-08:002004-11-30T20:46:11.316-08:00Thinking Outside the Brainwashing BoxMentally Correct Marketing consists of Thinking Outside the Brainwashing Box.
<br />
<br />Here are some examples:
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">* IMPEITY</span>
<br />
<br />A church serves communion...with oyster crackers. You know, those little oval crackers you put in chilli. It makes you want to laugh, or knock them out of the usher's hand and crush them underfoot, whilst loudly proclaiming, "That's it. I can't stand any more disrespect and sacrilege."
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">
<br />* SAME OLD STORY</span>
<br />
<br />Notice all the resignations in the United States government, secretary of this and secretary of that, and now the head of Homeland Security? And what is the reason they're giving? "I want to spend more time with my family."
<br />
<br />How stupid and blindly obedient do these chumps think we are?
<br />
<br />We know they didn't suddenly turn into family lovers.
<br />
<br />Why can't they be honest and say, "It's not fun anymore" or "Honestly folks, I'm burnt out" or "I'm not the right person for this job. I'm interested in pursuing more lucrative private sector work"?
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">* BLOG ATTACKERS RESIGN</span>
<br />
<br />It's funny to see the big mainstream media chumps resign right after being exposed as liars, incompetent journalists, and political hacks.
<br />
<br />It's also funny to note that their resignations occur right after they got together in a little pow wow and condemned the "bloggers sitting at their computers in pajamas" as though what a blogger wears has something to do with their credibility.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">* THE VIOXXING OF AMERICA</span>
<br />
<br />We have to think for ourselves when it comes to health products and services.
<br />
<br />The pharmaceutical companies, many doctors and medical associations, and perhaps the liquor industry, are against the legalization of medical or recreational marihuana.
<br />
<br />This is bad news for sufferers who gain no relief from "orthodox" mainstream medical practice.
<br />
<br />The anti-drug groups express fears that people will abuse marihuana, but fail to notice all the abuse of allergy medicine, prescription pain killers, etc., and the massive doping of children with Ritalin, Prozac, and Dexedrine, as a "cure" for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.
<br />
<br />I think the children need less television, no video games, healthier diets, more outdoor exercise, and more compassionate discipline, not "mood drugs".
<br />
<br />The recreational drug solution is simple and obvious: make any drug or alcohol related crime more punitive.
<br />
<br />Be less forgiving as a society when someone causes damage or injury when intoxicated by anything, from sugared/fatty junk food to heroin.
<br />
<br />The message would then be: if you get intoxicated, don't drive or operate heavy machinery or do anything that could endanger yourself or others.
<br />
<br />But don't make the intoxication itself a crime...
<br />
<br />...unless you want to make gluttony a crime, since overeating and poor diets result in higher health care costs and personal problems of obesity and increased health risks.
<br />
<br />Vioxx has proven, along with other medicines that were sold then banned, that we cannot trust the FDA or doctors or the greedy pharmaceutical industry.
<br />
<br />We can appreciate the good these groups do, but we must be wary of their imperfections and even sinister agendas.
<br />
<br />It seems to me that marihuana is condemned largely due to how growing a simple plant in your garden or attic would result in huge financial losses to pharmaceutical companies. The side effects and "dangers" of marihuana pale in comparison to many other "approved" medicines.
<br />
<br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">* MUSIC TORTURE AT CAMP X-RAY</span>
<br />
<br />How funny it is to hear that prisoners in G-Bay, Cuba, suspected terrorists, are being tortured with loud, incessant rap music.
<br />
<br />There's nothing funny about torture, and the USA is supposed to be more civilized and moral than our terrorist enemies.
<br />
<br />When people say, "They deserve it, they're terrorists, they want to kill more Americans, they are less than human" it makes me shudder.
<br />
<br />That kind of talk is not patriotic, not representative of true American values.
<br />
<br />We cannot fight the Taliban by becoming like the Taliban. If we become just as nasty, barbaric, and immoral as our enemies, do we deserve to win?
<br />
<br />But what is funny to me is the use of rap music. To me, rap music is torture. Not black music per se, I like soul music.
<br />
<br />And some forms of rock, dinosaur rock, outmoded bands that stick to plain old rock and roll or heavy/death metal, like AC/DC, Metallica, growl and scream bands, or Aerosmith, they're torture, too.
<br />
<br />I wonder if any of the still living rap artists, the ones who haven't shot or stabbed each other, have anything to say about being labeled "torture" to listen to?
<br />
<br />I suggest we use opera music. That's even more torturous than rap or old fashioned rock music.
<br />
<br />But we must not use any music in an inhumane manner. Just enough to make them confess.
<br />
<br />To be forced to listen to gangster rap, heavy metal, growl'n'scream punk, or operatic music 24 hours a day, seven days a week...well, that's a fate worse than death.
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1100857940310622362004-11-19T01:48:00.000-08:002004-11-19T01:55:26.186-08:00Content Hypertext Spam*****
<br />
<br />IT HAPPENED AGAIN.
<br />
<br />Yes, precious fans, I've stumbled onto another horrible development on the web. This is so awful, I'm posting the exact same post on this site that I posted on Vaspers the Grate, my web usability blog.
<br />
<br />This is too much. The internet is getting worse every day. Dig this...
<br />
<br />*****
<br />
<br /><strong>COMMENT HYPERTEXT SPAM</strong>
<br />
<br />Well, I thought that "Comment Spam" was the worst thing that ever happened to blogs and interactive functions of web sites.
<br />
<br />Boy, was I wrong. There's something worse.
<br />
<br />I call it "Content Hypertext Spam." Others refer to it as IntelliTXT, from Vibrant Media, the provider company that offers this "product" to dumb webmasters.
<br />
<br />You know I never attack a company or a product. But this time, I'm making an exception, though I'm going to concentrate on the concept, more than the supplier.
<br />
<br /><strong>What is "Content Hypertext Spam"?</strong>
<br />
<br />Let's say you're at some web site.
<br />
<br />You skimmed, skipped, and scanned until you found an item of interest, an article on a topic of concern to you personally or professionally.
<br />
<br />You start reading this article.
<br />
<br />You enjoy it. You're learning some valuable facts.
<br />
<br />You see a blue, underlined word or phrase in the text.
<br />
<br />You're no dummy.
<br />
<br />You know that text is clickable/selectable.
<br />
<br />You click/select it, hoping to be taken to another online resource that will explain in more detail some aspect of the topic discussed in the article.
<br />
<br />WRONG.
<br />
<br />You just navigated to a web site that wants to sell you something.
<br />
<br />Some product that is probably totally unrelated to the topic or issue discussed in the article.
<br />
<br />Ladies and gentlemen, may I have the distinct pleasure of introducing you to:
<br />
<br /><strong>CONTENT HYPERTEXT SPAM.</strong>
<br />
<br />Every time an unsuspecting user clicks on/selects such a deceptive link, the web site owner/webmaster gets some money from the advertiser.
<br />
<br /><strong>HOVER STATE WARNING: You will know it's Content Hypertext Spam, prior to clicking on/selecting the link, because a box will pop up, like a tool tip, when you hover your cursor over the text. The box will contain a headline like "SPONSORED LINK", a paragraph of descriptive text, and a URL (web address) to click on/select.</strong>
<br />
<br />What you thought was a legitimate hypertext link, was actually a Hidden Advertisement.
<br />
<br />This is Spam...hidden in Content...and disguised as a Hypertext Link.
<br />
<br />Content Hypertext Spam goes far beyond simple Comment Spam.
<br />
<br />To be bothered or led astray by Comment Spam, you have to read an article, then activate "Read Comments" (navigate to comment posting page of web site), then read the Comment Spam, then stupidly click on/select the spammy, possibly dangerous URL contained within the (usually irrelevant) comment.
<br />
<br />With Content Hypertext Spam, all you have to do to be annoyed or misled by this spam is innocently read an article and click on/select a linkable bit of text.
<br />
<br /><strong>Content Hypertext Spam by IntelliTXT is "Spam" because it is:</strong>
<br />
<br />1. unsolicited advertising
<br />
<br />2. commercial in nature
<br />
<br />3. disruptive of content path
<br />
<br />4. irrelevant to topic of article
<br />
<br />5. irrelevant to purpose of online resource
<br />
<br />6. deceptive (pretends to be relevant content, but is really an ad)
<br />
<br />7. destination is AWAY from topic, rather than TOWARD relevant information
<br />
<br />8. harmful to editorial integrity
<br />
<br />9. damaging to credibility of online resources in general
<br />
<br />10. violates user expectations of link destinations and how links work
<br />
<br />11. blurs distinction between editorial content and advertising
<br />
<br />12. voluntarily, knowingly incorporated into web site content by webmaster, but users are in the dark about what the links really are (clandestine marketing ploy)
<br />
<br />13. the link spam could target more words than the webmaster anticipated, thus making webmaster an object of ridicule and distrust
<br />
<br />14. can result in users never returning to site and they'll start warning others: resulting in negative word of mouth advertising against you
<br />
<br /><strong>How You Can Combat Content Hypertext Spam:</strong>
<br />
<br />Add *.intellitxt.com to your restricted sites list.
<br />
<br />Depart from, and never return to, any online resource, web site, or blog, that contains Content Hypertext Spam.
<br />
<br />Contact the webmaster and complain about the deceptive Content Hypertext Spam.
<br />
<br /><strong>MORE INFO</strong>
<br />
<br />For more insight into this new form of internet trash, please see:
<br />
<br /><a href="http://marketingworks.juliahyde.com/2004/06/vibrant_medias_.html">Marketing Works-Julia Hyde </a>"Vibrant Media's IntelliTXT--the next generation of annoying online advertising"
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.editorsweblog.org/2004/08/news_sites_new_.html">Editors Weblog.org</a> "News Sites: new risks of confusion between ads and contents"
<br />
<br /><a href="http://www.wired.com/news/business/0,1367,64611,00.html">Wired.com</a> "This Headline is Not For Sale"
<br /> steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1099112819474616522004-10-29T23:04:00.000-07:002004-10-29T22:22:45.970-07:00Comment Spammers: Internet Pigs and How They Feed<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/1.14.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/1.11.jpg'></a><br />internet pigs and how they feed <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />*****
<br />
<br /><strong>NOTICE: This is an exact copy of today's Vaspers the Grate web usability blog post. This topic is so important to users, blog and web site administrators, and the entire internet, I felt it needed maximum readership.</strong>
<br />
<br /><strong>ABSTRACT (SUMMARY): </strong>Comment spam is irrelevant, unethical, offensive, or unwanted, typically commercial, message propagation on comment posting pages of blogs and web sites.
<br />
<br />Comment spam is invading every interactive and community building functionality on the internet.
<br />
<br />Here's what you need to do to protect yourself, and to help stop this unprecedented attack by these "internet pigs."
<br />
<br /><strong>PERSONAL AGENDA:</strong> Comment spammers killed one of the best blog directories, Blizg, which enabled bloggers to paste meta-tags into their templates.
<br />
<br />Comment spammers are killing my favorite art magazine discussion forum. It's time to launch a savage techno/psychological assault on these depraved idiots.
<br />
<br />*****
<br />
<br />If you operate or regularly visit internet discussion forms hosted by online magazines or professional organizations, I'm sure you've seen this foul predator.
<br />
<br />If you operate or regularly visit blogs, I'm sure you've encountered this disgusting fiend.
<br />
<br />Comment spam!
<br />
<br />You know--you're interested in a question, issue, or idea being discussed online. You click on (select) the "thread" (topic) and begin to read. You enjoy good user-generated content, which enriches the value of this web site.
<br />
<br />Fascinating.
<br />
<br />Informative.
<br />
<br />Funny.
<br />
<br />Smart.
<br />
<br />Useful.
<br />
<br />Challenging.
<br />
<br />(Then....) <strong>What?????? </strong>
<br />
<br />STUPID. (or) MEANINGLESS.
<br />(or) PERVERTED. (or) IRRELEVANT.
<br />
<br />Ladies and gentlemen, may I have the distinct honor to introduce to you all the Next Big Thing in <strong>internet garbage</strong>, your new and relentlessly ruthless Enemy:<strong> COMMENT SPAM</strong>.
<br />
<br /><strong><a href="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.03/google.html?pg=7">COMMENT SPAM</a>: </strong>
<br />
<br />(1.) automatic irrelevant drivel generated by spambots (program code strings), generally signed "buy levitra" or some other dubious commercial crap, and usually accompanied by URLS
<br />
<br />(2.) human created drivel, or too brief, generic, stilted comments ("Hello. This is my first time here. I read almost the whole article. Nice work on an interesting topic. Will return to read more later. (etc.)"), usually accompanied by URLs
<br />
<br />(3.) lengthy irrelevant lists of domain names for sale, pornographic sites, municipal law codes, literary reviews, news items, etc.
<br />
<br />(4.) comments that are extremely offensive or irrelevant and Off Topic (OT).
<br />
<br />I'm not refering to just plain dumb and dumber comments.
<br />
<br />I'm talking about nonsense, confusion, insincerity, gibberish, or cut and paste editorial that is totally irrelevant, if not X-rated sexual crap, race hatred, or partisan political frenzy lunacy.
<br />
<br />I call these spurious commentors <strong>Internet Pigs</strong>.
<br />
<br />The comment spammer Internet Pigs seethe with rage and loathing for people like me, who expose them and teach others how to identify, throttle, thwart, and harm them.
<br />
<br /><strong>THE GOAL OF COMMENT SPAMMING</strong>
<br />
<br />Usually this comment spam will have URLs (web addresses, starting with http://www.) attached at the bottom or embedded in the text.
<br />
<br />This is done to get readers to click on (select) them and thus boost the comment spammers Search Engine Ranking to drive user traffic to their site, or the site of some company they are promoting.
<br />
<br />Just posting these URLs will boost Search Engine ranking for the spammers.
<br />
<br />Sometimes the destinations of the URLs, the web or blog entry addresses, are legitimate.
<br />
<br />But the comment spam is not legitimate, not ethical, and will soon become totally ILLEGAL.
<br />
<br />Some people whine and moan and wave their "freedom of expression" flags in the air like we have to salute them, no matter how ridiculous or offensive that expression may be.
<br />
<br />No.
<br />
<br />Discussion forums and blogs are not dedicated to editorial anarachy or "freedom of expression" at the cost of integrity, decency, intelligence, and relevance to the topic thread.
<br />
<br />Comment spammers use "<strong>copy and paste</strong>" (copy text from anywhere on the web, then paste it in a comment posting area) and "<strong>random text generators</strong>" (meaningless, garbled word salad, strings of words that may almost make sense, but go nowhere fast) to do their dirty work.
<br />
<br />If you've ever accidentally opened a spam email, you've probably seen some random text: (EXAMPLE) "She shopped near the tree crumb bloat factory bread as many unseen fingernails succumbed to ill noticed color dimension airplane meanderings in the smoke flush dawn bleak report."
<br />
<br />This nonsense wording is used to sound somewhat literate, thus fooling the spam and virus filters on your email program. The same thing occurs on comment posting pages of web sites.
<br />
<br />Spambots and human comment spammers will use philosophy quotes, quotes from Hollywood stars, song lyrics, anything innocent sounding, to trick filters into thinking the comment is real, relevant user-generated content.
<br />
<br />Or you'll see weird little hash marks, umlauts, or accent marks hovering over letters. Another method for tricking rhetoric/syntax/vocabulary based filters.
<br />
<br />If a comment is repulsive, misleading, hate-mongering, trolling, baiting, stupid, or just plain off topic (OT)...it will, or should, be deleted forever.
<br />
<br />Some comment spammers cry about "strange" comments being possibly innocent "art". Or simply innocent blog/web site promotion tactics.
<br />
<br />Who are they trying to fool? You shouldn't promote anything, without at least contributing an intelligent, informative comment that adds to the overall thread conversation.
<br />
<br /><strong>Comments are content.</strong> Not an opportunity to blabber stupidly or unethically.
<br />
<br />My reply to this, from an actual comment I made on a art discussion forum:
<br />
<br /><em><strong>"Comment spam has been defined and so has freedom of speech.
<br />
<br />If you don't know the difference between spam and legitimate comments, between search engine ranking techniques and bonafide conversation--how charming and quaint your hicktown aesthetics are, so unspoilt by technical considerations.
<br />
<br />A forum is not a chat room, nor a page rank booster, nor a free advertising arena."</strong></em>
<br />
<br />I got lots of hostile, obscene, foul-mouthed, spam-comment replies to that announcement in the art discussion forum. Which proves how sick these spam perpetrators are.
<br />
<br />Sometimes a blog commenter will post a comment with a alleged link to an article he wrote on a web site, but when you foolishly follow the link, you're taken to some page of the site that has nothing to do with the alleged article.
<br />
<br />This too is comment spam.
<br />
<br />Blog commentors: get your act together, please quit commenting sloppily--or you'll likely be considered an Internet Pig comment spammer.
<br />
<br />According to <strong>Adam Kalsey</strong>, CTO of <a href="http://pheedo.com">Pheedo</a>, <a href="kalsey.com/2003/11/comment_spam_manifesto/index.html">comment spam began at Usenet</a>, migrated to Email, and now is viciously attacking Blogs and Discussion Forums.
<br />
<br />Spammers are hitting Trackbacks, Blogrolls, Email This Article To A Friend, <a href="http://channels.lockergnome.com/rss/archives/software/20041014_rsscache_spammers.phtml">RSS Feeds</a>, Guestbooks, any interactive functionality they can exploit to their greedy advantage.
<br />
<br />Elise Bauer at the MT tutorial site www.elise.com has a good explanation of these different <a href="http://www.elise.com/mt/archives/000246concerning_spam.php">spamming methods </a>and site vulnerabilities. She also has a great policy statement on deleting any comments she considers OT (Off Topic), ignorant, or simply insubstantial in regard to the topic being discussed. Hooray for lovely Elise!
<br />
<br />The Internet Pig Comment Spammers must really dread having to flip burgers at McDonalds, selling appliances at Sears, or going to college to learn a skill.
<br />
<br />I rank the skanky Internet Pigs almost as low as crack whores/pimps or pharmaceutical companies anxious to dope teenage Johnny for just being a normal, active, authority-questioning male.
<br />
<br /><strong>Joi Ito </strong>asks in her <a href="http://joi.ito.com/archives/2004/01/19/comment_spam_and_its_social_equivalent.html">blog</a>: are blogs "parties" anyone can attend...or publications that may be strictly edited? Depends on the blog, but most are both to some degree.
<br />
<br />But her blog article discussing comment spam has spam in comments #27 to #32, which I complained about in a comment posted to the discussion. I must await her approval before seeing my comment posted. Good for her! That's one good way to combat the Internet Pigs.
<br />
<br /><strong>Photo Matt </strong>blog states in "<a href="http://photomatt.net/2004/08/01/weeds-in-the-garden/">Weeds in the Garden</a>":
<br />
<br />"...is a good read. Now scroll down to the comments. Dozens and dozens of spam comments. I see this over and over again on MT and s9y sites. What’s terrible is these pages are just as dangerous as dedicated spam blogs. Think about it: I shouldn’t even be linking to it now."
<br />
<br />Blogging expert and pioneer <strong><a href="http://www.scripting.com/dwiner">Dave Winer </a></strong>thinks that <a href="http://ojr.org/ojr/glaser/1095201311.php">comment posting in blogs is not vital</a>. As far as I understand, blogs were originally just lists of URLs of interest, not random drivel about boring personal feelings and activities.
<br />
<br /><strong>Mark Pilgrim </strong>of Dive Into Mark blog compares the two possible <a href="http://diveintomark.org/archives/2002/10/29/club_vs_lojack_solutions">comment spam riddance solutions </a>to The Club or Lojack approaches to prevent or punish car theft. It's a very good, heavily-linked (full of linked external resources) read for all you intellectuals out there.
<br />
<br /><strong>Amy Gahran</strong>, sort of a protege of Jakob Nielsen, discusses <a href="http://blog.contentious.com/archives/2004/01/30/comment-spam-and-blog-content-tradeoffs">comment spam </a>in her Contentious blog.
<br />
<br /><strong>Jay Allen, Jeremy Zawodny, WIRED magazine, Steven Berlin Johnson, Jeffrey Zeldman, Google bloggers, Sun Microsystems bloggers,</strong> and many of the major web design and developer experts have recently been posting warnings and manifestos of war against comment spammers.
<br />
<br />There are ways to hurt the comment spammers and deprive them of their sources of income, but you have to be fairly geeky to do it.
<br />
<br />It includes reporting them to their hosting providers, telling ISPs what their connections are being used for, and complaining to the product manufacturers the spammers supposedly represent.
<br />
<br />
<br /><strong>HOW BLOGS AND FORUMS CAN
<br />COMBAT COMMENT SPAM:</strong>
<br />
<br /><strong>Mark Glaser </strong>at <a href="http://ojr.org/ojr/glaser/1095201311.php">Online Journalism Review</a>, provides these tips (my paraphrase, plus I add one or two to his list):
<br />
<br />1. Turn off comments. Users and spammers both are unable to post remarks.
<br />
<br />2. Turn off comment posting on older posts (spammers love them).
<br />
<br />3. Don't allow URL links in comments.
<br />
<br />4. Use a <a href="http://www.jayallen.org/comment_spam">blacklisting</a> (forbidden domains, email addresses, etc.) service.
<br />
<br />5. Use a whitelisting (allowable domains, email addresses, etc.) service.
<br />
<br />6. Redirect all links from your blog comments (no boost in Search Engine rank).
<br />
<br />7. Require user registration prior to comment posting.
<br />
<br />8. Require users to preview comments prior to posting.
<br />
<br />9. Use a "captcha" device (numbers or letters contained in a graphic image that users must enter in a box, or an easy math problem users must enter the answer to).
<br />
<br />10. Email verification of comment (users must reply to an email asking if they actually authored the comment).
<br />
<br />11. Moderate the comments, imposing an indefinite delay on posting.
<br />
<br />12. Issue legal warnings about criminality of comment spam.
<br />
<br />
<br /><strong>WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW
<br />(MARCHING ORDERS):</strong>
<br />
<br />Comment Spam is a hot topic right now. You should educate yourself on this.
<br />
<br /><strong>USERS:</strong> Write emails to editors, administrators, and operators of blogs and online forums and demand that they either moderate the comments, add bot blockers like captchas, or install some type of anti-spam software.
<br />
<br /><strong>BLOGS & FORUMS:</strong> Quit whining. Manual deleting of comments is not impossibly hard. Generally, it's just clicking. Even if it's 200 per day, so what? Hire a retired person do it for you, or a give a high school kid free pizza and soda for doing it. Find a solution.
<br />
<br /><strong>USERS:</strong> Don't have a hissy fit if a blog or forum asks you to register, preview, or email verify before your precious comment will appear on a site. You can't wait for your comment to be posted? Comment posting is a privilege, not an inherent right granted by God to you.
<br />
<br /><strong>EVERYBODY</strong>: Thanks for getting off your butt and helping to fight the comment spamming Internet Pigs.
<br />
<br />Declare all out war on Comment Spam, before this blight forces us all to no longer allow comments anywhere, thus reducing the interactive quality of the entire web.
<br />
<br />And a rampant disabling of all interactive/community building functionalities is doomsday for the internet.
<br />
<br />In fact, along with offshore outsourcing, comment spam has the potential to severely damage information sharing, and ultimately, the United States economy--along with the inherent value and effectiveness of the global internet.
<br />
<br />Makes you wonder who's really behind all this, doesn't it?steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1098497607846919022004-10-22T19:13:00.000-07:002004-10-22T20:05:43.266-07:00Mentally Correct Means Effective and Ethical<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/640/1.9.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/1.10.jpg'></a><br /><a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />*****
<br />
<br />I spend a great deal of time yesterday debating an issue. The debate occured on a web developer's email discussion list.
<br />
<br />"Pre-selection" of options on a form was the hot topic. As usual, I was the one who pretty much started the war.
<br />
<br />You know what I mean: you register at a site, or sign up for an email newsletter, and you are presented with all these other options to choose from. Special offers from other advertisers, other newsletters and email alerts, etc.
<br />
<br />Often certain items have check marks already in the boxes, and you have to click on the boxes to "unselect" them.
<br />
<br />Someone had asked about code for pre-selecting choices on a form. But he meant post, not pre, selection. He refered to when a user updates a profile, and wants to see what he had already, previously selected.
<br />
<br />I misunderstood the context, and dropped a bomb on "pre-selection" calling it an abomination. I was refering to actual pre-selection of check boxes on a form or function, forcing the user to "de-select" or "uncheck" the boxes, which is, in most cases, ridiculous.
<br />
<br />Pre-selection, pre-checked boxes on a form or function violates the concept of the web: user empowerment, unconstrained by other parties, who may have dubious motives and agendas, greedy for easy income from unsuspecting people.
<br />
<br />Someone actually argued that presenting users with unchecked boxes is coercive also: you're forcing the "No" option on them.
<br />
<br />No: you're allowing users to decide "Yes" or "No". You are abstaining from forcing users to void your decision and replace it with their own.
<br />
<br />That argument that unchecked boxes are coercive is like saying that not raping a woman is forcing on her the decision to not be raped, so it's just as brutal to not rape her as to rape her. Both acts are aggressive. What a pile of you know what!
<br />
<br />I'll post a more in-depth article on this pre-selection topic over at my web usability blog, Vaspers the Grate.
<br />
<br />But the lesson for all marketers and sales professionals is this: never bully or try to trick any customer into opting into something they don't really want or don't give their fully informed consent to.
<br />
<br />I suspect that some unscrupulous marketers advocate the pre-selection of checkboxes in the hopes that users, who are nearly always impatient, inattentive to fine details, and in a big hurry, will not notice these pre-selections.
<br />
<br />They hope some users will end up getting items or signing up for what the marketers want to push on them, rather than what the users knowingly opt in for.
<br />
<br />Con artistry, manipulation, scamming, ripping off, lying, deceiving, misinforming, bullying, tricking, taking advantage of people is always wrong.
<br />
<br />Unethical business practice is a guaranteed way to be miserable, to lose money, to ruin a company, to generate bad word of mouth, to turn public opinion against you, to acquire a lousy reputation, to attract negative forces into your life.
<br />
<br />This is not "mystical" or idealistic or religious.
<br />
<br />The Golden Rule: it's a proverbial, pragmatic truth that has been on the lips of the wise for millenia.
<br />
<br />Treat others with respect, compassion, and truth.steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1097917424553684662004-10-16T02:03:00.000-07:002004-10-16T03:08:31.473-07:00Is Your Marketing a Corpse Flower?<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/21.1.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/21.1.jpg'></a><br />Photo credit: Claire Ehrlinger, Quail Botanical Gardens. <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />
<br />***
<br />
<br /><a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/24.1.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/24.1.jpg'></a><br />University of California, Davis <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />
<br />***
<br />
<br />from an <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/07/0718_030718_stinkyflower.html">article</a> by
<br />John Pickrell in England
<br />for National Geographic News
<br />July 18, 2003
<br />
<br />
<br />"A flower taller than a man, stinking strongly of putrefying roadkill and colored deep burgundy to mimic rotting flesh, sounds like something from a low-budget science fiction movie. But Indonesia's titan arum—or "corpse flower," as known by locals—is a real, if rare, phenomenon, pollinated in the wild by carrion-seeking insects.
<br />
<br />But corpse flowers are not only found in the wild and many have bloomed in recent years in botanical gardens worldwide from England to Arizona."
<br />
<br />
<br />[Also see other National Geographic articles on the "<a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2002/07/0718_020718_stinkyflower.html">stinky flower</a>" and <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/08/0827_030828_weirdplants.html">weird plants</a>.]
<br />
<br />
<br />Is your marketing a corpse flower?
<br />
<br />Does it smell of rotting flesh, decaying substances, putrid decomposition?
<br />
<br />I'm sorry. I don't mean to be gross, vulgar, or obnoxious. This is probably the strangest post you'll ever read on this site. But at least it will get your attention.
<br />
<br />Let's face it: some marketing programs get you nowhere. They seem dead. Useless.
<br />
<br />Some marketing fails to emphasize the one strong point that differentiates a company or product from the competition.
<br />
<br />It uses "we-oriented" corporate fluff talk. "We (blah blah blah)...our products are (blah blah blah)...our expertise is (blah blah blah)."
<br />
<br />It fails to provide photos of the product in use by people as they solve a problem, gain a benefit, or enhance their life.
<br />
<br />It fails to provide complete, easy to understand details, complete lists of features accompanied by strong, desirable benefits of each feature.
<br />
<br />It fails to clearly identify who the product is made for and why this type of user needs it right now.
<br />
<br />It fails to explain powerfully how the product is honestly superior to competitive brands (if this is indeed true, not hype).
<br />
<br />It fails to provide all the information the customer needs to decide which model, size, color, options, etc. best suited to their individual needs.
<br />
<br />It assumes that customers already know certain things they may not know at all.
<br />
<br />It has an arrogant, strident, hard-sell, old-fashioned "push the product on the customer" tone.
<br />
<br />It consists of a web site constructed by someone's daughter as a college project, copy written by someone who knows what they want to say, but not how to say it as a professional copywriter, and art that is boring, building-oriented, or full of generic smiling people who are obviously stock images and not real personnel or real customers.
<br />
<br />It fails to use satisfied customer testimonials or pretigious endorsements.
<br />
<br />It fails to use 100% money back guarantees, limited time offers, or discount deadlines.
<br />
<br />It fails to provide incentives for customers to refer friends and relatives.
<br />
<br />It has reluctant, half-hearted, outsourced, impersonal, inept customer service, thus no sense of customer loyalty or word of mouth advertising power.
<br />
<br />It's out of touch with dynamic business blogs and highly interactive web sites as marketing tools. It has no user-community building apparatus.
<br />
<br />It's a big stinking Corpse Flower.
<br />
<br />So everybody has to try harder. The sales staff, business process workers, customer service, dealers and distributors, advertising agency--everybody has to double their efforts, as they drag around a cadaver.
<br />
<br />The corpse flower, stinky flower, devil's tongue, rotten flesh flower, or whatever it may be called, hides underground in a storage tuber and arises from its sepulchre once every one to three years.
<br />
<br />It blooms, around midnight, for only 48 hours, then collapses again. While it's in blossom, it send out its hideous stench in undulating waves that alternate from the smell of dying elephant to rotten eggs.
<br />
<br />The amorphophallus titanum stink flower attracts those creature that enjoy feasting on, and laying eggs in, decomposing carrion. Flies, carrion beetles, etc.
<br />
<br />Heralded as the world's largest and stinkiest plant, it can grow up to 12 feet tall.
<br />
<br />I first heard of these things on the disreputable Art Bell radio program about 10 years ago. I thought it was a hoax. It's not. These things exist. Nature is not exclusively beautiful, peaceful, and nice smelling. There are some real horrors and stinkers out there.
<br />
<br />Similarly, all the flowers springing up in the garden of marketing are not pretty and pleasingly fragrant.
<br />
<br />You must elevate your vision and seek marketing strategies that are living, in touch with how people really think. Mentally Correct.
<br />
<br />If you're slogging along with mediocre, schlocky promotional material that doesn't do justice to your products, that keeps your business from growing vigorously, consider the root of the problem.
<br />
<br />Maybe you need to dig up the stinky, sluggish, slop-bucket marketing "plants" and replace them with beautiful, professional, prestige marketing "flowers".
<br />
<br />Step up to the bright light of living, real, vibrant Mentally Correct Marketing.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1097619142528111232004-10-12T15:12:00.000-07:002004-10-12T18:11:41.156-07:00Derrida documentary film<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/17.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/400/17.jpg'></a><br />Rent it at Blockbuster or other film rental outlet. <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />
<br />***
<br />
<br />Yes, according to the description
<br />at the <a href="http://www.blockbuster.com">Blockbuster.com</a> web site,
<br />in this film, Jacques Derrida
<br />does indeed "deconstruct himself",
<br />that is, analyzes his own
<br />previous interviews.
<br />
<br />Here it is folks, <a href="http://www.hydra.umn.edu/derrida/content.html">Jacques Derrida</a>
<br />in his own words. The leading,
<br />and perhaps most <a href="http://www.laweekly.com/ink/02/51/features-mckenna.php">controversial
<br />philosopher</a>, of the 20th Century.
<br />
<br />Did Derrida really say
<br />there is no "absolute truth"?
<br />
<br />Well, I know that when asked
<br />about O.J. Simpson, Derrida
<br />simply said that only O.J.
<br />knows for sure if O.J. is
<br />guilty or innocent.
<br />
<br />That's all he said, at least
<br />in the press statement I read.
<br />
<br />And that paragraph above
<br />illustrates how Derrida claimed
<br />that "truth", as used in philosophy
<br />at any rate, depends greatly on
<br />the intersections of various texts
<br />and their contexts.
<br />
<br />It is true that that is all
<br />Derrida said about O.J. Simpson
<br />...in that particular moment,
<br />according to that particular report,
<br />by that particular journalist.
<br />
<br />Derrida may have said many other
<br />things regarding O.J. Simpson.
<br />I don't know.
<br />
<br />This is very different from
<br />saying "there is no absolute truth."
<br />
<br />O.J. absolutely did...
<br />or did not...
<br />kill that woman.
<br />
<br />Bill Clinton absolutely did...
<br />or did not...
<br />"have sex with that woman."
<br />
<br />The definition of "is" is "is"!
<br />
<br />"Is" was "is", will be "is",
<br />and is "is". Okay?
<br />
<br /><strong>How does all this affect
<br />Mentally Correct Marketing?</strong>
<br />
<br />Derrida's analysis has major
<br />benefits for marketing strategy
<br />and advertising critiques.
<br />
<br />Once you follow Derrida as he
<br />uses, say, Freud against Freud
<br />(as one example of
<br />"text against text"),
<br />
<br />showing how all textual empires
<br />crumble from hidden flaws,
<br />contradictions and inconsistencies,
<br />
<br />it's easier to deconstruct a
<br />mundane television commercial.
<br />
<br />I love Derrida's books, and I
<br />will soon view this
<br />documentary film.
<br />
<br />Though I may not agree with
<br />all Derrida's opinions,
<br />I do admire his analytical
<br />methodology, the choices he
<br />made for philosophical texts
<br />to rigorously examine and
<br />critique, and just the writing
<br />style he employs.
<br />
<br />Just check out my Derrida quote
<br />and my commentary on it over at
<br />my <a href="http://www.vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com">Vaspers the Grate </a>blog,
<br />the article "<a href="http://vaspersthegrate.blogspot.com/2004/09/blogs-as-deconstructionist-monsters.html">Blogs as
<br />Deconstructionist Monsters</a>."
<br />
<br />What Derrida says about
<br />new forms of art, new media,
<br />new anything being typically
<br />perceived, at first, as
<br />"monstrosities" is funny,
<br />yet sadly accurate.
<br />
<br />Derrida, the most difficult writer
<br />I've ever read (with the possible
<br />exception of Jacques Lacan), and yet,
<br />at the same time, my favorite author
<br />of all time (with the possible
<br />exception of Proust).
<br />
<br />We miss you JD.
<br />
<br />Death is itself going
<br />to be deconstructed
<br />[if you know what I mean]. steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1097568337937504272004-10-12T01:05:00.000-07:002004-10-12T01:05:37.936-07:00<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/11.1.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/11.1.jpg'></a><br />goodbye JD <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1097303999849490182004-10-08T23:35:00.000-07:002004-10-08T23:39:59.850-07:00Beheading Videos: Poor Usability<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/4.1.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/4.1.jpg'></a><br />Terrorist "marketing" strategy is off target. <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />***
<br />
<br />I think it's time someone stood up
<br />and proclaimed the Triumphant Truth:
<br />
<br />Beheading is not
<br />what it's cracked up to be.
<br />
<br />"Gruesome" is not the word for it.
<br />
<br />"Pathetic"/"Misguided"/"Cowardly"/
<br />"Ridiculously Underwhelming"
<br />are much more appropriate words for
<br />this desperate attempt by terrorists
<br />to gain attention.
<br />
<br />All beheading accomplishes is loathing,
<br />and longing for more "shock and awe"
<br />bombing of all nations that harbor
<br />such timid and ineffectual villains.
<br />
<br /><strong>DISCLAIMER #1:</strong> I have not
<br />viewed any terrorist beheading videos, nor
<br />will I ever do so.
<br />
<br />However, I will, from a usability
<br />perspective, engage in a critique
<br />of this concept: beheading a person,
<br />videotaping the process, releasing
<br />the video to the public via web sites
<br />and media coverage, and making
<br />unreasonable demands based on
<br />such vain nonsense.
<br />
<br /><strong>DISCLAIMER #2:</strong> I mean no offense
<br />to the families and friends of the victims of
<br />terrorist beheadings.
<br />
<br />I sympathize with their suffering and grief.
<br />
<br />This analysis is my way of supporting them.
<br />
<br />This analysis rightfully mocks the
<br />ineffectiveness and futility of such
<br />terrorist activity, which merely angers
<br />us, and does not "shock" or "terrify"
<br />us at all, in spite of what mainline
<br />establishment journalists announce.
<br />
<br />
<br /><strong>Dual Usability Factors:</strong>
<br />
<br />
<br />Usability has a dual nature.
<br />For a promotional or public
<br />relations effort to be useful,
<br />in a comprehensive sense,
<br />it must accomplish two goals:
<br />
<br />1. Influence the audience (the supposedly
<br />"terrorized") to be sympathetic toward
<br />(or frightened into groveling acceptance
<br />of) the sponsoring organization's
<br />(the "terrorists") goals, and decide
<br />to support these goals, or
<br />exert pressure on those who can.
<br />
<br />2. Enable the sponsoring organization (the
<br />"terrorists") to communicate an accurate,
<br />motivational message to the audience about
<br />the sponsoring organization (the "terrorists"),
<br />to the end that this message is clearly
<br />understood and endorsed by the audience.
<br />
<br />
<br /><strong>Terrorist Beheading Videos
<br />Exhibit Poor Usability:</strong>
<br />
<br />
<br />1. <strong>Negative Message About the Terrorists:</strong>
<br />
<br />The terrorists display themselves as cowards
<br />with their faces covered up.
<br />
<br />Like bullies on a school playground,
<br />they represent themselves
<br />as picking on weak, easy prey,
<br />unarmed and unguarded civilians.
<br />
<br />These civilians are then executed by way of
<br />beheading, which is a relatively quick and
<br />painless death (compared to many cancers
<br />and other diseases and fatal injuries).
<br />
<br />Civilians expiring in such manner should be
<br />awarded Congressional Medals of Honor and be
<br />celebrated as noble, involuntary martyrs for
<br />freedom of thought and freedom of religion.
<br />
<br />2. <strong>Undesired Response from Audience:</strong>
<br />
<br />The results of terrorist beheading videos are:
<br />
<br />(a) governments become more stubborn about their
<br />refusal to negotiate with terrorists,
<br />
<br />(b) the families of the victims hate the
<br />terrorists and their cause,
<br />
<br />(c) the general public is disgusted
<br />with the terrorist tactics and
<br />condemns their cause.
<br />
<br />3. <strong>Wrong Tactic by Terrorists:</strong>
<br />
<br />While it may be shameful to admit this point,
<br />it must nevertheless be stated:
<br />Americans in particular have
<br />no strong aversion to gratuitous
<br />violence, suffering, or gore.
<br />
<br />Sorry, terrorists.
<br />
<br />A beheading simply is not "gruesome" or
<br />"repulsive" when considered in the context
<br />of the standard entertainment fare of average
<br />American teenagers or college age males.
<br />
<br />The act itself is morally reprehensible,
<br />and the terrorists are to be condemned for
<br />such an act, but its effect is greatly
<br />diminished in Western culture.
<br />
<br />We avidly flock to R-rated, ultra-violent films.
<br />
<br />We abundantly produce and purchase sadistic,
<br />ultra-violent video games.
<br />
<br />We gleefully watch the gross
<br />"Fear Factor" reality TV program.
<br />
<br />4. <strong>Wrong User Interface:</strong>
<br />
<br />The people who are most affected by a terrorist
<br />beheading video are the friends and families of
<br />the unfortunate victims. But the video provides
<br />no means for this segment of the public to
<br />interact with the demands of the terrorists.
<br />
<br />Individuals have very little influence on
<br />governments or national policy makers.
<br />Even the companies the individuals work for
<br />are in no strong position to assist the
<br />terrorists or influence their governments.
<br />
<br /><strong>CONCLUSION
<br />Message to Mainstream News Media
<br />and Journalists:</strong>
<br />
<br />Get with it. Terrorist beheading videos, and
<br />news reports glamorizing or sensationalizing
<br />such acts, are not influencing us at all.
<br />
<br />The beheadings are not "gruesome" or
<br />"alarming." For jaded American audiences,
<br />they're not even "disturbing."
<br />
<br />Quit trying to impress us with video
<br />productions made by our enemies.
<br />
<br />Quit subtly promoting such things
<br />for their supposed "news value."
<br />
<br />Genocide in the Sudan, North Korean nuclear
<br />weapons development, partisan bias in
<br />mainstream journalism--now these are
<br />truly upsetting and horrific. steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1096773422298059542004-10-02T20:17:00.000-07:002004-10-02T20:53:26.920-07:00Earthlink Scores Big: TV, Web, Core Values<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/10.1.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/400/10.1.jpg'></a><br />Earthlink Woman w/Orbiting Globular Object <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />
<br />***
<br />
<br />Here's a rare commodity:
<br />a corporation that scores
<br />big marketing and ethics points
<br />in three major areas--
<br />
<br />* TV commercial
<br />
<br />* Web site
<br />
<br />* Core Beliefs & Values
<br />
<br />I just got blown away by the new
<br />Earthlink television commercial.
<br />
<br />Two women at kitchen table talking.
<br />Woman A is criticizing Woman B.
<br />"The other ladies are concerned about you."
<br />Catty complaining over coffee.
<br />
<br />Woman B has a "dangerous looking"
<br />ball or globe or whatever (see photo)
<br />orbiting, circling around, her head.
<br />
<br />This is science fiction, avant garde
<br />advertising at its best, and it also
<br />conveys, in a remarkably memorable manner,
<br />desirable benefits and problem solving aspects
<br />of the product: Earthlink ISP
<br />(Internet Service Provider).
<br />
<br />I have seen this TV commercial only once,
<br />but I have one strong impression in my mind:
<br />the orbiting mini-planet is not dangerous,
<br />but Identity Theft is, and Earthlink has
<br />something that can prevent this crime
<br />from being foisted on you.
<br />
<br />I honestly don't recall much more.
<br />
<br />But that's not bad for seeing just it once.
<br />
<br />I remember their company name.
<br />I remember their product.
<br />I remember their logo (orbit & woman).
<br />I remember one or two product benefits.
<br />I remember their creativity.
<br />I remember their innovation.
<br />
<br />I remember their "rebelliousness"
<br />(the woman with the orbiting globe
<br />seems "different" but secure and
<br />confident, asserting her secret.)
<br />
<br />I crave a repeat viewing of this commercial.
<br />
<br />I have a video cassette ready in my VCR
<br />so I can record it and study it in
<br />greater detail. It's bizarre.
<br />
<br />Earthlink entertains me, shocks me,
<br />amuses me, informs me, impresses me
<br />pleases me with this new TV commercial.
<br />
<br />So I went to their <a href="http://www.earthlink.net">web site</a>.
<br />
<br />(For a more detailed review,
<br />check Vaspers the Grate.
<br />Soon I will have a brief
<br />analysis of their site:
<br />
<br />www.earthlink.net)
<br />
<br /><strong>Earthlink Web Site comments:</strong>
<br />
<br />A wonderful "About Earthlink" page,
<br />with a wide range of sub-categories
<br />such as:
<br />
<br />* Subscriber Benefits
<br />* Our History
<br />* Contact Us
<br />* Investor Relations
<br />* Our Leadership
<br />* Awards
<br />* Global Internet Alliance
<br />* Policies & Agreements
<br />* Refer a Friend
<br />* Press Room
<br />
<br />...and more.
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Under "Our History" I found:
<br />
<br />******************************
<br />
<br /><strong>Core Values & Beliefs</strong>
<br />
<br />
<br />What's important at EarthLink?
<br />
<br />We are convinced that the key
<br />to creating a truly great
<br />organization is an intense
<br />focus on the values that
<br />guide its people's actions.
<br />
<br />These are EarthLink's
<br />"Core Values and Beliefs".
<br />
<br />If we don't seem to be
<br />living up to them, call us on it!
<br />
<br />We respect the individual, and
<br />believe that individuals who are treated
<br />with respect and given responsibility
<br />respond by giving their best.
<br />
<br />We require complete honesty and
<br />integrity in everything we do.
<br />
<br />We make commitments with care,
<br />and then live up to them.
<br />
<br />In all things, we do what
<br />we say we are going to do.
<br />
<br />Work is an important part of life,
<br />and it should be fun.
<br />
<br />Being a good businessperson does not
<br />mean being stuffy and boring.
<br />
<br />We love to compete, and we believe that
<br />competition brings out the best in us.
<br />
<br />We are frugal. We guard and conserve
<br />the company's resources with at least
<br />the same vigilance that we would use to
<br />guard and conserve our own personal resources.
<br />
<br />We insist on giving our best effort in
<br />everything we undertake.
<br />
<br />Furthermore, we see a huge difference
<br />between "good mistakes"
<br />(best effort, bad result)
<br />and "bad mistakes"
<br />(sloppiness or lack of effort).
<br />
<br />Clarity in understanding our mission,
<br />our goals, and what we expect from
<br />each other is critical to our success.
<br />
<br />We are believers in the Golden Rule.
<br />
<br />In all our dealings we will strive to
<br />be friendly and courteous, as well as
<br />fair and compassionate.
<br />
<br />We feel a sense of urgency on any matters
<br />related to our customers.
<br />
<br />We own problems and we are always responsive.
<br />
<br />We are customer-driven.
<br />
<br />******************************
<br />
<br />
<br />I don't use Earthlink, and don't plan to.
<br />
<br />I'm happy with my current ISP.
<br />
<br />But if I ever become dissatisfied,
<br />
<br />I'll start satelliting around their planet
<br />
<br />to discover more realms within Earthlink.
<br />
<br /><strong>Thanks for the user-friendliness, Earthlink! </strong>
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8284345.post-1096793971769523702004-10-01T01:59:00.000-07:002004-10-03T02:29:27.173-07:00Streight Eye for the Dairy Queen Guy<a href='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/20.1.jpg'><img border='0' class='phostImg' src='http://photos1.blogger.com/img/210/1048/320/20.1.jpg'></a><br />DQ logo with my recommended slogan added. <a href='http://www.hello.com/' target='ext'><img src='http://photos1.blogger.com/pbh.gif' alt='Posted by Hello' border='0' style='border:0px;padding:0px;background:transparent;' align='absmiddle'></a>
<br />
<br />***
<br />
<br />I can't hardly believe the bad news about Dairy Queen.
<br />
<br />I'll try to be civil, generous, and diplomatic.
<br />
<br />Oh, flap a banana at a flop boat, I just can't be kind about this.
<br />
<br />Thanks to Katherine Stone over at the blog <a href="http://decentmarketing.typepad.com">Decent Marketing</a> for <a href="http://decentmarketing.typepad.com/weblog/2004/10/dairy_queen_bra.html">this story</a>.
<br />
<br />In her blog, Ms. Stone refers to a <a href="http://www.brandchannel.com/features_profile.asp?pr_id=199">Brand Channel.com article</a> about Dairy Queen seeking a whole new look and marketing platform.
<br />
<br />Michael Keller, Executive VP, Marketing and R&D, International Dairy Queen (IDQ) says that by turning Dairy Queens into Grill & Chills, with upscale menus, special viewable ovens, and a (disconcerting) "take a number and wait for the food to be delivered to your table" service:
<br />
<br />"...it's clear this isn't your father's Dairy Queen..."
<br />
<br />And he goes on to say it also isn't a standard QSR (Quick Service Restaurant) otherwise more clearly known to the discerning public as a FFJ (Fast Food Joint).
<br />
<br />He also suggests that "Dairy" and "Queen" are not "food friendly" terms.
<br />
<br />Mr. Keller admits that Dairy Queen is most famous for its Peanut Buster Parfaits, Dilly Bars, and Pecan Mudslides.
<br />
<br />
<br /><strong>STREIGHT MARKETING CRITIQUE:</strong>
<br />
<br />This is, in my quick, gut-reaction assessment, marketing suicide.
<br />
<br />An established, well-liked company should emphasize what it's famous for, not destroy it.
<br />
<br />Take what the public already likes about you, and think of new, creatively fresh ways to maintain that heavily promoted, highly financed position. Ever heard of "legacy"? Apparently not.
<br />
<br />So many companies are ruining their brand by deviating from a solid position, in favor of some wild and reckless "new, more contemporary" hype-mongering.
<br />
<br />Mentally Correct Marketing is very similar to the Ries Doctrine of Positioning: take the established mind-set and enhance it.
<br />
<br />Why trash a good position?
<br />
<br />Why try to change what customers already love about you?
<br />
<br />Why try to force people to think about you in a completely new and different way?
<br />
<br />Is your old, traditional marketing angle so rotten and worthless you have to throw it in the garbage? I doubt it.
<br />
<br />I think this is Panic Marketing.
<br />
<br />Too many old-fashioned, reliable, nostalgic things are passing away. Now we have to add "your father's Dairy Queen" to that poignant list? Please tell me this is just a nightmare and not true life.
<br />
<br />I repeat: take what is already good, and enhance it.
<br />
<br />This is why I, after thinking about it for 5 seconds, came up with the proposed Mentally Correct Marketing slogan:
<br />
<br /><strong>"Dairy Queen. Where the food is now as tempting as the dessert."</strong>
<br />
<br />
<br />If Dairy Queen paid me, I'd spend more time trying to resolve their marketing "dilemma" and maybe be lucky enought to come up with even better slogans and marketing ideas.
<br />
<br />But for now, this is my answer.
<br />
<br />steven edward streighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05401227642461826748noreply@blogger.com0