Archives for 2006

WordPress is Fun – Even When it’s Down

Posted on March 12, 2006 ·

The other day I complained that Google was no longer funny, the infamous “cross your fingers” error message was replaced by a “serious” one (probably approved by lawyers…)

Well, WordPress.com is still fun, even when it’s down. Here’s their error message:

“Confessions Of A Server

OH MY! Life is so unfair! What did I do wrong to be born a server in this day and age? I could have been a nice simple bicycle that people happily rode around on all day. But no, I’m stuck inside this metal case serving web pages instead. I never even see the light of day and all I can hear is the rush of the air-conditioning!
Well, no more! I’m relaxing here with a cup of tea and a biscuit until someone shows me some love and attention.

It never takes them long to fix me when I kick up a fuss so check back in a few minutes and I’ll be chugging along merrily again.!

Signed,
The WordPress.com web server
(WordPress.com – where even the machines have life!)”

I love it.. how can one be angry with the outage (as long as it’s not more than 5 minutes), when we get the server’s personal attention?

Tags: Google, WordPress, wordpress.com, outage, google outage, wordpress.com outage, error message, humor

Filed Under: Blogging, Humor, Software, Technology ·

Now It’s Easier than Ever to Build the “Brand Called You”

Posted on March 12, 2006 ·

Robert Scoble was apparently offered a job at a competitor… hm.. could it have anything to do with his recent post about compensation at MS? Roberts response: “I told him I didn’t want any job that required a resume.” Me neither. There is a better way.

Tom Peters (wow, who’s that on the left sidebar?) has been preaching this for years: “Regardless of age, regardless of position, regardless of the business we happen to be in, all of us need to understand the importance of branding. We are CEOs of our own companies: Me Inc. To be in business today, our most important job is to be head marketer for the brand called You”

What better way to building one’s own brand than through blogging? Resumes are tailored for a particular job, and let’s face it, often “cosmetically enhanced”. If you’ve been blogging for years, you certainly did not do it with a particular job in mind; your blog is likely to be a true reflection of who you really are, what you are an expert in, your communication skills, your priorities … YOU as a whole person, not as a candidate for a specific job. Noah Kagan says it perfectly:
“You can learn SO much about a persons feelings, thoughts, actions, work ethic to name just a few things by reading a persons blog. I think more so than anything Resumes include so much bogus or ultra-fluffed information that it is hard to determine the quality of a candidate or get a good feeling of how this person will fit in your company. But spending 10-15 minutes reading entries about what they do or how they organize their thoughts/daily activities you can really learn a lot.” He than goes on offering practical steps in 4 Easy Steps to Avoid Making a Resume.

I fully agree. In fact I am about to launch a test to prove this soon. Robert, since the larger the statistical sample (in this case readers) the more reliable the results .. . I hope I’ll get some link love when the test comes … in the name of science.

Update (3/13): Vinnie chimes in, it’s worth reading!

Update (4/17): The Boston Globe says Blogs are essential to a good career (hat tip: BL Ochman)

Tags: Blogging, blogs, brands, branding, brand you, brand called you, tom peters, tompeters, resume

Filed Under: Blogging, Business, Marketing / PR ·

Process Angioplasty: Rebates – Round 3? 4? n…

Posted on March 12, 2006 ·

Winnie Mirchandani started a series of posts on business processes that badly need “angioplasty“. Processing rebates is certainly a most convoluted process – unfortunately often by design. Here’s another classic case, served up by Circuit City. It’s also on digg.

Tags: rebate, rebates, customer service, customer disservice, retail, deception, business process angioplasty

Filed Under: Business, Misc ·

Steal and be Proud of it?

Posted on March 12, 2006 ·

I can’t believe this: somebody created a program to STEAL the layout of other sites, and has the *** to openly call it “layout stealer”:

“Hi Everybody!

I would just like to let you know about an awesome tool that I have created called the LayoutStealer. This tool will revolutionize the way people style their MySpace, Xanga’s or websites. What the tool does is it extracts the HTML style coding, or “layout”, of a persons MySpace or website and returns the HTML code to you for use in your MySpace or Site. This tool is nice because everyone can share layouts with ease, also the tool is very simple, and it works for any website. So please try it out and spread the word about the LayoutStealer”

It even got digged .. hopefully won’t stay up long.

Tags: theft, stealing, thief, IP, intellectual property, design theft

Filed Under: Business, Software, Technology ·

San Francisco Trees – the Green Side of a Businessman

Posted on March 12, 2006 ·

I often write about SVASE, especially the VC Breakfast Club series I sometimes moderate. These session are typically hosted by corporate sponsors, often Law– or Accounting firms. One of our gracious sponsors in the City is Mike Sullivan, Director at the Law firm Howard Rice Nemerovsky Canady Falk & Rabkin (wouldn’t it be nice to have Web 2.0 style names for lawfirms? ) Throughout these sessions I came to know Mike somewhat – or so I thought.

Well, I was wrong, I’ve only known the businessman / lawyer. Today the San Francisco Chronicle introduces the “other” Mike: the nature-lover, tree-expert, tree-hugger one. “On a recent tour through Cole Valley, Sullivan passed a pop quiz with a perfect score — pointing out 10 trees from as many countries on just two blocks of 17th Street.” He knows the stories behind many a tree in San Francisco. “Just outside 1401 Shrader St., the former home of socialite Pat Montandon, is the leftover trunk of the tree, which Montandon commissioned to be sculptured into a nearly 10-foot-tall angel.
“Urban legend has it,” Sullivan says, “that the sculptor was nearly fired when Montandon noticed that the angel’s face was strikingly similar to that of his girlfriend.”

Mike’s book, “Trees of San Francisco” breaks down a list of the best trees in each of the city’s neighborhoods, complete with where to find them. He does more than write about books; he and his fellow tree-lovers at Friends of the Urban Forest plant thousands of trees every year.

SF Trees is Mike’s personal yet tree-focused site. (Perhaps one of my Web 2.0–savy readers will volunteer to give the site a facelift)

Congratulations, Mike, and thanks for doing all this!

Update (3/12) Related posts:

Tags: trees, San Francisco, city trees, tree friends, tree planting, preservation, san francisco trees, nature,

Filed Under: Business, Misc ·

You Don’t Have to be on the Net to get your Identity Stolen

Posted on March 12, 2006 ·

The old-fashioned way still works … junk mail you throw in the garbage can come back an haunt you. Check out the story at cockeyed.com.

They ran a test: tore a credit card application to pieces, taped it back together, changed the address and phone number on it, and still received the credit card!

This is scary … time to get a shredder.

Update (3/13): “Shredding mail and other personal documents is not enough to protect yourself…” says TechCrunch.

Tags: identity theft, consumer fraud, credit card fraud, privacy, junk mail

Filed Under: Business ·

Anonymous Hate Commenter

Posted on March 12, 2006 ·

I’ve received a rather disturbing comment to a previous post of mine. It’s such a “marvelous masterpiece” that I decided to repost it in its full glory… be warned, the anonymous (!) commenter uses strong hate language.

“Re: Our Freedom of Speech Paradox

by Anonymous on Sat 11 Mar 2006 11:42 AM PST | Permanent Link

with reference to the prussian blue crap,

I am an extremely proud white (TRUE AMERICAN)man who happens to be quite educated and well off. My family were among the first from England to settle America. My country means everything to me, so forgive me for my rather strong opinion on this issue. i incidentaly happen to be a proud north-easterner. Listen up carefully all you scumtastic nazi-loving fascist hate-mongering “rebels.” We, and when i say we, i am referring to northerners, allowed you national traitors to fucking live after the great cival war. My great great grandfather personally cut down and sent to hell a veritable truckload of you bastards. Be grateful that you werent all rounded up and drowned in the damn ocean. Through years of struggle, war, and national conference we as American citizens have galvanized and made virtually permanent the values that regulate our society. Values like capitalism, christianity, freedome, liberty, and yes tolerance for our kind, many many of which dont happen to be white, Americans come in many races. Our national strength comes from our unity and adherance to our core values, not from the mindless divisive ignorance pawned off as pride by the likes of your kind. Damn, i kind of wish that a war would break out again, because it just might be time to purge all of you anti-american cockroaches out of our beautiful homeland. This is tha land of Washington, Lincoln, Luther King, Kennedy, and many more. This is not the land of Hitler, Mousillini, or any other sub-human force of medeocraty and national decline. I prey all your days come quickly so that my christian god will judge you good and proper”

Filed Under: Blogging, Politics ·

Former White House Advisor Arrested on Theft Charges

Posted on March 10, 2006 ·

Allen1 “A former domestic policy adviser to President Bush has been charged with theft for allegedly receiving phony refunds at department stores… Allen was the No. 2 official in the Health and Human Services Department when Bush nominated him in April 2003 to the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va.”