November 17, 2003 – 5:47 pm
As we roll into another US election year – I am cringing at the thought of another tedious onslaught of slick, scientifically formulated and edited political TV ads.
If you feel the same way, you might want to check out a new contest organized by MoveOn, a left-leaning online political activism forum. (I’m serious, even if you’re a dyed-in-the-wool conservative, this could be fun, bear with me.) The BushIn30Seconds ad contest invites anyone, regardless of experience, to create their own 30-second anti-Bush TV ad.
All eligible submissions will be posted to the BushIn30Seconds site from Dec. 15-30, 2003, where they will be rated by visitors and later judged by experts. This could be a seriously entertaining collection to browse, regardless of where your political sumpathies lie.
(Full story, with links…)
November 12, 2003 – 4:51 pm
So many Web site owners seem more willing to spend money on usability than content – maybe because it’s generally easier to quantify the impact of usability improvements than content improvements.
However, the secret is that many usability concerns are also content concerns. This is especially with regard to microcontent (all the short bits of content on the site, such as link text, and page titles; as well as information-bearing images).
A new article from Web usability expert Jakob Nielsen lists his “Top Ten Most Violated Homepage Design Guidelines.” More than half of these usability/design issues overlap with content or microcontent issues.
(Full story, with link to article…)
November 10, 2003 – 8:47 am
What kind of notes should you be taking? And how should you be taking them? In a comment to my recent article, “Notetaking Wonders and Woes,” CONTENTIOUS reader Kathy asked:
“I am a full time telecommuter and manage content on several Intranet sites. All of my meetings are via conference call. I always struggle with how to take good notes from the calls. I try to have printed pages of the web content to make notes on, but that isn’t always practical – especially with new content. Many of the calls are focused on strategy and processes, not directly to content. Any suggestions?”
Well yes, actually I do have lots of suggestions for Kathy and others who are struggling to take good notes…
(Full story, with links to resources…)
November 10, 2003 – 12:25 am
If you can’t innovate, jump in front and pretend it’s your parade. Microsoft may be doing that for RSS feeds.
CNet recently reported that one of the features demonstrated in sneak preview of the next Microsoft operating system, Longhorn, was “news and other information streamed onto the desktop via RSS feed.” That’s right: a feed reader built right into the operating system.
Cool – maybe. Reality-check: We are talking about Microsoft, after all…
(Full story, with links…)
- Not sure what RSS is? Read my RSS backgrounder.
- Do you get CONTENTIOUS by RSS feed? Take my quick RSS survey.
November 7, 2003 – 12:54 pm
Customer reviews of sellers’ service is a cornerstone of content for most clearinghouse-style e-commerce sites.
Just a few minutes ago, my husband was shopping online for a new motherboard at Motherboards.org, a popular electronics clearinghouse site. He pointed out something to me on that site that makes their customer reviews look a bit silly.
(Full story, with links to examples…)
November 6, 2003 – 7:40 am
Lack of planning — especially content planning — is what keeps many Web sites from success. That’s what a recent MarketingProfs.com article, “Develop a Five-Year Plan for Your Site,” contends. I couldn’t agree more! Anyone involved with site planning or content development, corporate or otherwise, should read this article. It’s a fabulous reality check.
This article sparked several thoughts, which I’d like to share…
- Read more:
November 5, 2003 – 12:04 pm
I’d like to gather some basic information about the utilization of the CONTENTIOUS RSS feed.
If you subscribe to this feed (or have at least checked it out), please TAKE THIS QUICK SURVEY:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.asp?u=54970309760
It’s very short (just five questions) and will only take you a few moments to complete. I will be summarizing results later in CONTENTIOUS.
RESPOND NOW TO CAST YOUR VOTE! I’m trying out the free demo of the SurveyMonkey online survey tool (which looks great so far), and this demo only allows me to collect 100 responses per survey. That should be enough for me to get a basic idea of how you like and use my RSS feed.
I’ll be conducting other surveys later to check utilization of my e-mail alerts, the format and content of this weblog, etc.
Other RSS comments/questions? Please e-mail me: editor@contentious.com
Not sure what RSS is or how to use it? Read my backgrounder:
http://blog.contentious.com/archives/000038.html
Thanks!
- Amy Gahran
November 5, 2003 – 11:08 am
RSS feeds can distribute a lot more than simple text. A Nov. 2, 2003 Comixpedia story, “Really Simple Syndication for Web Comics,” explains how online comic artists can use RSS feeds creatively to expand their audiences. So far, few comic artists are doing this, but I think it would be great to see growth and experimentation in this area.
- Read more:
November 4, 2003 – 1:38 pm
What’s the most efficient and effective way to capture information from discussions, interviews, presentations, and other real-life events? Journalists, students, researchers, and others often rely on taking handwritten notes, or sometimes by making audio recordings. However, some notetaking practices tend to work better than others.
(Full story, with links to resources…)
November 4, 2003 – 12:49 pm
Like cockroaches and mice, spammers manage to creatively infest virtually every niche in the ecology of electronic communications. BBC News reports today on the latest spam craze: bluejacking.
Bluejacking capitalizes on Bluetooth-enabled cell phones. (Bluetooth is a technology that allows wireless connectivity between a wide ranges of electronic devices.) Basically, bluejacking is a way to send anonymous text messages to nearby cell phones that have Bluetooth turned on. Currently it’s much more prevalent in Europe than in the US, but just give it time…
(Full story, with links to articles and more…)
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