August 22, 2005 – 9:02 am
Just thinking out loud here, and I realize this isn’t a terribly original thought.
I don’t believe I’ve ever clicked on a banner ad, except by accident or unless it mentioned a special deal for a specific product, service, or event I was already interested in. And believe me, I’ve seen a ton of banner ads.
In contrast, I have clicked on informative contextual text ads served up by Google Adsense and its competitors, both on web sites and in search engine results.
This makes me wonder why so many sites junk up their layout with banner ads…
August 19, 2005 – 4:30 pm
SURVEY QUESTION 7: Would you ever disclose personal information on your business site or blog?
- 74 (45%) said: MAYBE
- 58 (36%) said: YES, I already do
- 23 (14%) said: YES, I’d like to
- 8 (5%) said: NEVER
Of the 163 respondents so far: The vast majority claim to be definitely willing (or at least willing to consider) disclosing personal information in an online business/professional context. Many, in fact, have already done so. Looking at the survey as a whole so far, it’s interesting that most respondents don’t generally disapprove when they encounter a surprising variety of personal (even controversial) information on business blogs – as long as the personal context doesn’t overpower the blog’s business content, and as long as it’s made relevant. The vast majority also claim to be definitely or conditionally willing to offer their own personal disclosures on business blogs. However, many (perhaps most) of these people prefer to exercise considerable caution about the types of personal info they choose to disclose in a business/professional site – generally steering clear of even remotely controversial or taboo topics. In other words:They’re open to encountering a wide range of personal disclosures, but they’re generally quite circumspect about the types of disclosures they’d be willing to make. And I can’t blame them. It is somewhat risky. CAVEATS: All of this depends, of course, on whether survey respondents are being honest – and if you consider informal, self-selected surveys of any use at all. Here are the responses so far for this question…
August 19, 2005 – 10:36 am
One story making the rounds in today’s tech news headlines is that Microsoft apparently has decided that the word “RSS” is not palatable to a consumer audience. In the current beta of the upcoming release of its popular browser, Internet Explorer (which includes feed functionality), Microsoft is referring to “webfeeds,” not “RSS.” Hmmmm…. “webfeeds.” Sound familiar? …Longtime Contentious readers may recall that last year I held a contest to find a less geeky, more descriptive and user-friendly nickname for the communication channel made possible by the RSS and Atom standards. The winning nickname (announced in April 2004) was – you guessed it – webfeeds. Since then, I’ve noticed that the term webfeed has been steadily gaining traction. I guess someone at Microsoft noticed, too…
August 18, 2005 – 3:55 pm
Just a quick note… Over at the pingVision weblog Laura Scott has posted a very thoughtful commentary on the overlap of our personal and professional lives, from a definitely pro-business perspective…
August 18, 2005 – 10:24 am
If you’re in the Denver/Boulder (CO) area and would like to attend my Very Basic Blogging workshop next week (Wed., Aug. 24), today is the last day I’m offering a discount for early registration…
August 18, 2005 – 9:00 am
Why should anyone bother publishing a blogroll? I’m posing this as an open question, because I’m undecided and haven’t had a chance to research it thoroughly. I don’t really have a “blogroll” as such on this weblog – just a short list of links on the right to blogs and sites run by a few friends and colleagues. And to tell you the truth I don’t really like blogrolls. They look like specious link farms to me, and they often drastically clutter a page. From a reader’s perspective, they bug me. However, I realize that they can offer some benefits, too…
August 16, 2005 – 10:37 am
SURVEY QUESTION 6: On a blog that you read mainly for business reasons, the author one day mentions in a post that he’s one of the millions of people who suffers from depression. Your reaction…
THE BIG NEWS here is that making this particular disclosure doesn’t seem to present much risk in terms of losing readers – in fact, it might even work in your favor. That said, some individuals in the minority who admit being troubled by this disclosure appear noticeably concerned with credibility, rather than simply relevence or propriety. Therefore, publicly admitting to depression (and probably any mental/emotional disorder) may require special handling.
CAVEATS: All of this depends, of course, on whether survey respondents are being honest – and if you consider informal, self-selected surveys of any use at all.
Here are the responses to this question, and my observations about them…
August 15, 2005 – 10:43 am
Just a reminder: On Wed. Aug. 24 I’m offering a live workshop called Very Basic Blogging in Boulder CO. There are still some seats available, and I’ve decided to extend my early-bird discount through this Thursday, Aug. 18. This nontechnical, benefits-focused, hands-on workshop is intended to help people who’ve only just discovered (or who suspect they might want to get to know) the world of weblogs. Attendees will learn what weblogs are, how to find blogs they like, how to follow and interact with them, and how to create their own blog. Most importantly, I’ll peek behind the blogging hype to show attendees which benefits weblogs can realistically offer them, and what the pitfalls really are. I’ve heard that some CONTENTIOUS readers have been recommending my workshop to their blog-curious (or blog-confused) friends, family, and colleagues in the Denver area. That’s great! I’m honored, and I’ll do my best to bring them up to speed. WANT TO SAVE 25% on the workshop fee? Here’s how to get my secret discount…
August 14, 2005 – 6:12 pm
A week or two ago I was interviewed by Amy Brozio-Andrews for Absolute Write an online newsletter for freelance writers. We had a lot of fun with this discussion.
She basically wanted to know how I go about running my admittedly varied and unusual business – finding projects, etc.
As always, I had a lot to say…
August 13, 2005 – 6:01 pm
My “Women in Podcasting List” continues to grow – it now includes about 100 shows. Please check it out if you haven’t done so already, and let me know about any female hosted/cohosted podcast shows I don’t already have listed. Here are the most recent additions to my list…
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