http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/ Fri, 18 May 2007 19:19:04 -0000 Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:47:00 -0000 http://images.waynesmallman.multiply.com/logo http://waynesmallman.multiply.com 100 100 Whether it's boredom, the frenzy of a manic social life, isolation, knowledge & knowhow, having the ear for celeb' gossip, or just the sheer will to talk and be talked back to, 'blogging as an exercise in socializing that can reap many rewards, some of which can be financial.Whatever your reasons for reaching out, there are some things that can make that one, single act a little more worthwhile, and add a lot of value to your virtual venue.In part 1 of Better 'blogging, I discussed the process of 'blogging and ways of doing the 'blog thing a little better and with a little more focus.In part 2, I'll be looking at some of the resources I've found that will help you make your 'blog a viable, interestingly 'sticky' place to be on the web.This 'blog article needs YOU!This list of tools & services is by no means an exhaustive one. I've picked out what I see as being among the best resources.If you think there are more, then here's your chance to share, OK?I want YOU to parti... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/126 Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:47:00 -0000 Be you the ardent journalist, the voracious researcher or the sweating voyeur, Spock really does apply some very lateral thinking to a common, logical problem.And the problem? Finding stuff about someone in particular on the 'Net.Oh, you can just use Google for crap like that, surely? Well, yes. But if you've ever performed a search for someone's name, say Eric Schmidt for example, a name that just happens to be the same name as someone else, someone more famous than t'other, then you have a problem.This is where Spock comes in...Right now, Spock is in invite-only testing mode, to and I've asked for an invite so I can have a play around.In lieu of them letting the likes of me in to go and muck things up, Tim O'Reilly has done a pretty good job of explaining what Spock is and does. So my discussion is going to be centered around that.At first squint, I see many things...The very first thing that popped into my head when I began to read down through the article was the similarities to Cl... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/127 Mon, 23 Apr 2007 15:39:00 -0000 I have been remiss.With my work load being what it is, Friday and Saturday saw no articles.This will happen from time-to-time, but that's life!But that doesn't mean that I wasn't busying myself like the strange man behind the curtain, pulling levers & switches, taking a moment or two to catch glimpse of his audience.Changes to the look & feelAs of yesterday, I removed all of the social bookmarking buttons and replaced them with just the one from Add This, which vastly simplifies things.I've also trimmed some of the button labels, so stuff can be scan-read much more quickly.Since dropping the Amazon adverts, the loading time of my 'blog has decreased, and it's freed up more space for other peripheral, non-content devices, like my Clipmarks stuff, my Del.icio.us bookmarks et cetera.All of which adds value to much of what I write about.Keeping a place in the big bookSpeaking of my Del.icio.us bookmarks, based on my FeedBurner statistics, you guys seem to really enjoy follo... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/128 Sun, 22 Apr 2007 17:44:00 -0000 ... Of Canada, that is.There are few things more rewarding than seeing some of my advice pay off.I recently ran an article on better 'blogging, which seems to have been quite inspirational to a fellow 'blogger over in Canada.So when she took some of my advice and ran with it in a direction I hadn't even thought of, and come up with something truly meme-orable at the same time, I think that idea needs a little exposure.If you can, pay a visit to Box 1715, read her idea and let's see if we can make this idea into something special.So while I run off a proof print from the office colour laser printer and stick it to the back of a postcard, let's see what you guys have in mind… http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/129 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 19:52:00 -0000 Right now, Google Docs & Spreadsheets does not, I repeat, does not compete with Microsoft Office.Nor does the Google Apps suite of applications, which includes the aforementioned Google Docs & Spreadsheets.Simply offering a one-for-one, like-for-like suite of applications doesn't really add up to something on a par with Microsoft Office, largely because Office is so vast.However, that doesn't preclude Google Apps building towards something bigger over time.Currently we have Rich Internet Applications, certainly the Adobe Apollo flavoured kind offering some very interesting possibilities that Google may well look to explore in the coming months and years.But despite the obviousness and the sheer scale of the non-trival task of going toe-to-toe with Microsoft in the office applications' arena, the question still keeps cropping up:“[Eric Schmidt] says [Google are] announcing something,... a presentation feature for Google Docs and Spreadsheets. Google is focusing... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/130 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:21:00 -0000 I often look for ways of turning a weakness into a strength. It's a key instrument that any business person employs at some stage in their lives.For the likes of Apple, it's become a key differentiator – take what people and your competitors perceive as a weakness and build it into a strength.Take for example the 'closed' concept of the iPod + iTunes. This seamless union of software & hardware has created one of the most wildly popular means of managing and consuming digital entertainment in the world.Sometimes, being closed can open some interesting doors. And all you need to is step through...What's in a name?There's a lot at stake when a good name works in a tandem with what looks like a good product. So when Apple and Cisco originally came to blows over the iPhone name, a lot was at stake.However, as per their agreement, Apple and Cisco have gotten their collective heads together:“As part of the agreement, Cisco and Apple also agreed to investigate oppor... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/131 Thu, 19 Apr 2007 15:15:00 -0000 Adobe have the wind to their backs, and looking down the playing field, they can see old enemies with the sun in their eyes, trying to figure out if it's a confident smile or gritted determination they see on the faces of those coming towards them.Either way, it's best to exercise caution and brace for a collision, 'coz Adobe are rollin'...Adobe have just released their own media player, prosaically entitled, Adobe Media Player.While I provide you with the official press release, unless you want to have your senses dulled by the blandness contained therein, stick around here for a while, I usually get up a head of steam.Enough for everyone, or so I'm told.So I'll pick out the salient points for you, such as:“Adobe Media Player enables higher quality Flash format playback, the ability to download and view videos offline, ways to discover interesting new shows, full screen playback, one-click viewer ratings, and a powerful Favorites feature that automatically downloads new epis... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/132 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 16:02:00 -0000 My name, my face and my words are my personal brand. They're what I use to promote myself, my 'blog and my business.To hide is to not be seen. But that's just my thinking. Clearly, I can't speak for others.So what's wrong with being heard but not seen? Well, we're going to find that out right here...First of all, I want to qualify the focus of this article: this isn't going to be a debate on political anonymity, because that's too massive and exceeds the remit of simple 'blogging anonymity so clearly enjoyed in many free nations, and delves into socio-political issues that are too complex for me to even attempt to disentangle on a Monday evening.Anonymity and the invisible populationFrom a human perspective, and as humans on the internet, anonymity most probably came about not through decision or even choice, but out of primitive technologies, such as bulletin Board Services, which wouldn't have had any real provision for personal profiles.Additionally, operating systems like Unix made... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/133 Wed, 18 Apr 2007 15:58:00 -0000 My timing is usually spot on, but this time, it's been impeccable. My comparison of Google Personal versus Netvibes couldn't have come at a better time.Only a few days ago did news surface that Netvibes were up to something, and I made a stab at guess as to what that something was:“By way of some exceptionally idle speculatin', I'd stab at a guess and say that maybe the idea behind Netvibes Universe is to add in more glue of the social kind and allow people to create custom channels, like 'Lifestreams', or even 'Workstreams' for example, pulling in content from various data sources, like Last.fm, Del.icio.us, Flickr et al.”And I wasn't that far off as it looks like personal pages are making a come back, and just when we thought they were dead & gone!“This afternoon Netvibes will announce the launch of Netvibes Universe, allowing users to create highly customized versions of Netvibes and publish them for public access. Netvibes has created 100 or so... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/134 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:51:00 -0000 I use Skype almost exclusively. Yeah, I use Meebo, too, but it's Skype that keeps me connected to clients as well as colleagues and friends.So my interest was truly piqued by a double-whammy of Skype news this last week. Apparently, there's an enterprise-class version of Skype on its way:“The enterprise version will allow 'company-owned Skype name creation' and 'Direct technical support from Skype,' among other features.”So it's more a support issue than anything else. But, for enterprise customers, support is not just the added-value nicety, but a critical component of any product that has serious ambitions of finding its way into their hallowed networks.A friend of mine supported a VoIP (voice over IP) telephony system at the last company he worked for, and it's no mean feat. In fact, it was quite an undertaking, by all accounts.I imagine then that the 'company-owned Skype name creation' is a branding exercise, though I'm not too sure on that one.More applicable t... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/135 Tue, 17 Apr 2007 16:10:00 -0000 I keep getting asked about 'blogging by people and what does it take to be a good 'blogger.First of all, I try to clarify one thing: being a good 'blogger is not always equal to being a successful 'blogger.OK, with that out of the way, I'm going to serialize my thoughts on 'blogging for anyone, not just beginners.Disclaimer: some of the advice I'm going to be giving out, I might not actually practice myself, and there's usually a good reason for that, which I may or may not allude to during the course of the series. Depends how I feel.Better 'blogging, part 1: the processLike anything else, 'blogging has a process. In general terms, it's not rocket science, but if you want to be a good / successful 'blogger, chances are, you'll uncover some prerequisites.During the week, I had the chance to offer some advice to a certain gentlemen from MyBlogLog by the name of Tom Boyd with regards to his Bass Blog, which is about bass guitars.In an email to Tom, I outlined what I see as the general ru... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/137 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:35:00 -0000 Censorship on the 'Net is a fiery issue currently burning holes through the web in unusual places.It's contentious, debatable and causing some consternation for some.So why is the idea of calling for some silence or some order on the web the cause of so much dismay?And just how could Digg be the saviour or free speech on the web? Well, we're going to find that out right here...First of all, I want to qualify the focus of this article: in reference to the Tim O'Reilly call for a Blogger's Code of Conduct, I'm not going to reverse engineer his ideas into something else. Nor am I going to go through them with any level of detail. I shall glance over them superficially and maybe add to as I see fit.Of censorship and other animalsI wanted to leave my entry into this recent debate a little late because when Tim O'Reilly had his say I knew for a fact that his comments would stir up a debate and more commentary would emerge, which would all add much greater value to what had originally been sa... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/136 Mon, 16 Apr 2007 16:30:00 -0000 I've been feelin' the luv this week.What with getting some exclusives on Now Public with my recent articles, as well as my news subscription swelling, I'm quietly pleased with myself.I've been putting myself about like a mad'n all this week, and I thought I'd share my experiences with you, which some of you may have seen from the huge list of links I've compiled over the course of the week over on Del.icio.us.So for those that haven't had the chance to follow me along the byways & highways of the web, here's an excerpt from my SEO & SEM diary. In a voice similar to what you get on TV: "Previously on Blah, Blah! Technology Live!"“Monday, 9 April 2007 11:32:34 BDTHaving joined a load of social networks yesterday (Furl, BlinkList, Spurl, Listible, Loopster, Simpy and Now Public) I think the most promising could well be Simpy and Now Public.Of the two, Simpy allows you to synch with your Del.icio.us account, and uses all of the Labels in my articles as Tags, which... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/138 Sat, 14 Apr 2007 18:57:00 -0000 I never really hit it off with the Web 2.0 moniker. To me, it was and still is a marketing gimmick that doesn't reflect the fullness of the second breath the web has taken recently.Version two implies the web has stepped forward. To me, that's to neglect the fact that the web has not only stepped forward, but also sideways, into areas not often thought of as the domain of the web, such as truly interactive applications.I remember one guy telling me how he as a developer was asked by the marketing guy to insert a progress bar into a web application, simply because it looked cool. Despite trying to explain that this was bad usability – as well as slowing the application down to do it, because the action was instant – his marketing guy rested on the misguided belief that cool meant good.Well, not always. And in fairness, people are generally better informed these days, so such ghastly horror stories are far & few between.I'm not going to wade into the technical... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/124 Fri, 13 Apr 2007 16:09:00 -0000 Looks like Netvibes are planning something major, spaciously entitled "Netvibes Universe" which conjures up all kinds of notions.To celebrate this event, they're inviting '600 of their closest friends', which also conjures up all kinds of notions, specifically, beyond 100 friends, close or otherwise, could you name them all?Anyway, despite my previous glowing review of Netvibes, my invite is clearly still in the post.By way of some exceptionally idle speculatin', I'd stab at a guess and say that maybe the idea behind Netvibes Universe is to add in more glue of the social kind and allow people to create custom channels, like 'Lifestreams', or even 'Workstreams' for example, pulling in content from various data sources, like Last.fm, Del.icio.us, Flickr et al.Now that Box.net are edging towards the 1 million registered users mark, I'm sure they now have the luxury of time to think about the big question: 'what next?'“Today [Box.net] launched a new widget product. It's effective... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/125 Thu, 12 Apr 2007 20:10:00 -0000 As you may have read recently, either here or elsewhere, Mozilla have announced an early development release of a social Add-On extension called The Coop to their Firefox web browser.Almost immediately, thoughts turned to Flock, fellow stable mate and web browser with special social glue.However, with Mozilla proposing similar social stickiness for Firefox, Flock could find themselves coming unstuck.That's the background out of the way. Now let's look at some other issues.Based on the early release version of The Coop, Deborah Richman makes some interesting points over at Search Engine Watch:“First, the social browser is 'set' to the same channels of friends and content. When your interests change, that means you'll want to re-tune to other people. Otherwise, you'll see things that aren't interesting – literally every time you open your browser.”It's a fair enough point to make. But it also assumes that we're all the veritable social butterflies, flitter f... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/112 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:58:00 -0000 I've been using Netvibes more and more recently since my earlier review and I have to say, it's pretty good.I've also been using two widgets that have really opened things up and taken my Netvibes page pretty damn close to being a part of my daily workflow, and that's saying something, I can tell you!First of all, Box.net is a revelation. Like every other widget, you just drag them into place. I had no idea what it was, so I just clicked a couple of buttons and I was signed up and signed in. Simple as that.And what did I get for my [non]troubles? 1 gigabytes of free storage, that's what? To top it off, you can add folders in there, rename files, and after uploading a 1 megabyte file from work, it's pretty quick, too.Then there's Meebo, which is a chat client aggregator of sorts. I'd seen Meebo before, but not really faffed around with it too much. But having it as a widget within Netvibes made much more sense to me.I tend not to use either my MSN Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger or AIM acco... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/113 Wed, 11 Apr 2007 15:53:00 -0000 So there I'm am, jogging past this house, and there's a van parked outside, all the usual stuff; livery with logo, company strap line, telephone number.But wait a minute, there's something missing, this guy doesn't have a website!Question is: does he even need a website? Now there's a thought…And then I thought to myself, is it actually possible to perform SEM (Search Engine Marketing) for a company that has no website?Making the listIn theory, this should be possible, after all, we have commercial directories like Kelly Search, Yell.com, Scoot and Applegate, all of which are good directories for British businesses, so why not?The only thing needed would be a way of measuring (the success of) such a campaign, but that's all down to who you'd be channeling your search marketing leads towards.So, if you were funneling people towards a paid-for listing with someone like Yell.com, as an example, then you'd be getting reports and stuff, which is OK.And most of these services offe... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/115 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:56:00 -0000 So Google made good on all their mobile machinations and release a product that knits together GeoRSS and KML and it's called Google MyMaps.Intrigued by the idea of drawing my own maps, I decided to plot out the route I take when I jog.What's immediately obvious is that Google MyMaps is no Adobe Illustrator. The drawing tools are crude, and little thought has been given to creating maps that extend beyond the visible area on your screen.Yes, you can click on the navigation buttons, but click in the wrong place and you make a mess of your map, which is then only fixed by deleting and starting from scratch. Obviously not ideal.While this might seem like me being needlessly critical, it's a valid point. I'm familiar with these concepts because I'm a designer, but for those people less familiar than I am, they're going to make a few frustrating mistakes before they get it right. Some might even just give in.It's still a little confusing in my mind how all of this hangs together, even thoug... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/116 Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:52:00 -0000 Right now, Seb Döll over at Pixel Milk is currently kickin' the tyres of Yahoo! Pipes.And who can blame him?But when I first happened upon Yahoo! Pipes, I wasn't totally won over. But having since hacked together a live version of my regular feed, and then after watching the Google TechTalk video clip on Seb's 'blog, it's clearer now the scale & scope of Yahoo! Pipes.Ironically, what's most intriguing about the Google TechTalk video isn't the topic of discussion itself (although it's very insightful,) but the complete lack of company politics.But that's what happens when you don't tell the marketing people what's going on and then let a load of software developers steal a projector, the coffee machine, 2lb of biscuits and ensconce themselves in an auditorium for the morning.What you have is Google biggin' up technology from arch-rival Yahoo! and then Yahoo! Pipes pulling in various services, including several belonging to Google.This to me is precisely what I want to s... http://waynesmallman.multiply.com/journal/item/114 Mon, 9 Apr 2007 16:25:00 -0000