Timpanogos Cave Hike

This morning I hiked up to the opening of Timpanogos cave with Gina, Jess, Vickie and Larry. First time for me, and man did it kick my butt. I'll do it again, probably several more times. I really want to take more pictures. I was so exhausted I didn't really care. I did take a few though, below.

[gallery link="file" orderby="ID"]

Here is a link about the cave, the hike, and the area. http://bit.ly/bpuqbj

read more...

Why Microsoft Shouldn't Aim At Google Or Apple

I read this Wired article today, and I had too cringe hearing Microsoft is taking aim at Google and Apple. Why would they want too? They own such an enormous desktop market, and they could own the mobile space too, but not trying to come at it from the rear. Utilize your existing customer base to build the best mobile experience for Windows users. The reason Android is catching on so quickly, besides the open software and the backing of Google, is it's really the only smart phone alternative to the iPhone at the moment. There are other platforms, but nothing at the level of an Android phone.

I'm not foolish enough to think Microsoft doesn't have a huge gap when it comes to mobile market share. I mean they haven't really put any effort into it for years. But that's what's cool about the opportunity they have. If they want to take something from Apple, take the fact Apple goes to incredible lengths to make the user experience the best on the planet. Whether you think that is egotistical, close minded, or plain and simple snobbery, it doesn't matter. They make products that people like. And Microsoft should focus on the same thing.

I think Microsoft is in the perfect position. I really hope they don't blow it by trying to "be" a bigger better Apple or Google, because they will fail.

read more...

The Jedi Rank Of Community Manager

Most companies would balk at hiring someone to manage "their community", and I can understand the resistance. The question of whether a Community Manager (I'll try and refer to the position as CM from here on out) brings value to a company is long standing, and even harder to answer. My answer is an overwhelming yes, and I think it should be a key position.

More and more people are looking for visibility into a company. Customers expect representatives of a company to be in the same places they are. Customers expect some sort of interaction with questions, issues or concerns, and they expect them pretty quickly. CM's can be a great first line between a company and it's customers.

I've been an admirer of ComcastCares (who has also grown to become a celebrity in his own right) on Twitter, and how the group has grown from a staff of one, to an army of Twitter "agents", helping as many of their customers as they can. The trend is obviously there. Many of the largest companies in the world have CM's, and some times several.

But these Jedi usually do more than answer Twitter questions. I had an opportunity to spend some time with Blue Sky Factory's CM, DJ Waldow, and get a small glimpse of what he does, even for just an hour. A few months ago, DJ sat across from me in a now defunct Co-Working space in Salt Lake City, Utah. He's a rock star. He's smooth. He's fast. He knows his company, his product and his customer. But I've also seen DJ interact with the community, and he definitely shares as much as he can. Who else would offer up assistance at 2AM? DJ will. He just had a baby, so yeah he's probably up on occasion. You can find more on DJ at these digital pads; Blog - Twitter - Blue Sky Factory.

I asked DJ some questions, and he gave some great responses.

Community Management can at times seem like a 24/7 job, what have you done to balance work and life?

Had a baby. Just kidding. Actually, not entirely. Being a new dad has helped to shut off and go offline every now and then. I'm not saying that I've figured this out (ask my wife), but it's help focus me during the day a bit. When I pick my daughter up from daycare, I do my best to make it family time. The same goes for weekends and evenings - that's my time with my wife and daughter. Don't get me wrong, I have an iPhone so I'm able to "check in" every so often. Also, I don't have the typical 9-5 job. Some days, I'm up and rolling with my first cup of french press coffee before 6AM. Other days, I burn the candle late into the evening. Either way, most days are blend of personal and professional. That's a key to this gig as much of what I do on a personal level helps with my job as the Director of Community at Blue Sky Factory. Much of community management is about building relationships, connecting people, engaging with fans, critics, prospects, clients, and evangelists.

I see a lot of high tech companies with Community Managers, is this a role only for high tech, or can just about any company use a Community Manager?

A community manager can help any organization, not just high tech. I think of this role as the voice and face of the organization. It's PR, Marketing, Sales, Support, Client Services, Business Development - you name it. Those teams exist in nearly every company, not just in the tech sector. That being said, not every organization needs a community manager - just like social media is not necessary for every company (http://socialbutterflyguy.com/2009/12/16/social-media-is-not-necessary/).

I know you do interact on Twitter a lot, where else do you interact with your companies community? Which do you find is the most critical?

I spend quite a bit of time on blogs - writing for both the Blue Sky Factory blog (http://blog.blueskyfactory.com/) and commenting on other blogs. I also use Facebook to post and have conversations with our community. Finally, LinkedIn is becoming a more integral piece. The group discussions and LinkedIn Answers provide some good dialogue. Most critical? I find that Twitter still gets the most bang for the buck when it comes to generating new business.

CM's have been around for a long time, but were typically volunteers who loved a product or service, and wanted to help improve it, and help others get the most for their money. The role of advocate has dramatically changed. The CM is called on to interact the customers on multiple levels, create more opportunity for product or service introduction, and build an even larger army of advocates. You will also find a good CM utilized internally, communicating with all departments, and helping shape the direction of the company based on true customer feedback.

Personally, I think CM's add enormous value to any company, especially if the focus and direction are parallel to the companies vision and goals. The goal should be more customers buying more products or services, right? It's hard to be the one running the company, building the product or service, and being the sole CM. It's a very important job that should have a dedicated resource. I know many of you will try and manage on your own, and that's very admirable, but you won't see any significant change until it becomes someones sole focus.

Have you interacted with a Community Manager? What was your experience? If you are a Community Manager, share some of your successes, and trials.

I'm going to follow up with some additional posts on this subject. When someone asks me what I want to do after my current career comes to an end, I'm going to tell them I want to be a Community Manager.

read more...

iOS4 Makes My iPhone 3G Virtually Useless

Since upgrading to iOS4 on my iPhone 3G, I've had nothing but problems. And I'm not alone. Complaints from 3G owners have flooded blog posts, Twitter and Facebook streams, and even news outlets are reporting on the problems.

I'm usually one who stays on the edge of technology, but mobile devices are a little different. For me, the cost of upgrading my iPhone has been dependent on my contract with AT&T. Every time you extend your contract you lose options, or those options become more expensive.

But back to the phone issue. As it stands right now, very few of my applications are stable with iOS4. Especial those that use a lot of memory or network services. I don't fully blame the app developers because I think this is an incompatibility with the OS and the phone. I'm sure there are some apps that aren't quite compatible with iOS4, but the apps I'm having problems with are ones have recently been updated, and should be functioning correctly.

This lack of compatibility really drives me crazy. As Scott Lemon stated today, Apple is putting money above quality, similar to Toyota, who put money before quality, and now it has come back to bite both companies.

I like my iPhone, it has changed the way I consume information and communicate. I want to continue using my iPhone, but the complete system failures are very frustrating.

Reviewing options.

[Update] Before I even posted this, my iPhone has crashed, not recognized by iTunes, and I am now restoring from a backup. Incredible.

read more...

Stanford Engineering School Sheds It's Library Books

A couple of days ago I wrote how I thought Libraries should adopt the Netflix model, down size the number of facilities and make as many resources digital as possible. Today, Laura Sydell writes a story for NPR on how Stanford Universities Engineering school library has 85% less materials on it's shelf than it did in 2005. While it's not a large library, they are still seeing the value in making their materials digital. It's not mass acceptance, but it is a start. And the fact it's coming from a school, where the reliance on printed book dates back to the beginning of education, it makes the most sense for these libraries to be models for public facilities.

Thanks to @canyonsdave for sharing the link on Twitter.

read more...

Tweet Chats Cast A Wider Twitter Net

I've been a Twitter user for a few years now, and I have seen the service morph from a conversation tool to an advertising marketing tool. At first it was "What are you doing?" to "Hey, look at what I've done!". I enjoy and sometimes even appreciate links to articles, news items, even events, but the platform isn't the same one I used to love.

There seems to be a movement right now (and maybe has been for a while, I just didn't notice), but Twitter users are starting to host what are known as Twitter Chats, based on a hash tag and topic. Here is how a Twitter Chat basically works. Tweet often carry a hash tag like #blogchat, or some other keyword to describe the Tweet. When a hash tag is clicked, most Twitter clients will create a search based on that hash tag, giving you a view of Tweets that only carry that tag. Fine tuning the stream you are viewing means you can focus on the "Chat" and exclude you complete stream.

Example of what a chat column looks like in Hootsuite:

Most of these Chats have scheduled times, hosts, topics, and even web sites dedicated strictly to the hash tag. I follow several, mostly about writing, and a very cool tag #blogchat. I'm looking for more, and would love any recommendations. Here are the ones I'm following at the moment, and have a column dedicated to the tag in my Hootsuite application.

#blogchat
#writechat
#scifichat
#scribechat
#storycraft

There's a few draw backs to Twitter Chats. One is the increased number of Tweets in your stream that most of your connections don't want to read. The second is Tweet Chats move fast, several thousand Tweets are generated during a chat, and you need to refresh your tool to see all the new Tweets. It's hard to stay involved in a single conversation for too long, and I tend to miss a good number of Tweets and or questions.

My advise is to watch a Twitter Chat a few times. See what people are asking, how they respond, and who is participating. Then jump in. There is no right or wrong way, only that you make sure the Chat tag is included somewhere in your Tweets.

If you use a tools like Hootsuite, or TweetDeck, you can create dedicated columns to follow a topic. You can also use a cool web application like TweetChat.com. This application creates a stream that auto refreshes every few seconds.

Tweet Chats have helped me get excited about Twitter again. I'm connecting with more people, having relevant conversations, and learning more than I have in a long time. Happy Tweeting!

read more...

Library Systems Need To Adopt The Netflix Model

Last week I read an article from a Twitter link (thanks Zach), about Libraries being a waste. I've been thinking about that statement for a few days now, and I must admit I agree. Most library systems are antiquated and cost more to run than they are worth. It's time for an overhaul.

I've been a library user all my life. There are incredible resources available, but the simple fact is most people have no idea what's there. Libraries aren't just books anymore. You can find everything from Music CD's to your local newspapers. More and more libraries are offering digital content, consumable on devices like the iPod or MP3 player. Libraries also offer access to large research databases, this was a surprise to me, and I've used this service on many occasions.

But let's get down to the reality of how most people are using the library these days. Internet access and free video rental (an un-scientific observation). I visited three facilities this week, and at each one, there were more people using the computers, with it's free Internet access, than were looking for books. I casually walked around glancing at what people were doing, and most were using Facebook, or email, or doing some sort of Internet search.

The next largest congregation of people were in movie and music sections. And as sad as it was to see, very few people were looking at books, except in the books on tape/cd. Here is what I think Cities and Counties should do with their libraries.

Go 100% Digital or Deliver
Almost every book that is published also has a digital counterpart. Libraries could save enormous amounts of money by investing in digital assets rather than paper books. Have you looked at some of the technology books on the shelves lately? I've seen books that help someone use Windows ME. What the? While literary books are timeless, the shelves are filled with many books that become irrelevant in a short amount of time. But the libraries insist on leaving them to take up space. Wasted space.

Another benefit to digital is no replacement costs. If a CD/DVD is broken, you have to buy another copy. If a book is torn, or lost, again, you have to buy another copy. Don't get me started on VHS movies in libraries. Who has a VHS machine? The cost of buying and replacing VHS movies is another cost libraries can do without.

If a library really wants to provide physical books, ones you can't get a digital version for, I say offer to ship the book to a patron. They could even charge a fee for shipping the book, or turn one of the now vacant libraries into a distribution hub, or a drop/off pickup point. Force everyone to check out books through the Internet, solving the problem of spending money to be an Internet Cafe, and a stale book shelf.

Partner With Content Service Providers
Rather than keep old VHS or even old DVD's around, partner with a Netflix type of service to offer disk checkout. The cost can't be much more than paying for hundreds of copies of the same movie. Plus you get the added benefit of the partner managing the distribution. Win! Now patrons can check out Blu-ray disks, and I'm not sure if libraries are even offering Blu-ray movies at the moment. Again, a sign that libraries are falling behind in providing relevant and timely content to the people who pay to keep it running.

As a tax payer, in my City anyway, I think libraries are a wast of money. I would rather check stuff out online, get digital versions, or have something shipped to me rather than spend time running around the library building. Managing workers at the library is another discussion, but I see a lot of librarians, is that the technical term still, sitting behind a counter, usually on the Internet, and waiting for someone to walk up and ask for help. How about being proactive? OK, my intent isn't to harass the library staff, but their salaries are part of the overall cost of running a library.

Take a page from the Amazon and Netflix book. Streamline the process of delivering content and medium to your patrons.

Photo courtesy of boltron

read more...

LaunchUp #9 Was A Success

Local entrepreneur and Doba.com executive Jeremy Hanks put on LaunchUp #9. If you don't know what LaunchUp is, it's basically an opportunity for bootstrap early stage companies to give a 7 minute overview of their product or service, then tell the audience what they need to move forward. I've attended past events and I can tell you that Jeremy is in the groove. The timing is on, the presentations are sharp, and he has had some great sponsors.

Tonight we heard from three companies; RawData, O-Codes and Pixelture.

RawData
This company is very complex, at least from my point of view. The gist is they track consumers uses and movements between different types of media (?). I say complex because the amount of data they collect is enormous, and will only grow in size. I love the concept, especially from an advertiser perspective, or someone looking to track demographic behavior on one or more types of media. I need to do more research on this technology, seven minutes just isn't enough time to learn more. http://www.therawdata.com/

O-Codes
The technology created by this company is pretty cool. While the staggering number of people on Facebook and the Internet in general, there are still just as many that consume print media as a form of entertainment or news. O-Codes has come up with a product that will allow companies to place codes on a marketing piece or ad, which a consumer can send via text message (because everyone has text messaging, right?), and in return are sent links and additional information for the product code.

The possibilities are endless here. I like the bridging of non-digital and digital marketing. This type of service doesn't require an expensive smart phone (although without a smart device, you can't really do much), and covers the largest portion of the market (IMHO). I'm looking forward to see how O-Codes grows. http://www.o-codes.com/

Pixelture
The concept of the product from this company was hard to grasp as first. I wasn't real sure what the product was, or the pain they were trying to solve. But near the end of the presentation it finally clicked. I'm not sure I can do it justice, so please visit the web site for more detail information. Basically, Pixelture provides two pieces of software, a client for computer and mobile devices, and a server component. The software allows you to broadcast a screen to multiple devices, almost like a desktop share.

For example, if I was an instructor, I could share my screen with all the students in my class, or I could give students the ability to share their desktop for class room discussion. The service has a much broader application than education, but it seemed the best for the example.

I can see value for this service at large conferences. What if I was out in the hall because I was tired of sitting in the hard chairs, now I can see what the presenter is sharing and participate in the presentation. What about an art gallery that wanted to share pieces of art not on the wall, but you could see on your device from a rotating powerpoint or image slide show. http://www.pixelture.com/

One of the things I like about going to LaunchUp is learning about new companies here in Utah. There are some really cool things going on. I also love the opportunity to network and meet other people interested in building great companies.

Thanks to Jeremy Hanks and all his supporters for making LaunchUp such a great event.

read more...