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Re: keyword order, word count and SEO | Wordtracker

Liz — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 18:04:00 -0000

I never realized people made careers out of word counts and keywords. Next, they'll call SEO a science.

Re: democratic exclusivity

Liz — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 04:34:31 -0000

This expression is a contradiction in terms, an oxymoron. Democratic inplies popular participation while exclusivity implies that some "thing" is limited to a few. Democratic exclusivity is also a prejorative term in political science, implying that something that appears to be open is actually closed and shuts ordinary people out of the process. I think you still need to search for a more apt catch phrase to get across your point.

Re: Study: There is No Tipping Point, Blog Readers Are Skeptical

Liz — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 07:54:25 -0000

This sounds about right from a layman's perspective. In my recent travels through the blogosphere, it seems like a lot of bloggers aimed at marketing and "innovation" are actually consultants throwing out catch phrases to see if any of them stick.

For some reasons, certain blogs are aggregated and distributed in amounts that are out of proportion to the value of their content. I guess they are considered "hot" but if you actually browse them, it's like the emperor's new clothes...there's nothing there.

Blah, blah, blah, all talk with no substance or originality. People reporting on other people's ideas and generating little content that can't be found a lot other "trendsetter's" blog, there is a lot of repackaging. Why not trust those you know, either in real life or virtually rather that some blogger who usually has mixed motives in promoting some product or idea?

Re: ROFLCon: It’s Not Easy Being Memes

Liz — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 05:08:41 -0000

Any way to get a printable version of this story? It's very difficult to print out blogs...the copy runs right off of one page instead of breaking up neatly into pages.

Re: Enterprise 2.0 To Become a \$4.6 Billion Industry By 2013

Liz — Mon, 05 May 2008 15:38:11 -0000

"Commoditization"? This unword reminds me of "affordance", "componentry", "combinatorial", "criticality", "monotonicity", and "processible"...other nonwords I keep reading in technology business literature. You all should really look at a dictionary once in a while as there are actual words in the English language which convey the ideas I think you are aiming at. Reading these made-up, trying to sound fancy, nonwords is like hearing fingernails on a chalkboard.

Re: 5 Great Ways to Contribute to Social Media

Liz — Sun, 18 May 2008 10:45:29 -0000

I love this wave of social media and networking but it has turned from fun to a bit of a chore. I've got too many connections/blogs/webpages to maintain. I need to downsize and concentrate on 2 or 3 rather getting on every site I'm invited to. You could spend your entire day just updating your info and responding to people. It like a social vortex.

Re: 7 Essential Web Design Principles to Earn Trust. And 4 Things to Avoid!

Liz — Tue, 20 May 2008 06:46:16 -0000

Very valuable and frank. Thanks for the post!

Re: Live Streaming Bill Gates Keynote At Advance08

Liz — Wed, 21 May 2008 17:29:59 -0000

What do y'all think of the Live Search Cash Back idea? I think it sounds kind of complicating (i.e., waiting 60 days for rebate) to really take off in a big way.

Re: Phreadz - A Little Like Seesmic, But Trying To Do More

Liz — Sat, 24 May 2008 06:57:12 -0000

It's a good question though, how many social networks can a person keep up with and still 1) keep a job, 2) look after a family, and 3) have a real-life social life. I'm on about 7 and it's just too many especially when some of the same people are on different networks. But which ones to cut out?

I expect some contraction in the growth of new social networks by the end of the summer. Put that in your calendar!

Re: Twitter!

Liz — Sun, 25 May 2008 22:47:00 -0000

Yes, Twitter...where I can find out who just fed their cat, who is eating junk food and watching TV, and who is stuck at a boring meeting at work. How did I exist before Twitter to record the daily highs and lows of my life? And why do people care? They should pick up the phone or write a letter if they want to communicate...then they won't get random information about someone going to the gym or saying "hi" to some other friend you don't even know.

Re: Marketing Sucks

Liz — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 07:45:10 -0000

"the corporate equivalent of that guy in the bar who smells of equal parts aggression, fear, and desperation"...BINGO!

That's what I think of when I surf marketing, business, and trend websites that are trying to "monetize" social networking sites. They see a big pool of potential customers and they are intensely frustrated that they don't have a piece of the action. They are furiously waving red flags at their colleagues shouting, "Look at all of these people over here!"

Then I chime in with my idealistic, "If you commercialize social networking (more than it already is), you'll kill it completely. People won't Twitter or MySpace or FaceBook or MeetUp or whatever if they are going to have to fend off marketing pitches or, worse, attempts at viral marketing that are patently obvious. The appeal of these places is that people can connect with others who they share some commonality with (sports, music, industry, high school, etc.).

Corporations will never create genuine social networks on their own sites that can replicate this. The only exception I can think of is user support sites like Microsoft or other technology discussion boards but the reason most people visit those sites is because their software ISN'T working, not to compliment Microsoft on their fine, fine products. Second Life is commercialized but users can control how deeply they want to get into that virtual world.

It seems like marketers also want to control the message. You put up a Coke Fans bulletin board and there will be as many "Coke sucks" messages as people who like their product. But if you put in a moderating system, it drives people away in droves.

Basically, the day marketers control or influence online social networking (any more than they do), is the day it dies. People will just move on to something else.

End of rant. I just get a little sick reading marketing blogs that treat the "masses" as merely potential revenue sources. And most people are smart enough now to smell their contempt and stay away from contrived marketing campaigns. I'll step off my soapbox now.

Re: The MacBook Air: Thin Enough To Slice A Cake

Liz — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:53:11 -0000

What a waste of a computer...you'll never get all of the frosting out.

Re: Like.com%26%23039%3Bs+Creepy%2C+But+Effective%2C+Facebook%26nbsp%3BAds

Liz — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 12:56:54 -0000

You really think some program has coded every photo on Facebook for its content? There must be millions of personal photos, it wouldn't be cost effective to do something like this in the off-hand chance someone would click on an ad.

Re: Bezos Talks Web Services

Liz — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:05:46 -0000

Cloud computing is on the rise but it seems like it increases a company's vulnerability to have its data stored in several geographically distant locations that are out of its direct control. Or do I not "get" it?

Re: Technorati+Founder+Dave+Sifry+Takes+On+Travel+Guide%26nbsp%3BIndustry

Liz — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 13:20:57 -0000

The customization sounds great, something I'd pay for. But "lifting" content created in a wiki leaves a sour taste in my mouth and would cause me to pass. If it's not original content, I can find the same information myself on the web. It would cost me time but there is a ton of free information out there already I can locate myself.

Bottom line, I'd purchase customized travel info from some company that actually had done some legwork and visited these locations, but not an armchair travel aggregator. I'll take a look at their sample but if it is created in the manner described above, I'll wait for some well-weathered travel guide company to get on the ball and create something similar.

Re: Mozilla Firefox 3.0 Is the Best Browser for Web — For Now

Liz — Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:24:09 -0000

Just testing out Firefox 3 and it is definitely an improvement. I've used Firefox since Netscape went good-bye although I occasionally use Flock because it helps me keep up with my social networks.

Re: Apple WWDC 2008 Keynote Live-Blogging Tomorrow

Liz — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 13:17:09 -0000

Can we expect the Rapture?

Re: Videos: When Social Media enters Popular Culture

Liz — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 14:57:17 -0000

Hadn't seen the Second Life one before. That's going up, yep!, on my Facebook page. Share the wealth!

Re: The Five Questions Companies Ask About Social Media

Liz — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 15:09:06 -0000

Interesting article. Speaking purely as a user, I think that corporate America has to accept that in the realm of social media, they have to give up some control about the message. I read some blogs and it's like marketing types want to attract consumers but also control what happens on the site.

But although people might visit or wander in, they won't stay unless they can have some influence (a voice). And I think a lot of corporate marketing types have a not-so-small contempt of the public and fear giving up the control that is required if a social networking site is going to thrive. You can't have it both ways, that is, attract users/viewers and also control what is being said/done on your site. There are just too many other competing forums where people can go which don't have restrictions beyond the "no flaming, obscene language or photos" maxim.

No one wants to belong to a policed social network and companies that don't realize this will have their carefully budgeted plans go down in flames. They have to accept that by opening up a blog to comments or creating a discussion forum or asking for user-created content, there might very well be some veiled or direct criticism of the company and it's positions. It would be best if they had a sense of humor about it and didn't try to silence those who are saying something they don't want to hear. It could be much more valuable to the company than bland compliments.

Re: The Games Begin: Live Coverage Of Apple WWDC Event In San Francisco

Liz — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 11:46:42 -0000

Don't wait until 10 am to look for seats!

Re: %24199+iPhone%3F+Sure%2C+with+a+2-year%26nbsp%3Bcontract

Liz — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 15:43:39 -0000

I'm not a big AT&T fan....

Re: Twitter Fails To Fail, Community Rejoices

Liz — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 05:51:56 -0000

Tell me that the ban was a joke! He was telling the truth, there were two times I couldn't view Techcrunch--hey, we were looking at it and constantly refreshing--so you shouldn't ban him from stating that.

As for Twitter, the only problem I had him was immediately after the Jobs talk ended. I assume the attendees pulled their cell phones out and tweeted away.

Re: Twitter Fails To Fail, Community Rejoices

Liz — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 06:47:37 -0000

Okay, but I'm going to form a "Banned from TechCrunch" Facebook page complete with video blog.

Nah, it's too damn hot right now and I haven't had my coffee. Whim passes.

Re: I Am A Member Of The Cult Of iPhone

Liz — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 08:09:24 -0000

I hear that there is a great deprogramming treatment facility for this in Redmond, WA.

Re: I Am A Member Of The Cult Of iPhone

Liz — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 11:03:12 -0000

I think I belong to the Cult of the Keyboard...not sure I'll ever be totally won over by a touchscreen. I'm a typer, not a poker.