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Guy Kawasaki is wrong...YES I said it!

I have been thinking a lot about if blogs should be used to make money or not. Now, before I continue, I know that many people may have blogs and indirectly making money. Meaning they show their expertise and perhaps people contact them through their blog and make a business deal. This is fine, but I have a problem with those who are running a blog, have Google Ads, and using their blog to market products/services like crazy because they want to make money! Honestly, this really irritates me!

Stowe Boyd agrees that blogs should not be used to make millions, rather blogs are more like diaries. However, Guy Kawasaki disagrees and believes that blogs are more like a book. In his post "How To Evangelize a Blog" he mentions several "strategies" to running a successful blog. Yet, I hesitate and honestly, I grinded my teeth while reading it. For some reason this sticks out at me and the majority of the strategies Guy talks about totally goes against the purpose of a blog (from my point of view).
Here's a breakdown of the key points from both Guy's and Stowe's posts. Read on and let me know what you think.

Guy's Blog:

• Think book not diary


• blog = product


• "If you want to evangelize your blog, then think “book” not “diary” and market the heck out of it."


• diary = collection of spontaneous thoughts and feelings


• Answer the little man


• "It's tough to market crap, so make sure you have something worth saying. Or, write a diary and keep it to yourself."


• Collection email addresses


• "When I started this blog, I sent out 10,000 email announcements."

Stowe Boyd

• It's more like a diary than a book


• "It's bottom-up, a world of people writing their daily thoughts, individuals whose thoughts and writing could influence you, push you."


• It's not a book, it's not a sermon, it's a dance. (Jeremiah Owyang agrees)


• Find your voice. Takes sides, write about what matters to you, don't give up, and sharpen your pencil every day.

To me, it seems like Guy is 100% committed to marketing, while others strongly believe that blogging is NOT about marketing, becoming an online blog celeb, or making money. Yet, it's more about writing one's thoughts about interests that may disagree or agree with others.
I am really irritated when I hear a blog being used to market "the heck out of" a product, or a bragging medium "I have X-amount of visitors" or even about sending out "10,000 emails" marketing a blog. Is it just me?

I could be wrong here, but all this talk about making money from a blog really creates a bad taste in my mouth. Even the WSJ posted an article about this.
Blogging CAN, but SHOULD NOT BE USED TO MAKE MONEY!

I would like to end on a good note though. Below is a nice exerpt from lazygeek:
"Blogs are fun for someone who wants a pulpit and does not care about making money. Blogs are really the "diaries" of yesteryear. Social historians of the future will have a field day mining blogs for nuggets of the mores of present day civilization."

Here are a few links so you can get involved with this conversation. Let me know what you think or what you find:
Jason Calacanis, Alan Meckler

Your Guide to a Well Balanced Blog: Shish Kabob

Jeremiah Owyang posted a rather unique entry on his blog discussing how writing in the style of a shish kabob provides a service to readers. Ah ha! Finally something I can relate too...yet another food analogy.

Throughout grade school I remember always being taught the "hamburger" essay. You have the buns (opening and closing paragraphs), the lettuce/tomatoe (the topic sentences), and the meat (the main points). This draws a very similar resemblance to the funnel essay (but hamburgers are better!)

And now the teachings continue as I learn the shish kabob style of creating a blog. Here's how to create a well balanced meal...I mean blog (taken directly from Jeremiah's post):

• Shorten everything.
• Separate content into easy simple 'chunks'.
• Format the text, making it easy to scan.
  
• Put the most important stuff in titles.
• Use visual stimuli to draw the eye between the meat (images, indentations, quotes).
  
• Reduce and boil it down

I believe these guidelines can be used for everything from emails to proposals. Print these out and when you finish your blog posts, check off every point.

Hey, I'm not the only one who likes shish kabob, besides Jeremiah, others agree.

Blogging for the Future - Are you "Wiifme"?

There has been some talk about the MySpace generation someday moving on to the professional blogosphere once they “graduate” and enter the corporate world. However, instead of arguing whether or not this will happen, I would rather talk about the benefits of blogging for the new interns and/or new hires entering the workforce.

Wiifme… “What’s In It For Me” you ask? Here are some key benefits:

1. Enables you to venture out into the Corporate World
As a new hire/intern you are not particularly familiar with corporate “lingo” or even what’s going on in the workforce. Blogging is YOUR vehicle to learning about yourself, your company, and business in general. It’s important to think past the theories you learn in school, and start paying attention to reality—what’s really happening in Corporate America.

2. Strengthens your ability to write and articulate your thoughts clearly to your key audience
We all learn how to articulate our thoughts in school, but figuring out who your audience is and writing for them is the real battle. This is an on-going challenge that you will face throughout your professional career. Especially in business, you will need to learn how to write proposals, online documentations, analysis, and “how to” documentations. Blogging helps you develop these skills so you are prepared. I have noticed that my writing skills have improved since my first few posts and I look forward to improving them post by post.

3. Immerses you into the world-wide network
The beauty of the blogosphere is the scalability of the internet. Wherever there’s internet, you can blog. How is this different from MySpace, Xanga, or Facebook? Well, for one, a professional blog allows you to connect with other business professionals (most have several years of experience in their career). So instead of engaging in conversations with classmates (who may or may not work after college), you can start building your own professional network. I have found that building a network is an essential key to success and blogging makes it so much easier. You have access to millions of people around the world, why not take a chance and immerse yourself?!?!

4. Allows you to participate in the business conversation
I briefly touched on this a bit earlier, but engaging in business conversations is MOST important. Not only are you conversing with others, but this forces you to think BUSINESS. Rather than just thinking micro, you will start to think macro…about the business world! It is very important for new hires/interns to step out of their comfort zone right away and get the head start. The business world is highly competitive, but starting early will give you the edge. You might not think that blogging has much benefit, but once you blow your coworkers/managers away with your experience in “business conversations”…you will shine!

5. Can be used in interviews to impress your interviewers
Although this never occurred to me when I first started my blog, I have heard from several other people that my blog can be used in future interviews. How? Every interviewer wants to get to know a little more about YOU, so talk about yourself, then offer them an opportunity to visit your blog and see how you really think. This shows dedication and interest in Corporate America, beyond textbooks. You are making an attempt to not only read about business, but process the data and make your own conclusions/assumptions. In my opinion, that’s the sign of a true “go-getter.”

There are several other benefits of blogging, but I want to leave that up to you! Here are some questions for you to think about:

1. What have I missed?
2. Do you not agree with some of my conclusions?
3. Will professional blogging benefit the MySpace generation?

Please, talk back. Let me know. Let’s have a conversation!

Lunch at eBay was great - THANKS!

I had lunch at eBay the other day with a close friend of mine...THANK YOU!

Anyways, as an intern I do not have many opportunities to visit other businesses besides my current employer, so this was a new experience. I definately wanted to make a good impression, so I made sure to wear a suit and tie and I got my smile ready. But, I soon observed that eBay is a very informal company. Everyone was dressed in jeans and plain shirts, nothing fancy. This surprised me a bit since I am used to at least seeing people wearing "nice" clothes.

So, I walked into eBay with a shirt and tie and I felt good. Others looked at me like I was "someone" because of the way I dressed. This made me realize how appearances make a big difference. Yet, I am not talking about how others look at me, but how a professional appearance affects my productivity at work.

Wearing a suit and tie really keeps me motivated and makes me "hungry" for learning. My hunger for learning increases and I find myself liking my job. This is important for everyone, especialy us INTERNS. It's a known fact that some interns will get the "grudge" work, but we need to start somewhere. So what! YOU NEED TO STAY MOTIVATED! For me, it's dressing up like I am the CEO...one day I might be.

Besides, its difficult for interns to be remembered (especially our names), but even if I am remembered as the intern who always wears the suit and tie...that's good enough for me.

Rule of thumb: Always dress 15% better than everyone else!

If I were you, I would take every opportunity to visit another company so you can start your network and observe the rest of corporate america outside of your comfort zone.

With that said, anyone want to take me to lunch? To pay back the favor, I would gladly bring you to my company. In fact, we have a "4-star chef"...(as one of my close friends of work likes to say)...hahaha.

See you soon!

How To Become A Successful Intern

I have had the privilege of interning at a great company for almost a year now and I have learned several valuable pieces of information. Along with learning skills that pertain to my job tasks, I have learned professional skills that will most benefit me in the future.

My internship experience has been successful this far and I hope to continue learning and "soaking" in everything I can. In fact, I have listed many successful attributes of an intern that have helped me thus far.

How To Become A Successful Intern…

1. Always be willing to take on new projects, the "Yes I Can" attitude

• *This allows you the opportunity to show your skills and build TRUST with your co-workers
  
• *Every new project teaches you something new and this broadens your skill set
  
• *Even if the project is tedious, do it. After all you have to earn your position

2. Challenge Yourself to NO end

• *Step out of your comfort zone
  
• *Network with your co-workers, introduce yourself, find out what they are working on
  
• *Finish projects fast and accurately, then ask for more work

3. Ask questions, Be curious

• *If you are unsure of something, ask for clarification
  
• *Make sure you know what needs to get done and when
  
• *Ask questions about your department and the overall business

4. Communicate with your team

• Always follow up on emails and tasks
  
• *Keep your managers informed on your progress with current tasks
  
• *Let your team know of any hardships you are facing, perhaps they will have a suggestion

5. Do not be afraid to fail

• *As an intern you will make mistakes, but take responsibility and learn from it
  
• *Do not failure hold you back from challenging yourself
  
• *Remember that as an intern you are not expected to know everything, so make an effort to learn

6. Prioritize Your Work

• *Be careful you do not miss deadlines, so prioritize your tasks so you do not fall behind
  
• *Ask your managers to help you with this..."What is most important?"
  
• *Set your own deadlines/timelines for completion of tasks (preferably 1 day before the actual due date)

7. Find a Mentor who is willing to help your career growth, perhaps the most benefical learning experience

• *LEARN everything you can from this person
  
• *Use this mentor as a resource for questions and learning new skills
  
• *Refer to your mentor for advice (especially during hardships)

8. Figure out how you can ADD VALUE to your team

• *What does your team need? Figure that out, and make it happen
  
• *Exceed expectations on your work, never just settle for the minimum
  
• *Be an over-achiever...pay attention to details and exceed expectations

9. SHINE!

• *Shine above everyone else
  
• *Make your presence known
  
• *Smile, dress professionally, and perform!

10. Be a human "sponge"

• *Soak in all of the new skills and knowledge you are gaining
  
• *LISTEN carefully to your coworkers, mentors, and managers...they ALL can teach you something
  
• *Observe your team and company. How do they work together? What can be improved?

Internships are important since you are provided with the opportunity to learn and gain experience. Use this as an opportunity to explore and learn so you are prepared for the corporate world when you graduate. Make an effort to shine and constantly challenge yourselves.

Any questions, please let me know here or email me: christopher.salazar@yahoo.com

Tags: internship|INROADS|business

Community WiFi is "FON" Google and Skype AGREE!

Even though the US is one of the main leaders in technological development, other countries are starting to show off their innovations. Specifically, Spain is introducing a new internet WiFi concept called FON. The goal is to create a wireless network using a bottom-up approach. That’s right a bottom-up approach!

Basically, users buy a special FON router, which can be purchased from their website. Simply buy the router, set up your internet access, offer it to others, and you are now connected and able to share internet connection with any other FON user.

So, why are Skype and Google investing in this company? Skype offers anyone with an internet connection to have a voip conversation with another user for free or to non-users for a small fee. I have been using Skype, it's really a lot of fun.

Skype’s interest in FON, makes me believe that they want to expand their market and attract all internet users around the world. Especially since FON strives to build wireless community, Skype wants to join in this community too. Who doesn’t? I have!

Google on the other hand would probably benefit most from the AdSense. If FON continues to expand their community, all internet-capable devices will connect to the internet (laptops, PDA’s, desktops, cell phones, iPods?) and Google AdSense can play a significant role.

Think about this: you offer your internet connection to others through your router. Now everytime a user clicks on a Google AdSense you get some money in return. Basically it’s a win-win situation, you offer your wireless connection to other users, you have the benefit of using other connections, and you can earn money through Google AdSense.

Seems like a sweet deal! Let’s see what happens.



Why else would Google and/or Skype invest in FON?

Google's Gbuy attack on PayPal? And Microsoft's Expo?

Some speculation has been going around that Google is going to start their own payment service like PayPal. Currently Google offers a unique service called Google Base, that allows online users to post information about items of interest.

And the beauty of it, you can use RSS feeds to submit information. This will enable your blog and information to be searchable in Google Base and perhaps in the Google search.

But, this is not it, Google’s Base Blog, clearly states that users can buy items on Google base using their Google Account. These are some good signs of perhaps a new payment service creeping up on PayPal.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love PayPal, but there’s nothing better than a bit of competition to spark a little innovation. PayPal, currently owned by eBay, is probably the most trusted payment service for online auctions, with very little competition. However, this can cause PayPal to take the static route and stay put with their services and products. But, if Google comes along things could get interesting. It’s just a thought.

THIS JUST IN:
Microsoft to offer to their own payment service? There has been talk that Microsoft has their own online classified service called “Expo,” in which current employees have been buying and selling items of interest. Perhaps Scobleizer can shed some light on this.

This makes the internet even more exciting. What will they do next?

Tags: google|gbuy|paypal|expo|payment service|web|ebay|microsoft|rss|syndication

Quality in Corporate America: who's paying attention?

I’ve noticed a lot of advertisements and online banners bragging about their quality. “Our products are top quality,” “We pride ourselves in creating quality products for you.” So this got me thinking about what exactly is quality and how can corporations use “quality” and set the industry standard.

So what is quality? Quality means pleasing consumers, NOT just protecting them from annoyances. In fact, customers should be used as an absolute standard of performance. If your consumer agrees that your product is of high quality, then it must be.

In addition, quality can be used as a competitive edge and some corporations can set the industry standard. However, we must not confuse quality with insignificant specs that can be easily obtained by competitors.

From research and experience, I believe quality can be categorized in the following “Dimensions of Quality”

Aesthetics

• Our senses used to judge a product
• How a product looks, feels, sounds, tastes, or smells

Perceived Quality

• Image is everything (perceived image)
• Reputation is powerful

Performance

• Measurable attributes (100W bulb vs. 60W bulb)
• Key operating characteristics

Features

• Bells & Whistles – free drinks on a plane, permanent press on washing machine
• Flexibility – variations in fabric and color

Reliability

• Measures: MTBF (Mean time between failure), MTFF (Mean time to first failure)
• Downtime and maintenance for expensive products

Conformance

• Product’s ability to meet established design and operating standards

Durability

• The amount of use one gets from a product before it breaks down and replacement is preferable to continued repair
• Link to reliability – offer lifetime guarantees
• Repair and replacement

Serviceability

• Speed or ease of repair
• Courtesy and competence
  Complaint handling (1800#’s)

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So this is the easy part, but the hard part is answering this question:

"Which of these dimensions of quality should corporations focus on?"

Think about it for a while, answers to this question will come soon.

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FYI, I used MS Word as a blogging tool for this post...my reactions? 50-50...more to come later. For now find more information here

Hello Peerflix, good-bye Netflix

Just when I was on the verge of signing up for Netflix, like everyone else, I came across an interesting yet stunning new company called Peerflix. How are they different? First, they advertise no hidden charges, no sign up fee, no monthly fee, and no hassle.

Here's how to get the dvd's you want:

• Step 1: Sign up for free. List the DVDs you have in your collection and submit it to their database.
• Step 2: Create your own "want" list of DVDs.
• Step 3: You will receive notification when someone else wants one of the DVDs in your collection, then you send them the DVD in a "trade" envelope. Plus you get trade points, earn enough and you can guy a DVD for free.
• Step 4: Pick the DVD you want and trade

Has anyone tried this service? How does it work? Keep me updated with your experiences. I will sign up for this too and let you know how it turns out.

10 Steps of Entrepreneurship - Guy Kawasaki

I recently attended a presentation by Guy Kawasaki, author of “The Art of the Start,” at the new Martin Luther King Jr. Library in San Jose. His presentation was organized around the thought of entrepreneurship.

Mr. Kawasaki is an experienced business professional working at Apple for several years and starting many successful businesses. He now runs his own VC firm searching for new talented entrepreneurs. In fact, he provided his audience with a look into what he feels are the 10 steps entrepreneurs must take to be successful.

Step 1: Make meaning, not money
This is a very important distinction and should be the basis for any starting company. Entrepreneurs must solve a solution, which will improve our quality of life. This is a perfect foundation for a company as they begin to dive into the consumer world and create services/products. In fact, this is part of knowing your consumer and knowing what they need. This will draws on the basics of marketing and business, yet some are more focused on making money that they forget about providing products/services that add value and increase our quality of life.

Step 2: Make a “mantra”
What is a mantra? Usually a mantra consists of 3 to 4 words that explain the meaning of your company. This should be easy enough to understand for all employees and should be the “mission” of your company. Mr. Kawasaki clearly does not like mission statements and has some valid points. In fact, during his presentation he displayed the follow, Wendy’s mission statement:

“The mission of Wendy’s is to deliver superior quality products and services for our customers and communities through leadership, innovation, and partnerships.”

He asked the question…"When you go into Wendy’s do you feel that you are participating in leadership, innovation and partnerships?” I don’t, do you? So, he says Wendy’s should create a mantra, something like this: “healthy fast food.”

Here are some good examples he gave:

Federal Express: “Peace of mind”
Nike: “Authentic athletic performance”
Target: “Democratize design”

Step 3: Get going (create a revolution!)
The entrepreneurs should build a prototype and follow these three steps:

• *Think Differently
• *Polarize People
• *Find a few soul mates (3) to establish a business with

Step 4: Define a business model

• * Be specific (Who is your customer? What are you doing? How? Why? )
• *Keep it simple (nothing fancy and to the point)
• *Ask women (ha ha ha! He suggests that women can provide an alternate view that men did not think of)

Step 5: Weave a MAT

• Milestones – “finish the design”
• Assumptions – “sales calls/day, customer ROI”
• Tasks – “rent an office, perform a task to complete a milestone and test an assumption”

He suggested that several entrepreneurs make the mistake of focusing on the unimportant tasks of creating and maintaining a business, rather than on the Milestones. This is very important should be taken seriously by all. “Weaving a MAT” will keep a company on track and focused on their business model and ultimately their true meaning for providing solutions to their customers.

Step 6: Build a product that is unique and of high value (i.e. Fandango)
He suggested that several companies start off on two spectrums of a scale: either by creating a unique product and service with little value to the customer or creating a product that offers value but is not unique.

So, entrepreneurs must strive to create a product that is BOTH unique and of high value to the customer…his example is Fandango. Why? Fandango offers the convenience of printing tickets at home, skipping the ticket lines at movie theatres, and saving time. This is especially true for parents with children…he exemplified the “pain” of taking his kids to the movies and not being able to see the movie due to a sold out crowd. BUT, this would not happen if he used Fandango. GENIOUS! Haha.

Step 7: Follow the 10/20/30 Rule
This is important not only to entrepreneurs, but to ALL. Here is how the rule works out:

• *The optimal number of slides for a PPT presentation is 10
• *The amount of time the presenter should speak is 20 minutes (allow 40 minutes for Q&A)
• *The best font size is 30 (basically just divide the mean age of the audience by 2…*that was his joke* hahaha)
• Read more from Guy about his 10/20/30 Rule
  

Step 8: Hire Effective People
A company needs people who love the product and want to do the job right. This creates a specific atmosphere that is ready for success. Not to mention, people who love the product probably are not too focused on making money and instead want to make meaning.

In addition, he introduced a rule of thumb: higher better than yourself. This is plain and simple, if you consider yourself an “A” player, higher an “A+” player.

Lastly, apply the “shopping center” test. Ask yourself one question, if you say this person at the mall would you 1) go up to him/her and introduce yourself, 2) wait to see if you run into that person, or 3) go out the nearest exit and leave the mall? Well, you should want to go up to that person and introduce yourself…if not than that person is NOT the right candidate for the job.

Step 9: Lower the barriers to adoption
A company should make it easy for others to adopt a product. Yes, the product can be a breakthrough and solve all of our problems but if we need a PhD to use it, then it is worthless. This again relates to knowing your customer’s needs and wants. I cannot emphasize this enough…knowing your customer is key…consumer research is key. Another important factor is to embrace your Evangelists.

Step 10: Seed the Clouds
Enable test drives and find the influencers. You need to create the product for the influencers, the IT managers, the Web Managers who NEED the product or service. These are the people who face the day-to-day problems and the people who will make the difference. Enable them to test drive your products and provide feedback.

BONUS! Step 11: Be a Mensch
There are three characteristics of mensch:

• *Help all people, even if they cannot help you (the pleasure of helping)
• *Do the right thing, the right way
• *Understand you have a moral obligation to society and pay back to society
• Read more from Guy about "How to be a Mensch"
  

Overall this presentation was very interesting and fun. If you would like more information about Guy Kawasaki, please visit: www.blog.guykawasaki.com

Also, I am open to any of your comments and/or suggestions. So, what do you say?

In with Google Gmail, out with Outlook

Ah HA! Google has done it again, and this time they are challenging the biggest of them all...Microsoft, more specifically Microsoft Outlook. Using Google Gmail accounts, all 10,000 San Jose City College students will be able to host their own private domain-name. Stephanie Hannon, publisher on Google’s Official Blog, suggests that this new service will create a stronger community for all SJCC students.

Indeed it will, so why not try it for Santa Clara University students. I recently discovered SCU’s blog, which captures the lives of several freshmen as they embark on their journey through college. SCU prides themselves on taking leadership and creating leaders, and this is an excellent opportunity for students to collaborate with today’s leader in technology, Google.

Nicholas Carr also includes that this new service is available to businesses and organizations as well. I would not be surprised if this service captures the attention of several small and medium sized businesses. Perhaps the large, enterprise corporations will not be willing to take such a risk, but certainly the millions of small/medium sized business will...in fact that's a good market to dive into. *hint, hint*

Want to set up your own private domain? Do it here.

Additional links on this enticing new service:

• Gmail for Domains: Oh-Oh Outlook
• Google Want's to Host Your Company's Email
• Gmail to Replace Outlook?
  

Santa Clara University Campus Notebook: blogSCU

In an interesting strategy to attract prospective students and parents to Santa Clara University, SCU is documenting the lives of 5 freshman as they voyage through the college life. How? Blogs...blogSCU allows prospective parents/students to read the "Campus Notebook" of five individuals as they complete freshman registration, orientation, and classes. But that is not all, you also get a look into their personal lives as some chose to live on and off-campus.

Why is SCU doing this? Easy, what better way to let the whole world see what it's like to be a freshman at SCU? The blogs serve as an indirect marketing strategy aimed towards "prospective" parents and students. Why didn't they have this when I was in high-school looking for the "right" university? I am curious to see how this blogging program will evolve, especially as a Jesuit University.

So, SCU is doing this, but can businesses use the same concept? Absolutely, its almost like an online public focus group. It's a good way to work out the kinks in a product or service. It also builds trust between the business and the customers since the businesses are turning to the customers to perfect their product. I would definately try this...anyone else agree?

Anyone know of other colleges that have a blog?

How about businesses that are following this type of plan?

Library 2.0 = Web 2.0 + Library

Library 2.0…

“The Library Without Walls”

The internet has brought several innovations that were unheard of 25+ years ago, and they keep coming. From Web 1.0, to Web 2.0, and now to Library 2.0, the internet is vastly changing our everyday lives. With the popularity of Google and other search engines, its no wonder Libraries are beginning to feel a bit wounded. What are libraries good for anyways when you have the powerful Google? Ah ha, perhaps the model that will save Libraries is *drum roll* “Library 2.0.”

Library 2.0 uses the resources of Web 2.0 technology to make information to users available wherever and whenever and for free.

How does this work?

One major component of Library 2.0 is RSS Syndication which enables the user to have the information readily available in real time in any application. Information delivered at the door step of the user.

Here are some important components of Library 2.0:

1. The Library is everywhere
Library 2.0 is available everywhere (anywhere there is internet) and will continue to reach more and more people as RSS becomes mobilized. In many cases this has already happened, many are texting Google to find information sent to their mobile devices. Google is succeeding, it sounds logical for Libraries to follow.

2. The Library has no barriers
Library 2.0 information is available at the point of need and available for re-use. No need to worry about missing books, special equipment to read past-time newspapers…if linked with Google and Amazon, the information is readily available at your convenience. In fact with the help of Google, we can create a world-wide catalogue of info encompassing local, regional, state, national, and world news. How about that?

3. The Library invites participation
Yes, this is one of the main components of Library 2.0 that will drive its success. The ability to create a community of library users. Using the likes of Web 2.0 tools (blogs, wikis, and RSS), users can rate resources on a scale from 1 to 10 and submit suggestions.

Key Takeaways:

• Users needs are changing, Libraries need to capitalize and utilize Web 2.0 technology
• Library 2.0 offers information anywhere and everywhere
• Web 2.0 technology allows for an online community of library users enabling reviews, comments, suggestions
• RSS syndication can deliver information from Library 2.0 to any mobile device (info at your fingertips)

The 10 Commitments of an Exemplary Blog

In my last post, The 5 Practices of an Exemplary Blog, I introduced some practices that can be used to run a successful blog. However, that is NOT enough, a publisher must remain committed and strive to be better. So to help with this, I am introducing another set of guidelines that can be used to enhance your user's experience and inspire conversations. These commitments have been introduced by Barry Posner, Dean of the Business school at Santa Clara University, but in a student-leadership context...instead, I am relating these ideas to Blogging.

The Ten Commitments of an Exemplary Blog

1. FIND YOUR VOICE by clarifying your personal values and including your expertise. All publishers must have their own unique voice that sets them apart from all others. Whether its with humor or language, defining and exemplifying your own voice is key.

2. SET THE EXAMPLE by aligning actions with shared values. (GO FIRST!) Exemplary Blogs are leaders and need to model the way for others to follow. Set the example for everyone else and let them drive their own experiences, then allow them the opportunity to reflect and converse.

3. ENVISION THE FUTURE by imagining exciting and emerging possibilities. Most successful bloggers are "early adopters" and are constantly searching for the next opportunity. While some are just starting to blog, others are moving on to podcasts/audio conversations, and soon few will be moving towards video conversations.

4. ENLIST OTHERS in a common vision by appealing to shared aspirations. Publishers know their audience and should always write with them in mind. Appealing to their needs heightens the experience and enriches the conversations.

5. SEARCH FOR OPPORTUNITIES by seeking innovative ways to change, grow, and improve. An exemplary blog is always changing and finding new ways to both attract new readers and fulfill needs. There is always room for improvement, but those blogs who embrace the idea of positive change and run with it succeed.

6. EXPERIMENT AND TAKE RISKS by constantly generating small wins and learning from mistakes. Never be afraid to challenge the common belief, after all the worst that can happen is you are wrong. But in some cases, the "minority" belief is right, as we have seen in Why Blogs are NOT Important

7. FOSTER COLLABORATION by building trust. (Let the user's drive the conversation). Allowing the user to take control builds trust. This is why RSS Syndication has been generating some hype among many online companies. In short, RSS gives users complete control over what they want to read, which establishes a sense of trust between the reader and the publisher/coporation.

8. STRENGTHEN OTHERS by sharing power and discretion.

9. RECOGNIZE CONTRIBUTIONS by showing appreciation for excellence. Recognize those who are thought-leaders and provoke interesting conversations.

10. CELEBRATE THE VALUES AND VICTORIES OF OTHERS by creating a spirit of community. Ah Yes, building a community is important and perhaps an important goal for every blog. Exemplary blogs build communities where everyone is NOT afraid to speak and everyone has a voice. This voice is what drives the conversations and enhances the reader's experience.

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If you had to make your own list, what would you have?

The 5 Practices of an Exemplary Blog

I recently attended a presentation by the Dean of the Business school at Santa Clara University, Barry Posner, and he introduced 5 simple leadership practices students can use to be successful. However, I believe these practices are universal and I am going to apply them to leading a successful blog like Scobleizer and Web Strategy by Jeremiah

The Five Practices of an Exemplary Blog

Practice #1: Model the Way
Successful blogs exemplify thought-leadership. They add-value to current, basic knowledge and introduce their own perspective. They carefully turn "data" into "information" by adding knowledge and this is a vital step in creating an audience. Exemplary blogs lead by example by showcasing their knowledge and revealing it for the whole world to learn and follow. Successful bloggers are not afraid to take risks, even when their thoughts are controversial.

Practice #2: Inspire a Shared Vision
Exemplary blogs not only lead the way, but they inspire others to join the conversation and provide value-added information to the world. There is no such thing as “my” vision, it is “our” vision and our conversation. In fact, the joint enthusiasm for a shared vision provides just a spark of inspiration for others to join the conversation amongst an emerging community—community of experts, leaders, and evangelists.

Practice #3: Challenge the Process
Perhaps one of the most difficult of the Five Practices is being able to challenge a common belief and take a stand for what you believe in. Although this creates controversy, challenging the common beliefs and supporting your own is the way to go. In fact, just recently Jeremiah Owyang posted a blog about Why Blogs are NOT important. With all the buzz surrounding blogs, he wanted to make the point that the conversation taken place in the blog is what IS important. And now…other experts are adapting his beliefs and sharing them to their audiences.

Practice #4: Enable Others to Act
This may be one of the most important practices… “Enabling Others to Act.” Exemplary blogs welcome others to take part in the conversation and provide both negative and positive comments….this is the whole purpose of a blog! Blogs are not just another PR medium to attract customers, they serve a much more significant purpose, which is to converse with your audience (publisher to user, and user to user). The conversation that takes place between all users is rich in itself and sometimes is most beneficial, but it cannot happen if the blog does not enable others to act...so ask questions in your blog, ask your audience how they feel. <>

Practice #5: Encourage the Heart
Successful blogs should always “Encourage the Heart” by “recognizing contributions and celebrating values.” There are thousands of thought-leaders in the Web and when you come across one, publicize it. Let your readers know, tell them you have come across an interesting article/blog and you encourage them to read it. This does two things: first, it allows your readers to learn from others, and second it recognizes a “job well done” of another publisher. Nonetheless, the simple acknowledgement motivates publishers to continue their work and continue their conversations.

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So what do you think about these practices? I want to here your thoughts and even additions…

NEWS FLASH: How To Record Your VoIP Conversations

Just when I thought things could not get any better with Skype, I come across yet another genius idea. I've been having some great conversations on Skype, yet I am left trying to take notes and remember everything. Often I find myself struggling to write notes, listen, memorize, and talk all at the same time. But, fear no more..."HOTRECORDER" is here!

HotRecorder is an awesome tool that allows users of Skype, Google Talk, Yahoo Messanger, AIM, or any other VoIP.

Here are the capabilities:

• Records individual conversations and conferences
• Includes "Emotisounds" (like laughs, cries, claps, etc)
• Send recorded conversations to ANY other HotRecorder user
• HotRecorder VoiceMail
• Automatically answers calls and record messages
• It's FREE

Yet another software to experiment with. Wow, who thought we would have these capabilities?

Has anyone tried this program? How are your experiences using it? How about Skype?

Search for me on Skype: Christopher.Salazar

"The Whole Word Can Talk For FREE"

"The Whole Word Can Talk For FREE"...this is the tagline for a new program called "SKYPE"

There is an interesting service out on the net that offers registered users the opportunity to talk to other users for FREE anywhere around the world. It's just like talking on the phone, but instead you are using the internet.

In a bold statement, a reviewer noted:

"Skype is going to change the world. People are going to be including their Skype on their business card. "
url = http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1402336,00.asp

I think everyone should try this out. Just download the program and set up your username at www.skype.com. Once you are set up...search for me: my SKYPE name = Christopher.Salazar or you can search for my full name = Christopher Anthony Salazar

When you are set, call me and let me know what you think.

Quick Thought: I cannot wait for this to be implemented in cars. *dreaming*

The Blogosphere and YOUR company

Lately I’ve been thinking about if corporate blogging is for everyone? In fact, a recent article by the Harvard Business School talks about this exact point in Does Your Company Belong in the Blogosphere?.

Here are the key takeaways (taken directly from the article):

1. *Influence the public “conversation” about your company: Make it easy for journalists to find the latest, most accurate information about new products or ventures. In the case of a crisis, a blog allows you to shape the conversation about it.
2. *Enhance brand visibility and credibility: Appear higher in search engine rankings, establish expertise in industry or subject area, and personalize one’s company by giving it a human voice.
3. *Achieve customer intimacy: Speak directly to consumers and have them come right back with suggestions or complaints—or kudos.

The first thing that comes to my mind is thought-leadership. A company must exhibit leadership in their field and invite others to take part in the overall conversation, this is very important.

However, the second point of enhancing brand visibility and credibility scares me a bit. Companies must not take this the wrong and start advertising their blog in the Google Sponsoring section just to appear first. In fact, companies should do the opposite…just sit back and be patient. YES, they should take the lead in the conversation, but encourage others to engage. In addition, it is important for a corporate blog to have “important links” that enable the user to learn more about a particular field. Again, the blog becomes a place where users go FIRST for information. (this all enhances the company’s visibility and credibility)

Lastly, speaking to the users is very important. The company must not only encourage comments, but they must listen and take action. Listening and taking action are keys for a successful blog.

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Other takeaways from the article are as follows:

• *Have a distinct focus and goal for the blog’s content.
• *Feature an authentic voice of the company. CEO is a good idea.
• *Be open to positive AND negative comments from the readers.
• *Update the blog regularly, at the very least once a week.

This is all good advice for both corporation and personal blogs. I encourage blogging for both upper management and employees.

In fact, Sun Microsystems is a company that has fully engaged the concept of blogging as they have compiled all 2,000 individual employee blogs into one index…visit here: http://www.blogs.sun.com/roller/main.do

Interesting, isn’t it?

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RSS Syndication: The User's Vehicle

I've been doing a lot of thinking about syndcation, Jeremiah and I have had quiet a few discussions. Below are just some thoughts I have, but the most important is the questions I raise later. I'm really thinking about RSS and how it can benefit each aspect of business from the customer to the employee..

Syndication is often thought of as “News feeds” or RSS (Really Simple Syndication). RSS allows users the opportunity to locate information in real time, instantaneous, without much effort. The content comes to the user, no need for the user to search through the several million Google searches just to find the right info. RSS brings the right content at the right time and at the right place. This is important!

RSS is a “vehicle that contains both links and content.” So why is this important? Because RSS is “100% Opt-in.” This means businesses are no longer charged of being intrusive by invading email campaigns and users have the flexibility to control whether or not they want the content. Yes, the users are in CONTROL now. Beware of the user!

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What does this mean? I want to look at this from a business perspective…more of a business opportunity:

• *By giving all the power to the user in the form of RSS, it builds trust, and thus a community is formed; a community that is informal and on the customers’ grounds. No fancy sales pitches and certainly no marketing gimics.

• *RSS allows a company to exemplify thought leadership. Now businesses are FORCED to write quality and enticing information. If not, it only takes a second for the user to opt-out. This is good for the competitive market, now companies will raise their game to attract the users.

• *RSS is only the beginning and sets the stage for many more tools companies can use to not only gain new customers, but retain existing customers.

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So RSS is a very good tool, but it’s a rather new concept that several companies are either embracing or completely ignoring. Perhaps they do not see the ROI in RSS. And they may have a good point since there is really no way to judge success and gauge how this helps a company grow in profit, sales, users, and customers.

My question is…When using RSS, what should companies measure? What stat should they be focused on? Number of clicks? Number of subscribers? No! No!

Companies should focus on the time each user spends on each page. Sure, a company can have 1000 clicks a day, but if the users only stay at the page an average of 10 seconds, then something is definitely wrong. However, if a company experiences 30 clicks a day, but the user stays on the page for an average of 20 minutes, then something is definitely right. Yes, the company may not have many clicks, but that is easy to fix. As long as the company has relevant content that is enticing enough to keep users reading, users will definitely keep the RSS feeds going.

Key Measure = How long each user spends on each page

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Another very intriguing question is: How to increase a user’s willingness to opt-in without being intrusive?

I have not developed a full answer for the question as of yet. If RSS does in fact become the new trend, ALL companies will be faced with the same dilemma. Sure catch page titles can do the trick, but I want something more useful. Why follow the next company?

A while back I was talking with a colleague about competitive strategies in the photography industry. He is a very successful photographer and I asked how? His response was simple, yet very important:

While everyone else was copying the next company’s moves, I looked for something else. Yes, whatever they were doing worked, but why follow them? I searched for a strategy that was unique, yet still effective. I wanted to be successful… This strategy has worked for over 10 years, and people still ask what my secret is.

<>Just in case you were wondering, here’s a link to the photographer’s website: StudioMark.Com <>

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I agree! So, what is the differentiating strategy that can be used with RSS?

…remember RSS is a vehicle, so sit in the driver’s seat and drive!

I want to hear your thoughts…do you agree? disagree?

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Community Marketing: Let's Make a Favor!

How many of you need favors, but cannot find anyone to help you? Well, perhaps your favor can be fulfilled with a new company called FavorVille. Although this new company is gathering little traffic, I am anxious to see how it will grow. Already it is gathering some international hype.

This company really encompasses the idea of community marketing. The company is letting the users take charge and collaborate with other individuals. Anyone can create a new task and anyone can answer. Let's keep an eye on this company and see if it expands.

Key Benefits FavorVille:

• Need a Favor? Just post it on FavorVille's site and hope that someone will have the necessary resources to help you.
• It's Free. You can't lose when it's free.
• Get stuff you need, give away stuff to another deserving person. Need song lyrics, need a mattress, give away an extra tv or bike...GO TO FavorVille

This seems like a really useful service that has the opportunity to benefit people around the world. And with the recent hype with blogging, I wouldn't be surprised if something does come of this idea. Time will tell.

Benefits of Corporate Blogs & K-Logs

Blogs have attracted a lot of attention lately and seem to be a new trend in Web. Yes, blogs enable users to collaborate and exchange ideas on an informal basis. Yes, it is easy to use and cost-effective. However, I have wondered if blogging can benefit employees and corporations.

So my Question is...

How can a corporation benefit from employee and employer blogging?

To answer this question, I would like to explore the benefits for both the employer and employees…

Employer Benefits: “Blogs…”

• Encourage collaboration from corporate management down to the employees
  
• Build a social network within the company to communicate ideas and receive/provide feedback
  
• Stimulate thought-leadership
  

Employee Benefits: “Blogs…”

• Provide a “bottom-up” structure which motivates employees to share and communicate their ideas in an informal space that is comfortable
  
• Give employees ownership of their thoughts and in some cases pride
  
• Illustrate a willingness to learn
  
• Are very easy to use
  

Although an internal blog has several benefits, we must keep in mind that a “blog policy” must be put in place to help manage the information that is shared throughout the network. In another blog, I will research the components of a blog policy, but let’s assume for the sake of argument that an adequate blog policy is put in place.


Now that we have established the benefits of blogging, we need to explore the benefits of an internal (and sometimes external) corporate blog. However, I believe an internal blog is most beneficial from the employee standpoint to initiate both thought leadership and ownership.

Benefits of an Internal Blog:

• Very easy to use (just like sending an email)
  
• Cost-effective
  
• Can use different blogs for different departments in a corporation
  
• Includes vital information for ALL employees including:
  
  • Upcoming projects and timelines
    
  • Brainstorming of business strategies
    
  • Feedback of current and proposed strategies
    
  • News about the corporation and each department
    
  • Includes thoughts from the CEO, or a link to the CEO's Blog
    

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In addition, to a traditional blog that can be used, I have come across a new form of a blog called “K-Log,” which is a Knowledge Management Blog. The K-Log further encourages both the teaching and sharing of knowledge. Although I am not an expert, I will still include the benefits of a K-Log.

Benefits of a K-Log:

• User interfaces:
  
  • Email System (post emails to blog)
    
  • Desktop Media (post files/objects/images to blog)
    
  • Bookmarks (post links to blog)
    
• Manage information through RSS feeds
  
• Archive and capture important information and knowledge in the intranet
  
• Once again, stimulate thought-leadership and ownership
  

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Below are links that offer additional information regarding Corporate Blogging:

1. Traction Software
   
2. iUpload
   
3. Case Study: European Pharmaceutical Group
   
4. Establishing a Blog on Your Organization’s Intranet
   
5. Internal Blogs – Are They So Different from External Blogs?
   

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My conclusions:

• Corporate blogs encourage collaboration and communication of ideas throughout the corporation
  
• Corporate blogs create a social network amongst ALL employees
  
• Corporate blog provide an informal space for employees to exchange ideas and take pride in their thoughts
  
• Corporate blogs stimulate thought-leadership
  
• Corporate blogs are an effective mechanism for keeping employees updated with news, projects, strategies, and ideas
  

So what do YOU think? Do you agree with my conclusions? I encourage ALL to communicate their ideas...let me know what you think!

Community Marketing: Blogs

Our world is evolving, especially as the Web continues to expand. More companies now adapt their marketing strategies to include the Web as it is cheaper, faster, and easier. The evolution of online marketing has been drastically changing from simple text websites, to graphical interfaces, interactive media, and now to community marketing.

What is Community Marketing?

Community Marketing is a strategy some businesses are utilizing to communicate with their customers. It enables a businesses to engage in an informal conversation with their customers without the bells and whistles of a marketing strategy or sales pitch. Speaking the customers language and presenting ideas in their terms is just another aspect of knowing your customer and providing services/products that fit their needs.

Now how does this relate to Blogs? Well blogs are in the umbrella of Community Marketing which includes: wikis, forums, social networking... (for more information on community marketing visit Web Strategy by Jeremiah Owyang

The mere fact that large corporate companies have blogs illustrates the importance of conversing with others and exchanging ideas about current products, trends, and strategies. Just as I use my blog to express my interests, corporations use blogs to have conversations with their customer to build a non-comercialized relationship -- instead of business to consumer, friend to friend. Although to some, blogging is just "noise" right now, I strongly believe that community marketing IS the future. p>

WHY?

Envision this... you want to buy an mp3 player, but you are unsure if you should buy an iPod. Who will you go to for advice? You can read the new Press Release on Apple's website, or you can ask your friends. Who will you trust more? Now, say none of your friends own an iPod, but you can go to a website and read reviews of the iPod from actual users. Better yet, you can research further and talk with people who have used Apple's products and you can ask them questions. Now who will you trust more...the writer who Apple paid to write good things about their products, or actual users who bought the product themselves and give you their testimonial? I admit, that I would believe someone who actually uses the product, rather than someone who is paid to write good things.

Would you agree?

Now imagine this scenario but on a larger scale - in the business world. Blogging allows businesses to converse with their customers on an informal level. Businesses just need to "listen" to their customers, organize the information, and take action. It's not enough for companies just to create a blog and leave it out there, they need to constantly evolve according to their customer's needs and wants in order to establish and maintain their competitive edge. Blogging allows businesses to do just that!

A perfect example of a business that did not pay attention to the blogosphere is Kryptonite. Word spread in an online group discussion that the bicycle locks made by Kryptonite could easily be picked with a Bic pen. Just two days later, an online video had already been made illustrating how to pick the locks. This caused severe damage to Kyrptonite itself especially a loss of sales. For more on this, visit Why There's No Escaping the Blog

Blogs: 5 Personalities of a blogger

I came across an interesting article about blogging personalities written by Sheila Ann Manuel Coggins . Here is a clip of her article (to view the whole article, visit her website).

Let's explore the 5 personalities of a blogger...
1. The Pundit - You like to blog about a specific topic of interest that you are passionate about from business, politics, technology, law, education, entertainment, to literature. You blog regularly and you welcome relevant discussions about your topic. You have a constant thirst for knowledge.

2. The Artist - Your blog captures the way you see the world. You love images more than words. Blogging only makes sense to you if there are photos or pictures - either of daily life, special people, memorable events, or works of art.

3. The Writer - Words captivate you. And, you like to capture words. Blogging enables you to write often. It also provides a place for you to share what you write with a reading public. You can be funny, inspiring, intelligent, cynical, or morbid. It doesn't matter what you write about in your blog. It only matters that you write.

4. The Daily Grinder - You love blogging because it's like therapy. You can write about anything and everything that happens to you - from the food you ate to what you were doing when you heard the latest 'breaking news.' Being able to communicate with your friends (online and/or real life) through your blog is important to you.

5. The Patchworker - Blogging is a way for you to comment on and consolidate news, current events, useful resources, and other relevant matters. In your blog entries, you usually add links to other people's blogs or websites with original content instead of writing your own.

So What's your blogging personality?

I am most like the PUNDIT with a little bit of the Patchworker. I use blogs as a medium for not only communicating my ideas, but seeking information from my community and the business world. In addition, I enjoy reading what others have to offer because it provides me with a new prospective. Perhaps something that I did not think of. Blogs keep me up to date with the business world, enable me to communicate with the world, and provides a space to voice my opinions.

Web Technology: Refrigerators + TVs + Internet = ONE

Some predict the web will soon be integrated in just about everything. The web is such an undervalued tool that many companies overlook. The WEb is the SLEEPER to success in any industry. But why not? The web is fast, efficient, cheap, and scalable. Companies should be begging to use the tools of the web. I am not kidding. In fact, I recently read about how the internet is "ubiquitous" and "amorphous." For more info, click here.

In fact, a concept called "community marketing" is now seen as a credible tool to help companies gain the competitive edge. For more on community marketing, visit this site: Web Strategy by Jeremiah . The benefits of community marketing are clearly listed...be sure to visit the site!

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In addition, to community marketing, the WEB is slowly started to creap into our everyday appliances. Soon, the common electric socket will serve as your home's connection to broadband with a new chip developed by Matsushita -- which means the end of all the ethernet cables and wireless (home) networks. This technology is not new, and in fact this unique broadband service is currently in use by several US companies. Matsushita's (MC) system delivers fast-speed broadband information at up to 170 megabits per second, which is faster than ethernet.

Here is how to use it:

1. Attach a special device made by Matsushita to a 110/120 volt regular home socket
2. Plug your TV and other gadgets into the socket for instant connection to broadband

VERY SIMPLE! However, my question is how much will the adapters be? But, wouldn't it be nice to have your refrigerator or TV hook up to the internet. Hmm, just the thought of watching sports and checking my mail at the same time is HEAVEN!

But, there are some other features that this "socket" can provide, that I foresee is the future! Close your eyes, and image this:

You are in the office and remember "Oh, I need to get a few things from the grocery store. But, what did I need to get?" Well, with your network-connected refrigerator you can connect through a mobile phone or latpop and check what you have in your refrigerator and what you need. Doesn't this sound like a dream-come true?

Or if this doesnt sound good, you can turn of and on all gadgets in your home with a simple switch that is connected to the network. For example, you are outside and say to yourself "Did I turn on the washer?" Instead of going inside your home, checking the washer, and risk getting distracted from cleaning the yard, you can turn it on with a simple flip of the switch. Hm...now can you imagine what the feature would be like?

I dont know about you, but have you ever watched an episode of the "Jetsons" and wondered, "When will we ever have technology like them?" Yes, I know its a long stretch, but we are getting closer. But, the only way we can get there is with the WEB as our tool!

Best Business Practices: Ethics

Today's theme is "Business Ethics"

The study of ethics helps us study the goodness in human action or the good life. As a "normative" field of study, it helps us study how we "ought" to act. Applying this to business, we find that ethics helps decipher the ethical and unethical decisions business make everyday. Interestingly, the decisions made by business affect not only themselves, but employees, customers, prospects, and the community. So establishing moral standards for a company, and even on an individual basis, is essential for leading the good life or in this case a good business.

What are Moral Standards?

1. Moral standards concern behavior that is of serious consequence to human welfare, that can profoundly injure or benefit people
2. Moral standards take priority over other standards, including self interest
3. The soundness of moral standards depends on the adequecy of the reasons that support or justify them

Establishing a "Code for Moral Standards" is a great way to keep a business and all of its compenents working towards a common goal. Integrating the standards on both a company-wide and invidual basis will ensure success, maybe not immediately, but in the long run.

In addition, I would like to introduce the ...

Eight Rules for Ethical Thinking in Business:

• Rule Number 1: Consider other people's well-being, including the well-being of nonparticipants
• Make contributions where it is reasonable to do so and avoid consequences that are harmful to others
• Rule Number 2: Think as a member of the buisness community and not as an isolated individual
• Respect for contracts, paying one's debts, and selling decent products at a resonable price are not only to one's own advantage; they are necessary for the very existence of the business community (leading a good life, good business, and good community)
• Rule Number 3: Obey, but do not depend solely on the law
• Business and business people ought to obey the law. But what needs to be added is that ethical thinking is not limited to legal obedience. "Law is the floor of moral conduct."
  
• Rule Number 4: Think of yourself--and your company--as part of society
• Business people and businesses are citizens in society. It exists and thrives because it services and does not harm society. Thus, business is subject to the same ethical rules as everyone else.
  
• Rule Number 5: Obey moral rules
• This is the most obvious and unavoidable rule of ethical thinking. Moral rules are the heart of ethics, and there can be no ethics--and no business--without them.
• Rule Number 6: Think objectively
• The rules apply equally to everyone, and being able to be "disinterested"--to think for a moment from other people's perspective--is essential. Why? b/c business affects everyone (from employees to innocent bystanders)
• Rule Number 7: Ask the question "What sort of person would do such a thing?"
• Our word "ethics" comes from the Greek word "ethos" meaning "character." Accordingly, ethics is not just obedience to rules so much as it is concern for your personal (and company) character--your reputation and good name. Business ethics is "being able to look at your face in the mirror in the morning."
• Rule Number 8: Respect the customs of others, but not at the expense of your own ethics
• In general, one should follow the customers and ethics of the community. But depending on the severity and moral standard, one should look to their own moral principles to take priority.
  

Business ethics is also being able to practice the...

"The Three C's of Business Ethics"

1. Compliance: the need for compliance with the rules, including the laws of land, the principles of morality, the customers and expectations of the community, the policies of the company, and such general concers as fairness
2. Contributions: the contributions of business can make to society, through the value and quality of one's products or services, by way of the jobs one provides for workers, through prosperity, and uselfulness of one's activities to the surrounding community
3. Consequences: the consequences of business activity, both inside and oustide the company, both intended and unintended, including the reputation of one's own company and industry

What have I learned? Thinking ethically...

• is essential in creating a strategic plan
• helps create products/services that satisfy the needs of customers without hurting the surrounding community
• builds long term relationships with customers, which will lead to repeat business
• requires the consideration for the well-being of others and respect for oneself and one's character (individually and as a whole business)

Just remember... unethical thinking isn't just "bad business;" it is an invitation to disaster in business! There is nothing unethical about making money, but money is not the currency of ethical thinking in business.

Blogs: Why Google Loves Weblogs

Why Google Loves Weblogs?

Reason One: Google Loves the Links in Weblogs

A match made in heaven! Google loves links, and weblogs are all about links! Every time a blogger links to a website, its Google rank increases. If enough bloggers pile onto that link, it can start to have a significant impact on a sites' Google rank. But links by themselves aren't enough to give Weblogs their influence on Google. That comes from a more recent tweak in the Google search engine:

Reason Two: Google loves Fresh Content
Google frequently updated sites much more often on their index. The primary reason for this was to increase Google's access to articles from news sites, like CNN and the New York Times. Google even added a "News" section at the top of its search results, to present "news stories relevant to users' queries". [2]

But Google didn't stop there. Its "insatiable appetite for fresh content spilled over to any frequently updated websites, including Weblogs." If Google noticed a page updating frequently, it started visiting that page much more frequently so it could suck the latest content into its database of over 3 billion documents. As they put it in their latest press release, "Google refreshes millions of web pages every day to ensure that Google users have access to the most current information."

Putting it Together: Google loves Weblogs
Weblogs are perfect for Google: frequently updated websites are full of links. It's no wonder that Google loves Weblogs so much. Of course, if that's the case, why doesn't every Google search land the searcher on a blog? That question underscores a crucial point about weblogs and Google: weblogs are the voters in this political system. In other words, weblogs don't get elected by Google... but the sites they voted for do.

So even if you never visit a blog, you're being influenced by them. The collective votes of the weblog community are determing what sites you see on Google, the world's largest search engine.

The Google Power of weblogs will only grow with time. As weblogs get more traffic, their votes will count for more: Google weights fresh votes more than older votes. Blog search engines like Daypop and blogdex are spreading links more quickly. As weblogs get more traffic, their votes will count for more. Not only do their votes count for more as they each get more traffic, but the heavy cross-linking magnifies the impact of this collective voting machine. This greatly magnifies the Google Power of weblogs.

Weblogs: They ain't no Fad
Even if you've never heard of weblogs, they're having a powerful impact on your web searches every day. So to answer the New York Times, are weblogs just a fad? Anything that can potentially influence over a billion web searches every week sounds like more than a fad to me.

*google news*

What does everyone think? Are weblogs a fad?