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Net Neutrality 8-8-2006

August 8, 2006 by Liz

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Why would Siemens worry about net neutrality’s effects on smaller companies? Its customers aren’t necessarily big. “We sell to small and medium companies that are built on a low-cost structure and are net-dependent,” said [Ralph] Riley {Siemens senior executive] in Ann Arbor, Mich.

While the debate over net neutrality continues, users remain the forgotten stakeholders. Click here to read more.

He already sees potential for danger for his company’s markets and customers. “This would probably restrict much of the drive toward mobility that’s growing in American business,” Riley said. He said that with greater regulation, it could become impossible for users to roam freely from one carrier to another as they do now.

“What it would do is suppress much of the opportunity businesses have in expanding mobility,” he said. “How would you go anywhere without being charged too much or not getting access?”

But Riley said he also worries that too much regulation would be just as bad. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

7.4: Cat’s Advice and Her Favs

August 7, 2006 by Liz

Whew! Cat’s a Busy Designer!

I’m not going to list all of the places we’ve been with Cat. From OZ to design for the Queen is enough said. Tonight questions are a little closer to home.

Cat, What do you do when you’re not sharing your great links and ideas at Successful Blog?

I still have clients in the wings (the last ones before taking off into
unemployment), I keep Designers who Blog running. IÃ¢â¬â¢m project manager for NO!SPEC which means I deal with design orgs when spec competitions come up, I send out letters of protest and galvanize people to send out letters, etc. As project manager for Creative Latitude I confer with my team before we update, deal with new authors, come up with angles, etc. As the president of Proscodi I put together committees to deal with each element of setting up a design org, I meet other heads of design orgs, go to meetings, etc.

What advice do you have for new bloggers and young designers?

Bloggers – it always takes more time than you planned so be sure to write about something you love. And be prepared to walk away if itÃ¢â¬â¢s taking up too much of your life.

Designers – there is not enough room here for all the advice IÃ¢â¬â¢d give to a young designer, so the top priority would have to be:

– Get a degree. The best one you can afford. And then some.
– Learn about business, accounting, dealing with clients,
communicating, public speaking, hiring, etc.
– Learn to write. The majority of the designers I know have appalling
grammar. Myself included.
– Latch onto a mentor.
– Never stop learning.
– Get a life. Preferably your own.

What design work online do you point to as well done?

Illustrator: (Von created the icons for Creative Latitude) –
http://www.vonglitschka.com/
Web designer: (Nigel designed the Creative Latitude website) –
http://www.commonsensedesign.net/
Blog designer: http://www.pearsonified.com/

One more part to go. Cat tells her BIG IDEA.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments

August 7, 2006 by Liz

My Secret

My name is Liz and I have a secret. I read your blog almost every day, but you you wouldn’t know that. That’s because I hardly ever leave a comment.

I know the value of a well-placed comment. I’m pretty good at writing down what I think. Yet, when it comes time to writing a response to what you wrote, some days I can’t quite get my fingers to the keyboard. I start to write something . . . then I leave without posting it.

There are more readers like me than ones who are not. I know. I’ve talked to them. I’ve been talking to them about why they don’t comment. It seems that we have the same secret reasons for not leaving our calling card. We want to leave our thoughts, but things get between us and that comment box.

It’s time we came clean and let you know what they are.

10 Reasons Readers Don’t Leave Comments

I don’t suppose this is all of the reasons folks choose not to comment. This is only a list of 10 +1 of them that I’ve heard over and over again.

What you write is so complete, that I don’t know what to say except good job. I feel silly writing that, so I read and move on.
You’ve taught me something I didn’t know, and I need to think about it before I even have a question. Much like number 1, I don’t want to embarrass myself. I’m better off moving on.
I get ready to type a comment, but I notice you only respond to a few friends who mostly share inside jokes. I won’t take the risk of being overlooked in public.
The folks who comment on your posts like to argue and I don’t. I’m not sure I’m brave enough to fight my way into the crowd.
You rarely respond to comments. So, there’s no point in writing one.
Your blog has geeky attitude and I’m not geeky enough to keep up.
I really like your blog and your post, but I’m too tired, busy, or any one of a number things that you can’t control. I’ll comment the next I come back to read.
You end your posts with a giant general question like “What do you think of the Big Bang Theory?” That question is such a big one. I don’t have time to answer it. I feel strange answering with a lesser comment.
You put up a fence by making me login to comment. I have too many passwords already and I don’t know you well enough to add one to my list.
Your content wasn’t fresh and exciting, and I couldn’t find anything YOU inside it. It seemed the same post that I’ve read on 10 other blogs. If I commented, I would have to tell you that.
PLUS ONE: Your post was negative. Negative is scary. Most folks don’t like negative stuff, because they know they could be next to be the recipient. I don’t comment, because I don’t want to be part of it.

Sometimes I don’t comment because I’m self-conscious about new groups and fitting in. I suppose most people feel that way now and then. I’m working on that.

Yet when the content is rich and compelling, I lose all self-consciousness. My fingers can’t wait to share what you’ve started me thinking. My hands literally jump to the keyboard and start typing out the words. Other readers have said that is true for them too.

Compelling content causes comments.

Did I miss the reasons that keep you from commenting?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

The Show Is in the Comments
An Open Thought: Please Take the Keys
Who’s Reading Your Comments?

Net Neutrality 8-7-2006

August 7, 2006 by Liz

Net Neutrality Links

I’m adding this link to the Net Neutrality Page.

Online Advocacy: Same As It Ever Was?

The net neutrality fight has many parallels to anti-Communications Decency Act battle that raged beginning in 1995. Online activists were emboldened by free-speech issues and teamed with established companies to fight the legislation. The activists lost the fight in Congress and with President Clinton who signed the bill, but generated enough momentum and support that they rallied considerable resources to their side to win in the Supreme Court, which struck down the law.

The activists…

Got sites like Yahoo! to go black for a day (Black Thursday)

Organized online petitions that got more than 100,000 signatures

Drove direct constituent communications to members of Congress

If we can learn from recent history, the CDA battle taught us that the Web can quickly bring people together to marshal forces for a common cause, but that if the driving issue goes away, so do many of the participants. You need a pressing, immediate battle to really rally the troops. . . .

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Related
NET NEUTRALITY PAGE

Bloggy Question 17 — The Official Writing Book Discussion

August 6, 2006 by Liz

What Are Your Favorites?

For those who come looking for a short, thoughtful read, a blogging life discussion, or a way to gradually ease back into the week, I offer this Blogging Question.

A friend comes to you and says he wants to be a better writer. What books do you suggest?

–ME “Liz” Strauss

VOX: As Fun as Grandmas and Grandpas!

August 6, 2006 by Liz

It’s Important to Share

After a couple of decades in publishing, I can tell you that you never get over that feeling. The best part is always that moment when all of the pieces come together into something done and whole. In blogging, it’s that second when you hit the button that says Publish. It feels satisfying and important.

Six Apart understands that. VOX proves it.

VOX is a new virtual-neighborhood blogging platform. It’s made for grandmas and grandpas and friends and families. Everything about it is geared toward sharing — sharing life with folks you invite in and sharing that feeling of doing something important.

I made a gorgeous VOX blog in less time than will take to write this blog post.

What VOX Has

What VOX has going for it is that Six Apart knows and cares about the audience who will use it. It shows in the balance of fun to features. VOX is the platform for friends and families, people who want a more familiar blogging experience, and people who want a simple satisfying hobby. Here are just a few of the reasons:

The interface is natural and intuitive. The hardest part was picking a tagline.

Grandma could build a blog with a post and photo in less than 30 minutes. I think I opened my account and did all of that in about 15 minutes.

No one needs to learn to spell hard words such as CSS, PHP, or HTML.

Flickr, Photobucket, Amazon, youTube, iFilm, iStock photo are integrated. There’s no need to find them.

Past inserts of audio, video, and photos are easy to find and use again.

A comment feature after every post allows Grandpa to check “This is good,” to show he read my post. He doesn’t need to type at all.

Each post and the comments allow levels of privacy — public, friends and family, friends only, family only, you only.

The sense of community is something special. It comes from the energy of the writing on the team blog. Here are the VOX Invitation Coloring Contest Winners.

See what I mean about fun?

For screenshots and to score an invitation turn the page. [Read more…]