Archive for August, 2009



Anonymous Tweeting Is For The Birds

August 28th, 2009 by Erin Posted in Twitter | No Comments »

Something new – and evil – is lurking on Twitter.

It’s not a virus.

It’s not spam.

It’s a new service designed especially for those who are scared to tie their names to their Twitter updates.

Yep, you read that right.

You can now send tweets anonymously though Tweet From Above and Tweet From Below.

As their names suggest, one service is meant for good; the other for evil.  Simply use the service to @reply someone – and they’ll see the tweet, but won’t know who it’s from.

Curious?

I just sent an anonymous tweet to myself using Tweet From Above and this is what it looked like:

tweetfromabove3 @ErinMcElveen Go back to bed! half a minute ago from API

Sure – from a third party app standpoint – this is a creative idea.

But come on – anonymous tweeting?

Sounds to me like this may become a breeding ground for harrassing, malicious tweets. And despite its stern terms of use warning – I really don’t think anyone will comply, especially if they’re posting from Tweet From Below.

It’s sort of like going back to junior high.

Thanks, but I’d rather not.

I’m keeping it real on Twitter and I hope the rest of Twitosphere does too.

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The Blind Search Engine Taste Test

August 19th, 2009 by Erin Posted in Technology | No Comments »

I don’t know where the folks at Tech Crunch find this stuff – but this is pretty darn cool.

The next time you find yourself procrastinating on a project, check out the blind search tool.

This web application – created “just for fun” by a Microsoft developer – provides results from Google, Yahoo, and Bing in three columns but doesn’t tell you which column is which search engine. You can then “vote” for the column you think has the best results. It’s then revealed which results came from which engines.

I gave it a try with the search term “web applications” and chose Google. On the second round, using “top recipes”, I chose Bing.

Seriously. Someone could design a whole college course around this site. It’s quite a study in how we use and perceive the mighty search engine powers that be, namely Google.

Michael Arrington at Tech Crunch elaborates, saying that according to a few search engine experts, users tend to think Google results are better simply because they’re coming from Google.  If you slap a Google logo on Yahoo results – it will test better than Google results with a Yahoo or Bing logo.

With this blind search engine taste test, however, there is no branding therefore you must really think about which results you like better.

The site used to feature a “results” page which displayed a percentage distribution of votes. Early results initially showed this breakdown: Google: 44%, Bing: 33%, Yahoo 23%.

The results feature was subsequently removed when people found a way to game it.

I highly recommend giving this blind search tool a try to find out which search engine suits you.

You may be surprised – like I was – that it’s not Google.

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The Reality Of A BlackBerry

August 13th, 2009 by Erin Posted in Technology | No Comments »

Let me preface this post by saying that I think the terms “CrackBerry” and “BlackBerry Addiction” are so passe.

Yet, when I was recently asked to ponder the convenience of my BlackBerry, I felt a resounding force that made me want to scream: “Yes, I am addicted to my BlackBerry!”

Admittedly, I brought this upon myself – and I suspect a lot of Apple iPhone users feel the same way.

I chose to buy a BlackBerry.

I chose my BlackBerry apps – and shamelessly, I use them countless times a day.

Am I a slave to this device? Obviously, yes.

But yet, without it, I would be glued to my computer – checking emails, checking my social networking accounts, checking Twitter.

Convenience really is a factor with a BlackBerry. I am able to pull away from the computer throughout the day to spend time with my family, really give them my undivided attention.

Sure, the BlackBerry is attached to me like an appendage, but at least I can choose to ignore it at dinner time. I know I can respond to whoever made that God forsaken red light flash after dinner – without having to boot up the laptop.

Yes, my BlackBerry is certainly a convenience – but it’s at my side everywhere I go.

At the market.

To a restaurant.

In the backyard.

Sometimes I have to force myself to leave it in the car – just for a break.

Perhaps I’ve said too much in this post. But it’s my reality – and if you own a BlackBerry or iPhone, it’s probably yours too.

If you feel you’re immune to this – please step forward. I’d really like to hear from you.

Send me an email.

I’ll get back to you – on my BlackBerry.

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Small Business Blogs, LinkedIn Generate Leads

August 7th, 2009 by Erin Posted in LinkedIn, Small Business, Twitter | 1 Comment »

Here’s more proof that social media CAN work for small business.

According to a new DemandGen Report of business-to-business marketers, business professionals claim social networks are a powerful source for driving leads.

So which are the top social media channels?

Leading the pack was, of course, LinkedIn (58%), followed by company blogs (36%). Surprisingly, Twitter came in third at 31%.

Sites like Facebook (17%) were found to be basically useless – and MySpace wasn’t even on the radar.

More nitty-gritty:

- Small business users say they’ve generated 10 to 15% new leads using social media
- Other small business departments joining the social network fray include: Sales – 41%; Product Management – 21%; Engineering – 13%.
- Top 3 most useful social media tactics: Joining industry groups – 25%; Starting conversation threads – 25%; Answer questions, participating in forums – 23%.

If you have the time, and a little know-how, social media can help ramp up a small business.

Look into lead generation on LinkedIn.

Send out some tweets.

Post to a blog.

It’s all about sharing your brand and spreading the word – just make sure to leave out the sales pitch.

No one wants to read that.  No one.

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