Archive for September, 2010



LinkedIn Groups: Glitches Get Fixed – Sort Of

September 29th, 2010 by Erin Posted in LinkedIn | Comments Off

It’s no secret that LinkedIn revamped its Groups section over the summer. Among some of the changes LinkedIn rolled out include:

- An ability to track contributions to a story or discussion.

- A revolving carousel of stories which gives users a new way to browse and participate in the most popular discussions.

- A new box that highlights the “top influencers” of a group, which is based who contributes to discussions.

- A “like” or “pass” button.

Based on these features, it may seem that LinkedIn Groups is now more of a popularity contest than a place to share and exchange. But people are digging the whole social network vibe. They really, really are.

LinkedIn says its new interface has already significantly increased member participation – a number they measure by user comments and visits to Groups. LinkedIn says it was also listening this summer to several complaints about how the new features effect users’ abilities to moderate – or lack thereof. So, now, in true LinkedIn style – the site has presented its first set of improvements. And while, they won’t fix some of the other common complaints – such as speed – they do make life easier for moderators. Here are the highlights.

1. Delete threads directly. Moderators can fight spam by simply deleting inappropriate content from the “More” tap on any groups’ thread.

2. New email notifications. Sure, email notifications are not new, but now group managers can get email alerts for every new post and DELETE SPAM and INAPPROPRIATE POSTS straight from those emails!

3. Find other users to help moderate. Group managers don’t have to take on the work of moderating the group alone. They can now deputize trusted members to help moderate.

4. Encourage others to flag inappropriate content. All users can help weed out spam and inappropriate content by flagging. All posts and comments flagged as inappropriate are then added to the group managers’ new moderation queue. In one swift move, they can delete or clear flags from posts as well as blacklist spammers with the powerful “remove member, block & delete contributions” button.

While the new LinkedIn Groups may look like a three-ring circus compared to the old version, it has improved the quality of conversations and it works very much like a social network. But, LinkedIn says this is just the first in a series of improvements. Perhaps the best is yet to come…

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Can Google Read Our Minds?

September 22nd, 2010 by Erin Posted in Business | No Comments »

The launch of Google Instant has more than raised a few eyebrows. It has left many people wondering what the hell is really going on beyond those doors over there in Mountain View CA?

Has Google, in fact, come up with a way to read our minds.

The answer is no. Thank God. But, it’s damn near close.

Google Instant is not a mind reader. But, based on your keystrokes, it can predict what you’re going to type based on the zillions of previous searches it has studied and analyzed.

“Faster than the speed of type” is how Google describes Instant. It plays off research which shows that the eye can see as much as 10 times faster than the hand can type. So begin to type in “software” and you’ll get ten search terms related to software even before you’ve finished typing.

No doubt this is a faster way to search the Web. So fast, in fact, Google says Instant can shave two-to-five seconds off the time it takes to perform a search in Google Classic. In other words, if everyone use Google Instant it could save as much as 11 hours every second, of every day.

Google Instant is also more relevant. Results come back even when the searcher is not sure of words to type to get the best results. The prediction – and it is a prediction – for the search is shown in light grey text in the drop down box below the search queue. There is no need to type a complete word or sentence.

There’s also Google Instant for mobile phone users too! When users search for a particular business or want to know the weather forecast, Google Instant will use GPS to show location based results – in real time.

As brilliant as this innovation is, many people – Web marketers in particular – are fearful of the impact Google Instant will have on Internet marketing.

Is SEO/SEM dead? Or, is it now more important than ever?

In my opinion, it’s the latter.

Page 1 of Google is so out. Google’s crystal ball prediction box is in.

That’s where you want to be found.

And, that’s where you’ll find me – searching.

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Sick of Waiting? There’s a Text Service for That

September 15th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Stature Projects | No Comments »

Boston is, once again, living up to its reputation of being a hub of brilliant minds and services. Two new texting services are making headlines around the country simply because they ease a burden all of have to bear – waiting.

Got a high fever but can’t stomach a long wait at the ER? No fear. Now you can text to find out how long the ER wait time is. MetroWest Medical Center in suburban Boston has launched the state’s first texting program that allows potential patients to find out ER wait times before making the trip to the hospital. The hospital began the service early last month in hopes of building its market share and improving ER performance — and by extension, patient satisfaction. Chief executive Andrei Soran said the hospital plans to measure how many patients actually come in to the ER after texting and whether the program increases volume and satisfaction.

To use the ER texting service, patients should text 63311 to 508-437-411. The ER wait times at Framingham Union Hospital and Leonard Morse ONLY will be texted back immediately.

Now, for those of you who avoid popular restaurants on the weekends because of their astronomical wait times – then Textaurant, a Boston startup, is for you. If the restaurant you want to go to is signed up with Textaurant, you can actually see wait times online or on your mobile device, choose a location, and get in the wait queue remotely – from wherever you are for FREE. No standing in line at the restaurant. No bulky pagers to hold.

Perhaps the only drawback is not having that glass of wine at the bar before dinner. But you could do that at home, right?

Textaurant also gives restaurants – ANY restaurant, not just in the Boston area –  a business advantage by allowing them to track their patrons’ habits at peak times. Textaurant also says it can help restaurants boost sales by helping them “find new customers.”

Waiting, for some people, can be blood-boiling and stressful. Let’s hope these services lighten the load on peoples’ blood pressure and, perhaps, save them a few bucks. No more paying anger management therapy sessions!

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Move Over Skype, Google’s Calling

September 8th, 2010 by Erin Posted in Stature Projects | No Comments »

Google Voice is freakin’ fantastic.

It’s better than my landline. It’s better than Skype!

Google added the free e-mail feature last week and it enables U.S. users of Google’s Gmail service to make calls from microphone-equipped computers to telephones virtually anywhere in the world.

And, all calls in the U.S. and Canada will are FREE – for now.

But, what is really so fantastic about Google Phone is…

1. The clarity.

Both my husband and I have placed calls using the Gmail calling feature and we were blown away by the lack of interruption and – more importantly – the clarity! It was as if were were speaking on a landline. Neither of us felt like we were on a conference call nor did the audio have that tin can conference call effect.

2. Its advantage over Skype.

The fact that all Google calls made in the U.S. and Canada are FREE undercuts the most popular PC-to-phone service, Skype. Right now, Skype charges 1.2 cents to 2.1 cents per minute for U.S. calls.

In the meantime, Google hopes to make money on its service by charging 2 cents or more per minute for international calls. Google’s international rate chart is posted.

3. Its services.

While Google Voice is still kind of a work in progress, the service allows most people to receive calls on their PC if they get a free phone number from Google – or if they already have one.

The phone numbers are provided by Google Voice – which, quite frankly, doesn’t have the best track record particularly with iPhone users, nor with available numbers. I have tried to get a phone number in my area code in New Hampshire and there is nothing available yet.

Despite my unsuccessful attempt to get a number, I still love the Google Voice service. It’s easy. It’s super cheap. And, best of all, it works great.

Nexus One may have been a flop… but Google got it right with this one.

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5 Free Open-Source Software to Consider for Your Small Business

September 1st, 2010 by Erin Posted in Small Business | No Comments »

Budgets are tight. Small businesses are cash-strapped. So, why spend thousands of dollars on software for your office needs when you can turn to open source software for FREE?

What many small business owners don’t know is that there is free software that can help them operate smoothly – and professionally. I’m talking about email servers, HR software, word processing programs, graphic design software. Even antivirus programs.

Yup, all FREE.

Here are five open source software programs that are easy on the wallet and your operations.

1. OpenOffice

Kiss MS Office goodbye. This is your open-source alternative. It is FREE to download and use and it contains programs like word processing, spreadsheets, presentations – and more. It’s also available in many languages and works on common operating systems.

2. GnuCash

Get to know this software – fast.

GnuCash is a personal and small business accounting software that is FREE and available for GNU/Linux, BSD, Solaris, Mac OS X, and MS Windows. It’s easy to use and allows you to track bank accounts, stocks, income and expenses. Some have even called it “as quick and intuitive to use as a checkbook register.”

3. OrangeHRM

This human resource management software comes with rich features and a friendly UI.  The system is backed by professional support services as well as a fast-growing and knowledgeable worldwide open source community.

4. GIMP

This is your alternative to Adobe Photoshop.

GIMP is an acronym for GNU Image Manipulation Program. It has many capabilities including photo retouching, image composition and image authoring.

5. Clamwin

ClamWin is a antivirus program for Microsoft Windows 7/ Vista / XP / Me / 2000 / 98 and Windows Server 2008 and 2003. ClamWin Free Antivirus does not include an on-access real-time scanner. You need to manually scan a file in order to detect a virus or spyware – which could be a good thing for Windows users who are barraged with automatic scans and updates.

This, of course, is not an exhaustive list of free open source software for small business. There are dozens more.

The bottom line is that you’ll want to save where you can now so that you can invest in specialized computer software down the road – and really take your business to the next level.

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