The Kmiec Ramblings

Check it out here.  It lets you generate tag clouds for pages, copy, and files.  Very cool if you want to get a feel for the type of content contained in articles, press releases, etc.

One Crispin I can get behind…

Look we should all be a fan of ourselves.  If we don’t like ourselves, no one else will.  I created a page so on Facebook so that people can become “fans” of me to prove a point.  In this world of social marketing, web 2.0 (b.s. term), and joining the conversation, we need to remember that these tools are to be used for good.  They are NOT to be used for silly self promotion.  If things like Twitter are used for silly self promotion they become useless.  The people who are abusing this, no exactly who they are and they are doing it purposely.

No one likes a person who toots their own horn…just something to think about.

Right before Jacqueline McCook left her Chief Growth Officer position at ConAgra Foods, she imparted this piece of wisdom about how to succeed. She said that her husband reminded her every day before she left for the “office” to:

1. Manage Effectively
2. Add Value

polldaddy lets you create polls and surveys.  The interface takes a little getting used to, but I think it’s a better tool than Survey Monkey and Zoomerang.  You can create a free account and even choose a free level of service.  The major difference between the free service and paid service are the number of answers you can capture.  I’ve only come across 1 drawback; the survey/poll builder interface does not work in Safari.  Check out this poll I made in 2 minutes.

Wow.  ECO-SAFE was very responsive.  After asking me what song I wanted as my free gift, they responded with this email 1 hour after I shared with them my song request.  You can read more about my ECO-SAFE experience here and here.

Solid article from BusinessWeek about 10 principles to keep in mind when designing sites.  I agree with most of the article, specifically commandment #1

 
“Adobe’s (ADBE) popular Web animation technology powers everything from the much-vaunted Nike (NKE) Plus Web site for running diehards to many humdrum banner advertisements. But the technology can easily be abused—excessive, extemporaneous animations confuse usability and bog down users’ Web browsers.”

The one I don’t agree with is commandment #8.

“Web 2.0 is everywhere. MySpace (NWS) and similar sites only launched the trend of having users communicate and interact—sometimes obsessively—on browser-based sites. Designers are now filtering those same elements into diverse sites, from smart advertising to online office productivity.”

I just don’t buy it. It doesn’t have to be social. Some sites just don’t require those features.

Anyhow, all in all a great read.

In a post I made the other day, wrote about the very cool ECO-SAFE Merit Badge.  By placing the badge on your site, you are advocating the use of emailing the page or sending it as a PDF, instead of printing it on paper.  ECO-SAFE would love everyone to use the badge.  As a means of motivation they offer you a free iTunes song after they’ve verified your placement of the badge on your site.

Well, it only took 1 business day for ECO-SAFE to reach out to me and this is what they said.

“Hi

I just noticed you’ve placed ECO-SAFE on your website - The Eco-Safe widget you have is great for your website because it allows people to download and save copies of your pages (rich PDF format) as well as spread your website via PDF emails to friends. It’s value is powerful. As such I was hoping we could send you a song from Apple iTunes. Do you have a request for a song you like, or would you like us to pick something unique for you? If you’d like us to pick something special for you, please let us know your music taste. Look forward to sending you some great music!

Sincerely,
Jason (& everyone else at eco-safe)”

Talk about a company/brand that’s really in touch with their users, audience, and their mission. Just think if more companies were this proactive.