http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/index/ The Hot Iron en thehotiron@dunkirksystems.com Copyright 2008 2008-11-19T19:05:22-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/everything_is_dead_long_live_everything/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/everything_is_dead_long_live_everything/#When:19:05:22Z There are about 469,000 search results in Google for the phrase “is dead long live,” which only has meaning if you put the same word at the front and tail of it.  We have all probably seen this in some form or another – “AM Radio is dead, long live AM Radio” and so forth.  The phrase is commonly used by someone to state that a particular thing – service, product, industry – is no longer viable, or is on the way out.  In a lot of cases, the person stating this is in a position to benefit or profit from the successor to whatever they are proclaiming as dead. When I originally scrawled notes on my whiteboard on this blog post, I had listed a number of industries, products and companies that I felt were “dead.” After looking over those notes, I realized that these entities weren’t dead at all, they were simply dead to me. Take for example the newspaper industry.  Sure, sales of all major daily newspapers are going down.  But in rural areas, newspapers thrive, as they are the main source of information.  Before you start hearing dualing banjos in your head, this has nothing to do with the people themselves, just try to get DSL or broadband Internet more than a few miles outside of a small town in north central Wisconsin, let alone even a weak signal on your mobile device!  As a result, the mediums of the newspaper and local AM and FM radio are successful in these areas.  There may not be a Tribune Tower in the center of these towns, but the handful of people who work there are gainfully employed.  Even if you are nearby the Tribune Tower, it’s not that people don’t read newspapers anymore, there may be simply less of them.  With the exception of the day after the presidential election, of course. As someone who remembers a time before email, I keep that in mind when working with my own clients at Dunkirk Systems, LLC in the strategy and decision-making process for their use of the Internet.  I work with graphic designers who understand both print and online – why create a logo that looks good online that you can’t possibly put on a fax cover sheet in black and white?  Understanding that people who are not technically savvy still have credit cards and if it’s easy enough they will buy from your Web site is important not to forget. So the next time someone says something is dead, you need to seek your own meaning in it.  If what is being called dead or dying is what you do for a living, you may want to explore it a little further – the alternative may not be too much out of reach.  Or it may be still viable but just not for everybody. Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Business 2008-11-19T19:05:22-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/please_stop_unsolicited_database_additions/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/please_stop_unsolicited_database_additions/#When:21:46:57Z To paraphrase what I hear often on Marketing Over Coffee, you are only as good as your house list.  Maybe more people should be listening to that podcast. As the year draws to the end, it is catalog season – that time of the year when our collective mailboxes are jammed with catalogs from companies you have and never have heard of and will most likely never buy from.  But that doesn’t stop them from sending me catalogs, sometimes multiple copies, both to my home and work addresses.  In what has become almost a mindless ritual, I rip off the back cover and inside order form, shred them, and put the catalog in the recycle bin.  I had thought of creating a YouTube video of me doing this, but it doesn’t take much imagination to know what I do on a daily basis. Some catalogs have a message on the back saying you can unsubscribe to the catalog by calling them or visiting their Web site.  As this is not usually worth my time, I haven’t bothered.  My mindset changed the other day when Lands’ End, who is already sending catalogs to myself and my wife at both my home and work address, sent one to my daughter.  Did I mention my daughter is a baby?  Sure she got some very nice presents by friends and family from Lands’ End, but was that an invitation to add her to their catalog mailing list? I have since sent emails to Lands’ End asking to remove her from their database, and pointing out her age and general inability to shop from them, let alone read the catalog.  I got back a generic message, indicating that since catalogs are pre-printed, they may continue arriving.  This means I will be getting them pretty much every other day through February of next year. Lands’ End is being singled out as an evil-doer as they sent my infant daughter a catalog.  I happen to like their merchandise and have several items from them.  I am fully aware the nature of the catalog business, but in these times of a tight economy, identity theft and overall environmental consciousness, maybe do an address de-dupe on your database and just send us one.  Not that we’ll buy anymore from them, but for sure you won’t have me calling them evil on my blog! Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Business 2008-11-18T21:46:57-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/the_web_is_legal_today/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/the_web_is_legal_today/#When:13:48:06Z Today, November 12, 2008, is the 18th anniversary of the original proposal for the World Wide Web.  Submitted on November 12, 1990 by Tim Berners-Lee, it reads like a very modest proposal for a small project.  It goes without saying its impact on the world, let alone CERN. This makes the Web “legal” in the US.  It can vote and enter into a contract.  And it’s only 3 years away from its first legal alcoholic drink. Thinking back to where I was that day, I was most likely working on an IBM mainframe consulting assignment in Providence, Rhode Island.  It would be another 6 years until I was developing Web sites commercially. If the Web means anything to you, especially for those of us who make our living off of it, it is worthy of a quick read.  There are a few things in it that will make you smile, and a few things that will make you think, think about the vision back then and how it has played out in less than 2 decades from its original presentation. Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Technology 2008-11-12T13:48:06-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/2_thoughts_on_4_years_of_dunkirk_systems/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/2_thoughts_on_4_years_of_dunkirk_systems/#When:10:00:39Z Today marks the 4th anniversary of my Internet consultancy, Dunkirk Systems, LLC.  As I mentioned in my post last year about the 3rd anniversary it’s the day I was in business in the eyes of infamous Cook County, but in reality the business had been in the pupae stage for years. When I went on my own, I made 2 statements about my business in general.  I have never really talked about these much unless they came up in a conversation, so I thought I’d share them today. Statement 1 – I don’t have to create every Web site Where technically this is not possible, it is something that guides my business development.  It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new project, as well as the excitement of a prospective client.  In the end a business decision needs to be made, and in some cases it is myself making it, and in many cases it is the prospective client.  When one “gets away” I will think back on this statement, and realize there is a whole world of people and businesses that have a need for my services. Statement 2 – If I have to do cold calling, I am shutting down my business I don’t look at this as a cocky statement at all, rather one that truly reflects me and how I want to lead my business.  Personally, I don’t like cold calling, both from the aspect of the one making the call and especially from the one receiving it.  It is probably one of the most user-unfriendly ways of doing business!  Sure, in some cases through cold calling people learn about something they didn’t know about before, and there are people who are extremely successful in business – and rich – as a result of it. Beyond my personal disdain for cold calling, I feel there are plenty of other avenues available to me for business development.  As someone who believes business is about relationships, I have been successful thus far through networking, referrals from existing clients and colleagues, as well as repeat business from clients.  I also feel there are many other channels for reaching out to people as well, including blogging, Web sites, public speaking, authoring, conference panels, etc.  This latter list I have only dipped my toes into, and is a body of water I am planning on diving in head first when I do. So no big fanfare and no free coffee like last year.  Next year will be 5 years, and maybe we’ll blow a few horns then.  Now it’s back to work. Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Announcements, Business 2008-11-08T10:00:39-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/welcome_tech_cocktail_9_attendees/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/welcome_tech_cocktail_9_attendees/#When:14:22:04Z Last night I attended Tech Cocktail 9, a long-running and highly successful tech networking event in Chicago, now branching out to other cities around the country.  I met some new people as well as reconnected with many others.  It was a very worthwhile event and thanks again to Eric Olson and Frank Gruber for organizing it. As I left a few The Hot Iron cards around the bar as well as exchanged cards with a number of people, if you are visiting this humble journal for the first time – welcome!  The Hot Iron talks about business and technology issues and topics, plus other areas which I call “diversions” as well as take-aways I get from books I have read.  You are welcome to subscribe by RSS feed or by email, as well join in the conversation and comment. To all new and long-time readers, I hope to see you again soon at a future Tech Cocktail, likemind, or let’s connect for coffee. Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Business, Technology 2008-11-07T14:22:04-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/guestbooks/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/guestbooks/#When:14:28:47Z If I ask you if you have a guestbook, what do you think about?  Do you think about a guestbook function on a Web site?  Or do you think of a paper book in your home or business where people write an entry when they visit you in person?  In asking this question, I am asking about the latter, but of course thinking about both. In our home, my lovely wife and I have a guestbook.  The cover actually reads “gaestebog” which is Danish for guestbook, as it was given to us by family in Denmark.  When we visited them a few years ago, they asked us to sign their guestbook, and we commented that we should have one of our own.  A few minutes later, they gave us the one we have, and pictured in this post, as they had an extra one.  Now in active use for the last few years, it serves as a great souvenir of friends and family who come by to visit, for dinner or overnight. It is interesting the reaction we get when we ask people to sign the guestbook.  Most are surprised we have one, and usually in a good way.  The most interesting reaction is when they turn to a blank page, with pen in hand, and ponder for a moment what they will write.  In this day of tweeting and informal writing, it is nice to have something tangible and more formal. In the early days of the Web, many Web sites had guestbooks.  These were a Web page which functioned like the paper, offline guestbook, where people could fill out a form and see their post listed with everybody else who did the same.  Over time, these pages went away for reasons that probably include everything from the sophistication of the Web, to people not filling out entries.  Today it is not as much about people simply dropping by your Web site as much as the detailed analytics of their visit, and there are other ways to engage visitors by using site membership, eCommerce and blog comments. Or are guestbooks online still relevant today?  I welcome your thoughts on this.  I have to admit I am not compelled to add one to The Hot Iron or Dunkirk Systems’ Web site.  You are more than welcome to comment to this here, or simply say, “hi.” Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Technology, Diversions 2008-11-02T14:28:47-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/mobile_device_as_seeing_eye/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/mobile_device_as_seeing_eye/#When:10:00:17Z Whenever we talk about usability, computers and their software mostly come to mind.  But how about a restaurant menu?  Where some may be unorganized or in a different language, to someone who is visually impaired, it may not even appear at all.  Rather than having to have someone read it to you, new software for mobile devices can do it for you. An article appeared in the Boston Sunday Globe featuring such reading software, as well as one of the owners of it, my good friend (and The Hot Iron frequent commenter) Peter Alan Smith.  Over the years I have gotten to know Peter as well as his challenges with using technology which most people take its use for granted.  I have had the opportunity to help Peter with installing JAWS, a popular screen reading software, onto his Windows notebook, as well as watching him surfing the Web. Such a device and software break down many barriers.  The software was developed by technology futurist Ray Kurzweil and runs on a Nokia N82 mobile device, and can be carried in his pocket as he would carry any phone.  Within a minute of taking a picture of text, a computer screen or even currency, he can have the information read to him.  Where I have never seen this in action personally, Peter described it in detail that gave me enough to envision it. I have always said that technology advancements to help those who are given a moniker as “disabled” will have far-reaching uses beyond those people.  As I write this post, I am wearing reading glasses that, after 30+ years of looking at computer screens, I now need to have.  And at close reach is a wrist strap in the event the mild tingling in my hands that could be early signs of carpel tunnel occurs.  Maybe I should pick up a copy of Dragon software to speak future posts, or just podcast them? Cheers to Peter on this great article for an even greater person! Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Technology, Mobile Technology 2008-10-30T10:00:17-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/wordless_wednesday_video_of_airport_display_at_legoland_denmark/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/wordless_wednesday_video_of_airport_display_at_legoland_denmark/#When:10:00:39Z Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Diversions 2008-10-29T10:00:39-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/likemind_featured_in_the_new_york_times/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/likemind_featured_in_the_new_york_times/#When:11:34:04Z As many readers of The Hot Iron know, myself and Bruno are the coordinators of likemind in Chicago.  This monthly meetup of creative people for coffee is in sync with similar gatherings around the world. Many people ask me what it’s all about, and why so early?  Last week likemind was featured in the New York Times’ Fashion & Style section in an excellent article, which featured the New York City gathering as well as input from other coordinators in other cities. Congrats to Noah and Piers, the founders of likemind, for this great publicity.  The next likemind Chicago will be on Friday, December 5, 2008 at Spa Cafe in the Loop.  See you then! Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Announcements, Business 2008-10-28T11:34:04-06:00 http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/did_the_hot_iron_get_a_nokia_openlab_bump/ http://www.thehotiron.com/index.php/site/did_the_hot_iron_get_a_nokia_openlab_bump/#When:10:00:00Z Did traffic increase to The Hot Iron following my participation in the Nokia OpenLab in Helsinki last month?  In general I would hope so, as after meeting many interesting people I started following them online, and I would hope someone would be interested in what I have to say!  But the numbers do not lie, and here’s a summary of activity on this little blog. In this analysis, I used 2 sources.  I use Who’s Lookin?, a service by Fiodan Corp., for tracking and reporting daily activity.  Every morning I receive an email report of top pages accessed, top referring sites, as well as what networks have visited.  This is an excellent indicator of traffic volume and where it is coming from.  Watching this report on a daily basis, I saw increased international traffic, and traffic coming from Nokia itself, mostly after OpenLab.  These reports gave me a good “gut” feel that I did receive some sort of bump in traffic.  For the sake of full disclosure, Dunkirk Systems, LLC a value-added reseller of Who’s Lookin? and am more than glad to talk to you about how this service can help your business! Google Analytics is the other source of data for this analysis.  I did a comparison of 2 date ranges – the month of August, 2008 vs. September 2008.  As I did my original post on OpenLab on September 1, this would give a good indication of what traffic was like beforehand and after the fact.  Below is the chart of Analytics comparing visitors over those periods. As you can see, there is a definite increase in visits to The Hot Iron, but it did not lead to people spending more time once they arrived.  The next analysis I did was on new vs. returning visitors, and here is the Analytics comparison during the same periods. As you can see, there are many new people, and for those who are new, welcome! Two other areas I looked at showed no increases – searches and Feedburner subscriptions.  OpenLab did not figure into the top search terms that drove traffic to The Hot Iron.  Also, there was not a significant change in Feedburner subscriptions.  Feedburner does not allow you to analyze traffic beyond 30 days, plus I have always found strange fluctuations in subscriptions on a daily basis that I haven’t considered that a serious traffic stat.  I look forward to its further integration into Google, and perhaps into Analytics as well. In summation, I did receive some bump during the period after OpenLab.  If you are one of those who started reading after OpenLab – or not – please feel free to comment as to what brought you here. Did you enjoy reading this?  You are welcome to subscribe to The Hot Iron by RSS feed or by email. Business, Mobile Technology 2008-10-27T10:00:00-06:00