Scope - It’s Not Just a Minty Fresh Breath Thing
April 30, 2008
It’s hard to find your voice blogging when you didn’t start off with a plan.
I mean, it’s not really that I *didn’t* start off with a plan - it’s that I started off with a rather far-reaching plan. I thought, “Well, GeekMommy… Just be yourself!”
Only here’s the thing - just like my 10 page paper on “Africa” in the 6th grade - the topic was a little too broad to be realistic. Because “myself” is a little complicated. Just like yourself is. I mean, I’m a mom, I’m a geek, I’m a dilettante, I’m a woman, I’m getting older, I’m full of opinions about everything from what deodorant to use to what operating system to use to which candidate for a given political post I prefer to oh heck… you know what I mean!
We’re all of us little complicated beings. Multi-faceted.
I know there are times I like to downplay that aspect of myself - but in reality, there are at least 5 women living in my closet according to my clothes, the ‘groups’ of friends I have are varied in their makeups, sizes, interests and images of me. I mean honestly.
So if I just want this to be a blog my husband and 3 friends drop in on - I suppose the “all about me” thing would work. But I don’t. I want this to be something that helps me to communicate with other people on the Internet. That is part of a much larger dialog in the blogosphere. That is a continuation of discussions started elsewhere in the social media sphere, but better defined here.
Yet I don’t want to get away from blogging about my experiences as a Mom… because my daughter is growing up so fast. I clicked on an entry I’d written last December about her and laughed whole-heartedly because I had forgotten that conversation.
But I’m really not just a “MommyBlogger” either. I mean, better than 80% of my posts so far have either been about tech or social media. I had someone ask me recently why I identified myself as GeekMommy since I seemed to write so little here about the parenting experience.
It would seem that I’m going to have to figure out how to better define where I’m going with this. Maybe I have a need for 2 blogs? (shudder) I mean I haven’t exactly been posting as regularly as I intend with just this one. Then again - that might change if I knew I had different spaces for each subject.
Every time I start to write about Buttercup, I think “yeah, that’s one all my geek friends will take a pass on” and every time I start to write about tech, I think “oh I can see the people going to this site looking for parental blogging just shaking their heads and wondering if I even really have a child!”
So what do you think?
I’d love some feedback.
Would you split the blog? or just use tagging and fair-warning messages to let people move on if they like? I’m throwing this out there for feedback. Because complex is one thing. Scattered is another.
Besides, I was so lost writing that paper on “Africa” in 6th grade that the last page ended up being a map. And I got a C on it. Which was a pity grade because the teacher liked me and knew I was smarter than that.
I don’t want a C on this Blog… and I don’t want to just post a map because I can’t think of what else to say.
What do you think?
Dear Geeky Universe…
April 28, 2008
They say that you don’t usually get what you want unless you ask for it.
I’d say you could take that axiom and add “or unless you build it yourself” on the end of it and you’ll get the psychology that makes technology startups and entrepreneurs tick.
You don’t get what you want unless you ask for it or build it yourself.
I’m not an entrepreneur, however, so that second part is not really my bailiwick. I used to try and ‘build it myself’ but then I realized that I’m the sort who has dozens of unfinished projects cluttering up my basement, my garage, and my hard-drive. I have ideas but they seldom get past the initial architecting phase.
Ten years after I took the top end off of my 1968 Triumph T100C as part of its restoration process, I realized that the top was still off of it, covered in dust, and unlikely to spontaneously restore itself… so I sold it to someone who was a “doer” and I’m sure it is much happier being on the road these days since he restored it.
So the bike is on the road again… Where is this going?
My point in giving the above example is that I’m the sort who would rather see something done right than to profit from it myself. If I’m not going to do it, it shouldn’t just sit in my garage being a great “wouldn’t that have been something?” idea.
So I’m going to put this out there in the hopes that someone who is a ‘doer’ sees it and realizes where it can go and builds it so I can use it. If they also happen to make a zillion dollars? Well, yeah, buy me dinner some night and let me in on your beta.
What I need/want/wish someone would build and why
There are a lot of systems that come close out there - but none that actually addresses this need in full.
Recently, I’ve been lucky enough to help Erin Kotecki Vest (also known as Queen of Spain from her very popular blog and @QueenofSpain on Twitter) by trying to facilitate the first couple episodes of her fledgling web show.
Now Erin has years of broadcast experience and is very good at doing what she does. She’s a great interviewer and host - and both guests and audiences have a great time whenever she’s interacting with them. That said, any web show is only as good as its platform. If the show crashes every 5 minutes, loses guests, dies of lag… that’s all anyone remembers about it.
What I’ve been trying to do is help with the moderating, the technical issues, the general ’stuff a production assistant does’ in most broadcast fields. But we’ve discovered that none of the services presently available for doing this actually have all the functionality that would make the show sail along smoothly.
Last night, after crashing one time too many on Stickam.com, Erin’s show moved to the Yahoo!Live platform (still in beta) and after the past couple of weeks of frustration - we started discussing what we needed and trying to figure out who might provide it. We looked at ustream, at non-webpage solutions like ooVoo and Skype, and a handful of other things people messaged me with. All of which are great at what they are doing, but none of which currently offers all the things we were looking for.
The List
What we keep talking about is a service that allows Erin (or anyone) to broadcast a produced, realtime, webcam show with guests that allows for audience participation. Features we need:
- Main video feed - this larger window is for the show host
- Additional video feed windows - these smaller windows allow the host to pull video &/or audio feeds from the guests - preferably 4 or more - with individual volume controls and controlled access.
- Chat room - real-time chatroom that allows for large numbers of text interactions
- Dual Moderator capabilities - both host and ‘producer’ should be able to moderate fully - with the ability to enable feeds, boot people from chat room, enable recording, and open/close room. Additionally text in chat window should be differently formatted for moderator & host.
- Recording - the ability to record the entirety of the show - not just the host window, but also the other feeds & chat - for future playback.
- Private messaging - separate window chat messaging which can be turned on/off/blocked by chatters (so that host/guests don’t get PMd by random chat room folks)
- Audio Line between Host & ‘producer’ - so that producer can speak with host, but not necessarily heard in general broadcast.
- Stability - if the host gets disconnected, the room needs to persist unless the producer also gets disconnected so that audience is not lost if there are connectivity issues.
- Webpage/URL permanence and video hosting - the problem with a lot of solutions is that they require software downloads on the part of the audience. This has to function like a ‘web television’ show. Post a link, click on it during broadcast time, see the video and join the chat. Also, saved sessions need to be accessible from the show’s main page.
That’s the “must-haves” the “nice to haves but can be implemented down the road” include:
- Calendar scheduling - it’s a nice thing, but not needed immediately.
- Scripted Text - for both the host and the producer, the ability to post things to the chat room that are pre-scripted so that messages can be repeated easily.
- Question Queues - it would be fabulous to have the chat room be able to click on an “Ask a question” button that queues up the text questions in order and is viewable by host & producer but can be ‘passed’ or ‘deleted’ as well.
- Custom ‘Homepage’ Design - obviously, people like to ‘brand’ their shows… down the road that would be a premium service. In fact, many of the ‘nice to haves’ could be premium options.
Why build it and What do you get out of it?
Okay honestly, it’s not that hard to see that Bloggers picked up podcasting, and podcasters are now experimenting with Video shows. And I don’t mean Video podcasts that are edited and slick and professional. I mean live shows that are interactive, dynamic, and unpredictable. But just because it’s live doesn’t mean it should look like it was done in someones garage.
Video Podcasts are the 60 minutes of the Internet - the news magazine format. What we’re talking about here are Live Shows - the Oprahs and Merv Griffins of tomorrow.
But it’s one of those “if you build it they will come” propositions. If you’ve got the platform that makes it easy, manageable, and smooth - you’ll also get the names… and their audiences.
The monetizing is obvious - because you’ve already got the room for advertising in the webpage format… you can also create the premium options - and professional accounts.
Are you still with me?
If you are can you help me out here? Either be the guy with the vision and the ability to implement it - or be the guy that funds it - or be the guy that is dying to code it. And if you aren’t any of those guys? Could you be the guy that helps me get this out there? Because it will seriously make the experience better for the rest of us.
For all of the potential hosts, producers, guests, and audience members - can we maybe shoot for the moon?
I know I’d be willing to take the time to pound out details and beta it if I can be of any help. But I want first shot at playing with it! After all I’m putting it out there and asking nicely.
Dear Geeky Universe - can I have a turnkey professional webcam interactive talkshow solution - please?
Give a Little, Get a Little…
April 20, 2008
A couple of years ago, GeekDaddy and I were in a Wal-Mart picking up diapers and whatnot… and we walked past a product demo. The free sample was a cup of coffee - and given our consistent state of sleep deprivation as parents, there was no way we were turning it down.
The coffee came out of a Senseo Coffee Pod System… at the time, still pretty new and trying to gain ground. At the time, my idea of ’single cup coffee’ machines extended from espresso machines to those annoying vending machines that have the paper cups with the poker hand you never win and the watery coffee & hot chocolate for 50 cents…
But it was decent enough coffee - and what a great idea. I mean, I can’t tell you how many 1/2 full pots of coffee I have emptied down the sink over the years. But the machine? Yeah, well, it was priced at around $80 for the machine plus the price of the individual coffee pods… er… maybe not. We thanked the lady and went about our shopping.
I always thought it would be a nice thing to have - but when it comes right down to it, I wasn’t sure I wanted to make that much of an up-front investment on something I wasn’t sure I’d use. Like every other home, we have our own ‘Small Appliance Graveyard’ filled with machines we were sure we’d use that eventually got relocated for new machines we were sure we’d use. I didn’t need to add to it with a pricey coffee maker when I already had a coffee pot and an espresso machine.
Fast-forward to about a month ago…
A friend emails me a link to this Senseo promotion which read:
Selected participants will receive the following $70 retail value for FREE*:
- Selected participants will receive the following $70 retail value for FREE*:
- Senseo® Single Serve Coffee Pod System
- Bag of Senseo® gourmet coffee pods
- Senseo® Coffee Pod Canister for easy pod storage and long-lasting freshness
- 5 $20-off Senseo® coffee machine cards to share with friends and family
*Participants must pay shipping and handling fee of $15
Seriously - sounds too good to be true, eh? I mean, come on… who gives away something that expensive that has clearly been successful enough to stick around for several years?
But I thought ‘what the heck… for $15 s/h, I’ll try it. I’d spend that ordering a pizza or in a few trips to Starbucks… can’t hurt.’
So I filled out forms, gave them info for billing the S/H fee, and promptly forgot about it. Until it showed up on the doorstep and I explained to GeekDaddy what was in the big box.
After it sat unopened by me for about a week - GeekDaddy unpacked it one morning and set it up. I know, because i was awakened with a freshly brewed cup of coffee that was waaaay to darkly roasted for my tastes. “That’s the dark roast that came with the new machine - we’ll have to try some other blends too,” he said.
He came home that afternoon with several bags of ‘other blends’ in pods to try.
By the end of the week, the ‘old coffee pot’ went to live with its predecessors in the Small Appliance Graveyard. We’re hooked. Firmly.
But that’s the beauty of it, you see… the company doesn’t make the bulk of it’s profit on the machines - it makes them on the pods. Which usually run anywhere from about 30 cents to $1 each depending on where/when you buy them and in what quantities. Now, that’s way more expensive than your average can of Folgers costs per cup - BUT - it’s way less than your average Starbucks and no more pouring unused coffee down the drain every day.
So they hooked us as customers by giving us the machine. Not a bad deal on their part. Something Gevalia coffee has been doing for years - which probably works for them frequently (but never did with me, I don’t like their coffee, personally.)
Zappos
Now, during this same time frame, a company I already respected a lot, Zappos.com decided to join the Twitter community full-force. Seems their employees had already been utilizing it - and Tony, their CEO decided to join Twitter as @zappos. It didn’t take long for the Twitter community to find @zappos and follow him - partially because he was running a promotion/contest of giving a free pair of shoes to one of his followers early on, partially because many of us already knew the site and loved the shoes, and partially because their company presence was so amazing.
Okay, granted - when they started giving away things like a trip for two to Las Vegas to tour the factory and meet with Tony - it started getting even more appealing… but by then we were all following already anyways and perusing the Zappos website with shoe-lust in our hearts.
I wasn’t really aware of how much different the presence of Zappos on Twitter was until I started getting new ’shoe seller’ spam followers on Twitter by the handful this week. Like the account @buyshoes — which just posts random news links in the hope that you will stop by their Twitter homepage and follow the link back to ’sicshoes . com’ (which I won’t link and am munging - not going to give them traffic, thanks) and buy shoes from their crappy website.
Now, honestly - I can use a search engine with the best of them. I know how to find shoes online if I want to. What no search engine can really tell you though is what kind of company you are doing business with before you do. But I can tell you what kind of company Zappos is - it’s the kind whose CEO makes the time to interact with their potential customers… and is willing to run a few free promotions because he knows that most people will pay a little bit more if necessary to deal with a company that treats them well. It’s the kind of company whose employees all seem to love what they do and are positive and upbeat (don’t believe me? click here) It’s the kind of company that I want to do business with.
While I’ll happily continue blocking the link-spamming shoe-bots that follow me on Twitter - I’ll be recommending them to anyone and everyone who will listen. Same as I sent that Senseo email to about a dozen friends and family and keep singing its praises.
Because honestly, the easiest way to make a loyal customer is to give them something they weren’t expecting… like a coffee pod machine, or a pair of shoes, or even just your time and attention.
It’s not rocket science - but it often seems like some companies perceive it that way. Thank heavens there are those who get it right the first time.
Now if you’ll excuse me - I’m going to drink a cup of decaf coffee made freshly just for me and go peruse some shoes…
Strength in Numbers - Do the Math.
April 12, 2008
Who was your Grade School bully?
No, I don’t just mean the person you had conflicts with in 3rd grade - I mean that one guy (and I say guy because it usually is a guy) whom everyone in the school knew about. The one who even some of the older, bigger kids were afraid of because he was just plain mean. Mean in that scary, unpredictable, please-don’t-notice-me way.
If I may resort to a pop-culture reference - I’m not asking about your Nelson Muntz - I’m asking about your Jimbo Jones.
It’s been over 30 years since I last saw him, but I remember my Grade school bully very well. His name was Brad B. I won’t use his last name, because I can always hope that he grew up not to be a bully and would hate Googling his name to find out that anyone remembered that part of his life.
Brad was the kind of bully that had a lot of friends - because he was kind of charming, but mostly because it was safer to be his friend than to be his victim. He lived just down the street from me. He was in the class a year ahead of mine, and a year behind my older brother. But there wasn’t a person in the school who didn’t hear his name and look over their shoulder to make sure he wasn’t behind them.
One year, I think it was around the time I was in 4th grade because my brother was still in the school, Brad made a huge mistake. In his arrogance, he dared to come to school on St. Patrick’s day without wearing any green.
Now, this might seem like no big deal to the average adult or non-American. But back then, in the ‘kid-code’ not wearing something green on March 17th was unthinkable. Because in the kid-code, if you don’t wear green, that makes it sort of obligatory that anyone who notices pinch you. And by pinch, I mean ‘do your level best to leave a nasty bruise using only finger and thumb.’
As I said, Brad opted not to wear green that day. He must’ve gotten to school a few minutes before we did, because what I saw coming upon the school grounds was a large, unruly mob of yelling children chasing Brad into a nearby field - each attempting to surge through the mob close enough to get in his or her pinch… some doing their damnedest to repeatedly inflict pain on their tormentor.
At some point - Brad located the remains of a large green plastic garbage bag, which he knotted around his right thigh stemming the barrage of pinching. A battered, bruised, slightly tearful Brad skulked into the school only to be sent home by his teacher to “change into something less likely to cause a riot” since she was unwilling to let him remain with the used and not-very-pleasant garbage bag tied on his leg. As he left, I caught a glimpse of the smirk on her face as she turned away to straighten some papers and knew that somehow this adult was secretly gloating in the punishment meted out to this boy.
Since that day, I’ve thought a lot about bullies and a lot about bullying. How it happens, who does it, why it persists, why people don’t speak up to stop it when they see it.
Then 10 years ago next week, on April 20th 1996, I turned on my television to find out that chaos and mass-murder were occurring at a high school 15 miles away from my house. In the aftermath of the Columbine High School killings, a lot of attention was focused on bullying and its possible role in the insanity that happened that day. I won’t get into that here as it has been well thrashed out elsewhere. But I do believe that bullying lay at the heart of why those 2 boys were so full of hatred and fear.
But in the 10 years since then, I’ve still not seen much difference in our society. Bullying is just as much a fact of life as it was before that day. I never think of my daughter’s future education without worrying how she will adapt and survive in an environment where bullying is just as prevalent as it was when I was in school… but where the methods have become so much more devastating. The Internet has made bullying something that doesn’t just take place in the playground after school or during recess. Technology has made it easy to victimize someone on a greater scale than ever before imagined.
“Yes, yes - you aren’t saying anything new, GeekMommy,” I imagine you saying as you read the lengthy bit above… “why are you dredging this up now?”
Well, because sometimes it’s easy for people to forget that if enough victims band together, they can triumph over the bully, rather than needing to appease him so that he leaves them alone. There’s no need for violence though. Simply standing up and saying “you are a bully and what you are doing is wrong” can be incredibly effective if enough people do it.
There is strength in numbers you know.
And if this for some reason reminds you of something you’ve seen going on elsewhere lately? Well, yeah, me too. But the same principles apply whether you are in grade school, or high school, or the office - or even on the Internet.
Actually, they especially apply on the Internet. If too many find ways to excuse his behavior, his power only increases. But if enough people stand up against a bully he loses that power.
And if you are the one bullying someone? Well, unfortunately, that record sticks around on the internet - and it might just get in your way the next time you want someone to trust you - like an employer or an investor or even a love interest.
If you’re reading this wondering if I’m misguidedly talking about you? Google yourself - are most of the entries you find filled with positive, helpful, insightful things? or are they critical of others, derisive, maybe even mocking? If it’s the latter… yeah, then I’m talking about you.
But it’s never too late to change. I mean, I’m hoping Brad did. He moved away shortly after that incident. I always hoped that at his new school, he was known as “that really nice boy.” He’s lucky the Internet wasn’t around to alert the new school about his previous reputation. But today, I guess he’d have to work just a bit harder to overcome it.
It’s Only a Small Phrase, But it’s a Big Deal
April 2, 2008
My husband, GeekDaddy, took Buttercup to the pediatrician’s today for her 5 year checkup. After surviving 3 shots and the usual medical routine - as they were leaving, GeekDaddy said “don’t forget to thank Dr. Karen,” and she ran right over to her doctor and said “Thank you Dr. Karen and we’ll see you again soon!” This brought about a chorus of ‘awww!’s from the surrounding nurses and medical staff.
Every day, when we leave preschool, I look at Buttercup and her best friend Trixie and say “don’t forget to thank your teachers, girls” and they run over and say “thank you Miss M! thank you Miss L! See you tomorrow!” sometimes even accompanied by hugs. Sometimes, another child in the room emulates them when they do this.
Today, the amazing Mr. Gary Vaynerchuk [@garyvee] posted a video on his personal site saying thank you to everyone who interacts with him online - be it commenting, watching, twittering, emailing, whathaveyou. (Seriously, take the time to watch this… Gary’s powerful in his delivery and reminds us of things we need to remember.)
Thank you…
Two very powerful little words that should be part of everyone’s daily lexicon. Yet seemingly vanishing from the average person’s vocabulary.
Geekdaddy & I always get complex looks from other parents when we remind Buttercup to thank someone - but we never get those looks from the person she’s thanking. Because in reality, all anyone really needs to know is that you appreciate what they are doing for you to make their own day a little brighter. It’s our job as parents to make sure that our daughter gets that and grows up to use it regularly.
Thanking your waitress because she brings you a bottle of ketchup rather than just continuing on with your conversation with your tablemates is good.
Thanking the clerk at the convenience store rather than staring blankly out the window as he counts out your change is good.
Thanking someone for taking the time to read your thousand word blog post on social media is good.
Thanking anyone and everyone for the time they spend making your world a better place? Good.
But you’ve got to mean it.
It can’t be an off-handed ‘thanks’ just grunted at the other person as if you were passing gas. A real, sincere, meet their eyes, smile when you say it “Thank You.” Heck, go the extra mile and make it “Thank you very much!”
We’re all only given so much time in a day and so many days with which to spend that time. That someone spends it on making your world a better place - or choosing to interact with you over the thousand other things they could be doing? Yeah, thank you is a small return… but it can make someone realize that you appreciate what they give you.
So, Thank You. Thank you very much for taking the time to read this - for taking the time to share your thoughts with me when you comment or email or twitter. Thank you for spending a part of your time making my world a better place.
Thank you very much!
