Google Docs Has Forms!

Wow! How did I not know about this already? This will incredibly simplify the task of collecting data on the web. Try my sample form below:

Power to the People: The Appeal of Social Media

So I've been increasingly looked to in my workplace as the resident social media guru. It's true that I'm probably one of the biggest geeks in the office. It's also true that I tend to be an early adopter of social media tools. While I would never be called a prolific tweeter, my first tweet was on April 24, 2007. I tweeted 23 times that day. Needless to say, I didn't get it at that point. But then, who did? There was not much to get; it was less than a year old (invented in March '06 and launched in July). So I've been tweeting on and off for just under 5 years. Foursquare and I celebrated our 2 year anniversary this past January 5th. Who knows how long I've been on Facebook and MySpace. Wait, you may not have heard of MySpace. It was kind of like Facebook but... never mind. Actually, now with Timelines it’s easy for me to find out how long I’ve been on Facebook. Let’s see, May 19, 2007 was the day I joined Facebook. Whoa! I never realized that I’ve been on Twitter longer than Facebook. I always thought I remembered it being the other way around.

My point is, because I've always found social media fascinating, I keep up with what's going on in it. As a result, those around me who are much less aquatinted with the social media look to me for answers and direction when it comes to the topic. The truth is, I don't really like to use it as much as I like to understand how it works and how other people use it. As I was discussing some of the latest trends with an associate recently, I used an illustration that he found very helpful. In fact, he said that as a relative newcomer to the social media scene, he found the explanation somewhat comforting. We've both been tasked with strategizing ways to leverage social media for our clients and he is feeling a bit overwhelmed with trying to get a grip on the social media landscape and how one can use the plethora of services and tools out there to gain exposure.

So what's the analogy? Nothing profound really. I was making the point that social media is developing so rapidly that, as soon as you think you've grasped it, it has morphed into something slightly different. I was trying to let him know that he is not alone. I've been observing and using social media for about as long as it's been out (Mac or Palm user group bbs anyone?) and I still feel like I'm just keeping my head above water in my understanding of what tools are out there and what you can do with them. I explained that the social media user base is not like a long line with a few people and services who are at the front leading the way. It's more like a wide arch that is moving forward like a wave. If anyone says their the expert, take it with a grain of salt. There are certainly thought and industry leaders but no one knows what the future holds.

I came across a great example of this on Friday. There’s a really great app idea from Chevy that was described on AdAge.com that is designed to engage viewers in a new way and lend some insight into how they use social media during the big game. It’s really a great idea; I wish my company had come up with it. Here’s the irony: The publication that sees the value in running this story has missed the boat on the priority of keeping up in the realm of social media themselves. The share button on that story offers the big three in priority position. Just as you’d expect, there’s Facebook, then Twitter, and then Google Buzz. What? At first I was impressed that they had Google in the “right” position. then I clicked the button and got this:

It wasn’t Google+ sharing like I expected. It was Google Buzz which no longer exists. Before I come off too self-righteous, I should hasten to say that I would not want to set up my company website as the example of cutting-edge use of social media. Not even close! I’m just noticing that even significant players in the space will find it challenging to keep up.

In fact, I’ve noticed that the larger the organization the more difficult it will be. Most of the leaders in social media are individuals and smaller, nimble companies. I think the advantage they have is more freedom and agility. There are fewer layers to go through when making decisions about how to use social media and changes in direction are far easier and less risky. It’s easier to pull a 180 on a Sea-Doo than on a Cruise Ship.

I think that’s what I find most exciting about the whole thing. I love that the weight of influence in media appears to be shifting from a few centralized powerhouses to a broad base of savvy individuals, small companies, and the consumer. It’s like the plot of every “over throw the empire” movie ever made. Who doesn’t love that?! I guess the empire probably doesn’t.

Will They Ever Learn?

I've really about had it with online content providers who use Hulu as a distribution channel. I'm so frustrated that I posted several complaints on their comments page and found I was not alone... not even close. Here's my gripe:

The problem seems to be that the content providers are placing all kinds of silly restrictions on how Hulu can provide their content. Usually it's a matter of requiring me to go to my computer to watch rather than on my nice HD TV or my convenient iPad. 

I don't understand why these content providers want me to stop watching their shows. Because that's exactly what I'm doing. For example, Psych: love it but don't watch it any more because they won't let me watch it WHERE and WHEN I want to. How's that help their revenue model?! Tried to watch the new Fringe today (it aired last night while I was out having a life) but I find that I have to have Dish TV to watch it the next day. Plain old HuluPlus subscribers like myself have to wait a week. Well, I'm not getting DishTV. I'm dropping Fringe. There's only one new show a month or so anyway. How's that help your revenue model, FOX?!!! 

I believe that in this equation, I'm the customer (both of Hulu and the networks). I'd imagine that they are going to need to stop trying to force me to consume content the way they want me to and listen to how I want to consume it or they're going to eventually loose their customers. 

What I really don't get is why they wouldn't want me to watch their content where ever and how ever often I want to. Wouldn't it be better for their advertisers if I could watch on all my devices as often as I want? They need to take a look at a guy like Leo Laporte and his TWIT network. There's a guy who looked at how people consume content and then built his revenue model in such a way as to generate maximum profit... in the real world that is rather than his dream world based on old ways of content distribution and regulation. 

I've really about had it. I might just drop it all and increase my reading diet. I'd probably be better off in the long run.

What do you think? Will they ever get it? Will consumers buckle and revert back to arranging their lives by the network's schedule when there's something they want to watch? Not this consumer. How about you?
UPDATE: Apparently there's still hope for Hulu. I was pleasantly surprised this past week when I logged in on my iPad and discovered that Fringe is now available for viewing on mobile, and I didn't have to wait two weeks. It was available for viewing the day after air. NICE! Good job Hulu/FOX.

Goodbye Dot Mac (Part2): Good Riddance MobileMe!

Boy am I glad I didn't let me MobileMe account die in April like I planned to. I would have very put off if I had and then heard the iCloud announcement a month later.

So, Steve, hows about a refund on my MobileMe renewal of $99 for this year since it will be converted to a free iCloud account about 6 months after I renewed it? After all these years, it only seems right. Think about it.

Goodbye Dot Mac

Anyone who knows this geek knows that I'm a kool-aid drinkin' Apple fanatic. That's why it might surprise you to learn that I've decided to let my dot Mac account expire this year. I mean, just having the "@mac.com" at the end of my email address was worth the price of admission for many years (I'm aware of how sad that sounds). Here's my short explanation of why I decided to let it die.

Well, the main reason I was willing to pay for an email account every year was the extra I got with it. Initially, .mac web hosting and iDisk storage was the draw. Very quickly, I realized that ordinary hosting services were just as good or better as long as you know how to set them up and have the right software to use for website publishing. There was still the draw of online storage via iDisk that kept me renewing year after year.

Enter the iPhone. The "over-the-air" sync of calendars and contacts was definitely worth the $99/year all by itself. Now that I have that feature, I can't imagine doing business without it. Lucky for Apple too because I almost dropped my .mac (MobileMe...I hate the new name) last year after multiple serious iDisk issues but I needed to keep my iPhone's "over-the-air" sync. However, Last year, I bought a Dropbox Pro account and gave up on iDisk. It just doesn't work.

The last nail in my MobileMe's coffin was Google's incorporation of "over-the-air" sync between Google Calendar and iPhone. I've been watching my wife's use of it for over a month now and it works just like MobileMe but it's free.

Besides the emotional satisfaction I find in having "@mac.com" after my name in my email address, there's no reason for me to keep the service any longer. So when it expires in April 2011, I'll be without a .Mac account for the first time in, I think, over 7 years. I've held out for as long as I can. I've been reading people asking the same question for years..."Should I renew my .Mac?" I'm finally answering "no".

Swept Under the Rug

If you're using Mac OS 10.6, you probably had a software update in the last day or so. Don't put it off. This one is really important. Did you notice the last item listed under the fixes included in this update?

Just a little issue. Some users who have a guest account enabled have experienced data loss when logging out of the guest account. Translation: it deletes your entire primary user folder!

As I understand it, it only affects a small percentage of users but it only takes one, me, to make it a huge issue. I'm surprised I never got a warning notice about this. Seems like it would merit one. Instead, I heard it on MacBreak Weekly and so knew what to avoid. I guess they at least acknowledge it in this update text instead the vague statement frequently given with updates about general bug fixes and enhancements. I guess they didn't totally sweep it under the rug.