Digital Streets

Lately, it seems like everyone is bringing up Google Docs & Spreadsheets. I checked it out, it’s nice, it works well, but why am I not hearing much about the products over at Zoho.com. They offer all kinds of online solutions, most of which are free. There’s solutions for project management, word processor, spreadsheet, online database application creation, presentation tool, planner and chat. It is definitely worth a peek.

I am amazed, strike that, shocked, at the practice of implementing software in an organization before it has been tested, before the users have had a chance to get a feel for it, before the processes and procedures have been checked to make sure that they are compatible. I am finding this horrible practice cropping up more and more in the business world. I’m sure you’ve probably either experienced it yourself or know someone who has had to deal with it. Take for example, Internet Explorer 7. It is coming out this month, it has been made available as beta and release candidate for months, and yet a large number of businesses have yet to test whether it is compatible with their needs. They haven’t checked to see if their corporate intranet or their e-commerce site will work with the new browser. They haven’t introduced the new features to their users. They are just waiting to see what happens after it has been released and is installed on every PC on their network.

Doesn’t sound too bad, does it? How about this one: I know of a company that is getting ready to perform a major upgrade to it’s ERP software. That’s the application that it uses for accounting functions, manufacturing processes, customer service, etc. Big deal, huge move, no testing. Did you get that last part - NO TESTING. No checking to see if any (or most) processes and procedures will have to be altered and modified to accommodate the functionality of the new software. No training of the employees who will be using the software. In fact, the person heading the project feels there is little need to discuss anything regarding the move with the IT department. I have absolutely no expectations that this will go well.

As far as IE7 goes, come on people. Test it, check your website, be prepared. It is coming very soon and you’ve waited long enough!

Recently, a pay-per-digg service (User/Submitter) was exposed.  This site apparently allows Digg submitters to pay users to digg their stories.  It seems that people are overly concerned.  From a business standpoint, it is a poor decision to pay to get your story on the Digg front page.  It will generate a great deal of immediate traffic, that is true.  However it will do very little for return traffic and even less for clicking on the ads that pay the bills.  I feel that the User/Submitter site will die a slow and miserable death due to an extremely poor business model that preys on those that don’t understand how things work.  Digg is a great site, but it is not a true measure of the importance of an article, site, application, or opinion.  It only shows that people have decided to digg it.  Some did so because they thought it was important, others just wanted to move up the ranks for stories dugg.  Since there is no way to know the agenda of those that voted for it, it is always best to look further than the front page.  You will always find new and interesting stuff, you just need to look for it.  Don’t sweat the votes, just digg what works for you.  If everyone does that, then Digg will move towards being a truer reflection of what people are interested in.

I am often asked why I spend so much time and effort tweaking Windows XP.  I feel that Microsoft did great with the operating system, it isn’t about that.  The main reason I got started is because a network admin told me that “Windows 2000 is for tweakers, XP is for everyone else.”  From that day forward, I have been very focused on the great things that can be tweaked in XP.  It has been a while since those words were spoken to me, and they don’t bother me anymore, now it is a challenge to find something else that can be modified to save time or to increase performance.  I have most of my favorite tweaks included in my copy of XP that I made using nLite (my origingal XP discs are put away for safe keeping).   That way, when it is time for a reload, my tweaks are already set up and all that is left is loading software and a little fine tuning. 

The RIAA is become notorious for its lawsuits and hunting down all the illegal downloading and ripping of music on the internet.  Instead of combating piracy using fear tactics and lawsuits, the music industry should reexamine its strategies for distributing music in the first place.  The music industry has set itself up to be “victims� of piracy due to continually overcharging consumers for CD’s.  They even admitted to the practice but cleared their “consciences� by giving consumers $20 to make up for it in exchange for never being bothered by it again.  Yet they still continue the practice.  So the consumer gets to pay too much for a disc of music with no frills.  I remember back in the days of LP’s, where the consumer got posters, special inserts, information about the band, etc.  You got more than just the music, you were rewarded in a way for purchasing the item.  Today’s CD’s are blandly packaged with little to offer the consumer.  You could download the music and have the same thing.  If that is the way the music industry wants to package their product, that’s fine.  But if they are going to do that, why not embrace today’s technology and start a massive distribution through music downloads.  Charge the music lovers less for the product and thereby relieve the need to pirate music because one is tired of being ripped off.  Better yet utilize the internet but also revamp the packaging of CD’s and offer the consumer a little more for their money.  Give them a reason to be proud of the purchase they made.  Every other business in America has had to change its way of attracting consumers.  The music industry needs to do this as well.  They are spending a lot of money and time in their quest to stop music piracy, however the marketing nightmare that they are creating is causing a great deal of damage to the customer base.  It is a proven fact that businesses that fail to change with the times will surely die.  If the RIAA doesn’t alter its course, an opportunity will be taken by someone at sometime and the music industry as we know it will be gone.