Monthly Archives: November 2009

CrunchPad: Mike Arrington is One Smart (Whiny, Arrogant) Dude.

Posted on November 30, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

There’s been buzz about for the last few months that Michael Arrington, impresario at the TechCruch family of blogs was about to release something called a CrunchPad. The device was to be a mobile computing tablet that did just about anything, in a form factor that blew away just about everything. Have you heard about Apple Computer’s not-yet-released MacTablet? The CrunchPad was going to be better.

Today, Arrington announced that the device was dead, because his manufacturing partner had decided to rip him off.

I don’t know what the bigger story is here, that a supposedly very smart guy who happens to have been a corporate lawyer before becoming an internet entrepreneur was ripped off in this way (or not and is trying for lots of extra press . . . or both), or that it took less than an hour from the time Mr. Arrington announced his problems to the world for highly-trafficked, well-regarded blogs Gizmodo and Engadget to repeat Mike’s tale of woe. ... READ MORE of this article, CrunchPad: Mike Arrington is One Smart (Whiny, Arrogant) Dude. from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (207 words, estimated 50 secs reading time)

Tagged with: "long tail marketing", Arrington, crunchpad, marketing
Posted in Uncategorized

Good, Fast, Cheap; Pick Any Two. Tiger Woods News & Business Change

Posted on November 30, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

Did you enjoy your weekend? How much time did you spend speculating on what really happened at Tiger Woods’ house?

Is Mrs. Woods all upset about Tiger’s supposed extra-marital activities, and did she smash out the back window of his SUV in a rage, or was she rescuing him after he hit that fire hydrant? I DON’T CARE.

But I do care about this: the reporting on this issue was all over the map. Some of it was well put together, others a mess hurried to press with an eye toward speed at the expense of accuracy or thought. And the delineating line wasn’t traditional press versus blog; inconsistency and inaccuracy were everywhere.

This is happening repeatedly, and if you don’t figure out how to integrate that reality into the way you manage business change you’re going to get in trouble. We’re seeing it in the way Rupert Murdoch‘s might-or-might-not-be-happening negotiations with Microsoft and Bing are going; will deals between media outlets and search engines control what you see and where, moving forward? Almost certainly, but stay tuned for how. ... READ MORE of this article, Good, Fast, Cheap; Pick Any Two. Tiger Woods News & Business Change from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (224 words, estimated 54 secs reading time)

Tagged with: bing, Good Fast Cheap Pick Any Two, microsoft, news, Rupert Murdoch, Tiger Woods
Posted in business change

Where Do You Make Your Money? Business Change Changes That.

Posted on November 25, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

A few years ago I was talking with a friend who manages money for big acts. Britney Spears, N*Sync, Janet Jackson . . . you get the idea.

Everybody’s then-favorite boy group had a big stadium concert scheduled for that evening, and over bagels and a schmear my friend revealed something amazing: you know those glow sticks kids buy at concerts for $15 each? He’d paid three cents for the stock that would be sold at the venue that night.

While this could be a story about profit margins and how great life feels on those days when you make a killing like that one, it’s really about business change. Specifically, the way things “are” when you make money at something other than what you and your clients/fans/patients believe to be your business. ... READ MORE of this article, Where Do You Make Your Money? Business Change Changes That. from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (259 words, estimated 1:02 mins reading time)

Tagged with: money
Posted in business change

HIRE US FOR FREE. Seriously. THERE’S Business Change !

Posted on November 24, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

Help us with an experiment. Hire Us for Free.

In the interest of science, business change, the science of business change, and . . . maybe because we’re crazy, I’m offering professional services from The Computer Answer Guy, free-ish.

Am I crazy? Likely so, which is where that “ish” comes into play. But this is an idea that springs from articles in the New York Times that were published in September and October. Fascinating articles about the idea of using a “pay what you wish” business model. Business Change, indeed.

It’s not an entirely new model, of course, but in a world that works the way ours does right now I think it’s one worth revisiting. Regardless of what their bills say, for example, doctors take what insurance companies are willing to pay, and I know some who will take that amount from patients—if the patient asks. ... READ MORE of this article, HIRE US FOR FREE. Seriously. THERE’S Business Change ! from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (399 words, estimated 1:36 mins reading time)

Tagged with: "pay what you wish", hire us for free, uninstall
Posted in business change

The Business Change of Thought

Posted on November 20, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

Why is Business Change So Hard to Enact?

Because to make it happen you need to think. Really think. Go past what you know. Go past what works. Find solutions where then are none.

Last month, a six-year-old boy in Delaware was first suspended from school, then sent to reform school for forty-five days. His offense? Bringing a pocket knife—replete with eating utensils— in to use at lunch.

The issue was his school district’s policy on barred items, and the fact that it was a zero-tolerance policy. No second chances, no tribunals to decide consequences. Just a book with prescribed actions. Done.

I’m not going to spin opinion of what happened to the little boy either way. His story was that he was a new Cub Scout, excited about his new tool, and just acting like a kid in that position would be expected to act. The school’s position was that a zero-tolerance means zero-tolerance, and that their hands were tied. What if, for example, the boy had lost his tool to an older child with less honorable intentions than his? ... READ MORE of this article, The Business Change of Thought from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (294 words, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)

Tagged with: "zero tolerance", thought
Posted in business change

Your Clients Are Dumber Than You

Posted on November 19, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

Oh, yeah. I went there.

Point #1: I don’t really believe that
Point #2: Unless I do

And I don’t. At all. But here’s the thing: your clients hired you because you have some sort of expertise that they need. You’re the expert on something. So why do you speak to them as though they understand the things that are second-nature to you?

I’m not for a moment suggesting that you treat your clients like children or speak to them that way. For that matter, I’m not suggesting you speak to your children “like children”. But when you have a multi-step process to explain and you start with “A”, go through “C”, and then skip to “R”, people who don’t know what you know won’t know what you’re talking about.

This doesn’t always matter, of course. You don’t care how your computer works, only that it works. You know, unless you’re Nick Burns, Your Company’s Computer Guy: ... READ MORE of this article, Your Clients Are Dumber Than You from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (236 words, estimated 57 secs reading time)

Tagged with: "computer care", "computer support", "customer service communications", clients, nick burns
Posted in Uncategorized

Rupert Murdoch: Kindle the Business Change That Will Save Newspapers

Posted on November 18, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

Rupert Murdoch has been sounding pretty stupid for the last year or so, talking ad nauseum about how the Internet can be overcome and we can all be forced to pay for the content we consume.

Uh-oh. I think he might be right.

The lord of Newscorp is looking at Amazon’s Kindle book reader and thinking he finally has the business change model to get back the revenue that his print outlets have been losing, and even add new revenue for broadcast. Here’s how it will work: As we all start using “devices” (Kindle, advanced mobile phones, whatever), we also learn to add content to them. It’s true; I have more media streaming into my Droid then I ever read simply because “there’s an app for that”. ... READ MORE of this article, Rupert Murdoch: Kindle the Business Change That Will Save Newspapers from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (230 words, estimated 55 secs reading time)

Tagged with: Amazon, Kindle, newspapers, Rupert Murdoch
Posted in business change

When Does News Become News? Dilbert Knows

Posted on November 17, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — 2 Comments ↓

Is This News? Dilbert 's Scott Adams is Still One Smart Guy!

Scott Adams is one of the funniest guys in the world. At least I think so.

Is repackaging of news news? You might be tempted to say no, but when The Daily Show does it, many of Jon Stewart’s fans are getting their only news of the day. Sad to say, MSNBC and FoxNews are guilty, too; they spend tons “reporting”, but then their editorial spin is where all the real attention goes. Not “Fair and Balanced” in any of the above cases, especially in the televised versions.

So the value-add becomes the news. It’s what differentiates one version from the next.

Are you adding value?

Tagged with: "scott adams", dilbert, news
Posted in Uncategorized

Guy Kawasaki Owns Your Inbox. Business Change Takes a New Form.

Posted on November 17, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — 5 Comments ↓

Here’s why business change is everything:

In Silicon Valley, a guy named Guy is getting closer and closer to owning you—or at least your in-box. Guy Kawasaki has been around the block plenty, and the former Tech Evangelist for Apple Computer is now landing in my in-box every day. Three times. And magnanimously teaching me how to drop it to one. Sort of.

Some background: Mr. Kawasaki, a Venture Capitalist by trade, has amassed nearly 200,000 followers on Twitter. He sends out so many updates each day that following him feels almost like he’s standing next to you. And . . . now he’s sending out each tweet three times. Automatically. And you can do it, too.

My reference above to “sort of” was about whether Guy was being a nice guy, or whether it was about exerting even more leverage in multiple places. And it’s the latter. And that’s OK. ... READ MORE of this article, Guy Kawasaki Owns Your Inbox. Business Change Takes a New Form. from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (344 words, estimated 1:23 mins reading time)

Tagged with: "business coaching", apple, guy kawasaki, twitter
Posted in business change

China IS Business Change. USA? “Not In My Backyard”. NIMBY vs. IMBY

Posted on November 16, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

If you watched the Beijing Olympics last year, I’ll bet that you were both impressed/amazed and horrified by all those synchronized drummers at the opening ceremony. A truly impressive feat of choreography, it also stirred feelings we learned watching evil governments indoctrinate their citizens.

And maybe it explains why China can do no wrong economically, while here in the USA we continue to struggle with the bad issues that accompany our homegrown economic policy. No, I’m not bashing capitalism. But it does seem to have helped create a few problems.

In the group-think mentality of China, things are just . . . different. And this article explains the issue in a way I’d never before thought about.

Communist Manifesto as Business Change. Wow. ... READ MORE of this article, China IS Business Change. USA? “Not In My Backyard”. NIMBY vs. IMBY from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (274 words, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)

Tagged with: "Not In My Backyard", china, IMBY, NIMBY
Posted in business change

When Business Change Goes Wrong: SplashID / Android “Upgrade”

Posted on November 13, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — 16 Comments ↓

A story of business change gone wrong:

I’ve recently started using a Google/Verizon Droid SmartPhone. Running the Google Android operating system, it is one slick toy, and having waited as long as I could to make the jump I believe I’ve made the right choice.

Part of getting the device to work the way I need it to has involved finding the right software to install on it. One of my needs is a password manager, and for me SplashID from SplashData is the best choice out there. I’ve used it for almost ten years, first on a Palm Pilot, and then on a WindowsMobile PDA. So I was really happy to find it available on Android. ... READ MORE of this article, When Business Change Goes Wrong: SplashID / Android “Upgrade” from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (550 words, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)

Tagged with: "customer service", Android, droid, Google, SplashData, SplashID, verizon
Posted in business change

Price of Burger King Whopper Jr. : $1. Cost of Lawsuit: Business Change

Posted on November 13, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

I don’t love fast food, but I have kids who do. Results are as you expect.

But I can fight back in my way: since it all tastes the same to me—and don’t ask me how a McNugget and a Big Mac can taste the same, but they do—at least I can try to make it inexpensive. Thank goodness for that “Dollar Menu”.

So I’ve noticed that Burger King is touting their expanded Dollar Menu, and it includes a double cheeseburger. And I was wondering how that’s possible. It must cost at least that much to make one, right?

Turns out that yes, it does. And so a group of Burger King Franchisees have filed a lawsuit against Burger King to take back control of their own prices. Ever noticed how commercials for special offers often carry disclaimers like “pricing and participation may vary”? Or “higher in Manhattan”? Well, not Burger King. If they say you’ll sell a Whopper for $1, then you will; apparently it’s part of their franchise agreement. ... READ MORE of this article, Price of Burger King Whopper Jr. : $1. Cost of Lawsuit: Business Change from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (223 words, estimated 54 secs reading time)

Tagged with: burger king, lawsuit, whopper
Posted in business change

Using Facebook Proves You Were Home? Umm . . . No

Posted on November 12, 2009 by --Jeff Yablon/The Answer Guy-- Business Change & SEO Consultant — No Comments ↓

So a young man gets arrested for a robbery. Then he gets the charges dropped after Facebook confirms he was home at the time.

Because he posted to his account “from his home computer”.

Seriously?

Ignore the simple fact that someone else could have been logged into his Facebook account at the time, perhaps even—gasp!—an accomplice! Move on to the technical reality that the tools for controlling a computer from a remote location (thereby making the IP records that services like Facebook maintain say you were somewhere other than where you really were) are easy to find, and free or nearly so. I had this one installed and running about 2 hours after activating my new Droid. iPhone users have similar tools at their disposal. And many, many people know about it. ... READ MORE of this article, Using Facebook Proves You Were Home? Umm . . . No from Answer Guy Central, your Business Change, SEO Consulting / Search Engine Optimization & Computer Support Source by Clicking Here (210 words, estimated 50 secs reading time)

Tagged with: facebook, proof, RDP, remote control, VNC
Posted in Uncategorized