SOPA: Why And How We Can End This Internet Threat! January 16, 2012
Posted by Yogizilla in Announcements & Site News, Corporate America, Identity Theft & Privacy, Net Neutrality, News Flash.Tags: american censorship, corporate america and the entertainment industry epic fail, internet black out january 18 2012, save the internet, sopa january 24 2012, sopa pipa 2012
6 comments
SOPA and PIPA aim to destroy the global economy, our freedom, and the Internet as we know it.
Do you consider the Internet an indispensable resource for personal and/or business purposes?
Well, SOPA aims to destroy the Internet as we know it.
Now, before eyes start to roll, know that political discussions and causes are not the usual fare on Y3B but this issue hits home for all of us, much like the SaveTheInternet (a.k.a. Net Neutrality) cause I promoted years ago. In the United States, we take for granted just how good we really have it. We have access to so many tools, games, and great information in our unadulterated Internet but not everyone around the world is so lucky.
Just look at China, where the Internet is all spin and lies.
In simple terms, SOPA serves small interest, not the good of the general public. If nothing else, the proposal of deep packet inspection (invasion of privacy) and blocking on a link, IP, and domain basis is scary stuff. This bill would give large corporations too much control over the Internet, while putting a great risk on our personal privacy and security. Most sources indicate that the blocking would be strictly on a domain basis, which would not do much to curb piracy but certainly have an impact on the millions of businesses out there.. and the consumers that depend on them.
Note that, whether bans will be temporary or not, IP or domain-based, the impact will be great to not just businesses, but non-profit organizations that are trying to educate, provide aide, and the like. SOPA and PIPA would not only be a greater blow to our struggling economy, but it will send the whole world into disarray at the cost of our freedom, no less. All this to maybe dissuade some software and media pirates.
In other words, SOPA and PIPA are aimed at protecting intellectual property but are ineffective in doing so. Instead, this will open the doors to poor business practices that will put our privacy, freedom, and livelihood at risk. Seems like a high price to pay, eh?
SOPA no es bueno. No me gusta.
I have a simple call to action here today: check out these links and spread the word. Tweet about it, blog about it, post to Facebook or Google+, share via StumbleUpon.. Whatever works for you! But don’t sit by idly as corrupt decision-makers try to control how we consume information, connect, and communicate, just for their personal gain!
- http://www.copyblogger.com/sopa/ – This article provides arguably the most comprehensive look at why this issue matters so much.. and why we all need to take action. Every effort matters! Thank you, Copyblogger, for spreading the word on SOPA and PIPA. You guys do such a great job and are a great hope to all us online entrepreneurial types!
- http://americancensorship.org/ – An action center that aims to put a stop to SOPA before it goes up for “vote” on January 24th, 2012. Even if you’re not in America, this issue has global implications we all should be aware of.. and it goes well beyond censorship concerns.
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stop_Online_Piracy_Act – The Wikipedia document is contested as biased but it seems pretty darn accurate to me and there are plenty of other sources to check out so you can be more informed on the core issues here.
As you can see, just about any online entity sees the potential damage the passing of this bill would cause. The Internet has been a great equalizer for small businesses, giving consumers more options than ever before. SOPA would essentially force us to do business with and learn from only approved sources.
*** Important Dates ***
January 18, 2012 – Internet Black-Out SOPA Protest
January 24, 2012 – SOPA Gets Denied (With Your Help)
We MUST stop SOPA as it stinks like aged cheese.. and it’s nowhere as appetizing!
(BTW, I’ve already written Congress and tweeted about it.. But I know we can do so much more together!)
DragonBlogger.com Amazon Kindle Fire Contest (and Quick Net Tablet Comparison) December 4, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Blogging and Writing, Contests & Promotions, Some Blogs I Like.Tags: Amazon kindle fire giveaway, amazon kindle fire versus ipad2, android tablet quick reviews 2011, dragonblogger kindle fire giveaway
4 comments
UPDATE: I may very well post my first YouTube video in a long time.. There, I’ll share my thoughts on the awesome DragonBlogger.com Kindle Fire Giveaway and the myriad of competing net tablets out there. WOOHOO!
…And here is the video, as promised!”
If your household is anything like mine, chances are everyone wants electronics for Christmas and it’s no secret that Internet tablets are all the rave right now. Thing is, the choice is tough with so many great options out there (are every point in the price spectrum, too). Fortunately, DragonBlogger.com has made the decision easier. Justin’s excitement for the Amazon Kindle Fire has extended into a full-blown Kindle Fire Giveaway targeted at bloggers and social media enthusiasts!
Currently, I blog to you from an iPad2 I won thanks to the wonderful folks over at Unbounce.com. I like the iPad2 but can’t wait for my Samsun Galaxy Tab to get here from Woot.com (then my wife, the resident Apple nut, can take this over. Like Justin G from DragonBlogger, I prefer Android tablets for their rich web browsing experience, Adobe Flash support, and more open platform.
The Amazon Kindle Fire is up there with my personal faves from Archos, Asus, and Samsung. It may lack the processing power and full-fledged Android Honeycomb OS but the price point makes it an excellent gift.. And a surprising performer for the price!
It seems everyone in my family wants one of these babies so winning one would rock… But with over 1000 entries currently in the run over at DragonBlogger.com and the process being a bit.. Involved.. I’m not holding my breath.
Last I checked, the Amazon Kindle Fire has built-in HDMI out but that’s just a bonus. With access to one of my favorite marketplaces, it’s a clear winner in my book. You get Amazon cloud, video streaming, ebooks, and more! If you get one of these tablets (I hope you win one too), spoil yourself with an Amazon Prime membership. It really pays for itself, especially if you order lots of stuff online like I do.
CORRECTION: The Amazon Kindle Fire does not have an HDMI port unless you use an optional accessory. It DOES, however, have a Hi-Speed USB (5-pin Micro-USB Type B) port. I’m thinking it should support thumb drives and/or keyboard attachments with this port but, considering the Kindle Fire is running an older Android 2.3 Gingerbread custom build, that remains to be seen (at least first-hand).
If you can spend more, consider the Asus eeePad Transformer. The Android Honeycomb 3.1 and 3.2 Internet tablets are the closest thing to an online desktop experience, though it’s more akin to a netbook, for obvious reasons. With Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) out, the deals on Android 2.x and 3.x have started, though it won’t be until after the holidays that we will see the real price cuts.
I have also been impressed with the Archos products in terms of durability, touchscreen response, third-party support (read “Android marketplace access”), and features right out of the box. I got my son a ten-inch model and it is quite powerful, especially at the entry-level price. This Android 2.2 Internet tablet plays Adobe Flash, accesses almost the entire Android Market with around 88% compatibility with popular apps (yes, Ninja Jump and Angry Birds inclusive), and comes with neat features such as two USB supports, Bluetooth connectivity, and external storage support. This is impressive considering the top dogs do not come with all these features, at least not out of the box.
In spite of stiff competition, the Kindle Fire is poised to become a market value. At around $200, you get an INSANE amount of value that gives even the iPad2 some competition! Of course, if you can win an Amazon Kindle Fire by blogging, liking, sharing, and tweeting daily (as allowed), I’d say it is a safe bet you will NOT be disappointed – hurry, though, as the contest winners will be announced December 16th, 2011!
Enter the DragonBlogger.com Amazon Kindle Fire Giveaway!
Dragon Blogger Kindle Fire Giveaway Sponsors
These awesome sponsors made this giveaway possible and you should pay them a visit and thank them!
Platinum Sponsors
Gold Sponsors
Silver Sponsors
Are You In The Service Industry? (HINT: We’re ALL in the service industry.) October 30, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Brand Identity, Customer Service, Knowledge Management, Managing Expectations, People Networking, Relationship Management, Small Biz & Marketing, Small Business & Start-Ups.Tags: delivering excellent customer service, game mechanics for service excellence, gamified customer service, selling through your products, the service business
7 comments
Every now and then, I’ll see someone throw out the term service industry. Now there’s another one of those mis-used phrases and words. From my perspective, we’re all in the service industry.
The more I think about it, the more I realize that small businesses and start-ups are all about service. Yes, I said before that it’s all about storytelling but that’s what carries your service standards (or lack of them) further.
Think about this carefully: customer service is a huge part of what we do.. Without proper execution and end-to-end support, even the best design and systemization will fail. Knowing this stark reality, we see large corporations still getting it wrong and somehow coasting along. They’re always a quarter away from closing doors or being bought out for that very reason, I’d say.
So, yes, this is another one of my rants but I think this is a discussion we need to have, yes? (more…)
Learning From Apple’s Style: Let’s Play Dress Up! (Delivering Packages That Excite) October 12, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Brand Identity, Content Marketing, Dress to Impress, Power of Presence, Small Biz & Marketing, Small Business & Start-Ups.Tags: copying apple's success with better packaging, dressing up your products to sell themselves, effective product packaging and design style, style and story sells
4 comments
A few weeks ago I got my iPad2 thanks to UPS and the awesome Unbounce.com #ConversionFest blogging contest. It made me think about packaging and how we play dress up in the business world.
When you look at the iPad2 box, a few things stand out. There’s no product specifications or feature listings. iPad2 appears a few times but not in an over-powering font size or style. The one thing that stands out is the trademark pure white packaging and Apple logo. When you get this box, you know what it is without a doubt.
Hi, I’m an iPad.
Apple is so confident in their brand power and the popularity of their products that they don’t bother with the extra stuff. The iPad2 box says, “Buy me and open me to see what’s inside!”.
So, what does that tell us about packaging and dressing up our products?
Quite a bit. Let’s explore and go beyond just the box… (more…)
Exclusive #Triberr Feature Previews & The #NJAB Podcast Behind The Scenes October 10, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Announcements & Site News, Personal Development, Small Biz & Marketing, Video Games.Tags: #NJAB, business marketing podcast, evercrack, is sticky content always a good thing, njab podomatic rss feed, not just another business podcast, podcasting behind the scenes, postaweek2011, rehumanizing the business world, understanding game mechanics, world of warcrack
18 comments
The #NJAB (Not Just Another Business) Podcast is on PodOmatic!
We’ve been going CRAZY with our new #NJAB Podcast (and it’s the reason that I may seem detached these days, along with some video games that have made it easier to unplug and have more “me” time). The community support has been amazing with Christopher “Merchant of NYC” Flores, Klaudia Jurewicz, and fellow podcaster James Pruitt becoming huge advocates and keeping our live chats bustling. We’ve had many guests to date and many more to come. We want to talk to all small business owners, tech geeks, budding starti_ps, indie game designers, and little-known creatives. It’s great fun and we can learn a lot from each other!
If you’re a small business owner, tech geek, indie game developer, or little-known creative, give us a shout on Twitter. Mention @stjohnmarketing, @NJABpodcast, and @yogizilla on Twitter, using hash tag #NJAB to keep the conversation going!
I’d like to give some behind-the-scenes insight and share some exclusive details about upcoming Triberr features and the vision behind it all. But where do I even start? I mean, we had some amazing conversations and SO much has been covered.. Yet so much more is left to touch upon and revisit.
At this time, we have over 10 #NJAB podcast episodes live in just a few weeks. We have a few “in the bank” too. In fact, we took a little break last week to focus on project work, prepping new show notes, reaching out to potential guests, and promoting existing Not Just Another Business Podcast episodes. No worries, we’ll likely start recording again as early as tonight, Monday October 10th, 2011!
Now let’s look at some of the goodies we’ve shared with our friends on #NJAB… (more…)
Lessons From The Social Network: Facebook’s Entrepreneurial Magic & Game Mechanics October 9, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Small Biz & Marketing, Small Business & Start-Ups, Social Media & Interactive Marketing.Tags: eat a zuckerburger, facebook game mechanics and gamification, facebook really zucks, how not to be like mark zuckerberg, marketing lessons from facebook, the social network movie review, what i learned from the social network, what we can learn from facebook
6 comments
I finally saw The Social Network (great movie) with my family and a lot of things hit home for me. While I’m not a “fan” of Facebook, I am a fan of the story and what we can learn from it on so many levels.
You see, I was once the anti-social introvert coding on my computer for hours at a time. I’m not a genius like Mark Zuckerberg but I could relate to his story. Thing is, I can also relate to Eduardo as I’ve been burned by partnering up with the wrong people too yet I still believe we can have friends in the business world and play fair.
Have you ever been burned by a bad business deal? Have you ever blindly signed on the dotted line?
Those questions are mostly rhetorical because let’s face it: no matter where you are in life, chances are you’ve blindly accepted EULA terms, signed a service agreement, or even agreed to NDA or non-compete contracts without really scrutinizing them.
Now, we can get into a deep conversation about intellectual property and the volatile nature of start-ups but what I found more interesting in the story of Facebook is the following:
- Timing
- Exclusivity
- Urgency
- Vision
I’d like to talk about those items first and maybe revisit the topics of partnership, venture capital, intellectual property, and protecting your creative or business assets.. That will be in the weeks to come and likely as part of many #NJAB podcast conversations I’m sure.
BTW, if you haven’t given our podcast a listen yet, come visit us over at http://marketinganswerman.com/podcast-2
Now let’s discuss what really stood out for me with the Facebook story and how it can relate to the rest of us.
Facebook Zucks – BeTheSignal.org
(BTW, I think Facebook is a bit over-rated and sucks in some aspects.. But it has been valuable for my clients and I support their efforts thereof.) (more…)
Triberr Rocks, But Not For The Reasons Most Love It Or Hate It September 18, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Blogging and Writing, Content Marketing, Engagement & Authenticity, Managing Expectations, Relationship Management, Social Media & Interactive Marketing, Warm Connections, Warmth.Tags: automated tweets no longer an issue on triberr, make triberr what you want it to be, postaweek2011, social media manners, triberr a place for smaller blogs, triberr is more than message amplification, triberr the great equalizer, triberr the reach multiplier, why i love triberr, why little known bloggers need to be on triberr, why you'll love triberr too
34 comments
So here I am doing my usual social media thing when I get mentioned on OsakaBentures.com via Disqus.
Before I go off on a tangent, I want to be clear. I dig Saul and I appreciate that he sticks by his ideals and principles. I just can’t agree with his views on Triberr, even if it’s the popular opinion (and I may get some tomatoes thrown at me), because it’s that sort of stuff that has made people hesitant or disdainful towards Triberr, IMHO.
Now allow me to rant about why I feel Triberr ROCKS but most people just “don’t get it”…
As I do my usual SEO schtick, I find tons of mis-representative content about Triberr. Just Google “Triberr” – it’s rather overwhelming! I’ll quote Nicole Crepeau’s Triberr article from Coherent Social Media:
In fact, there are things I love about Triberr:
I love the goal for which it was established: to give more exposure to smaller bloggers.
I love that being in Tribes can help keep your blog in front of your network and keep their’s in front of you.
I really like the new headline testing feature.
I like the way Triberr’s founders, Dino Dogan and Dan Cristo are ever present and responsive, and generally keep the discussion positive and professional–even when things have gotten a bit rough.
I like the fact that it’s working for people and increasing traffic to their blogs.
I like Dino’s thoughts about a union for bloggers, to enable bloggers to make a living at blogging.
There’s only one thing, actually, that I don’t like about Triberr:
I don’t like the auto-tweeting.
I quote this not due to laziness but because I believe there’s no point in regurgitating what’s already out there on the blogosphere, especially when the aforementioned seems to be the consensus. The automagical part is something folks either love or hate. We get that.
"No Triberr.. BAD Triberr!" - Thanks Coherentia.com!
The problem with Triberr is not Triberr.. It’s YOU (shame on you!). Okay, maybe not *you* specifically, but people that don’t use it in an ethical manner or at least manage expectations properly.
What we have here is an issue with semantics, framing, positioning, or whatever you want to call it.
I don’t get excited about the reach multiplier aspect. I do SEO and I’ve seen how pure traffic is worthless unless you are engaging and have some decent concept about inbound marketing, authenticity, and conversions thereof. You need to build trust, help others, and show you care before others do the same in return.
Now, what DOES excite me is what Dino Dogan has often told me in private and in public:
Triberr is the great equalizer.
Yes, I know, we have some a-listers in Triberr and they’re mostly good people. Truth be told, I’d say 60-80% of the current users on Triberr would likely not be on there if there were not these sorts of social media and online marketing rockstars. Some folks just want their link juice, so to speak. In spite of those folks that draw in the fanboys, suits, and bean counters, I still believe in this vision: giving smaller bloggers and thought leaders a chance to find their own captive audience.
Support-A-Thon: Evaluating Social Currency And Re-humanizing Online Experiences #supportathon September 12, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Selling Yourself, Social Media & Interactive Marketing, Warm Connections, Warmth.Tags: #sharingiscaring, #supportahon, #youmattertome, building relationships before selling, engagement attention and reputation, focusing on people first, meaningful sincere authentic reciprocation, people first selling second, postaweek2011, roi of social media, social media currency, true deep engagement, value of social media
12 comments
So, is anyone else tired of hearing all this junk about the “ROI of social media” and the “value of friendships”?
I know I am. I think I may *SCREAM* if I hear “ROI” and “social media” in the same sentence again. #justsayin
It seems that too many folks are jumping on the social media bandwagon with only one thing on their mind: money. Now, we all need to make a living and I know I certainly have mouths to feed (my own in particular – hey, I’m a growing boy) but are we focusing on money first when the relationships should be at the forefront of our thoughts?
Source: NewMediator.com
These thoughts have been inspired by recent conversations with Jen Olney, Dave R. Gallant, Robert Dempsey, Karla Campos, Eugene Farber, and many other wonderful people. While we don’t agree on every last detail, we all agree that there are too many issues with how folks approach social media.
I’m going to try to keep this short and sweet as we touch upon the following concepts:
- Redefining social media currency, relationships, conversions, and what engagement really means.
- Moving away from the robotic ways that have taken the warmth out of online interaction.
- Focusing on helping others so that the stuff we want falls into place naturally.
- Engaging in reciprocation that is more meaningful, authentic/sincere, and worthwhile for all.
Support-A-Thon: Forging A StumbleUpon Alliance & Unlocking StumbleUpon’s Full Potential August 26, 2011
Posted by Yogizilla in Inbound Marketing & Pull Systems, Social Media & Interactive Marketing, Warm Connections.Tags: planting seeds with stumbleupon, postaweek2011, stumbleupon drives more engaged traffic, stumbleupon has more marketing legs, stumbleupon supportathon, stumbleupon versus facebook, Warm Connections, warm marketing
8 comments
#ConversionFest UPDATE: I am now in 4th place and coming up on 3rd place for the Unbounce.com Conversion-Fest Contest, thanks to the team effort. If the comments keep coming in, we’ll knock this one right out of the park no problem! Skype me or text me for more details. Now let’s move on…
So, ever since Mashable released an article stating that StumbleUpon accounts for at least 50% of social media traffic suddenly everyone is listening.
To me, this is not news. I’ve seen the potential in StumbleUpon since I started around 2007. Admittedly, with all the things vying for my attention, I haven’t fully unlocked the potential yet it remains one of my topic traffic sources and, quite honestly, has been more fruitful than Facebook.
[ Image Source: SearchEngineWatch.com
What is the cause for resistance? I’d like to demystify and debunk social media beliefs while providing some compelling reasons to jump onto StumbleUpon (or get more active) TODAY.
