I'm not a sheperd, nor do I know any sheperds. I read The Alchemist awhile ago, which is about a sheperd, but that's about it. I do know that even sheep need incentives to do what you want them to do. That's why there are sheep dogs, who incentivize sheep to move in the appropriate direction on the fear of getting barked at. Woof! (Ok, an incentive isn't quite the same thing as instilling fear as a motivational tool, but it's still a funny example. More importantly, I wanted to use sheep for my metaphor...) Employees are not sheep. Ah, there's my point. So don't treat them like sheep. Actually, given my lack of knowledge about being a sheperd, who am I to use that phrasing, except for the fact that it's fairly commonly used. We consider sheep to be: * All the same / lacking individualism * Easily herded around * Fairly mindless Don't treat employees like sheep. Right. Next point. We're human (at least, I think we are...*he says peering carefully at a few people he's held suspicions about for some time...*), and humans need motivation. Hopefully a lot of it comes from the inside, and you want to hire people like that, but people are people, and as such, they need incentives. Maria Palma at CustomersAreAlways comments on a news story about Home Depot, where they're now offering $1,000 monthly to employees that provide great customer service. My first reaction was: "What exactly does the person have to do for their $1,000?" It's a legitimate question even if it brings up all kinds of potentially lascivious thoughts. Maria thinks cash incentives = bribes. I hadn't ever really given it much thought, since I don't give cash incentives at my office, but I can see her point. And she notes that numerous studies claim that tangible rewards (particularly travel or merchandise) are better than cash ones. That makes sense to me. It's the same principle as giving cash as a gift versus something tangible. The feeling is that a tangible gift had to have some amount of thought behind it, whereas the cash was just stuffed into an envelope or a lousy gift card and that's that. Minimal thought required. Of course, lots of people prefer cash, so they can spend it on what they want, and don't have to feign excitement over a label maker, but when it comes to incentives, I can see tangible ones working better. All of that aside, I'm on the fence when it comes to incentives. I can see them working well in larger companies (where it becomes almost impossible to really hire great people for every position), and I can see them working well for certain types of jobs (like call centers; boring, tough jobs, where an extra wee boost might be nice.) But I have other ideas when it comes to incentives:

1. Bonuses. I like bonuses (be they cash or otherwise.) To me, a bonus says, "Job well done. Keep up the good work." I know in some places bonuses are expected, and at that point, I think they lose some of their effectiveness. Small companies can really give their employees a boost by surprising them with a bonus. And the bonus doesn't have to be huge. It might be a couple hundred bucks and you'll be surprised how positive the response will be from your employees.
2. Training. Pay to have your people trained. Give them a boost in their skill set and you're benefitting them and benefitting yourself. When employees see that you're investing in them they'll feel more appreciated than they would through an incentive program. You're giving them a chance to improve themselves, which can lead to all kinds of opportunities (i.e. promotions, if there are jobs to promote the people to, or at some point, a new job elsewhere if they grow out of the one you have for them.) You benefit by improving your employee's skills; suddenly that person can do more, probably faster, and can increase his/her value to your company. That increased value is going to improve your bottomline. I've done this a few times and it's worked extremely well. For one employee (when we sat down to chat about the future) I gave him the chance to find the training/learning opportunities. It wasn't for me to say, "You absolutely must go take these courses, and do such and such the way I want." The format (online school, university, college, books, etc.) doesn't matter to me, as long as the employee knows that I care about investing in him and the employee's skills improve.

So...what have you used to incentivize and motivate your employees? What do you think about cash incentives? Is Maria right, are cash incentives tantamount to bribes? And how many of you are going to apply for jobs at Home Depot, do "whatever it is they want" and reap the $1,000/month rewards? (Technorati Tags: incentive programs, bonuses, employees, home depot) PS. Coming soon to a blog near you (ok, this blog here actually)...my thoughts on hiring employees. Stay tuned. (Please. I beg you. Stay tuned. Subscribe to my feed. Bookmark me. I love you. *smile*) PPS. There's 1 day left before Canada Day. Send a funny, mock news page to your Canadian comrades for free!

I'm getting tired of reading, "ideas are worthless." Here's the argument: Ideas are worthless unless acted upon/executed. I can't disagree more. People say ideas are worthless because: * Everyone has them (I say, "who cares?") * A great idea is nothing without great execution (I say, "not true.") * A mediocre idea can be successful with great execution (This is true) * Value is generated through a risk/reward ratio. Ideas have no risk, so they can't lead to a reward (I totally disagree) I think ideas have immense value -- they feed our creative spirit. Someone with a new idea comes alive with excitement. It bubbles inside them like a super fizzy drink. Sure, most of the time the idea will fizz out, but who cares; the idea creation process, the brainstorming, the creative vibe of coming up with an idea is extremely valuable.

Ideas are a Dime a Dozen...So What?

It's true: everyone has ideas. And your point is what exactly? The very fact that everyone has ideas should tell you how valuable they really are. And even though you may have a million ideas in your lifetime that go nowhere, there's a chance you'll have one idea that becomes more than just an idea. Should we all stop having ideas because they're "worthless" and don't instantly make money?

Yes, Execution is Important, But the Idea Came First

I agree with people that say "execution is key." Some great ideas never go anywhere because of poor execution. And crappy ideas can make millions because of brilliant execution. Sure, that's true, but that doesn't disqualify or disprove the value of ideas themselves. It just proves that execution is extremely important if we're measuring the success of an idea in terms of it going beyond the "idea stage." But diminishing the creative process, the "idea stage" itself, is a mistake. And even if you want to get past the "fluffy nonsense" about creative-this and creative-that, think about how idea generation can help your business even if the ideas don't happen - here's one: * Ideas create communication. Try some brainstorming sessions, see what comes out of it. I guarantee you'll get something of value - be it a usable idea, employees that appreciate being heard, a better feeling of togetherness amongst the team...(all of which can improve performance, and your bottomline.)

Ideas Have No Risk? Says Who?

Ideas can be insanely risky. People have been thrown in jail, tortured and murdered for the ideas in their heads. The execution (good, bad or barely in existence) may not even be relevant. From a corporate level, ideas can be risky too. Employees may have an idea that's perceived as criticism. The corporate culture may not foster idea generation/discussion, so people see it as risky to present ideas. "Will my boss think it's a stupid idea?" Just like people say, "There's no such thing as a stupid question," I would say, "There's no such thing as a stupid idea." (In actual fact, I think there are stupid questions and there can be stupid ideas: but they might still be valuable.) Here's what ideas do: * Ideas help us be more creative. Coming up with ideas is a creative process that feeds upon itself, generating more creativity. * Ideas lead to change. Execution is still important (often from brave people), but without those that dare to dream, we'd be nowhere. * Ideas foster communication. Whether this is in a brainstorming session, or sharing your idea with friends, ideas give people a reason to communicate. * Ideas are the birthplace of businesses. You can't start a business without the idea first. * Ideas beget more ideas. One idea leads to another, which leads to another. At some point, you may find an idea that you want to truly pursue, but you might not get there before going through fifty ideas first. * Ideas foster enthusiasm. When someone has an idea they think could be pursued it creates a spark of excitement. Sure, the idea may never be pursued, but that spark of excitement is still valuable. And yes, when an idea is not pursued it might lead to disappointment, but I say the excitement outweighs the disappointment. Ideas are not worthless. Now, if you want to pursue an idea beyond its initial stages then you need to look at the advice the "ideas are worthless" crowd constantly gives (although they give it as an argument for why ideas are worthless, which isn't true, but I agree with this adivce): * Execution is key. How can I pull this off? Who would I need to help me? How would I fund it? * Share your idea. If you don't share it, you can't get other people's perspectives, and you may be blinded by your own belief in the idea. Plus, getting feedback is always worthwhile. Just know how to ask for it. * Think about value and problem solving. What value are you bringing to the table? What problem are you solving? (Note: I don't think you have to solve a problem for your business to be successful, but that's another story.) * Sit on the idea, let it grow. An idea pops in your head. It's a good idea to let it sit there, grow, evolve. * Research. Find your competitors, understand your industry and research every single aspect of the business and the business environment. All of these points are critical to taking an idea to the next level. But none of them prove that an idea is worthless. In the spirit of providing the "other side" here's some links I found while searching Google for "ideas are worthless": Ideas are just a multiplier of execution Billion dollar ideas are WORTHLESS Why most ideas are worthless Ideas are worthless Obsessing over Lost Ideas (Technorati Tags: ideas are worthless, entrepreneur, entrepreneurship, bootstrapping, ideas, creativity)

Canada Day is fast approaching...Saturday, July 1st will be a big holiday across the country. IGotNewsForYou is doing its thing to promote Canada by offering a free mock newspaper for the occasion. Just click that link, fill out the form and send a funny mock newspaper to a Canuck. Cool, eh? (It's free for Independence Day too!) Canada is known for a few things: * Politeness (We are polite, although there's plenty of raunch, filth and nastiness here too. And Montreal was recently ranked in the bottom tier for politeness in a Reader's Digest study.) * Beer (We've even got a beer called "Gros Cochon" or "Fat Pig" in English, which should tell you something.) * Hockey (True, the Hurricanes won the Stanley Cup, but how many of those guys were Canadian? Cam Ward, Rob Brind'Amour, Eric Staal...just to name a few.) We've also got a healthy and growing legion of quality entrepreneurs and budding businesses. So here's a couple things to promote the cause: 1. Rick Spence at Canadian Entrepreneur recently pointed me to an upcoming CBC show titled Dragon's Den which is a reality show for Canadian entrepreneurs. Make sure you visit the official CBC site as well. They're taking auditions as we speak to be on the show. It sounds cool and I'll definitely be watching. 2. Montreal will be host to the latest CaseCamp on July 4th at the Twist Image offices. What's CaseCamp? Good question. Their site says, "CaseCamp is a marketing unconference open to anyone. Presenters share case studies of their work, with the goal of creating a commons for discussion, learning and networking." I'm still shaking my buzzword-rich brain over "unconference", but oh well. As far as I can tell, it's going to be a fun and interesting event. So far 46 people are signed up, and there are 4 presentations. The topic, in general, is of course marketing (notice: I'm avoid any funky terms - Web 2.0, social media, etc. *shivers*) I haven't signed up for CaseCamp yet, but I hope to have the time to attend. To all the Canadians out there -- enjoy, celebrate (don't drink & drive please) and we'll see you soon. And to our neighbors to the South, we'll toast you on Independence Day too (at least I will). (Technorati Tags: free stuff, independence day, twist image, mitch joel, casecamp, canada day, dragon's den, cbc, rick spence)

Last night I ran an impromptu contest over at Successful and Outstanding Bloggers, spurred on by discussions of Fawlty Towers. That link goes to a great summary of most of the submissions and the fun that was had. More people really should join in. Anyway, I have to announce the contest winner. (drumroll please...) Cat said, "I cook like I dance (both of which I love). So at times it may be slow and easy. Others, fast, fast, fast." We could have very easily taken Cat's contest submission, removed the word "dance" and really left it up to the imagination, and it's for that reason that she's won. There's just too much packed into that second sentence, "slow and easy" and "fast, fast, fast..." to go unnoticed. Congratulations Cat! Now of course, Cat lives in East Asia, so my shipping costs are going to be about $10,000 because I'll be sending her the Fawlty Towers Complete Collection (DVD). It's a great couple hours of entertainment. Cat: I'm not sure if Fawlty Towers is even your cup of tea, so if you'd like, you can pass your prize to someone else. Starbucker showed particular interest during open mic night, as an afficionado of Monty Python. And who knows, maybe if you pass it to Starbucker, he'll send it to one of the other participants after that, and the Monthy Python collection can cross the globe a few times over. Here were the other participants from open mic night: * Joe (who recently switched from Blogger to Wordpress - kudos Joe!) * Chris Cree (who likes Arnold Schwarzenegger and beafsteaks...don't ask...) * Trisha (who worked all night to come up with a contest entry, and did a great job!) * HART (who came in late, after I'd gone to bed, but still snuck in his entry and a link to his famous chili recipe) * Liz also participated, but as host of open mic decided not to really throw her ring in the contest-hat. Still, I recommend you visit her site and look at her turkey references...very...interesting. I hope I didn't miss anyone! Spontaneous contests are a blast, hysterical fun and a great way to build community. I really think there's something there for bloggers...although you might want to run contests that last more than 1 night, the potential for a contest to catch on is a great way to generate some buzz. If I may, I'd point you to my ongoing writing contest for finding the funniest bit of mock news. We have a ton of great prizes. Contest ends July 14th. (Technorati Tags: contests, writing, liz strauss, blogging, viral) ***** EDIT: Cat did get in touch with me via email; she wasn't able to post a comment on the blog for some reason, but here's what she wrote: Apologies for coming in late. I'm off-station at the moment so not online as often. Thank-you for the win. I do indeed love Fawlty Towers, but know the expense of sending a package to Thailand so please pass it on. Again, thanks. So Starbucker -- the prize is yours if you want it! I'll need you to email me with your contact information. And we can talk about how to possibly pass the prize on after you've enjoyed it, so Chris Cree, Joe, Trisha, HART and Liz can all enjoy the DVD collection (and anyone else that it might go to.) Also: I'll be sending you a FREE subscription to IGotNewsForYou.com as an added bonus, so you can have some fun with that.

Once you get even remotely serious about blogging, you're bound to go out there looking for advice/ideas/information. There's plenty of stuff out there, much of which is quite good. I think the most important thing to remember is this: There are no hard-and-fast absolutes when it comes to blogging, only things that have worked and not worked for others. That's not to say that there aren't better (and worse) ways of doing things, but doing X or Y isn't a guarantee of anything. That's the mystery of blogging. I've been doing what I can to improve this blog over time, gathering information from a variety of sources including Darren Rowse's Problogger, Performancing and a host of others. One of the first things you realize is the importance of your blog post titles. Here's what I've learned along with my own thoughts: 1. Be Specific: This is probably the most important thing. And this is where I learned my lesson last night. I had joined open mic night (which is a blast), and when we got on the topic of Fawlty Towers (which is hysterical) I decided to run an impromptu contest. I quickly came to my blog and posted about it, using the title: I Cook Like I... (Join the Fun at Successful Blog Open Mic Night, Win the Fawlty Towers Complete Collection DVD) Liz Strauss put it on reddit but it didn't get as much traffic as I expected. Then I realized why -- the title isn't specific enough. "I Cook Like I..." - What the heck does that mean? Someone seeing that, amongst a list of 20 other blog posts won't really pick up on it. I should have made it clear that it was a contest, and for 1-night/day only. People love contests and I bet that would have generated more traffic. Lesson learned. Be specific. Copyblogger agrees: How to Get 53% More Readers for Every Blog Post You Write (Go Read This!) 2. Long Blog Post Titles: I wish I had some references for this, but I've seen a general consensus among some successful bloggers that long blog post titles work better. In some ways this makes sense to me, and I've been experimenting with longer titles recently. For one, it's often easier to be specific when you've got a few more words to use. But, just because you can be wordy doesn't mean you'll be more specific and doesn't mean your title will mean much of anything. Don't be a blabber mouth. Others, btw, disagree. For example: 5 Tips for Crafting Blog Post Titles (read #1) 3. Stand Out: This is tricky. Writing good blog post titles is like writing good newspaper headlines (and knowing someone that does that, I know how hard it is). Writing in general is hard. But if you can, and the mood/theme of the post warrants it, say something that stands out in the title. Say something daring. Here's an example: Are You a Fat Pig? Beer Naming and Advertising at its Fattest. Now, originally, I wanted it to just say, "Are You a Fat Pig?" But then I was worried that would be (a) a bit too offensive, (b) not mean much to anyone. So, I extended it. I'm not sure that was a good idea in this case because it loses some of its punch. But it does help with points #1 and #2 above. 4. Use Effective Keywords: Almost everyone will tell you this, and I think if anything, this is the most "absolute" of my points. Use effective keywords in your blog post titles. Use words that are related to your blog, use words that you want/hope people will search for using Google, etc. so that they can find your posts. It's a fairly well-known and accepted truth that search engines eat up blog post titles with vigor, so if you've got good keywords in there, your search traffic will improve. Bottomline -- writing blog post titles is tough. It seems like it'd be easy, but it's not. You have to experiment with different approaches, mix it up a bit - go long, go short, go quirky/zany, go serious. Always be as specific as you can, and always think about using valuable keywords (without losing the meaning of your titles). Meanwhile, I've learned my lesson. The contest was a huge success during open mic night but I was hoping to draw others from the outside into it. You can still throw in your submission by the way, so go check out the contest (it's the post right below this one!) (Technorati Tags: contest, blog post titles, writing blog posts, blogging)

I'm busily posting away at open mic night where we've already surpassed 100 comments. It's great fun with a great community... And, out of the blue, as tends to happen at open mic night, I launched a contest! Finish this sentence: I cook like I... And: give me an explanation. You can post a comment here, or go to open mic night and do it there. There's no limit on the number of submissions... The prize will be Fawlty Towers - the Complete Collection DVD. Purchased and shipped to your door. The contest runs tonight and that's it. I'll probably go to sleep at some point, and check up on everything tomorrow night, when our panel of judges (me and the donkey Basil) will make a decision and post about it. (Technorati Tags: fawlty towers, open mic night, liz strauss, successful blow, contest)

Steve Remington over at Why My Blog Stinks invited me recently to be a guest blogger. And I obliged. My first post is titled: What's Your Blog About Again? It's about the problems I face here with too many topics, too wide a subject matter. Niche blogging is where it's at, I just haven't nailed the niche yet. (Oooh...I wonder if "nailed the niche" will become a new buzzword. Anyone?) Steve takes a cool approach - a bit of reverse psychology - to explaining this mysterious artform we call blogging. His writing style is irreverent and straightforward. I'd like to think mine's similar in some ways, but I talk too much. Anyway, go check out Steve's blog, sniff around and hopefully you won't be too offended by the raunchy odors I'm now being allowed to emit elsewhere! (Technorati Tags: why my blog stinks, guest blogging, niche blogging) PS. Steve uses WordPress. It's definitely superior to Blogger (I use both in various endeavors) but I do have to say Blogger's automatic preview feature is very cool. I find it's a lot easier to really read my post in preview mode versus a textbox, and so while typing stuff in Blogger I frequently flip to preview mode to see how it's going. With WordPress you have to save it first before you can see the preview. There's gotta be a plugin for that somewhere...

It's just past 11am here (in Montreal, EDT) and I'm getting hungry. I've got a lunch meeting so I have to eat beforehand. Why am I telling you this? Two reasons: 1. IGotNewsForYou has launched a combination, "Canada Day & Independence Day" promotion. Canada Day is on July 1st, Independence Day is on July 4th. And for both occasions you can send a free mock news page to your friends. These are big holidays for Canadians and Americans, filled with BBQs, beer and fireworks...and now, of course, with mock news pages as well! There's nothing like teasing a drunk, partygoing friend who's carrying a whackload of fireworks and a lit match, right? What was my point again? Oh right...lunch...take 5 minutes during your lunch break and send a mock news page. Make someone laugh, it's worth it. (PS. We've written specific Independence Day and Canada Day stories!) 2. Andy Wibbels over at Duct Tape Marketing recently wrote a post titled: 5 Things to Blog About Right Now. At the end of it he gives us a bonus idea: "What you ate for lunch." Granted, I totally ignored his point on this one and only used it as a way to (a) mention his great, new blog, and (b) tie in my silly comments at the top about eating lunch with this post and ideas about blogging. How'd I do? (Technorati Tags: andy wibbels, blogging, independence day, canada day, fake newspapers, e-cards)

Hopefully everyone doesn't delete their bookmarks and unsubscribe from the blog's feed because of that post title (or at least the first part of it.) Several weeks ago I was driving behind a bus looking at the crammed in people when I noticed the ad on the back for a beer called "Gros Cochon." En anglais: "Fat Pig" Ok, so that got my attention. So while I swerved and nearly crashed into the cars around me trying to read the ad, it made me think about three things: 1. How companies name beers, and where's this Gros Cochon from? 2. The effectiveness of bus-marketing; and, 3. If I drink that beer will I become a fat pig? (Was that a snicker I heard somewhere?) Naming Beers and What is this Gros Cochon? I really have no expertise when it comes to "beer naming" or "beer marketing" for that matter, except for the fact that I'm a beer drinker (much less than the good old days) and if I put my mind to it, I probably could comment a bit more intelligently. But after 6 beers... I can barely find ANY information on Gros Cochon on the Internet. This frustrates the heck out of me, because this ad caught my attention. All I really found were two links of interest: Salut! The Quebec Microbrewery Cookbook Geloso Group (which I think distributes the beer in Montreal) So there's almost no information out there, but their ads are on a ton of buses. Weird. And stupid. I do like the name, although it makes me question how successful a beer that emphasizes "fat" can be. These days it's all about "light" and watching your weight. Beer has a lot of calories, so focusing on the "fat" aspect of it seems dubious. Sure, it'll get people's attention, and maybe that's all a small, microbrewery needs to squeeze out some money from it. Advertising on Buses Advertising on buses has been around for ages, it's nothing new. Lately I've seen a lot more advertising on cars and using flatbed trucks; where the entire car or truck is geared towards a product. I'm sure you've seen this sort of thing too - just the other day I saw a "Red Bull" mini cooper driving around downtown. I have no clue if advertising on a bus is effective. I'd venture a guess and say that the companies advertising on buses don't really know either. You see a lot of movie advertising (but I'm never asked, "Did you come to see the movie because you saw an ad on a bus?") so who really knows. I do know that the Gros Cochon ad caught my eye - but that's cause there was the picture of a huge pig and the name, "Fat Pig"...well, it's as if they were speaking to me. (Truth be told I'm not fat, slimming down all the time, but some of my friends do tend to refer to me as a "fat bastard"...but they're all unemployed bums, so there.) When I think about advertising on buses (or cars) I think that it's the kind of thing that could be effective for IGotNewsForYou. Why? Mostly because it's an easy URL to remember, fairly catchy and I think it would intrigue people if they saw it on a billboard. "You've got news for me? Really? Well I like news, and I like me...so let's go take a look!" Of course, advertising on a bus or through a billboard would be way too expensive, but the same style of advertising exists online (be it through banners, which research still shows most people ignore), text links, etc. Advertising is inevitable for almost every business (unless it goes completely viral without it), so the question then becomes, "What's the best form of advertising, and where should I put it?" That's a question I'll have to investigate at another time...I need a beer... (Technorati Tags: advertising, beer, gros cochon) P.S. Since I couldn't find the Gros Cochon logo anywhere, I created my own picture of a pig drinking a beer. That pig (to my knowledge) has never consumed alcohol, and was certainly never given beer from me.

Please read this article at: Instigator Blog >> How to Ask for Help (Technorati Tags: relationship building, getting help)

Please read this article at: Instigator Blog >> Retail Pooping Is Important

Please read this article at: MarketingSherpa Will You Answer Me? (Technorati Tags: marketingsherpa, customer service, americangreeting, e-cards)

I'm sick. For about the millionth time this year. One might think I hang around hospitals licking used throat swabs, but seriously I don't. It wasn't me, honest. See, my son goes to a daycare and he's almost 2. That means he picks up every known germ and infects his parents. His mother is more immune than I am (she's tougher), but I pick up those germs with a gusto and then collapse on the floor weeping. Truth be told, I'm prone to exaggeration, as I've pointed out in the past -- it's a family trait that I'm quite proud of. Still, being sick sucks...being sick in the summer is even worse. So, unable to concentrate on much of anything productive and trying not to smear myself with snot, I decided to go hunting for crazy flu and cold remedies. Someone out there has to have an answer. I'll try anything! Chris Gupta has some cold remedies that really work, including Vitamin C and Hydrogen Peroxide. Isn't hydrogen peroxide used for bleaching stuff? You're supposed to drip it in your ear. But I don't need bleached ear hair, I need my head to be unclogged! At HowToBeFit.com they've got a list of old fashioned cold remedies. Garlic crushed into warm milk? At least I won't be eaten by vampires... People do seem to like their bizarre concoctions (from: http://cottontimer.livejournal.com/284939.html): * cammomile and mint tea, with honey, a little vinegar and a good dose of cayenne pepper * hot chocolate with cayenne pepper Witchdoctor Rachel, writes at greenspun.com, "Zinc lozenges for the throat...Think of it as birth control for cold germs..." Wow, I never thought about it like that. I doubt anyone else has either. Now I reach out to you, I beg you in fact, what cold remedies do you use? What works? What should I do, aside from whine, complain, groan and crawl under my desk in sorrow? (Technorati Tags: cold remedies, flu remedies, common cold, flu)

Part of what makes a blogger successful, in my view, is injecting his/her own personality into the content. Who are you wayward blogging person? Tell me, cause I'd like to know. Most of what I write is infused with my personality, but who am I really? (Are you sitting at the edge of your seat yet?) This is the first of possibly many "Monday Morning Musings" - an experiment in "regular features" (themed posts that show up on a regular basis). I'm curious if it's possible to build a following and additional traffic through regular features. Why do it on Monday? Simple: Mondays are hard for a lot of people. If this gives people an early morning chuckle, my work here is done... I've got 2 goals: 1. To entertain. We all like to be entertained and since IGotNewsForYou is in big part about humor and entertainment, this makes sense. 2. To give you some insight into who I am, and some of the stranger things that pop into my head. I bet these thoughts have popped into other people's heads too, but I won't go so far as to say this is an experiment and analysis of our cultural beliefs as a post-modernistic society living in a digital world and an age of over-consumption. Say what now? Without further ado: Thought #1: People in buses I'm all for public transport (it's cheaper than a car, helps the environment) but when a bus full of people pulls in front of you (while you're sitting in your car of course) they really do look like livestock. Most of them look unhappy (I guess I imagine livestock on a cattle car looking unhappy), they're packed in tightly, and things smell funny. I bet if someone "moo'd" on a bus everyone would chime in. A regular Animal House. Thought #2: Mastering time management I'm a huge supporter of managing your time effectively and good project management practices. I'm always looking for efficencies in what I'm doing, and thinking a few steps ahead. Just the other day I was rushing home to pick up my son at daycare. I hopped into my car (you can't take public transit when you're rushing after all) and there was a candy on the seat. I picked it up and tried to unwrap it. The plastic was being belligerent. Meanwhile I hadn't moved yet; I'm still in the parking lot. Realizing this (and remember, this whole process is only taking a few seconds), my brain says to me, "Ben, start driving you assbag. At the next light, unravel the damn candy. Oh and you need it, your breath...ew..." Genius! So off I go speeding through traffic (I never speed, honest) and sure enough at the next light I time it perfectly to have the candy in hand and get it unraveled before the light turns green. Candy in mouth, car in drive, kid picked up. Nice. Thought #3: People singing in their cars I think we all do this at some point. Some of us are more enthusiastic than others. Often, to de-stress I listen to classical music. Of course, singing to classical music (particularly when it's only accoustic) is near impossible. On occasions when I need to lose myself in the music I'll blast something like Dave Matthews. To be specific (since a lot of his newer stuff is crap in my opinion) Dave Matthews Band | Live at Red Rocks. His rendition of All Along the Watchtower is incredible. If the hair on your arms doesn't rise when you listen to that song (at a loud volume) you're either dead or hairless. Or both. And when I listen to "All Along the Watchtower" (and "Typical Situation") I sing till my throat goes hoarse. And the livestock...err...people in the buses next to me look at me like I'm insane. Secretly I think they're saying, "I wish I could be in the car singing. All I can do is whisper, 'moo.'" So sing on my car driving friends! Sing till your lungs burst, your heart bleeds and your voice cracks! And Dave, if you're reading this, please go oldschool to the days of "Under the Table and Dreaming." You were a maestro then. (Technorati Tags: dave matthews band, public transportation, humor, time management)

Self-serving, late night post alert... There's only about 15 minutes till Father's Day officially kicks in (at least for those in the Eastern time zone), so I thought it wouldn't hurt to remind you that you can send a free fake newspaper page via IGotNewsForYou.com. It's a great gift, trust me. No really, I'm serious. Seriously... Send the Dad in your life a hilarious page of fake news; throw him and others into the news and you've got yourself a real bruhaha. Alright now I'm just being ridiculous. I do hope you'll take advantage of the free offer - you'll laugh, the Dad in your life will laugh, I'll laugh, and we'll all be merry. Enjoy, and please keep sending your feedback! (Technorati Tags: father's day, unique gift, father's day gift, e-card, gift card)

Hey folks, I'm still eager for more feedback on our website, but I'm also hoping people will help me answer this question: Which newspaper page is better? A simpler version or a more complex version? IGotNewsForYou lets you send personalized, fake newspaper e-cards. Some of the feedback we've received is that the newspaper e-card is too complex, too big, with too much content. Others, I know disagree. In an effort to try and get a bigger picture, here are two versions: 1. Simpler Version 2. More Complex Version (this is the current product) The Simpler Version isn't necessarily 100% "perfect" (the footer still needs work in terms of its style/layout) but generally you'll see that there's less content in the simpler version, it's shorter and has a narrower layout. So here are my questions: 1. Which do you prefer, and why? 2. Do you think the simpler version is TOO simple, so that it diminishes the value of what we're offering? (i.e. It's too simple, so not worth paying for, or looks less like a newspaper-page, etc.) If you have any additional comments/feedback beyond those two questions, I'm all ears. And once again, anyone that comments (or emails me) will receive a 1-year free subscription to IGotNewsForYou (to send as many newspaper e-cards as you like). Thanks! P.S. Don't forget you can send a FREE fake newspaper e-card for Father's Day. Just go to our form, fill it out and voila! (Technorati Tags: e-cards, fake newspaper, humor)

Hey folks, I need your help. Every good entrepreneur knows they can't do it alone; it's the advice, support and help from other experts that can really turn the tide and make a difference. Simply put, I'm looking for advice/feedback on IGotNewsForYou's website. Any and all feedback, thoughts, ideas, advice is appreciated. I'm leaving the door wide open for now in the hopes that you'll overwhelm my email box and blog comments with your ideas. And in exchange for your kindly assistance? Anyone that posts something of value (or emails me) will get a 1-year FREE subscription to IGotNewsForYou. The subscription will let you send funny, fake newspaper-style e-cards to as many people as you like. In order for me to give you the free subscription, I'll need your name (at least your first name, preferrably both first + last) and a valid email address. Then I can send you a password and you're on your way to making your friends and family laugh their rumps off. If you think someone out there might be interested in providing feedback / helping out, please pass along this note or the URL to this post or the URL to the entire blog. I'll be eternally grateful...and who knows, what goes around, comes around right? I've got a few tricks up my sleeve that might help you or someone else out, someday. And you don't even have to sell your soul, honest. (Technorati Tags: web design, building a good website, collecting feedback)

I can't remember how I came across advergirl.com but in the couple of weeks or so that I've been reading the blog I've enjoyed it immensely. She's basically publishing about unique, interesting, funny advertising approaches from different companies. It's worth looking at on a couple levels: * I've laughed at a few of the advertisements. (And we all like to laugh, right?) * The creativity of some of the advertising campaigns is amazing. Inspiring really. * It gives me some ideas for things I can do for IGotNewsForYou.com, down the road, when I have...you know...money. Two recent posts in particular caught my eye: Much better than a free pen... Found wallet (Technorati Tags: advertising, funny advertising campaigns, advergirl)

Please read this article at: Instigator Blog >> Testing Your Blog on Multiple Browsers (Technorati Tags: browsers, firefox, safari, internet explorer, browser compatibility, browsershots.org, browsercam)

Admittedly, that title makes no sense. But who knows, it might attract some readers. And, that picture won't make much sense to people either, except to Tom Hood and any other old highschool friends of mine. Many of you will have seen similar ads from Classmates.com (which I'm a member of, but I rarely use). I'm 100% convinced that the guy in that picture is an old highschool friend of mine: Tom Hood. We were good buddies for a few years in highschool but we lost touch when I went to university. Staying in touch has become easier since I left highschool, and even since I left university, with the advent of new online services and networking sites: LinkedIn (which I use), Facebook (which I don't), MySpace (which I use), etc. They're all examples of people trying to stay better in-touch with each other (and of course make new contacts). Staying in-touch is important, and I regret not having done a better job of that back in the day. Who knows what opportunities I might have missed from not trying just a bit harder to keep in touch with people. It's a good lesson in networking: never lose contact with people. Even if that means the occasional, brief email, or following what people are doing...so when a real opportunity does come, you're there and ready. I've heard almost nothing about Tom Hood since then, although every so often I've thought about trying to get in touch. And I've seen these Classmates ads for a long time, and every single time I think, "That's Tom Hood. And did he really marry that girl?" So Tom, if you're out there, or anyone else is out there that remembers Tom Hood and me from those old highschool years, feel free to get in touch. My email address is available to the left of this post. And it makes me wonder -- have you ever come across an ad or picture somewhere of an old friend that surprised the heck out of you? Oh, and does anyone find Classmates.com worthwhile? (Technorati Tags: tom hood, classmates, classmates.com)

Recently I was perusing the Carnival of Capitalists at Rethink(IP) and I came across a link to the Daily Dose of Optimism. The name of the blog caught my eye, so I clicked over to take a look. And this is what I saw: If that doesn't get your attention and force you to read a bit deeper, nothing will. There's nothing like a man riding a bull...wait a second... There's nothing like an "eye grabbing" and "interesting" photo to get your attention. Phew. It's not just about bulls (that'd make me weird wouldn't it?) That picture really makes me wonder if I need a great picture on this blog. Anyway, if you're into investing and looking for some great information, the Daily Dose of Optimism is a good read. Plus the name of the blog (which I think is extremely important when trying to get buzz for your blog) helps. You can't help but go over there and smile. Here's another blog from the Carnival of Capitalists: In Cash Flow We Trust. I mean come on! If you're into business, entrepreneurship, etc. and you see that blog name, you're going to go visit. (Hhhmm...this is making me wonder about the actual importance of blog names to their popularity, generating traffic, buzz...) (Technorati Tags: daily dose of optimism, using images on a blog, financial investing)

Please read this article at: Instigator Blog >> My Blog Goals Achieved Today (Technorati Tags: problogger, blogging goals, mind petal, David Askaripour)

Recently, I griped about Blogger and all the problems I have with them, but today I'm putting a more positive spin on things. It seems to me that Google has the opportunity to dominate the blog software market (like they do search) with some fairly obvious features and perhaps some cooler innovations. 1. Google Maps Mashup: It seems like it would be fairly easy to duplicate the functionality that Blogflux offers with mapstats. Maybe integrate this into Google Analytics for fun, but also include it as a Blogger feature so bloggers without Google Analytics could enjoy it. 2. Blogger Directory: There's lots of blog directories these days, but Google could take all Blogger-blogs and put them into a directory. Let people categorize their blogs, find them (make it more like a "Google/Blogger community"), rate them, etc. I don't know how successful blog directories really are, so maybe this isn't worth the effort, but anything that helps promote Blogger blogs and Blogger content seems like it would be appreciated by the people using Blogger. 3. Comment Tracking: This is definitely outside the scope of blogging software, but I can't figure out why none of the blog software providers haven't developed a system for tracking comments you make on other blogs. I am aware of coComment but I tried it, and could never get it to work. I got frustrated and gave up. This seems like it would make total sense -- through your Blogger administration interface have a place there for tracking comments you've made. Talk about "value add" from a blogging application. 4. Page Creation: WordPress's page feature, where you can create a page and link it in the sidebar (or elsewhere) makes sense. It's about publishing content in blog post format or otherwise. So why not add that feature in? Mark Evans (Canadian, woohoo!) recently commented on Blogger as well: Why Does Blogger.com Suck? -- it's clear the discussion and dispute rage on, but I'm not sure anyone at Blogger is listening. Hold that thought: As I'm writing this, I went back to bold some items. You can mouse over some text and hit Ctrl-B. It used to put "strong" (or "b") HTML code around the text you were bolding, but now it's actually using "span style" instead, which is more inline with proper CSS. Interesting? Unimportant? A sign that Google cares about Blogger again? We'll have to wait and see. Back to my original point: What would YOU like to see Blogger add? (Technorati Tags: blogger, mark evans, google)