So, lately the hot topic is WEB 2.0. Or WEB 2.0 apps. WEB 2.0 promotes creativity in application design, better communication for users, and enhanced collaboration.
It could also be the death knell of EMAIL.
Email still serves us well....but dang if it isn't getting harder to deal with. Younger users find email antiquated, like the way I see fax machines and rotary phones. There are much more efficient and "hipper" ways to communicate these days. Email is clunky.
With social networking sites(myspace, facebook, linkedin, etc) cropping up everywhere....and tools like Twitter, email just seems to be loosing its way.
Email faces an uphill challenge nowadays. Spam filters have rendered its reliability null, as has anti virus software. More and more ISPs are imposing file attachment restrictions. Its just getting harder to use.
That isn't to say email is going to go away. In fact, as a person to person tool, email is great. But the problem is that with email, only those two people see it. Collaboration with the group is limited. Open discussion is limited. Instread of getting the information from the group, which in most cases is where the best information is, we are limiting our selves to one on one conversation.
And, again I come back to Spam. Spammers are more responsible for the dying popularity of email than anyone. Whereas in the "good old days" you could send an email and have no question of it arriving at its intended destination, now you must call to verify that your message made it past the spam filter.
Enter Web 2.0 with its fancy collaboration tools and web interface. Imagine sending a message to a network of friends, with limited input on your part. No more having to sift thru your inbox...trying to glean meaningful information from a myriad of junk. No more trying to figure out who needs to know what and if at all. The information is there for all to see.
I really dont see email going away anytime soon, but it will certainly take a back seat to these more efficient forms of communication. Eventually, however, it will be replaced by something.
And then the spammers will screw that all up too.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
New Stuff
We just upgraded our infrastructure here at Kaeser & Blair, with a new, faster switch and a storage server. Kaeser went paperless in January 2006, and in that time we have nearly quadrupled our data store.
Keep in mind that we have gone "paperless" in the same way the Hindenburg had a successful flight.
BUT I DIGRESS. The switch has a nice fast gigabyte blade in it, for all our servers. The storage server will utilize this to keep real time backups of all YOUR data throughout the day, and then archive it to tape at night.
Nothing that may interest you....but for geeks, this is like showing your trophy case. :)
Keep in mind that we have gone "paperless" in the same way the Hindenburg had a successful flight.
BUT I DIGRESS. The switch has a nice fast gigabyte blade in it, for all our servers. The storage server will utilize this to keep real time backups of all YOUR data throughout the day, and then archive it to tape at night.
Nothing that may interest you....but for geeks, this is like showing your trophy case. :)
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Who likes to phish?
Internet bad guys, that's who. Have you ever gotten an email from your bank....or a bank...telling you there is an issue with your account? How about an email from ebay saying there is a dispute over a purchase? All have links to a webpage that ask you for private information. You think you are logging your information into a legit website, when if fact you are giving a criminal your personal info. Odds are while you are on the site is installing malware on your PC. This can be anything from a BOT, to a virus/trojan application, or a keylogger. In fact it's probably all three.
So, when I read this kind of story, I feel good that there is an on going effort to catch these scumbags. Make no mistake . Someone is trying to get your information. Don't fall for the phishing attempts.
How do you spot them? Well, the nice thing about phishing attempts is that they cater to the "lowest denominator". They dont want you to pay that much attention to what is being requested to where they are sending you. They word it in a clever way so as to send you into a panic. Many people see a phishing attempt from a financial institution about an account error, hit the link to correct the issue, input their infor before even quesitoning if they have an account their or not. So, rule #1 should be the US BANK OF WHAT? test. If you get an email telling you that your account is in trouble from a bank you have never used....delete it. Ignore it. That simple.
But what if you have an account at said bank? Simple. There are two methods. First, check your banks website. If they have online banking ( most do) there will certainly be a notice there about your account. Second, call to verify if the email is legit. Rule #2 is the WHY WOULD MY BANK ONLY EMAIL ME? test.
Another variation of phishing are the PAYPAL and eBay scammers. You get an email from PAYPAL stating there was an payment made with your account and they want to verify transaction. You are directed to URL The only URL a legitimate email from PAYPAL should send you to is http://www.paypal.com/. Anything else is an attempt to decieve you. Samething with eBay. In both cases, the safest way to verify the email is to log on to either site directly. Any information regarding your account will be made known to you.
All you have to do is be smarter than the phisher. Most people are. However, dont let them scare you away from the Internet. As long as you play by the rules, and dont expose yourself to risks...using the internet is a safe, easy and convient way to shop, pay bills and learn. Just like walking down a dark street in a bad neighborhood, you simply need to be cautious.
So, when I read this kind of story, I feel good that there is an on going effort to catch these scumbags. Make no mistake . Someone is trying to get your information. Don't fall for the phishing attempts.
How do you spot them? Well, the nice thing about phishing attempts is that they cater to the "lowest denominator". They dont want you to pay that much attention to what is being requested to where they are sending you. They word it in a clever way so as to send you into a panic. Many people see a phishing attempt from a financial institution about an account error, hit the link to correct the issue, input their infor before even quesitoning if they have an account their or not. So, rule #1 should be the US BANK OF WHAT? test. If you get an email telling you that your account is in trouble from a bank you have never used....delete it. Ignore it. That simple.
But what if you have an account at said bank? Simple. There are two methods. First, check your banks website. If they have online banking ( most do) there will certainly be a notice there about your account. Second, call to verify if the email is legit. Rule #2 is the WHY WOULD MY BANK ONLY EMAIL ME? test.
Another variation of phishing are the PAYPAL and eBay scammers. You get an email from PAYPAL stating there was an payment made with your account and they want to verify transaction. You are directed to URL The only URL a legitimate email from PAYPAL should send you to is http://www.paypal.com/. Anything else is an attempt to decieve you. Samething with eBay. In both cases, the safest way to verify the email is to log on to either site directly. Any information regarding your account will be made known to you.
All you have to do is be smarter than the phisher. Most people are. However, dont let them scare you away from the Internet. As long as you play by the rules, and dont expose yourself to risks...using the internet is a safe, easy and convient way to shop, pay bills and learn. Just like walking down a dark street in a bad neighborhood, you simply need to be cautious.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Microsoft re-asks Yahoo! to prom. Yahoo! gives a definite "maybe".
The on again off again romance between Yahoo! and Microsoft is on again. On Sunday,Microsoft made another offer to Yahoo!, a few days after a shareholder launched a bid to unseat the current board at Yahoo!. ( It seems silly typing an "!" after Yahoo! but....it is what it is.)
What does it mean for us, the little users? Well, I will simply state the obvious by saying that remains to be seen. But this move by Microsoft shows the world it's not ready to give up the fight with Google yet. By partnering themselves with Yahoo!, Microsoft definitely adds a little more to the functionality of their LIVE service, or the red-headed step child of the online application and search engine world.
As a small business owner, it can affect your wallet. This potenially means big changes to how consumers search for products online. It can change the way advertisers deliver thier product It will certainly change the way pay per click campaigns operate. Those of you who maintain your business on the web need to keep an eye on this potential big deal. It will affect the way you get your message to your customers.
I for one love free market competition. Google is so big that its name is now a verb. ( "I just googled that on the web"). For the second time in 15 years, Microsoft is playing catch up. This meansthat not only will Google make changes to better compete, but a possible MS/Yahoo merger will do the same. Consumers win! Just make sure you keep an eye on how this affects business to business communcation on the web.
What does it mean for us, the little users? Well, I will simply state the obvious by saying that remains to be seen. But this move by Microsoft shows the world it's not ready to give up the fight with Google yet. By partnering themselves with Yahoo!, Microsoft definitely adds a little more to the functionality of their LIVE service, or the red-headed step child of the online application and search engine world.
As a small business owner, it can affect your wallet. This potenially means big changes to how consumers search for products online. It can change the way advertisers deliver thier product It will certainly change the way pay per click campaigns operate. Those of you who maintain your business on the web need to keep an eye on this potential big deal. It will affect the way you get your message to your customers.
I for one love free market competition. Google is so big that its name is now a verb. ( "I just googled that on the web"). For the second time in 15 years, Microsoft is playing catch up. This meansthat not only will Google make changes to better compete, but a possible MS/Yahoo merger will do the same. Consumers win! Just make sure you keep an eye on how this affects business to business communcation on the web.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Don't cross the streams....
Many of you ask ( almost daily) "why can the Best Buys site allow my customers to order direct and I get credit?"
The answer is: it would be bad.
Not in the same way crossing the streams is bad...but bad.
While Kaeser is aware of the rapid changes in our ever growing industry, we have designed the current Best Buys Online as a supplement to your "dealer tool box". Kaeser & Blair feels very strongly that the dealer/customer relationship is the most important thing going...and that taking that out of the mix can be detrimental to your business. Your customers rely on you for your creativity and insight. That is what you sell.
If we setup the site to go direct, then that aspect of your business would be lost. You would cease to be important to your customer, and they may decide to become their own dealer. Kaeser doesn't want that. That is the bad part.
Obviously this is the "short" answer. And I certainly don't want you to read this and think we have no plans or intent to change things. I am always looking at ways to improve the site experience for both you and the customer. We have a few things we are working on this very second...HUGE wonderful things. We have ideas that will blow you away...some GRAND and some small. The industry is changing, the way people buy is changing. We know this is forcing you to change the way you sell. We are working on it....
The answer is: it would be bad.
Not in the same way crossing the streams is bad...but bad.
While Kaeser is aware of the rapid changes in our ever growing industry, we have designed the current Best Buys Online as a supplement to your "dealer tool box". Kaeser & Blair feels very strongly that the dealer/customer relationship is the most important thing going...and that taking that out of the mix can be detrimental to your business. Your customers rely on you for your creativity and insight. That is what you sell.
If we setup the site to go direct, then that aspect of your business would be lost. You would cease to be important to your customer, and they may decide to become their own dealer. Kaeser doesn't want that. That is the bad part.
Obviously this is the "short" answer. And I certainly don't want you to read this and think we have no plans or intent to change things. I am always looking at ways to improve the site experience for both you and the customer. We have a few things we are working on this very second...HUGE wonderful things. We have ideas that will blow you away...some GRAND and some small. The industry is changing, the way people buy is changing. We know this is forcing you to change the way you sell. We are working on it....
Thursday, May 15, 2008
How do you stay connected with your cusotmers?
So how do you stay in contact with your customers when you are out of town? Do you live on your cell phone? Do you text back and forth? Are you addicted to a "crack"berry? Does your laptop have it's own passport?
I am constantly trying to come up better ways for Kaeser & Blair to get your information to you, whether you are in Century Club or working hard at getting there. We have taken baby steps with Kaeser Central, allowing you to download data to your PDA, or in most cases nowadays, a cell phone, but I want to know what would help you the most. What do you need to stay connected to us? Are the tools we provide on Kaeser Central enough?
Also, how much is door to door selling a part of your buisness? Do you still "pound the pavement" or do you make your initial contacts via phone or web? What I am looking ot find is a representation of a "next generation" Kaeser Dealer.... :)
I am constantly trying to come up better ways for Kaeser & Blair to get your information to you, whether you are in Century Club or working hard at getting there. We have taken baby steps with Kaeser Central, allowing you to download data to your PDA, or in most cases nowadays, a cell phone, but I want to know what would help you the most. What do you need to stay connected to us? Are the tools we provide on Kaeser Central enough?
Also, how much is door to door selling a part of your buisness? Do you still "pound the pavement" or do you make your initial contacts via phone or web? What I am looking ot find is a representation of a "next generation" Kaeser Dealer.... :)
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Rage Against The Old Machine
This article inspires me and fill me with rage.
To have someone dedicate an ENTIRE BOOK to how dumb the next generation because they KNOW more then he does? They just arent using the way he thinks they should? Give me a break.
In the book, the author notes that reading ability has slipped in the past 10 years and he blames it on texting, typing, and sites like MY SPACE and GOOGLE.
What? Last time I checked, in order to even GLEAN any data from the web you have to read. In order to communicate via text, you have to know how to read.
Things are changing fast. Kids are lot more advanced than I was in the 80's, and way more advanced than my parents in the 50's. They are able to accomplish more because of the tools that have been developed in the past 15 years.
What has also changed is society. Lets face it. The American Public School system has in large become the American Babysitting System. That is where the failure is. And this is coming from the son of 2 teachers! Teachers get paid like crap. They are forced to deal with kids who come from broken homes...kids who are violent and unwilling to cooporate.
Look at those facts, Mr. Mark Bauerlien. Dont get mad at us because you cant figure out your cell phone.
To have someone dedicate an ENTIRE BOOK to how dumb the next generation because they KNOW more then he does? They just arent using the way he thinks they should? Give me a break.
In the book, the author notes that reading ability has slipped in the past 10 years and he blames it on texting, typing, and sites like MY SPACE and GOOGLE.
What? Last time I checked, in order to even GLEAN any data from the web you have to read. In order to communicate via text, you have to know how to read.
Things are changing fast. Kids are lot more advanced than I was in the 80's, and way more advanced than my parents in the 50's. They are able to accomplish more because of the tools that have been developed in the past 15 years.
What has also changed is society. Lets face it. The American Public School system has in large become the American Babysitting System. That is where the failure is. And this is coming from the son of 2 teachers! Teachers get paid like crap. They are forced to deal with kids who come from broken homes...kids who are violent and unwilling to cooporate.
Look at those facts, Mr. Mark Bauerlien. Dont get mad at us because you cant figure out your cell phone.
Have you checked out Twitter yet? Its a stupid, but addictive social networking site that simply asks you to post to one question: What are you doing?
Like I said...stupid....but I have found a couple times that it has come in handy when communicating with others.
www.twitter.com
Like I said...stupid....but I have found a couple times that it has come in handy when communicating with others.
www.twitter.com
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Windows XP Service Pack 3
It's out. Released into the wild. Many of you who have Auto-Updates on will have no doubt already seen it or installed it.
If you have been neglecting your Windows Updates for awhile, this is a great oppurtunity to get every fix released since service pack 2 was realeased about 3 years ago.
Service Pack 3 doesnt add anything to the OS in the same scale as Service Pack 2 did. In fact you will notice next to no change in your OS when you install it.
So, please run out right away and get your service pack fix. :)
If you have been neglecting your Windows Updates for awhile, this is a great oppurtunity to get every fix released since service pack 2 was realeased about 3 years ago.
Service Pack 3 doesnt add anything to the OS in the same scale as Service Pack 2 did. In fact you will notice next to no change in your OS when you install it.
So, please run out right away and get your service pack fix. :)
Securing your PC.
Every day the machines we use and trust become more untrustworthy. Not a single moment goes by when you are online that you are not at risk for being attacked. And nowadays, you might be the attacker, without even knowing it.
Welcome to the world of BOTS.
BOTS are, according to Wikipedia, "Botnet is a jargon term for a collection of software robots, or bots, which run autonomously and automatically. They run on groups of zombie computers controlled remotely. This can also refer to the network of computers using distributed computing software."
Geez that sounds HORRIBLE. And it is. Bots can open back doors on your PC, log your keystrokes, and even keep a record of all your secure transactions. Some can even break encryption! It make it difficult in our environment, because even though you are a Kaeser & Blair dealer, you are independant. You rely on your own equipment and network to conduct buisness with us. Kaeser & Blair has no control over the security of your PC.
You could be a zombie and not even know it. BOTS can contribute to not only a slow PC, but also security risks and spam.
All you need to do is keep your security patches up to date. Even though Windows is the most exploited operating system out there, every OS has it's vunerabilites. Dont assume you are safe.
You can also keep your PC's firewall and security software updated. For what it does, Windows Firewall helps to keep out a lot of bad guys. I also HIGHLY reccomend using Firefox over IE. However, as Firefox grows in popularity, so do it's security risks. It is still more secure than IE.
As far as Anti-Virus software, I reccomend AVG. And they offer a FREE anti-virus application.
As much as I would like to be able to secure your PC, I have to leave that responsibility in your capable hands. Good luck!
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