Archive for December 2006

Joel on Software talked about choices and the headaches that come with them. I admit one of my weaker areas is the inability to make decisions. Do I want to do this or that? Do I want this or that? Should I go to this? Should I get this or that?

A friend of mine invited me to a luncheon last week as she got a free ticket and wanted to take me. I debated this for at least 30 minutes and continued changing my mind. In the end, I didn’t go. Turned out that my mother radar might’ve known something as I heard from my youngest’s school that he had a fever. Would’ve never made it to the luncheon. Of course, I wouldn’t want that to be the reason.

Visit any restaurant and the menu typically contains too many choices. When I bought an MP3 player for my kid, I debated which color to get. Tennis shoes, tennis racquet, all-in-one printer, cochlear implant (small vs. regular), volleyball socks. These were all subjects of recent decisions.

Uncle Mark knows all about the problems with too many choices and tries to alleviate that by suggesting one camera for folks to buy and avoid doing research. He updates the Gift Guide and Almanac every year and the choice camera changes as needed (you know how electronics are outdated the minute they land in your hands). Even this camera comes in three colors.

My mom decided to get a digital camera for my older two kids as gifts. The oldest has an old camera of mine, but it takes faded photos every now and then — and she takes tons of photos. The SD30 wasn’t for them, so I did quick research (dreading it as I know I could easily spend hours on cameras). I found one and the price was right. Told Mom and left it at that. Thankfully, another web site confirmed I made the right decision. Had it the site contained poor reviews, I’d scramble and start the search again. This is exactly what happened when I almost bought an all-in-one printer.

I have a crowded small office. As an organized person, everything has its place. An all-in-one would give me breathing room as I could pass on my color printer and scanner to my oldest. Depending on the quality and ease of use, I might’ve been able to dump the fax and copy machines. But it wasn’t to be as I discovered some problem reviews regarding the scanner. My scanner isn’t that great, so I’d need one that works better — otherwise it’s a wasted expense.

I’ve been reviewing web sites stepping into the target market’s head as I work around each web site. The problem with many is they provide too many choices. A site should have no more than one call to action on a page. The navigation — it’s as if the company is afraid to cut out items thinking the visitor would want them. They can’t miss what’s not there.

Both Mark and Joel refer to Barry Schwartz’s The Paradox of Choice Sadly sitting on my shelf unread as other books get first dibs. Do we need so many choices?

Think you know your friends and family well? GiftTRAP sets out to challenge that assumption with its game of giving and receiving. When you have a choice of giving a roadside emergency kit, learn to be a graffiti artist (obviously a course), space age purse or a space hopper (???) — gift-giving turns into an adventure.

At first glance, it looks like a game promoting materialism and the gimmes, but instead the game is about great conversations, laughs and getting to know each other better. After all, it’s not as if you would actually get a flagpole, whale watching trip, or a public speaking course for family and friends.

The creative packaging looks like a gift box. Open the lid to reveal the folded game board. Move that and find the eight brightly colored gift bags sitting in a tray filled with game pieces. Remove the tray to find the game cards with the gift ideas from absurd and weird to practical and cool.

Place the gift cards on the board so players decide on who gets what while ranking the available gives from “Great” to “No way!” Players receive points for giving others gifts they like and lose points for giving a gift that gets a “No way!” The same concept applies for receiving gifts: Score points for the right ones and lose ‘em for getting the “I’ll be returning that one to the store” gifts. To win the game, a player needs to get both Give and Get markers in the GIFTED zone.

Imagine how hilarious it was to hear another player admit to wanting laser hair removal treatment. Not exactly something to give as a gift, but it loosened up everyone in the room within seconds.

The games business sees a disappointing trend. Manufacturers reissue older and classic games with cheap quality game pieces. But GiftTRAP doesn’t fall into this trap with its lovely gift bags and good quality game pieces and markers. The box contains colorful photos, as do the gift cards.

Side note: Something interesting lurks in the game instructions: a Creative Commons license! This is the first I’ve seen in a game, heck anything outside of the Internet.

Also the folks behind the game have a few fun contests happening. They’re accepting photos for use in the next edition of the game. Got my camera ready and hunting for odd gifts.

P.S. Anyone know what a space hopper is?

Included in GiftTRAP:

* 1 full size game board

* 640 Gift Ideas

* 1 Rules booklet [Read the rules online and see exactly how to play GiftTRAP]

* 8 Organza Gift Bags with each having:

* 2 scoring markers

* 9 gift tokens

* 4 choice tokens

* 3 advanced strategy cards

Players: 3 to 8
Age: 8+
Price: $39.99
Game play: One hour

Pronunciation: ‘tsIt-”gIst, ‘zIt

So that’s “zight” “guise+t” like geyser only stop at the “s” and add a “t” on the end. Right?

Dallas Columnist Steve Blow [may require free registration] brought “Zeitgeist” to my attention. While reading his column, I realized I had seen this word appear often especially thanks to Google Zeitgeist, which searches for trends and patterns.

The dictionary (and Google’s Zeitgeist page) define the noun: “The general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era.” The definition also says the word is often capitalized. Why? The word comes from two German words that mean “time” and “spirit.”

Steve Blow had a conversation that referred to a Dallas Morning News article that said, “…and NBC has a winner with its zeitgeist series Heroes.” Does that make sense to you? Not to me.

I did a search for zeitgeist on the newspaper’s web site and surprisingly found many articles using the word. A sampling:

“YouTube is the latest Web site to emerge as the symbol and focal point of a zeitgeist.”

“First, a follow-up from last week’s rant about Wikipedia. Must have been something in the Zeitgeist last week.”

” The group’s million-selling 1994 debut, Rubberneck, captured the post-grunge zeitgeist with seething tunes…”

After reading these articles, I still can’t figure out how I would use it in a sentence. Are these even used correctly?

The word is a nice one with its interesting spelling and pronunciation. But it isn’t one we can use everyday. Blow thinks it’s one of those words people use to impress others. Whether people used it right or wrong, Google gets it with its Zeigeist tool.

Logitech, known as the retailer for mice and keyboards, set a great example of customer service. I bought a Bluetooth headphone set for my MP3 player since it was a good deal. But alas, when it arrived, I learned that it didn’t work with my specific MP3 player. I contacted Logitech about this and the company responded within 24 hours most of the time.

The company couldn’t provide a refund. Most companies would stop there and say, “Sorry… no can do.” But not Logitech. The company offered to send me a replacement that works with my MP3 player if I sent back the one I had. Deal!

This experience is the opposite of one I had with a company through an eBay transaction. The company has a web site, but also sells on eBay (like many others do). When I won the auction, I didn’t know it was the same company until exchanging emails — but I had never bought anything from its web-based store. The irony is that I discovered the web site shortly before the auction.

I received the item I won and about one-fourth of its screen was dead. According to the auction description, the device was in good working order and dead pixels aren’t defined as “good.” So I emailed them since the company accepted returns if you contact them within 48 hours of receiving the item.

The response time was horrendous. I emailed on October 25 explaining the problem with the device and requested a refund. The company responded the next day and said, “This item was tested and found to be in working condition without any defects to the screen.”

Totally ignored my email. Treating me like it was my fault. I wrote back and explained further. Again, the company replied the next day, “It doesn’t display 1/4 of the screen?” Hello? The responses were prolonging the resolution. I clearly explained how it looked and even sent a photo showing the problem. And got this response.

I didn’t get another reply for almost a week. The company opened a dispute ticket on eBay and its email again made it sound like I was at fault, a bad buyer. After all the exchanging, problem resolved, money returned and no negative feedback (whew).

Here are the best books I’ve read in 2006 in no particular order. Beware that not all of these books published this year, but rather they’re books I read.

* Emotional Design: Why We Love (or Hate) Everyday Things: I haven’t written this review yet as I just finished it. Reading Norman’s follow up to Design of Everyday Things makes me want to read the original, but got other books that have priority.

* Next to Me is a lovely autobiography about a British businessman who happens to have Parkinson’s.

* Book Yourself Solid is a solid book that prompted me to make changes to my marketing efforts.

* Metaphorically Selling shows how to take a fresh approach to giving presentations and selling.

* The Corporate Blogging Book contains everything anyone needs to know about business blogging including making the business case and case studies.

* Writing White Papers helped me feel more comfortable about doing white papers.

* Blogging for Business is an easy flowing read that also educates people about business blogging.

* The Intellectual Devotional: Revive Your Mind, Complete Your Education, and Roam Confidently with the Cultured Class refreshed my memory on facts I vaguely recalled and provided details on things I didn’t know much about.

* The Street-Smart Writer provides me with security so I know where to go if I run into problems in the writing biz.

* Tie (Fiction) Snow Flower and the Secret Fan is one of few fiction books I read this year. The book enlightened me on the Chinese culture in an absorbing story. You Could Do Better is a chick-lit style story that makes a great beach read. What I liked about it was the author’s attention to detail on TV history and trivia.

Looks like a new and rude trend is emerging as explained in BlackBerry Orphans. Parents email and chat on their Blackberries, Sidekicks and such while at children’s events. I admit being guilty of chatting at sports events, but Paul and I are keeping each other updated on what’s happening in the game we’re watching. Not for something unrelated to the event.

Parents, put those devices down and watch the recital, listen to the singing or playing, and whatever else the kids are doing. I believe it’s OK to talk to the other parent if it’s related to the event — as long as you’re not missing out on the action.

For goodness sake, if you’re at a party — put it away! OK, you can check in with the babysitter and whatever. When the family went out the dinner for the first time in ages, my daughter tried to chat on her Sidekick. I told her to put it away. Then Paul, daughter and I got silly and sent each other messages from under the table.

Enjoy life a little.

Speaking of gadgets, if anyone wants a coupon for $100 off a Sony Vaio computer (must be from a Sony Style store) or $10 rebate for a Philips Sonicare Essence or Elite toothbrush, send me your mailing address and I’ll send ‘em to you. No charge for the stamp even. Both coupons expire January 31, 2007.

I started the tradition of sending a holiday letter in 1997 or maybe before, but I have no proof. Originally, I sent cards and write a short note. Since I enjoyed reading letters from others, I thought I’d do the same and the annual letter began.

Took the lazy way out this year and didn’t bother with handwritten notes and printed address labels instead of printing addresses directly on the envelopes. I’ve got to address 200 invitations by the end of the year for a big family event coming in ’07. At least, a non-handwritten letter is better than no letter, right?

After I printed 25 copies of the letter, I found a typo in the first sentence! I just mailed my letters yesterday. I wrote, “In spit of …” instead of “In spite of…” Awful! Instead of wasting paper and ink, I just added the “e.” Hey, I did do a little handwriting after all.

The media has been reporting on annual letters and newsletters whether people like them or get annoyed with the brag-fest. I like receiving them because they tell me what’s going on in my friends’ lives. I try to stick to honesty when writing the letter and make sure the letter doesn’t sound like the showing off or bragging. But I do include photos of the kids in every letter. That won’t go away. So holiday letters… good or bad?

Reading about business schools take aim at bad writing didn’t surprise me. When I was a MBA graduate student for one semester, we had to pass a writing and presentation section. The university conducted seminars followed by students giving presentations and writing a paper.

Students who didn’t pass received tutoring and presented again. Those who did received a notation on their student reports they passed the writing and presentation requirements.

As an assistant to an online graduate program, I read theses and Microsoft Word highlights many typos that the student overlooked. The red or green squiggly line shouldn’t be present at all when they submit the paper unless there’s a valid reason. Word isn’t perfect.

We have many students where English is their second or even third language. I admire them because they know it well enough to take graduate courses. I didn’t learn Spanish and French well enough to use it daily. Had I kept up with Spanish after completing three years of it in high school, I might’ve done more but not as much as these students.

Obviously, these students don’t write well in English and we understand. The professor recommends they get writing help and the school provides writing resources. Furthermore, they can have someone else proofread their paper.

I saved my English papers and a handful of other work from college. When I review them, I cringe at the stiff and formal writing. That’s the kind of writing the professors encouraged plus I improved on some elements with practice. If universities are going to help students improve their writing skills, they need to move away from the stiff and formal writing and save those for special research papers and theses. Taking this approach ensure students enter the real world with the writing skills they need.

Then again, should theses writing be stiff? Formal makes sense, but not stiff and dry. The titles alone can easily make a person’s eyes glaze over and even require re-reading. Look at white papers. Those tend to have a similar reaction, but it doesn’t have to be dry and boring as white paper pro Michael Stelzner explains in Writing White Papers: How to Capture Readers and Keep Them Engaged and articles.

Every university has its own rules for writing theses and research papers. There are also standard research paper practices. Don’t expect these papers to turn into interesting reads anytime soon. But should educational institutions change their practices? Maybe, just maybe, we’ll experience less jargon in the business world.

Since CSS Collection is you and those interested in Web design, I need to conduct “user testing” on the new design. It’s not fancy and it’s based on a template — but it’s the best I can do with the time I have — unless someone wants to step up and redesign the site in exchange for free advertising or something…

http://csscollection.com/new.php

Critic away! Thank you for any feedback.

First: eBay isn’t at fault here. This situation occurred with a buyer on eBay. I’ve been a registered eBay user since 1999 and this is the first time this happened to me. I share this so you don’t make the same mistake I did.

I posted a Neuros for sale. I try to be careful with my gadget purchases, but not in this case. I bought it and never used it, so I thought it best to sell it before it became an ancient and unused gadget. Plus, I need all the help with a big family event we’re planning.

Bad buyer (names omitted to protect the guilty) won the item and paid by PayPal about three days after the auction ended, but I did not know until three days later as my PayPal notification did not come through. What happened was my PayPal email was set to go to content-maven.com instead of meryl.net, so I never saw it.

My catch-all goes into a return to sender pile because spammers used meryl.net to send spam and it was overwhelming the server. It was a risk, but a necessary one. Besides, most made up meryl.net email addresses are spam. Occasionally, there’s a typo in the email address… therein lies the risk.

Once I saw bad buyer had paid, I immediately responded and apologized for my oversight. I told bad buyer that I would upgrade his shipping at no cost to bad buyer. After I sent that note, I proceeded to Click and Ship by way of PayPal and dropped off the package. I left positive feedback right then as bad buyer had paid and had no more actions that would affect our transaction. I’ve always posted feedback after the buyer paid and I shipped and never ran into a problem before.

On the same day, after I shipped and left positive feedback, bad buyer reversed payment on PayPal leaving me with a negative balance (shipping). Now I cannot post negative feedback and warn others. However, I left follow up feedback, but bad buyer has 100% positives (only and people may not notice my follow up.

I emailed bad buyer twice to give bad buyer the opportunity to pay or return the item. When that did not prompt a reply, I emailed eBay for advice. eBay told me to get bad buyer’s personal information and call. Paul called several times and left a message on the answering machine every time (bad buyer never answered).

I exchanged emails with eBay a few more times. Here are the actions the company recommended that I took:

* Request bad buyer’s contact information through eBay and contact bad buyer.
* Contact shipping company and explain situation.
* File with a Dispute Resolution Service like SquareTrade (I did, but I wasn’t going to shell out $30 for them to take action on my file).
* Open an unpaid item dispute claim on eBay.
* Review the Rules for Buyers specifically on Unpaid Items.
* Contact eBay through a formal process after several attempts to contact bad buyer.
* Leave feedback for bad buyer — however, this was already done and I told eBay this when I got this advice.
* Leave a follow-up comment.
* Contact credit card company that issued credit card (I have no idea what the buyer used).
* Try to stop shipment (I got this advice almost a month after the auction ended. A little late).
* Apply for a final value fees credit (time sensitive: between 10 and 45 days after close of auction — I got this advice 30 days after close. True, I could’ve found this myself, but I didn’t see it when I researched how to handle this problem.).
* Contact the police in the buyer’s area and let them know eBay will cooperate with the investigation.
* File a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
* File mail fraud charges, if you shipped by U.S. mail.

Moral of the story: Don’t leave feedback until you’ve cleared payment with PayPal (when a buyer pays with a check, I don’t ship until payment clears).