I just finished reading the latest Dan Brown novel, The Lost Symbol. It was a fairly well-written book and the plot moved along at a far more steady pace than his previous two stories. On top of that, it included heavy references to two topics regarding which I’ve always been intrigued: encryption and the Masons. [Read more...]
Feb
10
Software as a Service
I’ve always thought that providing Software as a Service (SaaS) was an interesting idea. You build a product and, rather than charging a one-time fee for installation, charge a monthly or annual subscription for continued updates and operations. It makes sense from a business standpoint, and there are certain aspects of it that appeal to customers as well. For one, continuous updates mean you don’t have to worry about re-installing new versions. [Read more...]
Feb
08
4 Steps to Blogging Success
Next Thursday (the 18th), I’ll be teaming up with Sean Harry from Career Management Solutions to present a special seminar on blogging. We’ll cover everything from the basics, answering the question “why blog,” to the more advanced, helping you set up or refine a live site. [Read more...]
Feb
05
In-depth Comparison
I’ve been meeting with a lot of prospective clients who have been taken by one kind of scam or another over the past year. On the one hand this could mean a lot of new business for me. On the other hand it’s a lot of people who feel sufficiently burned that they’re hesitant to enter a new partnership. While I enjoy helping people fix their broken websites and salvage botched marketing plans, it hurts to see them in so much pain from a business side of things. [Read more...]
Feb
03
Rockin’ the Old School
I learned something about myself last night. Rather, I remembered something about myself. When I was in high school, I always had issues typing essays. I’d write draft after draft and take home C after C on my papers. It was frustrating, but I managed to keep my grades up through endless re-writes and the unearned goodwill of several teachers. It wasn’t until my junior year when I discovered a very interesting thing. [Read more...]
Feb
01
Know Your Market
The other day I saw the strangest thing. I was watching one of my favorite TV shows (Dirty Jobs) and there was an intriguing political commercial during the break. A company was talking about the importance of Oregon on the national political stage and urged viewers to contact a specific representative to urge him to vote “no” on a particular issue. I’m not trying to be cryptic here, there’s a very good reason I don’t remember the company, representative, or even issue name. [Read more...]
