A reminder about the news about your blogger.com account - Blogger.com is no longer supporting FTP publishing in Blogger after May 1, 2010. Blogger.com realizes that this will not necessarily be welcome news for some users, and they are committed to making the transition as seamless as possible.
For more details please visit: http://blogger-ftp.blogspot.com
What does this means for you?
Well, we need to discuss some options of how you can continue (or not) using blogger.com on your website. If you would like to continue using this tool, then we need to make some changes to how the blog shows up on your site.
Our suggestions are:
OPTION A: stop using the blog, either remove it or use it as an archive
OPTION B: migrate using the blogger.com tool to a yournamehere.blogspot.com
OPTION C: set up a subdomain and migrate the blog there (see blog.yourplanb.com for an example)
OPTION D: convert your site to a CMS solution like Drupal, Joomla or WordPress allowing you to edit all pages through your browser and use the included CMS blog tool (no longer using blogger.com)
And remember, on May 1, 2010 your blog will no longer work as is. So please, let's get a change in place sooner rather than later!
There is so much information out there that we would like to share with you to help your web project succeed, that we decided it would be best if we blogged it. This blog is our 2008-2012 archive. You can keep up to date on web news, resources, SEO and marketing trends, new technology, print and color trends and sometimes something just for fun at our NEW blog at yourplanb.com/thebuzz !
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
EARTHDAY is April 22nd!
A few green ideas for you and your company or organization:
Your Plan B Company joins the Earthday celebrations by continuing to work towards lowering the size of our footprint - both personal and corporate. You can too :)
Check out these sites for more information:
earthday.org
earthday.net/earthday2010
epa.gov/earthday
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day
- receive e-bills instead of mailed bills from vendors and utilities
- turn off the faucet while brushing your teeth and take shorter showers
- support local farmers, by shopping at the farmers markets
- change incandescent light bulbs to fluorescent bulbs
- turn the thermostat down by three degrees during the winter/turn the thermostat up by five degrees in the summer
- sweep the carpet each week instead of using the vacuum cleaner
- combine all errands for one day each week
- unplug all charging devices when not in use
- shop with cloth tote bags - give us a call and we can send one over for you! (it is lime green)
Your Plan B Company joins the Earthday celebrations by continuing to work towards lowering the size of our footprint - both personal and corporate. You can too :)
Check out these sites for more information:
earthday.org
earthday.net/earthday2010
epa.gov/earthday
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_Day
Monday, April 12, 2010
Couldn't resist passing this article to you from Mashable.com
Our Social Media Obsession by the Numbers
From the time we wake up in the morning to the moment we call it a day, and every moment in between (think bedroom, bathroom and dinner table), we’re checking in on our favorite social media sites.
This conclusion comes from data gathered by an independent study (commissioned by Retrevo), which surveyed 1,000 online individuals.
Per the report, our Facebook and Twitter (Twitter) activities continue even after we’ve hit the hay, with 48% of respondents checking in on activity when they wake up in the middle of the night or as soon as they wake up in the morning. Unsurprisingly, these night owl social media behaviors skew heavily toward those under the age of 25. Continue reading: http://mashable.com/2010/03/17/social-media-usage-stats/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29
From the time we wake up in the morning to the moment we call it a day, and every moment in between (think bedroom, bathroom and dinner table), we’re checking in on our favorite social media sites.
This conclusion comes from data gathered by an independent study (commissioned by Retrevo), which surveyed 1,000 online individuals.
Per the report, our Facebook and Twitter (Twitter) activities continue even after we’ve hit the hay, with 48% of respondents checking in on activity when they wake up in the middle of the night or as soon as they wake up in the morning. Unsurprisingly, these night owl social media behaviors skew heavily toward those under the age of 25. Continue reading: http://mashable.com/2010/03/17/social-media-usage-stats/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Mashable+%28Mashable%29
Monday, April 5, 2010
What is Google Buzz?
Go beyond status messages
Share updates, photos, videos, and more.
Start conversations about the things you find interesting.
http://www.google.com/buzz
(you can watch a video about what this new tool is all about)
So what exactly is Google Buzz? It is a tool you use on your desktop PC or mobile, Buzz makes us think of an RSS combined with all of your social networking—all within the existing Gmail and Google.com infrastructure and (good/bad) security wall.
On Tuesday, February 9th, Google launched Buzz for Gmail, a service for sharing thoughts, multimedia, and your social media feeds with your friends utilizing Gmail (Gmail) as the conduit. The result: over 160,000 Google Buzz posts and comments per hour.
Buzz is an open platform, meaning that developers will soon be able to create new apps for Buzz — everything from iPhone apps to analytical services will be built on top of it.
Buzz's five key features include:
• Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed on Gmail)
• "Rich fast sharing" combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing
• Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends)
• Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content, like the photo viewer we mentioned above)
• "Recommended Buzz" puts friend-of-friend content into your stream, even if you're not acquainted. Recommendations learn over time with your feedback.
Read more at Wikipedia...
And check out GeekSystem...
Stay up to date with Google news, by reading their blog.
The question is, do YOU need Google Buzz if you are already on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger.com?
Should you continue your social marketing reach on this new tool for your company or organization?
Reviews are mixed.
According to Mashable.com (The Social Media Guide) "The social media landscape has been permanently altered. To ignore Buzz would be a costly mistake, because Google has finally created the definition of a game-changer." So they feel we need to be using this new tool.
PCWorld.com asks "How big is the potential market for Buzz? In theory, at least as big as the total number of Gmail users, I guess." Again, that is a big pool of users, but do you want to jump in?
Your users already have a what feels like hundreds of ways to share content with their friends: Facebook and Twitter are two popular choices. Blogging is another. E-mailing text and images to friends is still very popular. We are not seeing how Buzz will add positively to those choices, but then again, past Google tools have been wonderful!
YourPlanB.com will continue to monitor and test this new cool toy from Google. We will keep you posted on our opinions. If you have any questions about social marketing and your marketing plan, give us a call!
Share updates, photos, videos, and more.
Start conversations about the things you find interesting.
http://www.google.com/buzz
(you can watch a video about what this new tool is all about)
So what exactly is Google Buzz? It is a tool you use on your desktop PC or mobile, Buzz makes us think of an RSS combined with all of your social networking—all within the existing Gmail and Google.com infrastructure and (good/bad) security wall.
On Tuesday, February 9th, Google launched Buzz for Gmail, a service for sharing thoughts, multimedia, and your social media feeds with your friends utilizing Gmail (Gmail) as the conduit. The result: over 160,000 Google Buzz posts and comments per hour.
Buzz is an open platform, meaning that developers will soon be able to create new apps for Buzz — everything from iPhone apps to analytical services will be built on top of it.
Buzz's five key features include:
• Automatic friends lists (friends are added automatically who you have emailed on Gmail)
• "Rich fast sharing" combines sources like Picasa and Twitter into a single feed, and it includes full-sized photo browsing
• Public and private sharing (swap between family and friends)
• Inbox integration (instead of emailing you with updates, like Facebook might, Buzz features emails that update dynamically with all Buzz thread content, like the photo viewer we mentioned above)
• "Recommended Buzz" puts friend-of-friend content into your stream, even if you're not acquainted. Recommendations learn over time with your feedback.
Read more at Wikipedia...
And check out GeekSystem...
Stay up to date with Google news, by reading their blog.
The question is, do YOU need Google Buzz if you are already on Facebook, Twitter and Blogger.com?
Should you continue your social marketing reach on this new tool for your company or organization?
Reviews are mixed.
According to Mashable.com (The Social Media Guide) "The social media landscape has been permanently altered. To ignore Buzz would be a costly mistake, because Google has finally created the definition of a game-changer." So they feel we need to be using this new tool.
PCWorld.com asks "How big is the potential market for Buzz? In theory, at least as big as the total number of Gmail users, I guess." Again, that is a big pool of users, but do you want to jump in?
Your users already have a what feels like hundreds of ways to share content with their friends: Facebook and Twitter are two popular choices. Blogging is another. E-mailing text and images to friends is still very popular. We are not seeing how Buzz will add positively to those choices, but then again, past Google tools have been wonderful!
YourPlanB.com will continue to monitor and test this new cool toy from Google. We will keep you posted on our opinions. If you have any questions about social marketing and your marketing plan, give us a call!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Email options from POP to IMAP to webmail
There are many ways to get your email, from POP accounts with your cable provider to free email through your favorite browser. Let me explain some of the glossary terms first, then I offer links to Best of the Web 2010 (courtesy of about.com), services and software options.
Post Office Protocol (POP):
is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection. POP and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) are the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval. Virtually all modern e-mail clients and servers support both. The POP protocol has been developed through several versions, with version 3 (POP3) being the current standard. (thanks wikipedia)
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP):
is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval, the other being the Post Office Protocol (POP). Virtually all modern e-mail clients and mail servers support both protocols as a means of transferring e-mail messages from a server. (thanks wikipedia)
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP):
is an Internet standard for electronic mail (e-mail) transmission across Internet Protocol (IP) networks. SMTP was first defined in RFC 821 (STD 15), and last updated by RFC 5321 (2008) which includes the extended SMTP (ESMTP) additions, and is the protocol in widespread use today. SMTP is specified for outgoing mail transport and uses TCP port 25. (thanks wikipedia)
E-mail client:
is a computer program used to manage email. Specifically, the term email client may refer to any agent acting as a client toward an email server, regardless of it being a mail user agent, a relaying server, or a human typing on a terminal. In addition, a web application providing message management, composition, and reception functionality is sometimes considered an email client. (thanks wikipedia)
The Complete List of Reader's Choice Awards 2010 Winners for About: Macs
Numer One:
Apple Mail
The Runners-Up:
Thunderbird 3.0 - 9%
Mailsmith 2.2 - 4%
Entourage 2008 - 3%
Eudora Pro 6.2 - 2%
The Best in Email 2010 - The Reader's Choice Awards
Mozilla Thunderbird — 54.82%
Outlook — 28.43%
IncrediMail — 9.64%
eM Client — 4.57%
Pegasus Mail — 2.54%
Webmail:
is an e-mail service intended to be primarily accessed via a web browser, as opposed to through a desktop e-mail client (such as Microsoft Outlook, Pegasus Mail, Mozilla's Thunderbird, or Apple Inc.'s Mail). Very popular webmail providers include Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and AOL. (thanks wikipedia)
Best free email services 2010 Readers Choice Awards
Gmail — 45.50%
GMX Mail — 20.87%
Yahoo! Mail — 18.875
Windows Live Hotmail — 7.94%
Zoho Mail — 6.83%
In our office Thunderbird rules for our email client and Gmail is our most used webmail option on both the Windows machines and our Mac.
Post Office Protocol (POP):
is an application-layer Internet standard protocol used by local e-mail clients to retrieve e-mail from a remote server over a TCP/IP connection. POP and IMAP (Internet Message Access Protocol) are the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval. Virtually all modern e-mail clients and servers support both. The POP protocol has been developed through several versions, with version 3 (POP3) being the current standard. (thanks wikipedia)
Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP):
is one of the two most prevalent Internet standard protocols for e-mail retrieval, the other being the Post Office Protocol (POP). Virtually all modern e-mail clients and mail servers support both protocols as a means of transferring e-mail messages from a server. (thanks wikipedia)
Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP):
is an Internet standard for electronic mail (e-mail) transmission across Internet Protocol (IP) networks. SMTP was first defined in RFC 821 (STD 15), and last updated by RFC 5321 (2008) which includes the extended SMTP (ESMTP) additions, and is the protocol in widespread use today. SMTP is specified for outgoing mail transport and uses TCP port 25. (thanks wikipedia)
E-mail client:
is a computer program used to manage email. Specifically, the term email client may refer to any agent acting as a client toward an email server, regardless of it being a mail user agent, a relaying server, or a human typing on a terminal. In addition, a web application providing message management, composition, and reception functionality is sometimes considered an email client. (thanks wikipedia)
The Complete List of Reader's Choice Awards 2010 Winners for About: Macs
Numer One:
Apple Mail
The Runners-Up:
Thunderbird 3.0 - 9%
Mailsmith 2.2 - 4%
Entourage 2008 - 3%
Eudora Pro 6.2 - 2%
The Best in Email 2010 - The Reader's Choice Awards
Mozilla Thunderbird — 54.82%
Outlook — 28.43%
IncrediMail — 9.64%
eM Client — 4.57%
Pegasus Mail — 2.54%
Webmail:
is an e-mail service intended to be primarily accessed via a web browser, as opposed to through a desktop e-mail client (such as Microsoft Outlook, Pegasus Mail, Mozilla's Thunderbird, or Apple Inc.'s Mail). Very popular webmail providers include Gmail, Yahoo! Mail, Hotmail, and AOL. (thanks wikipedia)
Best free email services 2010 Readers Choice Awards
Gmail — 45.50%
GMX Mail — 20.87%
Yahoo! Mail — 18.875
Windows Live Hotmail — 7.94%
Zoho Mail — 6.83%
In our office Thunderbird rules for our email client and Gmail is our most used webmail option on both the Windows machines and our Mac.
Monday, March 22, 2010
SPRING - think green (some ideas to make your office more green)
As spring begins to make an appearance, we can't help but begin to rethink how our office can be more green. Now granted, we use green as our company color, but there are others ways to go green too!
1. ceramic coffee mugs: not only show off your company's logo, but also reduces the use of styrofoam and wax/paper cups
2. dry erase mini boards vs. post it notes: another chance to lesson the paper at your desk but still feel the sense of accomplishment as you check completed tasks off of your to-do list.
3. eco friendly office supplies: like recycled folders, paper, pencil, pens with paper barrels
4. digital frame: don't print those show and tell photos, instead put them on a digital frame. they come in sizes as small as a keychain or 8X11 for at your desk.
5. stainless steel water bottles: another way to illiminate styrofoam or paper/wax cups
6. telecommute: use internet or conference calls more, save yourself the trip! there are many online options like webex.com or freeconference.org
7. walk, bike or take public transportation: try to do this more days than driving into work! Chicago offers some great options, check out transitchicago.com
8. join a car sharing organization: like zipcar.com or igocars.org
9. electronic mailings: we have switched to all client billing and announcements (vs. printing + snail mail) and you can too! constantcontact.com is an easy to use solution! quicken.intuit.com is another option.
10. reuse paper: we only bought one box of paper last year! you can too by printing on the other side and using PDFs more often. createpdf.adobe.com
11. recycle your cell phones: (donate to a good cause!) recyclemycellphone.org or ncadv.org
12. Unplug your cell phone, laptop computer, and other electronic device chargers when your battery is fully charged or when the power cord is not in use. The "power brick" transformers continue to use electricity whenever they are plugged in. More tips here: mwalliance.org/resources/efficiency-tips
Overall our goal is to reduce, reuse, recycle and buy smarter.
And we hope you will join us!
1. ceramic coffee mugs: not only show off your company's logo, but also reduces the use of styrofoam and wax/paper cups
2. dry erase mini boards vs. post it notes: another chance to lesson the paper at your desk but still feel the sense of accomplishment as you check completed tasks off of your to-do list.
3. eco friendly office supplies: like recycled folders, paper, pencil, pens with paper barrels
4. digital frame: don't print those show and tell photos, instead put them on a digital frame. they come in sizes as small as a keychain or 8X11 for at your desk.
5. stainless steel water bottles: another way to illiminate styrofoam or paper/wax cups
6. telecommute: use internet or conference calls more, save yourself the trip! there are many online options like webex.com or freeconference.org
7. walk, bike or take public transportation: try to do this more days than driving into work! Chicago offers some great options, check out transitchicago.com
8. join a car sharing organization: like zipcar.com or igocars.org
9. electronic mailings: we have switched to all client billing and announcements (vs. printing + snail mail) and you can too! constantcontact.com is an easy to use solution! quicken.intuit.com is another option.
10. reuse paper: we only bought one box of paper last year! you can too by printing on the other side and using PDFs more often. createpdf.adobe.com
11. recycle your cell phones: (donate to a good cause!) recyclemycellphone.org or ncadv.org
12. Unplug your cell phone, laptop computer, and other electronic device chargers when your battery is fully charged or when the power cord is not in use. The "power brick" transformers continue to use electricity whenever they are plugged in. More tips here: mwalliance.org/resources/efficiency-tips
Overall our goal is to reduce, reuse, recycle and buy smarter.
And we hope you will join us!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
This blog has moved
This blog is now located at http://blog.yourplanb.com/.
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