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Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Just upgraded the system to Movable Type 3.2, so I'm crossing my fingers that nothing is broken.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
With my focus now getting more into Weblog Design, I needed to redesign this site to reflect my skillz. Please be patient if things look messy.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Podkast.com
I'm not sure if there'd be any interest in it, but it's a great URL and it's a shame to just let it sit there - so if anyone's interested in owning Podkast.com, go forth and check it out, or feel free to shoot me an email.
I really haven't figured out what I could do with it. Thought of doing a Podcast search engine, or a Podcast directory, or even just starting my own Podcast that was weird and bizarre (hence the "K"), but with my energy elsewhere I really haven't gotten down to implementing anything. So I'm putting it up for sale in hopes that someone else with more imagination and drive can make something great out of it.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
New Google AdWords Blog about the inner workings and thoughts of the Google AdWords team. Very cool. Hopefully we can see more like this from GOOG.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
AKQA has been awarded the online advertising and web development duties for Coca-Cola Zero, a new zero-calorie cola, to be introduced in June.
This marks the first client win for AKQA's New York Office. Spending was not released. Crispin, Porter + Bogusky will handle offline duties.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Oh hey, would ya look at that. The Interactive Advertising Bureau finally updated its rich media standard size and technical requirements.
So what, it's been three years now? It was 2001 when the IAB said they'd update them, but only the in-page units have been updated. Couldn't handle the pop-up and pop-under guidelines or something.
ClickZ has more on this.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Poynteronline outlined the 2005 Web Design Predictions from Forty Media, including (finally) the expected retreat of "retro" sites - to be replaced by the 'wicked worn' look championed by cameronmoll - and the deviation from the standard "5-piece" design (header, menu, sidebar, content, footer).
Crazy enough, the color of the year is supposed to be Brown.
I'm not so sure I disagree with that (hell, rs.com is pretty much brown - I'm so damn ahead of the curve I amaze myself).
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
A little while ago I started reading Guy Kawasaki's book Art Of The Start - a book all about starting things. It sounds like a generalized statement, "starting things", but that's pretty much what its all about.
Get off your ass, and do something. But more importantly, do something you're passionate about.
So I have - I decided to start a new blog (about something that I'm passionate about): Orbitcast.com, a blog about all things Satellite Radio. And I'm amazed at it's incredible success in less than one month of being up.
In the past two days, I've seen literally 14 TIMES more traffic to Orbitcast.com than I get on Ryansaghir.com. Perhaps because Satellite Radio is a subject where there's very little un-biased information out there (do a Google search - the lack of REAL info is shocking). Perhaps it's because there's two very exciting companies (XM and SIRIUS) that have very passionate followings (Howard Stern fans and Opie & Anthony fans). Whatever it is, it's blown my mind and invigorated me like crazy.
And it all comes back to this book. I'll be honest, I haven't finished reading it yet, because I got so inspired that I went off and started Orbitcast. But if there's any book that'll get you out of a rut, it's this one.
So get out there, and start something. It's amazing what happens.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
AdWeek: In a bold move, Yahoo has fired their in-house marketing group that numbered fewer than 20, and has given the online creative duties for Yahoo to OgilvyOne.
Yahoo's relationship with Soho Square, the team that handles their traditional advertising, was unaffected by this.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Awesome commercial for the new Citroen C4 will surely be a viral ad throughout the net (if it isn't already).
Am I see things, or is the dance a nod to the Days Go By/Mitsubishi Eclipse Video? Regardless, it's one of those commercials you can watch a bunch of times.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Nielsen Media Research is pushing ahead with a controversial plan to begin reporting TV ratings from households with digital video recorders (DVRs) beginning in the Spring of 2005. The kicker is that they unveiled a surprising component of their strategy - they'll be using paper - diaries to be more specific - to measure recording and playback of digital recordings in most U.S. TV Markets.
Whoa hey, slow down boys, that's getting a little TOO techie for those silly DVR folks.
Currently they're testing an "eight-day diary" in DVR households to collect playback of digitally recorded programming. Apparently the initial test results showed that it was difficult to get diary households to fill out the data on a 24-hour basis, so the company has opted to test the eight-day diary instead.
Great move.
The Spring '05 data will not include so-called "trick" viewing features such as slow-motion, fast-forward, pause and repeated replays that can occur on a second-by-second basis.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Clickz: Contexual ads finally gets easy for TypePad users. Six Apart, the makers behind blog software TypePad and MovableType, partnered with Kanoodle to let TypePad blog authors offer contextual text link ads (beginning in the first quarter of next year).
TypePad subscribers will be able to add Kanoodle's content-targeted sponsored links to their blogs through the TypePad interface. Much like Google lets is Blogger users sign up for AdSense to help generate blog revenues.
"TypePad's subscribers are creating some of the Web's most innovative content and we are committed to providing them with additional services in partnership with industry leaders," said Andrew L. Anker, executive vice president of Six Apart. "Kanoodle demonstrates the level of relevancy and monetization that Six Apart and our customers demand."
Any word as to whether this will be available for MT as well?
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
Marketing Vox: Ballmer's Math Not Adding Up; Predicts Microsoft Ad Growth Well Below Google's
Microsoft chief Steve Ballmer told shareholders that the software giant would catch up to and surpass search leader Google, but his estimates for ad revenue growth over the next five years open up questions as to whether or not he intends that to be a long-term eventuality.
Ballmer told the meeting that Microsoft's ad revenues would double over five years - which sounds large, but represents only a compound growth rate of about 15 percent (a point completely missed by journalists covering the event). If Microsoft doubled its 2004 ad revenues of $360 million, it would only approach about a quarter of the ad revenues generated today by Google, which presumably would have grown at least slightly over the course of 20 quarters.
"We will catch up, we will surpass," Ballmer told shareholders.
Uh huh.
On a side note:
Yeesh, it's amazing how freelance work goes sometimes - when it rains, it pours. Sorry for the lack of posts, now that I have a tiny ounce of free time, posts will come again. Thanks for the patience.
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
The most expensive presidential advertising campaign in history closes Tuesday (thank god), with President Bush's and Senator John Kerry's political parties and allied groups having spent a mere $600 million total.
That's triple what was spent 4 years ago.
Since March, Kerry and the Democratic Party have poured about $250 million into TV and radio ads - compared to about $240 million for Bush and the Republican National Committee. (OMFG!)
Liberals bought about $70 million worth of airtime, whereas the conservatives spent $40 million or so.
Republican and Democratic strategists alike say the biggest reason for the record spending was the 2002 campaign finance reform law, which barred political parties from collecting corporate and union money. So, the parties hustled to raise hordes of money from wealthy individuals. (Which explains the huge spike in individual donations shown in this month's Wired Magazine)
Tue, 20 Sep 2005 9:02:22 CDT
