Homer is a designer that can work with a client from the beginning to the end of a project. He codes, he does graphic design, and he understands common problems many sites have and knows how to resolve them. Seemed like a knowledgeable person to seek answers from. I got up the nerve to ask Homer for an interview and he was kind to accept. Last week, we had a great discussion. What did I ask?

• His thoughts on using templates. Are they evil or are their valid uses for using them? Besides my own experiences, there was a debate in the community about it as well. Ironically, Scrivs mentioned the template debate in his article yesterday.
• Should designers know how to code? We discussed showing live code to clients as mentioned on 24 Ways and the pros and cons of using that approach.
• Is Flash dying? With the iPad coming out without Flash compatibility, will designers move away from using Flash?
• What payment terms do you think is fair for the client and the designer so that, in the event the project does not make it to completion, neither party loses out?
• Is a designer’s web site a reflection of their skill and talent? What about portfolios that do not properly show the designer’s talents?

Side note: I miss creative portfolios like Dave Werner’s. I couldn’t think of the link when I was talking to Homer but I wish I had because I would have loved to know his thoughts on Dave’s portfolio.

• Do you think there is a disconnect in the pairing of clients and designers? Rarely does a designer have full reign to “design” on a project.
• In his opinion, did he think most designers could resolve problems like reducing exit and bounce rates or spreading traffic through the site instead of focusing on the front page?
• How closely should the client watch over a project? Homer gives examples on how he communicates with clients.
• Is mobile (and the upcoming iPad) compatibility something that a client should expect when a design is done?

We had an in-depth discussion. Without further ado: right-click/save as (1hr 01m)

Thanks Homer!

Don’t start an article with a false premise

“Ugly designs abound on the web, and behind each and every one of them is a “designer”.”

MySpace is filled with ugly sites that are “designed” by people who have no desire to be a designer. So are websites, especially blogs. There have been many times I hacked at a design and I liked it, but designers said it was ugly. However, I have zero desire to be a designer. I think that stating that there is a designer behind each and every website is inaccurate. Actually, I know it is. I’m proof.

It’s all a learning experience

Have you ever been warned not to do something and you did it anyway? Everyone eventually receives advice they don’t listen to. I have been on both sides of the fence. People warned me not to date a guy (for example) because they saw things I did not see. I learned the hard way they were right. I have also warned people in different aspects (for example, business) not to do something, had proof to back up my point, but the person couldn’t see what I saw. My archives are littered with me warning against something and later on down the line, it happened.

Now put yourself in the frame of mind when someone was advising you not to do something and you did not listen. Your mind was made up, for whatever reason. In the end, when it all fell apart, you had your friends and family there to support you. Perhaps you were teased about it, but hopefully they didn’t hold it against you.

That is exactly what is happening with clients, designers and the situation described in the entry. For example:

After all, a good client recognizes that you’re the designer, and that while it’s their business, you have more experience than they do when it comes to design particulars.

They’ll appreciate it when you say (tactfully) that the giant flashing banner on the home page and all that scrolling text just isn’t going to give the impression they’re after. While it’s important to listen to your clients, don’t be afraid to step up and tell them why something isn’t a good idea.

Sure, you might lose some clients if you refuse to bend to their every poorly-thought-out decision, but the clients you retain will be easier to work with and will likely give you more design freedom. These clients will also likely refer more work to you, both directly and indirectly.

So “bad” clients are the ones that don’t do exactly what the designer says? Basically what the article is suggesting that if the designer recommends an alternative idea (which I agree) and the client does not accept it, the designer should dump the client. I read the article and thought WTF? You want to know why?

Do YOU listen to every piece of advice given to you…even by experts? Absolutely NOT. Never expect from people, strangers no less, more than you are willing to give yourself. Instead of doing something stupid (yes, I said stupid), put yourself in the client’s shoes and remember each and every time someone who ended up being right advised you against doing something and you didn’t listen. Learn from that experience.

What if the designer is wrong?

I could come up with a design that would be wacky to a designer but work perfectly with my audience. I can imagine discussing the concepts with a designer and he or she politely telling me I was wrong and why he or she thought I was wrong. I would still want to go with it anyway.

Why? Because I know my audience. Very well.

Perhaps the designer is correct and the flashing banner is the wrong move to make but what if the client is right? Don’t get me wrong, I know clients can make some outlandish requests at times but is it right for a client to go against their gut instinct because the designer said not to?

Ever been told something was going to break very soon if you didn’t take the more expensive option, you took the cheaper option and didn’t have to replace the object for years? Did your parents suggest you should be a doctor, you opted to be a lawyer (insert occupation here) and today, you are happy with the choices you made? Each person will have many stories over time where someone told them to do one thing and, going against their gut feeling, went with their advice and regretted it. You will find hundreds of articles from writers suggesting to follow your gut instinct because who knows what is best for their company better than “you”.

This is what designers (and just about anyone who works with people) have to deal with. It’s their business and in the end, the business owner should always do what he or she feels is the best decision…even if it is stupid…so they have no regrets. There is no way to know what the designer’s suggestion will work miracles. Let’s be real: just as there are a lot of bad suggestions from clients there are a lot of screwed up designs by designers who swore their design was the optimal solution for the client.

Wisdom prevails

Now that you are in the frame of mind that people make mistakes, you are going to realize that clients will not always accept your advice. What do you do about it? Dump clients? That’s not very smart is it? With the age of social media and people sharing their experiences, do you really want your ex-clients putting on Twitter how a designer wouldn’t take their work because the designer didn’t agree with the them? Want to know how that will play out? The designer will seem like the biggest asshole because even if the client wanted floating ducks across their site, it is their right…and people will side with the client.

Since designers don’t have to put every project in their portfolio, simply remove the ones that don’t project the image the designer wants to convey. That has NOTHING to do with working with a client that doesn’t agree with the designer.

Give the client what he/she wants (after warning them of course) and let them go through the learning experience of finding out, first hand, why the design didn’t work. If you provide them with a positive experience when things do not work out, the client will most likely remember that the designer warned them on what would happen and come back to have the job done properly.

I know…why not just skip the first design and skip to the one done properly? For the same reason you didn’t listen to the wiser person when he/she warned you not to do something and you did it anyway…it’s a learning experience.

However, this time when the client comes back, a lesson will be learned and there will be more respect for the designer. Remember, respect is something EARNED not freely given. Look at the bigger picture. Instead of dumping the client, realize the client (with new found respect) will be more likely to recommend you. Word of mouth is a stronger recommendation than any other type of marketing.

Or you can take the advice of the person writing the article but I guarantee you this…unless you have other income, if you turn away those clients, you WILL eventually end up settling. To eat and pay the bills. Instead of thinking of it as settling, think of it as helping someone learn a lesson.

Even though I knew Mom was terminally ill, it was tough dealing with her passing. I miss her terribly. I know this might sound silly, but I just want to talk to her. We laughed every day, even while she was sick. The last time I saw her…she was smiling. I told her I loved her and I was kissing her face. I am much better than I was a month ago so I guess time is healing that wound. She always felt “celebrate my life, not my death” so I’ve been trying to breathe that spirit but a small part is pissed off she’s gone.

I’ve become much more productive since she passed. It’s weird…now that I can do whatever I want, whenever I want without offending anyone…it’s ON! My logic has changed considerably because I am more willing to take chances now. Things work out the way they should because if I moved earlier I’d have a ton of unnecessary debt right now. But more than anything else – and what makes me have ZERO regrets – is that by not moving earlier, my Mom had her last years around her friends and familiar places. Before I found out she was ill, I had regrets…countless. I was starting to beat myself up about it. Now I have none because I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Funny tidbit of information: Forbes released their list of Top Most Miserable Cities. Guess what is #1? You got it baby!

I haven’t been blogging much (my apologies) but I have been writing! I’ve been writing (ghost writing) premium content that is later resold. The funny thing about ghost writing is trying not to sound like me. I really enjoy ghostwriting. It also helps with my goal of making my income completely not based on where I reside (so I can be more mobile). No point in moving if I have to keep coming back and forth to Ohio. I was cool with coming back when I was wrestling with the idea of honoring Mom’s initial wish of not wanting to move (it was a way to keep an eye on her) but now? I could see myself spending a couple of weeks here a year (since I own a house here) but that’s it.

I’ve also helped some online buds with their new projects. I really enjoy doing that and I have to say I get immense joy in watching them create something from nothing…and watching it grow.

Back to the house, I received some very good advice that I honestly did not think of previously. Weatherproof the house so it will handle potentially no one being in it (if I don’t rent it out). I have started to do that and I am glad I did because I found air holes and little minor things that could have devastated this house over time. The kids and I are working on it. Yes, their father was working on the front room and, per usual, didn’t follow through (I posted pics of him working on the room). Amazing so much time went by and he’s still a screw up. He didn’t even call to say he wasn’t going to finish (he worked just enough to get enough money to move…then poof!). The kids want nothing to do with him…they prefer life without him (my daughter might be talking about that herself so this isn’t a secret and I feel they earned the right to vent). He can’t come into their lives, make a few bucks, then disappear again and expect that to be okay (I warned him). Too much bad history there to overcome. The kids are handling it like champs though. They are so strong and I’m very proud of them (especially since this particular situation isn’t a secret). So…we’re being family-like and handling it ourselves…you know…like we always have had to do since he’s never been around.

Let’s see, what else…

One day my daughter dropped the Florida bomb…everyone slowly looked at her in shock. Now she’s hyped on Florida, is working on meeting friends there and is really looking to the warm weather and doing “stuff”. Unlike in the past, I’ve been making friends there (SWFL) and I have to admit I was wrong before. Liking the place and having friends there doesn’t skew the reasons for moving. It makes it easier to bond to a place, which wasn’t happening at all previously. Duh!

I’ve been pushing my limits with games. I finished Mass Effect 2 (I lost two people – Miranda and the Tech…no matter what I did the Tech died. Oh, to settle the forum bet – I got Thane and Jacob. Haha, you guys were right…Jacob was too good to pass up and well worth it!). BioShock bored me – too much repetitive killing coming after Mass Effect 2. I have Fallout 3, Battlefield Bad Company 2 drops today and I pre-ordered it, Dead Space, Dragon Age, and Mass Effect 1. I haven’t been playing much because I’ve been writing and working on the house.

Speaking of working on the house…I’ve gotten rid of 4 TVs, 1 microwave, a couch, two large chairs, 4 dining room chairs (I still have 4), and a bunch of old stuff like every piece of fake fruit/flowers in the house that my Mom liked but I didn’t have the heart to get rid of while she was living. Went through a good portion of my brother’s things too. As an explanation, when Mama (my great-grandmother) died, my grandmother (Mother) kept some of her things. When Mother died my Mom didn’t get rid of any of her things (they got passed to me and into the attic they went). Now that my Mom passed, I have Mama’s, Mother’s, Mom’s and my brother’s stuff to go through. Yeah…oh happy day. Just going through the stuff was like a burden before because I knew someone would be pissed I was getting rid of stuff. Mom was a firm believer in keeping things that could still be used. Sorry Mom but it feels good cleaning house.

I have been working on the site – under the hood stuff. Like properly tagging old entries and fixing them (some lost formatting merging things). I haven’t been online chatting much. I decided I will be opening up comments later on and even the forums. I think I’m going to go with Vanilla (forums) because I honestly like it better. The other one I was using had a lot of bloated and incomplete features. I’ve got an interview coming up shortly…maybe this week. Me interviewing someone not me being interviewed LOL.

Haha, so much for a brief entry. I wanted to let you guys know I’m okay, the kids are okay and we are moving forward everyday to the new life that waits ahead. I’ll keep you posted!

XOXOXOXO,

Tyme

Depending on the situation, that’s stupid logic. Yes, I said stupid.

Do you want this to happen to you?

The couple down the street owns a house. They have a daughter. Normal family, they did not use computers much and definitely did not use geolocation based services. Probably seemed like an average day but it all went wrong when someone decided to rob their house. Unfortunately, the daughter broke the routine and came home early from school. They only beat her “a little bit” to shut her up. The couple divorced…that day life as they knew it changed.

Let’s look at the logic again: if Marty checks in using a geolocation based service, that doesn’t mean the house is empty. Does Marty really want someone breaking into the house when his wife and or child is at home? If something happened to anyone in his family, would he be able to forgive himself for using a service that was unnecessary?

While I’m at it, let’s break down the other stupid logic: not knowing someone’s address. We’ll step away from the fact that there are services that, for under $10, you can find out just about anything you want to know that is public record. If you are a homeowner your property records are public record. Bingo, a thief has your address, for minimal effort, without the homeowner putting it online. Someone living in an apartment or living in some else’s home has an added layer of security but that does not mean the information cannot be found. That same $10 or less service can usually provide address/phone number information because somewhere along the way, the person gave up their private information on something that is considered public record or to a party that sells the information. Happens to the best of us.

Other considerations

I have found that people have an unrealistic image of thieves. I have seen many comments describing thieves as violent, unintelligent people. This is an extremely naive point of view. Once these services become mainstream, everyone uses them. That includes criminals and those with deviant behaviors. I read an article about a drug dealer who used Twitter and you would never know; reading the person’s tweets, the “job” being tweeted about was dealing drugs. Thieves go where the money is and will adapt to use technology to make their job easier, just like any other profession. Think of the time saved staking out a place if the homeowner conveniently checks in with a geolocation service.

Also consider the kids growing up today are computer savvy. A small percentage of these kids are the thieves of tomorrow.

Possible solutions

The only way to fix a problem is to first, admit there is a (potential) problem. Geolocation based services are security risks – plain and simple. For many using those with houses their homeowners insurance will NOT protect them if they are robbed. A homeowner is supposed to use due diligence to protect the house. Just like adding an alarm will bring the insurance premium down I can see using these services raising premiums through the roof.

But there ARE good uses for geolocation based services. For example, my friend Bill took a trip and checked in all through the road trip. In the event something happened to him, people would have an idea where to look. SXSW (or events like that) is another example where knowing where your friends are comes in handy. Let us find some solutions where we can have our fun (geolocation based services) and no one gets hurt or robbed.

1) A way to opt-out an address: Give people a way to make sure their home address never shows up, even if someone checks in at their place. The caveat is, due to their being multiple services; the person would have to go to multiple services to opt out.

2) Restrict check-ins to commercial locations only: This might be the smartest move for long-term privacy protection. Perhaps tying in with Google Maps there would be a way to easily know if a location is commercial or residential.

3) Children: The argument of “know what your child is doing” falls apart when the device the child is using is a cell phone. Children cannot be expected to have the wisdom of an adult. To protect children perhaps there should be some sort of parental controls. There have been enough cases on children meeting up with people they thought were kids but were actually adults. If the child is using a geolocation based service, they don’t have to “meet up”…the other person just has to “show up” at that location.

4) The only residential addresses that show up are those attached to an account where the owner of the account opts-in that the address shows up publicly.

5) Keep the geolocation service private, within their own community. Not a member and a friend of the person? You cannot see the updates.

In the end…

I have no doubt that if the conversation about protecting privacy begins, the smart minds of the community will find a solution for the services to thrive and for everyone to be safe. Instead of being afraid to talk about it, let us look the problem in the eye and resolve it.

You know…before something bad happens.

Let’s say you buy a house on a acre of land. You love your house, you take great care of it. One day the city informs you they need that land to build a mall and you have to move. You own the house but you don’t own the land.

How would you feel?

In the comments of that entry, I said:

Bloggers need to be smarter about their strategies and optimize the network relationship. Blog networks are going to have to evolve because (hopefully) bloggers will wise up and realize they can do more to gain better exposure. The average blogger in these networks think about the paycheck and they don’t explore all their options.

I took a lot of flack about my stance, even though it was from a pro-writer position. As a blogger, if you own the content and don’t own the domain, there is a risk that the writer could be asked to leave the domain. This is a risk the writer knows going into the deal. My suggestion for the writer to optimize their position to a greater position of strength seemed logical. Of course, writers didn’t see the bad side (getting laid off or fired) and leaped at the opportunity to earn an income. Except the bad side always occurs, it is inevitable.

Yesterday, b5media let their freelance entertainment writers go, without notice, and launched a new site today called Crushable.

We are writing to inform you of the termination of your contract with b5media Inc., effective February 16, 2010. Over the past six months, the Company has progressively made significant strategic changes to refocus and regenerate its business. This termination of your contract is needed to support the changes made to our corporate structure and business operations.

WTF Happened?

This was inevitable but the way they went about it was, in my opinion, sloppy and disrespectful to their writers. It seems the company decided to change direction in regards to how they reported entertainment news. Previously, they had many niche blogs focused on single target audiences. For example, a Lost blog focusing on news about the television show Lost. If the blog excelled the traffic would become sticky…fans of the TV show. They launched stark.com which seemed to cover a little bit of everything, and they abandoned it. Today, they launched Crushable, which has a very specific target audience:

Now, a growing audience of more than 2 million young women now have a place to visit for entertainment news, intelligent content and cultural insight previously unavailable to them

Their target audience is women under 25. Their welcome entry:

Crushable–smart, funny and genuine–combines celebrity news, style and a wide spectrum of content that appeals to an engaged, entertainment-obsessed audience. Our features include a gossip reporter’s account of life inside the Hollywood bubble, and a guide to getting the Lady Gaga look, three different ways.

Yes, I realize the welcome entry doesn’t mention their focus on young women. And yes, that is a crappy welcome entry. However, the point is they have three staff members(?) listed, they did not need the niche blogs anymore, so they told their loyal writers to get out just as coldly as they welcomed their new readers. It is very common for online ventures to launch a new site thinking it will fix the problem instead of resolving the problem on the old site. In this case they are changing direction…will that resolve their problems? Probably not.

Hmmm…there is something missing…

If you noticed above, I mentioned owning the house and being asked to move the house because of not owning the land. The reason why is because Jeremy Wright (previous CEO) and I did a podcast in which he mentioned b5media bloggers owning the content and could do what they wanted to with it. In the podcast, Jeremy gave the example of a blogger writing a book with the published content and the company would not care.

Why were the bloggers yesterday locked out of their sites without giving them access to their content?

Over time, did the bloggers sign their rights away? I do not have access to their contracts but unless things changed, the bloggers should have been able to not only take the content with them but also order the content taken down (if they wanted) since the contract has been terminated. The bloggers owned the content and gave b5media a license to distribute it…according to that podcast. Let me be clear…Jeremy is no longer with the company so things might have changed…meaning the bloggers somewhere along the way signed their rights away. Which is possible, as people are notoriously known for not looking at the small prints in contracts.

If they didn’t sign their rights away…

Yes, they lost a paycheck but make the most of the situation:

1) Get a copy of the content and rebuild.
2) Revoke the license for b5media to use the content…unless you want them to continue to use the content, make some money and not pay you.
3) Never put yourself in a position of weakness again.

If you insist on not owning the house and the land, make sure you own some premium property elsewhere. Just in case you are evicted from the house…that can never be your home because you don’t own it.

This is a screenshot from the game Mass Effect 2. The game was a revelation for me because it reminded me of something I knew, but forgot along the way. See the blue and red bars? The blue bars are paragon points, for being good in the game. The red bars are renegade points, for being bad in the game. In most games, there is one bar showing the total of good and bad (completely hiding bad actions if there were more good actions).

Life does not work that way.

No one is perfect, everyone makes mistakes and most mistakes should not follow someone forever. In Mass Effect 2, they make it very clear which actions are good and which ones are bad. The player makes the choice to do bad. When I first started playing Mass Effect, I didn’t like two bars. I wanted my paragon bar to be maxed with no renegade because I wanted a “good” character (note her name – Angel). As I played the game, there were situations where I wanted to do the renegade action. For example, a bartender tried to poison my character. Going back and confronting the bartender was clearly marked as a renegade action (which I did). It became clear I had to make a choice: either play the game making decisions I did not like to have full paragon points or I played the game that would be most fun (or made the most sense) to me and have renegade points. You can see what I did.

Real life is the same way.

Goody two shoes…

No matter how good someone tries to be, they’ll end up doing something “bad”. I consider myself “good” but I still do “bad” things, depending on the situation. If someone steps to me wrong, I am not going to be a “good little girl” and take it because I believe people treat you the way you allow them to treat you. The truth: most people know when they are doing a renegade action and they have an idea, if found out, how “bad” the outcome would be. When people talk negatively online about their jobs, they have a pretty good idea that there would be a price to pay if the co-workers they were talking about read what they said. It’s cowardly, to go online and vent instead of speaking up. However, people do it every day and people get fired for it every day. Why? People foolishly believe they will not get caught. This does not change the action of saying something behind someone’s back being a renegade action.

The goodest of the good do bad things. Do you go over the speed limit? Never tell a lie? Pay all of your bills on time? Always keep your word? Ever go over budget or over spend? There are renegade actions littered within good actions. The good actions do not make up or take away the renegade (bad) ones.

The goal to recovering from mistakes

The goal is simple, right? A person should have more paragon (good) actions than renegade (bad) actions. There is one problem: doing good does not equate to wiping away the bad. You cannot change your story, you cannot re-write history, you cannot change your past. Many people do something good to receive the benefit of clouding the bad action. For example, an employee might seem to be hard working but that is only because the worker is trying to cover the lie told that the project was further along than normal. Or a cheating spouse might get a gift for their mate to ease their guilt.

The key to recovering from a mistake is doing good; expecting nothing in return.

Doing something for the benefit of receiving something in return is not a good action; it’s a manipulative act to get your way. This is why many people fail to recover from big mistakes; their intent was not sincere. They end up reverting to the old behaviors because nothing changed, outside of getting caught.

Going back to Daniel’s situation, to recover he’d first have to sincerely apologize. Most people did not accept the statement as being sorry for what he did. However, the apology should happen when he has changed and it would bother him not to apologize, not to get in anyone’s good graces. He would also return any items he might have received in exchanged for writing the articles, especially since those articles were deleted. Keeping the merchandise (if he received any) would bother him if he sincerely changed. Eventually, doing “good” things for the right reasons (if he sincerely changes), people will leave the past in the past. The motivations behind the good actions are pure and non-selfish.

When trust is broken it takes time. There is no rushing the healing process and no guarantee the trust can be rebuilt. The best option is to not take the renegade actions unless you’re sure you can live with the outcome.

Edit: Daniel did an interview. Note how he talks as if he still works at TechCrunch in the beginning. Note he dodges with the details with what happened with the solicitation of items in exchange for articles. Personally, I think Daniel should have kept his mouth shut. So much for Andrew helping to build the kid up. Let me be clear on this: Andrew keeps asking Daniel what happened with his “exclusive” interview. /smh Doing this interview proves Daniel is too wet behind the ears to be in tech. It pains me to watch this video. On the real.

There is another article about the behaviors of the tech scene by Loren. He makes a good point about the parents making the decision on who their son is around professionally.

Daniel Brusilovsky is a 17-year old entrepreneur and student residing in the Silicon Valley. Daniel has been producing media content online since February 2007, and has hosted numerous podcasts along the way.

Daniel is also the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Teens in Tech Networks, a company that provides a suite of products to enable the youth to post their content online, as well as collaborate and interact with others. Teens in Tech Networks was founded in February 2008, and currently has 16 employees worldwide.

Sounds like Daniel has a good start going for him, doesn’t it? Matter of fact, the Teens in Tech conference starts today. Unfortunately, for Daniel, he made a big mistake:

On Monday evening I received a phone call from someone I trust who told me that one of our interns had asked for compensation in exchange for a blog post. Specifically, this intern had allegedly asked for a Macbook Air in exchange for a post about a startup.

After an investigation we determined that the allegation was true. In fact, on at least one other occasion this intern was almost certainly given a computer in exchange for a post.

The intern in question has admitted to some of the allegations, and has denied others. We suspended this person while we were sorting through exactly what happened. When it became clear yesterday that there was no question that this person had requested, and in one case taken, compensation for a post, the intern was terminated.

Daniel potentially blew his career for a Macbook Air. You’d think, since his business employs 16 people, he could easily afford a Macbook Air. You’d also think he’d know better than to use his valuable TechCrunch connection to receive goods in exchange for entries. You’d think his ethics would be stronger than that. I know, he’s a kid right? Kids make mistakes. This “kid” is an entrepreneur holding conferences and employing people. Step into the adult ring with his actions, he doesn’t get to pull the “I’m a kid” card. If he’s a “kid” he shouldn’t be CEO, should he? That is an adult position and he was punished as an adult. He was terminated, all this entries were deleted, and although not named in the entry initially, people figured out who the intern was, and the entry was edited to include a link to Daniel’s apology. I’m not buying the apology.

In some way or another, a line was crossed that should have never been. At this time, I do not want to go into details, but I will publicly say that I am truly sorry to my family, friends, TechCrunch, and especially the tech community.

He did not take responsibility for what he did. He did not admit what he did. How can someone be sincerely sorry without owning up for what they did? Sorry he was busted…no doubt. Sorry for what he did? It’s not showing in his apology entry. I wonder if the people at TechCrunch believes his apology. The timing of the exposure is perfect. TechCrunch could have waited until after the conference to expose Daniel. Let me be clear, I’m glad they didn’t, because this is part of the learning experience. Daniel betrayed people who trusted him and misused his authority. It is fitting he has to deal with his betrayal during his tech conference, just as an adult would, but what about after the conference? How does one recover from a big screw up like this?

The Recovery

Personally, I think Daniel needs to leave tech alone. His ethics do not match what is needed in the industry for success. People don’t change overnight. If he tried to receive a Macbook Air, there are probably other areas where he crossed the line ethically. Getting caught doesn’t change the way a person thinks, often it just makes them smarter in how they break the rules.

Let’s say the goal is to stay in technology, how does one recover? It’s a lengthy process. One Google search will always bring up what Daniel did, which is why he has to own up to it to atone. Talking about what he did, using himself as an example on how easy it can be to cross the line, and showing his process of moving forward will slowly gain respect from his readers. Honestly, many teens and adults would cross the line. Just because an opportunity for success arises does not mean the person is ready to maintain the success. Daniel had an opportunity, he blew it, and would have to earn it back by rebuilding the trust he broke. Talking about the situation over time would eventually over-shadow the news about his mistake. There is one caveat.

He can never screw up like this again.

If he makes another ethical mistake, it would be much worse as the previous mistake would arise along with the current one. Doing nothing means the mistake will always follow him. Atoning means his ethics changed, and that takes time to prove. If he thinks he can “be a kid” and come back later to the industry, he’s mistaken. This will always follow him and will be like a thorn in his side unless he deals with it.

This method works because each city is independent of each other. The city itself has different price variables, for example taxes. The cost of doing business in the upper scale cities will be higher; therefore, the prices will be higher to make up the difference. If you think about it, not only are taxes, products and services higher so are salaries. Each city has its own economy.

Online activities do not have distinct locations like cities unless they are closed communities. For example, if a community had an income requirement and, based on that income requirement, set their prices. What I often see are business owners giving people two different prices based on their perceived income for the same product or service. In most cases, the company owner does not have higher overhead to account for to justify the higher prices.

You realize how and why that can fail miserably, right?

Share and share alike

This is The Share Era. People go online and share their experiences about everything…even things it might be wiser to keep private. If an online business owner is offering a product or service it would be wise to keep in mind that people talk, and scaling up (depending on the product or service) might hinder the ability for growth. People can share negative experiences just as easily as sharing positive experiences. Ironically, people tend to share the things they don’t like before sharing the things that please them.

Pricing by income for an online product or service would mean making many assumptions on the business owner’s part. Even if the business owner was accurate, is it a wise thing to do? For example, I am often quoted a higher price for things because the assumption is that I am rich (I’m not). Most times, I recognize the higher price and rarely, do I feel the extra price is worth it. I’m not getting a better product, I’m getting the same product for a higher price. I could see if they played the celebrity method…charge higher and give better service. I’m paying three times more, put me at the front of the list (if only to get the money faster). Give me a better warranty. Give me a reason to pay more. In the celebrity world, they pay more for better service attached to the same products and services. Greedy business owners don’t think that way. They think client with money = their potential to make more without giving more.

Let’s say I take the higher price, I’m pleased with the work, and I recommend the company to my online friends. My friends will ask me how much I paid and what service(s) came with the product or service. I tell them the price I paid – the higher price. What if I make more than my friends (especially since most online “friends” are strangers)? My friends won’t use the company because their prices are too expensive. If the company approaches my friends with cheaper prices, that opens the door to alienate their high paying client. If I find out about it, and I most likely will, that’s a wonderful blog entry, isn’t it? How I was charged more because of the assumption I make more. Without extras to fall back on, my point would be easily proven. The door is also open for competing companies to approach my friends, and myself, with lower prices and more service.

Think this doesn’t happen? Wrong. It happens daily. Every day on Twitter I see people sharing their experience, it gets re-tweeted away outside their friend circle, and someone comes up saying something like, “Wow, I only paid $500. Sucks to be them!” and eventually someone clues in the original poster about the price difference. Or, after sharing their experience, someone will say, “You can get a better deal going with XYZ” which is another “friend” sharing their positive experience. Of course, once the knowledge is out the company owner charges based on biases, who is going to want to accept the higher (artificially inflated) price?

What to do?

Depending on the product or service, I recommend pricing by the hour or service. Make sure all the variables are including in the hourly/service price. If a product takes a similar amount of time, the price will be similar and not dependent on the income of the purchaser. This way, if I recommend the company, my friends will lesser incomes (or higher incomes) can get a similar deal with a similar level of service. The sharing level is equal and has more potential for growth. Also, it makes it easier for consumers to scale up or down the price. Maybe they don’t need as much or need much more. The negotiation doors are open without affecting previous or future customers.

Basing business decisions on greed will usually lead you down the wrong path.

The iPad is perfect for her. It does exactly what she needs. It will let her watch movies and listen to music and read books on long flights. It will make using a computer fun instead of an annoying chore.

But it also won’t allow her to install umpteen news and weather gadgets that start up on boot and slow her computer to a crawl. It won’t suddenly forget how to talk to a network, or get so confused by all of the software installs and uninstalls that you finally have to break down and reinstall the system from scratch. In other words, my mother’s next computer is going to be an iPad, and I dream of the day when I can finally throw off the oppressive chains of being the one guy in the family who knows how to actually keep a computer working.

Translation: He’s getting his Mom an iPad because it’s more convenient for him. He will no longer have the burden of being the one to fix the family computers.

When I read that I cringed. Actually, I thought, “What an ungrateful asshole” and I left it alone. Seeing more responses like his and remembering pain from disloyalty I went through, I decided to write about the ungrateful disrespecting behavior I’ve noticed lately. And before you tell me, “Tyme, he probably didn’t mean it that way…”

Research: Am I the only one?

I wanted to know how others felt about the article. I asked people their opinion about the article without stating my thoughts. First, I asked my kids. My daughter’s jaw dropped and my son gave his WTF eyebrow arch when they got to “oppressive chains” part. Then I asked them what they thought about it. They both said they didn’t have to worry about having to fix my computer because I build my own computers. Besides that, they thought the point of giving a gift is giving the person what is TRULY best for the receiver, not what is convenient for the giver.

Next, I moved on to my friends, who said they would never put something like that in writing about their Moms. It’s a disrespect and a sign of disloyalty. They would be afraid their mothers would read it and it would hurt her feelings. By this point I became curious about the disconnect and wanted to push the boundaries further.

Armed with my iPhone, I asked some ghetto kids (maybe 15-20 in age) how they felt about the article. Yes, they looked at me kind of funny but I told them it was research. Similar reactions. They did not fix family computers but they understood what it was like to be the only one in the family that could fix cars, fix things around the house, understand technology…the parallels are the same (actually, fixing cars is worse than fixing a computer). They knew what it was like to have people always come to them, when they could handle it themselves even if it meant paying for it. However, they all said if their mothers needed something, they had no problem. Some shared stories on hard how their Moms had it being single parents or how much their parents sacrificed for them. They might not be the best kids (they admit that) but if their parents need something, they get it, inconvenient or not.

Since I wanted to go to the mall, I decided to hit the suburbs and ask around there. Different target group. Recharged the iPhone and went to work. This time I asked kids, some with their parents, to read the article and express their thoughts. Let’s just say the parents weren’t pleased at being “a burden” but the kids had the same attitude expressed in the article. The parents would joke, “I can’t wait until I am released from the oppressive chains of having to be a limo service for you” or something like that but the WTF look was on their face. One father said to his son, “Nice to know how loyal you are.” The kid didn’t get it…too busy complaining (bragging?) about being the tech whiz in the house.

The last test group: older mothers. Still in the suburbs, I went to a different mall – where the more mature crowd hangs out. I always feel undressed going there. Anyway, I looked for wedding rings, prayed they had some kids, and did the same thing. These women were more than happy to talk. See, parents are wise and they know when their kids feel they are a burden. Many hate to ask. Reading the article they expressed their disdain in knowing all the sacrifices they made and all the hard work they put into trying to raise their children right…and that’s the result? It’s a pain in the ass to fix the computer? It was a pain in the ass to save for their college education – why not pay that money back? Or the contribution to the weddings. Free babysitting. They had a nice long list too but one thing was very clear: it would hurt them if their child bought them an iPad not because it was the best option for her, instead it was the easiest way of getting out of fixing computers.

Another interesting tidbit: some of the mothers were not computer savvy, but some were slowly learning. The ones more advanced said the iPad was too limiting. They can’t video Skype with their grandchildren because the iPad doesn’t have a camera. Picture sharing isn’t as easy either. They prefer reading paper bound books, for the experience, and adding the books to their libraries. Some like playing games on Facebook. Their point: as they learned to do more on the internet, they do not want to be confined.

More examples…

I had my own experience with ungratefulness and disloyalty which cause me to open my eyes and question how I was treating the people in my life and how they were treating me.

I had a friend, let’s name him Andy who, at the time, I’d known three or four years. Platonic friendship, we went through a lot together as life tends to throw hurdles when we least expect it. He went through some hard times, it seemed one bad thing after another. I knew he wasn’t doing the best he could, I knew he had the potential to be more than he was, I knew he lied to try to hide he wasn’t doing the best he could, I hoped that one day he would sincerely want to do better. I also knew, from experience, he was at the “screw up” age – the prime age to screw up, get it over with, and move on to a better life. Better to screw up earlier than later in life when the price is higher. I tried to be a loyal friend. No matter what was going on he didn’t have to question whether, if he needed me, if I would help him out. There were two instances when I said, “I can’t do this” because, frankly, I would have been an idiot to do it…anyone would have.

Andy met a girl and after a month or so, felt she was “The One”. Sort of, because he didn’t treat this girl very well initially. I warned him he’d lose this girl if he kept it up. I guess he lost the girl then did what guys typically do, he wanted her back. Which, of course, leads to the “making it up to her, jumping through hoops” stage. During this time I noticed my friendship with Andy changed dramatically, even mentioned it to the guy I was seeing at the time. I became the person he spoke to only if a problem arose. I didn’t understand why, wondered what I’d done…until recently. While gaming with friends, the guys were casually talking about the things guys do jumping through hoops for women that, in the end, were a waste of time. During that conversation, I saw very clearly what happened between Andy and I. He must of told the girl some of the times I helped him out, instead of being grateful he had a friend who had his back, she became jealous (maybe hurt he lied to her) and I got the shaft. A woman Andy knew for a couple of months wiped out and was more important than the three to four years of loyalty I consistently showed. If I was the girl, my response would have been, “Andy, I’m glad you have a friend that supports you. I’d like to meet her one day. But, we need to deal with our problems as a couple…” Given the fact that she benefited by my actions and I tried to help HER out by telling HIM to straighten up (literally, I put my foot down but, behind my back (and hers), he still did what he promised he would not do – so much for really liking that girl, right?), I didn’t take the realization very well. My heart broke like glass. Especially since that opened my eyes to other betrayals that fit together like pieces to a puzzle. For some reason Andy holds on to screwed up people and lets go those who are truly loyal.

Look around the internet and you’ll see people reveal things that will make you wonder what type of person they really are. People who, literally, love technology more than their spouses. People who aren’t trying to “network” with people because they feel they legitimately have something in common; instead, they attract because of what they feel they can gain from the people they are attempting to connect to (without giving something in return, of course). An alarming amount of people openly complain about their jobs yet, if they lost the job, would be broke (we won’t get into they could change their job). It’s odd how people don’t appreciate what they have, seek more, and slide into unsavory behaviors treating people in a way they most likely would not want to be treated themselves.

Not long after that, my Mom passed away.

My Mom and her computers

I had a different attitude about Mom and computers. I wanted her to experience everything the internet had to offer, if she wanted to. I got her top of the line computers. I taught her how to use them. Did I occasionally have to fix her computer? Sure. Did she learn how to fix many of those issues herself (and how to avoid them)? Over time, she did, because I taught her. The benefit? I had the pleasure of her interacting on the forums with me and in comments. My readers had the opportunity to learn from her, interact with her and have fun with her. She watched my online business and sites change and evolve. I laughed with her every day, even when she was sick. Before she died, the image of her I have: smiling. Saying she loved me. I can still feel my lips on her face and I remember how her hands felt in mine.

I’m grateful that, not once, did I feel the “oppressive chains” of fixing her computer.

And I’m especially proud I was loyal, grateful, and appreciative until the end. I’m glad I didn’t become selfish and opt not to get her top of the line computers because it would have been an inconvenience to me. Do people go overboard asking for free help with their computers? No doubt, but I think it is twisted when people place their parents in that category, considering how much our parents sacrificed to help us be the people we are today. In most cases, if they could do better, they would. Educate them instead of punishing them.

Check yourself

Take a look at the people in your life. Are you treating them the way they deserve to be treated or are you treating them what is convenient for you? Are you showing your appreciation to the people in your life? Are you becoming selfish and ungrateful to those who have earned your loyalty? Do you have your priorities straight?

Get it together.

One more rant about the article…

And you know what? There are millions upon millions of people just like her out there. They outnumber us. And they finally have a chance to become productive, self-sufficient computer users instead of constantly asking family members to fix their computers or, even worse, keeping the Geek Squad in business.

• Parents don’t outnumber kids. How did that happen since parents die off at a fast rate? Look at the census numbers. Ages 0-64 beats 65+.
• Youth outnumbers older adults. The kids coming up today start being power users at a young age.
• The iPad is NOT being marketed as a computer but you can sync a computer to it.

Inconsistency = Not Good

I find a headline that sounds interesting. I go to the web site. The site name is ISeeYou (I just made that up) all as one word. However, go to the bottom of the page, next to the copyright date, it says I See You. I look on the RSS feed, it says I See You. Another example, another imaginary web site with the name widgetri in lower case letters. On the footer, it says Widgetri. Which one is the correct one? Who knows? I tend to use whatever is on the footer or the RSS feed. If that’s the wrong, I don’t want to hear about it. Make a decision and stick with it.

Why is this important? One of the goals of brand identity is for large numbers of people to have the same image of a company. Same name, same logo, same impression. Since today is Apple Day, let’s use Apple as an example. They use the bitten apple as their logo, their name is Apple, and they are known for quality hardware. It is widely felt that without Apple’s brand, the company would not survive. That their loyal users are not loyal to the products, they are loyal to the Apple brand. This seems to be true. The tablet hasn’t been formally announced yet people are waiting in anticipation and are begging their spouses to allow them to purchase one. One can’t have loyalty to a product they’ve never seen, never used and hasn’t been released.

One other big difference

Many of the large companies that are not consistent (for example is it Walmart or Wal-Mart?) started prior to the internet, meaning print media prevailed. Wal-Mart Inc. is the company name and at one time their logos reflected the hyphen. When the internet became popular, Wal-Mart had a problem. People would go to walmart.com instead of wal-mart.com and there was inconsistency with the branding. They refreshed their logo to Walmart. They are consistent in using Walmart when referring to their brand and Wal-Mart when referring to their corporate name.

You aren’t one of the big guys

Big companies have already established their brand. Nike can get away with doing NIKE and everyone knows it’s Nike and the swoosh image. Best Buy can have a logo in caps and everyone knows it is Best Buy. There is only one Nike and only one Best Buy. These companies started their brands when print media was the only option. Today, millions of people have blogs and companies want people to share their experiences with products and services on their blogs and social media profiles. Unless a site has spent the money to globally lock down their brand, odds are there is (or will be) another site or company with the same name. Owning the domain name is not enough protection against that. Widgetri could have a highly popular blog at widgetri.wordpress.com when someone else owns widgetri.com. What will set them apart? What they offer and their brands.

Keep it simple

Pick how you want your company name displayed and stick with it. If you use lower case, be consistent. If you make the name all one word, keep it that way. Just because you see other sites being inconsistent doesn’t mean their decision is a smart one. This is the age of sharing online and social networking. When it comes to your brand, especially to avoid legal issues, be consistent not only with your marketing but with the quality of products and services you provide.

Or not. You’re probably not meant to have brand loyalty like Apple anyway.