aliza sherman rants and raves

Second Life ventures just as pointless as you'd thought - WalletPop

Second Life ventures just as pointless as you'd thought - WalletPop.

Cleary an example of shoddy "journalism" and one of the many reasons why the general public doesn't understand new media or technology and buys into the hype, misconceptions and untruths. This article is on a site owned by AOL that tries to pass as a "financial" site.

Clearly this writer was on deadline, saw the Gartner report about companies failing in Second Life, grabbed a few lines, threw in a few completely uninformed comments to look like she actually did some work (which she didn't because they are all inaccurate), and then called it good.

Everything about her article offends me, particularly as someone who covers companies who are finding success in using Second Life as an extension of their businesses. Not to mention the Second Life entrepreneurs who are making hundreds or thousands of dollars each month from their Second Life venture. That's real money, not the "imaginary Linden Dollars" that this writer refers to in her piece.

Shame on you Carol Vinzant. Next time, do a little research. And you call yourself a financial reporter.

(Note how many posts she publishes a day on WalletPop. No wonder she doesn't have time to research her stories.)

Forbes.com to Roll Out Exec Women's Net

Forbes.com to Roll Out Exec Women's Net.

Besides enabling corporate ladder climing women to establish profiles and meet other professionals, the network will also feature original Forbes-produced content, including features from the company's ForbesLife Executive Woman magazine.

Hmmm...wonder if women business owners can join. Wonder if it is free. Wonder if it is worth wondering about.

Social Networking and a Small Town Business - Why Bother? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once.

Social Networking and a Small Town Business - Why Bother? - Liz Strauss at Successful Blog - Thinking, writing, business ideas . . . You’re only a stranger once..

I love Becky McCray - she wears her small business/rural cred on her sleeve and it is so important because often rural businesses are overlooked by the rest of us and rural businesses can truly benefit from all the tools the rest of us are using and touting. Yay Becky! Check out her blog post on Liz Strauss' excellent blog at the link above.

The UPS Whiteboard Headquarters

Link: The UPS Whiteboard Headquarters.

Saw a text link ad for UPS Whiteboard Headquarters today, and for the first time ever, I clicked on a text link ad.

The site has some cool gee whiz interactive animation sequences that tell stories to sell UPS services.

You can move around the HQ by selecting your need such as visibility & trakcing; shipping software; streamline supply chain; reduce paperwork; or sell stuff online.

Or you can use the Whiteboard Navigator to go to areas such as Products and Services like Billing Solutions, CampusShip, Paperless Invoice, and Quantum View. You can search by bigger categories like Big Business, Small Business and Environmental. Then there is the Lobby, Theater, Library, Workshop and Break Room.

I don't really have a need for shipping and thus no real need for UPS, however, I did poke around a little because I was curious about the delivery of their message.

Is this an effective advertising/marketing campaign? Here are my immediate thoughts:

1. Click-thru. It got me to click on a text link ad - something I've never done until today. It was on an email forwarded to me by someone I know through NPR.org. I guess I clicked because it was connected to NPR.org.

2. Click around. It got me to click around - if for no other reason than to figure out what UPS was doing.

3. Conversion. It didn't get me to inquire more about UPS services because I'm not their target market.

However, back to the text link ad: Because it was on an email sent via NPR.org and by a trusted colleague, I took the leap to click on the ad link.

To me, what UPS is doing through their animated tours to sell their services via the UPS Whiteboard Headquarters is a bit over the top but interesting as a curiosity.

What really works is the way they delivered their link to me - through the "Email a Friend" feature on NPR.org. This gives their ad link the double whammy of trust: It was on an emai sent to me by someone I know and sent via a web site for a media outlet I know and respect. Smart.

4. Chatter. Regardless of whether or not I personally will partake in UPS's services, what they are doing online right now was a catalyst for a Tweet and a blog post from me. Not bad, UPS, not bad.

What do you think about the UPS Whiteboard Headquarters campaign?

Men Explain Things to Me | Reproductive Justice and Gender | AlterNet

Link: Men Explain Things to Me | Reproductive Justice and Gender | AlterNet.

Partway through Rebecca Solnit's essay about men who explain things to her, I had to stop and sigh. She was able to present her thoughts in a very lyrical, literary way. This is what creative non-fiction is all about.

I was also struck with how I found this article (via a Tweet) the day after I wrote this post: The Art of Self-Promotion. While not the exact same topic, it did touch on gender differences and inherent sexism.

If only I could deliver my thoughts with a bit more flourish. My writing tends to be very cut and dry which works in many venues, but I really just want to improve my skills as a storyteller. Feminist ideas go down so much easier when there is skill in the telling.