Search Results for: questions

How Sprint Pushes Customers Out the Door

July 11, 2006 by Liz

There’s Barriers, Then There’s Badly Broken

Yesterday I wanted to switch my son’s Sprint/Nextel account over to online pay. I knew the drill. I’ve done it before plenty of times on plenty of websites. I hit pay bill and enterred the data. They requested a BAN passcode. Huh? What’s that?

Under that picture was this disclaimer:

Note: The approval process can take up to 10 business days. If you have a payment due before then, please use another payment method.

I contacted Customer Care online as asked and got this reply 30 minutes later. [Read more…]

6+1 Traits of Search Engine Relevant Content

July 10, 2006 by Liz

Get Relevant

A 7-year-girl stands staring at a 27-car pile-up in which her dearest pet, a golden retriever, was thrown from the car onto hard pavement. The pup is in the road unmoving and ignored. A TV reporter — desperate for a Pulitzer — asks the child, “How do you feel now that your dog has died?”

The thoughtless question to the little girl is irrelevant to the story about the 27-car pile-up.

The reporter herself is irrelevant to the little girl. . . .

Unless the little girl caused pile up and killed puppy, her feelings (besides being obvious) just aren’t relevant.

Maybe that works on TV, but not the Internet. That reporter would have Google Page Rank Zero. Who’d do a Google search for a story on how that little girl felt? [Read more…]

ul and ol — The Secret Life of HTML Lists

July 10, 2006 by Liz

Things that Folks Don’t Tell Each Other

When I learn things, I pay attention to the things that folks don’t tell each other. They are usually obvious little details that people who know them don’t even think about. When they appear they can be a total surprise, or hard to look up, or interrupt when I’m in the middle of things.

I remember clearly the first time I wanted to make a numbered list in HTML. I didn’t have a clue how to do it. I knew it had something to do with those two tags — ul and ol, but that was as far as my knowledge went.

Now I know and if you don’t, I am going to reveal the dirty details, the secret life of making lists in HTML. [Read more…]

Frosted Mini-Wheats Design that Hooks Readers

July 8, 2006 by Liz

Quality of Life

I see the picture on a telephone book. That’s not me there. That’s not anyone I know. That’s stock photography. I can spot it from a mile away. It looks like a wallet photo. It looks like the picture that comes inside a picture frame that I bought at the office supply store — flat and cheery with no humanity behind it.

The same is true of some blogs and websites. They look expensive, but they have no heart. They don’t call to me in any way. Stuff is there, but the music for my eyes is missing. My finger clicks before I think.

Take a moment to stare at a blank wall. Then look at your blog as a stranger might. Is there something that pulls you in, a promise, a wink, a hint of relaxation or surprise? If you don’t see an emotional hook there, perhaps your blog need a makeover to get some “Frosted Mini-Wheats” design. [Read more…]

Great FUN: IM the Encarta Robot on MSN Chat!

July 2, 2006 by Liz

For Research, Homework, Fun

Keith Dsouza could carry on an intelligent conversation with anyone. So when MSN made a robot toanswer questions based on the information in Encarta. Keith was the perfect guy to challenge the robot to a conversational test run.

He did it to make sure that children everywhere would get the right answers on their homework.

Great Find: Talking to a robot on MSN Chat

Permalink: http://techie-buzz.com/technology-buzz/talking-to-a-robot-on-msn-chat.html

Audience/Topic: Anyone with MSN Chat and questions to research or kids with homework

Content: It’s easy to tell that Keith had fun doing the research and writing this article. He also spent the time to see exactly how and how well a the robot interface works. You can follow his questions and see word for word what the exchange was. The value the robot offers for kids who want to learn more about their favorite subject is right in Keith’s post. I can only imagine what my son might have done with this had it been around when he was young.

At the end of the conversation, Keith explains the easy as 1,2,3 how-to that is working with MSN Instant Messenger encarta@conversagent.com. MSN has found a great way to take on the ubiquitous Gmail with this one.

Keith has a future in reporting for kids. He kept me spellbound. He also might have a budding friendship with the Encarta robot.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

Introducing Manage to Change

June 25, 2006 by Liz

SOB Hall of Famer: Manage to Change by Ann Michael

“Manage to Change” provides a forum to discuss how change impacts people and businesses. By sharing observations and asking questions, we try to develop strategies for anticipating change, viewing it positively, adapting, and even changing the rules of the game as often as possible.

To some degree the focus is on information management: What will happen in the world of content creation, marketing, distribution/delivery, and the
business models of media and publishing, as technology advances and consumer demands change?

Notes from Liz: Ann Michael thinks of change in context. Change to her is part of a process.Ann approaches her life and her work with determination, energy, and constant attention to what might move things forward in a positive, supportive fashion. Read her comments, on this blog or the many blogs that Ann visits, and you’ll know that Ann likes to laugh and likes to study business — how it works and how people think. She is an intringuing and powerful combination of likeability, laughter, and downright competence. Read her blog and you will see what I mean.

–ME “Liz” Strauss

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