Response to WordPress bashing
I keep up with many blogs from companies in the journalism industry, and I saw this one the other day and just had to write a response. I know that TownNews provides content management systems and the WordPress is a competitor, so of course there’s going to be smack-talking about your rivals. But I still disagree with many of the assumptions Bob Strupp makes. Strupp says WordPress is not a good long-term solution for news organization because: 1. Key staff members leave. Tell me something I...
Read MoreVoice of the Valley
I was invited by Christina Bendickson Wagner, the host of Voice of the Valley on KNFX 1100 AM, to be on her show. I showed up at the radio station this morning very excited, although it might be hard to tell from the interview. I try to tone down the enthusiasm, otherwise I start sounding really high-pitched and I talk too fast, and that makes for bad radio! But enough about me, I did my best and that’s what counts. Christina was a very cool host, asked great questions and I had a great...
Read More45 percent of small businesses don’t have a website
I saw this great infographic on FormStack, and while it was nicely put together, the survey results it presents just blow my mind. For example, 45% of small business don’t yet have a website. And how is it that 41% of businesses think they can get along just fine without one? I have to wonder what they are thinking? Being on the web is a no-brainer. Just like every business should pay their taxes, every business should have a website. Why? Get found. Even if you don’t sell any...
Read MoreGangPlank Jr. begins journalism program for kids
Curiosity drives children to explore and learn. As any parent can tell you, children are constantly full of questions. It’s that same drive that makes journalists want to investigate and tell stories about what’s going on. “The Gangplank Jr. Journalism Program seeks to build upon this natural curiosity, teaching kids to use their powers of observation to inform others. Participants will learn the importance of the first amendment, how to write different types of stories such as news and...
Read MoreI should take my own advice
I am always telling people how important a web presence is for their business. A few months ago, I decided to redesign my website. I slapped an “under construction” page up and started working on it a bit at a time. Then came more work and more family obligations and pretty soon months went by without me looking at my site. Then, at an SPJ event last week, public relations superstar and all-around sweetheart Sally Baker called me out about my lack of a decent website. Boy, was my...
Read MoreWhat we can learn from UFC
I was watching UFC Live on Versus 4 with the old man last night and several interesting things happened in that match. The main event consisted of two fights: Charlie Brenneman and Rick Story, followed by Pat Barry vs. Chieck Kongo. In the first match, the two welterweight fighters were not originally scheduled fight each other. Rick Story was supposed to go up against Nate Marquardt, but Marquardt didn’t pass his medical examination and was removed from the bill at the last minute....
Read MoreThis one time, at PodCampAZ…
Mark this on your calendars! *PodCampAZ 2011 *November 12-13, from 9am to 3pm *University of Advancing Technology Even though I’ve been to PodCamp the last three years, I’m extra excited about this year’s, because I get to sit on a panel and talk about WordPress. Come watch me trip over my tongue and I attempt to answer all your WordPress-related questions! PodCampAZ, now in its 5th year, is awesome. There will be tons of great sessions, covering topics like social media,...
Read MoreIn one ear, out the other
Why hire an expert to help you solve a problem, if you’re not going to listen to that person’s advice? When you’re sick, you go to a doctor. He’s a medical expert. If he says take a certain prescription x number times a day, you can’t pop a pill once a week and expect your ailment to go away. Same thing with my car. I didn’t know why it was making those arrrungacnk arrrungacnk noises, so I hired a car expert/mechanic to explain it to me and tell me what my...
Read MoreLiberation
I ran into the marvelous Pam Slim this weekend at LaidOffCamp Phoenix and had the opportunity to sit and chat with her a bit. See, a while back, Pam had written a post on her blog that really resonated with me. I liked it so much, I decided to “steal” that idea and write a book. Of course, when I saw Pam, I told her all about it. Imagine my surprise when she said I wasn’t “stealing” the idea the idea at all, but rather “liberating” it. The change of...
Read MoreFun + Charity
Looks like GangPlank Jr. is hosting a poker tournament in order to raise money. I think they are doing amazing things for youngsters and I might just participate, even though I suck at poker. More info:...
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