I try not to divulge into politics when writing online, but apparently this week’s posts may hit a nerve for some people. Apparently, open source software is communist.
"When you program open source, you program communism" - A reminder from your friends at Microsoft
I don’t if I could disagree more. Open Source software is available all over the internet and even in mobile devices. It benefits both the consumer and the capitalist distributor.
Apple, Adobe, Google, Linux, and numerous other platforms and coding languages allow developers to create applications and software to the public. They may offer a “demo” version, which then you can get more features with the paid version, or they may place ads on the free version to offset costs.
Sometimes, they just want to test out an idea, with plans of charging for a paid application/service in the future. (Ning was originally free, Tungle.me is still free but says it will offer a paid service in the future.)
The consumer benefits from this because they get free software and applications; I don’t need to say anything more.
Whether you think open source is communist or capitalist aside, there are tons of free applications that everyone should take advantage of. This week, I would like to tell you about some of the system tools I use on my Windows computer. Read the rest of this entry »
7 Ways to Bring Your Website into the 21st Century
July 5, 2010
Websites have sort of become the “bandwagon” that everyone is jumping on, but many of us don’t think about what a website really is, can do, and how to make it easily accessible and user-friendly.
With “cookie-cutter” design, we often make the mistake that Intuit or webs.com knows what is best for our website and end up with something that does absolutely nothing for us. That’s why I despise those websites, and really push that people work with an individual, a website designer who actually meets with them face-to-face, knows them, works with them, and can provide a personal and unique website on the other end.
That said, here are seven easy ways to bring your website into the twenty-first century, whether that means changing up your “cookie-cutter” design, or passing these along to your designer. Just keep in mind that this is by no means an exhaustive list, but a starting point.
Social Media Surrogacy
June 28, 2010
We’ve had some pretty interesting movies recently including the famous Avatar and then Bruce Willis’ Surrogates. Both of these movies deal with the idea of living as another being without having to go anywhere, and this other being is referred to as an avatar or a surrogate.
It is kind of nice to think about living in an alternate reality, with an alter ego, and defying all previous boundaries. And yet, we don’t have to go far to make this alternate reality a reality. SecondLife, chatrooms, and now social media have let internet denizens leave the real world and enter the world of cyberspace.
Some individuals have used the internet as a way to fulfill their perversion (online sex offenders) and caused parents to worry about their children having free-realm on the computer. But sometimes we need to think about what we teach our children and apply it ourselves… Read the rest of this entry »
Free Advertising
June 14, 2010
Advertising and Marketing are key components to any business, but can also rack up the bills, and take a lot of time. In addition, conventional advertising schemes are not as effective as they used to be. Take direct mail for example; how many direct mailers do you actually read, and how many do you send straight to the trash?
Direct mail, email marketing (a.k.a. spam), signs, posters, newspaper ads… their effectiveness is little to none depending on the industry. Why? Because people are tired of getting yelled at. All these methods are one-way; the company “shouts” something at the target. They want personable, relatable individuals to have conversations with them. So how does a business achieve this?
Non-profit vs. Not-for-profit
June 7, 2010
Non-profit organizations have been around for awhile, a company structure that allows a company to not have to pay property taxes and other taxes, and also allows contributors to make tax-deductible donations. Examples of non-profit organizations would be Focus on the Family, American Red Cross, your local church or mosque, or even United Way. They get a break on taxes and the like, but then they can’t force anyone to pay them for their services.
Not-for-profit organizations are really a relatively new idea, and its definition does not come from its structure, but rather in how it operates. A not-for-profit organization could be Read the rest of this entry »
