I noticed something about Facebook… not all of my friend’s posts make my front page - ever. Facebook seems to pick and choose what makes it to my default view by a “most popular news” thingee…

Which begs the question - how do they figure what’s most popular?

Which brings us to a second question - how long before businesses, who are starting to “get” Facebook, start looking to ”FSO” (Facebook Status Optimization… my term ) their way to the top?

Just a quick food for thought. And while we’re on it, WTF happened to Myspace? There’s fodder for another post.

Years ago, I used to work in computer tech support. It was 1996/1997, and computers (and the internet) were still somewhat of a novelty. At least for most people.

And I admit, the nerd in me took pleasure in the caller’s incompetence. I mean, really, how could you NOT know how to copy/paste? How could you not know how to create a shortcut. Etc. Etc. I even really got some of those calls that sound like an urban legend:

Caller: My computer boots to funny writing.

Me: What version of Windows do you have?

Caller: Oh, there’s no windows here - I’m in the basement.

Or how about this gem…

Caller: My screen says “press any key”, but there’s no “ANY” key on the keyboard… (yea, it really happened.)

Anyway, I look back now and can (almost) forgive some of the ignorance - like I said, all of this was new to many people.

But here in 2010, I am still somewhat shocked by some of the utter ineptitude I come across. Much of it has to do with e-mail. Now, these aren’t just regular homeowners (like the people I dealt with 14 years ago were) - I deal with businesspeople now. And frankly, I am a little surprised about a few things. So allow me to help - here are some things you just have to know about if you want to converse via e-mail.

• Learn about your spam folder, and learn how to set the settings so you can accept attachments. I cannot count the number of times I got a curt “you never sent the file”  when I did indeed send it. I always say “check your spam folder”, to which I get maybe twenty seconds of silence, then a quiet ”oh…”
  
  
• Learn how to quote properly. I do not need to read the entire last week’s worth of conversation in our exchanges.
  
  
• On that note, please lose the four-line signature about how this message was intended for so and so and there’s an army of lawyers standing by if anyone tries anything funny… Nothing says “spineless corporate weenie” quite like 4 lines of legal disclaimer at the end of every_single_e-mail you send.
  
  
• If I have to register to reach you (as in those annoying spam protectors), well, I don’t. You’ll simply never hear from me. Stop hiding and take your Viagra e-mail like the rest of us.
  
  
• Address book - learn it, and use it. It’s really not that hard. Trust me, sending me an e-mail as a “re” to a  mail I sent you last year tells me you don’t know how to use an address book.
  
  
• Please stop sending 10mb attachments unless 10mb is truly needed. It slows everything up. Learn how to compress a picture if you must. Or ask a ten year old to do it for you.

Ok, I know I’m a little snide here - sorry, that’s my inner tech support dude (he needs to get out every now and again). But in all seriousness, it’s every businessperson’s responsibility to learn how to use e-mail efficiently and correctly, for both you and the receiver.

Sometime last year, I found myself at the beer advocate website. I like beer a lot, and signed up so I could post on the forum. I made a post or two, and kind of forgot about it. Never went back, and never heard from them.

Fast forward to ten minutes ago. I get an e-mail from them offering a subscription to their magazine for $19.99. Having enjoyed a fine ale or two on the deck earlier tonight, I was in the perfect mood.  Went to their website, put in my cc info, and bang, they have a new subscriber. All because they spammed me.

Now I know some will disagree, but to me, that’s really not unwanted spam. And I kind of proved it by placing an order. I look at it this way: At some point, I said to this company “hey, I like beer”, and hence, a nice beer-related offer eventually made it to my inbox.

Well done, Beer Advocate. And cheers.

Here’s why I’ve been quiet - this will be the new Clear-Writing:

http://www.clear-writing.com/index10.html

As you can see, I’m going for MUCH more a “Dan Furman” angle than just writing. Now, it’s nowhere near finished - the links don’t lead anywhere, I’ll be rewriting the copy, I’m still not done thinking about what goes where, etc. But it’s finished “enough” for me to show it to you.

Look for a full unveiling sometime this summer.

I’ve been quiet lately - it’s because there’s a new website in the works. Essentially, I don’t like having “two” sites - I want to combine them. So basically www.clear-writing.com and this one will combine (more this one will be moved there, and both URL’s will point there.)

Basically, I want my blogging activity, affiliate stuff, and “me” over there, under one roof. It’s part of a slight re-invention. Not really, but I kind of want to move from “Professional writer Dan Furman” to “Dan Furman, professional writer and other stuff”. It’s not a huge change, but it’s big in my mind.

Anyway, I’ll still post here - just understand that most free time will be working on the site. Likely looking at a late spring / early summer (re)launch.