Don’t update your software/services just to update

Last night, Wordpress 2.5 got released to the public, and although I’ve had a decent time with upgrading our internal mirror for testing purposes and a couple projects still in development, it’s fried a few people, especially with those with lots of plugins or plugins that are actually meant for a little bit older version but have skated by.

I don’t blame Wordpress for this at all… this is a good time for a lesson.

When it comes to any new software or service release, I think it’s wise on production systems that you’re counting on to wait until the bugs come out.   Whenever you have an environment (your setup of computers, servers, programs, etc) that you’re counting on, restraint should be shown unless it’s a critical security release.   There is no way to test everything in every configuration.  And of course, as always, make sure there is a backup of your site or materials before jumping into everything.

You could lose days when you monkey with things that are working.  Not a web site, but I know someone who lost two days because of inadvertently deleting a USB driver.  Now, if they had had a complete, bootable backup, they could of re-imaged his Windows (put the exact copy back… a great program on the mac is Carbon Copy Cloner, I’m not a Windows guy, so suggests are welcome) and be back in business.

Sometimes, when things are working, it’s really not a smooth move to start messing with stuff.  Have a second, non-crucial system if you’re going to do it.

p.s. - Go Tigers!

Use The Right Kind of Designer

I don’t mean offense to many qualified print designers out there…

But dealing with a printed page is much different than a website (not saying one is better over the other). Their requirements are diverse.. as an interactive guy, it amazes me the ability that print designers have to take into account paper stock, finish, weight… a myriad of issues to create fabulous, eye-catching pieces.

However, I’ve seen those same designers do things on the internet like stick the navigation for a web site below the fold so you have to scroll to it, design with imagery that will take forever and a day to load… just as starting points… so in short, they’re different animals completely and their requirements need to be respected.

Not saying someone or a firm can’t do both; but I wouldn’t hire a print designer who didn’t have a PMS swatch book and understand how to use it just like I wouldn’t hire an interactive guy who didn’t understand about load times and how to optimize an image properly to make come up as fast as possible while still looking good (restraining myself here from telling a bevy of horror stories on both sides).

So when selecting a designer or team, I think that you will save yourself time and money if you have it done by people experienced in the type of medium you’re working with.

Security Counts: If it’s in the Cloud, It Could Become Public

Usually I reserve my security counts to Wednesday, but I think this one is very appropriate considering the timeliness of today’s news that Facebook has had a little leak in regards to allowing pictures to be shown that were supposed to be private (by the way, MySpace had one earlier).

Although, for the most part, there is a low chance that your photos of the keg party or even of just your kids you don’t want to have online becoming public due to one of these breaches, it’s important to realize that there is that possibility and to take that account when you put stuff online.

This also shows what is now an old axiom for the web… if you are very public about your “new” security features, you’re almost hanging a sign on your door that says, “try me.”

And the reality is that nothing is hack-proof… you just try to make the wall as high as possible.  Much like copy protection and DRM… they don’t stop counterfeiters, or even for that matter, hinder them.

GUI Tip: Contrast, Baby… Contrast!

Want to make a large segment of your visitor population completely ignore what you’re writing?

Choose a font color that does not have enough contrast compared to it’s background.

For instance, the text you see here (for the most part) is black with blue links.  Now, look at the line below…

It’s a whole lot harder to read.  Even though it’s the same font, because it’s in color that is too close to it’s background.  It may look “cool” but it isn’t… since anyone who doesn’t have the eyes of a 21 year old can’t read it.

So stick to high-contrast items for font… if it’s a black background, do white or a gray that’s one shade off.  If it’s white, keep it in the neighborhood of black, or blue, or use red as an accent (not as a whole page).

p.s. Don’t even think about neon colors on black.  It’s not funny.  No, really, it’s not funny at all.

The Blogosphere can be your friend

A blog is conversational media… so at a party, would you just butt in to the conversation, unannounced, rudely? Well a lot of traditional marketing and PR people try to do just that.

Here are great tips on things to avoid when dealing with the blogging community from SXSW. A hat tip to a few folks… the writer of Global Business Perspectives for sending it to me as well as Marketing Profs.

Don’t know what the blogosphere is?

Don’t let your marketing hit the BSometer

This possibly NSFW link talks about press releases, but I think it’s really true for content across sites and other materials, too.

It is a little brutal about what are items that journalists review and base their decisions on - but, from my experience dealing with journalists, completely true.  I think clients/customers do, too.

Security Counts: Keep Security In Mind When Making A Web Presence

With the recent hacking of Trend Micro’s (and others) websites, it should put the forefront in folks minds fact that security is extremely important.

In an ongoing security series, we’ll be sharing (and soliciting) tips for making sure your web presence stays secure from the simple to the complex.  There should be something for everyone in this; but not every post will be for everyone… but I hope useful, nevertheless, to keep in mind.

The thing to remember is that no matter what some eager salesperson will tell you, your presence or site is never 100% hack-proof; but the key is to engage in habits that keep things locked down.  It’s sort of like using “The Club” on your car; the club doesn’t prevent your car from getting stolen, it makes it harder so that the crooks move on to easier targets.  Your behavior is the number one way for people to get your site or identity.

So here’s tip #1: Use Non-Dictionary Passwords

Common names and dictionary words are very easily guessed by hackers; why?  Because they just take a program that applies a dictionary listing to it and keep trying until they get in.

It’s wise to keep your passwords long and difficult; however, it can be very difficult to remember them.  However, over time, if you keep using it, your brain will eventually “burn” it in to your head.  Maybe have a formula, such as the reverse of a dogs name, a couple gibberish symbols, and then the reverse numbers of your home address.  If you want to be really random, here’s a link to crazily secure passwords.  What I do is keep them on secure media, and copy them when I need them for mission-critical stuff.

Although not perfectly secure if someone gets my device, the hacker a thousand miles away does not have access to it.

iPhone in Iraq?

Talk about a desired device.  Even in a warzone, people want the iPhone.

This clip is from NPR… I almost died when I heard it.  Yes, that’s the unmistakable Marimba of the iPhone in the background of the interview and what I think is Barham Salih being a little frustrated the interview was interrupted by the iPhone.

I wonder what his rate plan is… I’m guessing there are unlimited data plans there.

GUI Tip: Tabs need to keep state

Here’s a fast, free GUI (Graphic User Interface) tip.

Your navigation is extremely important - it “orients” visitors to your site.

If you decide to use tabbed navigation, it works a lot like a physical folder would - the tab is attached the folder, and when you pull on the tab, the folder opens.

However, it’s very common in the web world due to lazyness or lack of programming skill to make the tab not “save state.”  That means, if you click on a link, when the new page loads the tabbed navigation should change so that the tab that is “active” (or looks “connected”) to the page below should be the new page.

Even worse is if you click on different page tabs and the active tab that is connected to the main content stays the same - so you go to the media room, but the navigation bar looks like you’re still on the home page.  It confuses visitors.

Not changing state is lazy programming - it can be done a variety of ways (even in flash) - and a little thing to look for to decipher the skill of your prospective developer.

What if Bear Stearns Had A Blog?

With the purchase of Bear Stearns by JP Morgan Chase for a fraction of it’s worth a year ago - my mind started working in the quirky way it does.

What if Bear Stearns had a blog? I mean a real, honest to goodness blog? And not a blog by an executive about movies.. that doesn’t count (and as far as I’m concerned, a non-story). A blog that let you ask questions, gave honest answers when possible; a two-way communication to say “wow, the way the entire mortgage industry does business has changed and we’re packaging this stuff up in a big ‘ol bundle.”

Publicly traded companies tend to, at times, eschew social and community media… when of all companies, they should be doing it the most because they have the most people with a stake in the business. From tens of thousands of employees to thousands (if not more) of shareholders, what better way to show transparency?

After all, one of the rules of PR is to control the story… and keep putting information out, otherwise rumour and speculation become rampant. A void is filled, regardless of what you do in the situation.

This works in the other way, too… if consumers would of been more educated instead of just grabbing the lowest rate at the time and/or buying too much house (evidenced by too high of a payment - the focus obviously moved away from the monthly financial reality of what can I actually afford?). Social media could of helped that to a degree, too.

Not to say that this credit catastrophe would of been avoided through transparency… but maybe caught earlier and the damage less.

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