Corner Brook Library Sale 2011
Wow, I love these sales! Even after finally learning to gently weed my book collection while going through repeated moves over the last few years, I can't help myself.
Where: At the intersection of University Drive and Mount Bernard, across the street from Brewed on Bernard. 2nd Floor..
Don't ask me why the Sir Richard squires Building is not on Google Maps, but this will do. Fix that later...
When: Go NOW! The sale runs until 9 PM this evening and until 6 PM tomorrow.
Why: If you have to ask, stop reading. but seriously $1.50/KG for books is just ridiculous. The children's section alone makes it worth it.
I'll post some pics of my favorite finds after work. Happy browsing!
Google AdWords in NL Politics
The latest Beyond the Browser on The Western Star went live today.
I'm still getting used to the formatting for newspaper publishing so I thought I would re-post the beginning section here as it was originally presented.
Online advertising is powerful.
Also lucrative, especially for the ad servers. The biggest player in the online advertising space is Google. Google’s revenues for last year topped thirty three billion dollars. Ninety seven percent of that revenue came from online advertising.
Here’s a crash course in how Google AdWords works:
- Setup an account
- Create a new ad campaign
- Choose one ore more keywords that your advertising will show up for
- Craft your ad, alternative wording is also an option
- Set your maximum budget per day
- Activate your campaign
There are of course a few screens to get through to manage all of that. The online documentation is good though and there are hundreds of businesses that specialize in helping you run AdWords campaigns.
Cuttings
The other thing I am getting used to is editorial changes. I'm not certain why the last section of my article was truncated. I suspect it was due to content or timing. As it related to the recent election, which has of course ended, it may not be considered topical anymore.
The thing is, the truncated portion of my article was inspired by a conversation I had on Twitter pertaining to AdWords use by certain political parties. I think some discussion on the matter is deserved so I'm posting the deleted section here now so we can continue our chat.
Without further fanfare, here is the missing section:
Before I wrap up this column, I’d like to point out an innovative use of AdWords I had never seen before.
A keen eyed reader was browsing the Internet reading information on the upcoming elections. They mentioned on Twitter the result they saw when they typed the keywords nl liberals. Fortunately they were also quick enough to take a screenshot of the result because the ad that was displayed has since been disabled.
The URL for the screen is: http://t.co/3k3T0RA8. Don’t worry about the strange format of the link. That’s a customized short link Twitter uses to help users share links without using up too many characters in the 140 character limit per post.
There are several interesting things about this ad.
- First, it was not a product related ad, it was a political ad that pointed to http://newenergynl.ca.
- Second, the ad was tied to at least the keywords nl liberals and muskrat falls, there were likely other keywords.
- Third, the disparity between the headline, “NDP”, and the website the ad redirected to, newenergynl.ca (a PC site), should have lowered the accuracy score given by Google. Google checks the content of the target website against your ad wording to ensure there is some relationship.
I am not sure how I feel about the wording of the ad but I do find this use of AdWords innovative. Technology, at its best, is a disruptive game changer that can supercharge your marketing efforts.
One thing is certain, political campaigning in Newfoundland & Labrador has just been changed forever.
Let me know what you think of this type of AdWords campaign. Thanks to @hydroqueen and @thefightingnewf for sparking the conversation.
Speed Counts Netflix
Image Courtesy cheezburger.com
Speed is everything online and I'm not talking about slow loading video or laggy audio.
I'm talking customer service/awareness and responsiveness.
PR-wise, Netflix has been taking some hard hits over the last few weeks. First, the pricing changes separating streaming video and mail order DVD subscriptions into two fees. Then, the Internet is raging over the fact that you can only stream Netflix on one per device per household at a time.
This article from PCWorld articulates the issue with single streams very well. If you have multiple people in your home and multiple streaming capable device, why shouldn't you be able to watch Netflix on both devices at the same time.
Buried somewhere in their agreement Netflix has mentioned multiple streams are only allowed if you take the multiple DVD at a time rental option. Of course, now that has been recreated as a separate option the old wording doesn't even make sense.
StoptheCap.com had an article yesterday saying they received notice from Netflix that multiple streams should not be a problem and is in fact, just a technical glitch. They go on to say that at least some of their users are still reporting the issue.
My main issue with all of this is not the inconsistent stories or the technical problems. My problem is with the lack of communication from Netflix themselves!
Where are they? Why aren't they blasting the "technical glitch" story all over their blog and main website? This is not a new problem and people are fuming; over 5000 negative comments on the Netflix site already. Who knows how many emails and phone calls are being traded. Meanwhile, all of the media I see from Netflix is firmly stuck in broadcast mode blithely spewing happy little ads about their new content and ignoring the PR storm blazing all around them.
Speed counts. When there is an issue, respond to it and fast. Don't leave it for others to speculate on while you figure out the best PR spin tactic to use. Tell us what's going on before we move to one of the rapidly appearing competitors.
Oh, and Netflix; while you formulate a response to my questions, have someone update your Facebook pages too. There's not a whisper of any of this on the Canadian page. Plenty of other complaints mind you.
For you, the reader, keep in mind that even if you stick with the cheapest $7.99/month streaming only plan, you are still paying for that bandwidth from your ISP. Watch your limits and decide if that 5 year old B movie is worth it.
Full Tilt Afternoon
Beautiful day for a drive. Helen & I took advantage to check out the show in McIvers. 
Some of the installation pieces included Faces: Billboards by Phil Robbins / Jillian Parsons.
I know Phil took the pics but wow Jill put in a lot of effort to get this in place, excellent job.
Besides the lovely food with full on vegan options in the form of hummus, and other delights I can't name, beside the spicy sausages and wraps, there was wine and lots of conversation to be had.
Met some great people out there today and saw friends too! Great experience.
I'll add the rest of the pictures to a gallery in the morning. For now, it's off to bed.
Oh, but first let's see how my first panoramic shot taken from my phones looks:
You can see a few of the billboards scattered about.
Entering a New Medium!
New to me that is.
If you have not heard already, the first article for my new technology column, Beyond the Browser, was published in The Western Star this week.
I'm pretty excited to see how this "new" media works with what I have running already. I have added the RSS feed for those articles that are cross-published online to my sidebar.
It's more difficult than I imagined to write for a newspaper column. I've never been too concerned with word count and those other little details. Please bear with me as I find my print media voice.
I've started the column with a series of informational articles related to businesses first entering the online world. I look forward to your comments and feedback.
Feel free to comment and post ideas here as well. I've already found I have more to say than can be reasonably published in a biweekly feature. So expect to see follow-up posts here as companion pieces to my print articles.
Thanks to Troy Turner and Chris Noseworthy for considering me for the column. And thanks to Helen Jayne and Dara Squires for the read through and advice on my first article.
FireFox Stands Alone
Ok, seriously. First there was the scare I had when I updated to FF 5 and FireBug was gone again.
Now, Google Toolbar (GTB) won't be supported on FF5+?! FireFox may not be a sinking ship but the rats are scattering like it is.
I suppose it makes sense for Google to distance themselves from Firefox. Their own browser, Chrome, has been gaining a lot of traction. Why should they actively encourage users to utilize another browser?
At least the Google search box is still safely ensconced in the top right of Firefox. There, and of course if you type search terms directly into the address bar. But you knew that right?
Google search is practically ubiquitous already. I don't think Google is worried about losing search share by taking away support for this toolbar. I think what you will see is continued updates to Chrome's built in functionality to poise it as the go to browser for developers and non-developers alike.
Check out the list of built in Google Toolbar-like functions in Chrome.
FYI - the Google Toolbar is not officially supported for FireFox 5 but that doesn't mean you can't use it still. As near as I can tell there isn't anything broken yet. The announcement is more likely a heads up. You can go ahead and download the toolbar here, and then the compatibility reporter add-on here in order to enable it.
There is also an unofficial Google Toolbar add-on called Google Toolbar Lite. I have yet to try it.
Any other alternatives out there? Can FireFox keep up with all these changes? Every time something drops off without warning, there's another group of users waiting to jump ship.
FireBug Still Blazing
DOM-Hungry Bug
Despite the recent announcement that John J. Barton is leaving the FireBug team,the little bug that could is still owning the DOM.
I've been on a short hiatus from web development. Spending a lot of time upgrading some .Net applications and super charging aging MS SQL entities.
This was a blessing really. While the latest FireFox upgrade schedule is a vast improvement in terms of stability and features, it also meant the FireBug addon kept breaking!
Issues like this are what make developers switch in my opinion.
Google Chrome has decent built in debugging tools but not enough to make me change over from FireFox as my main development browser. You know what it's like when you get used to a tool that works. Changing without major improvements is just time you could be spending developing awesome apps.
Back to the point. Despite Barton's departure, I was really happy to find a new release of FireBug when I found myself needing to tweak some CSS this week. FireBug 1.8 is compatible with:
- Firefox 5.0
- Firefox 6.0
- Firefox 7.0 (Aurora)
- Firefox 8.0 (Nightly)
Also, belaying my initial fears, the rest of the FireBug team seems committed to maintaining the code base with the additional help of the FireFox developer tools team. We can only hope that they can keep up with the aggressive new release schedule FireFox announced. Time will tell which browser will reign for development but for now at least I'm staying foxy.
If you are on FireFox and you haven't tried FireBug, it will change your life, or at the least your dev style.
Are you already a FireBug fan? Will you stick with FireFox for dev? Or do you have an alternative that can finally break my dependence on this cycle of catch-up and release?
SQL – Name That Stored Procedure!
Lost and Found Forest - Credit: http://www.shedoesthecity.com/the_women_of_nuit_blanche_rina_grosman
Opening SQL with the purpose of finding a specific query can be a daunting task. In any system that has been used for a few years detritus is plentiful.
Unused procedures, long dead tables, backups, and non-refactored name conventions can make finding anything an arduous task.
In the case of larger systems it can even be a case of the forest obscuring the trees (network humor).
So, how does one find a stored procedure about which little is known?
- You can certainly try checking the dependencies of a table you suspect is involved.
- You can scan through the myriad stored procedures in what you think is the correct database hoping the name will give you a clue.
- OR, you can fast scan each database using the following queries:
Let's assume you know a table name or term that is used in the stored procedure you're looking for. Use this tidbit of information as your search criteria and try one of the following:
SELECT Name
FROM sys.procedures
WHERE OBJECT_DEFINITION(object_id) LIKE '%searchterm%'SELECT DISTINCT so.name
FROM syscomments sc
INNER JOIN sysobjects so ON sc.id=so.id
WHERE sc.TEXT LIKE '%searchterm%'
These queries will return database object names that have the searched term in them. Simply run these queries against each database you have until you find something that looks right. Not a perfect solution but it has saved me some time in the past.
For example, using the msdb database and the search term '%validate_user%' I get the results:
Name
sp_send_dbmail
sp_validate_user
Any tricks you use to speed up this process?
Tumbleweeds – Why I Haven’t Posted in a Month
Photo credit bbenedet https://www.pierce.ctc.edu
This isn't a whiny apologetic post about why I'm too busy with work, home life, or my furby collection (I don't have one fyi) to blog.
I have been busy but I've also been trying out Tumblr, the neato micro-blogging platform.
When I first saw Tumblr, I thought why? I have a blog already. it's just something else to update and monitor, right?
Well, there are lots of things I'd like to share that are perhaps not best expressed in a blog post. Either I don't have to time to put it into a nice formal post, or I just don't think it fits with what I'm trying to do here.
Of course, if it's too little to blog, then tweet it, yeah? I do have Twitter, and I use it plenty but posting pictures, quotes, and other interesting tidbits there lack the impact that a Tumblr stream has when viewed in full.
When I find a new Tumblr user, I can quickly skim through their stream and get an idea of what they are into and whether I care. That can take a bit more time with a Twitter stream and biography.
I use Tumblr primarily as quick posting tool, a picture, or quote. As time goes on I use Twitter more interactively, less broadcast only. Twitter is great for mini-conversations and for tracking items of specific interest using hashtags like #econobrook.
Besides, I've been ignoring Facebook for a very long time. Now Tumblr and my blog are both wired to post to my FB account.
I'm seeing a pattern emerge where all these different media streams work together without overwhelming me in a constant need to check and update all of them all the time. I can use whichever outlet I find appropriate at the time and know that the message will find it's way out to all my online friends.
- On the go? Tweet
- See a cool pic online? Tumble
- Have a comprehensive thought about something? Blog
A feature I like with Tumblr is their use of tags. For example, I've started a little picture story using my Scott Pilgrim desk buddy. So, while you will see Scott sprinkled through my Tumblr stream, if you want to see the Scott Pilgrim VS the Office story in full you can hit: http://tumbling.jonreid.ca/tagged/scottpilgrim.
I tried adding my Tumblr feed to my sidebar like I have with my Twitter stream but I found it cluttered things too much. Instead, I gave it a page of it's own. Yes, it's a flash widget. I'll convert to JQuery at some point but right now I'm trying out WidgetBox. Easy to hook up with my Tumblr RSS feed and it didn't take an all night coding session.
What do you think? Is Tumblr a waste of time? Is Twitter? Or are there other tools you prefer?
Faces:Newfoundland
The Spring is flying!
Only ten days until the Faces: NL exhibition at the JL Gallery, 86 West St, Corner Brook.
If you haven't heard of this project yet, the intrepid Phillip N. Robbins, a photographer, teacher, and co-founder of Stockpile Artists Collective, is on a mission inspired by the portraiture of Richard Avedon.
Phil traveled Newfoundland taking portraits with a blank background to focus on the individual. Phil and his significant other Jillian video-blogged the journey to St. John's, Fogo and back to Corner Brook.
Phil sums up his intent with:
"The goal of this project is to focus on people I encounter in Newfoundland and to highlight, by removing the context, a glimpse into the history we carry around with us in our expressions."
One interesting aspect of this project is that it was paid for through crowdfunding. Inspirational and innovative, impressive Phil. You can see the original project page here.
Of course another awesome point is that I have a chance to be in the exhibition, yay! Phil and Jillian made the experience really enjoyable. I look forward to seeing the results on May 19th.
About Jon Reid
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- Corner Brook Library Sale 2011
- Google AdWords in NL Politics
- Speed Counts Netflix
- Full Tilt Afternoon
- Entering a New Medium!