With the Christmas holiday behind us, it's time to look ahead to 2012. Aside from my own personal goal of being organized, and getting family and friends' birthday cards out on time (I have an excellent plan for this, by the way), we've been busy setting goals for projects across the Bakersfield.com Network of sites.
Our new online registration system will be appearing soon. Developers and designers are now untangling the wires on the staging server so we can test it and try our best to break it before making it live.
That will kick off a series of changes, including redesigned and enhanced news, sports and entertainment sections.
In my own cubicle here on the third floor at The Californian , I'm making copious notes and bookmarking dozens of sites as I look ahead to revamping and enhancing BakersfieldMom.com in 2012. I'll be asking for your input over the next month or so, but if you have the time now, email your ideas for what you'd like to see on the site -- content, community ... it's all open right now.
I'm also hoping to offer more contests and incentives for our Facebook fans and Twitter followers in the coming year.
We've got lots of great ideas and a lot of irons in the fire, but first we've got to get the online registration launched.
Cross your fingers for a smooth test and launch, and keep an eye here and on bakersfield.com/blogs for details as we roll out the changes.
Ready or not 2012, here we come!
Battle for ads
Back in the days of MySpace, users used to download and install custom themes to their profiles.
Pages would be adorned with sports logos, flowers, glitter and any number of things. Many of these page took forever to load, too.
When Facebook came along, that option wasn't available. While I thought I'd miss being able to customize my profile page, I really haven't.
Today, several companies are banking on people still wanting to add a little bling to their profiles.
But a recent story in The Wall Street Journal notes that Facebook has started legal action against some of those companies, including Sambreel Holdings LLC valentines flowers ideas 2012
When you download and install the software in question, you'll get extras such as a profile page that displays more about you and enhanced Web searches. But you're also agreeing to see more advertising on the page. These new ads push the Facebook ads further down the page and overlay Google ads that appear with search results.
The legal ground is described as murky and it looks like it's headed to court.
Last week Facebook employees were posting links to a page built to explain that Facebook makes money through ads (facebook.com/about/ads/).
Related? Not sure, but my guess is yes.
Podcast
Be sure to check out the Dec. 21 podcast of "Californian Radio." In the second half of the hourlong show, I talked with Debra Jackson, a professor of critical thinking and philosophy at California State University, Bakersfield.
Jackson talked about the most effective and ineffective ways to argue in an online forum.
She said a common mistake seen in a lot of online forum -- and BakersfieldTalks.com is no exception -- is that people misunderstand a person's point and end up arguing something completely different. Her recommendation: Make sure you're clear on the person's intended argument before firing back.
It was an excellent conversation, and you can download the podcast at www.bakersfield.com/CalifornianRadio.
Along these same lines, I've also posted an excellent piece on online comments on my Facebook page (facebook.com/jamiebutow2). The article appeared in The Guardian last summer and looks at the "pack mentality" that online comments and forums propagate, and highlights why deleting and blocking users isn't as cut-and-dried as you may think.
Best of Kern
Make sure you nominate your favorite business for our annual Best of Kern contest at www.bestofkern.com. The contest dates are new this year and nominations are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 2.
I repeat, nominations are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 2 and must be made online at www.bestofkern.com.
Voting on finalists in dozens of categories will begin mid-January.
Facebook affects your credit?
Well, this is kinda scary.
An article in PC World noted how online banks -- growing in popularity -- are increasingly requiring access to social media sites from applicants. Not only do they want to see your friends list (so they can drum up business), but they want access to your account (i.e. your log-in information) as well valentines flowers ideas 2012.
Huh?
In its FAQ section online, Hong Kong-based lender Lenddo notes: "As long as you don't fall behind on any Lenddo loan installments, you have complete control over your privacy settings and your information will only be shared with your permission. IF YOU FAIL TO REPAY, Lenddo MAINTAINS THE RIGHT TO NOTIFY YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY."
Can you just see the Facebook comments on that post?
Be careful what you agree to.
Our new online registration system will be appearing soon. Developers and designers are now untangling the wires on the staging server so we can test it and try our best to break it before making it live.
That will kick off a series of changes, including redesigned and enhanced news, sports and entertainment sections.
In my own cubicle here on the third floor at The Californian , I'm making copious notes and bookmarking dozens of sites as I look ahead to revamping and enhancing BakersfieldMom.com in 2012. I'll be asking for your input over the next month or so, but if you have the time now, email your ideas for what you'd like to see on the site -- content, community ... it's all open right now.
I'm also hoping to offer more contests and incentives for our Facebook fans and Twitter followers in the coming year.
We've got lots of great ideas and a lot of irons in the fire, but first we've got to get the online registration launched.
Cross your fingers for a smooth test and launch, and keep an eye here and on bakersfield.com/blogs for details as we roll out the changes.
Ready or not 2012, here we come!
Battle for ads
Back in the days of MySpace, users used to download and install custom themes to their profiles.
Pages would be adorned with sports logos, flowers, glitter and any number of things. Many of these page took forever to load, too.
When Facebook came along, that option wasn't available. While I thought I'd miss being able to customize my profile page, I really haven't.
Today, several companies are banking on people still wanting to add a little bling to their profiles.
But a recent story in The Wall Street Journal notes that Facebook has started legal action against some of those companies, including Sambreel Holdings LLC valentines flowers ideas 2012
When you download and install the software in question, you'll get extras such as a profile page that displays more about you and enhanced Web searches. But you're also agreeing to see more advertising on the page. These new ads push the Facebook ads further down the page and overlay Google ads that appear with search results.
The legal ground is described as murky and it looks like it's headed to court.
Last week Facebook employees were posting links to a page built to explain that Facebook makes money through ads (facebook.com/about/ads/).
Related? Not sure, but my guess is yes.
Podcast
Be sure to check out the Dec. 21 podcast of "Californian Radio." In the second half of the hourlong show, I talked with Debra Jackson, a professor of critical thinking and philosophy at California State University, Bakersfield.
Jackson talked about the most effective and ineffective ways to argue in an online forum.
She said a common mistake seen in a lot of online forum -- and BakersfieldTalks.com is no exception -- is that people misunderstand a person's point and end up arguing something completely different. Her recommendation: Make sure you're clear on the person's intended argument before firing back.
It was an excellent conversation, and you can download the podcast at www.bakersfield.com/CalifornianRadio.
Along these same lines, I've also posted an excellent piece on online comments on my Facebook page (facebook.com/jamiebutow2). The article appeared in The Guardian last summer and looks at the "pack mentality" that online comments and forums propagate, and highlights why deleting and blocking users isn't as cut-and-dried as you may think.
Best of Kern
Make sure you nominate your favorite business for our annual Best of Kern contest at www.bestofkern.com. The contest dates are new this year and nominations are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 2.
I repeat, nominations are due by 5 p.m. Jan. 2 and must be made online at www.bestofkern.com.
Voting on finalists in dozens of categories will begin mid-January.
Facebook affects your credit?
Well, this is kinda scary.
An article in PC World noted how online banks -- growing in popularity -- are increasingly requiring access to social media sites from applicants. Not only do they want to see your friends list (so they can drum up business), but they want access to your account (i.e. your log-in information) as well valentines flowers ideas 2012.
Huh?
In its FAQ section online, Hong Kong-based lender Lenddo notes: "As long as you don't fall behind on any Lenddo loan installments, you have complete control over your privacy settings and your information will only be shared with your permission. IF YOU FAIL TO REPAY, Lenddo MAINTAINS THE RIGHT TO NOTIFY YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND COMMUNITY."
Can you just see the Facebook comments on that post?
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