Did you that Bono wrote an introduction for The Book of Psalms? Yes, that Bono. Well don’t just sit there furrowing your brow, go check it out at The Carnival of Ohio Politics #124.And after you check that out, be sure to read all the submissions this week from new contributors, on new topics and with new ways of thinking about old ideas that could appeal or incite anyone.And have a great, safe July 4 on behalf of all the co-editors at the Carnival. 

April 2009 will be sneaking up on us before you know it, so right now, it’s time to start thinking about would you would like to do at Notacon 6. We know you’ve got an awesome idea, a cool demonstration, or something else equally fun and wacky. Well, now’s the time to tell us!

The Call for Proposals for Notacon 6 is now officially open!

From NBC4i:

An editorial in the Wall Street Journal Weekend Special Edition [written by Dayton resident and president of the pro-charter school Thomas B. Fordham Institute, Chester E. Finn, Jr.] painted a grim picture of Ohio’s economy.

…

The article started, “Once known as the Mother of Presidents, Ohio is now getting poorer, older and dumber –- and making all the wrong moves to reverse the situation.”

Governor Ted Strickland’s office was drafting a response Monday, NBC 4’s Mikaela Hunt reported.

The office will ask the paper to write a follow-up, too.

A spokesperson for Strickland called the op-ed piece a “very hard-edge partisan political attack” and cited the state is creating a job atmosphere that has a lot of potential, Hunt reported.

You can leave a comment to the question NBC4i asks, “Do you agree with the op-ed piece or with Gov. Strickland’s office?” the only problem being that there is no “piece” from the Strickland office yet, but you know what they mean, I think.

Given the constraints of time, I will be taking a break from blogging.

Here’s the letter and here’s the pdf that details the changes. What I notice:

1. When I looked at the one page overview of “numbers,” my first thought was: oh, no - you do not want to do this (i.e., show all these numbers that will make people think about/see how much gas is used and how much paper is consumed rather than any information about how the paper is trying to go green or greenify its operations at any level, not to mention using/maximizing its online capabilities) (to wit, the paper won another award, this time from the APME, for its multi-platform presentation of the Johanna Orozco story - “ONLINE CONVERGENCE, Over 150,000: The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, for deep reporting on the grueling recovery of an 18-year-old girl shot in the face; you can read about a different award they won for the coverage here).

2. The Page Two WakeUpCall: Did anyone from the PD check with James Pindell of Politicker.com, where one of the features is called Wake-Up Call? The PD’s version is described as,

…your guide to what’s new online at cleveland.com. If you only have a few minutes, this page is your watercooler study guide, led by its “Five Smart Things You Should Know Today” summary.

3. Moving the Opinion page to the back of the first section reminds me of how the New York Times in print is organized. Now, unless I’m reading it incorrectly, which is possible, it sounds like there will no longer be a dedicated op-ed page but rather just one page that will be, “…a lively one-page mix of editorials, columns and your letters.” Hmm. But the Sunday Forum will go to six pages.

4.  Thursday will have a feature in the back of the Inside & Out section called “New on the Net.” There doesn’t appear to be a visual preview of what the section will include or look like.

5. The Business section appears to have the most changes that interplay with cleveland.com: there will be no section at all on Mondays, but rather will be represented by changes at its place on cleveland.com, including the provision of “online-only features.”  Now, the thing here, in describing this change? Is that, if, you know, the section won’t be anywhere in print on Mondays, and it will all be online on Mondays, then isn’t the entire section, on Mondays, an online-only feature?

And that’s the bulk of the summary. Now, whether it results in the rumored 35 page per week cut addressed by Roldo Bartimole in early June, I can’t really visualize.  I might have to buy it for a week just to see.

Areas that aren’t mentioned at all: politics, women, education, jobs, real estate, crime. May or may not be relevant but to me, as a reader, especially after reading Rocky Mountain News‘ publisher/editor John Temple’s column about individualizing newspapers, well - if I had an individualized newspaper, those are some of the topics I’d want to know will be covered in an organized and well-displayed way. (As an aside, I e-mailed Temple about one observation I had regarding the idea of individualizing print papers and he responds to it here in his blog.)

I’m also curious to know the price of the revamp. Would I buy a smaller paper, that had more essential info to me in it, at the same price it’s now charging?  This is an interesting question.  One reason I stopped buying it was because I felt that the editorials were poorly reasoned and failed to serve the community in a way commensurate with the brain resources and talent that exists at the PD. That doesn’t mean the conclusions had to be the same as mine, but at least solid reasoning needed to be provided.  It’s hard to believe, but it’s been more than 18 months since I received it regularly.

The revamp doesn’t say much about the guts of the stories themselves or how the editorial process may change (but there is this pdf that goes over the process of producing the paper). Will we see more wire reports or fewer?  Will the brief items be so brief that even someone who spends a minimal amount of time online will already know those stories? Will we see more narrative, or no?

The Business re-do indicates that there will be some front-paging of news about local business and I know that there have been some changes to the front page as well re: local highlights.

I am kind of a news junkie - I have to say - so I might just talk myself into getting the paper again.  Just so I can, you know, trash it. Right? For the record, I’ve sent a link to this post to the changes AT plaind DOT com e-mai, as an FYI.

I’m not going to Denver for the Democratic National Convention from August 25-28, but if you’re a blogger and are hoping to go, even though not credentialed by the DNC, check this out and apply now.  I’ve been told in a communication I’ve received that, “They are looking to include more diversity with women of color, women bloggers, women’s organizations and women in politics.”

The Big Tent will be the place to be for new media journalists, bloggers, reporters, and non-profit leaders covering the Democratic National Convention in Denver this summer.

We’re creating a 9,000 square foot, two-story structure that will house the work space for journalists, bloggers and new media, a Digg Stage with prominent national leaders, as well as a Google Retreat with a YouTube kiosk where you can make your own YouTube videos. The Big Tent will be open throughout the Democratic National Convention, Aug. 25- 28.

In the New Media Lounge, your pass will be a ticket to to enjoy all the benefits of the blogger / new media lounge, including free WiFi, work space, television-coverage, as well as free food and drinks. And you get to hang out with some of the top bloggers, new media journalists, and non-profit leaders in the country.

And in the Public Space, you can participate in panel discussions with top national leaders on a range of hot topics. There will also be workshops on blogging, community organizing, and new technologies.

The Big Tent will host sponsored happy hours each day from 4 to 5, followed by live coverage of every minute of the Democratic National Convention until 9 p.m. each night. When the Convention ends each day, the Big Tent will still be going with late-night entertainment, including concerts and films. Check back at BigTentDenver.com for additional details as the convention nears.

Google is one of the sponsors and the hosts are Daily Kos, Progress Now (of which ProgressOhio is a part) and the Alliance for a Sustainable Colorado.

I consider the presence of bloggers to be an unique chance to get many first-hand reports back, filtered only by the bloggers you know, as opposed to the layers of editors in the MSM that you don’t.  If transparency means something to you in figuring out what’s really going on, these bloggers will be offering an immense quantity of information unlikely to be found anywhere else.

Not to mention having a great time while doing it - I hope, for their sake.  Though I can say that live-blogging can be exhausting!

Hattip to Shireen of Digital Sisters/Sistas (which looks to be a very cool and needed organization:

If the technology field is any indication of messages sent to women and girls research has shown that women have the least penetration in technology fields. This number decreasing by the inclusion of ethnicity and socio economic factors. Young girls are continuously sent daily messages that technology is “not for them.”

Working through enhance partnerships with community based organizations, corporations, technology centers and local schools, Digital Sisters provides assistance in closing the gender gap in technology that is plaguing single mothers. We have developed and implemented programs that promote needed life skills training and address the impact of the lack of technology skills on families. Our educational philosophy is based on a participatory and interactive learning approach.

Reminds me of the work Bill Callahan does.

Registration is now open for Notacon 6, which will run April 16th through the 19th, 2009 at our new venue, the Wyndham Playhouse Square in downtown Cleveland!

In order to simplify things for everyone, we have 2 basic registration levels, one with swag, the other with just the badge. With either registration, you can opt to pre-order a Notacon t-shirt via a drop-down option on the registration page.

The swag bag in the premier registration package not only will give you tons of goodies, but will also include a couple of meal vouchers that are good at the hotel to make sure you get at least some good meals over the course of the weekend. We will continue, of course, to have our con suite with complimentary sodas and snacks, but if you want something more substantial, think about the premier package!

For those who want us to take care of all of the details, there are a limited number of Corporate Rate packages, as well.

Total registrations will be limited to 600 this year. More information and details are available on our registration page.

This week’s carnival of Jewish blogs or blogs that write about Jewish topics or blogs by Jewish folks or…well, you get the idea, formally called Haveil Havalim, is hosted by Soccer Dad.  I contributed this week and am trying to make sure I write about Jewish topics at least a couple of times a week.  Although I may actually have to write about why I feel the need to be “sure” that I do this, before I do actually start doing it.  And that’s a whole ‘nother topic.

Anyway - there’s no need to speculate how people who identify as Jews feel about politics, being Jewish, Judaism, Israel, Torah or many other aspects of life as a Jew when you can visit 170 editions of Haveil Havalim for primary source material.

And if you don’t find an answer there, you can just ask, ya know.

I am so sad that I will not be able to attend this conference, which is part of the Coalition of Labor Union Women’s National Executive Board meeting, which is being held this year June 19-21 in Cleveland at the Crowne Plaza. I urge bloggers to get there if you can and take advantage of the press availability and interview Ms. Ledbetter.

Here are the details:

On Friday, June 20, Lilly Ledbetter, Plaintiff in the Ledbetter v. Goodyear Supreme Court case will be speaking at the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) Conference in Cleveland, Ohio. After her speech, there will be a press availability with Ms. Ledbetter.

Lilly Ledbetter was hired as a supervisor at Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. in Gadsden, Alabama in 1979.  For the next 19 years, she was not only paid less than her male supervisors, but she was also paid less than her
male subordinates.  She first learned of this pay discrimination in 1998.  In 2007, in a 5 - 4 vote, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that her court case was untimely - that the time limit started when the pay discrimination started instead of when the discrimination was discovered.  Since many victims of pay discrimination don’t learn about this discrimination until years later, and this Supreme Court ruling guts the equal pay provisions of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act was introduced.  On April 23, 2008, while Sen. Sherrod Brown voted for this bill, Sen. George Voinovich voted against it.

After the conference there will be a rally encouraging Sen. Voinovich to change his mind and oppose pay discrimination.

The event is open to members of the press.

A detailed conference agenda is below:

NATIONAL HEALTH CARE AND PAYCHECK FAIRNESS  “IT’S BEYOND TIME”

FRIDAY, June 20, 2008
Crowne Plaza Cleveland City Centre Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio

SPONSORED BY:  CLUW’S Legislative and Political Action and Women’s Health and Wellness Committees

AGENDA

9:00 AM - 12:15 PM     Opening Plenary (Fuldheim Ballroom)              

Opening:
Marsha Zakowski, (USW) National President CLUW

Greetings:
Ann Converso, (UAN) National Vice-President-Elect, Liaison Women’s Health and Wellness Committee

Welcome:
Jeanette Mauk, Political Director, Ohio AFL-CIO
Harriet Applegate, North Shore Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO

Health Care for America Now!
Katie Gjertson, National Field Coordinator, AFL-CIO Health Care Reform Campaign

Introduction:
Millie Hall, (OPEIU) Co-Chair, CLUW Health and Wellness Committee

Working America!
Joseph Clark Jr., Ohio Outreach and Mobilization Coordinator for Working America

Introduction:
Bonnie Oakes, (OPEIU) Co-Chair, CLUW Legislative and Political Action Committee

AFL-CIO 2008 Voting Rights Protection Program/ National Political Action Program!
Pierrette (Pettee) Talley, Secretary-Treasurer, Ohio AFL-CIO

Introduction:
Carol Censki, (AFSCME) Co-Chair, CLUW Legislative and Political Action Committee

    Equal Pay for Working Women!
Lilly Ledbetter, Plaintiff in Ledbetter v. Goodyear and 2008 Recipient of the Winn Newman Award

12:15 - 1:45 PM    Lunch On Your Own

1:45 PM        March to Rally - Gather in Hotel Lobby

2:00 - 3:30 PM     Rally to End Pay Discrimination, Federal Building/Willard Park, East 9th Street & Lakeside Dr.

Please, if you go, try to either use Cover It Live or otherwise write it up. Thank you!

From the inbox and not yet on the Momrising.org website:

Magnificently Overqualified Mothers Respond to Senator McCain’s Comment on Ledbetter Fair Pay Act With Resume Delivery

DC-Area Moms and Families Deliver Thousands of Women’s Resumes to Senator’s Office

Ten DC-area moms sporting “Magnificently Overqualified Mother” banners, some of them accompanied by their kids, were up on Capitol Hill today to send a message to Senator John McCain about his opposition to the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act. That message came in the form of some 9,000 resumes from mothers across the country underscoring women’s skills, training and education, and it was crystal clear: “women are well-trained, educated and qualified and should be paid the same as men for doing the same work.”

In late April, the U.S. Senate voted on the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, legislation that would loosen the restrictions on the length of time in which workers could file pay discrimination claims against their employers. On the campaign trail at the time, Senator John McCain refused to return to Washington, DC to vote on the measure (unlike two other U.S. Senators who were also campaigning for President), commenting instead that he opposed the Fair Pay Act and that what women really needed was “more training and education.” Ultimately, a filibuster in the Senate prevented the bill from coming to a vote.

To educate Senator McCain about the large number of extremely qualified and capable women who deserve not only pay equity, but the ability to file claims if their employers discriminate against them in pay or promotions, MomsRising.org encouraged its members to sign onto a petition and send in their resumes. More than 20,000 women signed the petition and 9,000 sent in resumes. MomsRising.org is a grassroots online and on-the-ground organization that supports family-friendly policies.

“It’s a shame that Senator McCain doesn’t understand that pay discrimination is not about qualifications or education,” said MomsRising.org Executive Director Kristin Rowe-Finkbeiner. “But our members are happy to let him know that. The Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act would have repaired the damage done by the Supreme Court’s decision in Ledbetter v. Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co, which severely limited the ability of victims of pay discrimination to sue and recover damages.”

In April, MomsRising.org members in Arizona unsuccessfully attempted to schedule a meeting with Senator McCain or his staff to discuss the Fair Pay Act.

MomsRising.org members’ resumes include training and degrees in law, business, fine arts, engineering and every other imaginable field. Members are employed as concert violinists, neuropsychologists, attorneys and everything in between.

MomsRising is an online grassroots organization that is working for paid family leave, flexible work options, excellent childcare and healthcare for all children, and to stop the wage and hiring biases that penalize so many mothers today. MomsRising, has more than 160,000 members across the United States and more than 5,000 in Washington, DC.

I probably should send mine too.  Anyone else who reads this blog, feel free to do the same.  Great idea, Momsrising.org.

Two weeks ago I announced the opportunity for readers to submit press releases to be posted in the new “Small Business News” section of this site.

I am happy to report that so far we have had dozens of responses — and some interesting and highly useful news. If you have news to share, I encourage you to submit it.

All press releases are reviewed manually prior to being published. Based on what we’ve seen so far, there is a remarkably high quality to the news being submitted. Follow these tips and your news will have a good chance of being published here at Small Business Trends:

• Stay on-topic — At least 90% of the submissions have been on point, i.e., directly related to small business, startup and/or entrepreneurship issues. If news releases are not obviously related to small business, we delete them.

• Do not attack competitors – In a couple of instances, the submissions trashed other companies. We either edited the release to remove the negative portion or disallowed the entire release. Instead of taking swipes at your competitors, why not say something positive about your own company?

• Share interesting news — The releases so far have been pretty interesting. Topics range from point of sale solutions to web conferencing to employee recruitment. For example:
  • In “David Partners With Goliath,” Office Max announces its new line of green office products with partner, TerraCycle — these products are made entirely of waste and include binders, pencil cases, trash cans, and cleaners.
  • In Have you Borrowed via a Merchant Cash Advance?, the Marketplace show on U.S. Public Radio is looking for potential show guests.
  • In SBA’s Patriot Express Loan Initiative Delivers, you’ll learn about special SBA loans designed for military veterans and their spouses who are starting or expanding a small business.

Be sure to visit the Small Business News section often for the most recent small business news and announcements. While you are there, don’t forget to subscribe to the RSS feed to receive the latest releases as they are posted.

UPDATE:  the 3 latest press releases now appear on the right sidebar.

This is a post from: Small Business Trends

Looking for YOUR News

Just heard it as the dart flew on Michael Feldman’s Whaddya Know?.  You can listen here.

:53 - Next times it’s Ashland, Ohio!

If I were Positively Cleveland, the Ohio Department of Development or, of course, Ashland, Ohio, I’d be sure to get buzzing.  It’s a great five to ten minute spotlight on a different place in the U.S. each week on Feldman’s show.  They ask for the best places to go, where would you take a visitor and so on.

Go Ashland.

* Just to be clear, this show is actually distributed by PRI, Public Radio International and Wisconsin Public Radio.  But it’s broadcast here on WCPN which is an NPR-affiliate.

Here’s some announcements about the disclosures and here’s where you can look up the legislators.

Thank you, LegiStorm.

Sherrod Brown is here, George Voinovich is here.

John Jantsch over at Duct Tape Marketing sent me a nice note with a can’t refuse deal. I thought you’d want to see it, so I am passing it along.

Here’s the deal: Attend a free webinar AND you get a free copy of John’s Duct Tape Marketing book.

Two freebies in one.

What: The webinar is called “The Must-Know Secrets of Small Business Growth.”

Who: During the webinar, you get two marketing minds in one: John Jantsch, founder of Duct Tape Marketing, and Clate Mask, CEO of Infusionsoft. Both have a lot of great substance to share and it will be a packed marketing hour, I’m certain.

When: Wednesday, June 18, 2008. 1:00 pm Pacific (4:00 pm Eastern)

Where: Go here to register for the webinar. When you register and attend the webinar, you will then receive a paperback copy of John’s Duct Tape Marketing book (I highly recommend it).

This is a post from: Small Business Trends

Two Freebies: Webinar and Duct Tape Marketing Book

Hattip The Chief Source who tipped Village Green.

Many thanks to Scott of Pho’s Akron Pages for compiling this week’s Carnival of Ohio Politics, #121.

The summer wind may be creeping in but politics in Ohio are still hot, hot, hot.

Here’s the link.

“In April 2004, around 1 million women went to Washington to rally for women’s rights. One of the main speakers at the event was the junior senator from New York, Hillary Rodham Clinton, even then the object of future presidential speculation. Her surprise appearance elicited an ecstatic response from the crowd. For all its size and enthusiasm, though, the rally failed to achieve its central goal of defeating George W. Bush in the presidential election and protecting the abortion rights majority on the Supreme Court. And now, after a valiant effort, Clinton has apparently likewise failed at her goal of becoming the first woman president of the United States. At 40-something, organized feminism is having trouble reproducing. … And what this precise electoral moment tells us is that in fact it was never in a position to function as an effective electoral force.”

Feminist author Linda Hirshman, who wrote “Get to Work: A Manifesto for Women of the World,” will be online Monday, June 9 at 1 p.m. ET to discuss her Outlook article how the end of the Clinton campaign is indicative of how splintered the feminist movement has become, and how women can better work together for future advancement.

Submit your questions and comments before or during today’s discussion.

Got something to say? GO SAY IT! Or just listen and learn - that’s pretty damn important too you know.

If you can’t be there, you can check out the session’s archive later.

It’s been quiet both here and over at the Secret Lair. You’ve not seen me much on Twitter in the last three weeks. For all you know, I’ve vanished off the face of the planet.

Not so, good reader. There are two reasons for my silence. The first is that I’ve been traveling: went to the Google I/O conference in San Francisco then to Santa Monica for Codejam V at the Mahalo Mothership. For more about my views on how Google I/O went, check out the interview with me over at the Command Line Podcast.

The second is that we’ve decided to move to Los Angeles. This one…well…it’s huge. We’re looking to get the house on the market as soon as humanly possible, which means that we’ve been painting, patching, and handling all the stuff we’ve been putting off for a while. It’s a tough market out there for selling a house, and we’re hoping to have it done soon so that we can be in L.A. by Sept 1. Too optimistic? Maybe. So far, things have fallen into place every step of the way, and we’ve been incredibly lucky to have a our families and friends helping us out as we prepare. The insanity of all of this is the reason I’ve been off the interwebs for a bit. There’s simply not enough time in the day anymore.

For those of you who know the area, we’re looking to settle in Sherman Oaks. My good friend Nicole took me on a tour of the neighborhood while I was out there last week, and I really liked the feel of the place. If you know anyone looking to rent a three-bedroom house out there, hook me up.

Finally, I’m dropping a little something into my podcast feed this week. J.C. Hutchins interviewed me for his Ultracreatives series. We had a great time, and I think it’s my favorite interview to date. I got to talk about a number of things that I rarely touch on in my blog or the shows I produce, so it was a real treat.

More on the move as it develops. Otherwise…it’s good to be back.

This post is from Chris Miller's Unquiet Desperation

Goin’ to California, Interviewed by Command Line and J.C. Hutchins

ShareThis

I desperately wanted to write about Gloria’s advancing in the process to become a Cleveland Metropolitan School District school board member before I left for Go Run because obviously she’s a woman seeking office (even though it’s an appointment), but I ran out of time. (You can see more about the board here.)

However, anyone who knows Gloria Ferris at all knows how passionate she is, what a doer she is and how she puts her time and energy into incredibly vital community issues.  I tell her this constantly, but she’s an enormous inspiration to me, the epitome of someone who simply does not accept things as they are when they aren’t what they should be, and someone who seeks out and uses any and all resources to improve whatever it is that needs improvement.

Good luck, Gloria.  I can’t imagine anyone better suited to the task than you. They should be so lucky to fill the board with as many Gloria Ferrises as possible.

Classes take place in Kelvin Smith Library

Registration is now open for summer classes at CaseLearns. Whether you're building your first Web site, adding video to your blog or just want to learn something fun, CaseLearns has a number of options available.

The classes listed below may be of particular interest to those developing or maintaining Web sites.

If you are new to Web design and want to learn Dreamweaver, I recommend reading I'm not going to teach you XHTML/HTML, but you should learn it anyway and doing the homework assignment before taking your first Dreamweaver class.

All CaseLearns classes are open to current Case faculty, students and staff, emeriti faculty, alumni, and Senior Scholars. Case affiliates may register if openings are available. Class schedules are subject to change. Please visit the CaseLearns Web site for the most current information.

Adobe Acrobat 8: Introduction

Instructor: Debbie Korodi
Prerequisites: Familiarity with Windows or Mac OS; knowledge of Microsoft Word.
Wednesday, June 18, 2008 9:00am-Noon

Adobe Acrobat 8: Creating PDF Forms

Instructor: Debbie Korodi
Prerequisite: Knowledge of Adobe Acrobat 8.
Thursday, August 7, 2008 9:00am-Noon

Digital Images I: Introduction & Basic Photoshop

Instructor: Jared Bendis
Wednesday, July 9, 2008 3:00-6:00pm

Digital Images II: Advanced Photoshop

Instructor: Jared Bendis
Prerequisite: Digital Images I: Introduction & Basic Photoshop
Wednesday, July 16, 2008 3:00-6:00pm

Digital Images III: Even More Advanced Photoshop

Instructor: Jared Bendis
Prerequisite: Digital Images I and Digital Images II
Monday, July 21, 2008 3:00-6:00pm

Dreamweaver CS3: Introduction

Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Tuesday, July 15, 2008 1:00-4:00pm

Dreamweaver CS3: Intermediate

Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Thursday, July 24, 2008 1:00-4:00pm

Dreamweaver CS3: Advanced

Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Tuesday, July 29, 2008 1:00-4:00pm

How To Make Web Pages Using HTML: Part 1

Instructor: Thomas Hayes
Tuesday, August 12, 2008 1:00-5:00pm

How To Make Web Pages Using HTML: Part 2

Thursday, August 14, 2008 1:00-5:00pm

Introduction to Pachyderm

Instructor: Jared Bendis
Wednesday, July 30, 2008 3:00-6:00pm

Understanding RSS Feeds

Instructor: Brian Gray
Thursday, July 17, 2008 10:00am-Noon

Video Workshop I: Introduction To Digital Video

Instructor: Jared Bendis
Thursday, July 10, 2008 3:00-6:00pm

Video Workshop II: Advanced Digital Video

Instructor: Jared Bendis
Prerequisite: Introduction to Digital Video
Thursday, July 17, 2008 3:00-6:00pm

I’m delighted to introduce our latest small biz expert here at Small Business Trends. His name is Doug Shuman and he is the Senior Vice President of Register.com. Doug will be writing about trends in domain names, websites and and other aspects on your business’s online presence.

I met Doug last fall when I moderated a panel discussion at the New York Business Expo. Doug was one of the panelists. I was impressed with his practical approach and his ability to communicate technology issues in business terms.

Take something as simple as choosing a domain name. It can get bafflingly detailed if you let it. And many of the advice articles you see are written for professional “domainers,” i.e., people who buy and sell domain names for a profit. But most of us don’t fit the definition of domainers — we’re not even close. We need practical advice around choosing one or maybe a couple of domain names that serve our businesses well. We’re not looking to snap up hundreds or even thousands of domain names.

The same goes for issues relating to websites and online visibility. Advice is only as good as it is practical. And it should reflect today’s trends — what’s changing, what’s different — and tell us something beyond the obvious.

I was also impressed by the fact that Register.com recently put up a Learning Center on their website with articles and advice for small businesses. The information is geared toward the mainstream small-business, and not necessarily the already-super-savvy online entrepreneurs that some other registrars cater to. Doug writes articles there, as does Wendy Kennedy, another executive from Register.com who I met at the New York Business Expo. I like it when executives are hands on in a company’s website reaching out to customers — it shows commitment.

Please welcome Doug to the community.

Doug’s first article is: Picking a Domain Name When Choices Are Scarce

This is a post from: Small Business Trends

Doug Shuman of Register.com Joins As Small Biz Expert

From MarketWatch:

Continental Airlines Inc. intends to dismiss about 3,000 employees, including management positions, sometime after the peak of summer travel, the Houston-based carrier said Thursday. Starting in September, Continental said it will reduce its flights, with fourth-quarter domestic mainline departures to be down 16% year-over-year, and a reduction of domestic mainline capacity by 11% in the fourth quarter. Continental said it will also accelerate the retirement of its Boeing 737-300 and 737-500 fleets. Further, Chairman and CEO Larry Kellner and President Jeff Smisek said they will forgo their salaries for the rest of 2008.

Cannot. be. good. for. Cleveland.

If you’re looking to add a little life to your afternoon, the Carnival of Ohio Politics #120 is open for visitors.

Thanks to everyone who participated and please feel free to advertise the carnival’s existence to your readers and other bloggy buddies who might be interested in contributing.

Have a great week.

On Thursday, July 17th, Music Saves is hosting a pre-show tailgate party at The Beachland Tavern prior to The Hold Steady show taking place later that evening in the Ballroom. There will be food, folks, fun, drink specials, and a very special guest DJ, me. I don't want to give too much of my set away, but you can expect to hear punk rock, garage rock, heavy rock, college rock, modern rock, alt rock, indie rock and just plain rock from The Sixties through today. The fun starts at 6:30, and as this is a Hold Steady show, where the booze is sure to flow freely, you'll want to get in that request for your post Hold Steady show vacation day soon.

It’s weird to listen to it now, ten hours after it was broadcast live.

You can listen here. Here’s the home page for the BBC Radio Ulster Evening Extra.