Brian Johnson Blog

Hey everyone, I now have my own dedicated blog here: Brian Johnson Blog. I will be posting about a lot of the same stuff there so please check it out! For social media services, Netmajic is still alive and well, so please visit them here: Netmajic.

Brian Johnson Design

I (Brian Johnson) have just recently started my own company, Brian Johnson Design, and the website is now up and running! Netmajic is still alive and well and I will continue to work closely with Michele there. Brian Johnson Design is just an opportunity for me to reach a different client base than is possible with Netmajic, and also to allow me to explore different areas of design, particularly graphic design. Eventually I will get a blog going there, too, but in the meantime, you can find my posts right here!

-Brian Johnson

Why Real Names in a Social Network are Good

I posted this in a comment on this page and thought it would be good to talk about here
A little background. Circa 2006. Every high school kid longed to be different and express their differences. So they got a myspace. They chose strange names for their profile, they posted a million pictures filled with ironic and pithy sayings, they made their profiles their own. Pink text over a strobing background of nickleback? Why not, you are expressing yourself. When someone added you as a friend, it might take 20 minutes to figure out who they actually are.

Check out this mashable article that actually touts this as a good looking profile... Imagine what that bad ones must have looked like. 2007

Enter Facebook. Its clean, people use their real names, their profiles look the same, all the information is in the same place for everyone, and it works. It was a huge breath of fresh air for its users. People realized that they don’t want to be assaulted by everyone else’s confusing and frequently obnoxious forms of self expression. And they realized what they valued in a social network was not childish expression, but the socializing itself. And facebook allowed them to do that as efficiently as possible.

Facebook even almost lost that image for a while when apps became an issue, but due to massive public outcry they fixed it.

Now come back to the present. Facebook users still primarily use their real names. But lots of people don’t. Some use their middle names, others use a made up one. Often it is because they don’t want an employer to find them and don’t understand privacy settings. Sometimes it isn’t. But I can tell you that the consensus among many of the most active Facebook users is that it is extremely frustrating when people use fake names. It is a painful reminder of the way things used to be, when you would struggle to connect with somebody as a result of their overzealous self-expression.

I think google realizes all of these things. People don’t want their social network website to be about self-expression. They want it to be about socializing and sharing. Not that there is anything wrong with self-expression, but in this case people see it as getting in the way of what they are there to do.

The fact is that no matter how much you want to express yourself in an unusual way, people don’t want to be forced to constantly wade through everyone else’s self expression as a constant hindrance to actually socializing with them.

To summarize what I believe the sentiment of most social network users is:

You want to express yourself? Write a song, buy some clothes, paint a picture, do something. If I appreciate your brand of self expression, I will check it out. Don’t change the background of your social profile to a band I hate and don’t change your name so I can’t find you.

Google “Default Location” Fixed

A long long time ago, when Google introduced “default location” as an optional entry for Google Maps, it didn’t seem to me to actually be the least bit useful. I am not really sure what its function was on paper, but when I used it, I found it to be essentially worthless. It didn’t make it easier to find directions to or from my location, it didn’t center the map on that location, nor did it seem to remember a single thing about it. I could never even find a shortcut to load up my address on the map. As far as I could tell, literally the only thing that this feature accomplished was to physically list your address somewhere. Just in case you forgot perhaps? Who knows. If there was a way to make it work, I could never figure it out, and I consider myself to be far more tech-literate than the average person.

It would appear that there is finally a point to the default location. Today, Google asked me to enter a default location. Not really sure why it didn’t remember it, given that I am logged in to all my Googles, but I will let that slide. So I tried it. And lo and behold, it works! The map ACTUALLY centers on my default location automatically, and when I click “directions” to a location, it automatically populates the start location with my address. In the past, I used to literally have to type in my full and complete address down to the zip code, otherwise it would use an incorrect location. That became very frustrating. Now, it would seem, I don’t have to worry about that.

Google Map users rejoice, a new age is upon us. Now if they can only fix those momentary outages that seem to happen only when you are in a hurry, I will be a happy man.

Women and Divorce and Some Help

Divorce is often cited as the most difficult life transitions one can face. Today I thought I would briefly share a resource that my friends at Cinder Ventures have put together for women going through this rough time. They have written an excellent book that helps you navigate through everything you may need help with. From legal explanations to financial advice to how to communicate with your kids, they have thought through it all. The book is called Cinder Without Her Fella, and is a light-hearted but practical guide to divorce. You can find more information about the book on their site here:  http://www.cinderventures.com/about/

Cinder Without Her Fella

Google Calendar Appointments: a Half-Baked Plan?

Recently, my Google Calendar alerted me to one of its newest features: an appointment calendar. The idea is simple: Make a list of all the times you are available, make this list available to others, and have them sign up to meet with you whenever they want. It sounded so great, I had to try it immediately. I had even had a conversation with someone earlier in the week about how there should be something exactly like this.

So I set up some appointments. This process is straight-forward enough, though in practice it is a lot of work and fairly time consuming. My goal was to take the days where I have lots of time and break it up in to one hour meetings spaced half an hour apart. Simple enough. But actually accomplishing this is a lot of work… They require you to first create an event, select appointment slot, then change it from the default “offer as slots of 30 minutes” to offer as a single appointment slot. The slots would make sense, but there is no way to use them to space the meetings out. Unless you are in the same building meeting with people with zero downtime between, this is not useful. I could, in theory, select “offer as slots of 90 minutes,” but this would then be confusing to people looking to sign up for an appointment slot. They don’t want to meet for an hour and a half.

So in the end, I had to select all of those options for all 20 slots I might have for a given week. It was repetitive and boring, and it makes me sad to know that if I want to do this in the future I will have to do it all over again. You would think there would be a way to clone the events over and over, but there isn’t. Additionally, if you don’t name each one then a big, ugly “(no title)” appears as the main piece of information for each slot. Why would you name them to begin with? You don’t know for sure what the event is going to be, thats the whole point…

I finished setting that all up. Now all that was left was to send potential meet-ees the worlds longest link to my own appointment calendar. First off, you might want to use a URL shortener for this one, because it is seriously long. It looks like this: https://www.google.com/calendar/selfsched?sstoken=UU1lenJiclp3cFp6fGRlZmF1bHR8ZTE4NDk3NzAwYLk4NDczNTNiZTAzMWM4ODBjZmNkJDQ (Not a real link). It is anything but pretty. The emails went out fine, and I figured I would just wait.

Within an hour or two, I got many emails back. And this is where I learned the true failure of the appointment calendar. Of the eight or so people who responded, only one had actually gotten through to my calendar. Just one. Why? Because Google did perhaps the most asinine thing they could possibly have done to the system: They require you to log in to your own Google calendar before you can even LOOK at this appointment calendar. Are you kidding me?

So lets walk through what happens when somebody wants to select a time to meet with me. They click the link. What it takes them to is not a page explaining whats going on, where they are, or any relevant piece of information. No. Instead, they are faced with a log-in screen. Most people give up instantly at this point, probably even if they HAVE a Google calendar. It looks like it didn’t work… As if only the owner of that particular calendar can see it. Maybe this would be a good idea if every person on the planet had and was logged in to their own Google calendar. But they don’t and never will. The pragmatic approach would be to let anyone see the calendar without logging in, and even letting people sign up for appointment slots.

The final irony of all this is that when the one person made it through and selected an appointment slot, it showed up as a new event on my calendar, leaving the appointment slot free. Meaning that as far as everyone else is concerned, that time is still available for me. What the heck is the point then? I might get 10 people signing up for the same time, thanks a lot Google. And in a telling twist of fate, the only person who made it through is the owner and sole-employee of an IT services and support company. And even she sounded a little confused.

I can only hope that Google will continue to develop this feature to make it usable… It is a great idea that has been laughably implemented. Stick to emails and phone calls for now, everyone.

Groupon-like Site Goes Viral?

We have all seen the scammy offers out there designed to get you to market a company for them. Get 10 friends to enroll in our terrible service and get yours free! Right… Even Groupon seems a little contrived. Post a deal in which lots of people must sign up, otherwise the deal won’t go live. Of course, if the deal is even the least bit good, at this point it won’t have any trouble getting the required number of buyers. Any marketing that people did is just superfluous and not actually required for the process.

Today I came across a deal via slickdeals.net (I am a very longtime subscriber) which was essentially 4 AMC tickets for $24. They don’t expire and you can use them at any location. Not bad, if you go to nighttime showings frequently. But the site I bought it from was more interesting… It is buywithme.com and the deal works like this: You buy it normally, and thats all good. But then you share a link to the deal, and if three friends buy it as well, you get the deal free. The deal only lasts 24 hours apparently, so presumably they don’t charge your card until that time is up. If 3 friends bought it, they don’t charge anything.

I could definitely see this picking up in the future because it offers an attainable way to get free stuff. People actually have an incentive to share since it’s so easy to see how you could save money with it. Large brands with decent followings could easily see a huge influx of  traffic and usage for deals they post online. I am calling it now, this site or sites like it will either grow much more popular than Groupon, or fail do to an unsustainable business model. Only time can tell!

Also, here is the link to buy the tickets and help me get them free. http://www.buywithme.com That’s right, I am selling out for free tickets… Oh wait, I am just being social using SOCIAL MEDIA! Yay!

The Power of Good Practices

In almost everything in business, there is a generally accepted “right way” to do things. There might be some variation on that way, and many may in fact find great success from creatively developing new ways to do things. But still, there is usually a right way. Unfortunately, there is almost always a wrong way as well. Maybe it looks like it will save time, maybe you think you aren’t going to get caught, or maybe you were just offered bad advice. Either way, as a business person, you will be faced with these choices every day.

I would love to think that everyone would want to do the right thing just because it is right. Unfortunately, that is just not the case. From corrupt corporate executives to bad SEOs, there is no end to the list of people who picked the wrong way. And how does that work out for them? Maybe they got some short-term benefit. Maybe they were rich or very successful. But eventually that ended. Some went to jail, most just continue to struggle in their chosen profession.

The issue at hand today is search engine optimization and the tools we have at our disposal. Lisa Barone of Outspoken Media goes into detail discussing some of the recent changes to the Google algorithm and how this has affected SEOs in this post. I think she summarizes it pretty well when she says,

“You’re investing in SEO to grow your business and your brand over the long-term. That is not done through shortcuts, through buying links, or through acting out because you’re PO’d at Google. It’s done through putting in the work. ”

Best practices are not just called that because they are morally correct. They are also the most effective. Maybe not in the short term, but if you are looking for sustained success, then they are the way to go. Despite any complaints about the recent “Panda” update to Google’s algorithm, the bottom line is that Google and all the other search engines will most likely improve over time. There may be ups and downs, but through all the changes you will be better off using legitimate, ‘white hat’ SEO tools. Obviously link farms and scraper sites provide little benefit to actual people. Do you really think they are going to help your site forever?

Bottom line: do the right thing. It’s in your best interest and the best interests of those around you.  Not just this week or this month, but in the long term.

Facebook Questions: Wrong Answers?

UPDATE 11/10/2011: There is a new problem going around that is as follows: 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 – 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 + 1 x 0 = ? This problem is a whole lot easier and less debatable, and so I am absolutely shocked that the vast majority of respondents are so horribly wrong. It actually makes me sad for humanity. Anyone who took 6th grade algebra knows the order of operations. Multiplication comes first. So the “1 x 0″ portion goes first, making it of course 0. Then you add and subtract all the rest, resulting in 14. Basic. SUPER basic. So why exactly are people getting it so wrong? I have absolutely no idea. It is sad.

The answer is 14.

UPDATE: A crushing argument has finally arrived that is seemingly incontrovertible. It was brought up that wolfram would show that the answer is 9, when you plug in the equation. Which is true. It was argued that Wolfram is infallible. But is it really?

The arguer went on further to put the equation a different way. Instead of (1+2), let’s say it is x. So x=1+2. That would make the equation:

6/2x=?

Let’s enter this into Wolfram and assume the answer is 1. We did it here.

What happened? X=3. Wait a second… But 1+2 = 3… Just like in the original equation… But that means… THE ANSWER REALLY IS 1???

Dun Dun Dun… It’s true. Wolfram gives conflicting answers, proving the fallibility of technology in solving ambiguous problems.  As far as I can tell, the program is not using parentheses correctly in the order of operations. They should be as highly ranked or more than variables, but they aren’t. Interestingly, when we do the exact same equation but with the x in parentheses (which should be the same), it gives the answer of 9 . Interesting stuff

The new Facebook feature in which users can post their own questions and have their friends answer has actually begun to pick up lately. Today, I came across a question which over half a MILLION people had answered. It was a math question. And as far as I can tell, most people got it wrong. Here is the question:

6÷2(1+2)=?

Now clearly there is something unusual about this question. It is in a format rarely seen, and with good reason. The order of operations in extremely ambiguous. Most people said the answer was 9. But is it? Lets read about the order of operations. Every operation is ranked, with the highest ranked operations going first, followed by the lower ranked operations. Most people remember “PEMDAS,” which stands for “”Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division, and Addition and Subtraction”". That is the order in which operations must go.

So according to that order, here is what happens:

6÷2(1+2)=?
6÷2(3)=
6÷6=

1

The answer is one. Parentheses come first, even when they signify a multiplication. Purplemath.com, a popular online math information site,  illustrates this example on this page: http://www.purplemath.com/modules/orderops2.htm. They go through this problem and illustrate the correct method:

“

• Simplify 16 ÷ 2[8 – 3(4 – 2)] + 1.

16 ÷ 2[8 – 3(4 – 2)] + 1 
= 16 ÷ 2[8 – 3(2)] + 1 
= 16 ÷ 2[8 – 6] + 1 
= 16 ÷ 2[2] + 1   (**) 
    = 16 ÷ 4 + 1 
= 4 + 1 
= 5

“

The ironic thing is that many involved in the discussion are citing “PEMDAS” as the reason why the answer is 9.  One of the highest ranked answers cites this and proof that the answer is 9: http://www.quickmath.com/webMathematica3/quickmath/equations/solve/basic.jsp#v1=6%2F2(a%2B2)%3D9&v2=a

Of course what this girl fails to realize, is that 6/2 is a fraction, which is different than 6÷2. It is calculated differently because a fraction is its own number, not an operation.

Please feel free to share your thoughts about this problem. I don’t think there is any way to show that the answer is 9, but I challenge you to try, and please cite some source as to how that could possibly be correct. 

How Can My Blog Stand Out In A Sea of Identical Content?

There must be millions of blog posts with generic content such as “How to Leverage Facebook to Help Your Business” or “10 Ways you Use Twitter to Build Your Brand” or other similar topics. They all seem to have identical content and all appear to have been written after reading “8 Steps to Writing a Great Blog Post.” I’m not saying my posts are always revolutionary or my strategies completely original. As an aspiring blogger and social media user, I am faced every day with the challenge of sharing my experiences and insight to others in new and creative ways. My advice here is not a description of the path you must take after having been there myself. It is more my own strategy stemming from the experiences I have had and the things I have learned from others before me.

Become a leader, not just a follower. There is a lot of great info out there, and a lot of it will help you in your life and in your business. But not most of it.  Learn what you can from others, then collaborate with them and bring your own thoughts and ideas to the table. Don’t spend all day concentrating on the work of others. Think one step ahead of where everyone is at the moment. You can spit out the same thing in different words, but if everyone has heard it before, no one cares. Obviously you can’t just become a leader overnight, but if you have legitimately, consistently great ideas time and time again and you are active in your online community, people will recognize you for that.

Realize that posting a numbered list does not automatically make people read your content. There are a million strategies consisting of very simple things you can do in your blog that some of the great bloggers have done and found to increase their success. Do not use these unless you actually have something good to say. At best, they won’t help you at all. At worst, they will make your blog seem gimmicky and annoying. Focus on the content, ideas, and personality behind the posts rather than the gimmicky formatting and titles.

Get involved in your community of bloggers. When it comes time to sink or swim, the ones that make it out alive are those who have someone holding them up. Comment on a blog post that you think is great. Share further ideas about the topic. Make friends with the bloggers. Write your own blog post involving ideas from other bloggers, and give them credit for it. If what you are posting is worth reading, you will eventually get to the point where others in your community will be talking about it. And that is when you will really start to see success.