SocialU and Google

Ryan    Uncategorized     Google, Social Media, SocialU, Subjective Search

Hey, so I downloaded SocialU last week and gave it a test run to see what exactly it does. EL has introduced me to lots of new social media platforms and I have to say, it’s pretty interesting. Any ways, after playing around in SocialU I realized that this was just an attempt at beginning to create dynamic/subjective search engine. Basically, you go in, create an account, and then socialize with friends who are on the same platform. BUT… the program is also a browser. Not only can you visit your favorite websites, but you can rank them on popularity, or maybe even whatever you want. After ranking, you can also leave comments, add to favorites, you can pretty much do whatever. It’s all fun and good.. but then…

SociaulU

Google released WikiSearch last Friday. Have you seen it? It’s basically a feature in a Google SERP that allows you to remove unwanted links.. or links you don’t want clogging up the top of the search results page, and then allows you to rank other pages higher. At the same time, you can leave comments on each page. WTF!?!? Are you kidding me? Was SocialU first to this idea of ‘subjective search’ first, or maybe it’s a scheme by Google to attract new audiences…? Although I’m thinking Google has little to do with SocialU, the resemblances are uncanny. Well they are canny, just very similar is what I’m trying to say.

Any ways, check them both out.

WordPress Direct = SPAM

Ryan    Uncategorized     WordPress, WordPress Direct

So I came across a video advertising WordPress Direct. Apparently, it’s a service that allows you to start blogs and automaticaly update themselves with duplicate content from other sources. Nice idea right? Talk about a total waste of my time.

First of all, it has nothing to do with WordPress, well it’s not affiliated with WordPress at all. Second, these SPLOGS are just gunna get banned, and you’re gunna get rejected from Google faster than you can delete your WPD account. The only thing that this is going to do is land your URL in hot water with the SERPs. Save yourself some time and money and forgoe WordPress Direct.

I really hate stuff like this.

Alone in an Office

Ryan    Uncategorized     Again and Again and Again, Bird and the Bee, TvrBvl

I am alone in the office this afternoon. Well not entirely alone, but more alone then I’ve ever been here. KG has left of his business/Thanksgiving vacation already, EL and C are having lunch with an old boss, and I don’t know about anyone else. They’re too far for me to really hear.

Today I’m at peace. Although I feel like I’m coming down with something, I am the most relaxed I’ve been at work in a long time. I think it’s the alone(ness). At the same time, it doesn’t really leave much room for getting a whole lot done though. That’s okay. I have lots of time to do my projects and reports. Like I said, KG is out until the Monday after next.

I listened to Bird and the Bee last night for the first time in a long ass time. I said it then, and I’ll say it again, Again and Again is so catchy and fun. Makes me think I should be living in the 70s. I know Andrea would be all for that. Probably not me. Cute video…

Relaxing.

Listening to the song also reminds me of this time last year. Seems like forever since I was going to Andy’s for music makin, pizza, or whatever. Good times. Now, he’s got some cool stuff posted on MySpace under his group name, TvrBvl. Check it out, it’s seriously some cool shit… and give the music a minute to work on you. Thats key.

Look for the first chapter or something of a story in the next entry possibly. I might surprise you.

Twitter

Ryan    Uncategorized     Twitter

Thank you Elliott for showing me Twitter today.

What can I say about Twitter? Twitter is something that needs to be examined by everyone for more than 1 or 2 hours. After signing up for my first Twitter account, ryanjin, I was a little skeptical as to how I’d use the program… pretty much at all. But then I found the search feature. Anybody who is hesitant about what Twitter does… open an account, and then search the Tweets for anything that interests you. Be it work related, play related, anything. Soon, you’ll be following people, people will be following you, and we’ll all end up connected in some weird and wacky way.

Seriously though. Once you understand or at least have a basic understanding of what is going on, the possibilities are endless. Today, I’ve been fooling around with encorporating AdWords ads into my Tweets. Anybody have any experience with that? No? Well lets get a conversation going. The thing is, Twitter is so new that a lot of things are up for grabs, conversations on just about anything can be started on a dime, and you can begin to network with people you never thought you’d be able to meet.

Long story short, find me at http://www.twitter.com/ryanjin. I promise it will be enlightening.

Tuesday Morning Coffee

Ryan    Uncategorized     AdCenter, Organic Search, Paid Search, Thanksgiving

Just got to work to find myself all alone. I like this time of day. I feel more at ease with working I think or something, I dunno. Any ways, work has been going fine. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but I’m starting to feel a little lost. I’m more excited than ever to begin working with the SEO and PPC campaigns, though I’m not sure when that will really be. I’ve set up some short and long term goals for myself though so we’ll see how that pans out. In terms of career status though, I really don’t know where I fit in with this company right now. I kind of thought I knew, but the more I’m here, the more I seem just a little out of whack or at least not in the middle. That’s probably fine for now, but I think a look at my role and the future possibilities of it is in order, at least in the coming year. I know it’s only been a month and a half, but I’m already seeing issues. Nothing bad.. just issues.

Moving on to more exciting news, next week is Thanksgiving! Thank God. I’ve been looking forward to going home for quite some time now, but it wasn’t until this weekend when I really realized I longed for it hardcore. Seeing the family, eating the food, sleeping in, it sounds so heavenly right now. More later.. or at least sooner to the actual day.

I suppose it’s now time to get to work. I think today I’m going to try and finish up my recommendations for Microsoft AdCenter, and then maybe go in and begin working with the campaigns tomorrow or something. Then I have that AdWords Webinar tomorrow too. Well we’ll see. Might work on some writing as well. Who knows. Peace

A New Opportunity

Ryan    Uncategorized     Doug, Organic Search, Paid Search, SEOformyWebsite.com

So today marks my first day working with Doug over at SEOformyWebsite.com. Together we’ll be working to create quality search engine optimization as well as search engine marketing campaigns for clients and customers. As to what I’m going to be doing, I’ll be in charge of managing the PPC for the clients who want it. While I’m not sure how much work I’ll get, the opportunity is there, and maybe one day it’ll be a gateway to something even bigger.

That being said, if you’re in need of qualified and professional SEO services, contact Doug or myself today. Also, if you’re in need of Pay-Per-Click services, contact me. In a few weeks, I should have my own site up and running, a possible biz license and a desire to make it on my own. That was dumb. But yeah.

My First Comment

Ryan    Uncategorized     Disturbia, Project, Thriller, YouTube

So my video on YouTube received it’s first comment! WhooHoo! Actually I’m hella excited. I wonder wondering how long it was going to take before I got my first comment, and sure enough, I got one. Any ways, if you haven’t seen it, it’s posted in one of my earlier posts. Also, if you’re looking for a cool song, check out…

It’s a cool song.

Also, for some reason my one comment has really inspired me to go back and work some more on some of my own things. I know I’m kinda lacking in the whole musical instrument/pianos/keyboard arena, but I have a few things, and maybe someday I’ll be able to upgrade my shit. Just something to keep in mind I suppose. No vocals though. I’m not a singer or a rapper… if you’d like a backing trackfor your own stuff, we can talk, but other than that, sorry.

And as far as my Project is concerned, as always I keep running into more and more issues that will eventually need to get resolved or figured out somehow. Recently, I’ve been working around the payment/selling issues behind running an e-commerce store. If I allow people to sell directly to other people, is there any possible way I can just move outta the way, and just let their transactions happen? I don’t think so. So… I’m gunna need to create a business account for where all this money flows in and out of. I suppose it’s similar to the Google AdWords/Adsense way of doing things. Once a certain amount of money is owed/made, they’ll write or charge you a certain amount. I doubt that money goes directly to the other person right? It’s coming directly from Google’s hands.. so in essence, they can take whatever they want and you have no choice but to hope you’re not being cheated outta a dollar.

See thats the issue. I don’t want my customer or clients to think I’m cheating them in any way.

Oh well.. I’m sure something will come up or at least I’ll just settle on something.

Indie Music… Where it's at. Where it's been. Where it's going.

Ryan    Uncategorized     digstation.com, Independent Music, Indie Music, indie-music.com, MySpace Music

I’ve been looking at a lot of independent music portals on the web recently. Some of the ones that stick out in my head are www.digstation.com, www.indie-music.com, and of course theres MySpace Music… bleh. Needless to say, there are a lot of avenues for people that are into the indie scene, can go. The thing that makes me think, however, is how did the whole online craze just come up and totally bypass music in general?

I suppose it didn’t. Let’s go back to say, 2001. Napster was totally making it’s mark in the online music downloading world, and it was definately the product of choice for such resources. The courts came in, with the labels and artists at her side, and then proceeded to blanket the music downloading world. Yeah… it was illegal. But people still did it anyway. From the growing torrentz, to rapidshare, and so forth, people still had ways to get the music they wanted.. for free. Where did this leave indie bands though?

Think of the analogy between music and video. How did YouTube.com come up and make the uploading and downloading of videos so easy? I don’t know, but for one thing, YouTube created a whole generation of ‘online stars,’ ‘online comedians,’ and everything else online. People were getting famous for doing stupid things.. only because they filmed it and stuck it on the web. In an essence, music and audio just got left behind. Now, already established musicians were getting access to selling music on iTunes, and Amazon, while the independent artists were left figuring out how they could one day distribute their music to a larger audience then what they already had. I know this isn’t the indie mindset, but it is a viable issue. If musicians want to do what they love.. for a living.. they need to find resources so that they CAN make a living.

Think of the popularity of OK Go. I have no qualms against OK Go, but come on… they’re a gimicky band. Their music videos are great, I give them that, but they are as gimicky as any other popular mainstream musician. Maybe even more. People would listen to them and be like “Listen to this band I found on the internet… Aren’t they totally out there?” If bands were to have become popular for their music alone, I think there is a lasting respect amongst other artists in that scenario.

What I’m trying to get at is this. In a world where corporations can control what we can and cannot have, how is it that we are smart enough to find ways around this in some cases, but not in other cases. Let’s build a framework, similar to YouTube, and optimize it for music! Let our users designate who THEY like. If they want to purchase these bits of intellectual property… let the owners decide how much they want for them… not companies trying to make a buck. Remove the middle man, connect artists and musicians with their fans, and cultivate a deeper appreciation for a culture we’re trying to bring to a next level.