Articles by “ablereach”
Elizabeth Able is the Cre8tive Flow editor, and is an administrator at Cre8asiteForums.
Visit ablereach's web site.
Google Labs Accessible Search is open to the public. A few days ago T.V. Raman, research scientist in charge, announced the beta debut with a post in Google’s official blog. Have you taken a peek yet?
In its current version, Google Accessible Search looks at a number of signals by examining the HTML markup found on a web page. It tends to favor pages that degrade gracefully–that is, pages with few visual distractions, and pages that are likely to render well with images turned off. Google Accessible Search is built on Google Co-op’s technology, which improves search results based on specialized interests.
The Word of Mouth Marketing Association topped yesterday’s newsletter with a plea for readers to go to Wikipedia.
Help save “word of mouth marketing” at Wikipedia. A proposal has been made to close the Wikipedia entry for “word of mouth marketing” and subsume it into the larger entry for “viral marketing”. Viral is a marketing technique of word of mouth equally valid with others such as buzz, grassroots, evangelism, and more.
Read the discussion on Wikipedia. I enjoyed Srini’s observation that WOM is a voluntary result of satisfaction, whereas viral marketing connotes less of a choice.
Among small online businesses, B2B ecommerce is becoming as common as email. A Jupiter Research study released today revealed that 79 percent of small ebusinesses regularly use the Internet to shop for business-related needs. Here’s what I take from those numbers.
Relationships count. When asked for three factors that influence their online purchases, 62% chose familiarity with vendor. 39% gave the opinions of friends and colleagues a major role. Only 21% said emails and coupons were influential. Makes sense to me. A coupon from an unknown does not impress yours truly. A sales-pitch email from an unknown is likely to be deleted. However, a coupon from a desired and trusted source might even get me to cough up my email address. The reverse is not true.
This is a preview of
79% of Small Online Businesses Shop Online
.
Read the full post (365 words, estimated 1:28 mins reading time)
How is it reasonable or even possible for widely different cultures to communicate on issues of bias, using the same language?
A recent post by a non-native English speaker will inspire negative reactions that have nothing to do with his intended topic. Dollars to doughnuts the writer didn’t know he was stepping into anything more controversial than correctly formed English grammar. You could even argue that posting an article like this is a form of spam, ripe for the delete button, but our moderators spotted potential for discussion and moved the post to our members-only social area. As is often the case when a post gets under someone’s skin, there are wider issues at stake.
Thread pick: Free Web Design Tools
Fave rave lists can be priceless. I open them and think, “What was the name of that cool ruler thingy? What free web site editors really work?”
In March of 2005 Graphics4Me asked, “What programs do you use?” That question kicked off a big list of dozens of goodies, paid and free, big and little.
Yesterday limey started a new thread, Free Web Design Tools. Favorite, free web design related programs are being added to this thread by members in the know.
Check out both lists. Nominate your finds and learn what others are using. Your buffet awaits.
Permanent link to this post (105 words, estimated 25 secs reading time)
Thread pick: With Apologies to Bragadocchio!
What motivates a lurker’s conversion to active participation? Yannis kicks off an interesting Cre8asite Forums thread by using a little positive troll power. You got it: Positrolling
From Wikipedia’s definition of Internet trolling: “Often, a person will post a sincere message about which he is emotionally sensitive. Skillful trolls know that an easy way to upset him is to falsely claim that he is a “troll.” In forums where most users are similar to each other, outsiders may be perceived as trolls simply because they do not fit into the social norms of that group. It can sometimes be difficult to distinguish between a user who merely has different values, views, or ideas, and a user who is intentionally trolling. This can lead to genuinely hostile behavior, including flame wars.”
Thread pick: What in the world is Contextual Usability?
Thanks to this question, my pet terms of the moment are contextual usability and experiential design. Late Spring is lush and sweet in my corner of the world, and I’m walking around seeing everything in terms of how experience is facilitated in the contextual environment. This is fun stuff for a psychology buff.
Cre8asite excels at thoughtful conversations where creative meets practical. Ya gotta love it.
Come on in and join the conversation.
Permanent link to this post (83 words, estimated 20 secs reading time)
Thread pick: Cre8ing Controversy
This fabulous discussion is full of good ideas and real sharing. It has a life of its own that keeps coming around to a desire to do more, to contribute beyond forum discussion.
Recently, cre8pc (Kim Krause Berg) mused, “I’m learning over time that there’s a mask people often use when they write and converse on the web. There’s an image they want to project, or a fear of trusting the reader/listener, or other various reasons for presenting ourselves. It can be as simple as wanting to remain professional or creating a character and being in that role when being online.”
