In The Mail: Communicating Design

I just ordered my own copy of Communicating Design, by Dan Brown. I’m trying to strengthen my skills in Usability and Information Architecture, and this book sounds like its just the thing for me.

Christian Crumlish published a review in Extra! Extra!, his company’s blog:

I probably learned the most from his discussion of concept models, because I have the least amount of experience preparing these types of documents and I’ve always found them to be somewhat intimidating. He explains how to build them up from granular bits and also helps clarify a number of different approaches to connecting the nodes in such documents. He also includes as an illustration a version of Bryce Glass’s after-the-fact Flickr user model, an instant classic of the form.

You can get your copy in the Amazon link to the left, or read more at the Communicating Design website.

iPhone Gets Rave Reviews

Todd Warfel gave the iPhone rave reviews. He wrote out a details post on his initial iPhone experience.

Yes, that’s right. Don’t believe the hype. Because the hype simply doesn’t do this sexy thing justice. My expectations were pretty high for the new iPhone and they were exceeded.

I made the line at the Apple store in Alexandria, and was able to demo a unit. I’m not in the market for a new phone, so I didn’t buy one, but I wouldn’t mind trading my clunky blackberry for a sleek iPhone. It works just as good as its advertised. I’m already on the Cingular (now ATT) network, so it would work out nice. But I doubt my boss would go for the extra expense.

Non-Profit Management: New uses of technology

Peter Brinckerhoff has a great list of 6 changes technologies that have major implications for nonprofits:

I’m working on the April edition of the Mission-Based Management Newsletter, which will be about the new uses of technology.

This is his list. Head on over to Peter’s Mission-Based Management blog for the details.

1. Peer Review/participation.
2. Podcasts:
3. Instant Net feedback.
4. Blogs.
5. Software.
6. Fundraising

He mentions some of the things I have been saying here, including the use of open source software. Non-profits need to have a guy like me to help them navigate the tech-world, and help them figure out how to increase exposure, while lowering their marketing and messeging costs.

Delta & The Cost of Poor Customer Service

The following story illustrates the reality and cost of living in today’s Internet driven information age. The fact is that every business and organization out there cannot afford to forget that any given customer or stakeholder may just be the author of a blog with thousands of readers.

Dean Barnett wrote a blog post titled, “My Valentine to Delta Airlines” and chronicled hour by hour his horrible experience flying on Delta Airlines. I usually don’t have a problem flying on Delta, but then again, I usually fly Southwest–I hate having to fly through Atlanta regardless of where I am going.

Delta obviously missed the “negative earned media” cost of not taking care of its customers.

I find out that for inexplicable reasons the second leg of flight 1546 took off at 8:19, five minutes after we landed on the original Flight 1546. Why didn’t they hold the flight for us? Or why didn’t they fly us to Boston on a mostly empty plane? I assume it was because neither one of these would have been cost effective options for Delta. Customer service seems not to have been a factor in the airline’s crude calculus. As we make our way to the ticket counter, we are a tad annoyed.

When I used to work for a well-known large Colorado Springs non-profit, I used to joke with co-workers to “beware of the brown-badges.” As our security was pretty tight, all employees where required to wear a ID badge, with a picture. Over the years, these tend to fade to a dull brown, hence most employees who had worked there for more than 10 years tended to have brown badges. They where also usually hard-set in their way, are incredibly resistant to innovation and change, and are usually defensive to any sort of criticism.

Beware of the brown-badges Dean.

9:15 p.m. – As we leave the desk under the watchful eye of the supervisor who seems understandably wary of us going postal at any minute, I extend my hand and tell him he’s a good guy doing a hard job. In truth, I didn’t think he was a particularly good guy, at least in his capacity as a Delta customer service representative. I thought he had grown way too comfortable giving customers the shaft. If he had any remorse over being the Delta employee in charge of treating its paying customers so poorly, he hid it carefully. He shakes my hand and smiles. I then give him a shot at redemption and myself a shot at catharsis. While we’re having this tender moment, I ask him in all sincerity, “Do you have any idea how much your airline sucks?” He begins yelling at me that he’s been with Delta for 24 years, and he thinks they’re great. I yell back that California will tumble into the sea and Rosie O’Donnell will win the Miss Universe contest before I fly Delta again. We say our farewells.

There is a price to pay. I’m not really sure why this whole event happened to Dean and the other customers flying Delta that day, but one thing is for sure–someone didn’t include the cost of loosing these customers and the many more they will lose from among the readers of the various blogs spreading the word.

As far as I’m concerned, though, Delta is dead to me. It’s not a brother, not a friend, and I want two days notice when it comes to visit our mother. But that’s no big deal. I’ve loathed Delta for a long time. But my wife is a loyal flyer and a Silver Medallion member. Or should I say “was.” Delta is dead to her, too. When you treat customers like something you stepped in, there will be consequences.

Full disclosure: I am employed by Townhall.com. The views expressed on this blog are not necessarily the views of Townhall.com.

Update: Glenn Reynolds has a similar negative experience with Delta. It sounds like they have an institutional customer service problem.

…worst of all was the attitude of the Delta employees at the counter that morning. They gave the impression of actually enjoying the process of delivering the bad news — including the supervisor whom I asked to speak with.

New Book — Trust: The One Thing That Makes or Breaks a Leader

I bought this book about a month ago, but just picked it up this weekend. It’s by author Les T. Csorba, a former White House Advisor for Presidential Personnel and is now a Partner at Heidrick & Struggles, Inc.

So far is sounds real good. I have been reading a lot about trust in my Project Management course this semester, so I am curious to dig into it further. Should be an interesting read — I’ll make sure to come back and let you all know what I think.

In the meantime, you can get your own copy by clicking on the Amazon link on the right.

Communication Technology Works Around Censors

This is my kind of news! The Washington Post has a story on how a community in China was able to use text-messaging and cell phones to get around government censors, and stand up against the construction of a giant chemical factory. This is what technology in communication does for the world — it enables individuals to connect, relate, and unite.

By promoting the construction of a giant chemical factory among the suburban palm trees, the local government was “setting off an atomic bomb in all of Xiamen,” the massive message sprays charged, predicting that the plant would cause “leukemia and deformed babies” among the 2 million-plus residents of this city on China’s southern rim, just opposite Taiwan.

The environmental activists behind the messages might have exaggerated the danger with their florid language, experts said. But their passionate opposition to the chemical plant generated an explosion of public anger that forced a halt in construction, pending further environmental impact studies by authorities in Beijing, and produced large demonstrations June 1 and 2, drawing national publicity.

The delay marked a rare instance of public opinion in China rising from the streets and compelling a change of policy by Communist Party bureaucrats. It was a dramatic illustration of the potential of technology — particularly cellphones and the Internet — to challenge the rigorous censorship and political controls through which the party maintains its monopoly on power over China’s 1.4 billion people.

Blogging, Activism, and the Christian Worldview

I’ll be giving a presentation tomorrow at Leadership Institute titled “Blogging, Activism, and the Christian Worldview.” Basicly, I’m hoping to help the students put worldview into action through purpose-driven activism and blogging. Check out my first draft of the power point (thanks to SlideShare.net)

David All: Modern world, ancient websites

Paul Blumenthal and David All had an Op-Ed on why Congress needs modern websites on The Hill newspaper this last Tuesday in the Open House Project Op-Ed series. They cover “the reasons why member Web sites are often just polished brochures, accessories to the actual functions of the office.”

Technology and politics are rapidly intertwining in the new millennium as presidential candidates adopt sophisticated online operations to raise money, get out the vote and connect to new voters. Social networking, blogging and online video technologies have taken the political world by storm. But in Washington, members of Congress are forced to watch this race for online superiority from the sidelines.

It’s not their fault. While candidates for office can do as they please with their websites, members of Congress are heavily restricted in the kinds of activities they can partake in on their official websites, because they are governed by Franking Rules. These rules were created decades ago to restrict the use of mass mailings sent to congressional districts at taxpayer expense. Franking Rules, modified to apply to the Web in 1994 and last updated in 1996, state that members may not use non-congressionally provided services for their website, nor link to any site of a personal or political nature.

Paul Blumenthal commented on it on his Sunlight Foundation blog.

Competition for Joost. Veoh Networks Launches VeohTV

This sounds like good news — more competition. I’m hoping this will have an impact on cable television, opening up for more choices and options.

Right now, I would like to pick and choose the TV channels I receive in my home, and reject what I don’t need or want. Instead, I pay one price, and subsidize a lot of junk I don’t care for, or do not want in my home.

“Unlike Joost, which is a closed system with content from a limited number of sources, VeohTV supports open Internet standards, and has access to virtually all of the video content on the Internet, on demand.” said Dmitry Shapiro, CEO of Veoh Networks. “We asked Veoh.com users what they really want in their online video experience and VeohTV is the culmination of that feedback. We believe that it will be the dominant standard for online video consumption moving forward.”

Industry heavyweights who have seen early versions of VeohTV have had positive reaction. “It’s a great product” said Barry Diller, Chairman and CEO of Interactive Corp.

“Veoh has leapfrogged the field with their dazzling new video application,” said Ross Levinsohn, former President, Fox Interactive Media. “The new Veoh will set the bar very high for others to shoot for, and will be a terrific experience for consumers worldwide.”

Ways to read my blog

I just wanted to make sure everyone is aware of the new email subscription form I have added to header of the blog, as well as the RSS subscription feed. I’m not 100% consistent with my blogging, as I try to provide time for my wife and other offline activities. So, the best way to make sure you don’t miss a post is to subscribe to the RSS or via email. The emails only go out once a day (digest format) on days when I write a post, so you don’t have to worry about spam.

Welcome to all new readers. Feel free to post questions or feedback.