Pseudo Tech Girl

A Silicon Valley Girl Navigating Through the Tech World

Archive for March, 2009

Traditional Media vs. New Media

Mar 19

Posted by schlegelsteph in Web2.0 | 1 Comment

I’m a public relations practitioner and therefore spend a lot of time thinking about the relationship between traditional and new media. There is a lot of hype about new media and the death of the newspaper but are the online outlets really a meeting of the best of both worlds?

I took a quick look at the numbers of visitors/month based from Compete. Although the big new media news outlets are attracting a lot of visitors, USAtoday.com kills the competition if you look at the charts below. USAToday is still a successful print publication so it’s no surprise that people visit the website as well.

The key trend here is that if you look at the numbers for all of the publications (print and online only), you’ll notice that visitors to all of the sites are way up over the previous year. Venturebeat is up a whopping 170.6% . The lowest increase captured was 64.3% for Techcrunch which is still very impressive.

As we look at these numbers, it’s important to note that these are just examples but it highlights something very important: Traditional or not, online is important. A hit in the New York Times print edition is still a great hit but with the convenience of instant click through with the online edition leads to easier to measure results and success.

The reason the online version of a traditional publication performs so strongly is because the trust is already there. The new online only media (blogs, online publications) are starting from scratch to develop credibility. It will be interesting to continue to track the numbers for the online only publications as the gap closes as credibility grows.

Enjoy the graphs below.

Top New Media Circulation Numbers:

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USAToday.com vs. Top New Media Circulation Numbers:

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*Graphs from Compete.com*

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The “Twitterazzi”

Mar 18

Posted by schlegelsteph in Gossip | No Comments

As a long time Twitter fan, I’ve had the hunch that all Twitter needed to break out of the technology niche and into the mainstream was a “Perez Hilton” of the world to become an evangelist. Now that he (and other similar celebrity bloggers) have joined, I wonder if going mainstream actually brings down the street cred for the earlier adopters (I am not an early adopter but an earlier one than most)

To demonstrate my point, here are some quality [insert sarcasm here] Twitter posts from @PerezHilton 

  • Homewrecker LeAnn Rimes speaks!!! Click here to read her statement: http://tinyurl.com/cn9tsl
  • @leannrimes I feel bad for your gay husband! How could you do that to him???
  • Before the year is over, I’d love to report “Miley Cyrus is pregnant!” What headline would U like to see????

I want to make it clear, Twitter is just a tool for expressing oneself. Most of us try to join and contribute to the conversation while most of the “Twitterazzi” tend to go for the shock factor. I don’t have a problem with the shock factor but I hope that the goal is to contribute to the conversation while the mention about Miley Cyrus doesn’t really provide any value. I would hope that the same level of quality journalism is expected across genre. 

In addition, when it comes to breaking a story, I do think it’s important to confirm facts before pushing them out on Twitter or otherwise. For example, with the recent death of Natasha Richardson, @PerezHilton was quick to push out the news a full 24 hours before the official announcement was made. This was one of the many factors that contributed to the confusion around her condition. 

I do love celebrity gossip but I do believe that certain lines are being crossed when rude comments are made about a minor or sensitive matters are posted before they should be. The plus with the growing popularity in celebrity culture is that a bunch of celebrities are now on Twitter. Find your favorite celebrities on Twitter at: http://www.celebritytweet.com/

The fact remains that following someone is optional not required. 

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The MacBook that Isn’t…

Mar 17

Posted by schlegelsteph in Technology | 1 Comment

As we all anxiously awaited the Apple news this morning, there was a small amount of hope that the company would announce a Netbook to add to the MacBook family. No surprise, that was not announced although it’s something we will likely hear more about in the coming months. The Apple Netbook is expected to dominate the market but I have my doubts about how wonderful it really will be.

The mock-ups have been astonishing and I have to ask, can the real thing really live up to the expectations set forth by VentureBeat, CNET and others. If you take a look at those mock-ups, you’ll see that the bar has been set very high for the Apple developers. 

The big challenge that Apple will face will be the price point. Apple computers tend to cost more than comparable PC models. Can the Apple Netbook compete with the price point and features of current models such as:

With the models coming in around $400, I don’t think so. It makes more sense for me to purchase one of these Netbooks instead of replacing the misbehaving battery in my current Macbook – running around $200. With batteries costing that much, I can’t imagine an Apple Netbook coming until $800. Another issue that I am hoping to ratify when I do purchase a Netbook is the compatibility issues that I have had with my MacBook and certain websites. 

 

Another issue which isn’t talked about much is that Apple tends to have technical issues in the first version of a product. I experienced this with both the iPod and iPhone. When it comes to technology gadgets, I like to be an early adopter but that can be costly, especially if regular repairs/replacements are required. I’ve had my iPhone replaced three times since I first purchased it, each time with a different glitch. With the technical and compatibility issues likely to continue, a PC Netbook is something that will work better for me and likely for other people as well. 

 

Ultimately, with the economic situation what it is, the decision to buy for the average person will come down to one thing:

 

PRICE… a battle Apple cannot win.

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*Photo from CNET mock-up*

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Finally Addicted to Google Reader

Mar 17

Posted by schlegelsteph in Technology | No Comments

I know that I am months behind on the discovery of Google Reader. I have a very addictive personality so I knew that Google Reader would cause some addiction issues ultimately costing more time in my day checking news. Boy, was I wrong. 

I read a lot of news throughout the day. I individually visit VentureBeat, Mashable!, PR2.0 and many other blogs and news sources. I’ve never been an RSS fan because I feel like I fall behind as my “unread” numbers went up. It was more stressful than helpful for me. Beyond the fact that I was notified when new posts went up, I quickly gave up on the RSS idea.

So you may ask why I decided to finally give Google Reader a try. Well, it’s because in my new office, everyone (and their mother) can see my computer screen. Although it is part of my job to keep an eye on the technology news, I was starting to get self conscious about the amount of time I spent checking each individual site. I thought that Google Reader would be a nice substitute since it doesn’t looks a conspicuous as each site may to the casual colleague passing by. 

The verdict is: I love it. I love the way all the feeds stream in chronological order. Since it’s not attached to my work email, I make the choice to check my feed rather than just watching the numbers increase. Instead of feeling overwhelmed, I feel informed and on top of the industry. Even better, I spend less time navigating from site to site so I can spend more of my day doing what is really important: working!

For a few minutes, I tried to include Perez Hilton as one of my blogs, since the super pink background doesn’t appear in the feed, but the semi-questionable photos made me remove that blog from my list.

Here’s an example of what appears on my screen:

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How To: Networking like a god or goddess

Mar 16

Posted by schlegelsteph in Tips | No Comments

Networking saved my life! Literally… without the copious amounts of networking I did in 2008, I would be jobless and unable to pay my bills by now. There are different types of networking based on the reason you do it so I’m going to focus my energies on “how to” in a job hunting situation. Here are my top six tips and one little don’t:

1. Be Prepared! This means having a 30 second/elevator pitch prepared at all times. Just a quick yet eloquent who you are and what you do. Networking isn’t confined to events, you can easily bump into your next boss on the bus.

2. Network often, even when you don’t “need” to! I’m a people person so networking came easy to me after a few tries. I became addicted and made it a habit to hit up events almost every week. I’m not saying you should to that but you should make a point of attending an event with the goal of networking at least once a month. I’m not saying that it’s easy but it is important. You want to get ahead of the curve and you may not be looking for a job right now but you may be doing so in the very near future.

3. Follow Up! No matter how important you think someone is, keep them in your network. A very random relationship from a networking event may lead to a great job opportunity. Be sure to keep in touch with the people you meet. Send them a note if you have the time but with Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter and the next Web 2.0 technology, there really is no excuse to be silent.

4. Be Proactive! If you want it, go out and get it. You want to work at a particular company, contact the HR rep and set up an informal interview before there is a job opening. It may cost you $3 to treat someone to coffee but when you line up the perfect job, you will know it was worth it. Getting ahead of the curve allows the HR rep to know who you are and what job will be perfect for you.

5. Smile and Be Friendly! Regardless of your goal when you’re networking, you may very well make a new friend or two so just enjoy it. Ultimately, it’s about building your network and developing your brand so get out there be friendly and have fun.

6. Watch your alcohol! This means watch how much you consume. You don’t want to be the girl/guy that’s talked about the next day for dancing on the tables or falling over drunk. That’s not the type of buzz that will get you the dream job (unless of course that dream includes dancing on tables, then go for it)!

ONE LITTLE DON’T: Don’t flip out around celebrities! I’ve had a few random run ins with celebrities during networking events and such… try to be calm. I’m bad at that, just ask MC Hammer! I’m a celebrity lover so I may never recover from my silliness around celebrities but try and keep it in check when you’re at an event with the goal of networking.

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New Find: BookSwim.com

Mar 15

Posted by schlegelsteph in Web2.0 | No Comments

It’s no secret, I enjoy reading and have been looking for a more cost effective way to enjoy my favorite past time. With new books coming in around $25 or more, a lost option is ideal but my search has been coming up fruitless until recently. It all started with a tweet!

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With that wish, I stumbled upon BookSwim.com. I was a little weary about the cost. It’s $10 for the first month (no bad) and then $20 (not great) after that for three books at a time. Although I do enjoy reading, I wasn’t sure if I would get enough out of it for the cost. I just started a new job that pays well enough to have some disposable income so I said to myself “What’s the worst that can happen?”

I received my first shipment of books a few days ago. All of the books were in great condition and delivered in one package. Also, as with Netflix, return packaging is provided. BookSwim had all of the books I wanted to read in their library so it was easy to add all of the books to my “pool”. The marketing is cute and appealing, making it a lot easier to part with my funds. I am also hoping that paying for the service will encourage me to read more than I usually do.

I recommend you check out the service if you enjoy reading. It’s not really for the light reader but a good alternative for something who is at least a moderate reader. If you read approximately one book per week, this can be a good investment. I still buy certain books for my library but for those books that I would probably skip reading otherwise, BookSwim is a great choice. I hope you check it out and let me know what you think. I’ve already had the pleasure of reading Watchmen via BookSwim, which was not a book I would have purchased otherwise.

Overall, I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. There is a slight delay in receiving the books since they have limited quantities of each. That would be my only complaint.

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The Relative Relevance of being Relevant

Mar 14

Posted by schlegelsteph in Technology, Web2.0 | No Comments

In a world dominated by social media and the next trend 2.0, I wonder what is the meaning of being relevant and is relevance truly relative.

I am a frequent quoter of the dictionary but I choose to quote Wikipedia in my current discussion of relevance (how web 2.0 of me). So what does it mean to be relevant? According to Wikipedia it is “a term used to describe how pertinent, connected, or applicable something is to a given matter”. With this definition in mind, where does the PR person fall in the equation. I am a PR person by trade and by the pure love of the game. I can’t help it, I love to develop and pitch stories to pretty much anyone that will listen and express interest. With the evolution of the PR industry currently upon us, how relevant is the current public relations person. With media changing and companies giving easy access to the media, what happens to the “middle man”?

Although I have never defined myself as the “middle man”, I do see how quickly the role can become (dare I say it) irrelevant. The reason I do believe in the power of public relations is that companies really do require direction in their messaging and making sure they are projecting the best image possible while highlighting the benefits of what they do and acknowledge their flaws. I’m not a spin doctor, just a person helping present a company in the best light possible. I’m not surprised that the professional is slightly tainted based on the idea that PR people spin the news. Maybe that is true in other industries but I have not seen that in the tech industry here in San Francisco. The term “flak” has been used too many times to describe some of my colleagues and I do think that is unfair (do you hear me ValleyWag).

Let’s remember that Public Relations professionals are not just hired to share the news but to develop a brand and provide a little guidance in a work full of static. So are we on our way to becoming irrelevant? I doubt it but I do agree that it is time for a change and time for us to take our careers back. This means working on the relationships with influentials and at the companies we represent, not just focusing on getting the next “big hit”. That also means staying on the pulse of what is going on in the industry and the world in general as a way to create great ideas and stories that people actually want to read. As someone who wants my clients to not just do well financially but be respected in the industry, it is important to know what is relevant.

As both an educational and inspirational text, I am currently reading “Putting the Public Back in Public Relations: How Social Media Is Reinventing the Aging Business of PR by Brian Solis and Deirdre Breakenridge. I’ll update you with my thoughts upon completion and hope to hear yours as well. 

Cover of "Putting the Public Back in Public Relations"
 

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New Toys!!

Mar 1

Posted by schlegelsteph in Uncategorized | No Comments

My dad has never purchased a new computer for himself. Since as far as I can remember, he’s taken the leftover. My sister, mom and I have been through a lot of laptops over the past decade. The fact is, when we would choose to discard a computer, it would be because something is wrong with it. My most recent discard was the result of an awful computer virus that made it nearly unusable. He’s been working with that machine since then and I’ve been working on my marvelous Mac.

My dad is hoping to start trading which requires a machine the functions so I joined him on his trip to Best Buy. My dad hates shopping so he’ll usually pick up the first thing he finds that meets his basic needs. Those needs are that it’s a desktop and has 8GB of ram. The first desktop we see meets those requirements is a clearance item at a little over $700 but didn’t include a screen. I did a little research before and read about a similar model that was a little over $900 and includes a beautiful 22 inch screen and printer. After comparing prices (and convincing my dad that it’s ok to buy himself something new) he was convinced. He bought the beautiful HP desktop.

The lesson here, do your research! You might find an even better deal.

The deal is no longer available otherwise I would include the link. Our timing couldn’t have been better considering it was a top of the line HP, screen and printer.

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