Numbskulls and Nitwits

I have always chuckled at the words numbskulls and nitwits as one of my Army squad leaders used those terms quite often.  Of the terms he used these I preferred these of the plethora of others he was fond of, and they are just not acceptable on any level in my vocabulary.  If you were to look at the definition of these words you would find they are very similar, both refer to folks who are not very smart and are unable or unwilling to learn.

Most numbskulls and nitwits I meet these days fall into the latter part of that definition.  Oh, and yours truly is in there too on occasion. But the point I am really looking to get at is the numbskulls and nitwits that keep sending these horribly crafted hoax emails that attempt to get people to fall prey to their ploys.

Last night I got an email purporting to be from Microsoft. Looked pretty good too, all official and Microsoft looking. It came with an attachment in the form of a zip file and instructions on how to apply this very finely crafted fraud. Microsoft NEVER emails software in the form of an attachment, but I had to send out an email to all my end users, friend, family, and even a few people I don’t get along with because I hate numbskulls and nitwits.

I hope that when you get email that seem too good to be true, you know the ones, “You have won the multinational lottery”, or “We are FedEx and if you send us $169.22 we will release this package that was insured for 10 million dollars.”  You stop and think.  Do you know someone who would have sent you a package with 10 million dollars in it?  Do you think FedEx knows that they are bearer bonds?  If there is so much spam odds are that a lottery that uses a volume of email would award its prize to a spammer?  Perhaps you think I am being ridiculous, but am I really?  Be careful of the social engineering that goes on everyday.  I know you want to be trusting and the internet is a fun place, but it is still a place full of people both good and bad.  Not to mention all those other folks…numbskulls and nitwits.

If you need to ask a technology question, or maybe just find out more about staying safe online, reach out to Technology Workgroup.  We are field tested and can lend you hand.

Michael Mock

Technology Workgroup

Do We Really Need an Automatic Soap Dispenser?

I was wandering around in the store the other night with my lovely wife and there was this end cap display with a very cool video screen attached to the shelf.  I work for a permanent point of purchase display manufacturer, Tusco Display.  We make some pretty cool stuff so I was a bit unimpressed to say the least, but the screen was hawking an automatic soap dispenser.

I got to wondering as I was wandering, do we really need one of these?  Isn’t the purpose of the soap to aid in the killing of germs?  Even if I touch a manual soap dispenser, the next thing I do is wash my hands right?  Even if I get germs from the automatic soap dispenser I will rid myself of them when washing my hands, right?

So I started this discussion with my 14-year-old, because I don’t have enough stress in my life, and she is a really great person to have illogical and irrational meanderings with.  We started talking about the biggest thing was convenience and savings.  Are there really people out there who cannot stop with one or two pumps of soap?  Does it run on batteries my little tree hugging, granola muncher?  Oh, Jeez dad did you have to go there?  Now she hates it; and me for monkey trapping her; and now she can’t let go, bahaha!  We quip and jab about ruining the enviroment as global warming plunged the mercury into single digits last week.

She and I did finally agree that we as a family didn’t need one of these new fangled gadgets, but we did prove one thing , our honest conversations matter.  Digging at one another’s reasons, even if they are faulty, is a good thing.  Being honest and respectful of opinions, and offering comments that enlighten and entertain are the substances of great chats.  Collaborating on new and better ways to look at the world and even trying to improve it for all is the passion we bring.

So what does all of that have to do with business, the internet, marketing online, or anything else technology related?  Everything.  As of late I have been engaged in many discussions about all the tools to connect online.  Which one is the best?  Twitter? LinkedIn? Plaxo? Facebook?  I don’t really know as I am like a kid in a candy store running up and down the aisles filling my bag with a little of them all.  The thing we need to do is connect, coöperate, collaborate, comment, and contribute.  What will be the vehicle that gets you there?  Only you will know, but you won’t know if you don’t take the car off the lot and take it for a spin.

Tell me what you think, let’s talk about this shall we?  Leave me your thoughts, find me on twitter @mmmock, become a fan and join our page facebook.com/technologyworkgroup, we want to know what you are thinking.

I am thinking what we really need is an automatic door handle cleaner, for all of those folks who don’t wash their hands before exiting the restroom, don’t you think?

Michael Mock

Technology Workgroup

Social Media is a Big Waste of Time

Seriously, this is the mantra I hear most anytime I talk about social media.  In many ways I totally agree we kid our children about the time they fritter away on “Wastebook”.  I also have to loudly disagree and I truly think that it is not the tools or toys, but how they get used and how often.

The biggest barrier to managing the time suck is trying to use all the tools at one time.  So how do you get your Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and perhaps your email all in one easy to use box?  Leo Babatua offers how you can use Gmail to be the portal for all of your social media over at his blog zenhabits.  I like to use Tweetdeck for Twitter and Facebook posts simultaneously.

The other big time suck for me and many others is trying to use all the social media applications I am on.  I really don’t need to check on or update LinkedIn every day as it doesn’t change.  Same goes for Plaxo and a few other more professional applications I use.  So stop trying to keep it all going at once, you can only juggle a number things at one time.  That brings me to another thought, how many contact or friends can you really manage?  There is this number of real connections one can realistically manage it is called Dunbar’s number it is about 150, so concentrate on real relationships and conversation not sheer numbers.

Last bit of advice I can offer is schedule your interactions.  I try to get on for about 5 to 10 minutes every hour or so.  As social media is part of my job, I still need to be guarded with the time I waste and the time I invest.  Time is the most precious resource we all need to manage wisely.

Still struggling with getting started?  Technology Workgroup can help you sort it out.

Michael Mock

Technology Workgroup

Being a Genuine Article

There are two business guys I know that I really admire.  Both are honest hard-working family men.  Both are men of faith as I worship at the same church and have heard firsthand of their commitments. They are tenacious in all of their endeavors as I know like me they are both in their offices getting things done to keep things going forward.  But the most important quality I admire is they are genuine articles.  I Googled that term this morning and every thing on the first page relates to being real.

Genuine Article is a band, genuine article refers to quality, it also a newspaper, a statement in fashion, and a clothing line.  In my summation both of these guys fit as I see them as a standard to measure to in my business, they keep me informed, they certainly have a style of their own that no-one else can pull off, and lastly they represent a line of products that bear the approval of their label.

The biggest issue that many people and business have in this new electronic economy is being able to see just who they are doing business with.  The internet allows a small company like Technology Workgroup to sound like some big corporate machine when in fact it is a co-owned venture between a husband and wife.  On the flip side doing business be it in an office or a shared online workspace is about trust and relationship, being real and delivering on that expectation for both parties involved.

Michael Mock

Technology Workgroup

Are Doctors Afraid of Social Media?

Well yesterday I asked the question “Are Real Estate Agents Afraid of Social Media?” so today I want to ask the same of medical professionals.  Here are another group of folks who are mostly made up of social creatures.  Doctors, dentists, surgeons, nurses, paraprofessionals of all kinds.  I am very surprised to see a lack of their presence in social media.

I was always impressed with Dr. Severtis, my doctor as a child.  He always talked to me about things other than my health.  He knew me and always offered his take on things.  We didn’t always need to be about my sniffles and ear aches.  He was an athlete and musician, we talked sports and music.  It made him a real person to me, not that guy who was intent on making me miserable with shots and uncomfortable procedures.  I trusted him and believed in him.

In a recent visit to a doctor I asked about their lack of presence on the web; they don’t even have a website.  He told me his “consultants” told him he needed to be on Twitter, but truth be told he didn’t have time to figure it all out.  His practice is always running contests and referral programs.  He has testimonials from his patients about how well they have been cared for.  As Seth Godin would put it he has become the leader of a tribe.  Like it or not he is now looked to for the care and well being of others. 

He is not in the boat alone, I had a dentist tell me there was no real return on the investment of a website or any other thing connected to the web.  He bemoans the fact that there is a lack of good sound education for the public when it comes to dental health, HELLO! I follow several health and fitness folks online have reaped a wealth of life changing help from these people.  I am not talking about direct dispensing of treatment and care, but education that makes me stay healthy and fit.

So take a dose of this and call me in the morning:

1. Get a twitter account and start leading the discussion on gum care, proper lifting techniques, or a great way to prevent tennis elbow from a source you know and trust.

2.  Start a Facebook fan page.  Your raving fans will spread the word of your ability to make them well and keep them that way.

3.  Create a LinkedIn profile for you and your staff.  A business profile will give your brick and mortar business a digital point of reference when people are looking for your office, your credentials, and even your hobbies!

All of these are simple ways to get your healing skills to many folks looking for an emergency filling replaced, a chiropractic adjustment, or maybe the best way to floss and brush.  Your heads are full of knowledge, share it and see just how many more lives you can improve with some conversation.  Expand your practice with a web presence that will outlast any advertisement in traditional media.

If you get stuck Technology Workgroup can give you some help, start here http://wp.me/pF0BY-1S for a perscription to get started with social media.

Michael Mock

Technology Workgroup