Gravatars are important for your online identity – here’s how you get them to show up everywhere by making them universal

You’ve seen gravatars that look pretty cool and you’ve seen far too many that scream “I’m generic because I still don’t understand all this web stuff!”

So why should you care?

Having an avatar other than the basic, auto-generated graphic, next to your name boosts legitimacy and can ramp up your web traffic.
Wondering how to make it happen?
Here’s how you do it:

• Go to Gravitar.com
• Click “sign up now”
• Type in your email, then click “sign up”.
• You’ll receive and email with an activation link (click it).
• Pick a username and password.
• Add an image by clicking the “add image” link.  Gravitar can then pull images from your computer, the web or a webcam attached to your computer.
• Choose “file” and find the graphic you want to use on your computer.
• Crop the image until you’re satisfied with the final appearance. Remember, this is how you’ll be instantly judged, so invest a little time in your choice or hire a pro.
• When asked to rate your avatar, select “G” (unless you want to risk being blocked). And make double sure it’s a G-rated avatar or you’ll lose credibility.
• Your comments on blogs (which you’ll surely make, right!) and forums all over the web will have your unique stamp… your custom avatar.

And  c’est ‘voila – you’re head and shoulders, or whatever else you put in your avatar, will stand out from the madding crowd.

All the best and welcome to the next level of the web,

Chris

@WebMindSet @ 14,000 ft & everywhere else.

App Maker, App Maker, make me an app… a geek’s wish list

This post will be regularly updated with my (and my friends’) app wish list.
The highly popular “Wiferam Alpha” is #4… but I think it’ll be #1 tomorrow.

#1 – Twitter follow spam terminator app
What would it be?
A real-time, side-by-side comparison of who’s following me and who I follow… followed by who “unfollows” me right after I follow them. It would also have a built-in “mass follow/mass unfollow” zapper that would melt the offender’s hard drive.
#2 – Home page ADD-helper cycler
What geek doesn’t have a touch of ADD?
What would it do?
Change my home pages in Explorer, Firefox + Opera on a rotating basis from a pre-determined list I create each time I open it. My interests are so varied (as is the wiring in my brain) that I can’t seem to remember what I favorite sometimes.
#3 – Social Media get-started-profile-auto-filler-outer
This one is self-explanatory. 
Make it everything friendly and help me quickly auto-fill profile information. Not so much for me, but for folks I help get started in social media. Once we decide which avenue to pursue (not all of them) it would be incredibly helpful to be able to hit a magic button and launch a presence. C’mon @Loic, @Scobleizer, @ChrisPirillo, @a… I know you can do it!
#4 – Wiferam Alpha
And, yes, this one’s gonna get me killed
You’ve heard of Wolfram Alpha.
No?
You know, the amazing site that truly appears to be a mathematician’s “best thing since sliced bread”?
Well, guys, help me and my friends out with our marriages
Of course, my wife is awesome (hi honey, I know you read my blogs and subscribe to the RSS feeds… love ya ;0).
But after years of counselling, I’ve come to realize that I’m the one that needs help… or at least when I admit that and take the blame, things go so much better.
Kinda like milk and cookies… wait, maybe not, but I’m hungry and want milk and cookies.
Back to the point – this is what I need -
Let me enter a situation/scenario into Wiferam Alpha and it will run through all the variables… weather, PMS, how the kids are doing in school, is there a cure yet for autism, did I forget to shave… and it will tell me whether or not it’s ok to, say, have a beer, say “hi” or… breathe.
C’mon, guys, you know you want it just as badly as I do.
I think the default answer to queries will be “drink more beer” until the bugs get worked out.
I’m cool with that.
#5 – ?
I won’t be able to think straight until #4 gets developed.
I volunteer for the Beta!!!
Come on, gang, let’s crowdsource this puppy!

Cheers,

Chris

Facebook apps – Farmville, Mafia Wars and Hugs

Are you a Farmville cutie pie, Mafia Wars tough-guy or Facebook hug champion?
Do you send hugs to your pals and feel a tinge when they don’t reciprocate with the warm fuzzies?
You may want to navigate away because I’m about to be a tad insensitive…

Farmville …
If you ask me to help, your plants will wither and die, and the cute calf will turn to veal (it’s like magic… but tastes great!) and your barn will fall down.
Mafia Wars …
Although I’m a former Marine who loves a good fight… can’t help ya other than to say “control your breathing, aim for center mass, and doubl- tap.”
For goodness sake, look at the following pic and see how Mr. Mafioso is squeezing the trigger… his aim is whacked and he probably has no finesse to the squeeze.
Bad form, paisano!

Hugs, warm fuzzies, etc…
I’ve got work to do, but when we meet in person, you’ll get a genuine, warm hug and smile
But for god sakes, some people need to get a life.
I suggest skydiving!
Now when there’s an app for that, I’m off the fence and all my friends are invited!

Chris

How to spot a social media beginner… stupid Twitter mistakes you can easily correct.

I’m going to be a critic for a quick second here and steer away from my usual “come on, you can do it” tone.
I’ve even used “stupid” in the title, which would have gotten me kicked out journalism school at the University of Maryland.
Why the switch?
Well, because this is a fantastic way to show you how easy it is to weaken your brand online… especially if you’re a consultant as in the following example.
And, friends, this Twitter-er I’m about to critique is a very good business consultant who knows more about MBA-type business than I… but he made the mistake of telling me that working the web “is so easy” he could do it himself.
I applaud the DIY mentality… when it works.
But if you have been doing what I’ve been doing for nearly 15 years in the metro Washington DC/Northern Virginia area… that’d jab your jiblets, too… “easy.”
Nothing personal here, as this is just a fantastic example of what not to do if you want to be taken seriously.
Though this post is Twitter-specific, much of it can be taken into other presences such as Facebook and LinkedIn.
So, let’s dig right in. If you have trouble viewing the text I’ve added to this screenshot, just click on it and you’ll get a bigger, better view.

Social Media Credibility Killers

1 – Announcing to a teeny, tiny audience (probably 1 or 2 followers) that you’re launching your “social media” campaign… and then dropping the ball… is worse than not starting at all.
Here, the first tweet says “xyz.com has just launched its social media campaign.”
I’m waiting… and social media is not an ad “campaign”, it’s a presence.
This presence, in turn, is about relationships, hopefully with others who have more than 1 tweet that reads “Hello Twitterers” or something to that effect.
2 – Leading us on.
Telling all 8 of your followers (me included… just for fun) to check back often for special offers and freebies, and then not having any, is a double credibility killer.
I don’t know about you, but I’m not feeling very special right about now (sniff, sniff).
3 – 3 tweets in 5 months?
Come on, guys, this tells me you don’t have much to say… or (boo hoo) you don’t care about me… 12% of your audience!
4 – Following too few.
This says you’re selfish (in a “social media” sense).
5 – Followed by fewer.
This says you’re boring.
6 – Listed by none.
This says you’re boring as hell.
7 – “No Favorites”
This says you’re boring as hell AND afraid of commitment.
8 – Laying an egg.

Too many “egg” icons on your profile? Wondering why your icon changed to an egg?
These are the default Twitter icon for beginners.
This should be the first thing to go when you set up your profile.
Now, don’t get me wrong, if you’re waiting for the eggs to hatch and monitoring their progress, that’s fantastic!
But I don’t see any hatching going on here.
Omellettes anyone?

9 – Stepping on a geek’s toes.
Telling me, or any other established web professional, that setting yourself up online is “easy.”
Want an analogy outside of tech?
My wife is an accomplished physical therapist in private practice.
Try telling her your post-op shoulder rehab treatment protocol can be explained over a cocktail at a party and you’ll see what I mean.
Love ya, honey

Got Anything Good To Say? What’s right with it?
Of course, there are positives to this profile too.
1 – It exists.
Come on, let’s give the guys a break.
According to the latest studyby the Pew Internet and American Life Project, there are millions of active Twitter users with a median age of 31.
They are “mobile, urban and engaged online.”
This, my friends, sounds like fertile ground for building relationships with affluent, or soon-to-be affluent people.
And since 59% of Twitter users are females (my offline industry’s primary customers), it only makes sense to meet them where they are.
2 – It shows that it’s linked to the Facebook presence.
One of the three tweets came from Facebook.
This implies at least a basic understanding of which button to click.
But I can’t stay positive the whole time here because this may also say the Facebook presence may be ignored as well… oops.
3 –  The “Bio” is filled out and uses up the valuable 140-character real estate.
This is good.
Use it up and fill it with appropriate words relative to you and your style.
Search.Twitter.com is being used with greater frequency, and this bio can be found.
Think of it as another store front in a different section of town.
4 – The web url is in the bio.
You’d be amazed how many forget this simple step.
Check out my Twitter list of “guru’s, experts and professionals” and see which ones don’t have a url… you’ll get the irony.
5 - The owner’s icon has been changed from the egg.
Of course, it’s a boring Sears portraity-faux-painted background, but it’s better than an egg!
See, I’m not all that bad!

NEX T STEPS
“But what do I do now?”
Let me offer up a few words of friendly advice if you have a profile that needs serious “pimping.”
1 – Start
Do like the above example and start.
But for goodness sake, don’t drop the ball.
2 – Link
Link it to your other online real estate.
It’s got to be connected to your website, Facebook presence, YouTube profile, Foursquare, etc… through a link in the bio and links woven into the tweets.
Interested parties can go through your tweet history and click on links from your past.
I see it all the time, and I do it when I come across someone interesting.
3 – Be 140 smart
Set up your profile and use all 140 characters with keywords relevant to your goal… but don’t be boring.
Include hobbies, anything that will make you interesting.
You can even include geo-specific keywords and, if appropriate, zip codes.
If you come across as a sales person in your bio, you will lose.
But slipping a little selling language in is ok, especially if it’s product- or service-specific.
4 – Change
Occasionally change your profile wording to reflect your varied interests and attract new followers.
5 – FOLLOW
Follow interesting people and retweet their good stuff.
Ask them for advice, too, and they may follow you back.
Remember, this is social media.
And, you may be the one to introduce your followers to someone interesting like @Loic (Seesmic maven), @Alltop (Guy Kawasaki of Apple-now-Alltop fame), @Scobleizer (Robert Scoble, a well-connected smart guy)or @Lockergnome (Chris Pirillo of CNN and etc web note)… all of whom you follow, right?
I’ve gotten to know these web superstars over the years and their online worlds are full of valuable information.
6 – FOLLOW BACK
Follow those who follow you, and do not over-think this.
You can always unfollow and block them if they’re trolls or porn star wannabe’s, but that’s another story.
7 – Hyperlink your tweets
Include links in your tweets often.
I said it in #2, but it’s worth repeating
8 – A picture is worth a thousand words
Include pics intermittently in your tweets.
If you don’t know how, email me.
9 – Say something
TWEET, damnit!
Seriously, though, offer some value.
In my opinion, you should also occasionaly serve up some humor.
10 – List and be listed
Build lists and list people you admire and want to follow you.
This shows you are savvy.
Don’t give up.
Here is an example of someone who seems as though they gave up (in my geeky opinion):

This one is tragic, but one day, good old Bob may give me a call (although I prefer email, Skype video, FaceTime, Meebo…) and I’ll lend a hand.
You can always ask me for advice… hopefully before I give it “unsolicited.ly” as in the above examples.

If you’d like to learn more about social media and real business, even if it’s just to check on your brand, check out the book The Social Media Equation. One tip from it could save you embarrassment or make you thousands!
Click the image to order and you will be able to download it immediately.

All the best,

Chris

@WebMindSet @ 14,000 ft

PS – this post got Alltop-ed 11 hours after I posted it.
If you don’t know, that’s a good sign.
Thanks Guy Kawasaki!

Theodent – Chocolate-Derived Toothpaste Trumps Flouride… And It’s Safe For Your Kids!

Toothpaste made from chocolate? C’mon, really?!
Actually, yes! As a parent, it’s nice to know that I don’t have to be afraid of a product designed to promote health (as is the case with flouride). When we first had children, I was stunned at the warnings and found myself cringing when it came time to get the kids started brushing their teeth. Imagine telling a 2 or 3 yr old not to swallow something that tastes like bubblegum!

Thanks to Theodent, we don’t have to worry. And, if you like good music, you’ll like this video:

You can get it at Whole Foods soon, or order online at http://www.Theodent.com
Find them on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/theodent and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/theodent

Chris

Bowie Goodyear Hooks Us Up For Christmas!

Hey, a geek’s gotta drive, right? Well, I just wanted to take a moment to thank the team at the Bowie Goodyear for going beyond customer service for my wife.

 

We bought four nice, new, not-cheap tires yesterday for our Toyota Sienna mini-van (yes, all my rock and roll buddies from the 80′s, Chris aka “Animal” rocks a mini-van). On the way out of the parking lot, my wife ran over a large nail… not the Goodyear lot, the mall parking lot… and one tire was almost flat this morning.

Well, we didn’t get road hazard coverage and at first, they were going to just comp the labor and charge for the tire. But, after a little good-natured talking and a call to Goodyear headquarters, they gave us the new tire at no charge and said “Merry Christmas!”

Guys, THAT is good service… even if we would have had to pay for a tire. Thank you and keep up the good work!

Chris

Bullsh*t hilarious view on broadcast journalism

As a former journalist, this hit home HARD as the reason I left the field. If you’re not laughing by the end of this one, check your pulse!

Chris

YouTube + Podcast + Nutrition Expert + Author = SEO Traffic

Embedded in this post is a video capture of a podcast by author, nutrition expert and wellness coach Erin Chamerlik and her discussion on diabetes (and much more) with author of “Sugar Nation” Jeff O’Connell. This is an example of how to use YouTube to gain traffic, but not only that. It’s the use of YouTube in combination with pre-existing content to maximize effectiveness.
This podcast, formerly in audio-only format, is on YouTube, yes, but it’s also on Facebook, all over Twitter, Stumble Upon, Digg, WordPress and more.
And it’s searchable like never before.
Why?
Because now instead of a podcast title and short description, it’s got tags, multiple titles, annotations, categories and captions. Yes, the YouTube auto-generated captions aren’t perfect (sometimes it says things like “George Clooney” instead of “lots of money”) but they’re still searchable text.
Since posting the video less than 24 hours ago it’s gotten over 30 hits and that’s just for starters.
Now, it would be enough on its own but the real kicker is that the podcaster, Erin, is a real expert with a wealth of knowledge to share. And her guest, Jeff O’Connell, is famous in his own right.
You could say that re-formatting this audio-only gem is like cutting and polishing a rough diamond.
I’ll agree that it’s not perfect because I only had 15 minutes, Macromedia Fireworks and video editing software to put it together and post it. But it represents a valuable concept – multiple format cross-linking to maximize return.

So, check it out and be sure to ask Erin about the topic.
She truly is an expert!

Zombie Mayhem…

… does not exist.
BUT if it did, how would zombies react to an organic diet vs. their usual living fodder?

First, let’s look at the pro’s and con’s of their current culinary habits:

• Pro – it’s renewable. We seem to keep making more humans… and talk about convenience! In most movies, all zombies need to do is hang out and wait for the stupid one to walk or run right into them while looking the wrong way. Puts McDonald’s to shame, I say.
• Con – it’s painful. I don’t know about you, but getting eaten alive and having what’s left of you turn into one of the living dead would basically suck.
• Pro – no refrigeration necessary. Low carbon footprint diet? Eco-friendly zombies? Whoda thunk it!
• Con – it creates one heck of a mess. Have you ever smelled zombie breath?
• Pro – thinning the herd. All you need to do is run faster than the slowest, ergo weakest, member of the human pack.
• Con – that just ain’t fair. Smacks of Nazi eugenics.
• Pro – another shot at life… in a way. Hey, they’re not called the “living dead” for no reason!
• Con – quality of life issues abound.

So, given the above pro’s and con’s, what difference would an organic diet have on our undead zombie pals?
Answer?

Let’s examine this scene from George Romero’s “Return of the Living Dead” where we may get an actual answer from a talking zombie:

Well, at least we know they like brains. As for organic chow? I have no idea.
Seems to me we’d be to busy running away or barricading ourselves in to worry about compost, pesticides and sustainable gardening practices… not to mention the fact that our grass-fed bovine buddies couldn’t outrun the ravenous hoard and would only encourage them. Have you ever seen how fast some of them could run in Day of The Dead? And they’re not even wearing Adidas’ latest!

After some thought (perhaps too much thought, you’re saying) I’m of the belief that an organic diet would help in the short term by giving healthy humans a leg up (pardon the pun) on their less-healthy compadres. So after the Zombie Apocalypse is over, those in their right minds would stand a better chance of surviving by virtue of their initial health at the outset.

That is, of course, unless the all-brain zombie food pyramid diet makes them smarter with every meal…

What do you think? Leave your comments and let’s dig into this topic

Zombies vs UFC MMA fighters

To see how a zombie would do against an MMA/UFC fighter in the cage, check this out.

Chris

What to do when the Twitter “Fail Whale” pops up…

This one is just a release for my Twitter jones because… yep… Twitter is over-capacity and I c-c-can’t t-t-t-tweet!

Actually, I was in the middle of coaching someone and had to hold off because even the cached page is incomplete.
Oh the travails of being a geek.

Chris

Interested In Eating Well But Tired of Popular “Fad” Diets That Don’t Seem To Work?

For more information about Beyond Organic, click here

The Foursquare Veterans Day Service Badge

The “Service” badge is now active on Foursquare.

I found out about it quite by accident as I was looking for veteran-related badges this past Veterans Day.
All it took was shouting “Happy Veteran’s Day” while at a venue tagged veterans day.  As a veteran, I think it’s a cool badge, but a bit too easy to get.

Since then, I’ve seen tweets and shouts from others who’ve earned it just by shouting “Happy Veterans Day” anywhere.
It didn’t work for me until I actually checked into a parade on my way back from an appointment.
Oh, one more thing – I’m a veteran of the US Marine Corps and I’d like to thank the team at @foursquare for coming up with this.
While I and my buddies never joined for the recognition, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t feel good to be thanked.

So, Foursquare, I say thank you.

Semper Fidelis,

Chris

This vet still flies

Interested in eating healthy?
Check out Jordan Rubin’s system - Beyond Organic

Marine calls out creators of “Call Of Duty”… Donate more profit to the Wounded Warrior Project

$400 million on day one of the latest Call of Duty video game “Call of Duty: Black Ops“…  but you will never see the game in my home.

Why?

After seeing it played and noticing how realistic it is (I swear the AK-47 rounds even sound different from higher-velocity, lower-weight rounds) it’s obvious that combat veterans supplied the necessary knowledge to make this game what it is. And it is a good game, but given the nature of the “action” and images, it’s time to let those who actually paid the price experience some benefit.

Now it’s time for some payback, but first let me tell you what happened when one of my sons asked if he could play the game and if it was “just like combat.” I sat him down and said, “I’ll think about letting you play that one under three conditions:

1. You never say it’s like real war (because it is not);
2. Get injured in the game, get punched hard where the on-screen injury occurred… twice;
3. If you die in the game, you lose all video game privileges for the rest of your life;
4. Let your buddy die, or worse, accidently put a round through him, and you’ll never be allowed to see him again.

Now, you may be thinking I was being harsh, but my son is intelligent enough to know that I was simply trying to make a point and drive it home and would not hold him to it. But you should have seen the look on his face. It was there because he got the point in language he could understand.

Now that you know a little background with a personal anecdote, it’s time to call for some payback, the real reason for this. All the paintballers and arm-chair warriors who think they’ve got what it takes need to give honor to those who cannot play the game because they’re true heroes who are no longer with us, don’t have hands or have been hit so hard by PTSD that this game would set them off.

So, Activision, I know you donate some… but the latest $250,000 it doesn’t hold a candle to those heroes who’ve given their life, limbs, freedom and, yes, even mental capacity, so we can sit back with a game controller and play couch general.
Don’t get me wrong, I like video games and always have.
My point here is that this one over-capitalizes and takes advantage of a generation looking for a rite of passage because life is too soft. Parents – do you watch your kids play and wonder why it’s so addicting? Try giving them some real challenges and opportunities to serve.

What will it be?

Semper Fidelis

Chris

Chris Moline, LEED AP

Gmail’s new look… I think I like it

If you’ve used your gmail account for years, I think you’ll like the change. Watch the video and let me know your opinion.

All the best,

Chris