Royal stupidity

Despite rampant identity theft around us, I continue to be surprised by the incredible ignorance of people who remain completely clueless about how they all but hand their money to criminals.  

Case in point: I was dropping off some recycling at Cal State Bakersfield the other day. While sliding pieces of cardboard into the large dumpsters, my eyes caught a folder titled “Income Tax Return” within easy reach just inside the bin. I picked it up, thinking, “No, this can’t be.”

But sure enough, it was someone’s 2008 tax return from H&R Block, complete with all kinds of forms and information detailing a slice of this woman’s life. And, as you might expect, these forms are filled with names, address, Social Security numbers, income totals, DMV information, medical records, at least one PIN number, signatures perfect for forgery practice, and who knows what else. I got all that thumbing through the document for 30 seconds.

I disposed of the tax return to ensure someone less ethical found it, but sometimes I feel like people this stupid deserve whatever turmoil comes their way. I appreciate people want to recycle instead of trashing documents, but be smart and buy a small paper shredder and dispose of your private information in a safe way. It’s a small expense that can save you a fortune down the road.

Let’s hope the woman who lives in 93311 with a Social Security number ending in 1100 figures this out before her 2009 return ends up in the same place. And for those people who think this post will give criminals ideas, think again: They already know.

Business lessons from 37 Signals

It wasn’t too long after I settled into my job as VP of Interactive Media at The Californian in Spring 2006 that I found a raw copy of “Getting Real” stuffed into one of the drawers in my new office.

The book’s official title -- “Getting Real: The smarter, faster, easier way to build a successful web application” -- doesn’t begin to describe its real message: Think differently by questioning traditional tendencies to build big, instead of small. Specifically, build lean-and-mean software that focuses on what’s important instead of flashy but rarely used bells and whistles (Think Google Docs instead of Microsoft Word).

It’s been more than five years since the folks at 37 Signals self-published “Getting Real ” (sample the free web version). The book has since has become a revelation in tech circles, and helped 37 Signals become a leading provider of business-productivity software, most notably, Basecamp. “Getting Real” also gave 37 Signals a reputation as a company with sage insight, which has been shared via product lines, blog posts, conference presentations and a podcast.

That’s all led up to Tuesday, when 37 Signals founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson will release their second book, called “REWORK.” The video above delivers a mood-setting tone, but the explanatory "REWORK" podcast makes it clear Fried and Heinemeier Hansson firmly believe “REWORK” isn’t your typical business book, more "revolutionary" than evolutionary.

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Social media marketing is muted without traditional-media base

Here’s the “Traditional Media and New Media Working Together" presentation I gave at Monday’s wOOt conference.

Presentation I gave at the wOOt social-media conferenceThe topic is not one I normally would present (it was assigned to me by conference organizers, given my position at a newspaper company overseeing digital media), but in diving into the preparation I was reminded at how much strength traditional media has in these turbulent times.

My daily life is consumed by so-called new media, whether in practice or in theory, so it’s easy for me to get all caught up in trends. Sure, we’re heading toward a digital dominance in media but for the near- and short-term, traditional media (print newspapers, TV, radio) still brings home the bacon in local markets.

As I note in my presentation, smart business people see social media as an opportunity -- not a threat. Based on very reliable local data released late in 2009, using social media to market your business will add, generally, 10 percentage points of net audience potential/reach when combined with other media.

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