jeffmonk.com - Because sometimes 140 characters just isn't enough.

Free Ivy League Learning

jeffreymonk — Tue, 21 Dec 2010 01:06:19 +0000

I love the Internet! Thanks to iTunes U, I am getting a full semester Harvard video course (Justice with Michael Sandel) on moral and political philosophy for FREE! And, next month, I’m starting an MIT course on computer programming. ALSO FREE! And then, a Stanford course on iPod/iPad application development. ALSO COMPLETELY FREE! I only wish I’d had these resources in high school!

The Best Dancing Dog Video Clip Ever!

jeffreymonk — Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:04:01 +0000

10 Little Known Facts About Austin Facebook Users

jeffreymonk — Thu, 07 Oct 2010 15:58:26 +0000

10 Little Known Facts About Austin Facebook Users

Sewell Infiniti

jeffreymonk — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 01:13:13 +0000

I’ve had a LOT of cars in my life … from Mustang to Porsche to Audi to Volkswagen to Chrysler and more … and nothing ever came close to the service I got from Goodson Honda when I had an Accord (Momentum BMW was the worst service ever.) Nothing came close until now … Sewell Infiniti really knows how to run a service business! I bought from somewhere else, but I’ve had much of my service done from Sewell, and they are great … they get you in and out very quickly, everyone there is so friendly you feel like family, they make sure you get a loaner and that you don’t forget your stuff in the loaner when you turn it back in, and their prices, compared to most dealerships, are very reasonable. If you’re in the Houston area and are looking for an Infiniti, I really recommend Sewell.

Samsung Galaxy Tab Commercial

jeffreymonk — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 14:52:30 +0000

10 Essential Free E-Books for Web Designers

jeffreymonk — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:13:49 +0000

Wanted to share this great Mashable resource with all of my friends who are web designers … it’s a collection of ten free e-books that will be useful to you if you are currently doing web design or want to get into the business:

10 Essential Free E-Books for Web Designers

“Social Media” Definition

jeffreymonk — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 00:15:58 +0000

Today, I was working with a colleague to develop a “social media” policy for a large organization, and she asked, “What exactly is social media anyway?” Well, I was able to give her some examples, and tell her what social media meant to me, but I’m not sure she really got it from my explanation. Just so happened, later this evening, I’m reading Facebook Marketing: An Hour a Day, and authors Chris Treadaway and Mari Smith gave the best definition I’ve seen so far:

The term “social media” refers to the collection of technologies that capture communication, content, and so on across individuals, their friends, and their social networks. Examples … include social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter, blogging technologies like TypePad and WordPress, crowdsourcing products like Wikipedia, photo and video sharing sites like Flikcr and YouTube, and others. These technologies help users easily create content on the Internet and share it with others. Social media is the infrastructure that helps users become publishers of content that is interesting to them and their friends.

Book Review: Wild West 2.0, How to Protect and Restore Your Online Reputation

jeffreymonk — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 01:30:18 +0000

Wild West 2.0: How to Protect and Restore Your Online Reputation on the Untamed Social Frontier is the first book I’ve read as a Kindle edition on my iPad. I’ll give a quick overview of the book first, and why I think it’s important that you read it, and then I’ll discuss some of the specifics of reading the Kindle edition.

First, I highly recommend this book to anyone that cares anything at all about their reputation. Your reputation online IS your reputation, whether you realize it or not. The authors, who happen to own the online reputation management service ReputationDefender.com, make a very compelling argument for understanding the impact that Google search results and social media can have on your business, your career, your ability to get hired, and even your ability to date. If that sounds a little dramatic, consider that just about any hiring manager is going to take a few seconds and Google you before making a hiring decision. And, how often do you make a major purchasing decision, or decide on a professional service provider, without first checking out what others are saying online, either with a Google search or a quick query to your Twitter followers? Even if you aren’t as “search-savvy,” you should be aware that many others are.

If it exists, Google can find it.

Wild West 2.0 gives an in-depth overview of what you need to do to make sure you present yourself in the best possible light online. It tells you how to make sure your Google search results are accurate and positive, and what to do to protect yourself from negative information. If you own a business, plan to run for office, or work in marketing, you must read this book.

If you have no idea where to even get started, this book gives a step-by-step plan, in non-technical language. I’ve worked in web design and online marketing for several years, and I still gained lots of very useful tips and a deeper understanding of how to build a positive online portfolio. Though the book seems mainly aimed at building and defending personal reputations, there are sections for businesses and high profile people such as politicians as well. There are also sections on what to do if you and your reputation have been attacked online.

Overall, I strongly recommend this book (you can click here to buy it on Amazon.)

Regarding the specifics of reading it as a Kindle edition on my iPad: I can honestly say that I seriously believe five years from now, we’ll all be reading digital books. I read lots of books simultaneously … a chapter from one, a few pages from another … it’s impossible for me to carry around that many physical books, and I never know what I’ll be in the mood to read when I have a few spare minutes. But, on my iPad, I can carry hundreds of books, all at the weight of a single paperback. I LOVE IT! I can download a book in just a few seconds, instead of having to wait for it to arrive in the mail (even though Amazon has very quick shipping.) I can bookmark and highlight without causing any damage to the original. It remembers where I left off. It even adjusts from landscape to portrait depending on the more comfortable position at the time.

But, there are a few issues:

Sharing a book is almost impossible. I have a colleague that I really believe must read this book … in the past, I would’ve just loaned him my copy. Of course, I can’t really do that with the Kindle edition.
No more reading at the beach. At least not without some kind of protective cover. And I can’t really go into the water and leave the iPad laying around, it won’t be there when I return. Most crooks wouldn’t bother stealing a paperback.
I’m not sure about other Kindle books, but Wild West 2.0 had a few graphs and illustrations that were almost impossible to read on the iPad. Couldn’t get the font sizes to adjust in the images (although you CAN adjust font sizes in the regular text portions of the book, which is a great advantage if your eyesight isn’t perfect.)

Despite these issues, I’ve already downloaded several more Kindle for iPad books, and have started a few. I’ll do some more book reviews soon. I hope you enjoyed this review, and thanks for stopping by my blog! Please feel free to leave me some comments, or to repost this review on Facebook or Twitter if you think it would benefit your friends.

Twitter Starts Offering Personalized Suggestions of Users to Follow

jeffreymonk — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 14:59:51 +0000

Twitter is rolling out a new feature similar to Facebook’s “friend suggestions.” Check out this article at Mashable if you’re interested: Twitter Starts Offering Personalized Suggestions of Users to Follow.

How Social Media Can Make Us More Productive

jeffreymonk — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 02:32:34 +0000

Interesting overview from Mashable on using social media tools to become more productive: How Social Media Can Make Us More Productive.