WordPress 3.3.1 was released on January 3, 2012 and maintenance and security update.

As always, we recommend upgrading as soon as possible.

If you need assistance with upgrading, please schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Now through January 31st, 2012 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “CRINGLE-WSHED” (no quotes).

If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.3, “Sonny”, was released on December 12, 2011 and is a major release that adds:

• drag-and-drop uploader
• hover menus for the navigation
• a new toolbar
• improved co-editing support
• Tumblr importer
• pointer tips for new features included in each update
• revamped help tabs throughout the interface
• improved the dashboard experience on the iPad and other tablets with better touch support

If you need assistance with upgrading, please schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Now through December 31st, 2011 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “CRINGLE-WSHED” (no quotes).

If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

If you’ve logged into Twitter in the past few days you may have noticed some changes, most notably the addition of the new Twitter Activity Stream.

At first glance my thought was, “Cool, I can see who the people I follow have followed and can more easily follow new people”.  In addition, I can see what tweets the people that I’m following have favorited, which is also another great way to keep tabs on potentially relevant information.

But as I thought more about this I began to wonder if this was such a good idea.  Do the benefits outweigh the potential downfalls, specifically in regards to privacy.

One reason I prefer Twitter over Facebook is the fact that it takes a little more effort to stalk someone (yes, stalkers are a concern of mine, especially for my children…thank you newscasters!).  Sure, I can go through individual’s timeline’s, check their public lists, view their favorite tweets and see who they’re following & who is following them, but now I don’t have to. I have the activity stream!

For my own personal and business Twitter accounts I don’t have an issue with the Twitter activity stream, but then again, I’m pretty cautious and intentional with what I post.  But many people that I know are not and that concerns me.

My proposal would be for Twitter to have an option for people to opt out of their activity being shown (beyond having a completely private Twitter account).  And the default of this option should be to turn it off unless someone specifically turns it on for their account.

What do you think?

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Now through September 30th, 2011 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “MIST-WSHED” (no quotes).

If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.2, was released on July 4, 2011 and is a major release that adds:

• making WordPress faster and lighter
• a refreshed dashboard design
• the fully HTML5 new Twenty Eleven theme
• the new distraction-free writing or zen mode

WordPress 3.2.1, was released on July 12, 2011 and is a maintenance release that  fixes a server incompatibility related to JSON, as well as a few other fixes in the new dashboard design and the Twenty Eleven theme. Upgrading is recommended.

If you need assistance with upgrading, please schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Now through July 31st, 2011 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “JUNO-WSHED” (no quotes).

If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.1.4, was released on June 29, 2011 and is a maintenance & security release.

As always, we suggest you upgrade to as soon as possible to WordPress 3.1.4.

If you need assistance with upgrading, please schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.1.3, was released on May 25, 2011 and is a maintenance & security release.

As always, we suggest you upgrade to as soon as possible to WordPress 3.1.3. This release also fixes a few bugs.

If you need assistance with upgrading, please schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Now through June 30th, 2011 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “JUNO-WSHED” (no quotes).

If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

For those of you wondering what I’ve been up to over the past week or so (and for the next week), I’ve been out at Indianapolis Motor Speedway covering the 2011 Indianapolis 500 activities for our sister company, Surge Bucket Media, and specifically Naptown Buzz.

I’ve been blogging, podcasting & taking a lot of photos. Feel free to have a read, listen & look when you have a minute.

Indy 500 Photos

• May 14, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Opening Day In Pictures
• May 15, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 2 In Pictures
• May 16, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 3 In Pictures
• May 17, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 4 In Pictures
• May 18, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 5 In Pictures
• May 19, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 6 In Pictures
• May 20, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Fast Friday In Pictures
• May 21, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pole Day In Pictures
• May 22, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Bump Day In Pictures

Indy 500 Podcasts

• May 14, 2011: Naptown Buzz #24 – Pippa Mann
• May 21, 2011: Naptown Buzz #25 – James Hinchcliffe
• May 22, 2011: Naptown Buzz #26 – Alex Tagliani
• May 23, 2011: Naptown Buzz #27 – Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard, Sarah Fisher & Brandon (a.k.a. “Pagoda Tattoo Guy”)
• May 24, 2011: Naptown Buzz #28 – Pippa Mann & Dave “The King” Wilson

Indy 500 Posts

• May 14, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Schedule
• May 15, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 2 Schedule
• May 16, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 3 Top Ten
• May 17, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 4 Top Two
• May 18, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Drivers on Twitter
• May 18, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 5 Top Ten Planks
• May 19, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 6 Top Ten
• May 20, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Day 7 Top Ten
• May 21, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pole Day/Tom Carnegie Day Schedule
• May 21, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pole Day Qualifying Order
• May 21, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Pole Day Results
• May 22, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Bump Day Schedule
• May 22, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Bump Day Qualifying Order
• May 22, 2011: 2011 Indianapolis 500 Bump Day Results

If you happen to make it out to IMS, be sure to send a tweet to @naptownbuzz.

Note: this post will be updated through the conclusion of the race.

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‘ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging‘ is a practical eBook jam packed full of activities for bloggers wanting to start a new blog, get back into blogging or to just get some ideas on how to revamp your current blog.

The eBook is broken down into 7 chapters/days and has 32 tasks/exercises for bloggers to do. Think of it as 31 Days to Build a Better Blog (see previous post) but for those just in their first week.

Blog topics covered include:

• Learn foundational brainstorming techniques.
• Create a content plan—and content, of course!
• Build a social media presence.
• Create practical quality assurance tools.
• Set up a publishing process.
• Master the components of a blog post.
• Develop your blog’s ongoing strategy.

We’ve already picked up a copy of ‘ProBlogger’s Guide to Your First Week of Blogging‘, so if you have any questions about it, or just want to discuss the eBook, contact us.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The Stutz Artists Association will host its 18th annual open house April 29 and 30, 2011 and Watershed Studio will be welcoming visitors both days in Suite B-310.  Come visit our studio and check out some of Brian’s photographs & artwork.

Courtesy of Verizon Wireless we will be demoing the Motorla Xoom on Friday night, so if you’re curious about tablets, be sure to swing by for that.

And on Saturday bring out the kids and spur their creativity. Rumor has it that there will also be free ice cream for the kids in the building on Saturday, and what kid doesn’t love ice cream?!

Stutz Artists Association Annual Open House

More than 70 artists open their studios to visitors during the two-day event. It’s not only an opportunity to see the work of 70 local artists in one place at one time, it’s a chance to see where and how the work is created. Artwork ranges from paintings, drawings and photography, to sculpture, jewelry and furniture.

Win FREE Tickets

Would you like a chance to win a pair of FREE TICKETS to attend the Stutz Artists Association 18th Annual Open House?  If so, please leave a comment on Naptown Buzz’s post by 1pm EDT on Friday, April 29, 2011 and one lucky winner will be chosen at random.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.1.2, was released on April 26, 2011 and is a maintenance & security release.

This release addresses a vulnerability that allowed Contributor-level users to improperly publish posts.

We suggest you update to 3.1.2 promptly, especially if you allow users to register as contributors or if you have untrusted users. This release also fixes a few bugs.

If you need assistance with upgrading, please schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.1, was released on February 23, 2011 and is a major release that adds:

• a redesigned linking workflow which makes it easy to link to your existing posts and pages
• an admin bar so you’re never more than a click away from your most-used dashboard pages
• a streamlined writing interface that hides many of the seldom-used panels by default to create a simpler and less intimidating writing experience for new bloggers
• a handful of backend updates that plugin & theme developers will enjoy which also increase WordPress’ content management (CMS) capabilities

WordPress 3.1.1, was released on April 5, 2011 and is a maintenance & security release that addresses about 30 minor issues. Upgrading is recommended.

If you need assistance with upgrading, please schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Automattic has reported that there was a recent security incident which could have potentially made account passwords visible.  If you have a WordPress.com account it is highly recommend that you update your password.

NOTE: This does not affect self hosted WordPress sites, but it is still a good idea to update passwords from time-to-time.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Now through April 30th, 2011 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “SPRING11-WSHED” (no quotes).

If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The March 23, 2011 Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis was:

Dot.column: Are QR codes worthwhile or worthless?

QR Codes and Microsoft Tags are pretty neat for anyone with a smart phone. Once you have a reader application installed on your phone, just point your phone’s camera at it and you’ll be on your way.

Recently I was at Lowe’s checking out the trees & spotted the Microsoft Tag on it. I scanned it and it took me to the mobile version of a webpage that told everything you needed to know about the tree. It might not be for everyone, but I thought that was pretty neat.

Have you used QR Codes and/or Microsoft Tags before? What are your thoughts?

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The March 10, 2011 Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis was:

Dot.column: What’s your favorite blog and why?

Mashable. It’s the geek entrepreneur’s dream come true.

What’s your favorite blog?

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Here at Watershed Studio we’re always scouring our RSS and Twitter feeds to see what’s going on in the world of technology and social media. Here’s Volume 5 in nice, easy to digest, posts. Enjoy.

• 7 Social Media Lessons From Phil Collins
• 10 tips from @pistachio on using Twitter for events
• Automation on Twitter: Should you do it?
• Common Mistakes Your Business Must Avoid On Twitter
• Does Your Social Media Policy Violate the Law? (Kuno Creative)
• New York Times Asks Twitter to Disable Paywall-Jumping Feed (Mashable)
• Social media like Facebook and Twitter turn local TV newscasts into a two-way conversation between viewers and on-air talent
• Social Media Marketing is Failing (Douglas Karr)
• True Story of a Twitter Marriage Proposal (Wired)
• Tweets That Will Get You Fired (Forbes)

If you have any social media reads that you’d like to suggest, please contact us or Tweet us @watershedstudio.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The March 3, 2011 Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis was:

Dot.column: Gosh, the Internet sure is big. How can it be more local for me?

Social media and local blogs are great ways to bring the Internet into real life right where you live. My starting point would be searching Twitter for users in your region to follow and see what they’re up to and what they’re reading. And I’m sure the Foursquare Indy fellows will suggest Foursquare as well.

How do you make the Internet more local?

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

So you’re on Twitter and are wondering what the best approach to tweeting is to keep your followers engaged and to attract new followers at the same time. Where should the balance lie between sending @ replies, sharing links and posting normal tweets.

Normal Tweets

Let’s start with normal tweets. These should make up a good portion of your tweets and can be anything that comes to mind.  Besides, I assume this was part of why you signed up for Twitter in the first place, right?

If it’s a personal Twitter account, feel free to fire away.  ”I’m sitting in my office watching the snow fall.” or “Why does tap water taste different in the bathroom? Or does it?” are perfectly acceptable tweets. It’s your account, have fun with it.

If it’s a business Twitter account, the rules are slightly different because you will be throwing business related tweets into the mix. “Come in tonight for 50% off all appetizers from 5-10pm.”  But a huge issue with many business accounts is that they never get personal in their tweets. They are constantly in “Sell, sell, sell” mode. Yes, some people are following your account because they want to know what specials you have going on, but they also want interaction with the business.

Of those that do understand this, Scott Wise (@brewhouse), owner of Scotty’s Brewhouse, is my favorite example.  Earlier today he tweeted, “Gym Rule #786: guys, no short-shorts. Length test: If it looks like u got some chewed Hubba-Bubba stuck to your thigh, they are too short.”, all in the midst of replying to his followers and throwing in an occasional sales tweet.  And did I mention that his restaurants (plural) are flourishing in a tough industry, in a tough economy by the effective use of social media and email mail marketing?

The @ Reply

The @ reply feature of Twitter is what makes the platform social. Without it there’s no public interaction and you might as well get yourself an old fashioned static website & an email contact form instead.  But what should the balance be between replies, normal tweets and sharing links?  At what point will your followers tire of seeing you talk with other people?  That’s a tough call and depends on the circumstances.

Personally, my stance is that if someone replies to me, I reply back to them. It’s just common courtesy.  And if I spot a tweet that I like or a conversation that I like, I pop in and reply. That’s what this social interaction is all about.

Do I reply too much sometimes? Maybe. Do I lose followers over it? Quite possibly. But whenever I do it, it’s always something legitimate and anyone can see that I am listening & am actively engaged with my followers, two qualities that should be cherished with any Twitter followers you have.  As harsh as it may sound, if people don’t like that, maybe they should unfollow because it’s unlikely that they desire to interact with you.

Sharing Links

Let’s face it, there’s only so much that can be communicated in 140 characters and sometimes you need to send a link.  This can be breaking news, blog posts, podcasts, photos, videos, you name it.  I highly encourage you to share links on a regular basis, but unless sharing links is all that your Twitter account is used for, I would space them out a bit because most people don’t want to see a bunch of links right in a row. Again, it goes back to interaction and starting conversations.

Chime In

Now that you know my thoughts regarding balancing your tweets on Twitter, please chime in and share your thoughts with the world, because I know that my opinions don’t speak for everyone.

Also, thanks to Steve Hill (@epiclysteve) for suggesting the topic.

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Yesterday we wrote Fixing The Facebook News Feed which focused on the end user. But what can anyone who is using a Facebook Fan Page for marketing purposes do about this to ensure that your Facebook Fan Page fans are seeing your Facebook Fan Page updates?

As you may already know, when it comes to the constant layout & functionality changes at Facebook, you, as a marketer, are at their mercy as to what you can and cannot do.  With this most recent change your best course of action is to contact each individual Facebook Fan Page fan and educate them on the change as far as what it means to them and how they can make adjustments.

You probably do not have the contact information for all of your Facebook Fan Page fans, but luckily Facebook offers a way in which you can send them messages through Facebook.

Here’s how you send a message to all of your Facebook Fan Page fans, or to a segment of them if you so choose.

1) While on your Facebook Fan Page, click on the Edit Page button in the top corner.

2) Click on the Marketing link and then click on the Send an Update link. (If you’re logged in as your Facebook Fan Page you willl be prompted to send the update as yourself.)

3) Compose a message to your Facebook Fan Page fans to let them know about the changes to Facebook and let them know how to fix this.

At this point your Facebook Fan Page fans will be sent the message and will be able to make the necessary adjustments in their Facebook account.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

If you’re like me you may have logged into Facebook and noticed that your “Most Recent” Facebook News Feed was suddenly missing a lot of updates from your friends & the Facebook Fan Pages that you’re a fan of.  It seems that in their recent roll out of changes, Facebook decided that by default you only want to see updates from the friends & Facebook Fan Pages that you interact with the most.

I don’t know about you, but that is not what I want.  If there are people I don’t want to see updates from I can either not be friends with them or I can hide them.  For Facebook Fan Pages, I would not opt into a Facebook Fan Page if I did not want to see their updates. But sticking by their M.O., Facebook has decided that is indeed what everyone wants.

Never fear, there’s a way to fix that.

1) From your home page at facebook.com, click on the Most Recent arrow link to bring up your options.

2) Click on Edit Options to bring up the Edit Your News Feed Settings screen.

3) In the “Show posts from” drop down check the “All of your friends and pages” options and then click on the Save button.

Now you’ll start seeing updates from your friends and Facebook Fan Pages again.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.0.5, was released on February 9, 2011 and is a maintenance release that addresses two moderate security issues.

While upgrading is not required, it is recommended.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Indy Media School is offering the following web and social media training courses
in February 2011.

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Thursday, February 10, 2011  from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Thursday, February 24, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Here at Watershed Studio we’re always scouring our RSS and Twitter feeds to see what’s going on in the world of technology and social media. Here’s Volume 4 in nice, easy to digest, posts. Enjoy.

• 5 Easy Steps to Creating Reusable Social Content
• 7 Reasons You Aren’t Being Followed Back on Twitter
• 7 ways to get more comments on your blog posts
• Five Resolutions To Grow And Maintain Email Lists
• Great Social Networking Cleanup of 2011
• How Facebook eclipsed Google in 2010
• HOW TO: Calculate the ROI of Your Social Media Campaign
• How Twitter became the new water cooler
• Why Celebrities On Twitter Have Little Influence…. It’s Because Most Do Not Use The @mentions
• WordPress Challenges Bloggers to Post Daily in 2011

If you have any social media reads that you’d like to suggest, please contact us or Tweet us @watershedstudio.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The latest Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis is:

Can (or should) employers be able to fire or reprimand someone for something they do — off the clock — on the Internet?

As a business owner myself, I would have to say no in most cases. Let’s face it, the majority of people have a job just to make a living and have every right to spend their personal time however they see fit, be it online or off. As an employer, if you’re going around prying into your employees’ personal lives you’ll manage to alienate your employees, lose their trust & find yourself with frequent employee turnover.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

We hope your 2011 is off to a fantastic start!

To kick off the new year we’re offering our Silver WordPress Website Maintenance Package and our Gold WordPress Website Maintenance Package for an amazing 25% off!

Your time is valuable and time spent maintaining your WordPress website takes away from the time you could be doing what you really love. Allow us to take charge of your WordPress maintenance tasks and sleep well knowing that your WordPress based website is in good hands.

Also, as a WordSprung WordPress Maintenance Package customer, monthly consulting time from Watershed Studio is included in each package, as are discounts for other Watershed Studio services. It’s a win-win for everyone!

If you are interested in signing up for either the Silver or Gold WordPress Maintenance Package, please do so today as this offer is only available for new orders placed through Monday, January 31, 2011.

Have a great new year!

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The latest Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis is:

What was your favorite digital thingy of 2010?

The increase of tweetups. While not new in 2010, the opportunity to attend organized gatherings with your fellow Twitter followers in real life were more abundant. If you didn’t make it out to one in 2010, be sure to do so in 2011. And if you need to find one, catch me on Twitter.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Indy Media School is offering the following web and social media training courses in January 2011.

Basics of Blogging

• Thursday, January 27th, 2011 from 6:00PM – 8:00PM

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Thursday, January 13, 2011  from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, January 17, 2011 from 1:00 PM – 3:00 PM

Social Media 101

• Thursday, January 20, 2011 from 6:00PM – 8:00PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Thursday, January 6, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, January 17, 2011 from 9:00 AM – 11:00 AM
• Monday, January 31, 2011 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The latest Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis is:

How does the Internet affect romantic relationships?

From the stance of being married, I would say the Internet can be a bit of a distraction at times. A decade ago you’d cuddle up to your significant other on the couch while eating a bowl of popcorn and watching a movie with the only possible distraction being the telephone. Nowadays there are mobile devices everywhere you look with their blinking lights tempting you to divert your attention.

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Guest Post By: Michelle Gilbert
Public Relations Manager, Verizon Wireless, Michigan/Indiana/Kentucky Region

Selecting the right smart phone can feel like a life-altering decision. After all, you’re making a commitment to carry this device everywhere you go and rely on it for everything from keeping you organized, in touch and entertained (among other things, I’m sure) for two years—give or take a couple of months. You want to make sure it’s a memorable two years.

As public relations manager for Verizon Wireless, I often get asked by customers for feedback on what’s the best smart phone available. It’s a tough question to answer because something different appeals to each individual. Here’s what I tell people.

Buying a smart phone is kind of like buying a new car (except a lot cheaper). All models are going to get you to where you want to go, but each one will feel a little bit different when you try it out. So…

Try it out! Visit a store and play with different devices. Most wireless service providers feature active devices on the selling floor.

Read reviews—not just by tech bloggers and reporters but by real-life customers! Verizon Wireless features user reviews in our online Smartphone Resource Center, so you can learn what actual smart phone users experience.

Since Android is the fastest growing operating system, let’s focus on what to look for with Android devices currently in the marketplace.

Clearly, all handset manufacturers want a ticket to the Android party which is why it has become so hard for consumers to decide between a DROID X by Motorola, for example, and a Samsung Fascinate™. It’s up to the manufacturers to find a way to differentiate their Android smart phone from the next guy’s model.

I’ve used Android devices from HTC, Motorola and Samsung. I haven’t disliked any, but I’ve found bits and pieces of each that appeal to me. I love HTC Sense user interface (animated weather rocks). I love the screen size of the DROID X. Currently, I’m using the Samsung Fascinate. I love the size, the screen and really everything about it. Plus, I rely heavily on Voice Commands and Voice Search, and the Fascinate recognizes my tone every time.

How do you prefer your QWERTY? Personally, I’ve always preferred a real keypad; however, as screens have gotten more precise I’ve given up my security blanket. In fact, when texting or emailing, I usually use SWYPE. If you haven’t tried it, I highly recommend it. I was the biggest skeptic of this technology. Now, I’m the biggest promoter. It’s ridiculously easy, accurate and convenient.

The Android marketplace has grown dramatically in the past year. Before Verizon Wireless announced its first Android device last fall—the original DROID by Motorola—there were about 5,000 apps available. Now, there are well over 100,000 apps, which include a more-than-generous selection of free ones.

I use apps mostly to entertain my kids while we’re waiting in line for something, but I also love Pandora, and I’ve been caught playing a game or two (I’m addicted to Unblock Me Free). Besides apps, I love all of Android’s Googleness. I’m a multi-tasker and love the fact that my smart phone is one too.

I wouldn’t feel like this post is complete if I didn’t strongly encourage you to make sure the wireless service provider you’re considering has reliable coverage where you live, work and play. Even the most sophisticated device is only as good as the network it runs on. Depending on the service provider you choose, two years can go by pleasingly fast or painfully slow.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The DROID X by Motorola is clearly a sports car among the current smart phones on the market. Lets take a quick tour.

Platform

The DROID X currently runs the Android 2.1 platform which is very well done & continually improving.

Touchscreen

I’ve always been a little wary of touchscreen phones for two reasons.

1) I have big hands and fat fingers which make it a little difficult to be accurate when typing.  Much to my surprise, with the generous 4.3-in. screen, this hasn’t been too bad.  And once I got the hang of the Predictive Text (Swype) feature it has really been pretty easy to use.

2) It drives me crazy when anyone touches a TV or computer screen. To remedy this pet peeve I highly recommend carrying around a micro fiber cloth to clean off the oil on the screen.

Voice Quality

The voice quality of the DROID X is decent but I’d personally recommend getting a Bluetooth® headset to go along with it.

Battery Life

As with most portable electronics, battery life is a major concern.  Having used the DROID X with Twitter, Gmail & Facebook constantly running in the background with the default screen brightness, the 480 minutes of continuous use is a little generous if you’re looking for active use.  To help improve battery life I highly recommend an app such as the free Advanced Task Killer.

Still Camera

The still camera is 8 MP and has a very decent auto focus feature. Compared to other phones on the market right now I really don’t know what else you can ask for.

Video Camera

The video camera is an amazing HD 720p (1280x720p resolution) camera with 3 built in microphones.  Having shot a few test videos with it I’d personally rather use this instead of toting around something like a Flip.  The only other things I could really want would be 1080p with an external mic option, but this is a phone so I really have no complaints.

Apps, apps & more apps

Packing 24 GB of storage out of the box with the possibility of expanding to 40 GB you should have plenty of room for any of the numerous apps available in the Android Market in addition to the pre-installed applications.

Of the pre-installed applications, Google Maps™ Navigation is an excellent GPS application which will get you where you need to go. You can actually speak your destination to it, using the excellent speech to text feature of the Android platform,  and be on your way. And if your destination is on Google’s Street View, it will show up on the screen when you arrive.

For social media I highly recommend choosing a Twitter app & the Facebook app.  For Twitter there are numerous app options, so give a few a whirl and see what you like.  My personal favorite is Seesmic.  And if you use WordPress I highly recommend installing the WordPress app.

For games there are also numerous options.  Everyone will want to install Angry Birds and then take a look through the other game options in the Android Market.  There are plenty of excellent free games to keep you busy.

Bottom Line

I highly recommend the DROID X.  Of the smart phones currently on the market, the DROID X does just about anything you can throw at it. But I would probably buy a second battery to go along with it.

Technical Specifications

• Network: Verizon 3G
• Platform: Android 2.1
• Battery: Up to 480 minutes continuous, up to 220 hours standby, 1540 mAh Li Ion
• Memory:  up 8 GB on board, 16 GB removable microSD pre-installed (supports up to 32 GB microSD)
• Display Size: 4.3-in.; WVGA (480 x 854)
• Weight: 155 grams
• Size (H x W x D): 65.5 x 127.5 x 9.9 mm
• Camera: 8 MP, Digital Zoom, Flash, Auto Focus, Cropping, Rotating, Geo Tagging
• Video Camera: HD 720p quality (1280x720p resolution) up to 24 fps capture; up to 30 fps playback, 3 microphone technology
• Media: Android Media Player, Video & Audio (AAC, H.263, H.264, MP3, MPEG-4, WAV, eAAC+, WMA v10, MIDI, AAC+)
• WIFI: 802.11 n
• 3G Mobile Hotspot: Be a mobile hot spot for up to 5 other devices
• Connector Type: Micro USB, HDMI® Micro Connector Cable
• Data Transmission Rate: USB 2.0 (High Speed)
• Other: Bluetooth®, SMS, MMS, Predictive Text (Swype), Speakerphone

Preinstalled Applications

• Google Apps
  • Gmail™
  • Google Calendar™
  • Google Contact Sync™
  • Google Latitude™
  • Google Maps Street View
  • Google Maps™
  • Google Maps™ Navigation
  • Google Quick Search Box™
  • Google Talk™
  • Google™ Search By Voice
  • Youtube™
• Email: Corporate Sync, Google Mail, Push Email, WebKit
• Web Browser: Android HTML Webkit, Adobe® Flash® Player
• Other: Calculator, Calendar, Clock, Wallpaper, Ringtones (AAC, AAC+, eAAC, eAAC+, MP3, OGG)

Disclosure: The DROID X by Motorola was provided for review by Verizon Wireless.

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The latest Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis is:

What makes a video go viral?

Other than getting the right people to find and share a video, the video needs to give people a good reason to share it. Is it entertaining? Is it funny? Is it shocking? Does it speak to viewers in some other way? If you can answer “yes” to any of those questions, then you’re part of the way there.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The latest Dot.column question in Metromix Indianapolis is:

What do you think about Facebook e-mail?

While it sounds like a neat idea that melds existing electronic messaging technologies together, there are still many questions to be answered. For me personally the three biggies are privacy (will my information be exposed to 3rd parties), functionality (will it do what I want & need it to do) and any user interfaces (will it be easy to navigate & efficient to use on various platforms).

What Is Metromix Indianapolis’ Dot.column?

 
Via the first Dot.column:

We’re going straight to the experts to scrape their brains on everything techy, social networky, online-y and anything else you’re dying to know. Have a question for them? E-mail us at indianapolis@metromix.com. Wanna talk about it on Twitter? Follow #Dotcolumn

Since I am on the panel I thought it would be good to post my reposes here as well, so that is what I’ll do as they are published. Note that in some issues responses have to be cut due to space, and if that happens to be the case, you can still read my response here.  And feel free to chime in and/or ask any follow up questions.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Monday, November 15, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, November 29, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Monday, November 8, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, November 22, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Monday, Oct. 4, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, Oct. 18, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
• Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM

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The Watershed Studio September 2010 Newsletter is now online.

Fall is officially upon us and Watershed Studio, Surge Bucket Media & Indy Media School have decided to pack up their recording gear and head out into the big city and mingle with our fellow citizens as part of the October Oddness 2010 Meetups/Tweetups.  We’ll be podcasting, snapping photos & recording videos as we facilitate these events in conjunction with our gracious event hosts.  If you live in or around the Indianapolis area we’d love to see you and your family out at an event or two.

As we all know, this is the time of year when things start picking up in preparation for the Holiday season and year’s end.  We’re here to assist if you need anything at all, be it blog related, social media related, marketing related or anything in between, so please contact us and we’ll be happy to help out in any manner.

In the meantime, check out these blog posts from September:

• Dilbert: Social Media Marketing Manager
• Ten Social Media Reads, Vol 3

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Here at Watershed Studio we’re always scouring our RSS and Twitter feeds to see what’s going on in the world of technology and social media. Here’s Volume 3 in nice, easy to digest, posts. Enjoy.

1. Facebook to Change How You Process Friend Requests by Jennifer Van Grove
2. Foursquare Launching New Must-Have Button for Websites by Marshall Kirkpatrick
3. Get rid of Those Annoying Farmville Requests with new Social Network About “What Matters to You” by Lauren Dugan
4. How to gracefully promote yourself online by Andrea Bartz and Brenna Ehrlich, Special to CNN
5. Is Twitter for Business Even Worth the Trouble by Jay Baer
6. Six Reasons Why I’m Not On Facebook, By Wired UK’s Editor by David Rowan, Wired UK
7. SocialSmack Gives You Props for Talking Smack About Brands by Ben Parr
8. The Cross-Generation Workforce by Andy McLoughlin, Forbes
9. The New Twitter Is an Attack on All Desktop Apps by Jennifer Van Grove
10. To Schedule Tweets Or Not by Chris Brogan

If you have any social media reads that you’d like to suggest, please contact us or Tweet us @watershedstudio.

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Dilbert never ceases to amaze me at how spot-on the strip is.

I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve talked to people who work in “the real world” and they say things like:

• “We have a company website…but it’s blocked during business hours.”
• “We have a Facebook Fan Page/Group/Etc…but we don’t have access to Facebook.”
• “We have a Twitter account…but we can’t access Twitter at work.”
• “No, I don’t read business related blogs…that’s against company policy.”

And the list could go on and on.

In this day and age the companies who are embracing the technological changes are going to be the ones to prevail.  The rest will eventually be left behind and forgotten about. That is what we believe. That is what we adhere to. And that is what we preach at our Indy Media School classes.

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The Watershed Studio August 2010 Newsletter is now online.

August was a very busy month here at Watershed Studio and included everything from getting the kids back into the swing of things at school to attending Blog Indiana 2010 and having the opportunity to catch Jeff Pulver at the 140 Characters Conference Roadtrip Tweetup here in Indy. Now that fall is only a few weeks away we’re gearing up for the new projects that always hit this time of year and we have a few things of our own up our sleeves.

If you need anything at all, please contact us.   In the meantime, check out these blog posts from August:

• Indy Media School: September 2010 Courses
• Blogging for Passion or for Dollars – Would you blog if the government taxed you to do so? The city of Philadelphia is trying to do just that.
• Hootsuite Premium Pricing Shocker – This month Hootsuite unveiled their pricing structure which caught everyone off guard. If you use Hootsuite, be sure to check this out.
• Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) – This is a review from one of the sessions at Blog Indiana focused on SEO from a PR angle.
• Ten Social Media Reads, Vol 2

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Basics of Blogging

• Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 9:30 AM – Noon
• Saturday, September 25, 2010 from 9:30 AM – Noon

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Thursday, September 9, 2010 from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
• Tuesday, September 14, 2010 from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
• Thursday, September 23, 2010 from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

Social Media 101

• Saturday, September 4, 2010 from 9:30 AM – Noon
• Saturday, September 18, 2010 from 9:30 AM – Noon

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Tuesday, September 7, 2010 from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM
• Thursday, September 16, 2010 from 6:30 PM – 9:00 PM

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Last week at Blog Indiana I sat in on the Search Engine Reputation Management (SERM) session, presented by Slingshot SEO co-founder Jeremy Dearringer, mainly for two reasons.

1. After seeing mentions of Slingshot SEO all over the place I was curious as to what Slingshot SEO did.
2. I was curious as to their take on tackling brand management in the search engines.

Going in everyone who has listened to me knows my take on the SEO (Search Engine Optimization) industry as a whole.  It would seem that the vast majority of those that claim to be “SEO Experts/Gurus” are paranoid, incompetent and up to no good which turns out to bite their clients in the rear eventually.  My blood boils when new clients come to us stating something like “our last SEO guy got us banned from (insert search engine here), he took a ton of our money, can you help us out & get that behind us?”.  While we can help out, it’s a long road back to normalcy.

All of that to say, in the first few minutes of Jeremy’s presentation it was clear that Slingshot SEO was legit and he had my full attention.

As to what Slingshot SEO does, I would peg them more as a search engine PR firm as opposed to simply optimizing content.  Their approach is optimizing content in multiple places and across multiple services with the goal of resolving small problems before they become large ones.

A few of the key points Jeremy hit on are:

• Most people click on negative search results first
• Most people don’t actually read everything and often stop at the title and make assumptions
• Use monitoring tools such as Google Alerts (which we highly recommend)
• Make sure your most important information is on your home page (that would seem obvious, but take a look around and let me know what you see)
• Focus on customer service (you are in business for your customers)
• Respect others
• Know when to say no (this is a hard one to learn, especially when business is slow and/or you’re a start-up, but trust me, LEARN TO SAY NO if you don’t feel good and/or confident about something as it’s not worth damaging your business for)

However, I have to disagree with the stance of staying away from all review sites/directories (i.e. all of the”Local” sites within the search engines).  Yes, I understand that you don’t control these in any manner and people can try to ruin your reputation there, but if you are confident that you have a good product and good customer service any negative responses can be dealt with.  As a consumer I don’t expect everyone to like everything, but if something is clearly crap, let it be called out as such.  And as a business owner myself, if something I do is honestly below expectations, I want to know that and to be held accountable.  My business isn’t here for me or my feelings, it’s here for my customers.

Overall it was one of the better sessions I sat in on and thanks to Jeremy for sharing.

Here are the slides if you wish to view them…

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Here at Watershed Studio we’re always scouring our RSS and Twitter feeds to see what’s going on in the world of technology and social media. Here’s volume 2 in nice, easy to digest, posts. Enjoy.

1. AOL Launches SafeSocial…To Screen Your Kid’s Every Friend Posted (Katy Gathright – Social Times)
2. 4 Ways to Make Content Go Viral in Social Media (Kyle Lacy)
3. How Freelancers Might Use Social Media in the Future (Stephanie Marcus – Mashable)
4. Make Shareability a Priority (Chris Brogan)
5. Marketing Your Business through the Use of Podcasts (Gini Dietrich)
6. 100 Ways to Measure Social Media (Pam Dyer)
7. Social Media Parenting: Raising the Digital Generation (Matt Silverman – Mashable)
8. 12 Ways to Market Your Event With Social Media (Rich Brooks – Social Media Examiner)
9. Twitter And The Nine-Month Bounce (Erick Schonfeld – Tech Crunch)
10. Winemakers shun social media grapevine (Leslie Gevirtz – Reuters)

If you have any social media reads that you’d like to suggest, please contact us or Tweet us @watershedstudio.

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When I saw this story this morning, my jaw dropped.

Taking a step closer to an eerie Orwellian state where creativity is crushed in the name of “the greater good,” the city of Philadelphia is demanding that bloggers pay $300 for the privilege of writing on the Internet.

This $300 “business privilege license” is for all local bloggers – even the ones that make no money off their words.

The city doesn’t stop there. In addition to the $300 for the license to write on the World Wide Web, bloggers must pay city wage taxes, business privilege taxes and taxes on any net profits — on top of state and federal taxes — even if the blogger only made $11 over two years, reports the City Paper.

Full story at NBC Philadelphia

Even though I’ve never heard of anything like a blanket “business privilege license”, I understand paying taxes is something we all have to do. If that’s how it is in Philly for any business, then fine.  But when you automatically label bloggers as businesses then I have a problem with that.

Taking a step back to the mid-1990′s, I used to publish a ‘zine (and yes, ‘zines are still alive and well in 2010).  We printed 100 copies, got some free music to review, had a few small ad sales, and if we were lucky we broke even.  But it was about our passion for the subject and it was nothing more than a hobby for a group of college kids.

Step forward to 2002 and I jumped head first into blogging and haven’t looked back.  The idea of being a zinester & the idea of being a blogger were pretty much the same thing for me, but with blogging there was a lot less overhead and many more potential eyeballs.

Now jump to present day 2010 and I find myself making a living off of blogging.  (Note that I didn’t say from blogging.)

When Watershed Studio was started back in 2004 our focus was on web design and building PHP based web  applications since that’s what I was doing as a day job back then. Today that has morphed into a lot of WordPress development for clients as well as social media related consulting, coaching & training.  Last year WordSprung was launched as an extension of our WordPress services and earlier this year we launched Indy Media School to focus on the social media training side of things.

On the flip side of the coin, in 2006 the decision was made to separate our content (blogs, podcasts, writings, etc) from the design & consulting side of things and Surge Bucket Media was formed.  Four years later Surge Bucket Media (SBM) consists of dozens of web properties, many of which are networked together.  The difference here being that SBM is currently nowhere near the money maker that everything under the Watershed Studio umbrella is.  And a lot of that is on purpose as we are trying to keep advertising down to an absolute minimum and frankly we do that because we like to do it.

All of that to say, we have seen quite the spectrum of blogs & bloggers throughout the years. While many of our clients are businesses, both small and large, we also have numerous clients who blog out of their own pockets. In other words, their blogs are their passion and they are funding them themselves without a concern for monetary gain.  And it’s this crowd that the vast majority of bloggers would fall into.

Going back to Philadelphia, I honestly don’t see how this will hold up. There are just too many issues at hand, not to mention the moment when freedom of speech and press are brought up (and Philly should be pretty familiar with those, right?).   If I were a small potatoes blogger in Philly I wouldn’t be packing my bags just yet, but I certainly would raise a ruckus with your city government.

What are your thoughts on the matter? Please leave us a comment or leave a voicemail at 317-565-4250.

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Yesterday Hootsuite announced their new premium plans…

As I looked at this I was shocked by the top end (the actual top end is not listed here, but is in their Enterprise Services at $1499-$1998 per month).  The biggest shocker being their pricing emphasis on “Team Members” (a.k.a. other Hootsuite users who can use one or more of your social network accounts) rather than some sort of true functionality.

I recall just this past week looking through the FAQ’s and reading this & this (emphasis mine):

• “There is no cost to use the HootSuite Team Collaboration tools or any part of the social media dashboard at this time. Everything is free – though in the future, we will likely add premium level accounts.”
• “The web version of HootSuite as well as HootSuite Lite for iPhone and Android is currently free. HootSuite for iPhone and Android currently costs $2.99. We are investigating pricing plans and exciting new features for paid accounts.“

Fair enough. It’s worded in a  way that says, “We do charge for some things & will be charging for other things at some point. Don’t get used to having everything you currently have for free”.  You can’t argue with that. It’s pretty clear and from a business perspective understandable.

I have absolutely no problem paying for services. We’re in the business of getting paid for services & we pay for services all of the time if the ROI is there.  Just earlier this week in some sort of prophetic thought I was thinking to myself that if Hootsuite charged $5/mo for the service I had at that point in time I’d be happy to pay it.

Beyond the whole Team Members issue (I need this to be expandable to an infinite number of users, even if it costs $4.99/mo for each additional user) their $4.99/mo a plan suites me just fine.  But by charging $15 for the first team member for collaboration aspects (the “priority support” isn’t something I can see being used much & in my opinion should be there with any paid account), they’re really doing themselves no favors.

That said, I can see no good reason for most of our clients to bump up to the “Silver” plan solely for the purpose of allowing us access to their account via our account. And a good portion of them would probably be fine with the Basic plan as long as the advertising isn’t too annoying.

So having mulled this over we’ll be moving our internal Twitter collaboration over to CoTweet.  Facebook pages updates will take place through our Bronze Hootsuite account or directly via Facebook by other team members. Post updates via RSS will continue to be handled via WordPress & the Facebook app. For clients, we’ll simply log into their accounts when needed.  At the end of the day we may not be able to do everything the way we’d like to do it, but we can still do it.

Now it’s your turn. How will the Hootsuite changes affect you, if at all?  What other applications & services do you use for your social media management?  Let us know and if you’d like you can leave a voice message at 317-565-4250.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Basics of Blogging

• Saturday, August 7, 2010 from 9:00 AM – Noon
• Tuesday, August 17, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Tuesday, August 3, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Tuesday, August 31, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Monday, August 9, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Now through August 31st, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “SOLAR-WSHED” (no quotes).

If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.0.1, was released on July 29, 2010 and is a maintenance release that addresses about 50 minor issues. While upgrading is not required, it is recommended.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

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The Watershed Studio July 2010 Newsletter is now online. Be sure to check it out for recent Watershed Studio news and information including:

• WordPress 3.0.1
• Indy Media School: August 2010 Courses
• Ten Social Media Reads, Vol 1

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Here at Watershed Studio we’re always scouring our RSS and Twitter feeds to see what’s going on in the world of technology and social media. Starting today we’ll share some of the top reads we come across in nice, easy to digest, posts. Enjoy.

1. 7 Surprising Statistics About Twitter in America (Jay Baer – Convince & Convert)
2. Delivering Wow! (Jeff Stanger – Blue Trolley Press)
3. Five ways to integrate social media into your overall marketing mix (Catherine Parker – Memeburn)
4. How to be the Life of the Social Media Party (Darren Rowse – ProBlogger)
5. How to Use Proactive Social Customer Service to Build Your Brand (American Express OPEN Forum)
6. IndyCar Drivers now tussle through Twitter posts (Curt Cavin – Indy Star)
7. More small businesses use Twitter, Facebook to promote (Jon Swartz – USA Today)
8. Social media: why there’s no point trying to escape (Shane Richmond – Telegraph Media Group)
9. The Power of Social Media: Educate Embrace and Empower (Kyle Lacy)
10. When Someone Blindsides You With a Negative Blog Post (Liz Strauss)

If you have any social media reads that you’d like to suggest, please contact us or Tweet us @watershedstudio.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Basics of Blogging

• Thursday, July 15, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Thursday, July 29, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Introduction to Social Media for Business

• Tuesday, July 6, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM
• Tuesday, July 20, 2010 from 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

WordPress for Small Business and Nonprofits

• Saturday, July 24, 2010 from 9:00 AM – Noon

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

What is it that separates the millions of mediocre bloggers from the ones who build traffic and achieve amazing results? What is it that propels some onward and upward into fame and fortune while others find themselves struggling just to get a small handful of readers?

If you’re like most bloggers, then you’ve probably been kicking yourself trying to figure out the answer to these questions…trying to find the key that unlocks the large steel doors that are holding you back from the success you’ve been looking for.

In his book, Blogging to the Third Power, Nicholas Cardot shares what he has discovered as being the essential elements necessary to connect with people on a large scale.

eBook Edition: Click here to view more details
Print Edition: Click here to view more details

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The Watershed Studio June 2010 Newsletter is now online. Be sure to check it out for recent Watershed Studio news and information including:

• WordPress 3.0
• Indy Media School: July 2010 Courses

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

WordPress 3.0, the thirteenth major release of WordPress and the culmination of half a year of work by 218 contributors, is now available for download (or upgrade within your dashboard). Major new features in this release include a sexy new default theme called Twenty Ten. Theme developers have new APIs that allow them to easily implement custom backgrounds, headers, shortlinks, menus (no more file editing), post types, and taxonomies. (Twenty Ten theme shows all of that off.) Developers and network admins will appreciate the long-awaited merge of MU and WordPress, creating the new multi-site functionality which makes it possible to run one blog or ten million from the same installation. As a user, you will love the new lighter interface, the contextual help on every screen, the 1,217 bug fixes and feature enhancements, bulk updates so you can upgrade 15 plugins at once with a single click, and blah blah blah just watch the video.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The Watershed Studio May 2010 Newsletter is now online. Be sure to check it out for recent Watershed Studio news and information including:

• Indy Media School: WordPress For Small Business and Nonprofits
• WordSprung’s WordPress Maintenance Package

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

The Watershed Studio April 2010 Newsletter is now online. Be sure to check it out for recent Watershed Studio news and information including:

• Watershed Studio Gallery
• Indy Media School
• WordCamp Indy 2010

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

From the WordSprung Blog:

Q: I want to be able to upload images (for ads, banners, etc.) without having to FTP in. I’ve been doing it by adding them to a dummy post and then copying the link and adding where I need it-is there a better solution?

A: There’s a built in solution for WordPress to do just this.

In the sidebar of the WordPress Admin Area, click on “Media > Add New” (located at http://yoursite.com/wp-admin/media-new.php).

Upload Files In WordPress via the Media Section

From there you’ll see the same file uploading interface that you do when you create a post or page.

If you need assistance, please contact us.

[Question submitted by Kelly Whalen.]

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The Watershed Studio March 2010 Newsletter is now online.  Be sure to check it out for recent Watershed Studio news and information including:

• 17th Annual Stutz Artists Open House
• New Joint Business Venture
• WordCamp Indy 2010
• WordPress Q&A
• OIOpublisher Coupon Code for March 2010

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From the WordSprung Blog:

Q: I am after a YouTube plugin for a widget. What I want to do is have a YouTube video that randomly rotates between three/four videos in the side bar. Is there one?

A: While it was created for serving ads, Datafeedr Random Ads, should do the trick for you. We’ve used it for images in the past and it does exactly what we needed it to.

Installation Instructions

1. Upload the plugin files to your plugins directory
2. Activate the plugin
3. Go to Tools > Datafeedr Random Ads
4. Create an Ad Group (a set of ads that you want to rotate)
5. Place a widget in your sidebar or template code in your template files

If you need assistance, please contact us.

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From the WordSprung Blog:

Q: How Do I Add A Contact Form On WordPress.com?

A: On the standard version of WordPress.com your only built in option is to use the “[contact-form]” short code.

To do this, place “[contact-form]” (without the quotes) in your page where you’d like it to appear and save it.

Once saved you’ll see a form show up that looks similar to your standard comments form. Note that this will look differently to anyone who is logged into WordPress.com.

WordPress.com Contact Form (logged in view)

WordPress.com Contact Form (logged out view)

If that doesn’t suit your needs and you’re after a more customizable solution you’ll need to look for hosted form solutions of which there are various options. And of course, you can always opt to go the self-hosted WordPress.org route.

If you need assistance, please contact us.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Now through March 31st, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “SAXON-WSHED” (no quotes). If you’re unfamiliar with OIOpublisher, it is a PHP based ad platform with a focus on performance, control and ease of use. It allows you to easily serve advertising on your blog or website and keep 100% of the revenue you bring in. For those of you using WordPress, it includes a plugin that allows for easy integration. And if you need consulting help setting it up, please contact us.

[Update: August 2010 OIOpublisher Coupon Code - Now through August 31st, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher* for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code "SOLAR-WSHED" (no quotes).]

Disclosure:We are an affiliate of OIOPublisher, but we use the product ourselves and can vouch that it’s an excellent product.

View this post at Watershed Studio, LLC

Found in WHM via Main >> Service Configuration >> Apache Configuration >> PHP and SuExec Configuration

We were recently migrating websites from one dedicated server to another dedicated server, both of which had basically the same software setup with an upgrade in the hardware.

For the ease of use in a web based GUI, we recommend cPanel/WHM to facilitate the majority of setup, and this was no different.  You place the order with the dedicated hosting company stating everything that you want, including the control panel, and you’re on your way and able to run through your standard setup procedures.

When you’re done setting up the server you can begin migrating from the old server to the new server (WHM has an excellent tool for migrating between WHM/cPanel based servers).  And most of the time everything is looking good and after a local run-through you can update the DNS and be on your way.

All of that to say, during this recent migration we spotted 500 (generic “internal server”) errors that we had not seen before.  After troubleshooting, it was determined to be due to some .htaccess rules being added and/or certain files and/or folders having write permissions (ex: 777).  Now we knew what was causing it and could fix it to some extent, but we still wanted to know why. What had changed from the last server to the new one?

After looking around for similar situations, we pieced together where we should be looking, the PHP Handler.  The old server was running dso.  The new server was running suPHP which wasn’t even installed on the old server. So we switched the new server to dso (see image above) and things were back to working the way they were before.  (Note: from what we were seeing, suPHP is harder on your hardware resources as well.)

As a word of caution, web hosts do setup suPHP as an additional layer of security and it is advisable to not set directories and/or files to writable unless they need to be.

Related Blogs

• How to enable SuPHP ? | InstaCarma Blog
• Installing SuPHP on Debian Lenny 5.04 with Apache 2.2.9 | Debian …

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The Watershed Studio February 2010 Newsletter is now online.  Be sure to check it out for recent Watershed Studio news and information.

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For anyone that has wanted to launch their own blog on their own domain and web server, but hasn’t done so yet, WordSprung has launched a new FREE service which will get you up and running with your very own WordPress powered blog.  For more information check out the details of WordSprung’s FREE Basic WordPress Self-Hosted Blog Installation Service.

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WordPress 2.9.2 was released on February 15th, 2010 as is a security release.

Thomas Mackenzie alerted us to a problem where logged in users can peek at trashed posts belonging to other authors. If you have untrusted users signed up on your blog and sensitive posts in the trash, you should upgrade to 2.9.2. As always, you can visit the Tools->Upgrade menu to upgrade.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

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Now through February 28th, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “SAXON-WSHED” (no quotes).

[Update: June 2010 OIOpublisher Coupon Code - Now through June 30th, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “BLOOM-WSHED” (no quotes).]

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The Watershed Studio January 2010 Newsletter is now online.  Be sure to check it out for recent Watershed Studio news and information.

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Now through January 31st, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $32 (normally $47) by using coupon code “J2010-WSHED” (no quotes).

[Update: June 2010 OIOpublisher Coupon Code - Now through June 30th, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “BLOOM-WSHED” (no quotes).]

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• RT @SurgeBucket: Only 4 hours left on the SHINR.com Sedo domain auction: http://is.gd/4KeXS Check it out. #

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• RT @SurgeBucket: 5 Letter Sedo .com Domain Auction: SHINR.COM http://xinyr.com/shinr #
• RT @wordsprung: Contact us today to schedule your WordPress 2.8.5 upgrade. http://wordsprung.com/ #

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• RT @BlueShotgun: New blog post: Pregnancy & Infant Loss http://bit.ly/8O9nb #

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Now through October 31st, 2009 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “TERRA-WSHED” (no quotes).

[Update: June 2010 OIOpublisher Coupon Code - Now through June 30th, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “BLOOM-WSHED” (no quotes).]

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• RT @octoberoddness: October Oddness: October Oddness 2009 http://bit.ly/wa4f3 #halloween #

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• 50% discount on 31 Days To Build A Better Blog with Coupon Code 'probloggeris5' http://xinyr.com/rtu #
• 12 hours left: 50% discount on 31 Days To Build A Better Blog with Coupon Code 'probloggeris5' http://xinyr.com/rtu #
• RT @BlueShotgun: New blog post: Stop Stealing My Blog Posts! http://bit.ly/2B461U #

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• @ChitChatMag you'd need to get in touch with PicApp regarding that as we only do the plugin side of things, not the server in reply to ChitChatMag #

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• RT @wordsprung: URGENT: WordPress 2.8.4 Upgrades http://bit.ly/z52VG #

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Via multiple sources it is reported that sites running versions of WordPress prior to the latest version, WordPress 2.8.4, are under attack and to protect yourself, all WordPress installs should be upgraded as soon as possible.

• Old WordPress Versions Under Attack
• WordPress Attack Underway: WordPress Users Must Upgrade [ALERT]

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

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Watershed Studio’s OpenCart Table Rate Shipping Module v1.0 has been released.

The OpenCart Table Rate Shipping Module adds table rate shipping options based on the sub-total of the shopping cart. The code is released under the GPL.

And if you need help customizing this module to suit your own needs, please request a quote.

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• $10 off OIOPublisher this month (Septemper) by using coupon code "TERRA-WSHED" http://xinyr.com/oio great WordPress plugin #

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Now through September 30th, 2009 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “TERRA-WSHED” (no quotes).

[Update: March 2010 OIOpublisher Coupon Code - Now through March 31st, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “SAXON-WSHED” (no quotes).]

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• RT @wordsprung: Performing WordPress 2.8.4 upgrades. Schedule yours today: http://is.gd/22jHP #wordpress #

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WordPress 2.8.4 was released on August 12th, 2009 as is a security release.

Yesterday a vulnerability was discovered: a specially crafted URL could be requested that would allow an attacker to bypass a security check to verify a user requested a password reset. As a result, the first account without a key in the database (usually the admin account) would have its password reset and a new password would be emailed to the account owner. This doesn’t allow remote access, but it is very annoying.

We fixed this problem last night and have been testing the fixes and looking for other problems since then. Version 2.8.4 which fixes all known problems is now available for download and is highly recommended for all users of WordPress.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

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After many months of being dormant, BrianGroce.com has been relaunched as “The Wonderful World of Brian Groce”.

I’ve had this idea in my head for years and the gist is that the new site will serve as your one-stop portal to get a better idea of what I’m up to. (Did I just say “portal”?)

I have my hands in so many things these days that I’ll occasionally get asked things like:

• “Are you still blogging?”
• “Are you still podcasting?”
• “How’s work going?”
• “How are you doing?”
• “What do you want for ________?”
• “How many Twitter accounts do you have?” And “what are they?”
• “Are you on Facebook?” (Yes, and I’m probably hiding from you or ignoring you.)
• “What about MySpace?” And “LinkedIn?”

…and the list goes on.  As I get the site built out most of these questions will be answered or more apparent.  Others will not (due to a lack of time & maybe even on purpose).

So, with that said, enjoy the new setup as I get back to working on it.

WordPress 2.8.3 was released on August 3rd, 2009 as is a security release.

Several folks in the community dug deeper and discovered areas that were overlooked. With their help, the remaining issues are fixed in 2.8.3. Since this is a security release, upgrading is highly recommended.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

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Now through August 31st, 2009 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $39 (normally $47) by using coupon code “BLUE-WSHED ” (no quotes).

[Update: February 2010 OIOpublisher Coupon Code - Now through February 28th, 2010 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “SAXON-WSHED” (no quotes).]

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• RT @SurgeBucket: Looking for graphic designers. Please contact us w/ rates & examples. http://is.gd/1ENMm #
• We're performing WordPress 2.8.2 upgrades via our @WordSprung service: http://is.gd/1Cbwy #

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WordPress 2.8.2 was released on July 20th, 2009 as is a security release.

WordPress 2.8.2 fixes an XSS vulnerability. Comment author URLs were not fully sanitized when displayed in the admin. This could be exploited to redirect you away from the admin to another site.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

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• $8 off OIOPublisher this month (July) by using coupon code "RAINMAN-WSHED" http://xinyr.com/oio great WordPress plugin #
• 31 Days To Build A Better Blog http://bit.ly/nlowz #
• We're now performing WordPress 2.8.1 upgrades via our new @WordSprung service: http://is.gd/1Cbwy #

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WordPress 2.8.1 was released on July 9th, 2009 and is a bug fix & security release.

WordPress 2.8.1 fixes many bugs and tightens security for plugin administration pages. Core Security Technologies notified us that admin pages added by certain plugins could be viewed by unprivileged users, resulting in information being leaked. Not all plugins are vulnerable to this problem, but we advise upgrading to 2.8.1 to be safe.

Schedule your WordPress upgrade today via our WordSprung WordPress Upgrade Service.

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• $8 off OIOPublisher this month (July) by using coupon code "RAINMAN-WSHED" http://xinyr.com/oio [great WordPress plugin] #

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• RT @BSRadio: Leave a message at 317-565-4250 within the next hour for BSR #34. Movies & 4th of July plans are the topic. #

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OIOpublisher 2.2 has been released.

New features include:

Offline payment module
After requests from a number of people, you can now let advertisers pay “offline”. If selected, the advertiser will be taken to a page containing instructions that you define in the admin area.

Filtering Zones by WordPress Category
Again, this was a feature requested by quite a few people. Each text / banner ad zone contains a new option that lets you associate a WordPress category with each ad. When displaying an ad zone on a category or post page, only ads within those category(s) will be shown. This allows you to use a single ad zone to filter ads via category.

Tracker Module Update
Previously, tracking impressions meant loading a new image file on every page request, which increased load on the server. This extra image file has now been removed to help reduce load. Some backend code was also added to stop individual ads from using the tracker if needed (on request, requires editing the database).

Less Admin Clutter
Previously, every ad zone created was shown at the top of the settings page (e.g Zone 1, Zone 2). This took up a lot of space and made it difficult to tell at a glance which ad zone was which. A dropdown menu is now used instead, with “Zone 1″ being replaced by the name you give each zone. The admin editor has also been tweaked for easier use, via feedback on the forum.

Better compatibility with WordPress config file
This issue was highlighted recently in the forum. If you use WordPress 2.6+ and have moved your wp-config.php file for better security, OIO will use wp-load.php instead. This should prevent anyone else from having to hack OIO to get it to work with their config file.

Other Tweaks
The “availability” column on the purchase page now shows the number of free ad slots available (rather than the total number). The “price” dropdown menu is also pre-selected if there is only one price available, to improve continuity.

And if you’re purchasing a new license, remember to use the coupon code “RAINMAN-WSHED” (no quotes) now through July 31st, 2009 and get OIOpublisher for just $39 (normally $47) by using.

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• Become a fan of Watershed Studio on Facebook: http://is.gd/1kMDy #

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Now through July 31st, 2009 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $39 (normally $47) by using coupon code “RAINMAN-WSHED” (no quotes).

[Update: September 2009 OIOpublisher Coupon Code - Now through September 30th, 2009 you can purchase OIOpublisher for just $37 (normally $47) by using coupon code “TERRA-WSHED” (no quotes).]

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• 31 Days To Build A Better Blog http://bit.ly/nlowz #

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• Who's interested in a membership based WordPress focused site? What would you expect? #

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• Follow Friday #FF @BTPress @jeffstanger @citizensforjeff @karnies @twitheads #
• $10 off OIOPublisher this month (June) by using coupon code "MIDSUM-WSHED" http://xinyr.com/oio [great WordPress plugin] #

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