As most of my friends and colleagues know, I’m an e-mail person. In the time it takes me to listen to one voicemail message, I can delete dozens of e-mails. Maybe hundreds. When you receive as many messages as I do (and as many people in the media do), efficiency is everything.

The most time-wasting messages are those which do nothing more than ask me to verify that I received an e-mailed press release, and inquire if I’d like to follow up on it.

Believe me, if I wanted to follow up on your press release, I would have initiated the follow-through already. I would not be sitting waiting for your phone call.

If I took time to acknowledge every press release, I’d do nothing every day except acknowledge press releases. That is why I routinely delete such follow-up messages without replying.

Many editors, journalists, reporters and analysts experience the same frustration when dealing with over-enthusiastic PR professionals. From time to time, we share our thoughts on that subject with colleagues. One journalists’ list that I follow just had a helpful discussion about how to handle “PR spam.”

Sometimes we also share our thoughts with the general public – you, our readers.

To that end, please read a wonderful essay, “Don’t Call Us,” published this week by The Washington Post’s Gene Weingarten. I couldn’t have written it better.

If you are a PR professional, I urge you to:

1. Don’t call to follow up on press releases.

2. Don’t use media directories to learn about our publications. Learn about our publications by reading them, and by using the online resources we make available for PR professionals.

3. For example, consult our Web-based editorial calendars before calling about a story. You can find them here for SD Times, Software Test & Performance and our forthcoming Systems Management News.

4. For another example, consult our “how to work with the editors” guidelines before pitching. Here they are from SD Times and ST&P. We’ll have one for SMN next year.

5. Don’t call to follow up on press releases.

A friend received this curious phishing message, reproduced below verbatim.

Subject: END OF YEAR AWARD 2007 PUBLICATION RESULT BONAZAA!

FROM STAATSLOTERIJ INTERNATIONAL B.V AWARD DEPARTMENT. MAARSHOF,3064HA,HILVERSUM,THE NETHERLANDS.

This email is to notify you that your Email Address attached to a Number(106912) has won an Award Sum of $1,000.000.00) (One Milliom Dollears) In an E-mail Sweepstakes program held on the 29TH of NOVEMBER 2007.

Please contact the claim officer through the below given contact information for the Claim STAATLOTERRIJ CLAIM AGENCY.

Mr;:John Smith
Contact Email : (deleted)
Contact Telephone: (deleted)

WINNING INFORMATIONS Ref Number (42261567)Serial Number 780978907 Lucky Numbers442676509Batch Number EU8909178

Please forward the above stated winning information to your Euro Claim Agent.

Congratulations!!!

Perhaps a doll manufacturer would have good use for a milliom doll ears, but I’m not sure that I would.

I was recently asked to advise local lay leaders about the sorts of things that a church or synagogue should have on its Web site. Here’s a short essay written in response. I hope this is interesting for other local-area non-profits as well.

1. Broad buy-in and lots of contributors — not just from techie Webmasters

A Web site that’s a passionate activity from one or more “web gurus” but lacks a lot of support from the lay leaders, clergy, professional staff and committee/auxiliary leaders may shine for a while, but then will peter out. The Web site should have broad buy-in, and should have representation and discussion at all levels of church or synagogue life. It’s important, by the way, to not oversell what the Web can accomplish. Your Web site can help congregants and community find information. It’s not a “push marketing” tool that can replace your monthly newsletter, e-mail newsletters and mailings, postcards, or fliers in your foyer. The Web site augments your other communications efforts — it doesn’t eliminate them.

2. Steak AND sizzle — that is, it should be good looking AND filled with useful information

Nobody wants a boring Web site. But nobody wants a site that merely has lots of great photos of your building and clergy, and not much else. Think about why people visit your Web site, and make sure those visits are successful. Chances are people are looking for something. Do you know what your congregants are looking for? Is it there? Can they find it? Can they find it quickly and easily? When they find it, is it complete and up to date?

3. A mix of both timely content and static reference — and a clear separation of the two

Some people are searching your Web site for that’s new and timely, like what time worship services are this week, the pictures from last weekend’s celebration, the clergy’s most recent sermon, whether a specific club is meetng during the next public-school holiday, or if that meeting is cancelled or postponed. Sometimes they’re looking for static information, like permission forms, the main office phone number, MP3 files of familiar blessings, clergy biographies or list of charitable institutions that your church/synagogue supports. A best practice is to lead your site with the timely and changing information. Relegate reference material to deeper pages, but just make sure people can find it.

4. A good editor and a sense of “less is more”

People don’t go to the Web site to read War & Peace. They go there to find out if they want to buy the book! Similarly, they probably don’t want a long verbose explanation of your worship philosophy, they want to know when your special family worship services will be held this month and if you’re serving mac-and-cheese or burgers beforehand. When it comes to timely information, people don’t read, they skim. They want answers, they want information, they don’t want novels. What they don’t want is a page full of text (like this essay). Be brief! If you’re writing the history of your congregation, use single sentences where paragraphs would do. A picture is worth 1000 words. Use the photo, spare the words, and your members will be happier.

5. Interactivity so that congregants can engage your site, not just refer to it

Forms are an important and popular way to involve members with your Web site — forms to register for religious school, for example, or to RSVP for adult education events. You can also set up forums, snap polls, and other resources so that your members can contribute to your Web site, as well as just reading it. Now, bear in mind that if you make a lot of interactive features, they may get low traffic at first. Don’t be discouraged!

6. Ways to increase donations — in an appropriate way, of course

Web sites offer tactful and tasteful ways to raise money for your church or synagogue. For example, you can create simple donation forms, which let your members (and other interested people) make donations in honor of memorials, weddings and “just because.” If you sell prayer books or ritual objects, you can offer them on your Web site, for the convenience of both your congregation and your local community. You can also make money by setting up an Amazon Associates program, so that congregants can donate every time they buy something — Amazon pays between 4% and 8.5%. You can even sell ads to local businesses that traditionally support your congregation. It’s up to you — and to your clergy and lay leadership, of course, to determine what’s right.

7. A bright fresh face — without outdated forms, events and photos

Stores regularly change their window displays. Does your Web site change its window display — that is, the home page? It’s tempting to make the top of the home page (the first screen you see without scrolling) a static area, with a picture of your building or clergy, and perhaps your mission statement, but imagine how that looks to a congregant coming back. It looks like nothing has changed. Use this most precious real estate for the most timely information. If you show photos on your home page, consider rotating them through a slide show. Also, remove outdated information right away. Get rid of the flier for a 2005 summer camp, and the 2006-2007 religious school sign-up form. Nothing makes a site seem stale more than welcoming visitors with your Christmas or Chanukah celebration schedule…. the following February.

8. A modern “Web 2.0” look, feel and functionality

Many of your congregants — and not just the young ones! — are very Web savvy. They use Google, they shop online, they spent hours in front of a browser. They are acutely aware of when a Web site is using old technology, and they appreciate the latest advances. There’s no reason for your site to look like a holy relic. You can easily incorporate modern features like blogs, RSS feeds (i.e., incorporate external data sources), and even audio & video into your site. Be sure, of course, not to let dazzle overwhelm you. Also make sure that you can continue what you start, as nothing looks worse than a blog that’s not updated regularly, or seeing audio feeds of your clergy’s sermons… up to March 2006. However, when used effectively and consistently, Web 2.0 technologies can make your site exciting and compelling, and make your ancient institution seem modern.

9. Search engine optimization so people can find you easily

Some people will find information on your Web site by browsing to your home page, and by navigating through your menus. But many other people will find information by searching through Google, MSN, Yahoo, and other search engines. Think about the type of queries that someone might make to find you, like “religious school miami” or “confirmation classes bay area” or “presbyterian denver” or “bar mitzvah lessons seattle.” Does your Web site come up? You can improve the odds by engaging in search engine optimization. That’s a combination of making sure that pages have the right keywords and content, and that you provide the right “hints” to the search engine themselves. It’s a bit of work… but it can improve your church or synagogue’s Web visibility, and maybe even help new members find you.

I think the One Laptop Per Child nitiative is a great idea. I just hope it survives.

The idea of a $100-or-so laptop for the developing world is important. Nicholas Negroponte is a brilliant visionary. He demonstrated that time and again at the MIT Media Lab, and he demonstrated it against with the OLPC initiative.

My first serious exposure to the OLPC project came at the AMD Global Vision Conference in September 2006, where I had the pleasure of hearing Negroponte talk about the laptop, and then chat with him afterwards. Negroponte was there, of course, because Advanced Micro Devices – not Intel – was supplying the platform for the Linux-powered OLPC laptop.

That was, obviously, a huge public relations coup for AMD, and gave OLPC and Negroponte a highly visible sponsor. However, the choice of AMD as a sole supplier was guaranteed to turn Intel into OLPC’s deadly enemy. And indeed, Intel responded with the Classmate, a straight-on competitor, which is stealing the wind from Negroponte’s sails.

While Negroponte’s choice of AMD made perfectly fine sense, there was no technological reason to make AMD an exclusive supplier. The visionary didn’t see that making an enemy out of the #1 microprocessor supplier was a very bad idea, and might imperil his altruism.

What Negroponte should have done is announced specs for a low-cost, low-power x86 processor, and put it out to bid. When it came to chips, both the AMD and Intel processors cost money. Whoever was assembling the OLPC laptop had to buy chips from someone. It could have been either processor – or both processors.

In practice, there should be no difference between an OLPC laptop running with an AMD chip and another in the same village with an Intel chip. Plus, having a choice might drive down prices. Never forget the power of competition, or the dangers of having a single source for a hardware component.

The other technological choice in the OLPC laptop, of course, is Linux, which turned Microsoft into a mortal enemy of the project as well. That may have been unavoidable. Linux is free, Windows is not free. Worst, neither Windows nor Linux are interoperable with each other without introducing extreme amounts of complexity. It would not be practical to design, build and distribute some OLPC laptops running Linux and others running Windows.

Negroponte had to choose. He chose Linux. That made Microsoft an enemy.

But did he have to create an enemy? What if Negroponte had invited Microsoft to contribute software or services for the OLPC, perhaps a version of Internet Explorer, Windows Media Services or MSN? Then, Microsoft might have been a supporter and a friend.

Would OLPC’s cozying up to Intel and Microsoft have been technologically necessary? Of course not. Negroponte and OLPC has demonstrated that they don’t need Intel or Microsoft to build their OLPC laptop. (The Intel Classmate also runs Linux, by the way.)

Would that have been politically necessary? I suggest that it would have been a wise idea. Negroponte’s vision focused solely on the Third World, but he didn’t take into account the business realities of the First World. His OLPC initiative had to make tough choices, yes, but it didn’t need to make enemies out of the industry’s top hardware and software suppliers.

I remain a strong supporter of the OLPC initiative, and am happy to do what I can to support it, such as by promoting and taking part in the Give One Get One program. However, that doesn’t mean that I am totally optimistic about the project’s success. Microsoft and Intel are powerful competitors, who wish to crush the project. I don’t see Negroponte with many allies in his camp.

I’m a huge Carlos Santana fan, and have nearly all of his albums. So, when Arista Records announced yet another collection – Ultimate Santana – it barely registered on my radar. Why buy a collection when you’ve got the albums?

Tina Turner. That’s why.

One of my favorite recent Santana songs is “The Game of Love,” from his 2002 album Shaman, with vocals by the very talented Michelle Branch. She has a light and lovely voice.

However, the story goes, the song was originally written for Tina Turner, but for various reasons, Santana wasn’t able to use the version they recorded together. So, he re-recorded the song with Michelle Branch for Shaman.

The Ultimate Santana collection contains both versions. I like them both… but this is clearly a Tina Turner song. Her powerful voice is a real treat.

If you like Santana, and if you like Tina Turner, buy this collection.

According to a spokesperson for Western Digital, the new 2.5-inch 320GB hard drives — which I wrote about on Nov. 2 — will be available the last week of November.

This is a delay from the announcement on Oct. 31, when the company said the drives were available immediately in Western Digital’s online store.

>> Update 12/1: The 320GB drive is still not available from WD or retailers.

I’m delighted to announce a major new launch for BZ Media: Systems Management News, which will debut in April 2008.

If you’re familiar with BZ Media’s SD Times, then you’re already familiar with our flavor of management-level news and news analysis.

But where SD Times is written for software development managers, Systems Management News will be for the IT managers who oversee systems administration, data center, mail and messaging, storage, database admin, and so on.

Like SD Times, Systems Management News will be a tabloid-sized publication, available both in print (free of charge to qualified subscribers in the U.S.) and digitally (free of charge to qualified subscribers anywhere). It will also have a weekly newsletter (similar to SD Times News on Monday/Thursday), and a great Web site with breaking news.

Why print? Why not Web-only? Well, philosophically, we believe that print publications give readers a better opportunity to explore what’s happening in their industry.

Print does content and context better than a Web page (no matter how well designed it might be) or a cold, impersonal RSS feed.

• The Web is excellent for breaking news, which is why I read the NY Times on the Web.
• The Web is ideal for researching things, which is why I use Google and the MSDN, Oracle Technology Network and IBM developerWorks sites.
• Print is best for reading and understanding what’s happening in our world, which is why I read the New Yorker and the Economist — and SD Times and eWeek — in print.

As you might expect, we’re all very excited about this new publication, even though planning is still in its early stages.

Our art team, for example, is working hard on the design of Systems Management News. It’s inspired by our successes and experience with SD Times but will have a look all its own.

Similarly, our editorial management team is researching the field; over the next few months, we’ll be hiring reporters, editors and columnists to staff Systems Management News.

Our Web team has put up a “placeholder” site, at www.sysmannews.com — check it out to learn more about the newspaper. You can apply for a free subscription while you’re there.

(You can also read our press release.)

My antivirus software blocked this malware carrier’s payload, but I enjoyed reading the message. You think they’d at least run spellcheck.

Dear Bzmedia Member,

We have temporarily suspended your email account. This might be due to either of the following reasons:

1. A recent change in your personal information (i.e. change of address).

2. Submiting invalid information during the initial sign up process.

3. An innability to accurately verify your selected option of subscription due to an internal error within our processors.

See the details to reactivate your Bzmedia account.

Sincerely,The Bzmedia Support Team

>> Update 11/14: I received another version of this message today:

Dear user feedback,

It has come to our attention that your Bzmedia User Profile ( x ) records are out of date. For further details see the attached document.

Thank you for using Bzmedia!
The Bzmedia Support Team

I can’t let the approval of the National Information Standards Organization’s Standardized Usage Statistics Harvesting Initiative by the American National Standards Institute pass without playing with the acronyms.

To put it more succinctly, ANSI loves NISO SUSHI.

SUSHI is described as defining “an automated request and response model for the harvesting of electronic resource usage data, utilizing a Web services framework.”

The best news is that this is totally fresh SUSHI. Cornell University’s Adam Chandler said, “We’re very proud of the fact that we were able to move SUSHI from inception to trial use in only 14 months.”

If it took much longer, of course, this SUSHI might start to smell really bad.

The technical details, according to NISO:

In the protocol, a transaction begins when a client service running as part of an application developed by a library—or running as part of a usage data consolidation service or ILS/ERM system—identifies itself, identifies the customer whose statistics are being requested, and specifies the desired report to the SUSHI server service running at a data provider. In response, the server provides the report in XML format, along with the requestor and customer information—or an appropriate error message. The SUSHI developers envision a system in which the client system is programmed to retrieve reports automatically for all the COUNTER-compliant vendors with which the library does business.

COUNTER is an XML schema used by libraries and book publishers. And now you know as much as I do.

Greetings from EclipseWorld 2007. I’m delighted that the conference gets better every year. If you’re here, of course, you know what I’m talking about. If you weren’t able to make it, all I can say is: Bummer. Mark your calendar now for EclipseWorld 2008, Oct. 28-30, in Reston, Va.

Earlier this week, International Data Corp. released a fascinating study of the Eclipse community. The IDC study, completed on Oct. 26, revealed what many of us suspected (and which BZ Research has determined independently): Eclipse is primarily used for Java development.

According to the study, by the three most popular Eclipse projects, after the IDE itself, are the Java Development Tools at 88 percent, followed by the Web Standard Tools at 54 percent, and the Java EE Standard Tools at 44 percent. Nearly 3 out of 4 respondents said they were building server-centric applications.

Interestingly, the study showed that 71 percent of respondents works for an IT solutions providers – a software company, a hardware company, VAR or systems integrator. Only 29 percent were enterprise developers. Why is this? Three obvious possibilities:

1. Eclipse users are predominantly associated with the member companies that most actively support the Foundation, such as IBM.

2. The study is skewed toward employees of companies that have business ties to the Eclipse market.

3. Eclipse users are indeed nearly 3/4 IT solutions providers, and only 1/4 enterprise.

The IDC report says that only a small percentage of respondents were from member companies, so I think the correct answer is #2.

Respondents for the IDC were recruited via links posted on Eclipse.org and on the Eclipse newsgroups. Enterprise developers, one might assume, don’t watch Eclipse.org as closely as the employees of organizations with a profit motive for monitoring the Foundation.

You can read a summary of the study at Eclipse.org. The entire IDC Eclipse Community Study, 92 pages long, is also available for download.

BZ Research conducts an annual Eclipse study, and we’ll be gearing up for it in early December. Our latest findings were reported in SD Times last January.

Here I am at EclipseWorld, staying in the Hyatt Regency Reston, just outside Washington, D.C. It’s a giant 15-storey hotel, very posh, very nice. Last week I stayed at two smaller hotels, a Fairfield Inn by Marriott and a Homewood Suites by Hilton.

There are things that I like betters about big, modern hotels, and things like I like about little modern hotels. Overall, I like little hotels better.

Big hotels:

I like the size of the room. The furniture, linens and decorations are often much nicer. There’s often a better desk and office chair. There’s often a good local newspaper. I don’t like the expensive hotel breakfast. I don’t like paying for wireless. I don’t like that they put food in my room (like water bottles and chips) but make me pay for them. I don’t like paying to park my rental car (it’s free at this Hyatt). I don’t like turn-down service – staff shouldn’t come into my room in the evening, especially if I’m not there and might have left stuff lying around. At the Hyatt, every time the staff comes into the room, they turn the TV on. The first thing I have to do is turn off the TV.

Little hotels:

I like that I can get to my room faster, without traversing a huge lobby and slow elevator. I like that there’s free breakfast, usually continental, but often more. Sometimes there’s coffee in the lobby all day. I like that there’s free Internet and free parking. I don’t like that they give me USA Today instead of the Washington Post or Wall Street Journal. I don’t that like the rooms are often smaller, and the furniture is often cheaper (but not always). I like that staff don’t enter my room except to clean it, and they only come in once. The small hotels are often more friendly; even if you’re staying for just a few days, you start to feel that you know the desk clerks and other employees. It’s a nice feeling.

My good friend Larry O’Brien has gone beyond eliminating Daylight Savings Time. If I understand him correctly, he also wants to abolish time zones.

Instead, he would implement Universal Geometric Time, which is a precise calculation of time at your exact longitude based on the angle of the sun overhead.

UGT can be calculated, with relative ease, by examining the raw data from a Global Position System receiver. You can use your longitude to compute a differential from Universal Time.

While Larry’s clearly onto something, it won’t be practical until GPS receivers are more pervasive (and become embedded into clocks and wristwatches).