Matrix Group International

Category: Blog

  • El Cheapo Ways to Announce Your Web Site Launch

    El Cheapo Ways to Announce Your Web Site Launch

    Announce Your Web Site LaunchMatrix Group recently launched a new Web site for the International Association of Chiefs of Police.  Prior to the launch, Chuck and David, our esteemed clients, asked for some suggestions on ways to promote the new launch.  Here were some of my suggestions, including some easy and inexpensive tips:

    • Send out a special e-blast to your membership or customers. Be sure to highlight new features, new functionality, tips for navigation, links to popular pages, etc.
    • Include an article in your newsletter or magazine. Consider a series of articles in the next few issues of your publication.  In each issue, focus on something different about the new site, e.g., the navigation, how to use the site search, how to manage their profile, etc.
    • If you have a printed magazine or newsletter, put in a house ad that promotes the new site. Include a screen shot and list of new features and benefits.
    • Ask your staff to update their e-mail signatures with a message and URL, e.g.,Visit the redesigned Matrix Group Web site – https://matrixgroup-wp-new.matrixdev.net

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  • A Washing Machine That Tweets When the Wash Is Done?

    Engadget posted a story about a guy who hacked his washing machine and got it to tweet (send a message via Twitter) when a load of wash is done.   Here’s the Twitter account for PiMPY3WASH, which I’m now following.

    I guess it’s possible this is a true story.  I’m married to a guy who can install Linux (I mean NetBSD) on practically anything.  But I’m suspicious about this story for one reason: there’s too much laundry being done.  There were 3 loads done on December 30 and two loads on December 29.  That’s too much laundry, especially for a guy (no offense, guys!).

    However, I’m excited about the idea of appliances and gadgets communicating with humans.  If I had the engineering chops, I would design the following:

    • A refrigerator with a special slot(s) for milk.  When the fridge detects that we are low on milk (based on weight?), a text message would be sent to my phone. I don’t want e-mail or a tweet, I get too much data on those devices.  But a text message, preferably scheduled for around the time I’m driving home, would be perfect.
    • A shopping cart that has an inventory of products that I can access with a touch screen. If I’m looking for pesto, I touch pasta sauce and the cart tells me which aisle to visit.

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  • Girl Scouts, Please Make it Easy to Find Information About the Cookies!

    Girl Scouts, Please Make it Easy to Find Information About the Cookies!

    girlsellingcookiesIt’s that time of year again: Girl Scout cookie time! My niece is a Girl Scout and I of course want to support her by ordering lots of cookies and selling lots of cookies. I wanted to send an e-mail to friends and co-workers with some helpful links, but found the Girl Scouts and Girl Scout Cookie Web sites not at all helpful. Once again, I had to turn to Google to find information about the cookies!

    So here’s the deal.  I wanted to send an e-mail and include a link to a page describing the cookies — that’s it, just the cookies.  Here is what I found (or didn’t find):

    • The Girl Scouts site has a page on Girl Scout cookies.  The page makes a nice pitch for the program, but there wasn’t any information on the cookies!  I just wanted to know if there were any new cookies this year and make sure my favorites are still being made! At the bottom of the page is a link that simply says Cookies.  Turns out that this link goes to an FAQ page but the link doesn’t tell you that.  The FAQ page is full of helpful information, almost too much information, but still nothing about this year’s cookies!
    • The Girl Scout Cookie site, as far as I can tell, only lets you enter your contact information so that it can be passed to a council in your area.
    • God bless Google for leading me to Meet the Cookies, which describes the 2009 cookies — finally!  After visiting the Girl Scout Cookies site several times, I finally figure out that there is a link to Meet the Cookies in teeny text in the top left corner.  The page opens in a pop-up window so I can’t print the info; yeah, I can get around that, but a less Web-savvy person might not know how.
    • Tell a Friend on the Girl Scout Cookies site doesn’t let me add a personal message.

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  • A Technical Requirements Page in English

    A Technical Requirements Page in English

    wplogoA client recently asked if they could run a WordPress blog on their dedicated server.  Matrix Group normally hosts WordPress sites on a LAMP (Linux, Apache, PHP/Python) box, but this client has a Windows server, so I checked the WP site to find out about hosting on Windows.  I found this technical requirements page and I loved its simplicity and user-friendliness – WordPress Requirements page

    The requirements were laid out easily and I appreciated the sample message to send to your Web host. Why can’t every technical requirements page be this easy to understand?

    Last thing: I love how every page on the WP site has this simple phrase in the bottom, right corner:  Code is Poetry.

  • New Year Resolutions From Around the World

    New Year Resolutions From Around the World

    2009Happy New Year to all!  We all know it’s customary to make resolutions for the New Year. I checked around and here are some resolutions from around the world.

    • Here’s my favorite: 10 New Year’s resolutions for geeks from Wired, including keeping an open mind about the new Star Trek movie.
    • Jenny Cruise resolves not to do a bunch of stuff.
    • About.com’s Albrecht Powell has compiled a list of the most common resolutions.  Yeah, yeah, we all know that we need to get in better shape, do more for others, learn something new, yada, yada.
    • Veronika from Prague wants to brush her teeth every night even when she’s tired.
    • Here are a college student’s resolutions, written from a professor’s point of view.  Number 1?  Attend all classes!
    • Beliefnet has a list of suggested resolutions for celebrities.  Dear Britney: please assess if you and K-Fed are right for each other.
    • Here are some resolutions for the gaming industry.  No more holiday avalanches, please!
    • American Spectator has resolutions for other people.  For President-Elect Obama: Don’t alienate the many independent and moderate-to-conservative Democrats.  For Governor Palin: Re-introduce yourself  re-introduce yourself to independents and moderate Democrats.  Is there a theme here?
    • Okay, every list has to have a green New Year resolution list.  This one is by SEO by the Sea.  Yeah, we already know we should use less energy and water, but it’s always good to get a reminder.

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  • I’m a Victim of Identity Crime!

    I’m a Victim of Identity Crime!

    Identity ThiefA few months ago, a suspicious charge from Carfax.com showed up on my corporate American Express card statement.  I called Amex; Amex promptly reversed the charges.  The next month, another charge appeared; I called Amex and Amex again reversed the charge but also recommended that I change my card number.  I even contacted Carfax but they said they could not provide any information on the charges, that I had to go through my credit card company.  How ridiculous is that?

    So I changed my card number but the Carfax charge comes up again.  Now I was really worried.  Does the thief have access to my personal accounts?    How did he or she get my new card number right away?  So again I called Amex and here is what I learned: (more…)

  • Another Way to Give This Holiday Season

    This holiday season, we are encouraged to “give our time, not gifts.”  I applauded the sentiment but then wondered just what it means to give time.  Here are some ways I have found:

    • Give List lists ways to support communities and causes this holiday season (and year-round for that matter) that don’t necessarily require writing a check.  Ideas include:  donating frequent fliers to soldiers so they can fly home and visit their families; send a note to someone who works for a non-profit and thank them for their work; and create a video about an organization or cause that is important to you and post it on YouTube.
    • Volunteer to be on a Board of committee of a local non-profit.  Organizations all over the country are experiencing a dearth of people willing to donate their time and expertise.  Several years ago, I called the Executive Director of a non-profit that I admire (Doorways for Women and Families) and asked how I could become involved.  Today, I serve on the Board and help organize two fundraising events.  I have helped raise a bunch of money, but I have also learned a great deal about non-profit management and fundraising, experiences that have benefited me at work.
    • Philanthropy.com put together a list of ways to support social causes without giving money.
    • The Daily Green lists 20 ways to give without giving “stuff”

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  • Sign O The Times: I Can Feel the Recession Everywhere

    Sign O The Times: I Can Feel the Recession Everywhere

    Photo of a recently laid off personIt’s the holiday season but it’s not a joyous time for a lot of people.  I can feel the recession everywhere.

    • Every time I get together with friends, someone says, “I have a friend who just got laid off.  S/he is terrific, can you help?”
    • A buddy who runs a medium-sized government contracting firm was asked by a government agency to submit a letter from their bank saying they were in good financial standing; this, despite a history of working together that spans many, many years.
    • Every single candidate we interviewed for a recent Network Administrator position had recently been laid off.

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  • Have You Googled Your Name Lately?

    Have You Googled Your Name Lately?

    Search the WebOne of the goals of the last redesign of the Matrix Group Web site was to make my bio more prominent in search engines. I had previously resisted putting any information about me on the Web site for a variety of reasons, but my new biz team reasoned that since I do a lot of speaking and writing, people will Google my name; when that happens, we want the Matrix Group Web site to pop-up on the first page, if not first on the list of results.

    I typed “joanna pineda” into Google tonight and this is what I found:

    • An interview that I did for The Washington Post back in 2003 is the number one result.  This makes sense, given The Post’s Google page rank.  Here’s a wikipedia page on how Google page rank works.
    • This blog, The Matrix Files, is the 3rd listing.  This is great, exactly what we wanted.  The blog strategy is working.
    • The About Joanna Pineda page on the Matrix Group Web site is the 4th listing.  Fabulous.

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  • Retailers: When Soliciting Feedback from your Customers, Be Ready for It!

    Retailers: When Soliciting Feedback from your Customers, Be Ready for It!

    Gingerbread TrainThe holidays are all about traditions and last Saturday, my son and I engaged in one of my favorites: we created a gingerbread train.  I’ve been making gingerbread houses for years, first by myself, then with my niece and nephew. and now with my son.  This year, we updated the tradition to decorate a gingerbread train because CJ is obsessed with trains.

    I picked up the gingerbread train kit from Target, the manufacturer is Create a Treat, Ltd.  The cute box says: We want to hear from you, send a photo to myhouse@createatreat.com.

    Now, I’m not one to send photos of my kid to various contests.  But I thought it would be fun to send a photo of our finished gingerbread train. So I sent a nice message with a nice story to myhouse@createatreat.com.  So what happened?  You guessed it: the message bounced back with this message:

    The message you sent to createatreat.com/myhouse was rejected because it would exceed the quota for the mailbox. (more…)