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The SitePoint Tribune #468 Copyright (c) 2009 October 22, 2009 PLEASE FORWARD - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - News, Rants and Case Studies for Web Design Professionals by Brendon Sinclair Read the HTML version of this newsletter, with graphics, at: http://www.sitepoint.com/newsletter/viewissue.php?id=2&issue=468 Note: This newsletter is supported solely by advertisers like the one below. We stand 100% behind every ad that we run. If you ever have a problem with a company that advertises here please contact us and we will try to get it resolved. INTRODUCTION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - I'm excited to be writing this edition of the Tribune as a guest author. I've been reading this newsletter for years, and have always enjoyed Brendon's excellent tips, advice, and commentary. As I was sitting in one of the many sessions of Blog World Expo [1], I wondered what to write about as guest author. Then it came to me -- conferences! These forums offer amazing learning and networking experiences that few web developers and business owners take advantage of. So I'm going to talk a little about how conferences can be beneficial to your business and your brand. I'll also touch on a hot news topic right now: the FTC ruling on endorsements that could cost bloggers $11,000. I'll explain how this ruling will affect us professionals, and how you can make sure you and your clients comply. Lastly, there's been a lot of discussion in the forums lately on dealing with difficult clients. I'd like to share one of my personal experiences and how I handled it. I hope you enjoy it. Brandon Eley tribune@sitepoint.com [1] <http://www.blogworldexpo.com/> SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Easily Build & Deploy Web Sites - Introducing PageBuilder Developers build out the templates, put a wireframe in place and build the functionality (in the form of Widgets). Web designers can then drag and drop these Widgets into the "dropzones" of a page, building user experiences and campaign pages as necessary. Content authors can focus on writing SEO-friendly copy in the WYSIWYG editor or the new in-context editor. Watch an INSTANT DEMO or download a FREE TRIAL now. http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/a30ab7 IN THIS ISSUE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Introduction - Conferences: More than an Education - FTC Ruling Regarding Online Content - Killing Them with Kindness - Latest Tutorials - Hot Discussions - New Blogs CONFERENCES: MORE THAN AN EDUCATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - There is no doubt conferences are great for keeping your mind sharp. You can stay up to speed with industry trends, emerging technologies, and best practices. Miles Burke wrote about making the most of your conference experience in a previous issue of the Tribune [1], and has provided conference dates in several issues since then. But there's more to conferences than the sessions and learning opportunities. In fact, this year at Blog World Expo [2], I only attended a handful of actual sessions. I've found that conferences offer much more than furthering your education, and I wanted to share some insights into how to maximize your conference experience. FEWER SESSIONS, MORE LOITERING It might seem wasteful to pay a lot of money to go to a conference without attending all the possible sessions, but that's what I suggest you do. The first several conferences I attended I went to every single session that was relevant to me. I filled my days with back-to-back presentations in the hope of making the most of my conference experience. What really happened was that I ran frantically from room to room the entire time I was there, and was exhausted by the end of the conference. I learned a lot, but the following year much of the content was similar ... and I realized I was learning less. This year, I decided to take it easy. Now I only go to about two sessions per day (instead of six), spending the rest of my time in the break areas and loitering around the high-traffic sections. I've seen tons of people I know and had a chance to really talk to them. It's led to some amazing conversations and my mind is swarming with ideas. PARTY IT UP The true conference experience also includes what happens once the sessions are over. Most conferences have planned events in the evenings where attendees come together for dinner or drinks and mingle. The relationships you build at these parties can be the most valuable thing you take away from a conference. If you're at a conference without planned events, you can still schedule an informal tweetup (that's a meetup of Twitter users), or just go out to dinner with some colleagues. Take advantage of the time you have to meet people in the industry and socialize. BECOME A SPEAKER Speaking at conferences helps to establish you and your company as experts in the field. It assists in building your brand and adds credibility. If you're uncomfortable about giving a solo presentation, consider putting together a panel of peers to discuss an issue facing the industry. As an added bonus, guest speakers can often attend the conference for free. In some cases, speakers are even compensated with travel expenses covered. [1] <http://www.sitepoint.com/newsletter/viewissue.php?id=2&issue=414&format=html> [2] <http://www.blogworldexpo.com/> SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Discover the 9 Proven Techniques to Double Your Sales FREE ebook! Download and read The Edge of Success: 9 Building Blocks to Double Your Sales and discover how to: * Easily capture new leads * Automatically convert prospects to customers * Get repeat business from your existing customers * Grow your business without growing your staff And ultimately ... double your sales. Don't wait! Download your free copy now! http://www.sitepoint.com/launch/ff2d7e FTC RULING REGARDING ONLINE CONTENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Recently in the US, the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) updated their guides concerning the use of endorsements and testimonials in advertising [1]. The Commission has now made it mandatory for online content publishers to disclose any compensation received for publishing reviews or recommendations. This reaches beyond blogs to all forms of online content. Regardless of whether it's monetary, a product, or a service in exchange for a review, you (or your client) are required to disclose that in your recommendation or endorsement. The maximum penalty for failing to comply with the new regulation is an $11,000 fine per post or violation. If you recommend products or services in your web site or blog, or via social media, I recommend you create a disclosure page on your site; then link to it from every page or communication you send out. DisclosurePolicy.org [2] is a free web service that generates a sample disclosure policy after asking you several questions. The IAB responded to the changes with an open letter to the FTC [3], questioning the constitutionality of the updated guidelines. They argued that it "would explicitly muzzle online media, while exempting offline media from equivalent scrutiny or penalty." The new guidelines go into effect December 1, 2009. For more information, check out Whitney Hoffman's excellent post [4], the FTC announcement [5], and the new guidelines [6] themselves. [1] <http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm> [2] <http://disclosurepolicy.org/> [3] <http://www.iab.net/about_the_iab/recent_press_releases/press_release_archive/press_release/pr-101509> [4] <http://www.whitneyhoffman.com/2009/10/06/the-new-ftc-guidelines-on-endorsements-by-bloggers/> [5] <http://ftc.gov/opa/2009/10/endortest.shtm> [6] <http://www.ftc.gov/os/2009/10/091005endorsementguidesfnnotice.pdf> KILLING THEM WITH KINDNESS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Have you ever had a client be disrespectful or rude to you on the phone or over email? It's easy to become frustrated and let your emotions take control of you. But some people use attitude and anger to manipulate people into giving them what they want. I'd like to discuss an experience I had with a client, and how you might handle it if it happens to you. We developed a web site for a company many years ago. Several business partners were originally involved, but the organizational structure changed and a new person was brought in to manage the business. This person had been in contact with us and we were familiar with him. We knew he worked for the client's business -- rather than being an owner -- so he was unable to authorize work to be done. This new employee contacted us requesting a change to the web site. We stated that one of the remaining owners would need to authorize it before we could make the change. We never heard back from this person, and several weeks went by. Then, out of the blue, we received several angry phone calls and emails demanding that the change be made immediately. It was condescending, threatening, and completely uncalled for. It's easy to respond too quickly or overreact in a situation like this. Personally, I believe life's too short to put up with this attitude. I simply replied with a brief email stating that no change would be made until we received authorization from an owner; I added that none of his phone messages would be returned, nor future phone calls taken, because of the disrespect he'd shown us. I'd rather lose a client than tolerate such negative behavior. You may be unable to just fire a client, but you can decide how and on what terms you'll communicate with them. Remember to remain professional and lay down the ground rules for what's acceptable and what's not. Make it clear that you expect them to remain professional and respectful, even when they're dissatisfied or unhappy. SPONSOR'S MESSAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - * Find Out How to Create Profitable Content Web Sites * The Web Site Revenue Maximizer Kit will show you how to: * increase your page views * sell ad inventory directly * chain ad networks for the highest CPM rates * use affiliate networks for maximum profit * pick the best affiliate networks, forum software, and traffic analysis tools http://sitepoint.com/launch/e2251e - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - That's all from me for now. Hope you enjoyed the read. Brandon Eley tribune@sitepoint.com Guest Author, SitePoint Tribune - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPICE UP YOUR FIREFOX EXTENSIONS WITH A DASH OF HTML [1] Want your Firefox extension to stand out from the crowd? Wish extensions were as easy to style as web pages? In this article, James shows us how to give an extension that extra bit of flair by mixing HTML right into an XUL document. Full Story... [1] TYPE TALK WITH SIMON PASCAL KLEIN [2] Raena caught up with Simon Pascal Klein—designer, speaker and self-confessed rampant typophile—to talk about his upcoming appearance at Edge of the Web 2009. Full Story... [2] PUSHING PIXELS ON A SHOESTRING: BRING OUT THE GIMP [3] There’s a lot of great desktop software available in the open-source world. In this article, Tim shows us a few cool tricks using GIMP, a free and open-source image editor. Full Story... [3] CSS3: TO INFINITY AND BEYOND! [4] Browser support for CSS3 is continually improving. In this article, Alex walks us through a few of the coolest CSS3 properties supported in the latest development release of Firefox (3.6 alpha). Full Story... [4] SHARE MEDIA ON TWITTER USING FLEX, PART III: VIDEO [5] In parts I and II, Andrew showed us how to build a slick-looking Flash frontend for Twitter and Flickr using the beta versions of Flash Catalyst and Flash Builder 4. In this final installment in the series he takes our application a step further by adding video functionality: allowing users to upload videos, and to take screenshots of their videos to post as images. Full Story... [5] [1] <http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/firefox-extensions-with-html> [2] <http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/interview-simon-pascal-klein> [3] <http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/pushing-pixels-shoestring-gimp> [4] <http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/css3-infinity-beyond> [5] <http://articles.sitepoint.com/article/share-media-flex-twitter-video> HOT DISCUSSIONS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - How do I learn web design? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=642767> Handling Customer Inquiries <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=642894> Turning Your Blog Into A Lulu Book <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=642119> keyword density? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=641552> Does Twitter Work for Promotion? <http://www.sitepoint.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=640754> NEW BLOGS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Web Tech Blog: TECHNICALLY SPEAKING Announcing The 2009 Reader Survey Winner ... (2 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/22/announcing-the-2009-reader-survey-winner/ The CodeBurner Family Welcomes Three New Babies! (16 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/20/the-codeburner-family-welcomes-three-new-babies/ Web Pro Business Blog: STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS Use a Wiki to Run Your Business More Efficiently (4 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/21/use-a-wiki-for-business/ 38 Marketing Mistakes That You Don’t Want to Make (7 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/20/common-marketing-mistakes/ The Power of Persuasion http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/19/power-of-persuasion/ Balancing Act: Is Work-Personal Life Balance Achievable? (4 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/16/is-work-life-balance-achievable/ Web Design Blog: PIXEL PERFECT Elements Of Design: Shape (3 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/21/design-elements-shape/ Create A Painted Text Effect In Illustrator (4 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/19/create-a-painted-text-effect-in-illustrator/ Obama Artist Lied About Photograph (15 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/18/obama-artist-lied-about-photograph/ JavaScript & CSS Blog: STYLISH SCRIPTING Fixing Object Instances in JavaScript (15 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/21/javascript-object-instances/ News & Trends Blog: INDUSTRY NEWS FOR WEB PROFESSIONALS Microsoft to Open Own Stores (9 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/20/microsoft-open-own-stores/ CSIRO Receives $185 Million for Wi-Fi Patent (4 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/19/csiro-185-million-wifi-patent/ Usability Blog: USABILITY 2.0 11 Virtual Machine Solutions To Ease Your Cross-Platform Checks (12 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/19/virtual-machine-solutions/ Do You Need Cake if the Icing is Amazing? (12 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/09/17/do-you-need-cake-if-the-icing-is-amazing/ Podcast Blog: THE SITEPOINT PODCAST SitePoint Podcast #32: Everything in the Cloud (2 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/18/podcast-32-everything-in-the-cloud/ SitePoint Podcast #31: SitePoint Cofounders Mark & Matt (2 comments) http://www.sitepoint.com/blogs/2009/10/16/podcast-31-sitepoint-cofounders-matt-mark/ ADVERTISING INFORMATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Find out what thousands of savvy Internet marketers already know: email newsletter advertising works! (You're reading an email ad now, aren't you?) Find out how to get YOUR sponsorship ad in this newsletter and reach 95,000+ opt-in subscribers! Check out http://www.sitepoint.com/mediakit/ for details, or email us at mailto:adinfo@sitepoint.com HELP YOUR FRIENDS OUT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - People you care about can take charge of their Website by effectively using the information and resources available on the Internet. Help them learn how - forward them a copy of this week's SitePoint Tribune. ADDRESSES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Send suggestions and comments to: mailto:tribune@sitepoint.com To subscribe, send a blank email to: mailto:subscribe@sitepoint.com The Archives are located at: http://www.sitepoint.com/newsletter/archives.php The SitePoint Tribune is (c) 1998-2009 SitePoint Pty. Ltd. All Rights Reserved. No part of this Newsletter may be reproduced in whole or in part without written permission. All guest articles are copyright their respective owners and are reproduced with permission. SitePoint Pty. Ltd. 48 Cambridge Street Collingwood, VIC 3066 AUSTRALIA You are currently subscribed to The SitePoint Tribune as: [email] To change the email address that you currently subscribe with: http://sitepoint.com/newsletter/manage.php To switch to the HTML version of this newsletter: <http://sitepoint.com/newsletter/htmlplease.php?email=[email]> To leave this list, please visit: [unsubscribe] Do Not Reply to this email to unsubscribe. We send this newsletter using Campaign Monitor. http://www.campaignmonitor.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
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