Josiah Mackenzie

Being the business-minded college student that I am, I’ve been following Facebook for quite some time now. When I first signed up, they provided a very basic, profiles-only, social networking service for college students. But over the past year, they’ve added many more features to the site — presumably to make it “sticky” and keep visitors there longer.

Of course stickiness should be a goal for any website. It’s how to attract investors, advertisers, and eventually, a buyer. But in the quest for stickiness, companies need to also recognize and avoid “bloat” — the dreaded result of adding too many features that do too little and confuse too many users.

Let’s get practical. One of my favorite Facebook features is the photo albums. Photos naturally go well with a profile-based website. But their new status feature? Who’s going to log in every hour to update their virtual friends on what they are doing? Maybe this is a lifesaver for some Facebook junkies, but I’m guessing that most of their user base will find it just clutters their profile.

Companies wanting to make their websites sticky in a bloat-free manner should ask themselves the following questions:

• Will the feature keep visitors at my site longer?
• Does the proposed feature add value to my site in a significant way?
• Does it overlap with something we already offer?
• Is it ultra-simple to use?

Let me ask you this: what features could you add to your website that would make it “sticky” without making it “bloated”?

The first version of my newest project is finally ready:

Why another blog directory? I created RSS Blog Directory to be very webmaster-friendly. I will soon be adding tools that allow website owners to take full advantage of the power of RSS syndication. One of the biggest benefits of RSS is that it can automatically provide a website with fresh content, which in turn can increase search engine rank.

So for now, add your blog or RSS feed, and keep checking back for the new features!

I’m becoming a huge fan of the web-based tools provided by 37signals. As I mentioned earlier, my company recently started using Basecamp to manage projects and clients.

Backpack, The Web-Based Personal Organizer
Today, I signed up for the personal edition of Basecamp, Backpack. Backpack is a web-based tool that allows people to manage their lives: you can create to-do lists, jot down notes, save files, and collaborate with others using the “writeboards” feature. I think it will be extremely useful since I often work from other computers while traveling and in internet cafes. And even when I’m not near a computer, I’ll be able to access the information from my Treo.

37signals Understands A New Trend In Software
The products that 37signals produces are different from their competitors. Much different. These differences can be put into three categories.

Their Software is Simple
Most software companies try to create software packed with hundreds of features. Most users only use a couple of these features, while the rest cause frustration and a steep learning curve. Software from companies such as 37signals adheres to a minimalist approach, which cuts development costs, reduces customer support inquiries, and provides for a higher level of customer satisfaction.

Their Software is Web-Based
Publishing software that runs from any web browser eliminates the cost of creating versions for each operating system. Web-based software is also easier to support, since there are no installation problems for customers to encounter. Additionally, customers are able to access their software from any browser, whether they are at home or halfway across the world on a business trip.

Their Software is Subscription-Based
Subscription-based software allows the customer to make a number of smaller payments instead of one large payment up front. This can result in higher revenue since the customer perceives it as more affordable. It also prevents the problem of software piracy. Who would give out their subscription information if they knew it would affect their own account?

For these reasons, I predict most future software will be built around this model. It’s more efficient for the software companies, and easier for the customer to use.

A couple months ago, I was introduced to Basecamp through a company I was working with. Their workers are all over the globe, so a central headquarters was needed to ensure adequate communication and progress on their projects.

Basecamp met the need perfectly. Through any web browser, you can create projects, timelines, to-do lists, and exchange files. I was impressed.

So impressed that I created an account for my company. Even though I’ve only used it for a couple days, I already feel more organized! And since I’m in the process of hiring several people as staff, it should make work even more productive.

If you have not done so already, I would encourage you to create a Basecamp account now. They offer a free plan that is excellent — fully functional, no time limit, and no credit card needed to sign up. Check it out!

4 out of 5 young entrepreneurs I meet began their career with a web design business. Including me. I ran NetScripter from 2001 to early 2004.

The Advantages are Obvious
Basic website creation is something fairly easy to learn. Startup fees are low, if any. Many jobs come through word-of-mouth referrals. Web design work can be fairly flexible, and it is easy to balance school and work on the side.

These Small Businesses become Successful Quickly
Since a website is a great assest for any business, it is easy to charge several thousand dollars for a simple design. After doing a couple of these, it is easy to feel confident about yourself.

But Then One of Two Things Happens
For some of these entrepreneurs, web design projects come in faster and faster. They don’t have the time it takes to do quality work for all their clients. Fatigue sets in, and their hobby — web design — turns into a slave master, and something they despise. The business closes. This can be avoided, however, and I’ll write on this later.

The other group of web designers has a very different problem, but equally fatal. Their method for geting new clients — word of mouth referrals — becomes exhausted, and you have no more work. Unsure how to market your business to a larger audience, the business closes. Fortunately, this too can be avoided.

Web Design Provides Good Experience
The time that I spent with my web design company provided me with some valuable skills I still use today. The ability to put together websites is valuable for an entrepreneur. Web design also gives you a taste of working for yourself — without risking too much of your own money. What a person does with that experience will be a major factor in their success as an entrepreneur.

In a couple days, I’m going to share with you an exciting business idea I have which is related to the web design industry. Since so many of us have experience it in, it believe the idea has much potential.

Stay tuned!

Unfortunately, the Chipotle IPO was a little too successful. I had a buy-limit order placed at $23, but it opened at twice the expected price: $45 per share.

Oh well.

As RSS news syndication gains popularity among users, new ways for publishing RSS are emerging. In this article, I examine the three most popular methods, and help you decide which one works best for you.

1. Blogs
Weblogs, or “blogs,” as they are commonly called, are the primary reason RSS gained popularity. In fact, one of the earliest uses for RSS was for bloggers to monitor other blogs for updates.

Most blogging systems will produce RSS newsfeeds automatically. All you need to do is enter content, and the blogging software will build a newsfeed based on the information you enter. No extra work is needed. Just add content to your blog, and you have a newsfeed.

But there is one major disadvantage to using a blog for publishing RSS: you do not have complete control of the RSS output. Most blogging software will simply take an excerpt of your blog entry (eg, the first 15 words), and use that to create your RSS item. As you can imagine, this can lead to problems. The first 15 words of a blog entry don’t always capture the essence of that article.

2. RSS Publishing Software
Because of the inadequacy of blogs as a reliable and accurate RSS tool, new stand-alone software was developed. This software has one purpose: to provide the user with an easy way to create and publish RSS newsfeeds from their desktops. No longer do you have to write a long article in your blog to produce RSS feeds. All you have to do is enter a title for your news item, and (optionally) a couple sentences to describe that headline – and your feed is better than the blog-produced feed.

Examples of RSS publishing software for Windows include FeedforAll and Newzalert Composer. Mac users have their own tool in Orangebox for Macintosh.

3. Online RSS Publishing Systems
While subscribers to feeds generated by RSS software enjoyed the simplicity and clarity of the new feeds, some publishers began to run into problems that came with the publishing software. They missed the convenience of blogging’s online publishing that allowed them to add news — regardless of whether they were at their home computer.

News publishers wanted the accessibility of online blogging with the accuracy of RSS publishing software. The new demand lead to the emergence of online RSS publishing systems such as FeedServer RSS Hosting . This new format of RSS publishing allows webmasters to login to an online control panel and publish their news – without having to worry about restrictive software licenses. Since most online RSS publishing systems run on a subscription basis, you can make use of the free trial or subscribe for one month and evaluate if the service meets your needs.

So which system should you use to publish RSS? It depends on your needs. If most of your readers manually visit your site to get new information, a blogging system may be sufficient. However, if you plan to take advantage of the full capabilities of RSS news syndication, you would do well to use a stand-alone RSS publishing system. RSS publishing software will satisfy your needs if you plan to use one computer only. But if you’re looking for flexibility and a lower startup costs, look into the new online RSS publishing systems.

According to the latest Nielsen//Netratings data, Yahoo! Search has grown in popularity:

June 2005 Search Engine Usage

• Google - 47%
• Yahoo - 22%
• MSN - 12%
• AOL - 5%
• My Way - 2%

Yes, Google is still king, but remember Yahoo when optimizing your website for search engines. Forgetting to do so could cost you hundreds of lost visitors.

FM radio can be unsatisfying. From constant advertisements to small playlists, the listener is often frustrated.

I have been interested in satellite radio for quite some time. To me, paying the relatively small subscription fee ($12/month and lower) is worth it for no advertisements.

But of course, there is the initial startup fees for a receiver and activation. With that in mind, I wanted to preview the “channels” to see if the music was worth the cost.

So, I headed over to XM Radio Online, which offers a 3-day preview. Then I noticed on the side there is a 30-day evaluation period for new Dell owners. I recently purchased a Dell desktop, so I gladly signed up for the extra 27 days.

I’m still in that evaluation period, and I like what I hear. The online edition of XM Radio only comes with 70 (as opposed to 120), but there is still a huge selection of musical genres.

I have a feeling XM Radio will become one of the hottest media companies over the next couple years……