Importance of a date+36

Ever wanted to build an online brand?

Domain is the 'a' of the online world.

Anyone, who has ever bought/built a domain, understands the value that it provides - (i'm NOT going to enumerate all them ... but simple, web marketing begins with a domain )

The first step is tough - choosing a name

But arguably, the second step is the toughest - choosing - from the list of available ones - cause they are few and far between.

Then one goes through all the other steps of developing one's presences, marketing, monetizing, etc.

One last and sometimes overlooked piece is the who domain renewal process.

Effectively, the cycle follows something like this:

Key points:

• in case you fail to renew before it gets into the redemption grace period - you can still get your domain - but will have to fork over 10x cost for 1 year


• a domain typically becomes available to the general public - expire + 36 days


• if you really want a domain badly, backorder - there are 3 major utils for this:  NameJet, GoDaddy and Pool (with the last being the smallest) - setting up a backorder domain each requires significant infra investment - so its hard to duplicate.  Also, depending on your domain, there is a "block of time" during which the name is made available - its during this interval that the backorder domain util - servers kick in - trying to nab the domain - as its a FcFs (first come, first served) basis.


• if you able to snag someone else domain either through luck or a backorder - there is a 60 day wait before you can transfer to another registrar

nu-brand

On the Social media front:

"Generic, faceless and mass 1-way broadcast communication is already a relic in the minds of the future generation. It’s a dated model. -- source"

The thinking is that brands will now have faces and attitude associated with them going forward. Possibly for some time.

The problem with this approach is that it automatically limits your audience. Rather than having one face, I think, brands will start having multiple faces - to address various demographics - esp of the long tail (which itself will be a non-trivial thing to balance, but that's what the PR and marketing team is for!). The really tricky part will be to have them share 'one voice' - a frequency match on key issues in an apolitical (.

Either way, aside from 'fame', it will provide companies that leverage such faces a way to really connect (e.g. personally), get valued feedback and build a platform for 2-way communication (while only supporting the brands political tones and not the other ones).

Just need to have some guidelines in place to prevent it from becoming a bitch-fest or a political mud-slinging circus.

The Linux alternative ...

there is a linux alternative for almost everything out there.

the problem is that most don't know about half of them.

that's about to change ... with - what else, but the linux alternative.

So, what's your excuse now!

On a different note -- virtualization:
Anyone have experience with and Mac-On-Windows or Mac-on-Linux solutions other than PearPC or Mac-on-linux or maconlinux? It seems Pear is the best platform, for now.

Comparison of virtualization options

Intro to web bugs

Perspective: Web

What is it?
It is generally an electronic image (aka single-pixel GIF, web bug, pixel tag, clear GIF, tracking beacon, web beacon, or tracking pixel).
- Generally transparent or white with 1x1 pixel dimensions.
- used in conjunction with cookies

Where is it applicable?
- web pages
- rtf mail
- mobile (wap)

What purpose does it serve?
- allows a web site to count users who have visited that page, or
- access certain cookies (how)?
- measure and improve the effectiveness of certain advertising.
- collects info such as demographic and usage information (IP address, the time and for how long, browser type and previously set cookie values)
- used by third parties to monitor the activity of a site.

How does it work?
Every time a page is opened, it also causes a 'hit' on the site hosting the 'tracking pixel'. Along with the fetch for the data, that site has access to page/navigation info, cookies and other such info. If you add parameters to the img src, you can also start sharing/collecting addl. info.

Performance impact?
tbd

What can I do about it?
-- detect by looking at the source code for the web page - look for img tags that are sourced from sites different from the rest of the page
-- turn off browser cookies - you will still be tracked as a visitor - but at least you will be anonymous
-- block the sites that are being pointed to - to totally disable it

Industry acceptance:
-- All the major companies have got together and put together a policy on this
-- Here's what the EFF has to say on this

Other:
An email header that is similar to is: Disposition-Notification-To ref: RFC 4021

Perspective: Mobile

How is it being used for the mobile?
-- used by WAP sites in a manner similar to the web

Foodie.mobi?

I just don't know how I missed this!?!

To bring in the New Year cheer et al, we have launched a WAP solution for the Food industry.

Here's some background about the problem that its trying to solve and what it will do.

An out-of-the-box mobile (wap) solution for the order bookings. Essentially, it will allow (food) take-aways and delivery shops - like a franchise of Domino's or a Subway to use as a new sales channel.

We envision it will be something like a wap order booking solution. It will only collect orders and possibly collect feedback. It will not process them or manage financials.

Its a solution with which a mobile user can easily place an order - sms / email (both) can be sent to the vendor to login to the system (via their mobile phone and see the order details) - they then contact the person to confirm the order - they process it as per their existing system and user comes to collect (in the case of a take-away) or payment is collected on delivery.

It will provide location-sensitive information related to closest restaurants - of the mobile user, or his home/work.

Key business targets:
- takeaways
- mobile wap directories
- mobile location aggregators (something like a foodie.com - for the mobile)
- speciality restaurants

User stories:
Here are some of the user stories that we are attempting to address with the solution followed by some of the implicit attrib/characteristics associated with it:

Perspective: Customer
1. I feel like "Chinese" tonight (for an individual)
- implicit - fast food, chinese, veg / non-veg, offers

2. How about "Chinese" tonight (for a group)
- implicit - fast food, chinese, veg / non-veg, offers

3. Lets discuss this over dinner at "Chez Nous"
- implicit - gourmet restaurant, chinese, veg / non-veg, "waiting token"

4. "Birthday party" - lets celebrate with "pizza"

5. Its 10:30 pm! - who can deliver tandori food
- implicit - fast food, tandoori (ie. any speciality), veg / non-veg, offers

6. Its 10:30 pm, I'm starving - I just want to eat - who can deliver food the fastest to me?
- implicit - fast food, veg / non-veg, best delivery time, gps

7. I'm in the mood for some real good food
- implicit - veg / non-veg, best quality

8. I want to try something new
- implicit - veg / non-veg, exotic?, quality?

9. I want to try something new -- what's popular?
- implicit - veg / non-veg, frequency across speciality?

10. I'm on a budget - what are my options?
- implicit - veg / non-veg, average cost, type, quality, offers


Perspective: Restaurant - User
1. confirm / reject an order (due to time, etc) - (auto reject orders which have not been processed in 5, say, min)

2. Start an offer / promotion?
- across items, time, or dependencies (buy 1, 50% off on 2nd), start/end, comments (for example, 30min delivery guarantee invalid with offer)

3. End an offer / promotion?


Perspective: Restaurant - Manager
1. MIS - popular menu items, across day, month, delivery area, holidays, feedback, price range, veg / non-veg, popular combinations
2. Assign blanket offers - e.g. all HCL employees entitled to a 25% discount

It is being designed to have minimal "integration" needs - (ie - I just a phone number to send the sms or email to and a one time job of adding the menu items to the menu - along with the user's "logo").

Hosted vs. roll-your-own?
Will be offered as a hosted solution - that can be done off a subdomain of ours - or integrated with the respective customers domain (will use: wap.theirdomain.com) for hosting.

Deployment time : 1 week.

P.S. I'm back on my soapbox. ;)

The other side ...

Up till now, have been largely spouting WAP based solutions, ideas and generally, getting on my WAP soapbox.

But, there is another world of the mobile phone (ok.. possibly 2 others, but lets leave things simple, for the sake of Java and this post).

And this is the J2ME world - you know - the download this app (and cross your fingers in the hope that it works ... world).

So, ever wondered, who and where the money is, what's popular, what's not, what the solution landscape looks like, trend-ding, etc ... here's fodder for the cause ...

a hosting service to avoid - znet india (now Znet Technologies)

Want to share my experience with others, to save them some misery.

Background:
- hosting site and email with them for about 1 year
- renewed - probably out of laziness - for 1 year.

Buildup:
- after renewal - start getting emails saying renew or face penalty. I ignored, cuz I had better things to do.
- then get 1 mail saying - if I don't renew - then my service would be disrupted.
- I reply saying, saying - I had renewed - get your house in order - and stop sending me irritating mails.
- they reply - basically saying - we don't believe you have paid us - sorry.

Sh*t happens!
- next thing I know, my service has been cut!
- wow, great - just great!
- I send them a wtf? along with proof of payment receipt - and I get no reply for more than 16 hours.

So - my site and mail is down currently. I have contacted them to make restitution. But by now, considering that their unresponsiveness and utter incompetence, I think I am better of switching.

Wait a day or two, while I get it sorted out.

Until then - take my advice and STAY AWAY from ZDNET India.

Brainpulse and Net4India - seem to be ok - in one is looking for something in the NCR region.