Since then the welder has proven quite handy - I was able install the new floor in the trailer, and have also been able to create a tandem bike for my kids:

And a piece of artwork for our mantle:

Over the years I’ve also used the welder to make repairs and add-ons on the 1964 CJ6 Jeep that I’m working on, as well as small repairs for friends, relatives and neighbors.

So - what I’m thinking now is that if this web development gig doesn’t work out for whatever reason, I’ll be able to go apply for any welding job because I have eight years of experience welding.

Wait - why are you rolling your eyes like that?  And what was that small huffing sound you just made?

Well, OK.  You’re right.  Picking up a small welder and dabbling in it periodically doesn’t really add up to 8 years of experience that an employer would be interested in, does it?  I have a friend who is a certified welding inspector - he owns a business that does metal fabrication so he employs professional welders and has to inspect their work.  He likes to wander around my projects and point out which welds would and wouldn’t be acceptable to him - and I usually feel good if I shoot 20%.

Yet - I see this pitching of hobby work and playing around as “experience” in the web design and development world and it seems like people fall for it in a way they wouldn’t with my welding experience.  A few weeks back I was contacted by a person who just took on a internship with a client that I had done a site for.  The project included a new custom design and deployment on a content management system so all content on the site could be updated or changed without them needing to know HTML.  It was the perfect fit for them as a business because they are small and not in a field of business where they’d naturally have people on staff with web skills. The site was immediately beneficial to them - with their previous site you couldn’t Google their name directly and get their site in the results, and the new site got them in #1 spot for their own name in short order.

However it was the classic case of having all the available tools at hand and never taking the time.  The site has sat, relatively unchanged, since we launched it roughly 4 years ago.  Then here comes the new college intern who assures me that he has been “designing websites for about 8 years now” so I wouldn’t “need to be concerned that he would end up damaging the site.”

Right.

I went to look at it yesterday and sure enough - the main navigation has been moved, the nice little main nav icons that tied into the company’s business area (and they paid for) are gone, and in the place of the main nav is now a “doesn’t quite fit in that space” blurb for “latest news”.  Latest news - for a company that had nothing new to say over 4 years time.  All the new content could have been integrated without requiring the design changes.

Specifics aside - what bothers me is my former client probably heard the same “8 years experience” line and, even though it’s coming from a college senior and therefore means that this persons “experience” started in roughly the 8th grade, gladly handed over their most prominent piece of business marketing to this person.

So business people - listen up:  Periodically noodling around with web technologies as a hobby doesn’t equal “experience”.  Sites built out of that context are rarely based on any real-world constraints of time, budget, or business requirements.  When someone uses the word “experience”, what they should be implying is “I spent a considerable portion of my day for that period of time working with this stuff” and (ideally) “people paid me for it”.

You wouldn’t look at my welding projects and hire me on to do structural, mission critical welding.  Don’t do the same with your website.

I re-read that post this morning and have a few red flags to add.

7. Previous Web Developer Baggage
Once in a while I’ll be approached by someone with a project that has already been taken on by another developer and the project has failed.  In these situations the potential client always blames the previous developer for the failure, saying they had misrepresented themselves, or were over committed, or were just flat-out not able to do the work.  The potential client will then appeal to my ego with statements like “After reviewing your portfolio it’s obvious you would be a much better fit than the previous developer was.”

But - like stories of dating relationships and marriages gone awry -I’m only hearing one side of the story.  Might the issue really have been a client with unrealistic expectations, or who were unable to pay their bills on time?

I always feel like the only real way to seriously think about taking on a project with baggage would be to interview both sides of the failed project and see if I could determine what really happened.  But the time investment for doing that is such that it never makes sense because neither side is going to want to reimburse me for that time.

Additionally, if the site is sitting there half-baked and “just needs to be finished” then I’m faced with the prospect of it being started poorly and either having to rebuild it from the ground up or being responsible for issues with the site due to poor decisions being made at the foundational level by someone with less experience than I have.

8. Emergency 911
It’s amazing the number of contacts I get for projects where the timeline is “ASAP”.  Here’s an actual request: “We need a complete EE build with content and user migration from a Drupal install, the design is in Photoshop and needs to be converted to HTML, and looks like we either need some custom EE code or use of a 3rd party module.  Oh and the deadline is in 11 days”. 

Not 11 business days, just 11 days.

So after I’m done with the gut-reaction snide response that I won’t post here, the first question I have to ask is “How did the project get to be in this state?” And if the answer is “poor project management” then the follow-up question is “What other aspects of the project are suffering due to being managed poorly?” Is the design going to be right?  Has the proper functionality been identified?

I’m reluctant to take on projects that come with a red flashing light to wear on my head - I didn’t create the crisis situation so feel no urge to shoulder the responsibility of resolving it.  Although - I have toyed with the idea of proposing to take it on, but at 2 or 2.5 times my normal rate.  So far the stress potential hasn’t been worth the possible financial gain.

9. The Client Who Knew Too Much
Maybe the better title is “The Wanna-be Developer as Client”.  When I get communications from clients that include nonsensical statements like “we like the idea of separating content from presentation for SEO reasons”, or they want to talk about URL structure before the site design or IA is done the hair on the back of my neck goes up just a bit.  It’s not that I don’t appreciate technically-savvy clients, but when they have things just a bit “off” it makes me wonder how they got there, will they be open to and capable of being re-educated, or will it be a constant struggle to get them to understand how things actually work?

10. Hi, My Name Is Tom Sawyer
Once in a while I will be contacted to put a proposal together for an ExpressionEngine site, but the real reason for the proposal request is to determine if EE is actually well-suited for the project.  The challenge with these types of requests is that in order to do a quality needs assessment and (if EE is the right fit) a proposal it requires a lot of time - which is likely why the client hasn’t done it.

ExpressionEngine provides a pre-sales forum for answering questions like this - and I’ll often even pitch in on those threads.  But if the project needs an in-depth requirements analysis then that’s really outside of what I should have to provide at no charge in the form of a quote - that’s work that should be defined as it’s own project and I should get paid for as an internet consultant with specialized CMS knowledge and experience.

11. You Don’t Know Me
Boyink Interactive was a charter member of the ExpressionEngine Professional Network, and it’s been a valuable source of leads on new projects.

The downside is I’ll often be BCC’d in on emails along with multiple other members of the Pro Network.  I’ll have to be honest—if I’m elbows-deep in projects when these emails come in they do have less weight than email addressed to me specifically, or email that has come through Boyink.com instead.  I wonder if they’ve even reviewed my work at all, or are just blasting everyone on the Pro Network to see who responds.  I don’t immediately discount these emails, but if they have any other red flags (and they often do) then it’s not likely I’ll respond to them.

12. Can You Hear Me Now?
I’ve had a few interchanges with potential clients where they just couldn’t answer simple direct questions put to them via email.  And asked two or three times in different ways.  In one case after email exchanges hadn’t worked well I scheduled a phone call with the potential client instead.  When I called at the appointed time they answered with “Uh, hello?”.  This didn’t exactly instill confidence that they could communicate well enough to work with and that they were a marketing & communication firm was the deciding factor in passing on the work.

So there you have it - now the “dirty dozen” of client red flags. Will there be more?  Only time will tell…

I found one - search engine placement. After only a few short weeks of use my Twitter page is showing up at #3 in Google results for a search on “Boyink”.

Lesson learned - use Twitter, with a link to your business site from your Twitter profile, to boost or protect your site’s position in search results.

As part of that withdrawal, I took myself a bit outside the “internet hype-loop”, which I was reminded of this week.

I was reading an announcement regarding an upcoming site launch, and I hadn’t a clue what it was about.  I’m guessing if I had stayed subscribed to all those feeds, and read Digg faithfully I would have known what this announcement was talking about.

But I don’t think it was entirely due to my withdrawal.  I’ve noted that the marketing around so-called “Web 2.0” sites seems to be done in a strange way - with all sizzle and no steak.  I recently bumped into an old co-worker, and asked him what he was doing now.  For a couple of minutes he went on, talking about “new channels to market”, and “Web 2.0” and “Community” and when he finished up to take a phone call I sat there, still wondering “Yeah, but what does the site do?” After spending some time on Google I found that it’s a place for film buffs to interact with other film buffs, and the site will also sell films online.  OK, why not just say that?

Again this week, I read another announcement about a site. The first thing that struck me was that the site hadn’t launched yet - it was yet another teaser announcement with no projected launch date for the site.  It went on to hype up the features that are “in the works” and that I should subscribe to the nifty AJAXified mailing list.  Then I could help out with the private beta at some point in the future.

My reaction...was a large stifled yawn.  First - if you didn’t already know about another site that this one is related to (and I didn’t) the whole announcement was pointless.  Second - do people still get excited about sites that don’t yet exist?  Call me cynical - but call me when it’s actually launched.  Third - why is it still about the “features”?  Is AJAX still the Web 2.0 Pied Piper - gathering users in it’s wake?  And fourth - do people actually have time they are willing to spend helping out these sites during a “Beta” phase?  Methinks Tom Sawyer would have made a killing in Web 2.0 marketing…

And so your point is.....

Good question.  I guess my point is I’m still somewhat mystified over the whole Web 2.0 thing, I’m amazed that people continue to spend time, energy and money trying to make a better MySpace, and I’m surprised that the “hyping up fluff” marketing methods around these sites are still getting used.

Isn’t it time for another round of innovation?

Here’s one I missed while my head was buried in recoding Boyink.com.  Quite a strike against HTML email.

I’ve seen it happen in every online community I’ve been part of. The owner of a business related to the topic at hand stumbles across the discussion, and seeing an opportunity to gain some new business, jumps in headfirst - offering their products or services as the solution.

An internet faux paux has just been committed.

Why?

Because to the community, you just interrupted their normally scheduled program with an advertisement. “But wait you say-- “I have a passion for this! I have the answer! I’m doing them a favor!”

That might all be true, but as a vendor interacting with on-line communities is a careful dance that you need to approach with some forethought lest you get pushed out by the chaperone. I couldn’t quickly find a guide for businesses interacting with online communities, so began one:

Learn the Lingo:
Spend enough time on the list or forum to know what a thread is. To know what a post is. To know what trolls and flames are.

Ask First:
Spend some time on the list or at the discussion boards lurking. Identify who the owner or moderators are, and send them a note off-line (just one of them, they probably have a hidden way of communicating between themselves). Outline who you are, what your business can offer to the community, and ask for their advice on how to best do that. They will appreciate your thoughtfulness - and might become your biggest customers.

Look for the Right Spot:
Often online communities will have established areas for vendors to use. Look for them first.

Be Low Key:
TV, radio, and the internet are filled with ads that shout and hype. Go against that grain, and be low-key. Don’t be the first to respond to a question - wait to see where threads develop. Someone else might recommend your business - which is better than you doing it. If you see a thread has a few responses that really aren’t that helpful, then jump in. But even then be modest, self-deprecating, and genuine. If you know your competitor has a better or cheaper solution recommend it. Don’t consider it a lost sale, consider it an investment in a relationship with a future customer. The community will appreciate the approach. Use text links when linking to your business site - don’t use your business logo.

Don’t Bash Competitors or Past Customers:
The community is not the place to air your dirty laundry, or resolve customer service issues. Take those off-line. Talk up your competitors strengths, not their weaknesses.

Be Open to Feedback:
If someone from the community buys your product, be open to feedback about it. This is free market research and usability testing for you. If someone posts a complaint about your product, publicly thank them for taking the time and request an off-line way to follow up. Keep in mind everyone is watching how you handle yourself - taking the high road is the only way to guarantee future sales here. Keep in mind this community is already connected, and word will get around regardless.

Offer Group Discounts:
Any large web community will likely have common needs. Offer a discount on products or services if the community can arrange a group buy.

Offer to Support the Community:
Most email lists or discussion forums have usually have costs associated with them that either one person is paying for, or the community is paying for. Before they get mad at you for making money off of their efforts, offer to help pay for those costs - sponsor a month’s worth of hosting, or donate a product to be auctioned off. Other advertising channels will cost you money, don’t assume this is a free ride.

Be Involved:
All too often communities see businesses post once then never return. Don’t do that. If you’re serious about helping this community out, become part of it. Take part in the off-topic threads. Give advice that doesn’t include a pitch for your products or services. Get to know the people that make up this community on a personal level - don’t just view them as your “target market”.

This whole MySpace phenomenon continues to amaze me - but the notion of a circle of “friends” around businesses like coffee shops and bowling alleys does start to make sense.

Just as an experiment (and no doubt about it - a small measure of “brand protection) I created a MySpace page a few weeks back.  So far, I still have no friends...;(, but did get a few interesting invites from people with names along the likes of “Lola”.

I have two challenges, I think.  Well, at least two. 

Challenge One - the target audience isn’t well definable.
In the business and commerce world one of the first questions site developers ask the business owners is - “who is the target audience”?  In other words - who is supposed to use this site?

With the Stories site - there really isn’t a good answer for that.  Visitors may be Christians, or not.  They could have been looking specifically for faith-related stories, or not.  They could be of any age. 

You get the picture.  Without a specific target audience it seems like it will be hard to find another group of people wanting to support the site.  If we were talking about a site that raises funds to support AIDS orphans in Africa, that’s a much clearer cause to get behind—moreso if you’re a parent, or have dealt with AIDS in your family, etc.

Challenge Two - fewer number of stories than I’d like
This is related to Challenge One - without knowing who we’re writing for it’s harder to know what to write.

There’s also the “FUD” factor - Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt.  Is our story good enough… is it really a story… What if someone reads it… Is that all the site is really about....  Is Mike going to somehow try and make money on this down the road… etc.

Response - marketing and content development
So I’m thinking through how to respond to these challenges, and here’s what I’ve come up with so far:

On the marketing side, I’m thinking of starting with a local approach:

• A press release to local churches and religion section editors of newspapers
• Including something in that press release - either posters, bulletin inserts, bumper stickers, or...???
• Having business cards made with the site name and URL to pass out in relevant conversations, and leave in appropriate public places like grocery store bulletin boards.

• Once the press release has gone out, starting to contact some of those pastors as followup, but also to work with them in identifying members of their church with great stories to tell.
• Doing interviews with those people, and posting the interviews (think “This American Life” style) on StoriesAboutGod - both in audio format as a podcast, and in text format with a few pictures.

Thoughts?  Other ideas?  Hints for successful interviews?  Recommendations on digital recorders and editing software?  Links to royalty free music libraries for some background? 

Picture a manufacturer of bike parts and supplies finding a site like http://www.bikeforums.net/, or a tool manufacturer finding a site like http://forum.doityourself.com/

From the vendors perspective, they just hit the jackpot.  This community is made up of hundreds - thousands even - of members of their prime target audience.  The vendor browses through the forums, reading thread after thread of people directly asking about certain products, posting questions about problems that the vendor’s product is designed to solve.

Finally - the impulse is too great to withstand, and with visions of upward-trending sales charts dancing in his head the vendor registers on the site, logs in, and begins posting in those threads.

This is where Robbie the Robot should appear on the computer screen - flapping his bowling-ball arms and yelling “Danger!  Danger Will Robinson!”

Here - this is a case where “show” works better than “tell”.  This is the interaction between a vendor and an online community, and is a text book case of what not to do.  I’ve removed the specifics and names because they aren’t important - this applies anywhere on the internet.

Background
In the forum, there is a category entitled Forum Rules and Guidelines.  Most forums have these - it’s where they tell you to play nice with each other, how big your images can be, what the forum policy on obsenities and “NSFW” (Not Safe For Work) type posts and images is.

Typically the forum will post it’s stance on advertising in these guidelines.  The forum in question has the following:

Advertising
Not allowed here. Also I don’t sell commercial space for ads, or accept any form of $$$ for advertising of any sort. Anyone caught spamming will be banned no questions asked. If in doubt contact me first by sending me a PM. I don’t mind if you want to be a member here, I think that’s great. This site is not a site for you to sell your items though. We are funded through voluntary donations from members to keep this site ad free. Good vendors that are members here don’t need to advertise, the members here do it for them.

The Offense
The vendor in question didn’t bother to read the forum rules and guidelines.  He found a thread that was related to his product and posted something along the lines of (his actual post has been deleted, so I’m paraphrasing):

Hey Guys - another option is our product: http://www.myniftywebsite.com Our product is made in Australia so is of the highest quality.

The biggest issue with this post?  The thread had been dead for eight months.  Our vendor was obviously using a public search engine to find places talking about his (or his competitor’s) product and the thread from the forum was a result of his searches.  He saw the thread, and quickly registered on the forums to post a response, not bothering to investigate the rest of the forum. 

So his first post was a sales pitch on a dead thread - clearly a violation of the posted rules.

The Community Responds
Our vendor’s post was noted by a moderator, and brought up in the forum area that’s only visible to moderators. The site owner sent the Vendor a PM (private message):

Hi *****:

I don’t allow advertising here except in special cases. I especially don’t allow it when it’s your first and only post. If you’d taken the time to join the forum and become part of the group and let us know what you did or sold then that’s fine. But joining and posting “buy my stuff” right off doesn’t sit well with me.

Feel free to stick around and learn and add to the discussion but please refrain from adverting in the future unless you ask me first.

Thanks.

Vendor
I didn’t think I did anything wrong, especially when I found via a commercial site here in Australia talking about their product.  If you don’t wish your members to be introduced to high quality product then that is you call. I did not set out to break rules which were not available to read.............

The Site Owner:
*****, our position on advertising from vendors is clearly noted in this thread (link provided).

Vendor:
My friend we may be from down under but we are not stupid and don’t appreciate being preached to.  Please delete any contact with us, we are too busy to play games.

And the site owner’s response?  Complete banning of the vendor from the community.

The Lingering Bad Taste
What our intrepid vendor doesn’t realize is how connected his online marketplace is.  Site owners and moderators at one forum are often members of other similar, related forums.  You can bet that anytime a discussion comes up around our Vendors product niche, his offensive actions will be remembered and communicated to prospective buyers.  Or blogged about somewhere.

The Moral of the Story
If you are a vendor and are thinking about using the internet as a sales/marketing tool, approach online communities with great care - they can be your greatest ally or your greatest enemy.  Be respectful, and be aware that your actions may seem quick and temporary, but the internet and it’s users have long lasting memories.  Posts to websites and dicussion forums might be found by potential customers years from now.

If you’ve been coming to Boyink.com for any amount of time, you know that I tend to be cynical.  Or skeptical.  Or both.

Every time I read about “Web 2.0” I feel like I missed a geek party where some special Kool-aid was passed out.  I just don’t get it.  I’m not seeing how some new interface gee-gaws are fundamentally changing the web design and development world.

If the *only* differentiator for your web service is that it uses AJAX, is that enough?  Are there examples of money-making ventures out there that couldn’t have been done without any “Web 2.0” - whatever that is?

Maybe that’s it - I just don’t have enough of a good definition of “Web 2.0” to fully attribute any changes in the marketplace to it.

But having lived and worked through the first internet bubble all the 2.0 hype is raising the hair on the back of my neck.