Chris Pirillo » Business

How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors?

Chris — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 23:59:02 +0000

How Can Companies Hire Social Media Directors? is a post from Chris Pirillo

I came across an interesting link today while browsing Twitter. The author writes about how companies who are new to social media are failing miserably when it comes to writing job descriptions for their newly-created social media positions. He goes on to say he used to blame the companies themselves for writing poorly-constructed ads. Then, he realized that it isn’t the company’s fault at all. They don’t know what they’re doing, remember? They are new to this whole social media scene, and may not even know what it is they are looking FOR, exactly.

How would you suggest a company create a position for this, and market it? What should they look for? How should their ads be worded to be the most effective? I think that the social media experts in our community are the perfect place to get ideas flowing, and help these companies out!

What have you read today that sparked your imagination and interest, or made you stop and think? Make sure you share the links with the rest of us, so we don’t miss out!

Don’t miss our downloads center today! There are some excellent deals for both Windows and Mac people!

Keep Your Computer in Tip-Top Shape

Chris — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 00:34:12 +0000

Keep Your Computer in Tip-Top Shape is a post from Chris Pirillo

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The folks at PC PitStop have been a tremendous help to our community during the time we’ve been doing live streaming. We contribute videos to their newsletters as often as possible, and they contribute to all of you via excellent and exclusive deals on their software!

Optimize 3.0 is a program that I would recommend even if these folks weren’t a part of our team. It’s honestly that good. Optimize 3.0 is a powerful tool that does a lot to boost the speed, stability and security of your computer.

You can schedule Optimize remotely to run on any computer in the World that you have access to. Use it to kill unneeded processes that eat up memory and CPU cycles, which in turn speeds up your boot times! Optimize automatically gets rid of junk files for you, to reduce excessive hard drive clutter.

PC Pitstop has now introduced a new (and still free!) product that is going to blow away previous offerings they’ve had. PC Matic is a single piece of software that combines FIVE of their other programs into one nice scanning bundle!

PC Matic includes Optimize 3.0, Disk MD, Driver Alert, Exterminate and OverDrive!! By running a simple scan using PC Matic, you’ll receive easy-to-understand reports about your computer, including:

High and Low Threat Security
Fragmentation Analysis
Drivers
Junk Files
System Specs
Internet Tweaks
World Rank
Registry Tests

One other awesome feature to point out is that all of the scan and clean results are stored on the PC PitStop servers. They can be viewed from any computer, not just the computer on which the functions were performed. The results can also be sent to you via email, in order to easily manage all of your computers from one place.

The bottom line is that we couldn’t continue doing what we do without the help of our partners, such as PC PitStop. We appreciate each and every one of you, and the support you give to our community as a whole.

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Are You Ready for the Holidays?

Chris — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 13:28:33 +0000

Are You Ready for the Holidays? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Can you believe that Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and Christmas is but a few weeks away? I was aghast yesterday when I walked into a store that was playing Christmas carols… until I realized what the date was. Holy crap where did the year go? I haven’t even started to think about holiday shopping yet, never mind actually DOING any shopping.

After I had my little panic attack, I sat down to check out what was going on around out community. Low and behold… people are talking about the upcoming festivities. They’re figuring out what to cook with their turkeys, and what the hottest new gifts are for this year. Geez I’m way behind, aren’t I?

I was happy as hell to see that the holidays aren’t the only thing that people are chattering about. Thankfully, I found many interesting and informative blogs and threads on a huge variety of topics to keep me busy… and to get my mind back OFF of the holiday season. I’m just not ready quite yet!

Every day we bring you the newest and hottest software deals that we can find. Make sure you check back every day so that you don’t miss a single deal!

Google Goes Sesame Street

Chris — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 10:57:19 +0000

Google Goes Sesame Street is a post from Chris Pirillo

I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that Google is celebrating the 40th anniversary of Sesame Street this week. A few days ago, Big Bird graced the famous search engine’s page. Next up was the Cookie Monster!! (Who doesn’t love cookies?). Today, I see Bert and Ernie smiling out at me. What’s up next? Will we see Elmo tomorrow? Personally, I vote for Grover. Grover was always my favorite.

While it’s whimsical and fun to remember our childhoods every time we load Google, some people are quite upset over this celebration. One of our community members “left” Google this week in disgust. He changed over to Bing as his search engine of choice, and vows to never return to Google. Why is he so upset? He feels it is a slap in the face to Americans that Google refuses to acknowledge the events of 9-11 with a remembrance on the site, while they embrace children’s television as though it were far more important than a day that shaped our history – and our country.

He makes a good point, you know. Of course 9-11 isn’t a day to “celebrate”. But who says that everything has to be a celebration? A simple but elegant tribute on September 11th on Google’s page would show that we haven’t forgotten. It would show that Google truly cares about the people they serve, and not just the numbers they rack up on a daily basis. It would show – much more so than Sesame Street does – that Google has humans running around in their offices somewhere.

What are your thoughts on this? Do you feel that Google is “right” in not commemorating the attack on America, instead favoring things like the anniversary of the Muppets? What else have you read or talked about today that might provoke a good debate or discussion? I know that there has been a lot going on in our community.

Don’t forget to take a few moments to check out all of the latest new software and app updates that we have found for you. You can get a lot of excellent titles at little to no cost!

Are There Any Drawbacks to Being a Geek?

Chris — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 07:58:57 +0000

Are There Any Drawbacks to Being a Geek? is a post from Chris Pirillo

My mouth hit the floor when I read the title of this thread earlier on Geeks. A drawback to being a Geek – what?! Are you kidding me? Being a Geek is the best possible thing to be. We have it all – brains, looks, girls… what more could we want? The looks, well, just because they are funny looks at times means nothing. It’s just part of the total package that makes us so amazingly perfect, right? And the girls – ahhh, the girls – we all know that Geek boys get all the girls, right? Wait, what? You have trouble finding a girlfriend? Well, perhaps if you showered more often, and stopped being so nervous around the fairer sex. Fine. The looks and the girls may be lacking. But we have the brains! And the brains get us the money! And the money gets us more Geeky gadgets! Who needs girls, anyway?

Ok, time to get serious here, my fellow Geeks. Do you actually feel there are drawbacks to being a Geek? I’m interested in hearing your answers. For me – life is good when you’re a Geek. I’m comfortable with who, what and how I am… and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But I know that not everyone would agree, so let’s have it.

There are hundreds of excellent titles available at our downloads site, including games and other fun things to do!

What Would You Do With a Million Dollars?

Chris — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:10:55 +0000

What Would You Do With a Million Dollars? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Over on Geeks today, people have been talking about what they’d do if they suddenly won a million dollars. It’s funny to read the answers, and touching as well. Many people would donate to charities, which I would do more of myself if I won that kind of money. I’d also invest plenty of it, in order to retire at an early age!

But we all know me, and we all know that I would be going on a massive Geeky shopping spree! There’s so many gadgets and USB gizmos out there that I don’t have yet!! Don’t lie – you know you’d be buying some, as well. So come on… tell us… what would you do if you had a cool million in your bank account?

I had a look through what’s new at our downloads site today. Holy cow there are some excellent pieces of software. Did you realize you can find everything from games to productivity software… for your Windows machine, your Mac AND your phone?

What Technology of Today Will be Obsolete Tomorrow?

Chris — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:18:41 +0000

What Technology of Today Will be Obsolete Tomorrow? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Earlier on Geeks, I read a thread someone had started asking what basic technology that we use today will not even be around in the future. The author lists such things as the keyboard and mouse, a land-line telephone, public Wi-Fi, and even operating systems! Wait, what? You don’t think operating systems will be around in the future? Well, you could be right, actually. With more and more computing being done in the Cloud, that’s something we may yet see in our lifetimes.

What pieces of everyday tech do you feel will become obsolete in the near future – or at least during your lifetime? It’ll be interesting to see everyone’s lists and reasoning, and to compare our thoughts. You can leave a follow-up comment here, or reply directing in the thread on Geeks.

Even on Halloween, we have some excellent deals (and freebies!) on various types of software and applications. You’ll find thing for your phone, even, so be sure to check them out.

What Will the Internet Look Like in Ten Years?

Chris — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 19:32:22 +0000

What Will the Internet Look Like in Ten Years? is a post from Chris Pirillo

I came across an interesting question on Lockergnome earlier this morning: What will the Internet look like in ten years?. The author states:

… the idea of adverse changes, in my mind, is anything that would change the complete freedom that we have to do just about anything. Certainly crime should not be allowed, but anything that is not criminal should be fully allowed.

That’s an interesting thought. Sure, I agree that crime shouldn’t be allowed on the Internet. However, how the heck are we ever going to stop it? Thousands upon thousands of people fight hard every day to try and curb the growth of crime online. Sadly, for every criminal they take down, more are waiting in the wings to step up.

The author states at the end of the article:

The internet policy is something almost as important as health care, and no matter where you stand on health care, you can see that much twisting of the truth is coming from all parties. How much like that will the fight over the progress of the internet be?

Chilling to think about, for sure. It’s also likely very true. Everyone wants to control the Internet. How ugly do you think that fight for control will get? What direction do you see the Web going in over the next ten years? I’m interested in hearing your thoughts.

This wasn’t the only great article I read today. If you have something you want to share that I haven’t already highlighted here, please pass it along. I’m always looking for something interesting, funny or thought-provoking to read.

In our downloads center, you’ll find tons of great software and applications for anything and everything you could possibly imagine. Keep your eye on what’s new, what’s hot, what’s on sale, and what may be completely free.

Don’t Believe Everything You Read

Chris — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:22:13 +0000

Don’t Believe Everything You Read is a post from Chris Pirillo

I had to chuckle a little while ago when someone in our live chat room stated that Google’s new operating system will be 100% invulnerable to malware attacks. That’s an awful hefty claim for Google to make, if they in fact did. The truth is that nothing is impossible in this day and age of malware. Criminals, hackers and malware writers will indeed figure out a way to get inside of whatever Google comes up with. Sadly, it’s par for the course. It’s rumors like these that make people who don’t know any better think that they don’t need any type of security software.

I hate rumors and speculation. I’m a hard facts type of guy. Show me proof, or don’t tell me at all. I know, not everyone is like that. And that’s ok, I suppose. However, it’s imperative that you do your research, and find out the truth of the matter in anything you want to believe. It’s ok to have “faith”, yes. It’s not ok to blindly ASSume something is right and correct and real. Sometimes, that can get you in to trouble.

One of the reasons I love our community so much is that as Geeks, we take the time to back up what we say with facts and resources. Have you taken the time to read what it is they are trying to say?

Over in our Downloads Center, you’ll find new software and apps every day that may be vital to your existence! For instance, today we are featuring a piece of freeware that allows you, the parent, to control what sites are allowed on your family’s computers. Safety and security – for free!

Is Your Head – or Your Computer – in the Cloud?

Chris — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 06:04:43 +0000

Is Your Head – or Your Computer – in the Cloud? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Everywhere you turn, there’s someone talking about Cloud Computing lately. Let’s face it – it’s a hot concept. However, there is a large difference of opinion as to what Cloud Computing even means, much as there is with “Web 2.0″. To some, Cloud Computing is simply another term for virtually anything you do on the Internet. To others, it’s more specifically virtual servers. It gets fuzzy when you try to nail down a full description of what Cloud Computing really is.

To me, Cloud Computing is simply anything I can do online, instead of having to rely on software on my computer. There are full applications available now that cover everything from picture editing to paper writing to handling your taxes… and it’s all done from within your browser. How much easier can it get to simply go to a website and do what you need to do, instead of having to buy and install software, make sure it’s compatible with your system and other software, launch the program every time… you get where I’m going. Cloud Computing, by my definition at least, just makes life so much simpler.

How do you define Cloud Computing, and what are your thoughts on the whole thing?

I keep a fairly close eye on the programs we feature every day on our downloads page. There are some excellent pieces of software there – even a few I found I can no longer live without!

Warren Etheredge – The Art of the Interview (Or How to Grill a Star)

Chris — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 04:56:05 +0000

Warren Etheredge – The Art of the Interview (Or How to Grill a Star) is a post from Chris Pirillo

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As founder of The Warren Report, Warren Etheredge curates and hosts over 250 events every year, a podcast and television series. The Warren Report promotes “slow culture” through commentary, outreach, events and education. Their principle: Smarter audiences make a better world!

We’ve all seen them, documentaries built on boring, lifeless interviews. We’ve all read them, profiles that don’t even hint at the motives of the person behind the story. Warren Etheredge has spent a career interviewing filmmakers, authors and ordinary people both on screen and in print and has an uncanny ability bring out insights his subjects never imagined they’d share.

During this program Warren offers structures, tips and strategies to turn mundane questioning into the art of interviewing. It is an art that Warren has honed in more than 1,000 professional interviews. He is currently producing The Warren Report television series in which he conducts in depth interviews with documentary filmmakers and experts on the issues brought up in their films. The show gives audiences both vital information about the issues as well as film, book and research resources for learning more.

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Who Will Dominate the Internet?

Chris — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 10:04:40 +0000

Who Will Dominate the Internet? is a post from Chris Pirillo

I read an article on TechCrunch earlier today, discussing how Twitter will soon dominate the Internet, replacing even Google as the king. This made me stop and think for a bit. I mean, come on… Google is, well… Google! Do we honestly believe that anything could topple it from its undeniable reign at the top of the Internet ladder? The answer is a resounding YES.

I blather on about Twitter all of the time. Hell, half the World talks about Twitter, and with good reason. Twitter isn’t just some hot new fad where people talk about what they ate for lunch. Sure, we post silly things in our tweet stream. But Twitter is so much more than that, and it’s time more people accept that fact – and embrace it!

Twitter is one of the fastest and most accurate news sources out there. It may not have been intended by the creators to serve as such, but that is exactly what it is doing. When news happens, you can find it on Twitter within literal seconds. People who are on the scene of accidents post immediate updates as soon as they know them. Anyone in the vicinity of where there is something newsworthy happening whip their phones out and tweet faster than you can blink your eyes.

Twitter is also fast becoming an amazing way for businesses to connect with their customers, just as Frank Eliason discussed at Gnomedex recently. Your customers are on Twitter, so your business better be there, as well.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Twitter will soon replace Google as the Internet King? Have you read any other interesting tidbits today? If so, I’d love a link to them. I’m always looking for something new and thought-provoking to read, other than what we find on both Geeks and Lockergnome every day!

Are you looking for discounts on the hottest and newest software that is available? We have a team putting deals together every day for every platform you can think of: mobile apps, windows software, mac apps, and more!

Windows 7 – Thumbs Up or Down?

Chris — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:24:26 +0000

Windows 7 – Thumbs Up or Down? is a post from Chris Pirillo

The World is buzzing with talk of the release of Windows 7 at long last. Heck, even I spent my evening talking to the community about their thoughts on the new OS, including a nice long convo about the security of 7 with my assistant, Kat. Everywhere you look online, people are talking about Windows 7. It’s all over Twitter. It’s on blogs. It’s on both Lockergnome and Geeks. It’s even in the news. So, what are people saying?

It’s an awesome thing to see that much of the response is very, very positive. After the disaster that was Windows Vista, Microsoft has rebounded very, very well. I am enjoying using Win 7 myself, so much so that I have already written and published an eBook full of tips and tricks. I am using it on my Mac via Parallels, and even upgraded my HP TouchSmart to Windows 7 tonight, as well! I’m happy to report that Kat was right… the drivers are all updated on HPs website to make the Touch features work in Win 7!

So… let’s have it. What are your thoughts on Windows 7? Do you have it yet? If so, what do you think so far? If you don’t have it yet… are you planning to upgrade anytime soon? Why – or why not?

Windows 7 isn’t the only thing our community has been discussing lately, of course. On any given day, you’ll find blogs and discussions on any number of topics, ranging from health to politics to religion to computers and technology… and all the way to education, likes and dislikes and anything even remotely Geeky! If you aren’t contributing to either site yet, we’d love to have you. Even if you don’t feel you have anything to say, why not take some time to read what others are up to? You just may be surprised at the fact you can learn something new, or even gain a different perspective than you otherwise would have about something important.

As always, be sure to check out what Apps are on sale and hot off the presses in our downloads center! The team is finding some excellent deals for you every day.

How to Choose a Domain Name

Chris — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:08:19 +0000

How to Choose a Domain Name is a post from Chris Pirillo

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The problem with registering domain names isn’t the registration process. They’re fairly inexpensive, and easy to register. The problem is that all the good names and addresses are already taken. Finding a decent one is sometimes a bit of a challenge. This is the reason I have created this new site – to help you find possible names for the perfect site for you!

This site is exceedingly easy to use. Give it a web address (news article, blog post, etc). The site will scan that web page, pull out two random words, and slap a .com on the end of the words. It will tell you whether or not the address is available. It will even ask you how many results you want!

If a site is already registered, there will be a large red X next to the result. If it’s not, there will be a link you can click to take you to a page that helps you buy it for yourself! All you have to do is plug in any address that exists on the web that deals with the topic matter you’re looking at creating a site for. How much easier can it get?

This is great to help you save time while trying to come up with the best possible name for your new venture. It will also save you the headache you’ll get from brainstorming for hours on end trying to think up something unique. Take a moment and check out our domain thinktank for yourself.

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What Role Do Blogs Play in Your Life?

Chris — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 04:07:21 +0000

What Role Do Blogs Play in Your Life? is a post from Chris Pirillo

Even if you’re not a blogger yourself, chances are you read a few of them. It seems like everyone is blogging these days, including my mom on occasion (so ok, maybe not recently). Heck, even when you aren’t intending to read a blog, you may end up doing so after following a link from a search engine when you’re looking for something specific. Let’s face it – blogs are everywhere.

Obviously, blogging is a central part of my life. The work I do here plays a large part in not only my work life, but my personal one, as well. I like to think I’ve found a good balance between the two, and try to keep them as “equal” as possible here on my site. My friend Robert Scoble is the same way. If you go through his blog, you’ll see that he also has managed to balance life/work/family, and wrap it all nicely into his blog.

To me, that’s the way a blog should be. I’ve seen people who have several different blogs. They may post work-related things to one, personal to another, and social things to yet another. Where’s the sense in that? Why can you not post everything in one central place? Both Robert and I – along with many, MANY others, have managed to do so. If you have more than one blog, why do you? I would like to hear from some of you “multi-bloggers”, and hear your reasons as to why you do things the way you do. Understand that I’m not putting down the way you do things. I honestly feel that maybe I am missing something, and not seeing the whole picture.

In any case, blogs are important. They can be a source of information. They can keep you current on what’s hot – and what’s not. They can give you different viewpoints on matters that you may not have otherwise thought of. And, they can make you laugh. So, I ask you…

How do reading blogs impact your life? For the blogs you go back to time and again, what attracts you? Is it the content itself, or the author’s writing style? Are you gaining information, educating yourself, or just having a good laugh? What types of blogs do you subscribe to – and how many of them?

Our Lockergnome community is devoted entirely to bloggers, with topics ranging from IT to Dogs – and everything you can think of in between. Over on Geeks, we have a large number of bloggers, as well. How many of these people are you taking the time to follow? If you aren’t checking them out, you’re missing out.

I have a team of people working hard every day to bring you updates on all of your favorite programs and apps, and let you know about the best new ones available. Keep your eyes on what’s new every day, so that you don’t miss out on anything!

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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Plus, as a friend of Chris Pirillo, enter code CHRIS7, that's C-H-R-I-S and the number 7, when you check out, and save an additional 10% on any order. Get your piece of the internet at GoDaddy.com.

VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.