It should come as no surprise that my first post for the Schipul Blog would be related to the arts. This weekend is the 13th Annual Bayou City Arts Festival Memorial Park (a Schipul client). The Bayou City Arts Festival is one of the premiere visual arts events to occur in Houston every year. The Festival features artwork from over 300 artists in 17 artistic media. Oh, and our CEO, Ed, was one of the jurors for this year’s festival!
We hope you can make it out this weekend. Note there is no parking available in Memorial Park for the event. You will need to catch the shuttle at the Northwest Mall or Downtown. Shuttles run from 9:30AM to 7:00PM Friday, March 27 through Sunday, March 28. I advise taking the Downtown shuttle, that way you can grab a bit to eat Downtown before heading home.
In any case, it’s not like you’re not going to be outside in the beautiful weather this weekend. Why don’t to take in a little art with all that fresh air?
“Community is the difference between something that is boring… and something that is a phenomenon” – Dries Buytaert
The Schipul Drupal Rap Video, featuring AHughes and Qcait:
Around here, we are pretty passionate about Drupal – one of the platforms we use to build websites (including Web Entertainment Guide and Gulf Coast Balloons) – and what it can do for our clients. Last week I had the opportunity to see Dries Buytaert (creator of Drupal) at SXSW presenting on how Drupal is changing Content Management.
The biggest point I came away with was that when people talk about Drupal (and Open Source technology in general) they tend to focus on the fact that there are lots of people developing and improving the technology, but often leave out that these aren’t just any people. These are people who are extremely passionate – and that passion makes a difference. This passionate community is the X factor in open source that pushes innovation – and often gets overlooked.
“I never meant for it to be so big – it’s the people who made it” – Dries Buytaert
As part of the presentation, Dries showed off things the community has created for fun because they are passionate about Drupal: Drupal Easter eggs, Drupal stress balls, Drupal cupcakes, even a Drupal tattoo.
Our Drupal rap video is something we did for fun because we’re passionate about Drupal. So, I sent it to Dries. And he posted it on his site buytaert.com! Then he tweeted about it. Then @Drupal tweeted about it. Now we’re closing in on 1,200 views. We’re thrilled that so many people thought our video was worth sharing!!
I wanted to post this to give a huge THANKS to Dries and the Drupal community for sharing the video! We had a blast making it and we’re looking forward to many more!
The SXSW festival (or ‘South by Southwest – think Hitchcock, but geekier and in color) is an annual event that interactive, film and music enthusiasts all the world over look forward to with great excitement!
This year, as in years past, the Schipulites will have a small contingent joining thousands of other marketing and technology nerds in Austin for the Interactive portion of the SXSW festival. And… to say that we are excited would be the greatest understatement of the year 🙂
Here are the Schipulites that are attending SXSWi this year and some of the panels we are most looking forward to! Keep up with ALL of our SXSWi-related content on our shiny new Storme site at: www.storme.com/sxsw
What panels and events are you most excited about? Hope to see you there!! Be sure to say howdy if you walk on by – even if we’re busy Tweeting / blogging / video-ing 🙂
We’ve all come across email SPAM, but that is only where the annoyance begins. If you have a blog, a website that takes comments, or even a contact form, then you have probably seen some SPAM there, too. It used to be easy to identify, but spammers are becoming craftier at their game. Learn how you can fight back.
SPAM can pile up in your blog. Learn how to get rid of it.
Why people Spam
Before diving into the problem of comment SPAM, I’d like to answer this question: Why do people SPAM? The biggest purpose of comment SPAM is SEO-related. One of the things Google and the others factor into their algorithms is linkbacks. A linkback is any link from an external site back to your website. In many comment forms on blogging platforms there is an option to include a website, which is then linked to your name when you leave a comment. This is a way of telling people who it is that is leaving the comment. Spammers use this opportunity to link to trashy SPAM websites that make pennies per visitor. If they rank higher in the search engines for keywords like “free viagra”, they can drive more traffic and make more pennies. Pennies turn into dollars which turn into Benjamins, and you get the picture. However, this doesn’t work very well for the spammers.
While most of the blogging platforms include comments and do send links, they include a little piece of code that prevents linkbacks. It’s called a “nofollow” link. It tells Google not to count a link as a linkback. Google doesn’t follow the link, so that website isn’t given any benefit. It’s an optional setting, but it is turned on for professional blogs as well as Blogger.com and WordPress.com hosted blogs. We don’t use nofollow links on this blog so that we can pass along benefits to our commenters. However, spammers don’t know that we do this, and they don’t seem to care much either way. Even with nofollow links, the spammers will still attack your site. Now that we know the why, lets look into the “what” of comment SPAM.
What Comment SPAM looks like
Most people can identify the obvious SPAM very quickly. It is riddled with links to ED drugs or other pharmaceuticals, or in some cases it is written in Russian. This kind of SPAM is automated by the spammers and can be caught by filters. The other types of SPAM are much harder to identify. They look more like real comments. Here is an example (the link doesn’t work):
From Investment Ideas: Great Post! I stumble by this blog from Google and your content really speaks to me. You are an expert in your field and this post is proof. I am now subscribing to read more.
At first glance this looks like a very nice comment. It is probably one you would be proud to have at the bottom of your posts. Unfortunately, it is SPAM. The “name” of the commenter is used as a keyword to create a linkback to the URL, which in this case is also about investment ideas. The text sounds very nice, but it would probably sound very nice on any of your posts. These types of comments have a few things in common, and you can become a pro at identifying it and removing it.
How to Identify and Stop SPAM
Unfortunately, this kind of SPAM is not caught by the filters because it looks genuine. In many cases it is even entered by a real person (often overseas). They copy/paste a snippet on many sites as fast as possible. But, you can spot it when moderating your comments. Here is three-item test to identify the tricky SPAM:
The name looks like a description and not really a person’s name. In the example, it is Investment Ideas.
The link goes to a site very similar to the name. It may also include several hyphens, which are sometimes used in spam URLs.
The text of the comment is very generic. It doesn’t reference anything in the post and can probably apply to almost any of your posts.
Those three quick tests can help you to identify most comment SPAM. After reviewing the fake comment above, you will see that it includes all three of the regular pieces of SPAM comments. You may come across some comments that just say “Great Post!”. To determine if these are SPAM you should pay close attention to the name and link. If it is a person’s name and goes to a personal site or blog (like JMO), then it is probably not SPAM.
You will have to use your own discretion when deciding which comments are SPAM on your blog. Comments are great places to have a bit of further discussion about posts. They can add to the “conversation” in many cases, so blocking SPAM is even more important to keep the conversation fluid. While comment SPAM can’t hurt you directly, it can look ugly on your blog.
While some sites have turned off comments all together to prevent this, you may still want to keep comments on your site. Using nofollow links can help prevent the spammers from gaining anything with their garbage, but it will still pile up in the back and can clutter your real comments. Moderating your comments regularly and having a keen eye for SPAM can protect your site from the evils of comment SPAM.
UPDATE:
I have decided it to let the SPAM comments show up on this post so you can see some examples of what we get. I will neuter them by removing the link, but the text and name of the commenter will be left alone (unless it’s profane). Our first winner is “Affiliate Network”.
UPDATE 2:
Many more SPAM comments have rolled in to the mix. I’ve removed links on all of them, but the text gives you an idea of what they may look like on your site.
Quick Note: Our Schipul Cheer ’09 Contest ends at 5pm TODAY! So make sure you enter by submitting a photo of your Christmas tree in the blog comments or on Twitter with the tag #schipulcheer09!
Some people are harder to shop for than others, and not just because they have a stinker of a personality. This week’s gift guide will feature more unusual gifts that you can get for those people who have everything. Or those people who you kinda know, but wouldn’t really call them a friend because they are acquaintances and you have to buy them a gift because you heard that they bought you a gift.
Peanut Butter of the Month Club:
Om nom nom nom
This gift only works for those not allergic to nuts. While there are several “of the month” clubs, peanut butter gets added to the list simply because it is peanut butter and it is amazing that it can come in flavors other than peanut.
Did they call it a penguin because it looks like one? Or did they make it look like one on purpose?
Do you often drink water and think, “This could really use little bubbles of carbonation”? If so, this penguin is here to help. It will even allow you to customize carbonation to suit your taste.
The product description is so good that I am simply going to copy and paste it: Have you ever dreamed you were being attacked by a giant squid? Of tentacles wrapping around you, pulling you down to the depths, where an eye as big as a dinner plate looked back at you…
Now you can make your dream come true, without all the fear and discomfort of the nightmare realm.
Tea can only be made better by one thing! No… I’m not talking about vodka. I’m talking about literary quotes from folks like CS Lewis, Alice Hoffman, and others that you only pretend to know about. Great for book nerds and your friends who prefer tea over coffee (for some really insane reason).
Buy two of these. The first one will wear out in no time.
Perhaps the greatest thing produced this decade. No longer will people fight over corner pieces and edges. You can read through the unique features on the product page, but let’s face it, you saw it and knew it was a winner.
Comes in different colors of wood. Yes, wood comes in different colors. I was shocked too.
Coffee cuff! Both fashionable and practical. Wear it as a unique cuff and when you grab that hot cup to go, slip the cuff onto the cup as a sleeve. Not a good gift for absent minded people who may toss the cuff with the cup. Like me. Because I did.
I have no idea if this works, but the idea is cool.
Guys–well, mainly guys–can be a little weird about beer. They love it, can tell you where it came from, the type, how it can be improved, and so forth. But they can’t seem to remember where their keys are. Know a dude who might get a kick out of home brewing? Then this is the gift.
I wouldn't bother replacing the frames with real photos.
Yes, photo frames. How is this unique? It isn’t. BUT! This is one of those gifts that is great for people you may not know very well. Like… your mother-in-law. Or an Aunt that you got in the Secret Santa name pull deal.
Racing! Dune buggies! Obstacle course! You can actually purchase a mini Baja race ride! How cool is THAT? Screw giving it as a gift, I’m buying it for myself. Because, ya know, it is right outside of the Vegas strip.
Photos of architecture and nature that resemble letters are put together according to whatever name you type into a box. Done in black and white photos since everyone seems to think that pictures are more artistic without color.
It was a wi-fi camera on it. And microphone. But, I think the description on the site pretty much makes this product. It really sells you on the idea that you never have to interact face-to-face with family, collegues, or elderly people ever again.
Chocking hazard. GET IT? HAHA... ok, I watch too much CSI.
For anyone interested in music, this could make a great gift. Finally give a gift of jewelry without breaking the bank or making it seem like you are totally all for a serious commitment.
Forget the sailboat and having to deal with water – get a land sailor. Rather than selling you on this totally rad product, I would much rather mention that there are group meet-ups for people who land sail. Think Hells Angels with polo shirts and that whole not being hardcore thing.
This is a gift for those snooty wine people you know. Place a bottle of wine on one of these and through the power of sound waves and… stuff… it can enhance the flavor of wine. It even (supposedly) eliminates red wine headaches. Buy me this and a couple of bottles of wine and I’ll test that theory for ya.
Have a ring custom made with your fingerprint put on the inside. This is ridiculously awesome and thoughtful and my gosh, just amazing. Probably the most “special” gift on this list.
Why should you get someone a bottle of Fernet? Easy. Fernet can be used to prevent and/or cure hangovers. That is right, taking a shot of this bitter drink before a night out will keep you functioning in the morning. Just keep in mind that it generally tastes terrible.
There are wine snobs and then there are coffee snobs. Tell them to ditch their drip maker and give them this as a gift. Makes fresh coffee (if you have fresh beans and grind them) and is so much better than a machine doing the work.
The Houston Zoo (yeah, they are a client) offers people the chance to get close to large cats and feed them. Not only that, but the deal comes with a chance to hang out with the sealions and get your picture taken. I’ve done this and I gotta say, it is pretty awesome. Especially with cool Zoo Keepers.
Since Schipul is based in Houston, it is easier to list the Houston Zoo, but definitely check out your local zoo to see what they have to offer.
Looks a little like a camera. Just thought I'd mention that.
First, let me state that this is NOT compatible with the iPhone or iPod Touch. But outside of that, this is one hell of a nifty tool. You can actually transfer music between two different iPods in a matter of seconds. I mean, do I even have to say anything else about this? No. No I do not.
That’s a wrap! Submit a photo of your Christmas tree to win some prizes, take some time to do some online shopping, and stay tuned for next week’s gift guide! It’ll be brightly colored and the last one!
“There is no, life I know, to compare with pure imagination. Living there, you’ll be free. If you truly wish to be.”
That line is from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory, one of my favorite movies of all time. I first watched this movie when I was real young after borrowing it from a neighbor and went on to watch it so many times that I wore out the tracking on the VHS (yes… VHS).
That was probably the first instance I would say I was really influenced by the power of imagination and I believe it has had an effect on who I am today. I have now come to place great value on imagination and creativity and the uniqueness it brings to the world. On Colin Cowherd’s radio show, he frequently talks about the importance of being interesting and the value it brings and I completely agree.
We have the ability to use our imagination to solve basic problems or fill certain needs, but we also use our imagination to go further and answer “What if…”. Imagination can take us beyond what just has to be done to “Yeah we can do that but wouldn’t it be cool if…”. Imagination drives us to do new things, fills our need to create and keeps the world interesting.
The Internet provides a great outlet for people to unleash their imagination and share with the world. Sometimes it is entertaining (Pearl the landlord) and other times it is helpful (how to carve a turkey maybe). Sometimes it is a cool t-shirt, a new website like Twetches that allows you to further use your imagination, and sometimes it is just cats playing keyboards. However it is expressed, imagination keeps things fresh and interesting and often leads to bigger things.
Because of people’s imagination, really amazing things are brought to life. World changing events and inventions come from questions like:
“Imagine if we got in a rocket and actually shot ourselves into outer space?”
“Imagine if we could just pick up some object and speak through it, with the ability for someone on the other side of the world to hear us?”
“Imagine if there were a group of people that could travel around the universe, moving objects with their minds and fought battles with swords. But not just swords, light sabers!”
Maybe life would go on without Star Wars but if no one ever imagined the possibilities in “What if”, we wouldn’t have the telephone and we wouldn’t have ever walked on the moon. Imagine that.
Got something that has triggered your imagination? Some great example of imagination at work you really dig? Let’s hear about it!
Brandi‘ LOVES Twitter lists and I hope to make it on one of her lists someday.
If I keep going, the whole office will want a list. Of their own.
Most of my day is consumed with lists. Making them, marking things off, adding to the lists. I use GTD as a general practice. Thanks David Allen for your workflow process in addition to helping me to control my lists. Goodness knows, they could get out of hand and I would have lists of lists.
I love lists as visual information, but sometimes they can be chronological:
2009. Listened to Vint Cerf describe future of Internet, Thanks Schipul.
The list can be random (like above), completions, trends, or things to do like Gwen Bell’s Life List. We all love shopping lists, packing lists and I even make checklists for emergencies. I love marking things off my list as much as making new lists.
I can remember specific events and life decisions sometimes based on a pros and cons list. I am not sure they ever swayed a major decision, but they brought resolve and clarity to something that often drowned in possibilities. Thank you. I made a list of things I wanted in a life partner, things to take when I left town for a Hurricane, things to say when I wanted to thank my mom during on our last conversation and things to do this Saturday morning. If I don’t get everything done in a list, or the list changes? No worries. Sometimes it is just as fun to throw the list out the window and just go.
I hope I never run out of lists of awesome things to do.
write blog post about thankfulness of lists. Done.
I want to thank Coffee Groundz and specifically JR Cohen for being one of the biggest inspirations for not only me but countless others in our community. You continue to raise the bar in social outreach and never forgetting where you came from. You embraced Houston with open arms and I’ll be damned if we’ll ever stop hugging you back.
Coffee Groundz Lovez Geekz
Coffee Groundz started off with a basic but killer recipe of great coffee, tea, food and full bar, throw in their embrace of all things Geek and Coffee Groundz has easily become THE place to be and be seen. Over the past year or so Coffee Groundz has become the jump off in all things Social Media, Twitter, independent Art shows and anything and everything Geek.
Not only did they embrace online social connections they opened the coffee shop to real life interactions that go beyond Facebook and Twitter. CG is regular stop for local artists and musicians. I was lucky enough to have a one person poster show showcasing some of my Concert Posters there.
Basically, they are ingrained in our community. If you want to know what is going on with Web, Arts and Music in Houston Coffee Groundz is a great place to start, and you’ll never go thirsty plus they always have free Wi-Fi and electrical outlets for your laptop
JR Cohen, You Rock Our World
It’s like they say, behind every great coffee shop is a great man. If they don’t say that when then they should but what can you say about JR? For one thing he is a winner of the 2009 Social Media Awards by the Austin-American Statesman. A very prestigious award that left a lot of people jealous and for good reason, he makes it look easy. Awards aside JR makes sure that everyone is taken care of and things like that aren’t easily taught, you need to be born with it
Open Letter to JR Cohen:
You sir give each and everyone of us a warm fuzzy every time you walk into a room. Whatever it is you do, whether it is some kind of voodoo magic or Jedi mind tricks please keep doing it. You make each and everyone of us 100% better just by knowing you. I always know that you have our backs and on behalf of everyone else in this crazy community we whole heartedly have yours. Houston and Texas is proud to have you as it’s son.
I know you’ve easily turned into one of my favorite people and its not because you’re going to grow a mustache for charity with us this year but because of the reasons above, plus many more and the fact you always have a smile on your face
Coffee Groundz and JR Cohen’ Thanks from all of us, you deserve it!
We Houstonians are lucky to have oh, about a million different options for ways to spend an evening – world class theater, sports, museums, live music, and our amazing zoo. Wait, you may be saying – the zoo??
Heck ya the zoo! If you’re in doubt than you obviously are not familiar with Flock, the Houston Zoo’s Young Supporters. This group of young professionals, 21-40, are committed to the growth and stewardship of the Houston Zoo and promote the mission with several awesome events throughout the year. The next, Pick Your Poison, is coming up on October 1 and features food from Pesce and beer from Saint Arnold. Ticket prices are just $25 for pre-sale and $40 at the door – a steal for the excellent food and unique zoo experience you’ll have!
Pick Your Poison will take place at the Zoo’s Reflection Pool and Reptile Amphibian House; but no worries – I can assure you that while you’ll have plenty of opportunities to mingle with fellow Flock guests there will be no required mingling with the Amphibian House residents. I’ll be there for sure, as the lovely MagsMac and I are honored to be on the Host Committee for the event! You’ll likely find me dragging my best friend Michael (aka UrbanHoustonian) to see Toby for yet another millionth time and Maggie and I laughing over silly jokes like twelve-year-olds.
Penny Lane...rockstar puppy and supporter of Houston Humane Society.
I know…
I know the heartache…
The agony of racing to Ticketmaster only to find out that Lollapalooza 2009 was not only sold out, but that Joe Wilson had bought the last 3-day pass…
No, this was not a cruel joke…and no, Ashton Kutcher was not waiting in the neighbor’s double wide. You simply came to the realization that you just didn’t make the cut. You weren’t fast enough…the endurance wasn’t there…in a nutshell; your Gatorade Glacier Freeze failed you.
So what does one do when they find themselves lying in the fetal position wishing for some ‘palooza†in their lives?
Here are the Top 5 Reasons Why Petapalooza will kill your Palooza Blues:
I am aware that Lollapallooza is in Chicago. I’m sure Grant Park is a beautiful place and I’m pretty sure it would be quite a delight to meet Oprah…I guess. But let’s be honest people. Who really needs Oprah when you have Debra Duncan in the great city of Houston? I’ll ‘raise the roof†for that bit of knowledge.*Disclaimer* Debra Duncan will not be at Petapalooza. But she lives in Houston…so who really knows?
Sure you can go to Lollapallooza and have Cold War Kids entice your inner dance revolution while you ninja kick to Portugal The Man…and as night falls, The Decemberists sing you the sweetest lullaby you’ve heard since childbirth. Or you can bring your mobiles to Petapalooza while The Jud Johnson Band serenade you with roses and sparkles. Trust me folks, they are very easy on the eyes. That’s all I really got for that one.
Yes it’s true. There are art exhibits and what not at Lollapalooza. But do they have dog caricatures? Perhaps doggy massages? How about adoptables? The answer is no, no they do not. Petapalooza will. Period.
Whole Foods sponsored Lollapalooza. Great. Fantastic. Whole Foods ANDSchipul is sponsoring Petapalooza. I rest my case.
This girl and this girl did not judge an Idol Doggy Trick competition at Lollapalooza. However, they will be in their rarest Paula Abdul form at Discovery Green on September 12, 2009 for Petapalooza. I’m just sayin’…
Let it marinate for awhile. And if all else fails…do it for the dogs.
A little side note – Come by the Schipul booth for your chance to win a Flip Camera!
Katie Laird – Communications Manager + Cupcake Lover
Jonti Bolles – All Star SEM Manager + Fitness Geek
David Stagg – Creative Guru + David Beckham lookalike
JJ Lassberg – Brilliant Brilliant Project Manager + Earth Mama
Courtney Pemberton – Sales Gal Extraordinaire + All Around Peppy Gal
Caitlin Kaluza – Social Media Project All Star + Cat Lover With a Wii Problem
Not sure when it happened, but I fell in love with lists. I am Thankful for lists.
