Kathy Sierra has another excellent post about how marketers can build product that get “the nod”. That’s when one user recognizes another user or owner of a like product and gives that sly nod letting the other person know of his/her approval. She mentions how MacBook Pro users and Mini Cooper owners often get the nod.

This started me thinking about products I’ve purchased where I got the nod. No question, the Mazda Miata that I drove for barely a year provided a lot of nods although some people hated it and flipped me the bird about as often. I never received the nod for just carrying around my black iPod video. But the minute I put it in a Vaja leather case, I started to receive a lot of nods. When I returned from Germany in 1989 and wore Birkenstocks before they become the craze, I received many nods. Several people gave me the nod when I wore Grado headphones on the train connected to my iPod. My Timbuk2 messenger bag was another item that a lot of people asked me about and was found to be nodworthy.

But without a doubt, the product that’s brought on the most nods is the Xootr scooter I drove around downtown Seattle back in the dot com age. I had the least expensive model with wooden deck. But I couldn’t drive it a few blocks without getting the nod.

Why can’t other music services put together a website that’s as user friendly as AllofMp3.com? They have done a great job organizing the Top 500 Albums as chosen by Rolling Stone magazine. The list has introduced me to a few albums I’d never heard before like #19 and #89 to name a couple.

Eric has a website where you can download a few more videos and some audio recordings. What a great way to use YouTube to market yourself!

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Let’s hope this guy doesn’t take Amanda’s place.

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It’s pretty simple actually. There’s no way Microsoft can build an iPod killer. It won’t matter how much money they toss into marketing this new device. It won’t matter if they take out hours and hours of ads on MTV. It won’t matter if they sign the Rolling Stones, Usher, Madonna or any well know musician to hawk their device. It won’t matter if they add WiFi to it. It won’t matter if it supports more formats, has more recording options and ships with 100 GB capacity. It won’t matter if it works with Vista, WMP 11, or Media Center.

I don’t know how I can put this gently so I won’t try: Microsoft just isn’t cool and music is all about coolness. The Xbox is the only product I can think of that has the coolness factor. The iPod’s ease of use has been well documented. I don’t think Microsoft is capable of creating a seamless iPod-iTunes solution, but even if they could, it won’t matter. The iPod is hip. Microsoft isn’t. Windows users carry around iPods to distance themselves from the bland PC crowd.

Only Apple can create an iPod killer.

I feel like some companies go out of their way to make it hard for me to give them more money. Take QWEST for example. I have my local, long distance and DSL service with them. I finally decided to break down and get a phone that was made after 1985 that included Caller ID. But I’d have to pony up the $5.95/month with QWEST in order to make it work, even with the new phone. Since I use QWEST “paperless billing” I figured I’d be able to make this minor addition to my service. So I login to the QWEST website, find my profile and affiliated services. I located the “additional features” section of the site where I find Caller ID. I walk through the three or four screens to order this feature. But when I go to “check out” the page tells me the service can’t be added at this time and that I’d have to call them.

So I call the 1-800 number listed. No such luck as it’s after hours. I login to the site again to use the “web chat” feature hoping someone could help me tonight. Again, no luck. So I guess I’ll have to call them in the morning where I’m sure they will try to sell more features I don’t need like three-way calling or something called “Voicemail anywhere” for an additional $14.95/month? Huh?

Why do some companies make it so hard to give them money? When I want to change my DirecTV programming I can do it all online. Why can’t QWEST, my supposedly progressive internet provider do the same?

Ok, one of the best but probably my favorite among Whole Lotta Love, Thank You and That’s the Way. But my favorite video of all-time is this one.
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My friends and family used to send me links to pictures or jokes online. Now they send me links to YouTube. It’s come out of nowhere to become one of my favorite websites. It’s fun to just click around and see what you can find.

Sweet skills, interesting technique
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A while back I applied for a job at eBay. As part of the interview process I was placed in a group and told to take a typing test which seemed very strange at the time. When I arrived at the location to take the test I noticed I was the only male in a group of five. A lady came out to greet us and explained that we’d only be given a very short practice test before the real test began.

This is where the weirdness starts. We all showed proof of ID and signed in to take the test and were about to be escorted to the room full of testing computers. At this point, this same lady huddled us together, and again, explained that if we’d be expected to type “at least 35 words WPM”. She then turned to me and said, “Are you sure you don’t want to go home and practice first?”.

I could not believe what I was hearing and some of the women I was with giggled. I told her that, although I appreciate her concern about my preparedness, I felt confident I could pass the test. So I went in with my group and took the short warm-up test and then took the test. At home and work I use a Microsoft Natural Keyboard with the spaced keys and this keyboard at the test was an older Compaq model which felt very numb and provided little feedback. When I finished the test I walked out of the room and the other members of my group had finished and were waiting for me to pickup my score. I approached the desk where the same women who felt I should practice more pulled up a printed sheet with my score and handed it to me.

It big black letters it said: Congratulations! You typed 79 WPM with 1 mistake. You have passed

Gary Matthews makes an absolutely ridiculous catch to rob a certain HR from Mike Lamb. What a rob!
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