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SXSW Interactive

2010-03-21T15:49:00.008-04:00

Friday, March 12, 2010, Austin, Texas

Smackdown: Consumers Privacy vs. Advertiser Revenue
In early 2009 the Federal Trade Commission became more vocal on its opinions regarding online advertising and privacy policies. To sum it up, the FTC has basically been saying advertisers are not disclosing how they collect information on users well enough. So what could happen to the future of advertising and online publishers if the FTC bans tracking consumers web activity? Let's discuss options, actions the industry is currently taking and the potential risks to advertisers and consumers if the bill passes. This panel is sponsored by Rubicon Project.

Alan Chapell, Chapell & Associates
Alison Pepper, IAB
Jordan Mitchell, the Rubicon Project
Ingrid Sanders, TARGUSinfo
Jay Habegger, OwnerIQ

Mediapost OMMA Publish

2008-06-14T11:18:00.001-04:00

Tuesday June 17 2:00pm, Marriott Time Square, NYC

Breakout One: Are We Engaged? The Meaning of the New Metrics
"Engagement" is the new black of online marketing: fashionable and perhaps designed to cover a multitude of sins, particularly lack of reach. As audiences fragment and media brands struggle to scale, publishers now sell their ability to engage visitors on their sites with their content, and presumably with advertisers aligned with this brand loyalty. But what is "engagement" anyway? Are there any metrics to indicate depth of involvement with a site? Does content engagement translate into ad effectiveness? When forums, videos, or games pump up "time spent" on a site, is that a fair indication of user loyalty? Ultimately, do media buyers accept this argument that deeper, longer, more targeted audiences make up for lack of scale?

Alan Chapell, President, Chapell & Associates
Kevin Mannion, Founder and Owner, Sky Road Consulting
David Honig, Co-founder, Media6°
Jill Griffin, Director of Marketing, Hearst Magazines Digital Media
John Brauer, Media Analyst, Nielsen Online
Ken Shapiro, Sales Manager, Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital

Mediapost OMMO Publish

2008-06-09T12:52:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, June 17 at 2pm at the NY Marriott Marquis, I'll be moderating a panel for OMMA Publish.

Are We Engaged? The Meaning of the New Metrics
"Engagement" is the new black of online marketing: fashionable and perhaps designed to cover a multitude of sins, particularly lack of reach. As audiences fragment and media brands struggle to scale, publishers now sell their ability to engage visitors on their sites with their content, and presumably with advertisers aligned with this brand loyalty. But what is "engagement" anyway? Are there any metrics to indicate depth of involvement with a site? Does content engagement translate into ad effectiveness? When forums, videos, or games pump up "time spent"on a site, is that a fair indication of user loyalty? Ultimately, do media buyers accept this argument that deeper, longer, more targeted audiences make up for lack of scale?

Moderator: Alan Chapell, President, Chapell & Associates
Kevin Mannion, Founder and Owner, Sky Road Consulting
David Honig, Co-founder, Media6°
Jill Griffin, Director of Marketing, Hearst Magazines Digital Media
John Brauer, Media Analyst, Nielsen Online
Ken Shapiro, Sales Manager, Turner Sports and Entertainment Digital

DM Days

2008-06-09T12:45:00.002-04:00

I'll be speaking on a panel at DM Days at 10:45 to 11:40 on Thursday June 12 at the Javits Center.

The Online Advertising Boomerang: Targeting Ads Online Without Violating Consumer Privacy.

Much has been written lately about the perils of behavioral targeting. Google, AOL, the social networking sights are defending new ad models amid protests related to consumer choice, consent, control and privacy. Learn about how to target ads online, without violating the privacy of consumers; facing the impending backlash.

Rip Warendorf, SVP of Sales at Zango
Mike Zaneis, VP of Legal and Public Policy at the IAB
Alan Chapell, President at Chapell & Associates

MobileMarketingForum

2008-06-09T12:37:00.002-04:00

I've been asked to join Scott Delacourt of WRF on this panel for Legal issues in Mobile Marketing.

Wednesday June 11, 2:15 - 2:45 at the MMF, Marriott Marquis in NYC.

Mobile Marketing A Legal Perspective: What You Need to Consider as you develop your campaigns. Learn from an expert the topics to consider when launching your mobile marketing initiatives. This session will present some timely and worthwhile developments, insights, best practices, and risk/reward analysis to the new mobile marketing audience.

Scott Delacourt, Partner, Wiley Rein LLP
Alan Chapell, President, Chapell & Associates

2008-05-28T09:33:00.002-04:00

It was an honor to participate in the Mediapost Email Insider’s Summit last week in Florida. I’ve seen a number of links to this event, and thought I’d offer some of my thoughts as an event speaker.

David Daniels of Jupiter shared some research he conducted – as did Exact Target, and Habeas. And the consensus is that people of college age and younger are not using email to communicate. And a panel of Ball State students corroborated the research findings by sharing their own experiences. So from what I could gather, everyone in the room of email experts recognized that ‘the kids’ aren’t using email very much. There doesn’t seem to be much disagreement here.

The kids aren’t using email – yet, none of the email-marketing experts saw this as a bad thing. And that surprised me. Most of the experts are taking it for granted that the kids will start using email as they enter the work force. I think that’s a risky assumption for anyone who is counting on email as their livelihood.

Where is it written in stone that email will be a prominent tool for business in perpetuity? The hand written memo was all the rage at one point. And my dad made most of his living by dictating memos to his secretary via the smith-corona typewriter. And later, added the fax machine. If we’ve learned anything over the past ten years, its’ this – the way business is done is subject to change. Email is not a final destination – it’s only part of the journey.

Even if email remains the dominant business communications tool, that doesn’t necessarily follow that email will be used for personal communications. It’s hard for me to understand why people who are 15-20 years younger than me – who have less invested in email as a communications tool than I do – will somehow stop using Facebook, SMS and other tools once they enter the work place. So even if forced to use email for business, the kids are going to continue to communicate with friends via other mechanisms. If if kids aren't using email outside of work, that's going to make things very difficult for advertisers trying to reach them via email.

I’m not saying email is dead. But I am saying that it will not be nearly as popular five years from now. And if you make your living in the email marketing ecosystem, you’d be wise to invest in alternative messaging tools.

MinDay - Engagement Panel

2008-04-08T20:15:00.003-04:00

April 15, 2008 10:15AM - New York
The New Measure of Success: Metrics in the Age of Engagement
Engagement is the new mantra of online publishing, but how do publishers define and measure this concept and gather from their audience the data points that are the new coin of the realm in interactive advertising? What metrics really matter most with advertisers? Is it “time spent” or “audience reach?” Do video, digital magazines, mobile, podcasting and other emerging media enhance or confuse the numbers game online? Our panelist will explore how publishers can make best use of their site and audience numbers with media buyers.

Debbie Solomon Senior Partner, Research Director, MindShare
Carolyn Creekmore - Vice President, Client Services, Nielsen Online
Robert Ames - VP & GM Digital Automotive Group, Hachette Filipacchi Media U.S
Alan Chapell - President, Chapell & Associates

A Privacy Officer's worst nightmare

2008-04-07T20:50:00.002-04:00

I just received an email about refinancing my home. Notice that the account manager suggests that I send him my social security number to him via email. Ugh!

Hello, my name is Brian H.,

It appears that we may have missed an opportunity to satisfy your financial needs (ie. your recent internet inquiry). I am a SENIOR SALES MANAGER with XXXX's Financial Division. With recent changes in the market (interest rate fluctuations and loan program restrictions) it is very important that we touch base SOON! We still have multiple loan programs with interest rates between 4.875% and 5.875%.

Please call me today for a complimentary home loan analysis. It's my job to recognize your needs and tailor a loan program to give you the features you want, whether your priority is:

* Affordable Overall Monthly Payments
* Debt Consolidation
* Home Improvements
* Getting Cash
* Fast Funding

You can reach me directly at 847-545-3982. I welcome the opportunity to serve your home financing needs in this rapidly changing market.! I only need 10 minutes of your time to qualify you.

Or if you would like to communicate via email, I need the following information to send you a quote via email:

* Full name of everyone on your current mortgage
* Social Security number
* Date of birth
* Annual income (specify wage earner or self employed)
* Current assets (401K, etc)
* Employer name
* Property address
* AND MOST IMPORTANTLY YOUR FINANCING GOALS (cash out, shorter term, fixed term, interest rate reduction and or debt consolidation)

Thank you again for your inquiry. XXXX Financial offers a wide range of home loan products, common sense underwriting, flexible income documentation, and more.

Sincerely,
Brian H. 
Sales Manager 
XXXX Bank, FSB

Keily on SNL!

2008-02-24T23:29:00.005-05:00

My daughter Keily scored a part in a Saturday Night Live skit that aired last night. Look for her at the 50 second mark.

Funny clip. Congrats to Keily!

IAPP Privacy Summitt

2008-02-20T13:29:00.001-05:00

Thursday, March 27 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Privacy Challenges and Opportunities With Evolving Advertising
Alan Chapell, CIPP, President, Chapell and Associates LLC
Don Lloyd Cook, CIPP, Chief Privacy Officer, Feeva Technology, Inc.
Dr. Eloise Coupey, Associate Professor, Pamplin College of Business, Department of Marketing, Virginia Tech

In the race toward ever-more precise marketing techniques, new models for delivering advertising are being developed and tested, such as behavioral advertising and location-based advertising, among others. The emergence of these new models has generated an intense discussion about how they fit into our current privacy policy and regulatory environment, leading the FTC to hold a town hall meeting on behavioral advertising in November 2007. This session will provide a report of the content and results of that meeting, and put it in the context of the current and evolving regulatory environment in the U.S. and internationally, with a particular focus on the EU. Additionally, the session will examine the possible impacts on consumer trust and perceptions of privacy in online and mobile environments.

IAPP Privacy Summitt

2008-02-20T13:24:00.003-05:00

Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Social Networking: Closing the Generation Gap
Van Allen, President, TimeLine Recruiting
Alan Chapell, CIPP, President, Chapell & Associates LLC
Philip Gordon, Shareholder, Littler Mendelson PC
Larry Ponemon, CIPP, Chairman/Founder, Ponemon Institute
Mike Spinney, CIPP, Principal, SixWeight

Explore the impact of social networking, both in terms of hiring practices (to Google or not to Google...) and establishing policies for monitoring employees' social networking activities within the workplace. This session will utilize Ponemon Institute research to identify the fundamental issues involved with social networking and blogging, and lead a discussion on the very real existence of a generation gap as it pertains to privacy perceptions and expectations. Attendees also will be exposed to the many legal issues (e.g., employee privacy and employment law) involved with employee social networking. All are encouraged to engage in this open discussion, ask questions and offer their experiences.

Mediapost OMMA Mobile Forum

2008-02-20T13:11:00.004-05:00

February 7, 2008
3:00pm: How Open is Open?
Google is behind it. Verizon chimed in. Sprint and AT&T claim they are already there. But what exactly is an "open platform" in mobile? Will it help marketers attaint he reach and standardization they find so elusive on mobile? Will "openness" really accelerate adoption of mobile media by offering users more innovative content and applications? What do the carriers mean when they say "open" and what do Google and the new Handset Alliance mean by it?

Moderator: Alan Chapell, President,Chapell and Associates
Christopher Payne-Taylor, CMO,AdME Corp.
Osama Alshaykh, CTO, Packet Video
Dave Oberholzer, Limbo
Webster Lewin, Director of Mobile Marketing, R/GA
Frank Barbieri, CEO, Transpera

Trade Associations - Practice what you Preach

2008-02-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

A few months ago, I ranted about a large trade association that called me at 8am with a prerecorded message about permission marketing. Oh, the irony!

I'm also a member of another trade association. This one is much smaller - maybe 300 or so member companies in north america. I really like this group. They do good work, their meetings are generally pretty productive, and they've managed to cultivate a culture where most of my interactions are with them are fun. I chair one of their committees and am very active in several others. What's more, my company has won a good deal of business through the relationships we've cultivated via this association.

It's also worth noting that this association has crafted some excellent standards on permission marketing. The association understands that too many annoying or intrusive messages will significantly dampen consumer trust and responsiveness.

Like most associations, this one has a board of directors. So every year, the association runs an election to choose a new board. And the election period lasts about 3-4 weeks while 20 or so members lobby for my vote. They lobby via email. They ask for my vote via long winded pre-recorded voicemail messages. Most of the messages open with some pedestrian line like "I know you're probably getting a bunch of emails requesting your vote in the upcoming elections..." Yep, pretty uninspiring stuff.

So what does that mean for me? It means that I'm inundated with messages - many from folks who I don't know - for 3-4 weeks every year. This is a pain in the neck - not only for me, but for other members too. (I've asked around a bit.)

Seems strange that a trade association that espouses permission marketing for it's members can't embrace those same concepts when electing its board.

Here's what I propose. for the next election.

1 . Only one email per candidate - I can deal with one email from each, but when you get up to 3-4 from each, it becomes annoying. (Side note: I strongly encourage the candidates to be a bit more creative in terms of their message, and discorage the use of large attachments.

2. No phone calls unless you know me - If you're really active in the association, I should have a sense of who you are. Like I said, I'm very active with this group. I go to several of their face to face meetings every year, as well as other association events. And it's not like the DMA or CTIA where it's so large that you can't possibly know everyone. So my second rule is that you shouldn't be calling me up and asking for my vote unless you already know me. Not only would this cut down on the number of calls, but it encourages people who are thinking about running for office to find reasons to reach out to the greater community BEFORE the election. Get to know some of the members at an event. And that way, you don't come off like some interloper come election time.

3. No pre-recorded messages - If you know me, and you want to contact me, pick up the phone. If you're too busy to take the time calling your friends and colleagues, then maybe your too busy to be on the board.

I'll submit these suggestions to the executive director of the association. Will let you know the director's response...

How Open is Open?

2008-01-28T15:57:00.000-05:00

On February 7 I'll be moderating a panel for Mediapost's OMMA mobile show in NYC. The title is "How Open is Open" and will focus on the trend towards openness in mobile platforms.

That will be our starting point, as the trend towards openness in mobile goes way beyond the handset. And in anticipation of the panel, I thought I'd share my thoughts on the concept of 'open.'

I see openness as encompassing four distinct areas: spectrum, handsets, message deployment and payment mechanisms.

Spectrum

Google and others have joined the wireless spectrum auction. Even if they don't prevail in the auction, they've already succeeded (with the help of many, many others) in making the bidding process more open, and (as it pertains to the C block auction) ensuring that the auction winner can't 'lock' or 'block' wireless devices.

Similarly, the increased use of Wifi to power the mobile web and phone calls will ultimately offer consumers significantly greater choice.

Handsets
Imagine if you couldn't download a piece of software onto your computer without the consent of your ISP, or your computer manufacturer.

Imagine if you moved and found out that the IBM Thinkpad you used with Time Warner Cable in New York did not work for COX cable in Atlanta.

Sounds crazy, doesn't it? But that's exactly how things work in the wireless space. Yes, the iPhone brought with it substantial progress in this area. However, the core features of all wireless devices continue to fall into the sole domain of the carriers and wireless device manufacturers. In other words, the carriers continue to control the feature set of wireless devices. And that means that they tend to allow only those features which they can monetize.

That's not good for consumers - and it's a real drag on innovation.

As handsets open up, as more and more players are able to build upon each other's work, consumers will enjoy a more robust mobile experience. And smart companies will develop new revenue streams that may or may not necessitate carrier involvement.

Message Deployment

The carriers have used the SMS gateway to reap billions of dollars in data revenue from their customers. Billions of wireless customers actively communicate via SMS around the globe. To say that it's a cash cow for the carriers' would be an understatement. The problem is - SMS messaging isn't that great of a way to communicate. It doesn't generally synch well with the rest of your mobile device. For example, if someone texts me with the address to a restaurant, I can't automatically save that message to my calendar without cutting an pasting.

Also, SMS is not a great marketing platform. For example, unlike email there's no way for a marketer to track whether or not a particular SMS message has been read. Neither of those features (and hundreds like them) are likely to be developed by the carriers any time soon.

There's nothing inherently positive about SMS messaging other than it's quick and it's simple enough to do that even my mom has tried it. So while I think consumers are wedded to communicating via their mobile devices, there's nothing that leads me to believe that they are wedded to using SMS. In other words, consumers tend to be platform agnostic. So when they find something that is easier to use, or more fun, or cheaper, they tend to flock to the next thing. If you don't believe me, look at how AOL's subscription service and Friendster are doing these days.

Consumers will stop using SMS the moment they find something better. And while that better alternative may not be here yet, we're already starting to see some alternatives emerge. For example, I have a small Facebook app on my blackberry desktop that allows me to communicate with any of my Facebook friends very easily.

On the commercial side, look at companies such as Cellfire and Acuity Mobile (disclosure: I'm on Acuity's board of advisors), not to mention Google. All these companies offer a platform that allows companies to deploy messages to consumers without using the SMS gateway.

One of the loudest complaints I hear about working in mobile is that working with carriers on SMS programs is a HUGE pain in the ass. Do you think that marketers would be receptive to a non-SMS, non-carrier dependent messaging alternative? I certainly do! And as one or more of those platforms emerge, the carriers will see a drop in SMS revenue without necessarily being in a position to recoup revenue via the alternative platform.

Payment mechanisms

Like the SMS messaging gateway, carriers exercise significant control over most every transaction processed via mobile devices. It's a great revenue stream for the carriers, and ensures that the carrier takes their cut of every mobile transaction. But what happens if/when alternative mobile payment platforms emerge?

Companies like Shoptext, Mocapay, Pocket Concierge and Bango all offer consumers the ability to conduct micro-payments outside the control of the carriers. The carriers can't impose a tariff if they don't control the payment platform.

Conclusion

There's no doubt - open is coming. If ANY of the four areas (spectrum, handset, messaging and payment) take off as anticipated, we'll see a very different carrier relationship with the rest of the ecosystem. And carrier claims that they are value added partners will ring increasingly hollow.

And ultimately, the carriers will be relegated to status of 'dumb pipe' that has traditionally mired their ISP brethren.

And to paraphrase Henry Blodget, that's why the carriers are screwed.

George Costanza is smiling...

2007-12-06T11:48:00.000-05:00

Anyone who considers themselves a fan of Seinfeld knows that George had an intimate knowledge of every bathroom in NYC. Well, the good folks at MizPee have apparently taken that concept into the mobile space. You can search for bathrooms with the good stuff, add bathrooms that you've discovered, and even rate them for cleanliness.

Venture Beat covers them here.

This idea has worked really well for restaurants and bars (Citysearch, Dodgeball) finding a cleaning person people (Angies List) and even attorneys (avvo.com). So why not bring this concept all the way into the commode?

Well, my first thought - how often do you find yourself in a strange city or neighborhood and in need of a bathroom? Are we starting to test the limits of web communities?

This seems like a fairly interesting feature to an existing map program, but probably not a stand alone service.

Tales from SES

2007-12-05T08:49:00.000-05:00

Earlier this week, I participated in this years Search Engine Strategies Show. I was on a panel with Jack Myers of JackMyers.com, Pauline Ores of IBM, and moderated by Kevin Ryan and Kevin Heisler of Search Engine Watch.

Brian Cosgrove was kind enough to blog about it here, and I think he got most of what we said right. One notable exception, which I found funny.

"Alan states that you should let your child surf wherever they want without
supervision"

Ha! My ten year old would love to hear that....

The point I was trying to make (but apparently didn't do so clearly enough) was this.... Back in the 1960's, many people used to sit their children in front of the television with little supervision. The TV as babysitter turned out not to be such a good idea. Similarly, parents who allow the Internet to be their babysitter are making a huge mistake.

Facebook's Beacon Program

2007-11-26T08:40:00.001-05:00

There's been a good deal of noise around Facebook's beacon program, the company’s new advertising system. (See here, here and here.)

Btw, I am extremely sympathetic to the argument that MANY (if not most) people don't really care about any of this. The problem is that SOME do, and they can be a very vocal minority. Moreover, the Beacon program can (and already has) provided great fodder for the press and advocates looking to provide that 'gotcha' story. The same advocates who were struggling to define harm at the recent FTC behavioral advertising forum now have their “Aha” moment -their shining example of WHY the interactive space needs further governmental regulation.

My take? This is nothing new. I think Facebook is simply running up against the same issues that have created problems for other social networks over the years. Specifically, how does a social network offer adequate permissioning and information sharing options given the complex nature of human interrelation? And how can the social network create those permissions in a way that is easy and straightforward enough so that most Users will be both willing and able to use them?

Case in point - I am a moderate User of Facebook, and I have maybe 250 friends – a list that includes; clients, people I went to high school with, close friends, people I met while speaking at trade shows, former co-workers, and at least a few people I’ve met randomly. I don’t mind sharing my email and postal address, my band’s myspace page, my company URL and a few pictures with just about anyone. (It's all on my website anyway) However, there are other things that I might not want to share with all of my Facebook friends. And a list of what I’ve recently purchased is something that (at least for me) is not something that I necessarily want broadcasted to those friends.

What happens if my girlfriend sees that I've bought lingerie or a diamond ring recently? (And imagine the fallout if either or both gifts never makes it into her stocking this xmas!) (just an example....)

So I’m not yet ready to castigate Facebook on this, but I do think the company needs to be more sensitive in the future. Relevant advertising is fantastic. Permission marketing is even better. But as others have pointed out, the Beacon program is neither of those things. And that’s a problem. Data collected for one purpose should not be used for another unless the data provider has been notified that the deal has changed.

So here's what I think Facebook should do in the short term.

Provide Facebook Users with MUCH better notice of the Beacon program - and do so in multiple places. I don't necessarily think that they need to make Beacon an opt-in program, but I think they absolutely must make sure that Users know about it. And clearly, there are too many examples where Facebook hasn't done that sufficiently.

Enable Users to edit their list of purchased products after the fact – Many Facebook Users update their profiles on a daily basis. The upload new photos, change their preferences, list new favorite movies, Etc. Similarly, Facebook Users should have the opportunity to edit the list of purchases that appears on their profile. I wouldn’t be nearly as ticked off that I missed the notice from Amazon.com saying that the book I purchased would wind up on my Facebook profile if I could simply delete the purchase after the fact.

Offer a Universal opt-out – They were apparently planning to do this at one point. Bring it back, folks!

I’ve often said that with large databases comes large responsibility. Facebook has compiled significant information on its User base. What the company chooses to do with that information over the next 18 months will go a long way towards validating that hefty $15 billion valuation - or not.

Facebook'

2007-11-26T08:40:00.000-05:00

Guiliani in a new light

2007-10-04T14:48:00.000-04:00

I was a big fan of America's Mayor when he was in office here in NYC. At the time at least, I felt like New York City had really begun to turn a corner during the Giuliani Administration.

I fondly remember Mr. Giuliani's inaugural speech - the one where, his son Andrew at his side, was playfully mimicking his gesticulations. And I remember Rudy, upon noticing the young lad mocking him, just smiled and put his arm around the boy. At the time, most of us thought it was an excellent example of a man turning a potentially embarrassing situation into some positive PR. Rudy came off as a warm, loving father. (See limited coverage here and here, and an SNL skit lampooning the inaugaral address here.)

So when Mr. Giuliani was recently speaking to the National Rifle Association, and took a 'spontaneous' phone call from his wife Judith, many in the blogosphere were critical. (See video here) Some saw this as a transparent gimmick - particularly given that Mr. Giuliani had previously taken calls from his wife while on the podium. (See video here - wait till the end.)

Much of the criticism thus far is focused upon the question - was the NRA call from Judith really spontaneous? Frankly, I don't really find that to be of interest.

What I DO find interesting, however, is that Mr. Giuliani's recent cell phone stunt calls into question what happened all those years ago with his son Andrew. Was that a stunt as well? And if it was, does that recast Mr. Giuliani in a different light for anyone out there?

Chapell TV

2007-09-14T11:20:00.000-04:00

This morning I was interviewed by Kate Sullivan from WCBS 2 News This Morning regarding privacy and laptop security. Look for it to air next week.

Irony and the "new" DMA

2007-09-12T11:21:00.000-04:00

I was up fairly late last night working on a project for a new client. This happens from time to time, and when it does, I like to sleep in a bit the next morning.

At 8:01 AM, I was awakened by a call. A pre-recorded call from John Greco, CEO of the Direct Marketing Association. John's message was that there was some important information on - get this - ethical and permission based marketing at the DMA 07' Conference in October.

And just to add to the irony, the DMA website doesn't empower it's members to adjust their communications preferences.... which, if you think about it, is kind of permission marketing 101. Yes, they provide me with the option of not getting email messages, but nothing regarding unsolicited phone calls.

Now honestly folks, would you take advice on permission based marketing from someone that demonstrates so little respect as to call you at 8am?

I sent an email to John and to the DMA's customer service #. I'll let you know if/when I hear back.... ugg.

Protecting your kids...

2007-09-04T14:59:00.000-04:00

Via MobileCrunch, AT&T recently announced a new set of parental controls, which allow parents to set limits on the way their kids use mobile devices.

Don't kid yourself - this is in direct response to ongoing investigations of the ring tone space by state and local regulators, and paralells what some of the adware companies were doing a few years ago.

The adware companies were, generally speaking, enticing kids to download their software which was bundled with screen savers or file sharing programs such as Kazaa. Parents would come home to computers which (at times) were rendered unusable due to aggressive pop-up ads.

Companies in the ring tone value chain were enticing kids to sign up for ring tone subscriptions at $9.99 per month. Here, parents are often left footing the bill for something that they had no idea that their 16 year old had purchased.

As a parent, if I'm going to allow myteenaged kid to use what amounts to a credit card, I'm going to want to be able to exercize some control over how they use it.

The Big Picture

2007-08-29T13:38:00.000-04:00

Earlier this week the NY Times published an Op Ed that discussed the hazards of archived, and out of date news stories appear in search engine rankings. (Thank to Kevin Ryan for sharing)

Apparently, the issue is that newspapers sometimes print things that, upon further reflection, or additional evidence, turn out to be incorrect or untrue. While most newspapers print a retraction if their initial article turns out to be incorrect, that initial article often remains available on their site as well. Moreover, it's usually accessible via a search engine. So, if you happen to receive some negative press, and it ultimately turns out to be incorrect, that initial story could follow you around for years to come.

I don't think this is anything new, btw.

I thought that Danny Sullivan said it well, here.

If an article is factually incorrect, then correct it. If the article is about someone with a negative connotation, then a later article comes out updating the story, link prominently from the top of the negative article to the latest version of a story. It's called online journalism in the 2000s.

FWIW, here' my take...

I did an interview for a trade mag a few months ago and the reporter quoted me as saying something that came off as completely idiotic in many circles. Btw, he didn’t just misunderstand me. I was 100% clear that my position was the exact opposite, and for some reason, (e.g., it made his story better) the reporter essentially made up a quote and attributed it to me. I looked like a fool, and got a bunch of WTF emails from the privacy crowd. I got the publication to change the story, and make a small comment at the bottom announcing their error, but the damage had been done as an email had already gone out with the original article…

Not the end of the world, but a pain in the arse, nonetheless…. But I'm not going to sweat one bad article. Why?

As more companies such as Spock.com and ZoomInfo collect information on me - some of that information is going to be incorrect. That’s just the way it is, unless I want to spend half my day trying to get them to update. Given that there are so many sites, search engines, social networks, not to mention lazy journalists, there is not much I can do about it. Just not enough hours in the day.

What I have to hope for, is that the totality of the information out there is complete enough to create a reasonably accurate portrait of me when its all said and done. If you search for “Alan Chapell” you might find a link to an investigation conducted by the NY AG’s office where my name comes up. But you’ll also find my name linked to some thoughtful articles, best practice standards and other very important programs that are helping our industry. And you may even find some really cool MP3’s from my band.

Most people I respect will look at the big picture – and I think that’s all one can hope for these days….