A Tip: What To Do When The Project Closes During a Recording

One of the features on Voice123.com is the ability to 'lock in' to a project, giving you one hour to record, and submit for a project. There are valid reasons why this is done, and I would like to share this with you, but also let you know what to do when the project is closed manually by the voice seeker, before you submit.

The reasons for the 'lock in' feature on Voice123:

• When SmartCast came out, there were those who spent three to four hours submitting an audition. These talents were often unable to submit because the voice seeker closed the project, early.
• When SmartCast introduced a limit on the amount of talent that could be requested, a range from 10 to 200, if the quota filled up while someone was recording the could not submit.
  

What does the 'lock in' feature do?

• It simply locks you in for the hour, so even if the quota was reached, the fact that you locked in ahead of time means you still have the hour to submit.
  

So...What is the loophole to all of this?

• It just so happens, for many reasons, that by coincidence at the same time one is recording, the voice seeker decides to click on the button 'close the project' in his/her account.
  

How often does it happen?

• Rarely. To give a number, I only hear of this maybe once a month, and usually when the project is a really good find.
• I know the initial reaction is to request Voice123 to submit the audition, almost forcing it into the inbox, but this is something we cannot do. Why? If a person has made a choice to do something while working online, the last thing they want is another email from Voice123 saying, 'You missed this one.' The comparison here would be, how many talents do not like reminder emails (you can shut those off by the way in Opt In/Opt Out).
  

What can one do when it happens?

• Save the MP3. Voice seekers repost projects: Remember that in this business, based largely on creative opinions, somewhere down the road there may be someone who says, 'I do not like this voice. Try more people.' When this happens, you will want to hold onto the MP3, just in case they repost a project on Voice123.
• Do not be upset: Call this, 'Karma Resolution', but I am a big believer that things happen for a reason. If you locked in, and by some odd coincidence the project is closed during that time, just trust that may be it was not meant to be. Things happen. It is best to always move forward.
  

I actually had this happen to a friend of mine once, also a coach on Voice123. I must admit he was not pleased when I told him I would not submit after the project was closed. The truth is...Back in 2007, while experimenting with ways to bridge community ties, I did submit for a talent after it was closed. It was a very bad idea. The response I received was, 'If I made my choice, why would you send me more people anyway. I get enough email about the one's who have already submitted.' It was the first and last time I tried it, if only, because the email made perfect sense. As Voice123 is a marketplace, we need to facilitate connections as best as possible, and not get involved in an 'agent'-esque aspect.

Besides, if one person makes a decision, the last thing they want is me, 'some guy in computer world', telling him/her, 'Listen to just one more please.' Doing such a thing could prevent voice seekers from using Voice123 in the future, which means less work for everyone. This serves no one in the long-term.

Peace, and save the MP3's.

David Horowitz...I Miss Your Fight Back Tv Show

I admit it. I miss David Horowitz's TV show, 'Fightback With David Horowitz'. I care about justice for all. I enjoy TV shows like COPS because I know that without 'law', freedom is dictated by the savage few. I also completely accept that at times, certain laws will not work in my favor. I say all this now, as I work from home, and I have just watched another TV ad that is disguised as a real news program telling people that Barack Obama's bailout plan is yet another reason why they should apply for a car loan. I have to wonder. Has this society lost all moral and ethical values in the way it advertises? Is advertising now all about, 'Let's really pluck at the good people's heart strings for some profit.'?

Over the weekend, I received two phone messages, each stating:

"I have good news! Mortgages are now being applied for at lower interest rates than ever before. If you would like to apply please call me back at...(666) 555-1212". (Yes, the number is a joke.)

What really upsets me, not so much that this type of 'yellow advertising' is allowed, but that the very people who put trust in what others tell them in a moment of weakness, are not actually doing the homework to find out just how bad an idea it is to spend money during this time.

This is what I miss about the TV show 'Fight Back'. Luckily, I found this website today. Please look at it. I loved his show because it educated people that the truth behind advertising is that they sell you on an idea many times, and not always the truth. For example, testing the various ways to get rid of roaches. Simply put, 'sound' does not scare off roaches, no matter what you plug in.

I understand that sometimes people attempt to sell, not realizing that certain ads take on a life of their own, and people assume something that was not intended. However, when media is allowed to sell people false hopes, it just makes me a little sick, especially during this day and age where transparency is of the utmost importance.

Over the weekend, I picked up the book, 'Think and Grow Rich', by Napoleon Hill. This book was shown to me by an old guard, TV personality/acting teacher I had many years ago. I was reading it last night, and found the quote:

"Success requires no explanations. Failures permit no alibis."

In this day and age, we are promised so much through advertising, making it much easier to blame someone else when our expectations are not met, and yes, sometimes waste tax payer money and sue for no reason whatsoever, costing everyone money. Take this example, which I actually heard about while working at AIG as a novice claims rep, accepting new notices of claim. (I do not work there anymore for a good reason, although I feel there are good people there who must bear the grudge for the actions of a few.)

Yet, the basic rule of thumb has not changed...'If you do your homework, and really have time to analyze how things work, you will know how to avoid the feeling that someone has failed you, when in fact, you may have just failed yourself.' Regardless, we are all exposed to failure at some point, and the smarter person sees opportunity in the backdoor that every failure offers.

I just hope, as a collective, the people who fall for shoddy advertising that promises big dreams start to understand that everything in life requires effort and homework, no matter who you are, or your experience. We are all in this 'recession game' together, and now is the time to fight back with some courage, and moral and ethical values.

To end this...the best way to fight back against a consumer, is to ignore the product completely, and trust in those who work with you.

Peace.

Taming The Monster Behind The Computer

It happens all the time:

1. You sit at your computer.
2. You use a website.
3. At some point, the website asks you your opinion.
4. You look around and realize that no one can argue with your opinion. No one can debate your opinion, and it is so easy to just say what you feel with no discretion, because no one will know it is you, or what you look like.
5. All of a sudden, the monster comes out!

What 'monster'? The very monster that feels that working in the veil of anonymity, makes it ok to write anything you want without fear of consequence.

But wait...this is a country founded on Free Speech, so how dare anyone take away your Constitutional Rights! Unfortunately, what many do not realize is that the right to Free Speech carries with it the understanding that your opinions will be held against you by the very people you are exercising your Free Speech on. You reap what you sow.

Technology has changed and one of my favorite things is the algorithm of feedback. It is helpful in connecting people in an anonymous world, more often. The fact that data is kept of people's opinions, the next time something upsets you online, you may want to think twice before your monster attacks someone or something. Everything that happens online is public record. I still find comments I left on websites from 2001, when I was much younger, naive, and filled with angst in a post-9/11 society.

As a PR Manager for a website, I send emails out, nicely talking to people to help them. Understanding that 'people' are behind the computers, remember that when a person asks you a nice question like, 'How can I help you use our website, and what would you like to see change? Are you enjoying it?', seeing such a response such as the one I received yesterday is not wise. Now, before you read it, understand that I tamed my monster a long time ago, and it was for good reason. Many think 'venting' is healthy, but if you are doing it online, that 'venting' you do makes you appear certifiable and dangerous, and the more 'venting' you do online, you actually begin to drive yourself mad. You can attribute that to the consumer's expectation for instant gratification, which does not always happen.

Here is the email I send out:

"Hello *****,

I am Steven Lowell from Voice123. It has been two months since you became a Premium Subscriber. We wanted to follow up with you on your experience with our service. Is everything okay? Do you have questions about our system? Is there something you think we can do to improve your experience with us? If you will, please write me with your questions or concerns, and I will address each one of them and do my best to help you.

Thank you *****!

Steven Lowell
Public Relations Manager
Voice123"

Do you think such an email warranted this response? I removed the name and edited the profanity.

"Well, since you asked...

...One of my biggest complaints about Voice123 is the "give him the bu**sh*t that the smartcast pulls...Don't know what I mean? Let me elaborate. Every day almost, I'm receiving stupid SmartCast invitations to projects. Of course, when I go to submit an audition, if the project is even still accepting auditions, SmartCast gets all "are you sure? You should really be picky because if you send off a few auditions a day, the automated system will punish you because you're a voice whore" or something to that effect. THEN, the stupid Go**amn thing starts sending out f***ing reminders about jobs, saying 'this could be a good opportunity for you' after it already told me that I probably shouldn't be submitting so many auditions. I get it, alright? I'm a little fish in a vast ocean, a number in a maelstrom of voice talent and this SmartCast is the best you can do. I say that your best isn't good enough. Obviously, I'd be retarded to continue a premium service that didn't AT THE VERY LEAST pay for itself. I would like to see more value out of being a part of this website that simply the potential for exposure and a deduction on my tax return. Frankly, I'm starting to regret having become a premium subscriber and you can bet that if things continue the way they've been going, I certainly won't renew when it comes time....At this point, though, it looks like I'd have better success sticking with my local and regional clients rather than putting any time and energy into anything that is offered up via RetardCast.

Since you asked, THAT'S how it's going."

I do hope he has better luck with his local clients. He is a good voice over artist. But on the other hand, not only was he completely wrong, he attacked the one person willing to help him in an online world, who knows how tough it can be. The good news is...monster attacks are very rare. The bad news is that such lack of control will get you removed from any website, because as a business, websites must protect themselves. My advice here:

If you feel that monster is set to attack, take a step back from the computer, breathe, and think:

• "If that person was sitting in front of me, would I talk to them like this?" (or in this case, 'Do you kiss your mom with that filthy mouth!?!)
  

Truth is, if you have to ask, you should not say it. In a cold, online world, the need for decency, integrity, and dignity, is now more important than ever before, as the technology gets better at saving data.

Peace.

Do Your Ears Hurt? Mine do!

Last week, I stayed up and worked overnight for six days in a row (I am still not sure because my schedule was thrown off). I am noticing something though, especially today when a cold-snap hit New York City again; My ears are killing me. This type of thing has not happened since I was child, diving for pennies in the deep end of the local swimming pool. I started wondering what the cause could be.

It is my headphones!

I know many voice talents use headphones, maybe not ten hours a day for six days, but let me tell you what I found was happening:

• That snug fit was actually constant pressure being applied on my ear drums, and after a while, it almost felt like the headphones were crushing me.

So, I looked up some info and found that the prolonged use was causing pain because there was no circulation of air in the ear, the headphones were too tight, and I clearly wore them too long without any break. I wont go into the info about the relation to thinning hair. My hair is just fine, but it maybe something to think about for all the DJ's out there.

Such things, can cause hearing loss, damage to the inner ear, and even a loss equilibrium, as inner ear fluid assists with the body's ability to balance.

So...headphones for me have to change to something else, and be worn less for a while, until the pain goes away, and the balance comes back.

Hope this helps if anyone else has dealt with it.

Never Was and Never Will Be...Goodbye CSB

I read disturbing news from the Voice123 Forums today that the Connecticut School of Broadcasting has shut its doors. You can read the story of the ill-fated school, and how student loans played a part, here.

From personal experience, when I was taking voice over classes with David Zema in New York City in the mid to late 90's, the students from CSB, were always extremely talented and driven. As I am now a 35-year old man, still paying off student loans, I only feel disdain that the lust for money has shed itself into schools. I guess I knew this was happening for years, as I watched tuitions sky rocket everywhere.

What I find disgusting about the ordeal is that the 'take the money and run' method was used on college students, the most desperate individuals on the planet, who are paying through their teeth for an education. Closing up before some classes have yet to be completed but of course, were paid for, is insensitive and calculating. Every person I knew that went to that school simply loved it, and for those who will not fully experience CSB, I wish you the best.

The Overnight Experiment Comes to a Brief Halt

I will never say that there is such a thing as a failure until you know what can actually happen, and then completely ignore the facts. That disclaimer out of the way, I had to stop my overnight experiment into trying to get work in different time zones. Here is why:

I found out that before this can work, there is a lot more that needs to be done first. A very vague statement by me, but it is true on so many levels.

I found out projects were being posted over night, but not enough to warrant me staying up, and rearranging my schedule to be more in line with the friend from college who does the morning traffic at 4am.

I found out that talents audition 24/7. Yes, some do not want to believe this, but it is true. Honestly, if you told me in 1992 that one day people would audition for jobs at 3 AM, I would never believe you.

I found out that 'idle time is the devil's trident'. Maybe you have noticed how prolific a writer I become after 2AM. I love writing, but more so when the sun comes up.

I found out, and may the Lord help me if my family sees this, that staying up so late and being on an alternate schedule, does something to the mind and being that I have a seizure disorder from lack of sleep, maybe this is not the best idea for me to try. To be fair...the staff at Voice123 did ask me not to do this because they know. I thank them for their care, consideration, and big hearts...and yes, you were all correct, and I was wrong. ha!

I also found out on Saturday morning, that sleeping after so many days of an alternate schedule, that if I fall asleep, I may very well sleep 24 straight hours. Needless to say, I spent my weekend in bed, snoring like a lumberjack. The clocks jumping ahead helped this a bit, too.

Well, I know now what its like to work that late, and I guess that was the point. I don't mind being my own test dummy once in a while for a good reason. We had a great deal of projects posted last week, too, even if I mainly approved auditions for most of them.

Peace to anyone who does morning traffic, or has a schedule that runs opposite day light. It is not easy, and I was reminded why the last time I had a job like that, I was very young.

Only good things will come of this because you never know until you know, and when you know better, you are obligated to do better.

'Insane Me...' Part 3? I think...

Well, it seems to get busier and busier every night, and that is a great thing. It is about 2:40am, and tonight, I have handled 4 chats in two hours, all from talents. This does not surprise me...as they seem to be auditioning all night long anyway.

I had more work to do this evening than usual, as I sent out info on Susan G. Komen's 'Race for the Cure 2009'.

I am also using Voice123 as a voice seeker myself, which has been a very interesting experience. I cannot say much now, but I have been assisting an Emmy award winner with posting a job on Voice123 that looks to be cast out of Los Angeles. The experience has been enjoyable and educational.

I am happy to report this week that we have had many many projects posted on Voice123 this week, almost 200 SmartCast projects in four days!

Did me staying up late have anything to do with it? I do not know. I do know I approved about 10 projects after midnight, but the auditioning after midnight has increased heavily this week, with the amount of projects.

I have learned a great deal in just a few days, including that I will not be able to last the month. The last time I had a job from 10pm to 7am...I was much younger. I am not saying I feel old. I am saying that I forgot the mental and physical effort it takes to stay up this late, work alone, and try not to go insane in the process. I admit with a good laugh, that the chats are very welcomed.

If they did not come, I would be speaking to a Wilson soccer ball, much like Tom Hanks.

I did find that this type of schedule does something to the mind because today for the 4th straight day, I woke up at 4pm in the afternoon. I get one hour of sun in the morning, and two hours in the afternoon before the sun sets. Truly, a vampire lifestyle...but I drink diet coke.

This has been fun though. It was new, and a change of pace. I just miss daylight.

How Do You Succeed While Everyone is 'Warning You' of the Consequences?

I started out in entertainment in the 90's, and I remember that in the very beginning, most of the teaching I received was all about 'WHAT NOT TO DO'. Today, I find that this still happens. Many people out there in positions of power are very quick to remind voice talents of the world what they should be concerned about, or what not to do, but not actually tell them what really happens or that those who scream 'the sky will fall on you if you...', actually have no concern for the people they are 'warning', yet in fact have another agenda of getting the actual people they warn to listen to them more.

So, what do you do?

Use websites in fear because you read a blog that told you certain things to look out for?

Operate under a blanket of fear where you focus on what NOT to do first?

Believe everything you hear and become a basket case?

NOOOO!

The best thing to do is to find answers for yourself!

I believe somewhere around 2001, when I was told by my first manager that if I did not audition for something, that they would 'ruin me', even though I was very ill at the time, that I realized it was time to stop listening and start learning for myself.

What happened next was my journey for knowledge. I wanted to know:

• How does the legal system work?
• Do people REALLY sue each other all the time, and what happens?
• Who is REALLY in charge of what happens to me?

This journey led me to work on Wall St in insurance, investigate fraud, legal claims etc. and 4 years later when I joined Voice123 as a talent, I had something I found not too many people had...an educated mind of my own and the knowledge to protect myself...and a backbone.

The truth is...

• People do try to sue, but it wastes more tax payers money than it does help those who sue. Many cases are thrown out of court.
• If you do get in legal trouble (not that it happened to me), you will not die.
• If someone threatens to 'ruin you', they are usually just trying to scare you. This is a very small world now with plenty of opportunity. NO ONE has the power to ruin another person.
• The Internet is not as scary or as vast as many think. In fact, when you get to know how it works, you actually see there are more honest people than there are 'pirates'. How do you deal with 'pirates'? The same way you beat any opponent in a sport...You learn their games and use it against them to protect yourself.
• The next time someone 'warns you', ask them, 'How do you know?'. If they tell you, 'Someone told me.', take a step back, think for yourself, and get real answers from those who know, not hear say. Maybe, tell them to stop watching too much Law & Order. Personally, I love the legal system. It is based on facts, but sadly many use it to threaten others.
  

So...the key to moving forward and working while the world warns you of impending doom...is to simply learn that there is no such thing as impending doom. Seek knowledge and listen to what you find.

Do not listen to those who 'warn you'. Listen to those who tell you things that have proven results. If it has not happened yet, there is no way to prove it is something to fear.

In fact...do not even listen to me...find this out for yourself! It would be hypocritical of me to say you should 'just listen to me!'.

"Insane Me..." Part II

It is 2:20Am, and I am taking a brief break from approving auditions on Voice123.com to tell you what happened last night.

Simply put, I approved auditions in a steady stream from 12AM until I finally fell asleep at 6AM. Yes, it finally happened. I fell asleep on the job...but someone came in an hour later to start the morning shift and woke me up. I did not miss much though.

I did handle a live chat from a Voice Seeker at 3:30am, who bluntly asked me, 'What are you doing up so late!?!?'. He was happy to have someone walk him through the process of hiring a Voice123 talent, which just felt good to be there for him.

Tonight, has been different. In just two hours, from 12am to 2am, I approved 8 projects. Oddly enough, the voice seekers were from New York City.

Go figure...the city that never sleeps! Post a project! I will be here!

Why am I doing this? I love it!

Insane me.

The Key Ingredient to Customer Service When You Sell a Product

There is a common misconception about customer service, that exists almost everywhere and many times it leads to the actual failure of a company or personal VO business, while working online. I have seen, read, and heard many make one common error while selling their voice as a product. They make this statement:

'You tell me what you want, and I will provide it for you.'

I will say first, that this is a common mistake I used to make myself, until I realized that buyers never know what they want, but they want people who know what they can sell. There are many reasons why asking the buyer to tell you what to do without offering a choice, is a bad thing especially when finding potential clients:

1. As the seller, you are supposed to know your product, better than anyone else. If they do not know you, and you state, 'Tell me what you want.', you actually create work for the client to figure out your product for you. They want someone who knows what they are selling, not someone who is not sure.
2. The buyer always wants to feel like the 'winner' in a deal. If you offer solid choice, and they say, 'Can you try something different?', you actually show more flexibility to change at their request, than to say, 'I am flexible. I can do anything.' First of all, no one believes one person can do everything these days anyway, and you want to make the buyer feel as if he shaped you into something to enjoy working with you.
3. Oddly enough, more choices confuses the buyer. Buyers want to feel that 'you know what they want', and even if you give them something they did not expect, but they enjoy it, they will feel you knew what they wanted. This makes you enjoyable to work with.
4. Less talking...show more talent, and that you mean business...then perform. This one is tough because it requires intelligent people to think like they are a piece of clay to be shaped into something. When it comes down to business, the buyer is not there to empower you to succeed. You are there to empower him/her to hire you.

Let me give you a few analogies to explain:

Imagine you want a can of soda, or a light snack. Do you go to a supermarket, or a convenience store? More than likely, a convenience store. Who needs 25 isles of products, when you only want one thing.

Imagine going into a fast food joint, where they do not offer 'meals by numbers'. You would have to search the full menu and do more work than the seller. SO, fast food places took common meals, and added numbers to them. Now, even if you dont want a meal by number, it is easier to say #13 than to spell out an entire meal.

Finally...the quote we think of at Voice123.com...

"If I asked people what they wanted, they would say faster horses" - Henry Ford

You see...as the 'developers', what makes for a better website is to recognize what is not working, what works, and observe how people feel about certain things. In this case, the path of least resistance, or the most simple of answers, actually never works...because what people want is not always very simple to figure out, and also...not every customer knows that what they want can actually be very bad.

After all the psycho-analyzing of what people want and what actually works for them, all a company can do is their very best to create a system that works, and makes the customers' lives easier, and tune it up when it does not.

The one X Factor in all of this is that people, by nature, never really know what they want until they experience it, yet once something is created it takes on a life of its own, so you can never tell what will happen next.

The key ingredient is then...be proactive and reactive to the needs of your customer. Show that you care enough to do the work for them, when needed.

Business is business.

'Insane Me...But You Never Know Til You Know' Pt. 1

The time is currently 2 AM, and the temperature outdoors is about 20 degrees. My apartment's heat has been on the fritz all week...and I tell you this because?

For the month of March, in an effort to see what it was really like to work graveyard shifts for a website, and hopefully attract new jobs for talents, I discovered many things that I have time to share with you now. If you see typos, it is because I am typing with gloves on.

So...why would I decide to do such a thing? Well...probably the same motivation that drove me to want to work for a website in the first place...'You never know what is happening, until you know.' That quest for knowledge, I am told by loved one's, is proof that I might be insane. I do not think so. I am just curious, and I do not like living a life where I expect things to be handed to me. Therefore, if I want answers, I burden no one and do it myself.

Sometimes, I get answers that leave me feeling satisfied, and proud I sought knowledge. Then there are times, like this week, where I find myself wondering 'ok...what was I thinking again?'. However, I never would have known this, until I tried. Maybe, the timing was all wrong. NYC got slammed with a snowstorm this week, and working from home is no fun when the heat breaks down. Cold, lonely, and quiet nights were not on the agenda when I planned this week. Let me tell you how this week has gone, so far:

• 3 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches
• 4 blankets
• 1 pair of gloves
• 1 winter ski mask

That was just to eat and stay warm...then for work:

• 8 approved projects between 12am and 8am
• 3 live chats taken at 5am from good folks in Melbourne, Australia, and the United Kingdom
• Caught up on much work I needed to, the very first night

Here is the part that I think Voice123 talents would find interesting:

• I approved only 8 projects, but between the hours of 12AM to 3AM, I have approved over 200 auditions each night.
  
• At 3AM, the traffic on the site goes dead for about 2 hours until 5AM. That is the toughest part of the night, and the time when I struggle most to stay awake.
• I guess I was very shocked to find out just how much auditioning goes on in the site, and from people in my own timezone, which is odd because the purpose of my experiment was to branch out into other timezones.
  
• Last night/morning at 4am, I took a chat from a voice seeker who lives in New Jersey, and wanted to send out thank you notes to everyone who auditioned to his project. Why this occurred to him at 4am? No idea.
  

The moral of this whole blog is to keep people updated on just how many things exist out there on the internet that we never could actually think about, until you do something a little insane and employ yourself to work in odd conditions to find answers because...you never know until you know.

I will update this blog again during the week.

One final thing I found out this week...

• I am young at heart, but my body is not. It needs rest to function productively. I do not think I can last a full month of this very experiment, I brought on myself. Oh well...at least now I know, and what fun is life if you don't try something new once in a while?
  

Insane me...

The Social Danger a Web Community Faces...

I have often noticed that the second a website becomes too popular, the users of the site for some odd reason, seem to believe their very popular website is no longer good for them. What they do not realize is that they are actually going through a very real, social experience that affects almost everyone:

Everyone likes to feel part of an exclusive community.

The fact that an exclusive community will not stay exclusive for very long, is the very danger many websites equally face, which has led to meteoric growth and collapse in a short period of time.

Take a metaphor, not web-related, and look at what it is like to be in an exclusive community, when it comes to a housing development:

• A new housing community is built. It has all sorts of new buildings and recreation areas. The kids will love it, and even better...YOU are one of the first few lucky families to move in first.
• You meet many new, great people and you think, 'I enjoy this. I feel important here. I think I will stay here a while!'.
• Then...the realty office realizes they are on to a good thing and decide to open the community up to more people.
• You say, 'So long!', to exclusivity. There are more people. There are more cars and businesses, and now, you feel like everyone else...nothing special...just part of a vast community of people, that in growing has somehow lost its roots and identity.
• So...you leave...and find a new community, and the whole process starts all over again.

Think of how this works, when it comes to websites. Belonging to a really good website indicates to a person that you were smart enough to join it. That makes you feel special, but when the word gets out, and many people decide to join for various reasons, the end result is that you are just like everyone else. No longer does one feel exclusive.

I state this to illustrate something that has happened to me over the past four years, when I actually began using websites to market myself, or in some cases, just find new work.

In 2005, I joined Myspace, which was initially intended (I think) to help people advertise themselves for the businesses that they ran. Although very effective, Myspace quickly became that website that 'everyone was using'. The minute you find yourself saying that about a website...chances are it has out-lived its usefulness. So...2 million friends, and one year later...another website soon came along that offered exclusivity that everyone wanted...Facebook.

Facebook, when I first started using it, was used by corporate types to network, and see who went to what college or had some sort of business degree. The usage of it was exclusive, and to me, somewhat intimidating at first. Sure, they have a 5,000 friend limit...but who really has that many friends anyway, and can remember all of them anyway. It seemed like a good idea to join because the community was new.

5000 emails and 10,000 'ignore' clicks later, I am finding that 'everyone is using it now', and quite honestly for things I am not sure are usueful. Do I need to know that my classmate from 2nd grade elementary school is poking someone I never heard before? Do I need to know 25 things about a person I have not seen since high school, and probably for a very good reason? Now, Facebook has grown so popular that I am not sure if it useful anymore. Yes, the exposure is great, but having my 4th grade class picture with my name tagged is more helpful because I lost many of my photo albums. So...now...everyone is doing it, and it has been difficult to manage.

What next?

Linkedin... I am enjoying this website. I really am, and I see all the positives about it, but what happens when this website becomes the next big thing? Most likely, it will get crowded til some web developer creates a copy and improves on all the things people complain about when a community gets crowded...be it no parking(metaphorically speaking), too many emails, or that nagging non-exclusive feeling.

There is also one other danger a web community faces... Becoming obsolete over night.

With that in mind...I just wonder about two things:

1. Will all websites in the future become 'Build it, then, take the money and run'?

2. Will all websites realize that the secret to longevity is to offer its users something that is useful for the long-term, which in turn means the website and the community must grow as quickly as people's opinions change, so that everyone knows they are special when they use their websites.

Just thoughts...as I get older...it gets more and more difficult to keep up with all the websites I belong to, and sometimes they come and go so quickly, I forget about them.

Regardless...even with my limited knowledge of developing...I still say websites that offer direct employment opportunity are the one's that will be around longer.

It must never be forgotten that 'people' are the driving force behind everything we see, do, and create in this world.