We never get this from our clients when it comes to their online marketing initiatives…never! Happy Friday!
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All posts by Robert Payne
Ponce Inlet
As Hurricane Bertha spun a course up the Atlantic, waves along the East Coast grew in size and changed what otherwise has been a fairly flat summer in Florida. Surf reports were calling for good conditions, and with a high pressure hovering over the state, the likelihood that it would be glassy was high.
Check out my video below.
Clean, overhead waves were a welcomed sight as we pulled onto the beach at Ponce Inlet – yes, you can drive on the beach. In fact, it was the conclusion for Daytona Beach racing, and the place where land speed records were broken several times in the early 1900s. The beach has diminished in size since those early days, but it still offers enough room for the Oneill bus to get up and down it. They got out of there just in time, however, because I saw several people return to their cars at high tide only to discover their wheels had sunk in the sand and were stuck.
This is a trick in Photoshop called, “Glowing Edges:”
My friend, Tim and I are two working stiffs who spend way too much time in the office. Nevertheless, we quickly made our way out into the lineup pausing only for a moment to remark upon the surprisingly cold temperature of the water. In between waves we spotted dolphins and did our best to keep our position against the northern course of the current. Fortunately, we had a good landmark.
The Ponce de Leon Inlet Lighthouse, which was built in the late 1800s, has long served as a marker for many mariners. In fact, it was this very lighthouse that guided author Stephen Crane to shore after 30 hours at sea and was the model for the fictional lighthouse described in “The Open Boat.” 175 feet of red brick make the Ponce Inlet Lighthouse the tallest one in Florida.
There are a few distinct surf spots as you move north away from the jetty. As you might expect, the furthest break outside is along the jetty with the remaining peaks breaking progressively closer to the beach. The best time to surf Ponce is low to incoming, but any tide works. At high tide the waves tend to be mushy outside and then reform inside as shore break.
Ponce Inlet is a great spot, but be aware that it does get pretty crowded. Situated between Daytona and New Smyrna, and directly east of Orlando, means there is a fair population of people in close proximity. In my opinion, there are many lesser known breaks in Florida that are just as good. But regardless, it is always fun to check out a new place, and Ponce Inlet is definitely worth a visit when the surf is up.
Flash vs Flex
These days I’d be surprised to find a person in charge of a company’s marketing who didn’t know the pros and cons of Flash. (Even though I still come across websites built entirely in Flash, which is awful for search engine optimization). However, I’m not sure they would necessarily know the benefits of Flex and how it relates to Flash. Let’s take a closer look.
Flash
Flash is great for designers who are looking to create graphics and animation. They can building everything from the ground up to create:
- Visually stunning web pages with capabilities for intermixing rich media such as video, graphics, and animation.
- Interactivity that is persuasive and creates a positive user experience.
- Flexibility for use in many different business applications.
- Extensibility for use in different platforms and devices.
- Small file sizes for quick initialization and load times.
Asynchronous Flash and XML give you greater control over applications, and it can also be used to trigger additional interactions, launch supporting communication channels like email or sms text messages, and store valuable data for reporting and analysis.
Early on, Flash presented many positive use cases but faced significant hurdles dealing with compatibility and lack of installs amongst personal computers. These days 98% of computers have Flash installed, and it works seamlessly with a variety of different programming languages and devices. Furthermore, recent news from Google reports they have made significant steps towards improved Flash indexing for search engine optimization (SEO).
Now enter Flex.
Flex
Think of Flex as Flash for web developers. Instead of using it for visual design, Flex is better suited for business applications that require data manipulation and visualization. It has more components than Flash for achieving this, and the resounding feedback from our Technical Services team is that it is much faster and easier to use. Flex can integrate into any database or work with any web programming language. Flex is a framework for Flash, so you can build something in Flash and then export it as a Flex application. It will work with Mac or Windows, so you don’t have to create separate versions to work on both.
Part of the framework of Flex is that it gives you a lot of different libraries that are at your disposal. For example, Flex easily consumes RSS and XML to parse the feed to display whatever information is needed. This is great for something like a widget where you would want it to check for the most recent information to display.
Sound complicated? Here are a couple of use cases to give you a better idea.
Kiosks
One of the ways Twelve Horses has been using Flex is for Kiosk interfaces. It works very well for getting things to work like.
- Touchscreen Technology
- Text to Speech
- Ticket Scanning
- Credit Card Scanning
- Printing
- Braille and ADA Compliance
Flex also works well for the backend management of the Kiosk. You can check the status of the Kiosk, as well as update it with new content from anywhere in the world. Because all of the interactions with the Kiosk are fed into a database, you can also use it to run reports based on customer behavior and total sales generated.
Project Management
Because Flex does a great job of visualizing data, it works really well for running visual reports like Gannt Charts and graphs related to new business, productivity, status, resource forecasting, profitability analysis, and so on. Combine this with the Salesforce.com toolkit for Flex, and now you can pull data through their API for any object in Salesforce.com. Ordinarily you have to build all those functions into the application, but instead it is done for you. Combine Flex with Adobe Air, and now you have a desktop application that is easily deployed across the entire organization to facilitate everything from time entry to new business opportunities.
As you can see, Flex is another great tool in our quiver of programming languages and frameworks to pull from. It is fast, flexible, and capable of being customized for a variety of different business applications. Contact us to find out how we can further integrate your online marketing endeavors with Flex.
CAN-SPAM Updates Go Into Effect Today
For those engaged in or planning to implement email marketing campaigns, please be advised that new rule provisions pertaining to the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003 (CAN-SPAM) go into effect today. Twelve Horses recommends consulting with your own legal counsel to determine how these rules specifically impact your email campaigns. However, we would like to provide you with some more information. Below is a summary of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) approved rules.
(1) an e-mail recipient cannot be required to pay a fee, provide information other than his or her e-mail address and opt-out preferences, or take any steps other than sending a reply e-mail message or visiting a single Internet Web page to opt out of receiving future e-mail from a sender; (2) the definition of “sender” was modified to make it easier to determine which of multiple parties advertising in a single e-mail message is responsible for complying with the Act’s opt-out requirements; (3) a “sender” of commercial e-mail can include an accurately-registered post office box or private mailbox established under United States Postal Service regulations to satisfy the Act’s requirement that a commercial e-mail display a “valid physical postal address”; and (4) a definition of the term “person” was added to clarify that CAN-SPAM’s obligations are not limited to natural persons.
How does this effect you?
As long as you are sending permission-based emails, and your opt-out pages are in compliance, you have very little to worry about. The 10-day mandatory opt-out requirement is still in place, and the Commission determined not to “designate additional ‘aggravated violations’ under the Act.” But you need to be sure you are in compliance. Here is some more information as it applies to the above provisions.
- The first provision deals with Unsubscribe Requirements. If you require your customers to visit more than one web page or enter a password to unsubscribe from your email list then you are not in compliance. In addition, a recipient cannot be required to provide anything other than their email address. This means you cannot ask for their physical mailing address or request a fee.
- The second provision addresses the Definition of a Sender. If your company engages in affiliate marketing and sends email campaigns representing more than one brand, there must be a designated lead marketer. In other words, whomever is listed in the “From” line is the designated sender and the one who manages the unsubscribes. Agencies who send email campaigns on behalf of their clients or partners should also pay careful attention to this.
- The third provision is fairly minor but indicates that you can now list a PO Box as a valid physical address.
- The fourth provision clarifies the definition of a “Person.” The FTC has made it clear that no organization, association, group, or non-profit is exempt from the rules under CAN-SPAM.
The FTC also made it clear that the same rules apply to any “Forward-to-a-Friend” action. Furthermore, there has been clarification of “transactional or relationship message(s).” If a customer unsubscribes from your list, this applies to any additional email that is ever sent from your brand in the future. This means making sure your data is clean and synchronized and replicated across all departments within the organization.
Hopefully this helps you take the proper course of action regarding your email marketing endeavors. If you need any assistance with your email campaigns and/or the management of your data please feel free to Contact Us.
Attack of the Manatees
It is amusing how we humans tend to diminish the intensity of an animal’s true power in order to feel we are at one with them. Snuggly little stuffed bears, ball bouncing killer whales, and the basis for much of what is Disney attempt to break down the barriers between hand and claw. Aren’t they cute? But it is only as real as the choice between you, me, or them. It is survival, plain and simple. The only caveat being we seem to have the upper hand. It is up to us to decide what we want to live, and what we want to die.
Florida Manatees
For the time being, we have decided to allow enough room for 3,000 or so Florida manatees to navigate boat propellers, pollution, and encroachment to their habitat. Even when they do find a brief respite, they are assaulted by the very humans that have been generous enough to give them some room to breathe. Imagine snorkel-breathing animal enthusiasts hell-bent upon stroking the backs of innocent manatees no matter the cost. I tell you all of this only because of guilt. I recently became one of those humans who was directly responsible for infringing upon the manatees’ way of life.
On a recent sea kayaking trip out to Egmont Key, I realized through simple observation that quite a few manatees find their way up the waterways behind the island of Fort de Soto. I followed a few as they moved to deeper water with the outgoing tide, each of them displaying propeller scars on their backs as a right of passage. I tried to keep some distance, but they would often approach my sea kayak curious to see if I was something more. I tried to shoot video footage of these docile creatures, but they often surfaced and submerged before I could get anything worthwhile.
I decided to return the following weekend to see if I could capture any more video for the archives.
You Will Not Believe What Happened To Me
Almost immediately upon arriving to Fort de Soto the sky unleashed. The normally placid surface of the Gulf of Mexico turned angry and the palm trees braced against the wind. The rain beat down upon the hoods of countless cars making their way across the bridge to the dry, air conditioned safety of their Tampa Bay homes. I sat and waited. I was happy to see the earth wash itself clean of people even if for a little while.
Soon the sky cleared, and I slowly unpacked my gear and prepared for a paddle out into the Gulf. The sun beat down, and the water was slick and steamy. No one was around except for an apathetic raccoon snacking on mollusks alongside the river bank. All was quiet except for the occasional breach of air given off by distant manatees.
I saw several manatees surface a few yards away from me and then quickly disappear. I was floating quietly in the shallows when a baby appeared under the boat. I fumbled for the camera, but it was gone before I was ready. The water was murky from the rain, so I could not anticipate where they would surface next. I decided to take a less proactive approach and fished for a while in hopes they would we find me. After a while I grew tired of the attentive gnats and the disregarding fish. I decided to call it a day.
I was paddling back to my car when a rather large manatee surfaced to my left. Without thought I instantly reached my left paddle blade into the water and placed a hard brace to stop myself. I thought, maybe I could get some video footage after all? Instead, this motion immediately set off a chain of events that I am still amazed by. The manatee abruptly arced its entire body through the water kicking up a sizeable wake. It began to buck wildly, thrusting its tail out of the water as it moved quickly towards me.
Have you ever been in a situation where you curiously marveled in fear at the brute force of an animal? As the manatee’s tail came closer and closer to me I wondered if it would knock me unconscious. I did the only thing that I could do which was paddle. I began stroking like I was poised above the tallest waterfall, for that is exactly what it looked like. The water was frothed and white like a river rapid, and just as I began to pick up momentum my entire body and kayak were lifted from the water.
My sea kayak surprisingly came down right side up; although, it was filled halfway with water. I was totally drenched but naturally ecstatic to see everything was okay. I could not believe what had happened. Weren’t manatees supposed to be gentle creatures?
Because the water was clouded by the rain, I will never know exactly what happened. However, I am fairly positive that I disturbed a pair of adult manatees that were safeguarding an infant. The baby would explain the defensive behavior, and the incredible amount of agitation in the water would point to more than one manatee. Even in the moment of action, I am quite sure I felt at least two bodies push underneath me. The tide was going out, and I must have cornered them in a fairly confining space. My only other explanation is that dolphins somehow got mixed up in the melee.
I am humbled by the parents’ protective display. Manatees do not have fangs or claws, but they do have the will to survive and take care of their own. You or me would have done the same if a threatening stranger had come into our house. Next time, I will remember my place.
If you can shed any more light on what exactly happened please feel free to leave a comment.