The Why and How of Google Alerts

It is just about every day that I tell an attorney that he or she should track what’s being said on the Internet with regard to him/herself, their law firm, their main clients, their competition, etc. It’s really easy, I tell them. Just set up a Google Alert. And then I get the blank stare. So today, I sent a client a link to an excellent article by Adam McFarland on Pandia called Using Google Alerts for Intelligence Gathering. It’s easy to read, easy to follow, and provides the why and how for setting up Google Alerts.

Forbes Top 25 Web Celebs...

Forbes compiled this year’s list by looking at a “Web Celeb” as a person famous primarily for creating or appearing in Internet-based content, and for being highly recognizable to a Web-based audience. From the candidate list of 200 Web celebrities each candidate was ranked in five areas:1. Web references as calculated by Google 2. traffic ranking of their home page as calculated by Alexa3. Technorati rank of their primary Web site or blog4. TV/radio mentions and press clips compiled from Factiva5. bonus points if ‘Web Celeb’ regularly published their own videoblog or podcast. For the full list, go to
http://www.boxofficepsychics.com/?p=864

Apple iPhone & AT&T vs. Google gPhone & Verizon

The iPhone made a grand entrance and splash in the consumer product industry in 2007. Since AT&T was the only U.S. carrier able to capitalize on this successful product, it has left a bitter taste in many mobile carriers’ mouth; Verizon Wireless being one of them.

Google recognizes the disdain of many mobile carriers and is looking at Verizon Wireless to help make a splash in the wireless industry. Reuters.com reported that current Analysis analyst Avi Greengart stated, “If Google is going to make a splash, it’s going to have to say (to operators) ‘offer our phones and we’ll share the revenue’.”

If Google truly believes that a long key factor of their growth is in the wireless market, making concessions with America’s large mobile companies is a must. Although Google and Verizon are amidst talks of putting Google applications on Verizon phones, they still have many obstacles to overcome.

Being a Verizon Wireless customer myself, I would love to get a phone equivalent to an iPhone. Word on the street is that Google doesn’t offer much of a financial return for prospective mobile carriers, so I am afraid my dreams will have to be put aside for the moment.

How do you feel about an “all inclusive” phone put out by Google? Do you think it would be as successful as the iPhone and which Google applications do you think would be available?

If you want more information, check out Reuters.com

Keeping Up With the Blog Conversation

Here are some tools to help you keep up with the conversation on blogs. These are tools you can use now to track what’s being said about you, your industry, your company and your competitors:

Ice Rocket (www.icerocket.com)
Blog digger (www.blogdigger.com)
Blog Hop (www.bloghop.com)
Plazoo (www.plazoo.com)
Feedster (www.feedster.com)
Google Alerts (www.google.com/alerts)

Consumer Technology: Office Winner or Woe?

Consumer technologies vamp up the daily lives of many people; from blackberries to iPhones, AOL Instant Messenger to Google chat. These products and applications provide a twist: an expeditious and more productive approach to modern communications.

Certain questions arise in my head: does the self-empowerment that these consumer products give to the average person create a longing to have those same amenities in the workplace and does this longing of technological tools make it acceptable to bring into the workplace?

Josh Holbrook, the author of a new study conducted by the research firm the Yankee Group, tells the Wall Street Journal that, “86% of corporate employees say that they use at least one consumer-oriented tech tool that isn’t supported by the IT department,” even when the, “IT groups at many companies try their hardest to keep these tools out of the office.”

Why are employees giving an unspoken voice to consumer tech products in the workplace? Holbrook believes that consumers are much more innovative than the business world and quite frankly, I agree. According to Holbrook’s study, so do more than half of the participants, stating that, “that they would be more productive at work if they had access to all the technology that they could use at home.”

Playing devil’s advocate now, I understand that the need for security is at an all time high in the 21st century. I applaud valiant efforts by businesses to protect their workers and believe policies and procedures should be upheld.

At the end of the day it is important for both sides to understand one major thing; to need to create and establish a win-win environment- where corporations maintain productivity and employees have access to their personal gadgets. With some creative and knowledgeable heads put together, I am sure a compromise on both ends can lead toward a more productive, efficient, and profitable end.

AVVO Is a Crock of Shite

Have you heard of Avvo yet? It’s a website that ranks lawyers across the country and as far as I’m concerned, it is a terrible tool for consumers to rely on!

According Mike Gunderloy of the Web Worker Daily, Avvo lists all the lawyers in the country and rates them on a 1 to 10 scale. Gunderloy says, "The rating algorithm is (shades of Google) proprietary and secret, but takes into account things like years of experience, published articles, professional memberships, and so on. It also takes into account information supplied by lawyers themselves, such as awards they’ve received, and endorsements from one lawyer to another."

A lawsuit was filed by two attorneys, John Henry Browne and Alan Wenokur of Washington State, who argue that the Avvo system is "unreliable, subject to manipulation, biased, and inaccurate, and so generally bad that it needs to be shut down." I absolutely agree.

According to Robert J. Ambrogi of Inside Opinions: Legal Blogs, Scott Graham, editor-in-chief of The Recorder in San Francisco and Cal Law, at the blog Legal Pad has called the site a “crock” and outlined several examples where reputable lawyers were given poor or mediocre scores despite solid reputations.

In my opinion, what “makes a good attorney” cannot be quantified by years of experience, published articles and professional memberships. I’ve seen many veteran lawyers get disciplined and even disbarred because of sheer laziness, cockiness, and brazen disregard for their obligations to the bench and bar. I’ve also read plenty of terrible “published” articles written by attorneys, and know hundreds of lawyers willing to pay dues to many associations who never show up or get involved.

A good attorney is one who knows how to work within her client’s personal boundaries, meet deadlines, communicate effectively with co-counsel, opposing counsel, the judiciary, jurors, witnesses, experts and especially her clients, strategize on the best outcome for her client and get the job done justly. And wasn’t that why most of us went to law school in the first place: to seek and defend justice . . . .

"Does Your Name Google Well"

According to Kevin J. Delaney of the Wall Street Journal, "You're a Nobody Unless Your Name Googles Well." This article tells all about how "Abigail L. Garvey Wilson Emerges From Obscurity and details the Millions of John Smiths. It's a must read for individuals and corporations alike who are trying to break through the clutter of digital media. When was the last time you Googled your company name or your own name?