Security is one of the keys to having a successful eCommerce Web site. Forming a trusted relationship with your customer is important. Having great products is somewhere high on the list too, but I digress. A key component to eCommerce security is the SSL certificate. Without getting into the technical details, it verifies who you are doing business with online, and that any information passed from the client’s browser to the Web server is secured.

For many people, owners of Web sites and those who develop them, eCommerce is the only use for SSL certificates considered. However, in a time of increased identity theft and fraud, an expanded use of SSL certificates, and thus higher security, should be utilized for Web sites that may not engage in eCommerce, but capture information.

Take the example of the common “contact us” form. It consists of form fields asking for identifying information (e.g. name, email, phone) and commonly has a text box where the Web visitor can enter any text. The key word here is “any.” As the level of sophistication of Web users vary, someone may enter sensitive information on such a contact form, including a username/password combination or even a social security number. There is no way to know what they will enter and submit to you until they do so. Where you can put a message on a Web form strongly urging people not to enter sensitive information, this still does not prevent it from happening.

The contact form on the Dunkirk Systems, LLC Web site is secured with an SSL certificate. I did this for the reason above, plus as it is a service we offer, it in itself is a showcase example. In the past we delivered a similar solution for a mortgage company’s contact form, as they could get people submitting all sorts of sensitive information via the form, including social security numbers.

Take a look at your Web site, and take a look what people are submitting to you via the Web site. Adding a little extra security may make your normal business transactions into win-win situations.

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1 - Who are you, and what are you doing here?

I'm Tim Courtney, a Chicago-area (Wheaton) native who "grew up" on the Internet. I get excited when I see technology enabling people to connect in the real world on deeper, more diverse, and more meaningful levels.

Thus, I'm very interested in social technology and online communities that are changing the way we self-identify, select our associations, and interact in a face-to-face world. These trends are instituting large cultural shifts and we're just beginning to see the potential and the results.

To answer what I am doing; a few things. Most immediately, I'm co-organizing SocialDevCampChicago with Andy Angelos coming up on August 9th. It's a BarCamp-style unconference for people passionate about social networks, web applications, platform development, new media, identity management, and other related topics.

Through my employer XNet, I co-host Silicon Prairie Social; a popular tech networking event in the western suburbs. XNet is a a Lisle, IL-based boutique data center (colocation, dedicated, and managed servers), where I work and am responsible for marketing. We help frazzled IT people sleep at night, knowing their critical systems are in the hands of experts who are committed to the continuity, security, and growth of their businesses.

2 - You certainly are connecting people! What is an "unconference" either in general or how you see it and how you see SocialDevCampChicago unfolding?

An "unconference" is a conference where the attendees drive the discussion, and many times the discussion topics are decided at the event itself. SocialDevCamp Chicago is somewhat based on the BarCamp concept for unconferences. Here, we're allowing attendees to sign up for time slots for their presentations and panels, provided they fit one of two tracks: a Business & Culture track and a Technical track. We're also providing a Coding Lounge for people to relax and chat or code together.

Our goal with SocialDevCamp Chicago is to see people come away with a better grasp of the technologies and platforms driving web trends over the next few years, and be able to apply that knowledge directly to their pursuits; businesses, communities, causes, etc. We also hope attendees will come away with a better understanding of how social technologies are changing how people relate to and communicate with each other in their face-to-face relationships.

3 - Are you finding people are seeking to meet people to get to know more in person, or just more people to communicate with online?

With SocialDevCamp, I get the feeling that people want to come together in person and talk about their shared interest. Of the people I've talked to who are attending, they're coming to learn more about development and trends, while meeting people who are likeminded. I get the feeling they want to transfer online connections into in-person collaboration and relationships -- whether as partners, collaborators, customers, users, or even friends.

4 - What personal goals do you have for SocialDevCamp?

For several months, I've been thinking through how to apply the essential features behind social networks to niche interests such as my own interest in LEGO. I believe hobbies and interests can flourish if the online experience for users becomes an extension of everyday online activities. I'm looking to share some of these thoughts at SocialDevCamp and solicit feedback from other thinkers in the space.

5 - What have you been able to apply from your leading these events to your position at XNet?

SocialDevCampChicago really stems out of a personal interest in development of social technology. The three Silicon Prairie Social events, however, have had a direct tie-in to XNet. Arthur and I have used the Social events to build up the suburban technology community like many of the events in the city have done for downtown. As a result of rubbing shoulders with other service providers, integrators, and consultants at the Silicon Prairie Social, I've been able to take knowledge and insight of emerging trends back to XNet and shape the direction of what we'll offer in the future. We've also seen some promising partnerships begin to emerge from our involvement there.

6 - What is one question I did not ask, and what is its answer?

As a technology evangelist, what is your key focus?

When talking with others about technologies -- social or otherwise -- I really focus on design and usability. I've worked with developer groups over the years in open-source environments and seen the focus be on the software and the features. People use computers to accomplish personal and social ends, not to interact with technology out of its own right. Technology should be transparent if a platform or application is to reach as many users as possible. If you're looking to spread your idea via the web or via a social platform, make the interface intuitive to the user -- not to you or following a set of prescribed rules. For a better worded outline of the above, see this blog post by Aza Raskin summarizing the "Not the User's Fault" manifesto.

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The next likemind coffee will be Friday, August 15, 2008 in dozens of cities around the world. In Chicago, it will be at Gallery 37 Cafe, 66 E. Randolph, at the corner of Wabash in the Loop in the Gallery 37 building. Note the cafe opens right at 8.

I call likemind a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, et. al.

No RSVP is required but is always welcome, and you can by commenting to this post or at the likemind Chicago Facebook group.

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Whether you are in a big city or a small town, someone is trying to sell you something. And in many cases, it is something you already own. Marketers don’t mind this as much as it is reinforcing the sale. That is fine for broadcast media and billboards, but pointless and annoying when it is a direct sale, and the seller knows you have it, and they can’t sell you more of it.

My specific example of this is Washington Mutual Bank, which goes by WaMu now. I have been a very happy customer of theirs primarily because I have formed personal relationships with the management and staff at my local branch. Yes, you heard that right – a personal relationship with a bank! It never has happened to me before, and I hope it continues, but I digress. As a result of this personal relationship, I have remained a happy customer and have continued to do business with them.

Knowing the staff, I am spared sales pitches for services I already have. When I visit the branch for a transaction, an alert is presented to the staff to sell me on something, and in most all cases something I already have. They ignore the messages as they know me, and know our business relationship. Unfortunately I don’t have that luxury with WaMu’s online banking. Recently they began presenting a Web page right after I log in, selling me something. Most of the time they are selling me on a service I already have with them. There is no visible way to opt out of seeing these, not to mention the link to ignore it and move on is much, much smaller than the link to accept this needless pitch.

Annoyed by this, I sent a message to the bank via online banking, simply asking them why they are selling me on online bill pay when I already use it. I then got what I assume is an automated response instructing me how to enroll in online bill pay. Wrong! I then replied, asking if a human being read my original query. They then replied they were sorry they didn’t understand my question and to call them. Wrong again!

As WaMu is a large corporation, and I am a happy customer who tried to communicate with them, I am sharing this issue with the world. I am sure someone at their corporate headquarters has a Google Alert on the bank’s name and – hopefully – will read this. If so, awesome. If not, too bad for them. Unfortunately this is yet another example of a poor relationship model.

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