Earlier this year Chicago was all abuzz when the city was designated the US applicant city for the 2016 Summer Olympics. After a head-to-head battle with Los Angeles, the US Olympic committee voted and selected the Windy City to compete against several cities from around the world to host the international event. The final decision by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) will be made in 2009.

A rally was held in Chicago the Monday after the decision was made, and then the buzz seemed to die. Other than a few stories about venue locations and the need for the Chicago bid logo to change (it had a torch in it, which violated Olympic branding rules, and the new logo is shown here), there was no news or events surrounding the bid until the recent international boxing event. But other than a parade through the city, unless you were a boxing fan, you probably weren’t involved.

There’s about a year and a half between now and when the IOC makes its choice for the host city. I am sure there are many tasks and activities going on in the background that are not public and do not need to be. Posters with the new logo just started appearing on ad space in the downtown Loop area. But the buzz and excitement of getting such an event, even if it is 9 years away, just isn’t here.

So how can I help get the Games to Chicago? I have blogged about the Olympics before. I also created my own custom return address labels with the logo on them, though I have no idea if that is in violation of some trademark usage rules. I have this feeling that there’s more that the common resident could do, especially with the potential economic impact to the city.

For a city that prides itself on being a center for advertising and marketing, more must be done to engage the people of Chicago in the city’s bid to get the 2016 Olympics. Otherwise, when the few messages that hit the public come out, they may not get the reception they require, let alone stir the soul.

Business • (2) Comments • Permalink

Today, November 2, domain name powerhouse NameMedia Inc. announced it filed for an initial public offering worth up to US$173 Million. Shares of NameMedia will be listed on the NASDAQ market under the ticker ‘NAME.’ This is big news for the domain name industry, as NameMedia is one of the largest players with BuyDomains as well as recent announcements of their launch of Gardens.com and acquisition of Photo.net.

It is also big news for the Boston area technology market, as NameMedia is located in Waltham, Mass., the home of many technology giants over the years, including Polaroid and Lycos. Waltham for centuries has been a center for pioneering advances in industry, including the Waltham watch, Metz automobile and bicycle, the invention of the microwave oven at Raytheon. In recent decades Waltham and the entire Route 128 corridor that cuts through it was called America’s Technology Highway, only second to the Silicon Valley. After the dot-com bust many biotech firms replaced the offices of tech companies.

Good luck to NameMedia on their IPO filing, the next generation of innovators to line the highway immortalized in “Roadrunner” by Jonathan Richman and the Modern Lovers!

Business • Domain Names • (2) Comments • Permalink

A petition was recently filed with the Federal Communications (FCC) by Gail Mortenson, a freelance writer who abruptly had her AOL account terminated, and as a result her email address was no longer valid. She has claimed this has been a detriment to her business, a point nobody could argue with. Changing your email address can be a painful process. As it is so easy to give out your email address, you can never know who may try to email you after you have changed your address and no longer have the old address.

The need to change an email address usually comes when you change jobs or change Internet providers. For the former, using a personal email address will eliminate missing personal communications. And with regards to the personal email address, I have written before that you should own your own domain name to ensure you always receive your personal email and not rely to your detriment on the email provider, whether it’s Hotmail, GMail, etc., as you do not have full control over your email address.

Mandating by law Internet and email providers to forward email may be good and straightforward in theory; however it will not work on several fronts. First there is the issue of email traffic and bandwidth, which comes at a cost to the provider and would likely be passed on to customers. Where some could see this as a vital service, I see it more as a value-added optional service, something providers could charge money for – something I am surprised they haven’t been doing all the long, especially with people leaving AOL in droves! I also disagree with the analogy to forwarding physical, US Mail, as I can tell you personally that this does not always work!

The best way to handle this is to register your own domain name and have your email go to an address at the name. A domain name is portable and separate from your Internet provider. You could choose to have an email alias or a mailbox. The flexibility is there for a small amount of cost, much less than what I would assume a provider would charge for email forwarding.

Naturally when I saw this story I checked if the domain name gailmortenson.com was registered. It is and appears to be in the name of an Internet provider in Maryland, near where Ms. Mortenson lives. Maybe she read The Hot Iron previously and decided to make the right move?

Domain Names • Technology • (2) Comments • Permalink

Diversions • (2) Comments • Permalink

I have about a dozen outstanding invitations for people to join my LinkedIn circle. Each time I invite someone new to join the social networking Web site, I usually get asked what it is and why they should join. Rather than re-forward that information every time, I will present it here. I also welcome your feedback and suggestions for this personal frequently asked questions, or FAQ, for LinkedIn.

What is LinkedIn?

LinkedIn is a Web-based application in the category of a social network. Members can create and maintain a profile as detailed or minimal as they wish, and it can be said the more detailed it is, the more it resembles a resume or CV. You can invite people to be linked into your circle, and as a result you are indirectly linked to people in their circle, similar to the concept of six-degrees of separation (or Kevin Bacon). You can search for these connections and request to contact them, post to and answer questions from the community of members, and write recommendations of members.

What is a social network, and aren’t all networks social?

All networks should be social! Here is a definition of social networking from WikiPedia, and I will leave it to you to read it and make your own conclusion.

How do you use LinkedIn?

I have a rather detailed professional profile on myself, as my LinkedIn profile returns a result high on the list for a search on my name and my business in the search engines. I have reconnected with many people over the years of using it. But primarily I use it to keep people at “arm’s length” to see where they are and what they are doing. When logged in, the home page is a great resource as it shows people in your circle who have changed their profile or added new people to their own circles.

What do you see as the strengths of LinkedIn?

Its strengths are in its home page (as mentioned above), a professional format and layout and the number of people using it.

What do you see as the drawbacks of LinkedIn?

As compared to other social networks, LinkedIn is a little stuffy. Just recently they allowed people to add an 80 pixel square photo of themselves, where photos are the hallmark of all social networks. If you want to connect with someone in someone else’s circle, the request has to be passed along from person-to-person. Why not just let people choose if they want to receive these connections directly, as I myself have always passed along a request. It is also limiting in how you can reference other non-work activities and Web links.

There is a paid version of LinkedIn, do you use it?

No. It only allows you to contact more people, and since I don’t contact many people indirectly it is not worth it to me.

How many people are in your LinkedIn circle?

As of October 23, 2007 I have 236 contacts.

I already belong to enough services and have too many logins, why should I sign up for this?

LinkedIn is currently the primary networking service for business – if you want to network for business, you should create a free account. By doing so you can claim your name, as they allow you to create a custom URL to your profile page, such as my own, http://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemaddaloni. Plus more and more people are joining LinkedIn daily.

Can I join your LinkedIn circle?

Sure, just ask!

Business • Technology • (5) Comments • Permalink