A civil debate has been hovering around the blog world for some time about whether full or partial blog feeds are preferred.

What am I talking about you may say? If, for example, you subscribe to The Hot Iron, you are subscribing to the feed of my blog. A feed is merely a file with the contents of each post. Your feed reader scans this feed file, and if there is something new, it is presented to you. If you subscribe to it by email, then you will get an email message when something new is written.

The full vs. partial debate relates to how much of what is written in a blog post goes into the feed file. For The Hot Iron, I use the full feed, so if you see one of my posts in your feed reader or email inbox, it is the complete text and images of what I wrote. If I had a partial feed, you may see the first paragraph or two, and a link back to the Web site to read the entire post.

I choose full feeds as I believe they work to the advantage of the writer and reader. A full feed is a standalone piece, and if it is forwarded to someone they see the entire thought and message. The reader gains as they have everything at once and if the introductory content does not entice them, they may not read it all, where if it is all in front of them, there is a better chance they will read it. My reader of choice is Google Reader Mobile on my Treo smartphone, and here I will see the entire feed formatted nicely on my mobile browser, where if I have to click a link to read more, the Web site that will load most likely will not format well on the small screen. For those who are visually impaired, they have the same benefit of reading the entire post in a reader that is best suited to them, where the resulting Web site may not be.

Using partial feeds requires the reader to view your Web site. I see the justification for that as you can better present your brand and other content, and of course advertising. Where this is an easy way to get people to your site, if this is your goal I recommend wording your posts and adding links that will get people to your site. You may publish separate posts for this reason. You can also add a footer or signature to your posts for this purpose.

Darren Rowse of Problogger has a poll and discussion on full vs. partial feeds and I invite you to participate. I am interested in reading both sides of this debate, though I doubt I will be convinced to change from using full feeds for myself or my clients. I also welcome the discussion here as well, after you read the full feed or course.

Technology • (6) Comments • Permalink

The next likemind coffee will be next Friday, September 21 in dozens of cities around the world. In Chicago, it will be at Intelligentsia Coffee, 53 E. Randolph, at the corner of Wabash.

I call likemind it a gathering of creative-minded people, from various disciplines including Internet, advertising, art, et. al. Coffee is free, provided by your gracious host Clay on behalf of Anomaly.

Business • (0) Comments • Permalink

You don’t have to walk far into any bookstore today to see a myriad of books about making money and getting rich. Where some of these publications give a unique perspective, some are merely reiterating timeless advice on money and wealth. This became more evident when I read Art of Money Getting, published in 1880 by an iconic businessman.

P.T. Barnum name is recognized in the full name of the Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus. He was a businessman and showman whose entertainment was billed as “the greatest show on Earth” a phrase that still is popular today. He published several books in his life as a way to promote himself and his entertainment offerings. Art of Getting Money was one of them, and it is a quick read that offers very practical information about living life and earning, saving and spending money.

My biggest take-away from the book was how appropriate in 2007 Barnum’s advice is. For example, the chapter titled “Advertise Your Business” not only applies today, but today’s media, including online advertising. The name of the title speaks loudly of getting directly to your point without any fluff. For someone of Barnum’s reputation, he uses many quotes from famous people from Benjamin Franklin to Goethe to reinforce his statements and points. If this book was a Web site, it would be full of hyperlinks!

I recommend reading Art of Getting Money. It is a quick read that packs a lot of useful information is a confident tone. The book has attitude, and could be compared to The 4-Hour Workweek or any book written by Donald Trump. Now that would be a good pair to get in a room, P.T, Barnum and Donald Trump, but I digress.

Of note is how I read this book. I read the book over a series of email messages from DailyLit, a service that delivery many public-domain books in this manner. For this book, it was distributed over 26 emails. It will automatically send one email a day, or you can request the next message sent once you read the first one. Check out the site, as it is a unique and quality service.

Book Take-Aways • Diversions • (4) Comments • Permalink

It is hard to think it has been 6 years since the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and what could have been of the plane that crashed in Pennsylvania. I was sitting in my office in Boston’s Back Bay, in the shadows of the city’s second tallest building, where a few miles away the 2 planes that were hijacked and flown into the World Trade Center originated.

Information slowly came in what had happened and I tried to bring up news Web sites, but as everybody else was trying to do the same, every Web site for CNN and FOX News to the Boston Globe were unresponsive. I then called and emailed friends who work in Manhattan, some I heard from right away, some I did not. As the story of a small plane hitting one of the towers changed to both towers being hit by jet aircraft, we were told to go home. I called friends and family in Boston and, due to a reason I don’t recall why I drove to work that day, I gave several people a ride out of the city. As I sat and stared at the TV the rest of the day from home, I connected with friends and family near and far.

As much as we can prepare for all that life throws at us, things happen that we are not prepared for at all or happen in a way that we could have never anticipated. So we react, and hopefully learn from it and let it affect how we prepare for the future. We never forget what happened, and in turn help those who didn’t experience it themselves to understand and learn as well.

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This is from The Hot Iron, a journal on business and technology by Mike Maddaloni.

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Once again, I miss another date to send something, but in this case it’s not for a relative’s birthday. BlogDay was last Friday, August 31, and you can read about BlogDay here.

As I missed contacting 5 people – and nobody contacted me – here’s some link love for 5 blogs I enjoy reading on a regular basis.

The Lobby – Yes, this is a corporate blog operated by Starwood Hotels, but it gives great tips on vacation destinations and things to do in those areas. They have a team of great writers that give good, light-hearted information on different spots around the globe.

PSFK Trend – They cover international products, services, events and trends from a marketing perspective. This is another blog that has helped expand my mind about what is out there.

The Patriot Act – Surprisingly, it’s hard to get deep insight into what the New England Patriots are doing in the Chicago market. As I am not going to subject myself to the blowhard writers for the Boston newspapers, this blog helps fill the gap.

Spoofee – This is more of a feed from their forums, but as I have gotten some great deals on purchases they have mentioned, they get a mention here.

The Jeff Pulver Blog – The guru on voice over IP writes much on entrepreneurship and I always find it insightful and very relevant. Plus he throws great parties!

Technology • (4) Comments • Permalink