ericstromberg.org

Facebook Permissions Done Right

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 18:44:00 -0400

I wish more apps handled Facebook Permissions like this. This example comes from gtrot.

Step 1: Click to get started. Notice the clear messaging that they will never post to your wall or contact your friends unexpectedly. Zynga has trained users to expect apps to spam their friends. Anecdotally, I’ve heard clear messaging increases FB connect conversion rates by up to 50%.

Step 2: Ask for the Facebook permissions you’d ideally like to get from the user. It doesn’t hurt to ask.

Step 3: If the user denies access or closes the screen they get a popover option to customize their permissions. Let them remove what they don’t feel comfortable giving away. And, its probably a good idea to remind the user - “WE WILL NOT SPAM.”

Step 4: Connect with the updated permissions. This is great. You just signed up a user who would have otherwise left the site and never come back. Well done!

First time I’ve noticed someone on twitter buy the search...

Mon, 10 Oct 2011 16:25:00 -0400

First time I’ve noticed someone on twitter buy the search term for a competitor’s name (note that they’ve bought both the tweet and people result).

I’ve never seen this before - You can enter your email...

Thu, 06 Oct 2011 13:34:00 -0400

I’ve never seen this before - You can enter your email address directly into the paid ad on the search results page.

Some serious swag from His Airness.

Fri, 30 Sep 2011 17:23:53 -0400

Some serious swag from His Airness.

Innovative and efficient way to serve food at a restaurant (at...

Sun, 13 Jun 2010 18:29:00 -0400

Innovative and efficient way to serve food at a restaurant (at Wasabi Sushi in Tyson’s Corner Mall).

"Banks Loaning Money to Startups does not Create Jobs. One of the keys to failure in starting a..."

Wed, 09 Jun 2010 11:33:00 -0400

“Banks Loaning Money to Startups does not Create Jobs. One of the keys to failure in starting a business is borrowing startup funds. Why ? Because startups never work on a schedule and loans always have to be paid back on schedule. It’s a huge mistake to borrow money from a bank to get a business going, yet our politicians seem to think that more bank lending to startups is a key to creating new jobs. It’s not. In fact, banks are smart enough to realize that unless they can pawn the loan onto someone else, like the Small Business Association, there is no good reason to loan a startup money. Bank loans to startups are job killers, not creators.”

- Mark Cuban in Some Notes to Congress on the Economy

Jeff Bezos 1997 Letter to Amazon Shareholders

Mon, 31 May 2010 21:30:52 -0400

Jeff Bezos 1997 Letter to Amazon Shareholders:

Interesting that in 1997 Bezos was thinking about personalization, and presumably recommendations (see the second paragraph on the first page).

The only way I can stop my mac screen from fading….

Wed, 05 May 2010 01:49:07 -0400

The only way I can stop my mac screen from fading….