meJoe.com

Ben Gremillion, Web designer, teacher and programmer. The father of Web standards in San Antonio.

I recently met Ben after he emailed me, having found my contact info from an obscure site known as meetup.com. Apparently a search for San Antonio Web Standards united us.

Ben teaches at San Antonio College and has worked with Clear Channel Communications, Altex and numerous other well known organizations.

He contacted me with an inquiry about Web standards and the masters programs at UTSA. The fate twisting only gets bigger. I teach at SAC's sister school, Northwest Vista College, am interested in Web standards and would like to complete my masters in the near future. This common interest sparked me to invite him to lunch some time. We traded photos briefly via our Web sites. I visited his site, looked over his CSS Zen Gardenesque resume and learned about his job at Clear Channel.

Years ago I met a student of his that showed me Web standards. Web standards? I thought I didn't need no Web standards.

Hence, the father.

If you've seen the Holy Grail 20 times and built cities with Legos, you'll love this…

Parody of Monty Python's “Holy Grail”, using Lego characters http://www.alym.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/archive/montypythonlg.mov.

There is all kinds of funny stuff at The Heap. Check out the archive.

Convio, a company that provided technology services to the Dean Campaign, has written a white paper, “Using the Internet to Raise Funds and Mobilize Supporters: Lessons Nonprofits can Learn from the Dean For America Campaign”.

The file can be downloaded from http://www.convio.com/site/PageServer?pagename=DeanForAmericaCase.

The white paper contains several bulleted lessons for Nonprofits, including, "Seven Approaches for Online Success". The seven approaches are:

1. Create an online presence that encourages registration.
   Basically a Web site that allows users to sign up for a mailing list, then emailing them consistently, encouraging them to forward the message.
2. Give Constituents a voice.
   The Dean campaign site has forums, blogs, surveys, polls and petitions, in addition to regularly updated content.
3. Create a sense of shared identity.
   In line with the 2nd approach, make members feel apart of the cause through regular engaged communication.
4. Give constituents access to staff members.
   This is something that has always rhymed well with me. Knowing there is a face behind the Web page humanizes the message. This access could also make you feel like you are working together with paid staffers.
5. Create a context in which supporters can participate.
   This is probably not the favorite of managers. A sense of urgency and reason to regularly visit the site multiple times a day. A quick fund raising goal for example.
6. Give feedback.
   Give a donation, hear what your contribution accomplished.
7. Leverage volunteers as fundraisers.
   Through "Team Leaders ", the Dean campaign raises money through numerous volunteers.

Finally, check out meetup.com, a site where you can leave a message and specifically find other individuals interested in your topic/field. Dean's Campaign uses this service to connect with supporters all over the country, check out some of the Deam meetup venues (lots of photos).

Sadly, our vacation ended a week ago. I'm recovering in style though…

An interesting tidbit has been stuck in my had the last couple of days. Years back during my dedicated swimming days, my coach always emphasized the importance of breaking bad habits by wearing them out with good ones for 21 days. Apparently human bodies needs about 21 days to break old neuronic connections and form new ones.

I have been on vacation exactly 3 weeks.

Luckily, my new laptop is a great motivator. I think I've managed to cut the three weeks of lazy vacation habits down to 3 days, a truly marvelous display of mind over matter. In fact, this could truly be an incredible break through in management science! Want to motivate your employees after that long 3 day weekend? Buy them all laptops!

But seriously, I was looking forward to the daily rhythm (I was starting to get fat on vacation).

I'll post photos from our vacation one of these days.