Disqus - Latest Comments for DowntownRob

Re: CloudFlare’s new WordPress plugin

DowntownRob — Fri, 27 Oct 2017 15:51:28 -0000

I can't get the plugin to accept my email/api key anymore. It's broke.

Re: Review: GrooveHQ’s ‘Free Forever’ Plan, not free forever

DowntownRob — Thu, 06 Apr 2017 15:07:55 -0000

It's now April 2017, and my "free forever" plan was for the 2nd time abruptly/without warning suspended, asking for a credit card # to unsuspend the account - all while having a support person scratching their head, our test customers feeling neglected while we work to get it resumed again. Last time, they promised they are implementing the forever free plan into the back-end, but clearly they are not, as from other's experiences, it's a "conversion" game to them - while it may convert well compared to an upfront and honest approach to pricing, it's a shameful, trust-breaking, bait-and-switch tactic that tarnishes a brand that can do better, but seems to refuse to, sticking it to potential customers for way too long.

I was piloting their free tier for a bit to work out implementation options, training and workflow implications, as well as budgeting for support tools and people. It takes time to work all that out, especially with other development and integration priorities. It's sad that a brand would not fix something so obviously broken.

Make it a free 30 day trial, and leave it at that (be honest), or make it a real free tier and advertise it as such (be honest), or meet halfway, advertise it as a free forever tier that requires a ticket every 60 days to keep it open, but provide a WARNING when the deadline is approaching (be honest about the process).

Sadly, I was about to make my recommendations on which system to use, and when I found the account suspended without warning again, I changed my recommendation. We'll be using HelpScout, since Groove's interface needs to be refreshed constantly and they have no native app (the web app is pretty horrible in real-world use).

Rob

Re: Ten Beginner CrossFit Workouts

DowntownRob — Sat, 19 Mar 2016 10:52:33 -0000

Love this intro into Crossfit, I have to give it a try. Barely sweating on an elliptical machine isn't cutting it these days... ;-)

Re: Welcome Bridget Willard as Marketing Manager at WordImpress

DowntownRob — Wed, 02 Dec 2015 00:59:28 -0000

Nice, congrats!

Re: Are WordPress Legal Battles Bad for WordPress Users?

DowntownRob — Thu, 06 Aug 2015 15:01:14 -0000

The Yablon issue is pretty simple, and Yablon will lose on all counts, IMHO.

The Pearson case(s) are completely different, and I think Pearson was playing with fire. He now gets to pay the price, whatever that turns out to be.

Matt (Automattic, WP Foundation, etc) are firing with both barrels legally now.When that happens, watch out - he could end up losing his somewhat generic one word trademark on a technicality (reminds me of the Windows/Lindows trademark issue, one that Microsoft ended up settling out of court over!), he def won't get that domain he wanted, and he may be, eventually, the one that forces Matt to take him to court over the GPL, to prove for once and for all that it's a real (not to be ignored) software license, with enforced contractual agreements binding the parties, and will figure out the hard way what the penalties end up being for blatantly violating the GPL. Dramatic, exciting stuff for everyone (but the one being penalized).

Re: Using Amazon SES to Send WordPress Emails

DowntownRob — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 14:03:23 -0000

Ah yep. Luckily, I'm grandfathered in, free for up to 12,000 emails a month. Yay.

Re: Go enters Candidate 2

DowntownRob — Fri, 05 Jun 2015 11:55:54 -0000

I've ignored the past posts talking about estimated ship dates and then delays, it's pretty typical with new electronics, especially in the mobile space. That said, I'm glad I hung in there, and will be receiving something that sounds thoroughly tested and very reliable. It's the perfect addition to my Battery Box for a true road warrior office, allowing me to work from almost anywhere I want.

Re: 5 WordPress Security Tips To Protect Your Website From Hackers

DowntownRob — Tue, 07 Apr 2015 11:19:14 -0000

I'd recommend checking on why a plugin was removed to determine if a switch needs to be made. If a plugin isn't regularly updated, I'd reconsider using it at all, especially security plugins. (All In One WP Security is still available and is the one I still use and recommend.)

Re: 10 WordPress Themes valued at $649 for just $39

DowntownRob — Thu, 22 Jan 2015 14:18:01 -0000

Oh I see it now, way down at the bottom. I'd fix that asap, I almost didn't buy! It should be right after the product details!

Re: 10 WordPress Themes valued at $649 for just $39

DowntownRob — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:17:46 -0000

There's no Buy button on mobile? I'm even logged in.

Re: Big Video Marketing On A Small Business Budget

DowntownRob — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 15:37:23 -0000

I really want to start a weekly WordPress video series, tips, tricks, tutorials, etc, but finding the time to do it is the hardest part...

Re: Great Design Meets Unbeatable Charging Speed & Portability + Free Shipping!

DowntownRob — Tue, 16 Sep 2014 09:55:20 -0000

Is this going to work with the latest version of iOS and not give a warning then not charge? I've yet to find a non-Apple cable that works.

Re: Sol Cal Vegan Market Coming to East Village

DowntownRob — Wed, 13 Aug 2014 14:17:08 -0000

Wow superb summary of all the new spots... do you mind if I make a bullet list with 2-3 photos on my site, and link over to this post on your site? I can set you as the author with a bio box as well if you like.

Re: Harbor Breakfast to Open This Week

DowntownRob — Thu, 31 Jul 2014 20:51:16 -0000

Nice post! I'm excited to eat there, I live around the corner and a block away. Let's meet up for lunch sometime?

Re: How to Optimize RSS to Display Featured Blog Images

DowntownRob — Mon, 19 May 2014 21:24:24 -0000

Hi Mark... yes you have to be very careful with the placement of the custom code... or it can break the site - but this post is from 2012, and there's now a plugin mentioned that does all this for you, so use it instead: http://brandswithfansblog.f...

Re: Five Photoshop Skills Every Social Media Manager Must Learn

DowntownRob — Tue, 25 Mar 2014 14:29:06 -0000

Great post for doing some Photoshop magic, I sure can use the help. ;-)

Re: How-to Use YouTube to Improve Local SEO

DowntownRob — Wed, 19 Mar 2014 13:09:59 -0000

YouTube's the #2 search engine, taking advantage of the unique niche that video is makes sense for so many brands, and this is a great list to make sure the videos are optimized when posted.

Re: Be First to Download Our NEW WordPress Featured Images In RSS Plugin

DowntownRob — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 20:24:23 -0000

So glad you like it. :-)

Re: Top 10 Social Media Blog Finalists 2014: This Week in Social Media

DowntownRob — Thu, 23 Jan 2014 00:57:35 -0000

Very nice to see Brands with Fans on the list of finalists, it's a great blog with so much social media-specific strategy and content marketing content. The judges are smart peeps, and I'm looking forward to the results. Looking forward to seeing you all at SMMW soon!

Re: Five Apps For Marketers On The Move

DowntownRob — Wed, 15 Jan 2014 15:19:26 -0000

I love the Mailbox app, it's similar to Boxer. I also recently switched to the Airmail app on my Mac, works so much faster than a web browser or what I was using before, Sparrow.

I'd also highly recommend the Sunrise calendar app, it's so much better than the native calendar app, but I will try Tempo right away as well.

My other often used apps include Asana (team task management), Chrome (better browsing and syncs bookmarks and tabs across devices), and Google Voice (transcribes voicemails).

Re: Snapchat Has Legs to Stand On, Even If It Disappears in 10 Seconds

DowntownRob — Mon, 25 Nov 2013 01:11:59 -0000

Snapchat is popular for fairly specific use cases, and among a younger demographic, sure, but there's limitations there whereas most other new platforms like Instagram, Vine, or even Path have open-ended uses determined by the user. If Snapchat evolves, adding at least a feedback loop, maybe disappearing text option like BurnNote, then it may mature into something beyond what limited use it has today. That's to be determined, and the folks behind it have a closing window of opportunity before it becomes the next FriendFeed or MySpace.

Re: Be First to Download Our NEW WordPress Featured Images In RSS Plugin

DowntownRob — Tue, 19 Nov 2013 19:16:37 -0000

Hi Junior, I am not sure I saw your email, can you resend it through the plugin contact link?

Re: Interview With Trent Dyrsmid: Successful Digital Marketing & the Power of Automation

DowntownRob — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 20:05:17 -0000

Content is king, and niche is the kingdom. Great thoughts on a variety of topics useful in today's digital marketing.

Re: Be First to Download Our NEW WordPress Featured Images In RSS Plugin

DowntownRob — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:15:31 -0000

Always check the raw feed first, and see if the images show up there. Contact me using the link in the plugin and we can troubleshoot further.

Re: Be First to Download Our NEW WordPress Featured Images In RSS Plugin

DowntownRob — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 14:14:17 -0000

Hi Brandon, I checked the raw feed, and don't see the images in the RSS code. Contact me using the link in the plugin, and I'm sure we can work out what's going on.