Dan Perry

Digging through my Flickr stats for yesterday, I found that my pictures of Cantigny golf course had already been spidered, and were ranking. I also noticed something else which was much more interesting.

Specifically, someone had typed in the term “cantigny golf course in illinois“, and my Flickr account was appearing in the 2nd and 3rd position. Here’s a shot of the 2nd result.

The important thing to note is that there is a TITLE to the image above it (Cantigny Golf Course, Wheaton, Illinois) and a description beneath it (Picture of the 4th tee sign on the Lakeside Nine, Cantigny Golf in Wheaton, Illinois.)

Here’s the interesting part. In the Google SERP, it displayed BOTH of these. Here’s a screenshot of the listing:

As you can see, the TITLE of the image is showing in the TITLE of the result, and the Description of the image appears underneath it.

Taking this one step further, I could maximize my Description, so it was more keyword-rich, and more “clickable”.

So get out there and start maximizing your images on Flickr! You know you want to.

Everyone has a story on how they got started in this industry, so I’d like to share mine; here goes.

In the spring of 1998 I was wallowing in a go-nowhere job (think Homer Simpson, but more boring) that paid much more than it probably should have. This is an important point, because it was enough money (based on the low cost of living at the time) to make up for the crappy position. I worked 12-hour shifts on a regular basis, where I might be on my feet for just over an hour or two (like I said, classic Homer).

Great pay but no intellectual outlet, so I started reading on a grand scale. I’d go to the public library and check out every book they had on topics like personal finance, stocks, marketing, business top 100, etc. I probably checked out a thousand books over a 5 year period. When it came to magazines, I was allowed to check out 10 at a time, and I did. I checked out every back issue of Golf Digest they had, going back to the 70’s.

I also became a huge fan of an online golf game called “Links LS” by Access Software (later acquired by Microsoft). At the time, this was THE online golf game, hands down. I’d play in online ladder games for hours on end.

I became such a big fan that I started writing articles about game play, theories on match play strategy based on golf course, spreadsheets on alternate shot strategies based on individual players’ strengths and weaknesses, etc. That’s right; total geek, and I absolutely loved it. I needed a web site to post my findings, so I could graduate to the next level of geekdom.

In May of 1998, I reserved my name (danperry.com) at Network Solutions (the only Registrar at the time). Sadly, I didn’t foresee the economic value of the internet, and didn’t reserve another domain for a matter of months (most old-schoolers know what I mean). Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

I taught myself basic HTML, and skipped over all versions of Microsoft FrontPage, jumping straight into Homesite and eventually Dreamweaver. Most of the development nerds that played my golf game shunned those that used FrontPage, therefore making it a non-option. I struggled through it, and generated my first website.

It went through multiple iterations. As I felt more comfortable with basic HTML, I started branching off into JavaScript, DHTML, etc., trying all the new, fun stuff as it became available. I was a member of the Links LS webring (like I said, old-school), did interviews of the better players, and continued to generate content related to the game. Eventually, my site was so popular in my little niche that Microsoft sent me goody bags on a regular basis (logo balls, tees, etc.)

My content-generating skills were pretty high, but my pure design skills were very minimal. At the time (we may be creeping into 1999 now) there weren’t any “online marketers” or “SEO’s”. The terms didn’t exist, but I was interested enough and confident enough that I decided to try to do what I loved; combine the internet and the game of golf, so I started an online design business for the golf industry. The domain was purchased in November of 1998, and I was officially open for business in early 1999. I had the world by the short ones, was going to kick butt, take names, never look back, ad nauseum. Then reality set in.

At the time, most of the decision makers in the golf industry were in their 60’s and 70’s (at least the ones I spoke to), and they all believed this “internet thing” was a fad. Trying to sell web design businesses to these guys was like selling long-term care insurance to a senior in high school. It just didn’t happen.

Frustrated, but by no means throwing in the towel, I spoke with my Director of Golf at my local golf club (much younger than most), and convinced him he should get a site. The deal was that I’d design a website, get it live and update it, and swap the work for the cost of my golf membership for the season. Although not money in my pocket, it was money saved, and it was a start; my first client (kind of)!

The site was live (with JavaScript rollovers, thank you very much) just in time for the 2000 golf season. The client was happy, I had a year of free golf, and I now had a reference. Now it would be easy to generate additional work, right? Ouch. Even with a good reference (whom I stay in touch with to this day), it was still a very tough sell. I was at the end of my rope, and then it happened.

I searched for a term like “Michigan golf” (or something like that) in the browser of choice at the time (Netscape), and low and behold the site I built was ranking in the top 10! Never had I been so proud. It was at this point that the light bulb went off. Ranking in the search engines may actually be valuable to someone someday.

I didn’t waste any time. I started reading everything I could on internet marketing. Danny Sullivan’s early stuff and Dr. Ralph Wilson were basically the only games in town, and I absorbed them like a sponge.

From Danny Sullivan’s Flickr page

Instead of checking books out at the library, I spent money on printer ink (B&W, of course), and printed out enough to satiate my reading needs at work. Anything and everything; every old copy of Danny’s and Ralph’s newsletters, every forum thread that looked interesting, etc. Hundreds and hundreds of single-space, small Arial font pages of content at a time. I was on a mission. To where, I wasn’t sure, but I was definitely on a mission.

Then it hit me; instead of trying to sell web design services to all these golf courses and golf companies, how about if I build a portal for golf, catering to the club professional? That way, when they search for golf-related items, they may find my site, click through, be impressed (OK pipe dream, but still), and become a client. So I did it. I built a site for the golf industry that I’d use for lead generation.

By this time, I was basically done playing online games; this was business. I started building the site with no aspirations for it generating revenue; just to provide leads. I did generate some spotty business from time to time, but it definitely wasn’t enough to support my family. It was clearly a side gig.

I pressed on, generating content, starting a monthly newsletter, reprinting press releases, etc. Google started paying attention, and started loving it. I started ranking for some very generic golf terms (in the top 5 for “golf jobs”, “golf industry”, “golf range”, “golf clubs”, etc.) Lots of traffic, but little business. Interesting, but not in a money kind of way.

Then I had another idea. As of this point, I listed all golf companies in their respective category alphabetically, for free. Why not give them the option to “rise to the top” of the listings for a fee? And so it went, and it did OK, but nothing impressive. Then I added some Amazon links, and did OK with that too (a few hundred/month, definitely less than $1000/month). I was now at about $600-$700/month from the site, free and clear. Nice little hobby, but that was about it. Then I turned AdSense on and it all changed.

Not wanting to go into too much detail, I can comfortably say that at its peak, I was making several thousand dollars/month from Adsense. Then I did what a lot of people did; I got greedy. I started piling on affiliate programs, building out pages for products, over-exposing Amazon affiliate links, etc. It worked for about 6-9 months, and then, overnight, my monthly earnings went from a few thousand to a few hundred. The value in this lesson cannot be overstated. You don’t know where the edge of the cliff is until you fall off, and I fell hard, never to recover.

By now I had built enough personal experience in the game, and built enough of a personal brand (although nobody was talking about this online) that I was contacted by a head-hunter. I was offered a position as an in-house marketer in the Chicago suburbs. Personally and professionally, it couldn’t have been better timing. I packed my stuff, and moved, and have been in the Chicago suburbs ever since.

The knowledge I gained by taking the initiative proved invaluable in my future (and current) work. Knowing some of the tricks affiliates use; knowing how to hand-code HTML; understanding the value of solid site architecture; riding the algorithm shifts up and down. All of this builds a certain level of confidence in the craft (not arrogance; two completely different things). I think I carried that confidence into my interview, and into every conversation that I’ve had about online marketing since then. Nothing breeds confidence like experience, and it was the one thing I had in spades.

And that’s how I got started in SEO. Now it’s your turn. How did you get started?

Consider creating a blog post about how you got started in the industry. Then, leave a comment below with a link to it. Of course, I won’t be disappointed if you decide to link to this article as an example. Forever a marketer, right?

I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. What a long, strange trip indeed.

Reading through David Berkowitz’ MediaPost article on the new Yahoo! SearchMonkey App, I decided to give it a spin, and see what it could do for me. I agree with his conclusions (feel free to read at will), but wanted to see the value, if any.

I installed the necessary app for LinkedIn, and took screenshots of my profile while logged in to Yahoo! and then when logged out. Here’s the difference:

Logged in:

and logged out:

As you can see, the enhanced listing shows much more, including Industry, Current, Skills (yes, they are mad), and Connections. In addition, it also adds a small LinkedIn icon next to the URL. Nice little touch. Finally, it’s MUCH larger, and takes up more on-screen real estate than the original, making it stand out. I like it, and considering it took about 45 seconds to enable this, it’s a no-brainer in my book.

There are also many Yahoo!-specific enhancements, and others from Yelp, StumbleUpon and Flickr (for now). Check them all out at the Yahoo! Search Gallery.

Whisper Creek Golf Club is about a 45 minute drive north from where I live, but easily worth the trip. It’s right in the center of a Del Webb community, made up of single story retiree homes to larger, family homes. The benefit of this type of facility is that it is master planned, so the homes don’t really get in the way of the golf.

Since it was planned from the ground up, the flow of the course is also quite impressive. You drop your clubs at the bag drop, and take them to your cart (or someone helps you). You step in side to pay, and when you step outside, you’re immediately facing the driving range, with a snack bar and a very large putting green to you left. After picking up a coffee at the snack bar, you can hit a few balls on the range, and move your cart about 10 yards to the putting green. After warming up the putter, you drive about another 15 yards to the starter, and finally end up on the first hole. This gentle, relaxed flow is noticeable, and the perfect way to start the round.

The course starts with a gentle par 4 (or so it seems). The prevailing wind is left to right (and the day we played, it was significant). The only issue that arises is if you slice a little, and the wind takes it to the right side of the fairway. It borders the driving range, so pay close attention to the ball before you hit it! This also leaves a tough approach to the green, forcing you to go over a bunker.

The 4th hole is a great design, and I’m actually glad that they decided to leave the large trees on the left side intact. It may have been very easy to remove them, but it adds a layer of difficulty to the hole that could’ve easily been avoided (good for you, Whisper Creek designer!) The tee shot is crucial; you have to be on the right side of the fairway to have any sort of an approach to the green. In addition, there’s water bordering the right side of the fairway, very tall grass on the right, and a creek running through the fairway ¾ of the way to the green. Like I said, it is very tough. In the following picture, the green is behind the group of tall trees in the middle.

Just before reaching the 5th tee, one of the two (plus the halfway house) on-course restrooms is available. I often play golf with my wife, and have come to understand the value of clean, permanent facilities on the golf course, and Whisper Creek Golf Course is no slouch. The restrooms were clean and abundant (3 total through 18 holes). At times, this is the decision-maker as to what course we’ll be playing. Good job Del Webb! Here’s a picture of the facility, with my Dad and wife screwing around in front of it.

The 8th hole is one of the more interesting par 5’s I’ve seen. It’s plenty long (616 from the tips), but most of the distance is after the tee shot. To make it easier to understand, here’s a shot of the tee sign.

So the tee shot may only be 250 or so before you run out of fairway (and it tapers at the end, so don’t push it), making this a definite three shot par 5. The second shot should be all about placement, and the third should be precise, as the green is surrounded by trouble. Par here is great.

As you make the turn, you’ll have the opportunity of stopping at the halfway house (which is the same as the snack bar mentioned earlier.) The restrooms are very clean, and the snack options are expected. There’s also room to sit outside after your round and have a snack, and watch golfers pass by and the players on the range.

The tenth hole is a pretty straight-forward par 4 with bunkers lining the right side, and a few trees on the left. If you drive it a reasonable distance, be sure that it stays in the fairway. The right side turns into a very wicked hanging lie, making it tough to land on the green (spoken from experience.)

The 15th is a par 5 that is easily one of the toughest to par (for me at least). It’s tough to describe the abundance of trouble on this hole, so here’s a shot of the tee sign, for reference:

It is almost impossible to clear the water on the tee shot, so plan on laying up but remember, the fairway slopes down to the water, so take one or two less on the tee shot (tough to do on a par 5, but you’ll thank me later.) The second shot is best placed left of the bunkers, but the fairway gets very thin in the preferred landing spot, so decide if you’d rather risk a shot and have 100 yards in, or have 150-160, and lay up before the bunkers. If you look at the image, there are bunkers on three sides of the green, so a crisp shot is required.

One of the best things about playing golf is the opportunity to see wildlife, and Whisper Creek is no exception. Here’s a shot taken from behind the 16th green. I love this stuff.

The golf course finishes on a par 5 that works its way back to the clubhouse. Again, the fairway is cut into sections, requiring a second with a carry over water. Here’s what my second shot looked like.

As long as you stay out of trouble on your tee shot, the second over water isn’t too difficult. The fairway is fat enough that you’re allowed to pick a distance for your third without too much trouble. Don’t leave your approach to the green short; you’ll end up in the bunker like I did. At least it made for a pretty, final picture.

The pace of play was very good, and we finished in 4 ½ hours, which is very acceptable, especially for a Saturday morning. In addition, they don’t have permanent tee times on Saturday mornings yet (although they may be going that direction very soon), so it’s one of the few quality courses you can call on a Wednesday afternoon and still get a decent tee time for Saturday morning. Finally, if you watch their web site on a regular basis, they usually keep the “coupons” section updated, so always check prior to making a tee time.

I’m sure I’ll be playing this course again in the future, because it’s always a challenge (with or without the wind), the price is very reasonable based on the quality of the facilities and greens, and it’s relatively close to my house. Give it a shot, and let me know what you think in the comments.

Other Illinois Golf Course Reviews:

Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois
Makray Memorial Golf Club, Barrington, Illinois
Cantigny Golf Course, Wheaton, Illinois
Big Run Golf Club, Lockport, Illinois
Foxford Hills Golf Club, Cary, Illinois
Harborside International Golf, Port Course, Chicago, Illinois
Highland Woods Golf Course, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Poplar Creek Country Club, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
The General Golf Course, Eagle Ridge Resort, Galena, Illinois
North Course, Eagle Ridge Resort, Galena, Illinois

Return to the Golf Course Reviews Homepage.

Kate and I visited Eagle Ridge Resort in Galena, Illinois in May of 2007. We played the three 18 hole layouts, and I thought they all held their own, but clearly the gem of the three is The General.

The General has four sets of tees, but doesn’t use the standard red-white-blue style of naming them. Here, they use 1, 2, 3 or 4 stars (get it, 4-star general? Not bad).

The course starts off easy enough (or one would think). The first is a downhill par 4, with a pretty receptive green. Just don’t be long (which, of course, is easy to do on a downhill hole). The green drops off, and will force you to struggle for a par.

The 4^th hole is not a long hole, by any means (376 from the tips), but there is lots of trouble on either side of the fairway, requiring accuracy over length. The approach is pretty easy, as long as you don’t go left. Trust me, it’s a near-death experience (I know; I went left).

At the 5^th tee, there is a restroom facility. As most of you may know, ever since I started golfing with my wife, I’ve grown a new sense of appreciation for decent on-course facilities, and The General is up to par here. Very nice and clean.

The 6^th hole is a great par 5, and really provides a wonderful view of most of the front 9 when you get on the green. It is potentially reachable in two, but the green is pretty small, and there’s water up the entire right side.

The 9^th comes straight back to the clubhouse (as expected). The tee shot is key here; be on the left side of the fairway if you can. There is some foliage on the right which may hinder your shot. There is also a bunker right in front of the green, making anything on the right of a green tough to stick. A par here is all good.

Making the turn, and playing the uphill tenth, you come to the 11^th, a great par 3 that is all carry. The green isn’t necessarily small, but it isn’t large by any means. There are no bailout areas, making this a tough par if you miss the green.

The 13^th is a long, full par 4 (442 from tips, and even 423 from the 3-star tees), with a slight dogleg to the left. Try to cut as much off at the corner as you can. Once you get to your approach, you’ll see the sky just open up behind the green. It really is a great spot, and the next hole is even more interesting.

By looking at the tee sign, the par 4 14^th actually looks pretty short (only 357 from the tips)… Until you see the magnificent 180 foot drop from the tees to the fairway (reminded me of the 13th at the Arthur Hills Golf Course at Boyne). It’s one of those holes where you feel like you can drive it a mile. It’s easily one of my favorite holes on the course (and actually on the entire Eagle Ridge Resort property). Enjoy the view, but be careful; there’s water to the right near the landing zone, and it’s easy to miss it with such a spectacular view.

The 17^th is another strong hole, mainly because the tee shot and approach are both fully uphill. It plays to 407 yards from the tips, but is easily 40-50 yards more because of the slope. It also had an “island” fairway, that is actually pretty thin. A par here is like a birdie.

The finishing hole is a par 5, with a split fairway near the final half of the hole. I favored the right side, mainly because it’s a little fatter. With the split fairway, it does allow the opportunity to try to go for it in two, without too much recourse for an errant shot.

All in all, we absolutely loved the golf at Eagle Ridge, especially the General. That being said, we were less than impressed with the resort itself, for a number of reasons. If we were to do it again, we’d stay off property and play the three courses again.

Other Illinois Golf Course Reviews:

North Course, Eagle Ridge Resort, Galena, Illinois
Medinah Country Club, Medinah, Illinois
Harborside International Golf, Port Course, Chicago, Illinois
Makray Memorial Golf Club, Barrington, Illinois
Big Run Golf Club, Lockport, Illinois
Foxford Hills Golf Club, Cary, Illinois
Highland Woods Golf Course, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Poplar Creek Country Club, Hoffman Estates, Illinois
Cantigny Golf Course, Wheaton, Illinois
Whisper Creek Golf Club, Huntley, Illinois

Return to the Golf Course Reviews Homepage.

I’ve had the pleasure of playing the River Course 4 times (to date). The first was on my honeymoon (Kate and I played all 4 courses at Kohler), then we came back for our anniversary and played again, then we brought her parents up for Memorial Day weekend, and I played it twice; once with her Dad, and again with her. It’s the only course at Blackwolf Run (and at Kohler) that’ I’ve played more than twice. The reason is that it is easily my favorite course of the four.

My first tip is to play the correct set of tees. I’m fine from the blues, but when I played with my father-in-law (who’s 70), he decided he could too. I suggested the whites, but he said he’d be fine, so off we went. The worst part of playing the wrong tees is this: He would have a great drive, really catch the ball pure… and still not make the fairway. It’s a tremendous blow to the psyche, and honestly ruined the round for him. Heed my advice.

Every time we’ve played the River course, we’ve seen fisherman in the river, and this time was no exception. As we teed off on the first hole (the only true “reachable” par 5), there was a fly fisherman in the river on the left. They were also behind the tee on the 2nd hole. It seems, regardless of the time of year, there is always some type of fish “running”, and it’s always nice to see. It actually adds a level of calm to the round. Of course, it’s a calm before the storm, as you’ll see.

The first and second holes are pretty tame, but don’t be fooled; this is a Pete Dye design. The third hole is named “Gotcha”, and is the #1 handicap hole on the River course. The tee shot is fairly open, but the approach gets tighter and tighter to a small green surrounded by lots of trouble. In addition, there is a deep bunker that borders most of the right side of the fairway. Don’t be a hero on this hole; the River course is all about restraint. A hybrid off the tee is sufficient, trust me.

The 4th hole is called “Swan Lake”, but should be called “Gutshot”, especially if you play a draw, like me. All water on the right, and when I played, the pin was back right too. Of course, being the sucker I am, I went for it and just missed, taking a 5 on the hole. There is room for bailing out on the left side of the green, although not really visible from the tee.

Taking a cart on this course comes in handy, because the distance between the 4th green and fifth tee is pretty long. Not a mile or anything, but definitely made for a cart.

The fifth hole is easily one of my favorite holes. The best part is that as you approach in your cart, you can’t see the fairway until you get out, grab a club, and walk towards the tee (kind of like on the 14th tee at the Arthur Hills Golf Course at Boyne). Then almost surprisingly, the hole opens up, and it’s one of those experiences that is hard to explain to a non-golfer. The wide open fairway… the trouble spots… the beauty of the river itself, and the outstanding view. It all comes together to make you happy you’re a golfer.

Making you’re way around the front 9, the eighth is another great par 5. Lots of room to the left, but if you hit it a little right, it may not be OB. You could be pleasantly surprised from the extreme slope of the right-hand side of the fairway. The tee shot is a little daunting though; take a look.

There is a split fairway for the second half of this par 5, so choose your path wisely. My advice – don’t even consider going for it in two. The green is small, and there is no room behind it; it drops off to the river. Making par here is something to be rewarded. Luckily, the on-course halfway-house is between the 8th green and 9th tee.

Although I didn’t take a picture of it (the reason escapes me; I take pictures of everything, ask my wife), the halfway house is impressive. Every bathroom is clean, and all the fixtures are Kohler (obviously). It’s also full of brats, dogs, beer and cigars, as expected.

The 9th is another pure Pete Dye hole, called Cathedral Spires. The smart play (trust me, I’ve tried both smart and dumb plays here), is to hit an iron or hybrid to the left. There is a very thin strip of fairway that borders the water, and honestly the green is potentially reachable (only 316 from the blues). Don’t succumb to Pete’s trickery! Par is good all day long on this course. Take them when you can.

The 11th is another one of my favorite holes (I think I have 4 total) on the River Course at Blackwolf Run. It bends around the Sheboygan River, making it a definite three shot par 5. The tough choice is the second shot. If (and that’s a big IF) you hit the fairway on your tee shot, you’ll need to decide how much of the hole to cut off. Again… play it safe! A par here is like a birdie anywhere else. Here’s a view of the second shot. The green isn’t even viewable, but it’s on the far right.

Here’s the view from the green looking back towards the fairway, and the bend around the River. Like I said, play it safe. You’ll thank me later.

The par three 13th hole is called Tall Timber for good reason; there are huge trees on the left side. Add that to the fact that the prevailing wind blows left-to-right, and there’s water bordering the right side of the hole, and you have yourself one of the toughest par 3’s in Wisconsin. You’re draw better be on. If you play a fade, play a ground fade.

The 16th is another favorite. It reminds me a little of the 5th, where the hole just opens up, and slaps you in the face with its beauty, but be warned; it’s a vile temptress indeed.

After the tee shot, the hole is downhill to a green that is perched about 20 feet above the river. Again, this may sound repetitious, but don’t even try going for it in two. A par here is something to write home about. Here’s the view of your second shot, should you decide to go for it.

Oh, and if you do decide to go for it, here’s a shot of the bunker behind the green. Remember, you’ll be hitting up and out of this, and there’s a 20 foot drop-off from the green to the Sheboygan River. Not a very enviable position.

The finishing hole is pure Pete Dye, and apply named “Dyehard”. Lots of sand on the left, complete with plenty of railroad ties, a signature of Pete that is seen on every golf course at Kohler. The green doubles as the 18th green for the Meadows Valley course as well, so when you see two flags sticking out of it, be sure to aim for the closer one.

As you can see by the picture above, the clubhouse is above the 18th green, and has a restaurant (with a great outdoor deck) and a separate bar for drinks or snacks after your round. I strongly recommend taking the time (either before or after the round) to enjoy a meal and/or a drink here. This is easily one of the most peaceful places on the course, and you get the added advantage of seeing folks hit their final approach shot on two different courses into the same green. Here’s the view from the restaurant:

And finally, here’s the inside of the restaurant portion, with my wife and her parents on the left. We had the place to ourselves!

The River Course at Blackwolf Run may not be the hardest of the four Kohler courses (I think Whistling Straits has that honor), but it is impressively scenic, with a number of distinctive, inspiring holes that make you glad you’re a golfer. Because of the personal history I have with this course (honeymooned here, in-laws, etc.), I would have to say it is my favorite golf course in the country. I’ve played many, but this course is in some way “personal” to me, and that’s the biggest compliment I can give it.

To sum up my advice: Play it, but play it safe.

View the complete set of pictures from the River Course at Blackwolf Run on my Flickr page.

Other Wisconsin Golf Course Reviews:

The Bull at Pinehurst Farms, Sheboygan Falls, Wisconsin
Irish Course, Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin

Return to the Golf Course Reviews Homepage.

I logged into my Flickr account this morning and had a new comment on one of my pictures from the WSJ Small Business blog. It read:

Fantastic. The Wall Street Journal’s blog on small business used this to illustrate a post about schmoozing clients — with credit and link back to this page.

The article is about finding new ways to schmooze clients, and they used a picture of mine that I took at Sandpiper Golf Club in Santa Barbara.

How exciting is that? A lot!

I’m not attending SMX Social in Long Beach, California, but a lot of my friends on Twitter are, so I get all the scoop/opinions in real time.

It seems like Rand Fishkin, known for being a strong speaker (I thought he was the few times I’ve seen him speak), seems to really have stubbed his toe at this conference. Here are three comments I read, all within a minute of each other:

Smx - rand fishburn needs a few less tangents and a little more focus

and

I think Rand is on drugs. He’s full of tangents and making little sense. Someone send Mystery Guest to come collect him.

and

@smx @randfish is entertaining, but missing the gist with all his witty pop cultural asides

Ouch.

The point: Thanks to Twitter, not only the people in the room are watching and judging, but every follower of those people are as well. Personally, I’m not sure if it’s good or bad. Thoughts?

UPDATE: Per Kevin Heisler’s comment below, none of the three tweets above were direct messages. I apologize for not remembering who the first one came from, but the second is from Lisa Barone and the third from David Berkowitz. Since they weren’t private messages, and were available to anyone following them, I don’t see a reason to conceal the identities.

I originally didn’t post the names because I didn’t want to start a personal attack; I thought the conversation around the comments was much more important (and potentially interesting) than the comments themselves.

For what it’s worth, I think both comments are true to the authors: Lisa’s comment sounds exactly like her; truthful, in a fun way. Read any blog post she’s ever written, and you’ll see they follow the same style.

David’s is very relevant, truthful, and even considerate. He added the @smx so whomever is running that account could see his thoughts as well. In my opinion, that’s pretty admirable. A truthful, unbiased, real-time review, conveyed in a professional manner. Nothing wrong with that.

My wife was reviewing our phone bill, and noticed a couple of suspect charges. Neither of us had any idea what they were for. Of course, this did not make us happy, so we drafted an email to AT&T Customer Support that read:

I have fraudulent charges listed on my bill from Crappy Company and Crappier Company for services I did not request. I want them removed from my bill immediately.

Also, I would like to know why a well-respected company like AT&T would allow a 3rd party to add non-AT&T charges to their billing.

Thank you.

Less than a day later, we received the following response:

Thank you for your request for a credit from Crappy Company and Crappier Company. I am sorry that you were charged for services that you did not authorize. I understand how frustrating this can be. I will be happy to contact these companies for you.

I had been able to speak with both companies. I have two different solutions. The charge from Crappy Company will be removed. Below, I have explained how to handle this situation. The charge from Crappier Company will be credited by that company.

I had been able to speak with Crappy Company to have them cancel the service and credit your account in full. I have noted your account regarding a pending credit from Crappy Company in the amount of $25.90 plus tax. The charge had been $12.95. There had been a second charge for next month that had been sent. This is the reason for the credit being $25.90. This credit will take up to two billing cycles (60 days) to post to your account. If you have not yet received your credit after you receive your June statement, please email us for
further assistance. You may subtract $25.90 from your current balance due.

We recommend that you stay in touch with both AT&T and the service provider to ensure that the pending claim is resolved and that the credit has posted to your account.

In regard to the charge by Crappier Company for $14.95, I have removed these charges from your bill in the amount of $16.07. I have contacted them about the charges but they would not speak to me. Please contact them to cancel the service and dispute the charge. I have removed the charge from your AT&T bill. Please keep in mind that Crappier Company may pursue collection of the charges directly from you.

Crappier Company has requested that AT&T refer customers directly to them for any questions on this section of the bill. Their customer service number is 800-WE-R-CRAP.

As a note, AT&T has no authority or jurisdiction over the billing practices, rates or adjustments of other service providers. Any questions or disputes on the charges billed by companies other than AT&T should be directed to those service providers for resolution.

Ms. Perry, if I can be of any further assistance, please reply directly to this email.

Thank you for using AT&T. We appreciate your business.

Regards,

Steven
Your AT&T Customer Service Representative

Easily the most thorough, impressive and speedy response (less than 1 business day) that I’ve ever received from a company of this size. Considering that blogs are often used for bitching about bad customer service (raises hand), I thought it right to praise a job well done.

Thanks AT&T. Very impressive.

Brilliant little tool! Add @gcal to yoru friend feed in Twitter, associate your Twitter account with a Gmail account, and that’s it!

You can now send direct messages via Twitter to your Google Calendar. How did I not hear of this until now?

Check it out at http://twittercal.com/