Internet Tools ArchiveHot Topics' New Home
With the launch of our new community Channelweb Connect, I've packed up Hot Topics and moved into a sweet new location. The new url for Hot Topics is http://community.crn.com/blogs/hottopics, and the new feed link is at http://community.crn.com/blogs/hottopics/feeds/posts. Hot Topics will continue to point you to the best new content on ChannelWeb -- including your contributions -- and we've got a far more robust platform for communicating back and forth with the solution provider world. Posts here will remain live for the time being, but come on over and see what all the fuss it about! Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:05 AM, March 16, 2009 Our New Community Site
We've just launched a major upgrade of our discussion forums. In addition to commenting on articles, we've added functionality for any Channelweb participant to share documents, blog, conduct polls, create groups, and maintain a personal home page. Powered by Jive Software's Clearspace, it's a new era in our community capabilities. Current accounts--and the existing posts--should already be migrated to the new system. Try it out, and let me know if you encounter any problems. Visit http://community.crn.com/ and make yourself at home! Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:40 AM, March 9, 2009 Does Anyone Remember February?
Take a break from the snow (many of you), and test your recall with our February News Quiz. Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:14 AM, March 2, 2009 Follow Us On Twitter
It's become the go-to home for instant publishing of news ranging from hardware deals, to product launches, and even to Gmail outage reports, and now it's our home, too. Follow ChannelWeb on Twitter. The enormously popular micro-blogging service offers new opportunities for organizations to connect to customers and engage the Web 2.0 world. At Forbes, David Ewalt went from calling Twitter users "self-obsessed nerds", to, you guessed it, becoming a Twitterer. At Information Week, John Foley has some advice on Tuning The Signal-To-Noise Ratio On Twitter, to make sure you reap the benefits without losing your day. Meanwhile, our Jennifer Bosavage looks at the characteristics of Twitter users--if they sound like your customers, or your potential customers, dive in.
Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:36 AM, February 24, 2009 Our Mobile Site: m.crn.com
If you're on the go, and looking for the latest channel news, call up our mobile-friendly news page at http://m.crn.com. Our previous mobile url (wap.crn.com) will still work, but we've saved everyone a couple keystrokes. Let us know how the site works, and how you're accessing ChannelWeb.
Posted by Joe Caponi at 10:50 AM, January 8, 2009 2009: Going Mobile
Travelling this past week, it was clear how much of our personal and business information, along with our day-to-day tools, are now in 'the cloud,' and how little it takes to access items there. Ed Moltzen has noticed as well: "Becoming mobile- and multi-media-ready, as the state of Web communication changes, could determine whether a business wins or loses in the market." Meanwhile InformationWeek reports that Google is on the lookout for new mobile ideas, while smartphones proliferate and netbooks flood the market. Make sure you take mobile into account among your technology choices. Happy New Year! Posted by Joe Caponi at 03:34 PM, January 2, 2009 An Upgrade For Our Pricing And Availability Tool
We've just rolled out a major upgrade to our Real Time Pricing and Availability tool. Built by our partners at VARStreet, the application queries major distributors, as well as more than two dozen web retailers, to provide quick access to the best pricing on technology products. In particular, if you're a partner of Ingram Micro, Tech Data, Synnex, or D&H, you'll get back your own preferred pricing from the search engine. You'll build quotes more rapidly, and save money in the process. Check it out, and let us know how we can continue to improve upon it. Posted by Joe Caponi at 02:22 PM, November 20, 2008 Election Links
The polls were busy this morning when I voted, but I had no trouble getting in, voting and getting out. Here on Long Island, we still use the mechanical voting machines we've used for decades, and though one was already being repaired at my location this morning, they've got a pretty good reliability record. It's a pretty clear demonstration, though, that voting is one technology badly in need of an upgrade. We've followed the travails of electronic voting since 2000, and unfortunately, progress in developing and deploying secure and reliable e-voting systems has been disappointing. Nonetheless, well over 100,000,000 Americans will cast their votes, and then turn to the internet for the latest results. CNET has a roundup of web sites following the election results, while at InformationWeek, Mitch Wagner recommends following the Twitter feeds for election updates. Also, don't miss our special report What IT Wants From The Next White House, for insights from tech luminaries such as John Chambers and Bill Gates. Sadly, though, whatever happens, a lot of people are likely to be very disappointed. It's times like that I particularly appreciate the Speculists' Better All the Time posts, covering under-reported improvements in health, technology, communications, and many other topics. It'll cheer you up.
Posted by Joe Caponi at 11:58 AM, November 4, 2008 Know Your Channel? Try Our Quiz
Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:27 PM, October 30, 2008 Join Us On LinkedIn
Fresh from blogging about Facebook, I have good news for all our LinkedIn users. We've launched the ChannelWeb LinkedIn group for solution providers, vendor channel folks and anyone else involved in the IT channel. Join us (we're currently 174 strong) and we'll share the latest news and discuss business and technology issues. You may just network your way into a big new deal! Try it out, and let us know how we can help you make the most of LinkedIn. Posted by Joe Caponi at 04:42 PM, October 24, 2008 I Get Faced
As far as social networks go. I long ago set up base in LinkedIn. You can find me there, and over the years I've slowly accumulated a hundred or so connections, just watiing for the day I need em. Facebook? Let the kids have their fun. I've got work to do. Last week, though, I got a Facebook offer I couldn't refuse--an important old friend whose pictures I wanted to see. So I signed up, anticipating that, like LinkedIn, my account would quietly sit there unless I worked on it. What I didn't anticipate was how efficiently Facebook would get the news of my arrival out. So between 10:20 and 12:37 today, for instance, I've had 10 people add me as Facebook friends. And since most of them actually are my friends, I anticipate that when I confirm those requests, I'll get another, bigger wave of friends. It's disconcerting - like walking into the wrong room and having everyone spin around and look at you expectantly. Consider yourself warned. UPDATE: Why Your Boss Should Never Be Your Facebook Friend Posted by Joe Caponi at 01:06 PM, October 23, 2008 |
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The channel never sleeps. Despite economic turmoil and an impending presidential election, plenty's been happening in the solution provider world. How well have you kept up? 
