White House...100 Days later

As the media has been reporting this week on Obama's first 100 days of Presidency, I want to take moment to look at the change we have seen...on the website. Now, whichever way you voted, you can't deny that the promise of change was kept, at least on the web.

In a time when the government frequently has become the example of how NOT to do things. The king of red tape, convoluted processes and $30,000 toilet seats, I have to say that how the site has evolved is quite remarkable. An understated beauty, simple, elegant and jam packed with information, http://www.whitehouse.gov/ has really come into it's own. The use of a serif font on the web has been carried off as well or better than anything I have come across. The balance of live type and graphics, understated gradients, not to mention a wealth of content.All with a reasonable load time.

From a standpoint of historical data alone, the site is rich with information and photos of past Presidents, the Oval Office, Camp David, Air Force One and the division of power which has made our country what it is today. The educational content can serve children and adults alike, and serves as an example for communities, as well as business.

I didn't capture an image of what the site looked like previously, but was able to locate this article from Gismodo with images of both sites as the respective President took office.

Granted, other factors at play as well. In 8 years, a lot has changed; bandwidth, technology, Flash, image compression, etc. We have come into a more sophisticated time for websites, in the midst of the "economic downturn" companies have been pulling back on print media, mailings and the like and placing more focus on new media options. As we become more and more wired, I believe this trend will continue. I was at a social gathering recently and were discussing a website, in a flash of digital blur, out whips a cell phone and we are instantly browsing the site. The world literally at your fingertips.

When you visit your website today, is it time for a change?

Viral infection...

Over the past year, there has been a lot of talk of "viral marketing," and then over the past week or so the talk has moved to another "viral," swine flu (actually H1N1 which is part bird flu). The word many have feared Pandemic now commonplace in media as the numbers of confirmed infected and even the first US death hit the airwaves.

I ran across this today and though it was an interesting way to to convery information, and I love the fact that it is visual as well. What appears to be an implementation of Google Earth and plotting suspected, and confirmed cases as well as deaths, information about how this virus is spreading is fascinating to watch. Check out the http://www.idemc.org/ website to get the latest.

So, while this a great visual way to track infectious diesase, does it have other applications as well. What about your viral marketing campaign. Maybe it is just your website traffic, visitors,  registrations, etc. but using available technologies to plot out how information spreads, how we are connected, really helps you visualize your "tribe."

Proceeds exceed $12,000 for United We Sand! gear.

I am proud to announce that proceeds to be donated from the sales of United We Sand! gear have topped $12,000. Thank you everyone for your support in this continued campaign!

You can pick up your shirt at:

Old Lutheran (http://www.oldlutheran.com) 1408 1st Avenue North Moorhead, MN
Ace Hardware on Main Street in Moorhead
Foot Solutions 4650 26th Ave S. (South of Famous Dave's in Fargo)
Hornbachers all 6 locations.
True Value Hardware 2600 N Broadway, Fargo
Moorhead Scheels 505 Center Ave. Moorhead
Scheels Hardware 3202 13th. Ave. S, Fargo
MSUM Etcetera Shop