websense

Reports are already coming out on the most searched terms for 2009. For the first time “Facebook” topped the list, with variations of the term making up four of the top 25 terms for the year. Other social media terms also made the list, as they have for the last several years. In 2008 the term “myspace” held the number 1 spot.

I find it interesting that so many of the top searched terms are for websites. Social media sites at that. Depending on which list you refer to, social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter show that social media generated a lot of interest. FoxNews.com has an article that details the fastest rising terms of 2009. Their terms include more of what happened in popular culture in 2009, but also indicate the growing interest in social media.
Google has the full list posted.
Social media continues to grow as a means to connect with friends and family, but as we have seen in 2009 it will become more and more a means to convey news, a way to promote your business, and a way to reach out to market just about anything, whether it be your business or organization, charity or event. How will you be using social media in 2010?

As 2009 comes to a close and we gather with family and friends to celebrate in the coming days, I would like to take a moment just to be grateful for all that has happened in the last year, in no particular order:

* For NE Ohio, the recession seems to be coming to an end. We have seen many companies begin to thrive and many who have been out of work have gone back to work or found new jobs.
* TKG has had an amazing year of change and growth, the future looks bright!
* Our families have seen many blessings this year, with the births of three TKG babies, and two more on the way. It is awesome to see so many people really embracing life this way.
* Even as the recession threatened to bury our auto industry, all three major makers survived, with Ford Motor Company battling through without any government funding. I am grateful that these companies survived for the sake of all of thier employees.
* We were witness to great acts of heroism in Captain Sullivan landing his plane on the Hudson, and our Navy saving Merchant Marines from pirates.
* As always, I remain thankful for the men and women in uniform who put their lives on the line everyday to protect and preserve our lives, as well as our freedom. They are constantly in the prayers of my entire family.
* After some trying health issues in the family, well being seems to have been restored.

Christmas has always been a time of prayer and worship for me and my family. I am thankful for all the blessings the Lord has bestowed upon me and my wife, Amy (their names are MaryKate, Tom, Sam, Julia, Anna and Baby Peter who is due in March). I will pray that every one of you has a very Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year.

A pretty cool thing showed up in the mail the other day. Google has named about 100k business “favorite places”. Oddly enough, TKG is one of them. So, our window sticker/bar code showed up yesterday. Pretty cool. More details on Google Favorite Places here. And Here.

Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and now, Green Monday, the Monday at least 10 days prior to Christmas when the heaviest online shopping is done as folks fly to the Web to get last minute gifts in time to have them shipped.
Green Monday, this year on December 14th, promises to be one of the heaviest online shopping days ever recorded. Already sales are up 3% over last year’s numbers. Stats recorders and online retailers are hopeful that the day will finally come when Web sales break $900 Million in one day.
I am hopeful that they break this threshold, it will mean that many people rely on the Web for their purchases, and that means great things for my clients. It may also demonstrate just how vital SEO and other preparations made for the holiday season pay off. There is a lot of money to be made, and if you are the first seller with the best prices, folks are going to buy from you!
Online retailers need to make that big push this week, as everyone will resort to the local brick and mortars next week when purchases can no longer be shipped in time for Christmas, so get ready for one last big push for the year before gearing up for 2010!

Have you heard about the whole “climate-gate” scandal? Well, you have heard it here at least, something the network news agencies don’t seem to be willing to report on. According to Fox News, the networks have left it to Comedy Central to break the news to all the rabid environmentalists that Global Warming was a hoax. Of course Fox reported it, but really, if you watch Fox News, you probably never bought into the whole thing anyway. I’m sure Al Gore is somewhere crying in his soup that his scam has been revealed. Either that, or he knew it would happen eventually and has laughed all the way to the bank for the last ten years, amazed that he conned the entire world. He probably thought up the plan right after he invented the internet! Sorry, hard to pass that jab up.
So, if you haven’t heard, please check out the link I have posted here, and if you want a little comic relief after feeling guilty for using hairspray in the 70′s, check out Comedy Central!