Spokane Software Design

Freelancing; The New Face Of The American Dream

2011-08-23T17:17:00.001-07:00

Prior to the great industrial revolution, in America, 80% of workers were self-employed and only 20% were actual ‘workers’ for a boss or company. This self employed number includes people who owned commercial farms, family businesses and shopkeepers. When the Industrial Revolution came, these numbers quickly reversed. For most of the last century in America 80% of people were workers while only 20% were self-employed.

Shockingly, those numbers are now changing again. Because of the Great Recession, (what many people are now calling this economic state that we’re currently in,) employers are laying off more people than ever and these people are finding new opportunities for freelancing. Even before the Great Recession, a government statistic showed over one third of Americans were ‘contingently employed’ (That’s the government fancy word for freelancing.) that number is currently growing more every day as shown by famous job freelancing site Elance. Their job postings for freelancers increased 52% in a single year.

http://www.freelancemachine.com/2011/08/23/freelancing-jobs/

Importing your contact list into Linkedin

2011-06-11T20:59:00.001-07:00

How to import up to 3000 contacts into linkedIn.

Video: http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/2011/06/12/marketing-with-linkedin/

Google Rankings Pie Chart

2011-05-26T13:46:00.001-07:00

An illustration depicting Google’s ranking algorithm. The graphic is based
upon information collected from 72 SEOs.

Details: http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/?p=862

16 mobile apps for designers

2011-05-22T20:54:00.001-07:00

In the modern age of technology, mobile applications have reached a level at which you can expect almost anything from them. For graphic designers, what could be more beneficial than having design related software and applications available on your mobile phone. With the applications below designers can keep their creative juices flowing even when not in front of a computer.

How to export contacts from Facebook

2011-05-11T18:50:00.000-07:00

How To: http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/2011/05/12/exporting-contacts-from-facebook/

Man sues Facebook for $1 after being accused of spamming

2011-04-26T15:06:00.001-07:00

I found this story to be quite humorous. Apparently Facebook is being sued
for $1 from a gentleman who was flagged as a spammer. The Facebook user is
obviously doing this more for awareness then the money. Read More:
http://100gf.wordpress.com/2011/04/26/man-sues-facebook-for-1-after-being-acc...

Qualifying Clients

2011-04-23T15:44:00.001-07:00

In the changing era of technology, freelancing has become an important part of the business world. For freelancers, their job is relatively simple: if they seem capable of completing a certain project, they can bid on it and complete the work if selected. For the business owner though, it is relatively difficult since he has to assess the capabilities and skills of all the prospective clients and choose someone who will be ideal for the job. If you are a business owner and want to contact prospective customers, you must keep in mind some of the following points:

google places optimisation

2011-04-23T13:18:00.001-07:00

Local business listing submissions is, therefore, one of the most important things a business should do in order to get found within a specific geographic region. One of the first places to start is with a Google places account.

How to Win Clients and Influence People.

2011-03-19T17:24:00.001-07:00

Salesmanship is a quality that is required by almost anyone who wants to get some work done. Whether it is a big business that wants to sell its product or services, or it is an individual who wants to sell his or her skills, having the ability to present themselves or their capabilities in such a way as to win over the people is a key attribute in winning clients.

Cut and Paste Keyword Density Checker

2011-03-17T09:24:00.001-07:00

There are plenty of keyword density tools online that allow you to add a
URL but I just found one that allows for cut and past keyword density
checking. I have been looking for something like this for a while now.

Thanks Alex Poole

Details
http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/2011/03/17/cut-and-paste-keyword-density-...

Local Marketing with Geo Tweet

2011-03-12T14:30:00.001-08:00

Geo Tweet is a twitter based tool that allows you to interact with people in a specific geography. The mash-up also allows you to do keyword searches as well as create Rss feeds based upon those searches. This tools has a lot benefits to those looking to leverage Twitter for B2B marketing and client building.

My Review: http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/blog/

Generating Website Traffic

2011-03-10T21:50:00.001-08:00

So you have just spent time and money having the website of your dreams developed. You have all the bells and whistles in place and going into this process you were confident that if you only had a website you would start to attract new business. The site goes live and you wait patiently, but all you hear are crickets. This is all too common of an experience for business that has recently moved their business presence online. The reality is this: a website without an Internet marketing plan is like a vehicle without roads. Sure you have this nice shiny new convertible. You can wash it and admire it afar, but without roads to drive it on, it eventually gathers dust and become useless. This is where Internet Marking comes into play. With the right campaign in place you can not only draw traffic to your site but convert that traffic into quantifiable leads.

From: http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/2011/03/11/website-traffic/

Google before you Tweet

2011-03-09T20:11:00.001-08:00

Tips for Freelance Writers in a Bad Economy

2011-02-19T20:15:00.001-08:00

In the current world economic scenario, there is a downfall in jobs and salaries. People are getting laid off and their salaries don’t meet up with their expenditures. In such a situation, however, you can still become a freelance copywriter and earn a living effectively. The main advantage of being a freelancer is that you can bid lower than the competitor companies, which increases your chance of getting selected for a particular job. Once selected, you can provide good quality work and increase your credibility to be selected for later projects as well.

How to Build Trust Online

2011-02-16T07:25:00.001-08:00

How to Build Trust Online Today, 11 am PST

Hear Tim outline the top 4 secrets to building instant trust, and submit
your landing page URL for a live rapid-fire critique session. All
registrants will receive copies of TRUSTe's whitepaper "Accelerate Online
Trust and Fuel Sales Growth with Optimized Content, Design" (free)
Register at https://event.on24.com/eventRegistration/EventLobbyServlet?target=registratio...

6 Unconventional Guerrilla Marketing Strategies that will get you acknowledged

2011-02-05T11:12:00.001-08:00

Guerrilla marketing is a form of marketing which is very different from the traditional style of marketing. It includes strategies and techniques which are unpredictable and uncommon. Because of this uniqueness, guerrilla-marketing strategies have the ability to catch attention and produce a big impact. There are risks involved like all other marketing strategies. You have to have a complete understanding of what and who your audience is and how to reach them. Then you can employ the strategies of guerrilla marketing accordingly. Below are just a few strategies that may spread your message further then you ever thought possible.

Matt Cutts Announces Algorithm Change

2011-01-29T20:14:00.001-08:00

I just noticed a tweet from Matt Cutts announcing yet another change.

What is SEO and Why Does is Matter

2011-01-29T14:20:00.001-08:00

Search Engine Optimization is the technique through which the content on your website is optimized in such a way that it gets ranked higher during searches. If a website is optimized properly, it will be ranked higher when related keyword searches are done. People will be able to get access to that website which will consequently help you in increasing your website’s and business’s popularity and revenue. Many businesses both big and small undervalue the impact of SEO thinking that it’s not an important component of marketing their business. But the truth is, if you want to compete with others, you will not only have to provide better services and products, but will also have to properly optimize your website so that people know that you exist when they try to search for your products and ...

6 Self Discipline Tips for Freelancers.

2011-01-29T12:49:00.001-08:00

If you want to become a successful freelancer, there are certain qualities that you must possess. Obviously, a good grip over your area of expertise is a must, but another quality which is just as important is self-discipline. Now why is that necessary? Since you are not a regular employee somewhere and are not bound by the rules and regulations of an organization or company, you have to be self disciplined to be able to give your best at a project in the minimum possible time. If you are not self disciplined, then there is no way you can ever think of becoming a top notch freelancer. You have to polish your skills in your domain as well as learn to be self disciplined to become a good freelancer.

The following are some of the areas in which you need to be self disciplined in order to succeed:

http://www.freelancemachine.com/2011/01/29/6-self-discipline-tips-for-freelancers/

Pros and cons of juggling Facebook accounts

2011-01-21T10:28:00.001-08:00

Facebook's terms of service make it quite clear: "You will not create more
than one personal profile."

And yet, managing separate Facebook accountsone for personal friends and
another for professional colleaguesis how plenty of communicators and
other professionals have sought to keep up the barrier between those
online personae.

Marketing with Facebook

2011-01-20T18:55:00.001-08:00

If you are searching for a job online, one of the best places to start promoting yourself is on Facebook. When used properly, Facebook can help you connect to prospective employers and show them what you have to offer.

Here is a list of ten things that you can do to promote yourself and potentially find work using the webs most popular social network.

Client Managment

2011-01-18T18:43:00.001-08:00

Whatever business a person does, client management can take on different forms. Some clients are very difficult to deal with and they can even jeopardize the respective project. Dealing amicably with such clients can ensure the smooth running of your project as well as save you from the mental torture.

My email inbox says Leet.

2011-01-18T17:15:00.001-08:00

Is this a bad sign or a good one?

A great article directory list that is organized by Page-rank

2011-01-14T15:19:00.001-08:00

Article submissions are just one of the many ways I like to go about building back links. Today I found a pretty good article directory list that is organized by Page-rank, Alexia Rank and indicates if the Article Directory is NoFollow.

Check it out: www.acceleratedfreelance.com/blog

Are Your Freelancing Rates Too Low?

2011-01-02T16:36:00.001-08:00

Just like every other freelancer, we can all quite easily remember what it’s like to start out. Often we have been forced to make a competitive bid against other freelancers to secure work or to insure that we will be able to secure work in the future. The fact of the matter is that often we outthink ourselves by attempting to charge a low price for our time and work in hopes to be appealing as a freelance choice for potential clients.

One reason that many of us have been willing to accept lower pay than we feel that our work is worth is due to the widespread competition within the global freelance market. Sometimes clients assume that all work is equal regardless of who is doing it. They can get high quality work done for very low prices because they see low freelance project bids made by people in those developing countries.....

User Interface – keep it simple stupid

2011-01-01T10:51:00.001-08:00

http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/blog/

Google Demo Slam: Epic Docs Animation

2010-12-18T13:02:00.001-08:00

Who Owns THE MOST SERVERS?

2010-12-18T09:26:00.001-08:00

Google filter bases search on your intelligence.

2010-12-16T13:32:00.001-08:00

Google has launched a new search filter to its “advanced search page” that allows people to sort content based on reading level — basic, intermediate, or advanced. Google thinks The Millions lands in the middle. Search your website using the feature to see how Google rates it. (Disclaimer: we can’t see any rhyme or reason to their ratings.) (Update for you visitors from Gawker: If this Google business bores you – and lets be honest, it’s not that exciting – stick around and check out our much more scintillating Year in Reading series, featuring Margaret Atwood, John Banville, Sam Lipsyte and all manner of literary luminaries.)

PROPRIETARY: This e-mail contains proprietary information some or all of which may be legally privileged. It is intended for the recipient only. If an addressing or transmission error has misdirected this e-mail, please notify the authority by replying to this e-mail. If you are not the intended recipient you must not use, disclose, distribute, copy, print, or rely on this e-mail.

Untitled

2010-12-16T10:17:00.001-08:00

I understand the need for captchas but this is ridiculous. Apparently I need to go and year Hebrew before I can sign up for this design forum.

http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/blog/

Clients say the darndest things

2010-12-13T12:05:00.001-08:00

What the client wants, the client gets. But just because they’ve killed you in the conference room a time or 10 this year doesn’t mean they haven’t been good for a few laughs. Advertising Age provides a list of some of the best comedic clients around — most of whom

http://adage.com/smallagency/post?article_id=147539

Being a 24-year-old CEO makes it harder to command respect.

2010-12-13T08:06:00.001-08:00

Running your own company can be hard enough, especially when it comes to commanding the respect of your employees. Imagine doing it at 24 years old. That's what David Karp, CEO and founder of hot up-and-comer Tumblr, faces on a daily basis. A high school dropout at 15, Karp talked to Newsweek about how he commands respect; he also shared some insight into how to successfully lead a company in a post-recession environment and talked about what’s next for social media and for Tumblr.

http://www.newsweek.com/2010/12/08/tumblr-s-ceo-on-blogging-online-anonymity.html

What does the iPad, Justin bieber and chatroulette have in common.

2010-12-10T16:05:00.001-08:00

They were all top searches in 2010. The results of Google annual zeitgeist report is now out.

http://www.google.com/intl/en/press/zeitgeist2010/

Nike Google Shoe

2010-12-05T13:40:00.001-08:00

http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/2010/12/05/nike-google-shoe/

Decor my eyes & gaming Google

2010-12-03T07:49:00.001-08:00

The NY Times just posted a really interesting story about how some bad publicity helped one mans business so much that it because his calling card. I don’t really recommend this approach and Google has already responded to the issue claiming that they have made changes to their algorithm in response to this type of Google gaming.

http://www.acceleratedfreelance.com/2010/12/03/decor-my-eyes-gaming-google/

Money Management for Freelancers

2010-12-01T20:11:00.001-08:00

There are many ways to be a freelancer. Unfortunately it is trickier to manage your money as a freelancer. Freelancers do not always have the luxury of having a regular income, and they sometimes run into problems when it comes to budgeting their money and paying bills....

http://www.freelancemachine.com/

Running the TSA's Twitter account has to be the worst job ever.

2010-11-23T11:06:00.001-08:00

Flying tomorrow? Good luck. National Opt-Out Day begins Wednesday morning at 70 airports. Organizer Brian Sodergren, who Time magazine said is not flying on Thanksgiving, is asking travelers to opt out of the full body scans and instead ask TSA officials for an enhanced pat-down. That’s right; Brian wants you to get groped. Time is saying the protest could cause massive delays, so arrive at the airport early. Despite the negative attention — which Daily Beast media critic Howard Kurtzman blames on media frenzy — nearly two-thirds of Americans support full body scans, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll. Which brings us to “Blogger Bob,” the person (or persons) behind TSA’s Twitter account. He’s been posting light-hearted tweets linking to travel tips and responding to the piles of negative criticism. And guess what. He says he likes it. “It’s not that bad actually…It’s a challenge. I dig it,” he tweeted. TechCrunch call it the “worst social media job ever.” There’s something to be thankful for this Thanksgiving — you aren’t TSA’s social media or PR person.

http://techcrunch.com/2010/11/19/rapiscan-yes-really/

8 Ways to Not Get ReTweeted

2010-11-11T11:00:00.001-08:00

Twitter is a social network that allows users to share brief, 140 character messages. Each time another user shares your message it is considered a ReTweet. ReTweets expand you reach as an individual or company and can contribute additional website traffic, subscribers and customers.

Prove this article to be accurate. Please ReTweet J

The Bullsh*t Generator: Turn your words into nonsense with theclick of button

2010-11-04T11:58:00.001-07:00

There you are, in charge of the corporate Twitter account, but logged in to your own personal account when watching Katie Waissell on the X Factor.

"Oh for f*cks sake, stop crying you silly bint", you tweet to your followers. You go to bed. Then you wake up in the morning and realise you were logged in to your work account not your own one (< this last bit hasn't happened yet Update monday morning: it has now - tweet deleted).

http://www.malcolmcoles.co.uk/blog/cheapflights-twitter-bint/

How To Avoid SEO Snake Oil

2010-11-04T10:22:00.001-07:00

Let’s face it: SEO is complicated. It involves hundreds of variables and is a continual process of adjustments and building authority over time. It requires experience, deliberate decision-making and a fine mixture of art, science, and research. In addition, proper SEO is not cheap and, perhaps the worse part, it’s hard to know if an SEO provider is actually doing their job.

Below is a list of what to look out for.

http://www.sitepronews.com/2010/11/03/how-to-avoid-seo-snake-oil/

15 tips for a rocky freelance market

2010-11-02T21:33:00.001-07:00

There are two types of work at home positions: Telecommute and Freelance. When you telecommute you have a boss, you have to follow their schedules and guidelines. When you freelance, you are in effect your own boss and no one but you can decide how much you work. Here are some tips on finding the best freelance job for you.

<a href="http://www.freelancemachine.com/2010/10/31/15-tips-for-surviving-in-a-rocky-freelance-market/" >freelance market</a>

ummm your in trouble | Today Google apologizes to the world.

2010-11-02T20:39:00.001-07:00

Google rarely contacts Gmail users via email, but we are making an exception to let you know that we've reached a settlement in a lawsuit regarding Google Buzz (http://buzz.google.com), a service we launched within Gmail in February of this year.

Shortly after its launch, we heard from a number of people who were concerned about privacy. In addition, we were sued by a group of Buzz users and recently reached a settlement in this case.

The settlement acknowledges that we quickly changed the service to address users' concerns. In addition, Google has committed $8.5 million to an independent fund, most of which will support organizations promoting privacy education and policy on the web. We will also do more to educate people about privacy controls specific to Buzz. The more people know about privacy online, the better their online experience will be.

Just to be clear, this is not a settlement in which people who use Gmail can file to receive compensation. Everyone in the U.S. who uses Gmail is included in the settlement, unless you personally decide to opt out before December 6, 2010. The Court will consider final approval of the agreement on January 31, 2011. This email is a summary of the settlement, and more detailed information and instructions approved by the court, including instructions about how to opt out, object, or comment, are available at http://www.BuzzClassAction.com.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
This mandatory announcement was sent to all Gmail users in the United States as part of a legal settlement and was authorized by the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

Twitter introduces forced adds into user timelines. LAME !!

2010-11-02T20:38:00.001-07:00

The No. 2 social network, Twitter, is now placing third-party advertisements in users' timelines, reports the Wall Street Journal. The new ad service should provide additional value to brands that use the platform as a digital marketing tool.

http://www.ricg.com/marketing_articles/digital_marketing/twitter_begins_placing_ads_in_users_timelines/

15 tips for a rocky freelance market

2010-10-31T19:48:00.001-07:00

1. Freelance work takes time and perseverance. You will not check email one morning and have a million dollar contract offer. You have to market yourself to potential clients and keep current clients happy so they will come back for more.

2. Know your market and use your skills. When entering the freelance market, there are many options available for skilled freelancers. One could find a contract position as a freelance software engineer or a bookkeeper.

More: http://www.freelancemachine.com/2010/10/31/15-tips-for-surviving-in-a-rocky-freelance-market/

Spokane Website Design

2010-09-23T12:23:00.000-07:00

Accelerated Freelance is a different type of Spokane website design firm. The company is ran by a group of freelance developers, and moonlighters who are passionate about website development, graphic design, and SEO. Most of the team members have regular jobs meaning that the income the company makes from projects is supplemental. This is a benefit for their clients because they can afford to charge less for projects than a most other Spokane software firms, while offering the same standard of quality. They focus on developing elegant software and professional web 2.0 sites. Accelerate Freelance also has a dedicated Internet marketers and specialize in social network marketing.

Gravity Jack | Pulled From Coding Hell

2010-06-03T07:31:00.000-07:00

GM does augmented reality

2010-05-02T10:57:00.000-07:00

This is just the tip of the heads up display iceberg – but I am glad to see real work and real product being done in our space.You WILL be seeing around corners, you WILL be able to “fast forward” to what cars in front of you are seeing via shared feeds and much much more.

-Jack

Via DVICE:

We already adore GM’s head-up display in the Corvette, Cadillac STS, Buick Lacrosse and GMC Acadia, but that system is primitive compared to the magic GM has up its sleeve. This next-generation head-up display is smart. Using a compact laser reflecting off transparent phosphors embedded in the windshield, it superimposes messages and graphics that could save your life.

Think of how useful a night-vision view projected onto your windshield could be. It can indicate children running toward the car, or point out approaching vehicles that are out of your field of vision. But the system’s overly helpful routine of graphically encircling speed limit signs might be overkill.

Don’t hold your breath, though. A GM R&D expert told DVICE, “If all worked well and field testing went as planned, we could possibly see this technology in a vehicle in 2017.”

SPOKANE MOBILE USERS and DEVELOPERS GROUP

2010-01-21T13:36:00.000-08:00

SPOKANE MOBILE USERS and DEVELOPERS GROUP (Smudg)

Location: Twisp Café and Coffee House
(23505 E. Appleway Ave., Suite 100.)

Date: First Thursday of every Month

Time: 6pm

Special Deals :
Enjoy Any Dinner Entree or Sandwich Combo for $6.00 .50 off any Espresso Drink,Tea, Wine or Beer.

Ten Tips to Help Choose an E-Commerce Solution

2009-12-02T13:30:00.000-08:00

Ten Tips to Help Choose an E-Commerce Solution

by Bill H.

Here are ten key features to look for when choosing an e-commerce software package for a web store:

1.Compatibility with Existing Resources: Setting up an e-commerce enabled Web site is a big enough task in itself, without having to make major changes to existing systems. So ensure that the product you choose is fully compatible with your existing hardware, Web server software and operating system. Most commerce servers support several operating systems, with UNIX and Windows NT being the most common, although some of the more mature products are available for UNIX only.

2. Ability to Import Existing Data: If you already have a large product database, you need the ability to transfer this data easily to your Web store’s database. Most high end packages provide several methods of importing data, but this feature is often missing from entry-level packages and so all data has to be manually entered.

3. APIs to Link to Legacy Applications: Linking your existing inventory management and finance systems to your commerce server is one of the most challenging aspects of setting up a Web store. If you intend to do this, APIs will allow programmers to write code that will link the commerce server with your legacy systems.

4. Virtual Shopping Carts: By far the most common shopping model on the Web, virtual shopping carts enable shoppers to browse through a store adding or removing items at will, before finally going to the “checkout” and paying for the goods.

5. Sales Tax and Shipping Cost Calculation: Often overlooked, this feature is a vital part of any good e-commerce software package. A significant proportion of orders in your Web store will come from international customers and shipping costs need to be calculated in real time. It is not good practice to simply include a note to the effect that international customers will have shipping costs notified to them by e-mail – customers want to know the total cost before placing their order. Select a solution that allows you to specify shipping costs with a great level of detail.

6. Range of Payment Methods Supported: Although the majority of payments in Web stores are made through traditional credit card transactions, you need to be in a position to accept payment in as many ways as possible in order to maximize your sales. Choose a solution that supports a wide range of electronic and traditional payment methods.

7. Construction Tools: Many e-commerce software solutions come with a number of standard store templates that can be readily customized, or include wizards to help build the store. It is much easier to create a store using these tools than it is to construct a store from scratch.

8. Special Promotion Management: Once your store is built, you need the ability to run special promotions. You should be able to quickly change a price or be able to offer discounts for volume purchases or to special customers.

9. Detailed Reporting: Often missing from entry-level packages, detailed reporting of customer activities in your store is vital. These reports will enable you to fine-tune your store in order to maximize sales.

10. Remote Administration: Finally, once the store is set up you want to be able to administer it easily. Some e-commerce solutions allow this to be done via any Web browser and incorporate features such as the ability to point and click at a product in order to change properties such as pricing.

5 Things to Consider Before Custom Software Development

2009-11-23T09:33:00.001-08:00

1) Document your software requirements. The easiest way to fail on a custom software development project is to skip the requirements gathering process. If you want to build it right you need a concise blueprint of the features and functions to be included in the application. A quality software design will include documentation of each user interaction with the software (use cases), detailed information about all outputs from the software, and documentation on any interfaces that need to be addressed by the software.

2) Decide how the custom software will be used. Is the application intended for a broad audience that would be best served by an internet application or is it an internal application to be used by members connected to your local area network? If you have determined that you need an internal application you will still need to decide if you want a smart-client desktop application or a web based Intranet application. Desktop software tends to perform faster while browser based software is generally slower but does not require client software updates.

3) Determine if your software already exists. Do some research. Commercial Off The Shelf Software (COTS) has the advantage of being mass distributed and its cost is spread over many installations, so it is always a less expensive option than custom software development. If your requirements involve financial or accounting applications and you can’t find a COTS solution that addresses your needs then you should consider a base product that has an SDK (software development kit) like QuickBooks. Software development on this type of platform is very reliable and requires far less effort than a full custom software solution.

4) If you do need to build custom software, choose a database. There was a time when one might question the need for a database but that time has long passed. Quality free database offerings such as MSSQL Express, MySQL, and Oracle 10g Express, combined with the performance advantages of stored procedures, triggers, and referential integrity, make the database inclusion a must for any quality custom software application. You do, however, need to be careful when selecting the database, particularly if you are using one of the express databases as they do have limitations on number of databases, database size, and upward mobility.

5) Pick a platform / language. There are many schools of thought regarding the choice of Windows vs. Open Source (typically Linux) operating systems and their supported development languages. Some languages such as Java will run in both environments while others, such as .NET operate only on Windows platforms. In general, either choice can provide a reliable software environment providing careful attention is given to the capabilities of the language and its suitability for your chosen deployment environment.

Source
http://www.intsolgrp.com/wordpress/?p=8

Gravity Jack offers software development

2009-11-20T18:36:00.001-08:00

11/18/2009 9:15:15 AM
By Splash Staff

A new software company recently set up shop in Liberty Lake - with some familiar faces in the local software field.

Gravity Jack started operations earlier this month in the TierPoint building, 23403 E. Mission Ave. The company was started by the original founders of Tometa Software, a company acquired in 2007. That business, now called MetaXpert, moved from Spokane Valley to Liberty Lake last year.

Gravity Jack offers custom software development for all industries, according to a news release.

The company also said it's filing patents for a new project that could "revolutionize the way people interact with mobile computing platforms, such as Apple's iPhone," according to the news release.

The company, with Liberty Lake residents Luke and Jennifer Richey at the helm, has six employees, with two or three additional hires planned in the coming months, Jennifer Richey said.

How to succeed by helping your boss succeed

2009-11-17T22:12:00.000-08:00

Bob Sutton makes a great posit: We can become more successful in our jobs when we stop thinking about what our boss is doing for us and think instead about what we can do for our boss. The notion is based on the simple concept that enabling the people around us to succeed—whether boss or employee—will achieve more in the long run for everyone.

I think Bob is onto something. A team-oriented perspective, instead of a me-oriented one, will accomplish more and teach us to work with others. Plus, if we learn to manage up, we will also learn to manage down. If we think about it another way, we will always have a boss, though we may not always have people report to us. So which is the more useful skill?

Just how can we do this? The blog post elaborates.

Lots more tips on leadership.

The 18 Mistakes That Kill Startups

2009-11-15T16:42:00.001-08:00

October 2006

In the Q & A period after a recent talk, someone asked what made startups fail. After standing there gaping for a few seconds I realized this was kind of a trick question. It's equivalent to asking how to make a startup succeed—if you avoid every cause of failure, you succeed—and that's too big a question to answer on the fly.

Afterwards I realized it could be helpful to look at the problem from this direction. If you have a list of all the things you shouldn't do, you can turn that into a recipe for succeeding just by negating. And this form of list may be more useful in practice. It's easier to catch yourself doing something you shouldn't than always to remember to do something you should.

In a sense there's just one mistake that kills startups: not making something users want. If you make something users want, you'll probably be fine, whatever else you do or don't do. And if you don't make something users want, then you're dead, whatever else you do or don't do. So really this is a list of 18 things that cause startups not to make something users want. Nearly all failure funnels through that.

See the rest of the article http://www.paulgraham.com/startupmistakes.html

The secret to making money online

2009-11-15T14:35:00.000-08:00

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Gravity Jack Custom Software

2009-11-13T10:38:00.000-08:00

Gravity Jack is a New Venture Backed Custom Software Company in Liberty Lake That Will Soon Be Pushing the Envelope in the Realm of Custom Mobile Software Applications.

Liberty Lake, WA, November 2009--Gravity Jack is currently in talks with patent attorneys regarding a tightly-kept secret project that is expected to revolutionize the way people interact with mobile computing platforms such as Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android.

The newly assembled Gravity Jack team, with its history in both legacy custom software projects as well as modern web based and mobile applications, is looking to turn a new leaf with this new internal project.

Though Gravity Jack fully believes in the success of its new flagship project, the company always maintains that client-based custom software is the core of its business. The company has a combined experience of 82 years in the software industry and prides itself with the ability and resources to accomplish any custom software project that comes its way. Gravity Jack is currently excepting new projects both on the global front as well as at the local level.

ABOUT GRAVITY JACK

Gravity Jack opened its operation on November 1st 2009 and was started by original founders of Tometa Software, a company acquired in 2007. Gravity Jack designs and develops robust custom software solutions for all industries including in-house (vertical market) and retail custom software like the iPhone, some of which is on the shelves at local software stores and websites from mom and pop businesses all the way to websites for Fortune 500 companies.
We focus our unique combination of creative, technical, and problem-solving skills on meeting our clients’ objectives. Because of our clarity of purpose, commitment to process, and broad professional skill sets, we are able to provide our clients with world-class software solutions that are functionally superior and fully aligned with our client’s strategic focus.

http://gravityjack.com/

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Spokane/CDA Ruby Users Group

2009-11-13T10:22:00.000-08:00

Get connected

Subscribe to the mailing list for up to date announcements. Mailing list sign up.
Feel free to email the list or tweet Karmen Blake (@kblake) or Aaron Longwell (@ADLongwell) for details.

Website:
http://cdarb.org/

Twitter Page:
http://twitter.com/spokanerb

Spokane Linux User's

2009-11-13T10:19:00.000-08:00

The Spokane Linux User's Group has been meeting for over 10 years, discussing technology, Linux troubles, and advice. All are welcome to join us for festive Linux discussion over pizza and beer at David's Pizza, from the grizzled Unix long-beard to the timid newbie. There are no dues or registration - just drop by!

Meeting Times

Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month, at 7:00 PM. They generally run 1½ to 2 hours long. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 7:00 PM.

http://www.spokanelinux.org/

Spokane .net User Group

2009-11-13T09:25:00.000-08:00

Meeting Location

Meetings are held at the Itron campus out in Liberty Lake located 2111 N Molter Road, Liberty Lake, Washington, 99019. The room is reserved from 6-9 PM, but meetings are unlikely to take the entire time.

http://sug.dotnetprogramming.com/