intodimensions.com

A company having an FAQ on their web site is a good thing, I think, but what’s the value of it if questions are faked? I mean if a question placed in the FAQ isn’t at all frequently asked? Does it really matter or is it bad practice? The issue came up when I saw this FAQ at Cyborg IT’s web site:

A2. What new trends do you see on the Internet for 2004?
We believe 2003 - 2005 will start a new trend toward an increasing number of ‘mature’ Internet users. These ‘Baby Boomers’ are beginning to have more time available when they can sit in front of the computer and look for things that are important to them. This group of affluent adults has a significant amount of expendable dollars ready to spend on what interests them.

Now forget for a second that it’s now 2008, but think about the question. Do you really think that’s a frequently asked question? I doubt it.

We visited SAM’s Club today. For people in the US they know what it is. It is a “warehouse club”. People pay an annual membership fee and then they can shop at discounted prices. So you can only get in and shop if you’re a member. Mostly the things you can buy are bulk items, so you can’t just buy one small tube of toothpaste, you buy ten large tubes instead. If you can manage to stock and use that at home you can shop at considerable savings.

Well, not really stuck, but we’ll get to that… We arrived at Frankfurt Airport okay, and went straight to our gate for the flight on to Charlotte, to check our seats. We had asked an attendant as soon as we got off the plane what we should do and that’s what they told us - go to the gate. Now our gate was - of course - on the other side of the airport. Anyway, we go through security checks and everything and get to the gate and there is no sign of US Airways or anything. So we ask some Lufthansa people and they say there is no way to get in touch with US Airways unless we go all the way back out, meaning outside security in the main area, and then go back in. Needless to say we didn’t want to do that.

So that was problem number one.

Number two was our need for sustenance - some coffee and something to eat. I walked back quite far to the first little restaurant I came across and picked out everything I wanted. Then when it came time to paying the problems started: they don’t accept credit card. Okay, then “do you take US dollars?” Sure, so I hand her a $100 bill. “No, I can’t accept that, it’s too large”, which is funny because my order came to a whopping $54. You can check over in tax free, she says.

Okay, so off to tax free, and of course they can’t help me either. So they send me to the currency exchange. The guy there politely explains that no, he cannot break a $100 bill into smaller denominations but he’ll be happy to exchange it into Euros, for a fee of course. So I end up exchanging dollars into Euros and then I can finally pay my outrageous bill.

So I’ve paid, and I want to take my two coffees, four bottles of water, bottle of apple juice, two sandwiches, two cookies, with me, I ask if she has a big bag I can put it in. Why bother asking, I know now, because of course she doesn’t.

So we’re now waiting for our flight, better luck at the next airport. I don’t like Frankfurt much.

Finally, on our way to the US for a brief stint around Crystal’s old neighborhood

Ask 37signals: 10 ways to “get ink”: “

Neil Wilson asks:

’’Get Ink’ is the fundamental marketing mantra. You guys are natural self-promoters. What do you find is the best way of getting your name in the frame?

10 ideas that came to mind when I thought about ways to get people to notice you/your product:

1. Provide something of value.
The first step is recognizing that marketing is asking for someone else’s time and attention. You need to provide something worthy of those valuable commodities. So keep your message brief and interesting. When you educate or entertain other people, they’ll pay attention. If you bore them, they won’t.

2. Know your hook.
Imagine you are a reporter who wants to write an article about your company. What’s the hook? What’s the angle that will be interesting to someone who normally wouldn’t care about your software? We’ve got a lot of mileage in the press out of staying small and focusing on ‘less.’ What’s unique about your story?

3. Stand for something.
Know and expose your company’s philosophy and mantras. 37signals started with a manifesto back when we launched as a design firm. Even though it’s from 1999 and our company has evolved a ton since then, you can see the seeds of many of our current ideas there. That sort of belief foundation will help guide you (and others) to your story.

4. Get your face out there.
It’s tempting to think you can do it all from a keyboard. But emails are a poor substitute for real, face-to-face interactions. Go to conferences and meetups, take someone you admire out to lunch, etc. It’s ok to ‘network’ — just don’t be a douche about it. Which leads to…

5. Try to build real, sustained relationships.
Actually be a friend instead of a guy trying to get something. Keep your interactions human (a sincere, honest note will go a lot further than a buzzwordy press release). Seek out ways to help others. It’ll all come back to you.

6. It’s the message, not the amount you spend on it.
Companies that spend tons of ad/PR dollars to convince people their products are worthwhile are like guys who spend lots of money on gifts and dinners to woo a woman. What kind of relationship are they really building? Successful customer relationships are like any other long-term relationship: They start with a foundation of communication and showing you care about the other person.

7. Give stuff away for free.
(I don’t think this contradicts the previous point but maybe?) People love free. Offer a free version of your product, provide coupon codes, etc. Whenever we include a coupon code in a newsletter, there’s a big uptick in upgrades.

8. Ride the wave.
Seek momentum and ride it. Is everyone buzzing about the iPhone? Then make an iPhone app. Are people interested in rapid development processes? Then blog about building your app in, say, under a month. Find out what people are talking about already and then figure out a way to get in the picture.

9. Be in it for the long haul.
Recognize that promotion, like other aspects of building a company, takes time and effort. If you’re starting from scratch, you have to claw your way up. It’s uncanny how many ‘overnight success stories’ you hear about are actually people who busted their asses for years to get into the position where something might take off. Don’t expect instant recognition.

10. Be undeniably good.
Steve Martin was on Charlie Rose last week. At the very end, he gave his advice to someone who’s trying to make it in any field: ‘Be undeniably good.’

When people ask me how do you make it in show business or whatever, what I always tell them — And nobody ever takes note of it ‘cuz it’s not the answer they wanted to hear. What they want to hear is here’s how you get an agent, here’s how you write a script, here’s how you do this — But I always say, ‘Be so good they can’t ignore you.’ If somebody’s thinking, ‘How can I be really good?’, people are going to come to you. It’s much easier doing it that way than going to cocktail parties.

That’s some good advice. Go out and make something that kicks ass and people will notice.

Related: Check out the ‘Promotion’ chapter in Getting Real.

Got a question for us? Please send it along to svn [at] 37signals dot com and use the subject ‘Ask 37signals’.

“

(Via Signal vs. Noise.)

Meto Progress…….Closer to reality!!: “Farrukh Ahmed:

The Rail Agency of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has announced that the first two Metro trains have been transported out of the factory to undergo driverless operation and climatic testing in various locations in Japan.

(Via Metroblogging Dubai.)

“Driverless operation”… not sure I like the sound of that

Aftonbladet: Första bilden på nya BMW:

Pictures of new BMW 5-series, bigger but lighter, the article says.

Swiss Public Record Office - Basel, by EM2N: “

Switzerland’s Public Record Office new building is a small gem of architectural triumph. Located at Liestal, the capital of the Basel - Landschaft Canton, 17 Km south of Basel, it was designed by’ the EM2N office, Mathias’ Mueller and’ Daniel Niggli, architects.

The difficult topography was a deciding factor: a
narrow lot at a place from where
the city cannot be seen. The surroundings consist of small
buildings and houses which make up the context in which
the old Public Record building stands. An ‘urban’
place that is neither public nor private. What changed it? A competition
organised in 2000 by the Office for Building
Construction Canton Basel-Landschaft for the spatial
doubling of this building, won by EM2N.

There was an option to widen horizontally. Despite that, the winning proposal called
for an around-and-up concept of growth. The existing
building is embraced by an L-shaped construction on
top of which a glass & metal structure creates a new level.
The lower levels contain the depository and rooms for
technical purposes. The upper floor is used for
public consultancy.

The new addition has two
distinct entrances: one for documents and one for the public. Documents to be archived enter from the longer side of the
base. The public enters
from the side facing the rail road lines.

When the visitor enters, he can observe an unusual texture that takes the full double height: what is this made of? It instantly reminds one of Semper’s thoughts
on the textile origin of walls. The space is inhabited
by a spiraling staircase. It was made in a single piece and positioned by
literally screwing it from above onto an opening in the
floor. An intriguing form, seemingly both anchored and
levitating at the same time.

The base of the
building is covered by climbing
plants, intented’ to form a green plinth whose
extraordinary character is a sublimation of the
surrounding suburban flora. The encounter between
people and documents occurs on the top floor. From
this glazed crown, which is also transparent in its
interior partitioning, there is once again a view of the
city on the other side of the rail road. And so the Public
Record building finally inhabits comfortably its location.

‘ ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ‘

Name:		Public Record Office Canton Basel - Landschaft
Time:		11/2000 - 08/2006
Location:		Liestal
Client:		Canton Basel - Landschaft
Year:		2000
Type:		public
Status:		‘ ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ‘ competition 1st prize under construction
Partners:		‘ ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ” ‘ Otto + Partner ag ct bauberatung+bauökonomie AG walt+galmarini bauingenieure AG

A close-up view of the entrance wall texture:

And another interior view (the public consultancy space):

‘

“

(Via 2Modern Design Talk - Modern Furniture & Design Blog.)

BMW X6 unveiled. 400 hp twin-turbo V8 to be offered: “Coming to the US in Q2 2008, the BMW X6 ‘Sports Activity Coupe’ will launch in the second quarter with a Direct-injected, twin-turbo V8 and the automaker’s acclaimed twin-turbo inline six. The official debut will take place at the Detroit Auto Show next month.”

(Via digg.)

I’m not that into cars, but that sounds awesome.

Hajj - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: “The Hajj (Arabic: حج, transliteration: Ḥaǧǧ) which is the pilgrimage to Mecca (Makkah), is the largest annual pilgrimage in the world.[1] It is the fifth pillar of Islam, an obligation that must be carried out by every able-bodied Muslim who can afford to do so, at least once in their lifetime. It is the demonstration of the solidarity of the Muslim people, and their submission to God.[2]

The pilgrimage occurs from the 8th to the 12th day of Dhul Hijjah, the 12th month of the Islamic calendar. This date cannot be aligned directly with Western calendars, but in the early 21st century, it occurs roughly in the November-January timeframe. In 2007, the next month of Dhul Hijjah begins on December 11, with the week of the Hajj beginning on December 18, 2007.

The Hajj is associated with the life of Muhammad, but the ritual of the pilgrimage was considered ancient even during his lifetime in the 7th century. Many Muslims believe that it goes back to the time of Abraham in 2000 BC. Pilgrims would join processions of tens of thousands of people, who would simultaneously converge on Mecca for the week of the Hajj, and perform a series of rituals. Each person would walk counter-clockwise seven times about the Kaaba, the cubical building towards which all Muslims pray, kiss the sacred Black Stone on its corner, run back and forth between the hills of Al-Safa and Al-Marwah, drink from the Zamzam Well, go to the plains of Mount Arafat to stand in vigil, then proceed to Muzdalifah to gather pebbles, which they would throw at a rock in Mina to perform the ritual of the Stoning of the Devil. The pilgrims would then shave their heads, perform an animal sacrifice, and celebrate the three day global festival of Eid ul-Adha.[3][4]“

(Via Wikipedia)