Lou Pickney's Online Commentary
Lou's New CPU
Friday
December 2, 2011
"My CPU is a neural net processor, a learning computer."
-Line from Terminator 2
I've been negligent in producing content for this site as of late, and there are a number of reasons for that. One of those is the condition of my old Dell computer, which I've had since early 2007, shortly before I moved back to Nashville.
Slowdown has affected my machine considerably over the 4½ years, in part because of Windows Vista hogging system resources, and also because new programs have come out that require faster CPUs to function quicker, or at least chomp up more of the available memory than their earlier counterparts did. Plus, with my over-processed ADD brain going in different directions at once, I frequently end up with multiple browsers going with several pages open on reach, along with Winamp and my website software and Spotify and Photoshop all running. My Dell '07 fought the good fight, but I needed a replacement that could handle all of the aforementioned demand.
So, with that in mind, tonight I remedied the situation by purchasing a new Gateway DX4860-UB33P computer. It cost under $600, has speed galore, and according to most reviews gives me plenty of bang for my buck (at least by 2011 standards). In contrast, my old Dell, even after a max memory upgrade, just didn't have the juice to crank it anymore, leading to inevitable slowdowns or lockups or situations where the computer would act like it was taking part in a 1970s air traffic controller style slowdown. I ordered my new computer via Best Buy's website earlier this evening and was able to pick it up before the store closed for the night, though I spent weeks researching CPU options before I took the leap.
For the short term I'll be using both the old and new computers, waiting for the slated Easy Transfer Cable I ordered from Amazon to arrive on Tuesday. It will be a bit tricky I imagine at times between now and then bouncing from one computer to the other, but I'll survive.
This purchase isn't something I did for fun -- it's a move I made in conjunction with my plan to launch a new business. There are all kinds of companies out there that need help with protecting their brand name and promoting itself via social media, Facebook, etc. My business plan is to create a company that can help other business owners maximize their potential gain from social media while also utilizing techniques to maximize their SEO, short for Search Engine Optimization.
It was only by chance that I started what became Draft King in 2003, but because of my capacity to maximize SEO I was able to build it into a brand name that reached literally hundreds of thousands of people a year, becoming an outlet of analysis and opinion cited by newspapers and websites (even at least one NFL team) and radio stations across the United States. I've paid close attention to what works and what doesn't, and there are plenty of tips and tricks and idea and approaches that I won't give away on here to be done to both protect and improve a company's brand name and image in the online world.
Of course, content is king, and it's the driving force behind most internet traffic. But promoting content is part of the process, and it's very important that companies do whatever they can to maximize their opportunities to market themselves properly online while also being able to engage and neutralize those seeking to harm their brand.
I don't have a name picked out for the company yet. Thinking of Draft King, I looked on GoDaddy to see if anyone had taken the name SocialMediaKing.com. Oh yes, that was taken, though apparently it's being auctioned off right now. $12,700 and counting as of last check (screencapped below), which is too rich for my blood. So I will have to contemplate that issue, and it's amusing to me that finding an available URL that fits can impact the name that a new company ultimately decides to use.
To be fair, when I was approached about selling DraftKing.com earlier this year, I demanded a very high price in exchange for the URL (just the URL, not even the content within Draft King) and ultimately the would-be buyer declined. I did that because I really didn't want to sell the site; I've spent the past 8+ years promoting that name and brand within the world of NFL mock drafts. Godfather offer or no deal.
[An aside: I can't see the term Godfather and not immediately think back to the legendary King of Empty Promises sketch from Kids In The Hall. The same thing happens if the phrases "Slipped my mind", "Will do" or "Don't bother" come up in conversation.]
My top project at the moment is developing a website for a friend's business, though my plan with the Not-Yet-Named Social Media company won't include building websites. I've been building sites for 16 years, but I taught myself .html in late August 1995 as a just-turned 18-year-old and I'm a bit stuck in my ways with that. What can I say, I'm stubborn. Even my girlfriend Stacy has told me that I'm very headstrong, and she's correct.
Now, to be clear, I'm not a programming code guy at all. However, to publish a website in 1995, you had to learn to write .html code. So, with no other choice, that's what I did. But with this new business, it's not going to be about website design (I can refer clients to other companies for that), but instead about promoting and protecting a client company's brand(s) online through a variety of ways.
New businesses can be challenging, and I'm not exactly flush with cash at the moment. But I believe it can work and I'm excited to give it a go, and with my SEO and marketing knowledge I should be able to create and promote my business and build a base of would-be clients in no time. Wish me luck...
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