Rick Klau | Croncast - Life is Show Prep

superdelegates.org - via twitter

Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:35:35 -0600

@rklau has been getting much press for his timely site. he blogged it on the big board. http://turo.us/4gDui

Tags: rick klau super delegates superdelegates.org

What good are 3 hits from Google search results?

Wed, 05 Dec 2007 08:56:11 -0600

I can tell you. It all depends on what people are searching for.

Painfully obvious, right?

Well, not so much when someone searches at Google for intitle:"chocolate" ext:rss. The odds are astronomically high that even chocolate experts weren't even returned as results. See for yourself.

So what does this mean? It means that someone searched Google for a RSS feed (ext:rss) with the word chocolate in the title (intitle:"chocolate").

Yes, the search is more advanced than a keyword or phrase based search but that isn't my full point. The reason that it matters is that not only did this individual search for chocolate but also culture and abba. Not quite sure what it says about the person searching for those topics . . .

So for me, these three hits matter. They are three more than I would have normally received for those topics and a chance for me to get them to possibly subscribe to those feeds, subscribe to my podcast, click an ad (yes, I like money) or get my brand in front of them.

I am able to do this with keyword feeds that I create dynamically from posts that get the same SEO treatment that a normal webpage would get.

The other plus for this type of search is the fact that they return so few results and Croncast happens to be ranked #1 for most of them including searches like, say . . . "CNN" or "Micorsoft" or "iTunes".

I've had conversations with a friend, Rick Klau, about RSS feeds being indexed in Google search results. Most of those discussions focused on my saying that feeds should show up in search results and Rick saying that they shouldn't.

My stance is that some people, like myself, benefit from these results the same way that we benefit from a normal click through to our sites. I am able to do this by checking where the individual who clicked through is coming from and displaying a web page instead of the RSS with the exact same data that was in the feed.

But I don't stop there. I also make sure to let the user know how they got to the page and that they can now subscribe to that feed. It's a soft landing for what traditionally has been a hard look at XML or ugly feed displays in browsers. Which is where you will end up with 99.9 out of 100 feeds if you click through them when returned in a search.

What is Rick's position? If 99.9 are bad then they should be removed. For the time being I will agree that he is right. But that doesn't mean that this is the way it always has to be.

A couple of things could change this:

1) The uptake of RSS since IE7 and and FireFox now display their own XSLT to prettify the XML. Sort of like FeedBurner does.
2) Publishers add their own XSLT for their feeds
3) Publishers using blogs, most of which are dynamically generated, are written with code that can check for referers like Goolge, Live and Yahoo and redirect the user to a page that has the same content as the feed
4) My favorite. Google could create their own XSLT document that loads the feed into it.

Maybe that was more than a couple but I believe there are a lot of ways to welcome feeds into indexed search results beyond having to type in a search like intitle:"Google" ext:rss.

By the way, I'm not number one on this one Google is with it's YouTube property.

Next up, how to create RSS feeds with keywords in the title, how to get the .rss extension added to your feeds and landing pages for feeds.

Tags: RSS search page rank Google search RSS XSLT FeedBurner

Ron Paul - Big in Naperville

Sun, 02 Dec 2007 13:19:35 -0600

I took this last weekend in downtown Naperville.

There are some fervent Ron Paul supporters in Naperville. I would say more so than any other candidate I have seen. It's not just the stickers everywhere but the signs in yards, major and minor intersections and along the busiest roads.

He might not be getting much press right now but he's got an awful lot of mindshare among drivers and pedestrians in the downtown.

Update: Thought I should mention that this wouldn't be so if Rick Klau were still in town. We'd be thinking and seeing Obama everywhere, all the time. That wouldn't be such a bad thing. The Naperville Dems could use him about now.

Tags: Ron Paul Naperville downtown Naperville Ron Paul Stickers

Rick Klau, what do you do at Google?

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:01:35 -0500

Tags: google klau rick

Move to Naperville and hang with us

Sat, 25 Aug 2007 20:28:35 -0500

Speaking of Mr. Klau, you can purchase his former abode here in Naperville. With this purchase you can not only have beautiful home with a sweet basement bar but you can hang with some of Naperville's finest nerds.

If you buy it, yes you reading this post, you'll get a dinner for two with Betsy and I to give you the dirt on your new town. Rick, Robin, this will sell your house!

This I lifted this from Rick's post about the house (if you are a Democrat check out the last line of this post):

And maybe most significantly, we loved how close we were to some of Napervilles gems: Ribfest (walking distance to that most gluttonous of charitable events!), Last Fling (seeing They Might Be Giants a couple years ago was a highlight), and the Riverwalk. We spent a ton of time walking around downtown - between the library (#1 in the country!), the restaurants, Andersens bookshop, events like Oktoberfest, there were plenty of opportunities - which was just a mile away.

We added a bit of history to the house, hosting Barack Obama for a fundraiser during his 2004 Senate run.

Tags: Naperville Homes Ribfest Barack Obama Rick Klau Andersen's Bookshop

We'll be short a Naper nerd

Mon, 04 Jun 2007 09:05:44 -0500

I'm not going to get all sappy . . . Rick, Robin and the kids are moving on.

That Wii boxing champion trophy should get you some nerd cred at the new office!

Tags: Naperville nerds Rick Klau Robin Klau Wii trophy Wii boxing champ

Class all the way

Thu, 17 May 2007 09:08:21 -0500

I was moved this morning by a post by friend Rick Klau about the passing of his grandfather. If there is a way to memorialize someone in this new age it is surely this.

Thank you, Rick, for sharing.

Tags: memorialize blog memorial memorialized in a blog post

Betsy video at the comedy club

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 09:08:29 -0500

Here's the video from the comedy club, "The Comedy Shrine" in Naperville where Betsy is being asked about Croncast.

Don't see the video? Download it here.

Thanks to Robin Klau for shooting this and Rick for posting it so I could get it up here.

Tags: The Comedy Shrine Naperville Croncast Robin Klau Rick Klau The Spew

RSS consumption and metrics

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 10:02:57 -0600

I am a RSS stats junkie. From RSS stats you can demonstrate almost anything that you want to (like most any other statistics, but work with me people). You can highlight trends, show how another integrated marketing helped your feed at a specific time of day, try to gauge some ROI from your RSS feeds or tell what applications or bots hit your feed most often. And don't forget click-throughs. There's tons of information that can be pulled from feeds by tracking them. FYI, if you are not tracking your feeds you should be it will open your eyes to a new group of people standing right outside your door.

My buddy Rick Klau over at FeedBurner has released some great numbers and taken a conversation public, so to speak, that many podcasters and bloggers have had recently. The focus of that conversation has been just what are we measuring with these numbers? Which stems from a conversation that page views are dying as an accurate measure of success. Rick's take is that we are measuring engagement. I would agree.

"Your Content is Bigger Than Your Feed
Today's key takeaway is that feeds represent only one aspect of a publisher's overall content consumption. We're living in a world of distributed media after all: people might be reading your content directly on your site, within a widget, via resyndicated headlines on another site, or on a social networking site."

RSS has the ability to more adequately demonstrate engagement since a user actively decides to make your content part of their life. Think of it this way, what if you were able to get people to subscribe to banner ads? What would those statistics look like? You would measure click-throughs, time of day, conversion ratios, etc. Feeds are no different, though more benign. The ad just happens to be your content.

As we creep toward standardization or something closer to a norm for interpreting RSS statistics this post may kick the creep up notch to a walk.

Tags: RSS measurement FeedBurner enagagement Rick Klau FeedBurner's View of the Feed Market RSS consumption

Betsy and her husband Kris Jan 31, 2007

Wed, 31 Jan 2007 08:29:56 -0600

Croncast - 2007-01-31.mp3

Show: #333
Length: 21:08
Size: 14.5mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris January 31, 2007

Well, there's not much to say.

This counts as a show but one that Betsy and me would both rather forget. We recorded 7 shows last night each worse than the last. We've never had a night like this when recording since we began the show.

It was like a bad hair day . . . 2 hours of work and not much to show for it except a coiffed do someplace just East of Donald Trump.

Tags: Nick T rating system Wii torunament wii party naperville Mike Marusin Rick Klau

Wii are sore and photos to prove it

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 10:46:26 -0600

Mike put up some shots from our Wii party last night in the KlauManPit. This is my favorite, Rick busting up during a game:

Tags: klaumanpit wii party Henry Treftz Rick Klau Mike Marusin

Betsy and her husband Kris Oct 11, 2006

Wed, 11 Oct 2006 07:01:04 -0500

Croncast - 2006-10-11.mp3

Show: #283
Length: 43:13
Size: 29.6 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris October 11, 2006

We recorded this late last night and the energy levels in some parts are pretty low. I think the prime time for us to record is around 9 p.m.

Show notes:

Intro numero dos thanks to that low energy
Turn the dial?
Betsy has been sitting in the house for a couple days
Even though she went to Goodwill it was a bad day
People were packed in wall to wall
Wednesday will be worse cause it is old person day (Kris day)
Vickie was rockin' her bag that Betsy missed out on
Picking up the sister
Resale shop at 11:35 . . . and suddenly the rest of my day is gone
Betsy has been really grumpy last three days
She wants to push off a pier with cement shoes
The honest answer is she upset about parenting issues
When will you not be too busy . . . 2008?
That doesn't count as parenting
Aren't we paying off the final credit card next week?
There is always another bill, Mr. B.
Rick keeps finding ways to get on the show
Documentary about Betsy's uncle, Randy Shilts - Reporter Zero
We have to find a way to see this movie
Life is show prep holmes
"I can't believe that I have to look at your mother at Thanksgiving"
Flying back to the midwest and seeing the people at the airport
You know your terminal by your people
The new vast collection of checked shirts
Betsy gets to the punch line before me
"I don't belong with you people."
Betsy says they are 'Puffy Cuffs'
The nosey neighbor
Nobody will even know when you are dead without nosey neighbors
What would Kris be like as a native american?
Shirt, pants and accessories from a single hanger on QVC "Fashion Day"
Designed to minimize lumpiness
Heart shaped mommy pants in the rear
Why try to talk with the other mommies?
They are not our people . . . they are 10-15 years older than we are
Getting an iPass for the tolls as a birthday gift
Oh, that was casual clothing

1) Fill out the appropriate form for you - *New* Listener or Get a Handle (current listener)
2) Verify your email address (Activates and qualifies those with a "Handle")
3) *New* listeners get activated and qualified by using their special RSS feed
4) 300th new listener and the person whose Handle they use win iPods AND
5) A drawing for 2 more iPods from everyone who entered!

Tags: Goodwill Reporter Zero Randy Shilts puffy cuffs Rick Klau

Betsy and her husband Kris Oct 06, 2006

Fri, 06 Oct 2006 07:07:04 -0500

Croncast - 2006-10-06.mp3

Show: #281
Length: 31:00
Size: 21.3 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris October 06, 2006

The emails cam flying in yesterday for the painted chicks
Well, it is your eyes . . . check out one here
It's a frontal and Betsy feels sorry for this woman
Why didn't you go to Denny's instead?
Pale pudding faces and thnking what a sexless group
The post I mention is referenced above
Street-walker shows on HBO
Kris can stop watching . . . Betsy can't
She is a fan of the train wreck
How much can I pay you to get dressed right now?
Kris wants to rehash his Expo excitement
We're both going next year
Betsy SMS messaging turns me on . . nerd love
Basking in the stardom of Betsy
My phone just called Betsy randomly at Expo
She was surprised that I was speaking
Listening through my pants
Nerd brethren I can talk it up
Again with the name drops from dinner
Big shout out to Rick, Rick Klau
Betsy says I can tell a story
No Betsy crutch
Betsy sets her self up to tell her story
3 children heavy at Goodwill
Betsy's apprentice pulls one over on her
Elliot fell once he never stood back up again
Here's the bag on eBay
Betsy flirts with Tubby the Love Bucket for a shot

Tags: HBO Goodwill painted chicks PME SMS

Routing synapses: Portable Media Expo thoughts

Thu, 05 Oct 2006 10:46:55 -0500

It has taken me nearly a week to find some time to sit down and write about this year's Portable Media Expo. My brain takes so long to process situations that when you stack about 200 new situations right on top of one another my synapses begin to flutter a bit like a dancer dropping it likes it's hot. If you missed that analogy just turn on MTV and watch any rap video to see things dropping and gyrating.

So as this stuff has shaken out in my thought process I keep seeing the faces of those I shared some words and grub with . . . Nicole Simon, Garrick Van Buren, Greg Cangialosi, Mark Chernesky, Rick Klau, Eric Olson, Paul Figgiani (Paul got a hug), Tim Bourquin, Scott Fletcher, David Lawrence, Frank Barnako, Holland Cooke, Giovanni Gullacci, John and Erin Paxton and Craig Patchett (he told us not to drive Slowsky).

On the social side there was Evo and Sheila, Dave Slusher for 3 mintues on the way to his seesion (I think the best session of the Expo) . . . damn, that is the end. I should have hung out more!

New train of thought, thinking of my sessions I wanted to thank everyone who attended especially the 40 or so people who showed up for the one on Saturday at the Portable Media Expo. There I met some great people with podcast consulting and production motivations like myself. It was fun to share how you too can loose a client like MTV Networks and how you can gain a client like Alltel and produce for NFL players.

The take aways from the Expo are varied for me. It was a great time to meet and hangout with other podcasters and listeners (Tom Davies you rock). The meet-upability of the Expo is hands down the biggest reason for attending if you have been podcasting for some time. If you are new to the community then I would guess that the Expo was probably extremely overwhelming as the sessions popped off and the social component took hold.

I can't say that I was really disappointed by things but did have some low moments:

1) Pink spandex at the Marriott and the wood inside
2) Being told repeatedly that no one in podcasting is making any money (Ahem, because you're not doesn't mean that others aren't)
3) Rehashing the same discussions that have been going on since the beginning

Now that I have my memories in some semblance of real activity and spared you the personal details of many of those interactions I want to say thank you to Tim, Emile and the PME staff for producing this event and allowing podcasters to be themselves . . . pink spandex shorts and all.

Tags: Portable media Expo PME pink spandex Alltel

Ego searches on Flickr to continue

Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:38:40 -0500

I am sure that I am not the only Portable media Expo attendee who has put more energy into ego searches on Flickr for their mug than bathing or shaving. Well, maybe it's just me then but I've found my chicken skinned head a few times. Thankfully no place in vicinity of those painted gals.

"Gal" makes me sound older than I am but man, if you too had seen these women you use the term "gal" also.

Anyway I found this one earlier today with the headline, "Dinner with Visionaries - 2006". Thanks Scott! But my only vision was the one of David cutting his ear while shaving his head. Since I'm in the bald posse it carries extra relevance and terror.

More on this dinner to come.

I ran out of tags for the other folks at the dinner . . . Eric Olson, Giovanni (from Texas) and the two nice people from GoDaddy who's names I can't remember (update: see comment below).

Tags: Podcheck Rick Klau Garrick Van Buren Greg Cangialosi David Lawrence Scott Fletcher

Some things Snakes do are just wrong

Fri, 18 Aug 2006 00:17:19 -0500

So Mr. Rick Klau pings me earlier this week for Snakes on a Plane. You bet I am up to it! 10p.m. showing . . . np kids and wife will be in bed.

Yep, lots of hype. Oscars anyone? Anyone? No. But it is funny funny funny even when they bust out serious faces. Or it could have been the 8 college freshman boys behinds us boozing it up.

Whatever it was, some kid with a snake costume get-up, the 3 foot head shot of Sam that some kid had or the rubber snakes that went flying by every 15 minutes it was a hell of a good time. Thanks to Rick and to Mike.

BTW, what they did to the boob was wrong. The schwaanz, I can live with, expected. The boob, nothing so precious should be messed with. They give life to the smallest among us!!!

Tags: Snakes on a Plane Samuel L. Jackson snakes

Vacation: Act #4 Home Sweet Home

Mon, 19 Jun 2006 06:56:17 -0500

Croncast - 2006-06-19.mp3

Show: #238
Length: 49:20
Size: 33.9 mb
Format: mp3

Betsy and her husband Kris June 19, 2006

Act #4 is the wrap up. Our declaration of our new found love with home and our love affairs with the benign lives that have come to repeat everday. Betsy will garage sale, go to Goodwill and I will hide out in the basement.

Show notes a bit later.

Until then feel free to prepare your entry into our "My vavaction sucked too!" contest. How do I enter, Kris? Click the image below to find out more.

Tags: John Elway Dodge Denver Naperville Slowsky Rick Klau thetrip

It was a childless party

Sat, 17 Jun 2006 16:45:58 -0500

Rick and Robin Klau hosted a great party last night. Well, it was really a small concert for Paul Curreri. Thanks guys!

Paul is an excellent musician, great song writer, very good vocals (though if he is at this when he is 40 his voice will be even better) and a great stage presence. A stage presence in the sense of holding the attention of nearly 30 odd people with wit.

Some of the evening was captured by Evan. Did I mention that we all made arrangements for our kids! Man it was nice. Rick and Robin know how to host a party for parents with young children.

Tags: Rick Klau Robin Klau Paul Curreri Naperville party

It's official, I'll be speaking at Portable Media Expo

Thu, 18 May 2006 05:55:56 -0500

Well, it is listed on the Portable Media Expo schedule so it's official. I'll be speaking about my experience starting up and running a podcasting production company, Palegroove Studios, and how other experienced podcasters can do the same through consulting.

What? Tell people how to become your competition? Sort of.

Think about how many web designers and developers there are today. Now, imagine if there were only about 100 in the world that were considered 'experts' and could be trusted to get a job done professionally. Could they handle all of the work? There's plenty of available today for more than 1000 podcasting consultants.

To say the least, I am excited about this opportunity to share some of my ups and downs over the last 1 1/2 years. I am probably more willing to share my downs since there have been more of them, but each one an excellent teacher.

Last but not least, fellow Naperville geek drink compadre and friend, Rick Klau, will be speaking also. He's got duty explaining and evangelizing RSS on the newbie front. Looks like geek drinks will go mobile.

Tags: Portable Media Expo conference Kris Smith Palegroove Studios Rick Klau

For those on the nerd tip, FeedBurner Report

Tue, 18 Apr 2006 13:11:53 -0500

A friend of the show and myself, Rick Klau, has posted some amazing data in a report released today by FeedBurner titled, "Expanding Universe: Podcasting Market Update". The report covers many aspects of podcasting thanks to Rick's keen eye on the community and his participation in it.

This report is a must read not only because it highlights one of the podcasts that I produce but because it will open your eyes to how many of your fellow humanity are subscribing and producing podcasts.

Way to go Rick! And kudos to FeedBurner for putting a report like this out with REAL, up-to-date statistics that aren't 9 months old at the time of publication!

Tags: Rick Klau FeedBurner Podcast Market Update Alltel Racing Podcast

Croncast - Betsy and her husband Kris Ep. 84

Fri, 03 Jun 2005 06:16:55 -0500

Croncast - 2005-06-03.mp3

Show: #125
Length: 33:03
Format: mp3
Bit rate: 64 kbs
Size: 14.0 mb

Croncast - Betsy and her husband Kris Ep. 84

Today's show is about world view with the anology being our choice of arctic dwelling or final days on a piece of drift ice. I feel like I just got back from the arctic with my cold, but by Monday I should be back to full voice ;) (not quite sure what 'full voice' is).

Betsy puts out a call for Eskimo listeners to send us a message, denies the existence of Macaroni penguins. See below:

Betsy: this is a macaroni penguin.

Thanks to everyone who voted so far at Podcast Alley for the show! If you haven't voted yet this month take some time and click the image below.

Vote at Podcast Alley with the "Vote Croncast" button above.

Some people have had trouble voting at Podcast Alley and unfortunately there is nothing that I can do to fix it. We've made Chris aware of the problem but I think to fix the problem would break more than it repairs.

Kris tells a story of young love, dirty street action and how 30 year old men are not really invisible when they are staring. The story goes something like this . . . "Excuse me, are those two chicks making out over there?" The answer was, "Yes. Twice."

Check out the other guys from the Naperville Blogger/Podcaster group:

Evan Brown - InternetCases.com
Rick Klau - Tins
Mike Marusin - marusin.com
Henry Treftz - who's blog I can't find because he was closeted for so long ;).

Tags: croncast betsy alley podcast kris