The Real Second Glance Digital Media

There is only one Second Glance Digital Media. However, several scammers and liars are using similar names to rip off unsuspecting victims like you.

These people have stolen my identity instead of using an original business name. They do NOT have my decades of experience and success, be warned! (Some are terribly out of date, using unsafe and unsupported Flash (one of a cyber criminal's easiest ways into your computer), and building websites that aren't even mobile-friendly.)

These names were chosen to trick you into giving money to identity thieves. People using these names do NOT represent Second Glance Digital Media in any way:

- Second Glance Media
- Second Glance Design
- Second Glance Web Design
- Second Glance Website Design
- Second Glance Websites

Clients and prospects refer to my business in a variety of ways, sometimes using a combination of terms like those above. That's fine, but remember there is only one true Second Glance Digital Media, so be sure you're actually talking to me!

Some Common Webmaster Mistakes

Note that this video is from 2013, although I doubt much would change if it were answered now in 2016. Same philosophy, different implementation.

The One-Page Business Website

One page websites are strange creatures. There may not be any navigation. There may not be any off-site calls. There is likely nothing to pre-fetch or pre-render. It limits your options in terms of linking, but it also focuses value on a single page. It gives Google only one chance to accurately interpret what you do.

Just to clarify, on one hand we have the "infinitely scrolling pieces of crap", a page with lots of sections and different topics thrown together as a substitute for a logically structured website, and on the other hand we have small pages about one topic which are very simple.

For some businesses, one page works. Before they moved to another city, I had a client that ranked number one with a single-page website for years, in an industry that had some large, elaborate, expensive websites.

Once again one page wins the day. ABC Muskoka, an auto body repair shop, is a small business easily represented on one page. People know what auto body repair is. They know what rust repair is. They probably typed those exact words into Google. All they want is two things: an address and phone number. Everything else is bonus content to help them appreciate the high-quality work done at the shop, which is easily shown on one page. In a case like this, extra pages would be pointless, there would be nothing to gain.

A New Generation of Values and Beliefs

Society is largely shaped by twenty-somethings, and it's been twenty-something years since the internet became a part of our homes, schools, and businesses. As they enter the workplace and marketplace I believe it will begin to shape a new society faster than we expect.

As twenty-somethings enter the world as adults, they bring with them their values, beliefs, knowledge, and other aspects of themselves. I believe this generation has very different ideas about the world, people, identity, and work than generations prior. Not strange or crazy ideas, just bigger leaps beyond their parents than we've experienced up until now.

They've done things in ways that never existed. They've socialized differently. Interacted with their schoolmates differently. Experienced movies and music differently. Seen and heard things at a much younger age than before. Seen and heard an astonishing amount of stuff without any parental knowledge. Seen and heard more in general than any kids before them.

The first generation to have been raised in an entirely digital and connected world is now entering the workplace and marketplace. It will be interesting to see how their values and beliefs become expressed in the world around us.

Cyber Crime Expert Discusses Today's Hackers (video)

Cyber crime researcher and writer Brian Krebs has a quick chat with CNN about global internet crime and the people behind it.

Website Update: Accounted For

Accounted For is an accounting business operating in Bracebridge, Ontario and serving the Gravenhurst and Huntsville vicinity. The owner of the business, Laura, visits many of her clients in person, and deals with others by computer and telephone.

Accounted For provides personalized tax filing, payroll services, and bookkeeping. Whether you have a unique personal income tax situation (truck driver? stock trader? rental properties?), want to get your business finances tightened up, or just have some simple routine filings, she'll get the job done, and at an amazing price. She can also explain CRA correspondence and help you with audits if necessary.

This has been a top-10 ranking website since it was built many years ago, when the owner was originally in Peterborough. This change is a partly cosmetic, but primarily to re-target the website to residents of the Bracebridge area.

The site has just one page of content, designed to help a visitor determine if Accounted For provides the accounting services they need. It is modest compared to other accounting sites with many pages and flashy designs, but her clients aren't looking for a huge international accounting firm, and the simple look reflects the small business owners who form most of her clientele. I'm happy to continue providing this terrific small business with top-10 rankings in a field of much larger competitors.

10 Reasons To Never Use Auto-Playing Sound or Video

Here's why auto-playing audio and video on a business website is a pointless, irritating interruption that should never be done (in no particular order):

1) people surf the web while listening to TV, music, audio books, etc.; sudden overlapping noise is baffling and infuriating

2) people surf the web while on Skype and other chat programs, and now you've pissed off everyone involved

3) for people listening to music wearing headphones, unexpected sounds are even more shocking

4) only people with their speakers/headphones turned on will hear it anyway, so why bother?

5) some devices don't even have speakers; why auto-run something if users can't experience it?

6) the volume can be too loud, but also too quiet; users may not realize anything is playing

7) audio and video eats up expensive bandwidth for users, especially on cellular and mobile networks

8) people will leave rather than waste time figuring out how to turn it off

9) it's a horrible reminder of long ago when audio/video was a new gimmick web designers could offer clients

10) click-to-play is the solution, and gives you analytics that reflect intentional listens/views instead of meaningless "plays"

For The Record - NSA Leaks Tweets - June 2013

Although the Snowden/NSA/Prism leaks fall in line with things I'd normally tweet about, in this case I decided to keep my own to a minimum because of the predictable flood that would come due to the magnitude of the issue. I posted a total of 12 tweets over the last two weeks of June, starting the day of the first leak, linking to the original story.

June 06
Serious concerns: either the U.S. gov't hacked computers secretly, or the companies are lying (Guardian article) http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/06/us-tech-giants-nsa-data

June 08
So many questions about U.S. hoarding data on innocent people, but we do know only a few senators saw this coming, the rest were too stupid.

June 09
Your government has enough info about you to successfully frame you for any crime, anywhere, any time. Have a nice weekend.

June 13
Once again, a key point missing from the NSA story is that databases get stolen. Huge danger when gov'ts compile data about innocent people.

June 15
Demand senator Lindsey Graham's email passwords, lol. He talks a mean game, now can he walk the talk? - https://secure.freedomworks.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=1087

June 16
In case you missed it... The (supposed) PRISM logo used by the U.S. gov't is a stolen photo, lol - http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/06/12/nsa_logo_scandal/

I wonder how many people in positions like Ed Snowden just keep their mouths shut and sell data to criminals and other countries.

Dear NSA: sounds like the terrorists have already won. They've got you spying on your own innocent citizens and lying about it under oath.

So... thousands of NSA "employees" (incl. subcontractors) CAN listen to phone calls any time they want, no warrant - http://news.cnet.com/8301-13578_3-57589495-38/nsa-spying-flap-extends-to-contents-of-u.s-phone-calls/

June 17
The world is right to be mad at the US, but don't lose site of the cyber criminals still stealing credit cards, identities, etc. Be safe.

June 28
NSA says anyone using encryption is suspicious. Which means lawyers/doctors/accountants using secure email with clients are terror suspects!

June 29
Next NSA trick? Since terrorists can write letters, the NSA will pretty much have to start opening, copying, and resealing all postal mail.