Atlanta Snow Storm: Largest Snow Event in Years Expected Sunday Night, Monday - 11Alive.com WXIA Atlanta, GA
So it looks like I'm going to be at my desk on Monday, one way or another! If you have a website project in progress, I'll be able to finish it up on that day. If you have a website project you would like to discuss or get started on, you'll have an easy time reaching me.
January marks the 10th anniversary of SDOC Publishing Internet Solutions' history of creating small business websites and other online communications and marketing solutions. I was working on a somewhat different announcement that didn't have to do with 3 inches of snow in Metro Atlanta (!!!) so I'll get to that later.
For members and others interested in the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce First Monday Networking, keep an eye on the main page at http://www.dunwoodycommerce.org/ for announcements regarding rescheduling if needed.
Weather closings from Channel 11
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The latest updates from SDOC Publishing Internet Solutions for our clients, our community, and the web design field. Our Dunwoody, Georgia studio serves clients all over the United States and Canada.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Internet and Your Kids - In Time For Christmas
SDOC is getting ready to go on hiatus for Christmas and the New Year. But we're not on vacation - I'm working to continue projects in progress and I'm still fielding calls from current and future clients. But this time of year, parents have to step away from the keyboard and focus on their children.
Some of you out there are buying computers for your kids this year. I'll be doing the same in just a couple of years myself. It is neither possible, nor even advisable to avoid teaching the use of technology to children. It's an essential skill, just like the "Three R's" of a few decades back. Teaching technology is not just about controlling a mouse or using a keyboard - even touch-typing. It's also learning about life and how to make good decisions.
Years ago, we learned about "stranger danger" and how not to talk to strangers, how adults should ask for help from other adults, rather than from children, and how you don't take a ride from someone you don't know. When I was in Kindergarten, we read a book called "Nancy and the Nice Bad Man" which taught a very graphic lesson about what can happen when a child takes a ride from a stranger.
What makes navigating technology more challenging is that today, the "nice bad man" is coming right into our homes through our computer screens. The danger is greater because without a physical presence, the threat doesn't seem real: whether it is bullying, extortion, or even just stealing your login information and wreaking havoc on your Facebook page. The perp isn't just your neighborhood "Chester" that all the parents warn their children to stay away from. Perps can come from any city, town, or village on the globe - and they do, if you've gotten any 419 email scams lately.
Most of all, technology is just as new to parents as it is to children and it's constantly changing. Parents have to learn for themselves not to get burned before they can warn their children, or monitor their online activity.
This week I had the pleasure of making a new acquaintance through my LinkedIn profile (see how easy it is to make contacts and why it's necessary to be careful?!) who runs a blog on Internet safety guidelines for parents. Mary Kay Hoal is the COO of YourSphere - social networking for kids. In addition to being a safe place for children to learn about communicating via the internet, the blog section provides some timely news on how to keep your kids safe and to help them avoid content you don't think they are ready for. Before deciding whether and how much to allow your children to use the Internet, get familiar with some procedures and software to make safety easier to maintain.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Some of you out there are buying computers for your kids this year. I'll be doing the same in just a couple of years myself. It is neither possible, nor even advisable to avoid teaching the use of technology to children. It's an essential skill, just like the "Three R's" of a few decades back. Teaching technology is not just about controlling a mouse or using a keyboard - even touch-typing. It's also learning about life and how to make good decisions.
Years ago, we learned about "stranger danger" and how not to talk to strangers, how adults should ask for help from other adults, rather than from children, and how you don't take a ride from someone you don't know. When I was in Kindergarten, we read a book called "Nancy and the Nice Bad Man" which taught a very graphic lesson about what can happen when a child takes a ride from a stranger.
What makes navigating technology more challenging is that today, the "nice bad man" is coming right into our homes through our computer screens. The danger is greater because without a physical presence, the threat doesn't seem real: whether it is bullying, extortion, or even just stealing your login information and wreaking havoc on your Facebook page. The perp isn't just your neighborhood "Chester" that all the parents warn their children to stay away from. Perps can come from any city, town, or village on the globe - and they do, if you've gotten any 419 email scams lately.
Most of all, technology is just as new to parents as it is to children and it's constantly changing. Parents have to learn for themselves not to get burned before they can warn their children, or monitor their online activity.
This week I had the pleasure of making a new acquaintance through my LinkedIn profile (see how easy it is to make contacts and why it's necessary to be careful?!) who runs a blog on Internet safety guidelines for parents. Mary Kay Hoal is the COO of YourSphere - social networking for kids. In addition to being a safe place for children to learn about communicating via the internet, the blog section provides some timely news on how to keep your kids safe and to help them avoid content you don't think they are ready for. Before deciding whether and how much to allow your children to use the Internet, get familiar with some procedures and software to make safety easier to maintain.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
From Adrienne Duncan
Owner, SDOC Publishing Internet Solutions
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Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Small Business Saturday, Close to Home
American Express promoted this past Saturday as "Small Business Saturday", where they encouraged the public to patronize small businesses as opposed to larger corporations.
Recently I completed a very simple billboard-style project for a local Dunwoody businesswoman. Susan B Renegar is an HR professional and CPA who has created her own business in accounting for other small businesses in the area. She has very low overhead, so her prices are much more affordable to other entrepreneurs than larger Perimeter- or Buckhead-based firms. Plus she's easy to get to: Dunwoody traffic is no picnic, but you don't have to join the GA 400 parking lot either!
In a large urban area like Atlanta, shopping between small businesses and large corporations is not necessarily an "either/or" proposition. Each has its own purpose and place and each fills different needs. For example, large corporations can provide jobs for those who don't want to be entrepreneurs. In addition, about every large corporation you can name started out as a single person or a handful of people creating a small business. Coca-Cola and McDonalds are the first to come to mind. Coca-Cola began as a pharmacist stirring a big pot of essential oils and sugar syrup over a campfire in his backyard. So I guess you could say that the most recognized corporation in the world began as a home-based business!
But small local businesses are tied directly to the community where they reside. They have a greater impact on the local tax base and are often owned by a local resident. The financial circle is very small and money stays concentrated in the community when their shops are patronized.
But small local businesses are tied directly to the community where they reside. They have a greater impact on the local tax base and are often owned by a local resident. The financial circle is very small and money stays concentrated in the community when their shops are patronized.
Recently I completed a very simple billboard-style project for a local Dunwoody businesswoman. Susan B Renegar is an HR professional and CPA who has created her own business in accounting for other small businesses in the area. She has very low overhead, so her prices are much more affordable to other entrepreneurs than larger Perimeter- or Buckhead-based firms. Plus she's easy to get to: Dunwoody traffic is no picnic, but you don't have to join the GA 400 parking lot either!When you are looking for goods or services close to home, please consider the local entrepreneur when shopping. You may find a hidden gem that is more geared toward your needs and shares your civic goals.
Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce
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