Opportunity Knocking - Dunwoody Music Festival

Small businesses looking for a local market need look no further than Brook Run Park in October.  The Music Festival, sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce is looking for food vendors, artisans, business exhibitors (including non-profits) and sponsors.

There's some way for everyone to get involved here, from small businesses with limited (read:  almost no) budget to large corporations.  Small local businesses have the advantage because of the face-time contact.  The Chamber is expecting 10,000 sets of eyeballs to see your logo, purchase your products, or visit your booth to learn about your services and you.  Food vendors - or restaurants who can create a mobile setup - this one's for you.  (Anyone got the number of that "Hail Ceasar" salad truck that was in the July 4th parade??)

You can submit your application in less than 5 minutes online at http://www.dunwoodymusicfestival.com/.  If you have any issues with any of the forms in the application menu, post a comment and I'll get right on it.

Food vendor applications are due AUGUST 30.  (That's 2 weeks from now, gang! Don't put it off to the last minute.)

Marketplace and Business Exhibitor applications are due September 30.  First come, first served.

Marketplace vendor booths are $195 each and Exhibitor booths are $500.  Discounts apply for early submission.
Food vendor pricing is more detailed.  Check out the Food Vendor Application for more info.

Yes, the Chili Cook-Off will be back too.  Info will get posted as soon as Oktober gets it over to me.

See you there!

More nosy social media - LinkedIn

::: Heavy sigh :::
http://www.businessinsider.com/linkedin-pulled-a-facebook-and-messed-with-your-info-heres-how-to-fix-it-2011-8

Briefly:

LinkedIn has volunteered your name and photograph to be used for advertising if it feels like it wants to use them. 

I noticed this earlier in the week when my LinkedIn profile photo ended up on an ad.  I knew the new "opt out" alert would come along right after that.

I can't say this enough:  when you're networking for any reason, including advertising your business or services, you are going to forfeit a certain amount of privacy.  That's the cost of doing business as a small business or entrepreneur.

Each person has to decide what is personal promotion, and what info use has crossed the line.  Be vigilant, pay attention, and when someone is using your info without consent, get on them ASAP.  (I just threw a hissy fit at Google - again - for posting a picture of my house.  Double-plus uncool.)  Be careful when using your cell phone to "check in" anywhere and make sure the apps you are using are not revealing your location without your consent. 

Stranger Danger - it's not just for kids anymore.  But it is more complex for us grown folks!

Facebook and Phone Numbers - the latest complaint

About half of my Facebook friends and their friends had the following on their status some time today.

ALL PHONE NUMBERS IN YOUR PHONE ARE NOW ON FACEBOOK! Go to the right of screen, click on Account, click Edit Friends, see left side of screen, click Contacts - you will see ALL phone numbers from your phone (FB friend or not) are published that you've stored in phone. REMOVE, go to Right column, click on "this page" then REMOVE. How did FB get all our Phone numbers out of our phone?

The following is Facebook's official comment:

Rumors claiming that your phone contacts are visible to everyone on Facebook are false. Our Contacts list, formerly called Phonebook, has existed for a long time. The phone numbers listed there were [snip] either added by your friends themselves and made visible to you, or you have previously synced your phone contacts with Facebook. Just like on your phone, only you can see these numbers.

I thought this might be the case when phone numbers of people NOT on my phone contacts list were visible.  It is startling to see phone numbers under peoples' faces all of a sudden.  The explanation has yet to reach http://www.snopes.com/, I'll post it when it does.

Let's be careful out there, people.  Just because some website asks for your phone number so you can talk to your friends doesn't mean you should give it.  Especially your personal or private info.  Facebook, like Google, is nosy as hell.  Between the requirement of cookies on your computer and the API tapping into advertising companies, I'd start feeling naked about now if I used either of these for any kind of networking other than my job.

Maybe all of these sudden scares about info becoming visible are going to get people to pay attention to how much information is taken and shared.  Remember the "right to privacy" touted in legal cases only applies to privacy from the government.  There is no constitutional right to privacy from private individuals or private organizations.  If you value your privacy, limit the information you distribute online and be vigilant about what other companies (*cough*Google*cough*) acquire on their own for their own uses.  Demand that info and photos be removed if used without your express consent.