Google Spreadsheets

Google spreadsheets are supposed to be launching today and you can take a tour of what they have to offer right here. This online spreadsheet program is compatible with CSV (Comma Separated Values) and XLS file formats. XLS being the microsoft format. Features include:

• Number change formats
• Sorting by columns
• Formulas
• Uploading your own spreadsheets
• Keeps your own formulas intact
• A host of formatting facilities
• Collaborate online with other users you choose
• Secure online storage
• Save and export

Google also have a word processor at www.writely.com Looks like Microsoft have a competitor for their new online Web services - Office Live. What appeals to me is savings on 'office' software and Web accessibility from 'anywhere'. In theory anyway, and subject to any security issues. Interesting times.

Death of the Sales Call?

Seth Godin has hit the nail on the head again. I so totally relate to the effects this type of interuption marketing has on any time-challenged businessman. I probably get at least two calls a day from telecoms companies (the unenlightened ones) asking me if I want to save money on my BT account. I haven't had a BT account for more than five years! So perhaps you can understand how angry and frustrated these people make me - and they're so thick. I used to tell them right at the beginning of the call, "I don't have a BT line, I'm on NTL". But do they listen? I've asked them to remove me from their databases. Thay say, "Yes". Do they? No. You'd have thought they would, bearing in mind it would mean they could make additional calls to other prospects, but no, this has never occurred to them. Now I either place the phone down on the desk and carry on working, or let them talk at me, making the occasional acquiescent noise until I decide to inform them I don't have a BT line. The one thing I can't afford to do is sense it's a sales call and immediately wish them a hasty goodbye, because I did that many years ago and it turned out to be a prospective client who rightly got upset and terminated the call. It seems there is no satisfactory way of dealing with these unwanted calls in order to minimise wasted time. So if any of you have any bright ideas for dealing with these sales dinosaurs I'd love to hear from you.

Apologies for the bug (and Iomart again)

Don't know if you've spotted it, but there's a trackback link to a blog that commented on my "Iomart Aniversary" post and it displays after the last post and not after said "Aniversary" post. I would have done some debugging, but I'll be changing from Blogger to Wordpress blogging software very shortly. :) Really must respond to the "UfindUs" post, because the author actually has the answer to the Iomart issues right there in his response. And reading between the lines he seems to be on the customer's side.

Wot? No Google Ads

You know how we all like to earn extra money, and particularly if we don't have to do any work for it. That's why Google Ads does so well (OK, so I like stating the obvious!). This has lead me to consider, on more than one occasion, displaying Google Ads here on this blog. But the problem is that I have a tendency to offer advice and insights on Web hosting here. Now, if I had Google Ads running they could display adverts from hosting companies that I may not be happy to deal with. So why would I invite readers to use them. See the conflict of interest issue? Not difficult. And it isn't just Web hosting either, so it looks like blog is going to remain Google Ad free. Has anyone else had similar thoughts about this? I'd be interested to know.

LEN Boat Trip

Where does the time go? This time last week was just a few hours before members and visitors to the LEN boat trip were due to embark on a trip up the Fossdyke canal (or should that be Fossdyke navigation). The weather had taken an unexpected turn for the better in a big way - rather like today... at least around here the sunshine is glorious and the heat is building up. Anyway, we departed on time with Chris Marsh, a local, talented, and much travelled photographer, taking the pictures. In fact, the photographs are his. There was plenty of food and wine and it was great to be with other business friends and associates for purely social reasons. I'm not saying business wasn't discussed at times, but there were no presentations or group discussions on business matters - just people making conversation in a relaxing atmosphere cruising down the Fossdyke in glorious weather. What was a fitting outcome of the evening was a graphic designer/artist, Roger Mann, who I hadn't seen in a few years, joined LEN as a result of coming on the cruise. Hopefully more visitors will sign up! And tonight continuing on the same theme I, too, am looking forward to that drink, Adrian!