“Google’s Eric Schmidt suggested that young people like Ozean Interactive’s web designers will actually have to change their name because they have shared so much detail on social networking sites.

I can not begin to tell you how scary this is.  College is a time in people’s lives when mistakes are made.  I mean who has not had that night in college they regret?

I can not tell you how many prospective interns, prospective designers, prospective developers with great resumes - NEVER get a call for an interview after four quick searches:  google, facebook, twitter, and foursquare/gowalla.

Want to know if an prospective intern is a partier / idiot / etc……?

Look at the time stamps of tweets - if all done at 3:30 am…..and regard some type of party / hook up / rant….

If every photo on facebook is of them hugging their BFF with a red cup in your hand…..professing just how “F* up are we?”

If google’s first SERP result is a newspaper story about your DUI / your shoplifting / your drunk and disorderly conduct / etc……

If every single one of your check-ins are @ [insert bar name here]…..

Don’t get me wrong….

I did some/most of these things….I just didn’t record it for everyone to find - before my job interview.  Here is a hint - got a great resume, yet STILL NO INTERVIEWS???? - check your social media.

Privacy has changed dramatically in the past 5 years.  Essentially, there is none!

Web Design in Gainesville, FL has its advantages!

This web design agency located in Gainesville, FL has access to something that few other web design agencies posses - we have a creative inspiration: a muse if you will.  When we are stuck on a web design or the next creative, big idea - we just pack up and head to gator football practice.  After all, it is right around the corner.  There is something about the click clack of cleats and the whistles that just free the mind.

You must understand, in this web design agency, we are Gator fanatics.  One of our favorites clients?  The Gators.  Not to mention that everyone from the interactive creative director to the website sales people, are proud Gator graduates. We ONCE thought about making an offer to a web design account executive that graduated from Florida State University - but quickly came to our senses. (Something about our lawyer informing Ozean that hiring someone from Florida State University did not “officially meet the definition of an affirmative action plan.” or some-other nonsense. )

On another note, we extend an invitation to all of our friends and past interns that will be making the pilgrimage to Gainesville for a game to stop in.  We miss you.  Let us know you are coming, and we might even make you a margarita.

We have moved to our new location. And since we are so nice, we are even including directions from South Florida & Miami.

Look forward to seeing you, and go GATORS!

“So you want to create some excitement. You want that video you made to go viral. You want the evening news talking you up. You want, in other words, to pull off a successful marketing stunt. That’s all well and good, but if you want a marketing stunt to be a success, you should be looking at the long run. You’re looking for a stint, not a stunt…..”  (click to continue)

What you think you know about fostering creativity is wrong. A look at what really works.

According to University of Oklahoma professor Michael Mumford, half of the commonly used techniques intended to spur creativity don’t work, or even have a negative impact. As for most commercially available creativity training, Mumford doesn’t mince words: it’s “garbage.”

An excerpt::

I also think the article beautifully plots out the path of creative thought:

“When you try to solve a problem, you begin by concentrating on obvious facts and familiar solutions, to see if the answer lies there. This is a mostly left-brain stage of attack. If the answer doesn’t come, the right and left hemispheres of the brain activate together. Neural networks on the right side scan remote memories that could be vaguely relevant. A wide range of distant information that is normally tuned out becomes available to the left hemisphere, which searches for unseen patterns, alternative meanings, and high-level abstractions.

What can I do with HTML5, and when can I start using it? The good news is that there’s a lot you can do with HTML5. The better news is that there’s a lot that you can do with HTML5 today.

But first, one major caveat: You need to know your audience, though, of course, this is true whether or not you want to start using HTML5. If the majority of your site’s visitors still use Internet Explorer 6, then you have no reason to rush. On the other hand, if your site is primarily for mobile browsers on iPhones and iPads, what are you waiting for? But if your site falls somewhere in the middle — as most do — here are some handy guidelines to ramping up to HTML5.

Check out this post written by Steven Snell.  Great list of Chrome Plug-Ins.

Firefox is the browser of choice for most designers and developers in part because of the vast selection of add ons that are available. While Chrome does not offer anywhere close to as many extensions (yet), there are still a number that can be very handy for designers and developers. In some cases they are not as robust as the Firefox versions (example, Firebug and Firebug Lite), but if you are using Chrome you may be interested to know about the extensions that are available. Additionally, Chrome comes with some developer tools built in.

That is exactly what I am going to do.

In the next few months, each one of Ozean’s divisions will launch their own website.  The first to launch is the political consulting division.    You may find the Ozean Political Consulting website here.

This means that all Alex Patton’s political comments will be made on the blog on that site:  the Ozean Consulting blog.

This blog will remain, but will be for you to keep updated on all things digital media - like website design, video on the web, SEO, SEM, and social media.

So, if you are interested in politics - read this blog.

If you are interested in media - continue to read this blog.

Happy Reading.

Authentic Hunters don't wear pressed jeans

In Mr. Deakins’ introduction to the public, he attempts to convince us that “tough times, call for tough leaders”.  In fact, he is so darn tough, he likes guns.  I could just be a real smart alec, and just mock the fact that it is hard to convince me you are TOUGH AS NAILS when dressed liked a dandy in your nicely pressed jeans (are those Jordache?) when out for a nice hunt with Fido.  My entire family hunts, NEVER have one of them pressed their clothes before entering the woods.   NEVER!  Never-ever have I heard, “Hey, wait up, I need the iron to heat up before going out to the stand!”  HOWEVER, I will not go that route, it is just too easy.

Instead, I will offer up that this election is about authenticity.  The times are too tough (as Mr. Deakins points out) to allow any candidate to get away with NOT being authentic.  The Tea Parties and the public are demanding straight talk from their candidates .  This entire mail piece just seems to try too hard - I hunt, work hard, and I am married.  Kind of like the dude in starbucks who is listening to his iPod, while surfing the web on his Ipad, while getting a call on his Iphone, drinking his triple latte with three different types of foam.   It is just too much, says everything you THINK a republican candidate SHOULD say, yet says NOTHING.

As you may be able to tell, I don’t have a lot of love for Mr. Deakins.  Already, I think this guy is running a nasty, sneaky, gutter campaign.  You would think with John being an officially declared candidate for 2 years, he would be secure in his self-proclaimed “monumental lead” and NOT have to stoop to underhanded tactics.

That is NOT the case, and luckily for him - there is still a campaign to run.

Campaigns have a way of exposing people - especially ones that are NOT being authentic. (More to come on that later.  )

However, if you like your Hunters TOUGH AS NAILS wearing pressed Jordache jeans, then you found your man - VOTE DEAKINS.    If you like your candidates a little more authentic, then you may want to hold off and survey the field a little more.

DISCLAIMER:  Ozean Consulting is assisting an opponent of John Deakins in the campaign for Florida House 22.  The words expressed here are of the authors, Alex Patton, not paid for by anyone, and not the sentiments of any candidate whatsoever.

paid political advertisement Alex Patton, 2831 NW 41st Street, Gainesville, FL  32606 -No candidate approved this advertisement.