Tim Peter thinks » Personal

Stop SOPA

Tim — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 14:59:43 +0000

I make my living from intellectual property. My consulting services, my blog, my other writings and my forthcoming book feed my family. I believe that piracy is an awful thing. It harms our economy and kills jobs.

But the two bills under consideration by Congress—the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA – House Bill 3261) and Protect-IP (PIPA)—are deeply flawed, harm our economy and have the potential to kill even more jobs.

Worse, they won’t actually stop piracy.

Google has a great blog post explaining why that is. Or you can read this post on the New York Times or this one on the Atlantic showing how to work around current “blackouts” sites have enacted to protest the bill.

Obviously, these workarounds only address the self-imposed shutdowns, but they provide insights as to how determined pirates will be able to bypass the restrictions imposed by SOPA and PIPA. The Internet was designed to route around failures (a process known today as “the Streisand effect”). Roadblocks between consumers and content—even pirated content—look exactly like a “failure” to underlying Internet technology. The very nature of the ‘net prevents many of the measures SOPA proposes from working.

Worser still (yes, I know “worser” is not a word, but it feels right here), proponents of the bill cite examples of totalitarian censorship as positive evidence for the bill’s effectiveness:

“When the Chinese told Google that they had to block sites or they couldn’t do [business] in their country, they managed to figure out how to block sites.”

That quote is from former U.S. Senator and current Motion Picture Association of America head (i.e, “lobbyist”) Chris Dodd. Again, I’m not arguing that piracy is a good thing. But emulating the Great Firewall of China cannot be the right answer to the problem in a democratic society.

Yes, we need to find an answer. SOPA is not it.

Finally, it’s not like an alternative bill doesn’t exist. The OPEN Act offers an alternative that protects copyrights and ensures an open Internet.

I usually prefer to keep my politics close to my vest. I grew up in an era where politics, religion and sex were verboten in professional settings. But in this case, I’m asking you to contact your representatives in Congress and tell them to vote against this bill. It’s bad for our economy. It kills jobs. And, by the admission of its own backers, it moves the United States towards Chinese-style censorship.

To make it easier to contact your legislators, I’ve included a widget below that will let you call them directly. Or you can sign Google’s petition. Regardless, don’t sit on the sidelines for this one. Stop SOPA. The Internet you enjoy today depends on it.

Are you getting enough value out of your small business website? Want to make sure your business makes the most of the local, mobile, social web? thinks helps you understand how to grow your business via the web, every day. Get more than just news. Get understanding. Add thinks to your feed reader today.

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Tim Peter & Associates helps companies from startups to the Fortune 500 use the web to reach more customers, more effectively every day. Take a look and see how we can help you.

Technorati Tags: leadership, Congress, SOPA, Stop SOPA

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Holiday blogging announcement

Tim — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:49:35 +0000

Hi all. Just a quick note that I’m beginning the year-end wind-down starting today. While I will continue to post through the holidays, I’ll be following a reduced—and slightly more random—schedule.

In the meantime, check out these popular posts from our past:

And, if you’re interested in the travel vertical, check out our new Travel Stuff blog, too.

Happy Holidays, Big Thinkers!

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Tim Peter & Associates helps companies from startups to the Fortune 500 use the web to reach more customers, more effectively every day. Take a look and see how we can help you.

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Introducing Travel Stuff

Tim — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 19:32:20 +0000

Those of you who know me know that I’ve done lots of work in the travel and hospitality space over the years. And during that period, I’ve kept notes, jotted ideas and tracked news on a Wordpress blog that I called, simply, “TravelStuff.” But, what I didn’t do during that time was much to promote the site. After all, “TravelStuff” is kind of a silly name (actually, it’s the “PG-rated” version of what I used to call it in my head. Sorry.) And I didn’t blog there regularly enough to make much of it.

Anyhoo… I’ve decided that the time is right to introduce you all to TravelStuff and to let you know that I’ll be blogging there, too, periodically. You can expect the same types of coverage and insight you’ve come to know and love on Thinks, only specifically focused on the travel and hospitality industries. While I won’t post every day, it’s likely that new content will appear at least once a week.

Does this mean that Thinks is going away? No. Not even a little. Thinks will continue to represent my main blog, with posts every day (or thereabouts), including all the features you’ve come to enjoy, such as our weekly link digests, the Book Review of the Week-ish, and all the rest.

So, if you’re in the travel or hospitality industries, head on over to travelstuff.timpeter.com and see what’s cooking. I think you’ll enjoy.

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Tim Peter & Associates helps companies from startups to the Fortune 500 use the web to reach more customers, more effectively every day. Take a look and see how we can help you.

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Birthday Reflections

Tim — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:57:09 +0000

I don’t usually go public with this, but today’s my birthday. And, between my birthday and the impending end of the year, I’ve been fairly reflective the last few days. In the last 12 months, I’ve met many great people, launched a new business and worked with amazing clients. I’ve also had some setbacks and have had to say goodbye to a few people I loved. But, through everything, I’ve had more happy days than sad the last year. Which I hope is true for most people.

I suspect it’s not.

I look around and see people challenged in many different aspects of their lives. Some are unhappy in work. Others are unhappy in love. And still others are unhappy in life, generally.

Now, to be fair, many people face challenges that I can scarcely imagine. We’re sitting in the middle of the worst economy any of us will ever see (we hope). Lots of people are struggling to pay their bill or are worrying about what happens if they get sick. Some aren’t sure how they’re going to pay for their kids’ college or their retirement. Others face very real medical situations for themselves or their family. These are huge problems and ones that I don’t see any easy answers to.

At the same time, I’m excited whenever I talk with a business owner or an entrepreneur or a kid fresh out of school who looks at the world and sees opportunity. Many speak of their plans with such enthusiasm and passion and drive, that they breathe life into everyone who hears what they’ve got to say. You can’t help but get caught up in their excitement for what they’re going to do.

Sure, some won’t succeed, at least not at first. More than a few will likely adjust their plans or their goals along the way once they learn a bit more about their customers, their market, or their assumptions that weren’t quite right. But many will succeed in the long run. And not because they had a better idea or a better business plan or a better operating environment.

No.

What will help them reach their dreams is that enthusiasm, that passion, that drive. We all get knocked down from time to time. The most successful people I know often have suffered serious setbacks or losses somewhere along the way. That’s not cliché. That’s reality. It’s the enthusiasm, the passion and the drive that helps them deal with those setbacks, that helps them overcome the challenges, that helps them get back on the horse when they fall off.

Research seems to show that smiling makes you happy, not the other way around. And I believe that your passion makes you successful, not the other way around. I have long held you should do what you love. And I’m increasingly convinced it isn’t crazy to chase your dreams.

So, today, don’t wish me a happy birthday. I’m already there.

Instead, my birthday wish is that you find whatever it is that engages your energy and prods your passion (even though that sounds a little dirty when I say it out loud). Each year goes a little faster than the one before it, so don’t waste your time worrying too much about what could go wrong. Some bad stuff will happen no matter what you do. That’s life. Just make the most of your time and do what it takes to make yourself—and the people you love—happy.

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Tim Peter & Associates helps companies from startups to the Fortune 500 use the web to reach more customers, more effectively every day. Take a look and see how we can help you.

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Steve Jobs in his own words

Tim — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 16:37:59 +0000

I didn’t know Steve Jobs, but he has inspired me for years. It’s telling that few corporate executives generate the outpouring of emotion Jobs has during his life and, now, with his passing. He had become, like those he admired, a rock star. Among the many very fine reflections on Jobs, his life and his work are these by Walt Mossberg, Om Malik, Robert Scoble and Richard MacManus.

While I stand by my thoughts when Jobs announced his retirement from Apple, I don’t think I can add anything to the conversation that tops what Jobs himself said in his 2005 commencement address at Stanford University:

“I’m convinced that the only thing that kept me going, was that I loved what I did. You’ve got to find what you love… The only way to do great work is to love what you do… As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it… Your time is limited. Don’t waste it by living someone else’s life.”

Think different, indeed.

And one more thing… thank you, Steve.

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Technorati Tags: Apple, creativity, goal setting, goals, inspiration, Steve Jobs, strategy

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A thousand posts. And a thousand thank you’s.

Tim — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 20:12:47 +0000

Today marks a milestone here at Thinks Central. Because, this right here, Big Thinkers, is Tim Peter Thinks’ 1,000th post.

Now, for some of my more prolific friends, 1,000 posts is probably closer to a couple of decent months than a five-and-a-half year effort. But since starting this blog way back in December, 2005, a lot has changed for me. And if you’ll indulge me for just a moment, I’d love to share some of those changes with you.

Way back when, the blogosphere was still talking about “Web 2.0.” We were also still talking about “the blogosphere.” These days we’ve dropped versioning the web in favor of SoLoMo–the convergence of “social, local, mobile”. But, apparently, still love coining odd neologisms to describe the wild, wooly way the web continues to evolve.

The world was enjoying a boom back in 2005—having recovered from the post-9/11 recession–and the terms “credit default swap,” “collateralized debt obligation,” and “too big to fail” hadn’t yet entered the public consciousness.

Me? I was working to help a huge hotel company turn towards the web. Despite having built my first site almost a decade before, the industry as a whole was still learning how the web worked. Happily, they’ve learned quickly. So much so, that, as many of you know, I decided to put my money where my mouth has been for so long by launching my own business.

And this blog played a role in that decision. Many of you have written me, either directly or within the comments, asking for help with your brand’s strategy and tactics. I’d turned down multiple opportunities based on my commitment to my day job. And, while I’m incredibly grateful for the opportunities my day job provided, I’m thrilled by the opportunity I get every day, working directly with clients and their customers, helping businesses like yours put the web to work.

Thanks for reading. Thanks for hanging out here. Thanks for commenting. You make it all worthwhile—and inspire me to reach for my dreams every day as well. So, while I’m very proud of our past thousand posts, please accept a thousand thanks for continuing the journey with me.

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Quick personal update

Tim — Mon, 09 May 2011 23:53:22 +0000

Hi all. For personal reasons, I’ll be taking a few days off from posting, Tweeting and such. Hope you all have a good week. Feel free to explore past social, mobile, local content and I’ll catch you back here next week.

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Are we all just chasing windmills?

Tim — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 16:29:15 +0000

I’ve never read Don Quixote. But I know the story well enough to know that the knight-errant of the title, “tilts at windmills.” He thinks he’s jousting with giants, when in fact, he’s living a fantasy. But aren’t all small business owners doing the same thing? Aren’t we just chasing some crazy dream?

Maybe.

Or maybe, in our finest moments, we’re like this young man:

For me, it’s not about “chasing windmills” or living a fantasy. It’s more about, as William says so eloquently,

“…and I try and I made it.”

That spirit is what gets me out of bed every morning. You can read the book about William’s accomplishment. And you can also say, “Bring on those windmills!”

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If only…

Tim — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 21:32:37 +0000

I spent part of my lunch the other day listening to a young woman at the next table bellyache about how dissatisfied she was with, well, just about everything in her life. I’d feel worse about eavesdropping but she griped with such fervor and fierceness that not listening would have required both noise-canceling headphones and a booth in a different restaurant. Possibly one in New Hampshire.

As she groused and grumbled her way through her lunch, I was struck by how often her sentences started with “If only…”. Y’know, things like, “If only my boss gave me the time of day…” “If only I were older…” and “if only there were more hours in the day…” and so on. As if, somehow, an extra hour each day or an extra year in her life would make all the difference to her accomplishments.

Lots of different things can affect our ability to accomplish our goals. Some of these are trivial. Some are significant. Years ago I knew a blind man who I frequently witnessed facing challenges great and small getting through his day due to his inability to see. Yet he was a successful small business owner, a proud parent and a really great guy to boot. If only he could see? I think not.

It’s easy to make excuses. Fun, too, sometimes. There’s nothing like a good rationalization to get you through the day. But… imagine what you can accomplish, if only you set your mind to it. Imagine all you can be, if only you envision it. Imagine where you’ll end up, if only you take the first step.

If only this lamenting-at-lunch young lady accepted accountability for her own actions, maybe she wouldn’t have so much to bellyache about. It makes me wonder what she’d think today. If only I’d bothered to call it to her attention…

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The 5 Lessons I Learned Last Year

Tim — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 22:06:25 +0000

“Good judgment comes from experience. And experience comes from bad judgment.” -Anonymous

“Experience is the one thing you can never have until just after you need it.” – Anonymous

Every year, I like to take a few minutes to review the things from the prior 12 months that went well, the things that went not-so-well and the things that I pray lack photographic evidence. That way I can both learn from the bad stuff and work to repeat the good. Here are a handful of life lessons that I’ve learned (or re-learned) over the last year that you might find useful, too:

Do what only you can do. As a leader[*], there are some things that only you can do. Tasks that other people can do should be left to those people, even if they’re not as good at those things as you are. You provide the greatest value to your organization when you put your time into those things that only you can do.
Don’t kid yourself about what “only you” can do. You’d be amazed at how successful others can be at tasks you like to do, if you let them. And, even if they’re not so successful today, they’ll never get any better without the opportunity.
You’re allowed to ask for help. Are you starting to sense a theme here? Remember, the smartest person in the room is usually the one who asks, “I don’t know. What do you think?”
Avoid the guy who says “Ha! Your end of the boat is sinking.” And don’t be afraid to throw him overboard. Spend your time with the people genuinely committed to making a difference. The folks who rush to grab an oar (or, when necessary, a bailing bucket), are the ones that make every day worthwhile.
The most successful people worry more about others’ success than their own. I’m immensely grateful for the folks in my life who worry more about me than themselves. You know who you are. I aspire to follow that example with the people around me.

If you’re like me, I suspect this year had both triumphs and trials. You’ve learned the lessons and likely paid a price to gain them. Call it tuition. Just learn well. Oh, and hope nobody had a camera handy.

What lessons meant the most to you? What did you learn (or re-learn) last year? I’d love to hear about it. Drop me a line or add a comment and let me know what you learned last year.

* A “leader” in this context, doesn’t just mean a manager or an executive. It’s anyone who takes ownership for their results. You’re a leader even if the only person you lead is yourself.

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