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You can find a tool for just about anything online, there’s only one problem: they cost money, and in some cases, lots of it! Many online tools offer a free basic package for anyone to use, but these packages are often strictly limited, rendering these tools practically useless until you stump up the cash. In most cases, however, there are free alternatives available, many of which are very, very good indeed.

Below, you’ll find 15 Best Free Online Tools for Web Design and Development. Rather than narrow our focus, we’ve covered various aspects of the design and development process, to include the admin side of freelancing or running a small business.

No two tools listed below perform the same function; we’ve chosen our favorite tool for doing each job. You’ll find the best free online tool for project management, one for invoicing, one for screen sharing, one for instant messaging, one for mocking up layouts, and much more besides.

1. Redmine

Redmine is a great, free alternative to other pricey project management apps available online. It does pretty much everything you could possibly desire, albeit in a less polished way than some of its more expensive rivals. With Redmine, you can manage a large number of projects simultaneously, defining personal roles and assigning tasks to specific team members if necessary. You can track time and issues, create Gannt charts and calendars, create project wikis and forums, and manage documents and files.

2. Billing Boss

Billing Boss is a fantastic, free invoicing tool, designed especially for small businesses and freelancers, which lets you send an unlimited number of invoices to an unlimited number of clients, quickly and easily. All of your invoices are saved automatically and catalogued in a logical, understandable way. Billing Boss supports multiple currencies, is integrated with PayPal and is mobile friendly. You can even share your account with your bookkeeper or accountant.

3. Yuuguu

Yuuguu is a multi-platform screen-sharing tool, which allows Windows, Mac and Linux users to collaborate. You can quickly initiate an instant messaging session with a client or team member, sharing each others’ screens at the touch of a button. It’s perfect for working together on document presentations or for writing and editing documents in a group.

With Yuuguu, there’s nothing to download at either end, which means you can start sharing and communicating in seconds. The free Yuuguu package includes unlimited use with other Yuuguu users and 100mins/month use with non-Yuuguu users, as well as up to 5 participants in a single session.

4. FavIcon Generator

Looking for a quick and easy way to create favicons for your website, then look no further than Dynamic Drive’s excellent FavIcon Generator. It’s effortless to use, just select any image (provided it’s a gif, jpg, png, or bmp) you want to turn into a favicon and press Create Icon. Follow the simple instructions generated to create an eye-catching favicon that will help your website stand out in your users’ favourite lists.

5. Dropbox

For online storage, look no further than Dropbox, an ingenious tool for storing and sharing files between all of your computers and with other team members. Once installed, a Dropbox folder appears on your computer’s desktop. Drag files into the folder and they will automatically appear in the Dropbox folder on each one of your computers, laptops and smartphones. What’s more, every file is automatically added to another Dropbox folder on the Dropbox website, which is accessible from any computer in the world. Invite associates to access your Dropbox folder, for quick and easy file sharing.

6. BrowserShots

BrowserShots is a straightforward, free tool for checking what your website looks like in a wide range of different browsers. It really couldn’t be simpler to use. All you have to do is enter your website’s URL into the address bar at the top, check or uncheck to select which browsers you would like to get a screenshot from, and press Submit. You can fine-tune your search by screen size and color depth, as well as enabling or disabling JavaScript, Java and Flash.

7. toggl

toggl is the perfect time tracking tool for freelance web developers and designers who tend to get paid by the hour. As an online tool, it’s available from anywhere, which is great for those of us who frequently work away from the office. As well allowing you to create projects and start timing in a few clicks, toggl produces performance charts and other reports for you and your whole team to analyze. Toggl can be embedded in iGoogle, Netvibes and Gmail so that you can share your performance with others. It’s free for up to 5 users.

8. Google Docs

Google Docs is an online word processor and spreadsheet tool that’s free to everyone with a Google account. It works in much the same way as Microsoft Word, offering similar features in the form of multiple fonts, font sizes and colors, page numbering, bullet points, alignment, tables and spacing etc. It does not, however, offer headers and footers, footnotes or a powerful find and replace feature, which some people simply can’t live without.

The best thing about Google Docs is that it works seamlessly with Word, so you won’t have to worry about compatibility issues when working as part of a team. Google Docs really comes into its own when it comes to collaboration, however. Press the Collaborate tab to work on a document with several people at once.

9. mockingbird

mockingbird is a wonderfully useful tool, which lets you create mockups of websites in minutes. Simply drag and drop user interface elements into mockingbird, rearranging and resizing as you go to create a perfectly balanced page. You can add as many pages as you like, linking them all together to show clients or associates how users might navigate through your site.

Once you’ve created and saved a mockup, mockingbird issues you with a link which you can share with other people, or an embed code so that you can embed a mockup in your own website. It’s a lightweight tool with few features (there are, for instance, no templates to follow), but this makes it really quick and easy to use.

10. kuler

If you find choosing colors tricky, then take a look at kuler, a fully database driven Flash site created by Adobe Labs. With kuler, you can choose, create, modify, mix and match colors to your heart’s content, for free of course, until you happen upon the perfect color scheme for your website. Not only can you create your own color swatches, complete with RGB and HEX codes, you can save them and download other peoples’ swatches too. You can even extract color palettes from illustrations and photographs, uploading them or selecting them on Flickr. Once you’ve chosen the ideal color pallet, you can download it for use in Adobe Creative Suite.

11. Bespin

Bespin is a browser based code editor which attempts and succeeds to match the quality of traditional desktop editors. It offers standard editing features, as well as syntax highlighting, support for large files, undo/redo, preview files in browser and import/export projects. Bespin not only gives you access to your entire coding environment from any computer, it lets you collaborate in an effortless way, without the need for firewall configuration. Tweak away to your hearts content by using various plugins until youve created the perfect editor for you.

12. Pingdom Tools

Pingdoms Full Page Test imitates the way a web page is loaded in a browser, showing you exactly how long it takes for each object, including images, CSS, JavaScript, RSS, Flash and frames, to appear. The load time of each object is shown as a series of colored bars for quick and easy visual comparison. Order each object into a hierarchy to identify any problem areas. The Test also uncovers useful, general stats, such as total number of objects and total load time.

13. W3C Markup Validation Service

If youre stuck on a computer without an FTP client, you should use net2ftp. Its a free, web based FTP client which features all the standard FTP functions youd expect as well as various other features, including the ability to extract files and directories and download a selected group of files or directories as an archive. There are numerous plugins available to enhance your net2ftp experience and its integrated with Drupal, Joomla, Mambo, XOOPS and other Content Management Systems.

14. net2ftp

If youre stuck on a computer without an FTP client, try net2ftp. Its a free, web based FTP client which features all the standard FTP functions youd expect as well as various other features, including the ability to extract files and directories and download a selected group of files or directories as an archive. There are numerous plugins available to enhance your net2ftp experience and its integrated with Drupal, Joomla, Mambo, XOOPS and other Content Management Systems.

15.Pixlr

Looking for a solid image editor that doesnt cost an arm and a leg? Available in 13 languages, Pixlr provides a great, free alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Of course, it offers nowhere near the same level of functionality or performance, but you wouldnt expect it to. It can, however, handle most editing that designers do on a day-to-day basis. You can use layers and an array of filters and effects.

About the Author

Tom Walker is a writer and designer from Great Britain where he works for a Manchester based supplier of printing supplies including HP laser cartridges, inks and paper. His other creative writing is available on their blog, CreativeCloud.

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Pixmac: Stock Photos, Royalty Free Pictures and Images

Everywhere you look these days, people are attempting to start innovative businesses and nonprofits, working on putting team, product and financing together, and generally trying to change the world - or, at least, their world - through entrepreneurship.

Meanwhile, I strongly suspect that the mortality rate of tech startups is as high as ever (no rigorous scientific tracking there, just common sense and observation - please do share stats if you know of some). In any case, one failed startup is one too many.

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Guest author Greg Boutin helps startups and early-stage ventures defy a certain death, through strategy and marketing services. He blogs on entrepreneurship and on semantic technologies. He thanks Arnold Wytenburg, William Mougayar of Eqentia, Fabien Tiburce of Compliantia, and Ceara Scullion for their priceless input on this post.

So, wouldn't it be great if we could align on a guiding set of principles on how not to kill a startup? Think Hippocratic Oath for entrepreneurs - just not strictly an oath, and more in the spirit of "Doing Good" than "Doing No Harm" (or "Doing No Evil" for that matter). After all, unlike humans, doing nothing to a startup is a sure path to death, so we need to be more proactive.

And yes, I know, blanket business principles can sometimes be silly (if you haven't yet, I recommend you read the Halo Effect by Rosenzweig), but as the recent book The Checklist Manifesto argues, situations can also sometimes be improved with the introduction of simple, field-tested guidelines. I can personally tie every startup failure that I know of to the principles below not being respected.

So here is a rough copy - or should I say an alpha - of a list, based on inputs from other entrepreneurs, and my own experience as a startup consultant and entrepreneur. Please make your own suggestions for changes and additions/subtractions in the comment section. If I get many responses, I'll compile the best submissions into a beta version to be published in a follow-up post.

And of course, our list will always remain in beta. Without further ado:

How Not to Kill Your Start-Up (v 0.1)

1. This one's obvious - watch your cash flow. Whether your plan is to fund your startup through investors or through revenues, plan ahead. Every other principle below flows from this simple one.
2. Spot a real problem and concentrate your efforts on solving it. Do not disperse your time among too many concurrent, unrelated pursuits.
3. Identify your target market(s) and collect market feedback early on. Seek to understand your prospects and customers through first-hand observation (how do they currently deal with the problem you are trying to solve?) and continuous inputs.
4. Design and develop a minimum viable solution as fast as possible. A minimum viable solution is anything you can extract a firm commitment from a potential client or investor with.
5. Surround yourself with dedicated, effective people. Build a small team and a pipeline of strong players, and nurture a circle of supporters with knowledge and/or financial resources. Incentivize everyone intelligently (if nothing else, respect can go a long way) and reward them fairly.
6. Read Crossing the Chasm. Appreciate the difference between early adopters and mainstream prospects. Know which one you target, and do not confuse technologies and products with whole solutions. Only offer whole solutions to mainstream leads.
7. Consider other sources of competitive power than just technological sophistication, e.g. superior customer experience or service, exclusive distribution partnerships, or other market-based advantages.
8. Have a plan for cutting through market noise. Know how prospects will hear about your solution. Understand that building a great product is required but rarely sufficient to build a great business, it needs to be marketed one way or another.
9. Invest time in selecting and testing a business model, and be open to changing it based on new learning. Choose one you are able to sell to investors if you go down that road (even if it is based on traffic only, à la Twitter, have a monetization model you can justify).
10. Be creative and resourceful in meeting your objectives. Seek cost-effective solutions, and do not give up in the face of adversity, but seek to learn and adapt your approach to overcome obstacles.

And ultimately, remember that startups sometimes need to be killed, for their own good (or yours at least). Do not fear failure, because that is the fastest road to failing as an entrepreneur. Just rinse and repeat.

Photo by B S K.

Sharlyn Lauby is the president of Internal Talent Management (ITM) which specializes in employee training and human resources consulting. She authors a blog at hrbartender.com.

Remember Google Wave? Clearly, Google Buzz has recently overshadowed Google’s other hotly anticipated social communication platform, but before you ditch your Wave account, give it a second try. There are many useful business applications for Wave, especially in situations that call for collaboration with a group or managing a project. Wave can easily allow users to dispense with the formalities (and expenses) of meetings, phone calls, travel, etc. and instead make it easy to collaborate across time and space.

Here are five examples of common workplace activities that Google Wave can support.

1. Conferences and Professional Development

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This one probably seems obvious. Departments can set up Google Waves to discuss what’s happening at a particular event. A company with limited funds could send one person to a conference and use Google Wave as a reporting mechanism. Or if several people attend, they can divide/conquer the event and post their ideas and comments in one place.

For example Chris Hoyt, author of the blog The Recruiter Guy, set up a Wave for the human resources and recruiting community during last year’s Social Recruiting Summit. Both attendees and those of us who were interested but couldn’t make it in person were able to join the Wave. It was an opportunity to gain exposure to the content and learn more about the event so people could budget to attend the following year.

One thing I could see emerging from conference Waves are “back channel” discussions. Conference organizers in particular will want to pay particular attention to this and not necessarily view it as a bad thing. If managed properly, it could bring some opportunities for improvement to light during the event.

2. Decision Making and Problem Solving

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Using Google Wave to discuss a company challenge could be very beneficial — especially when all of the players aren’t located in the same place. That’s exactly why Troy Peterson, CEO of Nibi Software, used Wave to get the company’s development plan finalized.  He brought everyone together in a Wave and let the conversation flow. “The real-time document functionality allowed us to have ‘arguments’ and solve problems together that might otherwise have resulted in ‘back and forth’ threads that went on forever.”

Peterson did mention that adoption was an initial challenge. “Although several of my contacts immediately had Wave accounts, they weren’t necessarily the people I was collaborating with on projects.  It required some arm wrestling to get people on board.” But the results were worth it. “In the end, we have a succinct document that we have all agreed on and that we can compare short-term objectives against.”

3. Project Management

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The same decision making philosophy applies when you have a project and need to collaborate not only with internal stakeholders, but an external supplier. Google Wave provides an opportunity for collaboration. Hopefully, consultants and/or contractors are able to tap into that dialogue by sharing their Wave account info with client companies.

Rachel Levy, Founder/CEO of the startup website WebinarListings, is using Google Wave with her developer. “We have the list of open items in the Wave, so we can discuss each one. I add an open item, and he can ask me a question about it, or mark it as done.” The main advantage to using this application was being able to track conversations.

This could also be a valuable way to manage the dreaded “scope creep.” You can lay out the entire project in a single Wave once the parameters are agreed upon. Then, you can work through each facet with each side tracking progress and those pesky project deviations. And everything gets documented along the way. New project requirements can even be moved to a new Wave for later consideration.

4. Brainstorming and Idea Cultivation

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Brendan Gill, with the firm Staircase3, said he and his partners use Google Wave as a medium to organize and facilitate conversations and feedback. “We are a team of entrepreneurs who like to have an idea and make it happen quickly. We use Google Wave to brainstorm our ideas for new business projects.  It’s a great tool for collecting a series of conversations, and we use a different Wave for each different idea.”

Gill explained they would have traditionally used group e-mails for this purpose, but found Wave has numerous advantages, including serving as a centralized repository, and the ability to use add-on features for enhanced productivity. This was especially useful since their management team is located around the globe. “The Ribbit conferencing feature is great for staging an ad hoc conference call. Furthermore, the simple voting widget is a useful way to end each of our Waves where we can stage a vote for a given idea — whether or not we want to put the idea in motion, or just cut it loose.”

5. Virtual Meetings and Reduced Travel

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Let’s face it. Bringing groups of people together can be expensive. Depending on the project, Google Wave could help foster dialogue without a lot of travel, phone calls, etc. Gill mentioned using Wave to make edits and adjustments on business proposals without having people travel to a central location. “Using Wave definitely reduces the need for thousand-dollar transatlantic flights and many tons of carbon emissions. Obviously without Wave, we would still use e-mails and teleconferencing, but using a better communications platform has definitely cut a number of flights out of our schedule,” he said.

Gill added that, “Collaboration can be done in real-time, if required, which is useful if you’re trying to rush out a project that has to happen quickly or not at all. Or for longer-term projects, you can take your time to think about an idea and come back to the plan at any time you like.”

Conclusion

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If you’re looking for a way to streamline communications on your next project, Peterson suggests that you “Sign up and use the tool. It may not revolutionize your company’s communications, but it is useful and worth the effort involved in figuring out how it works for your organization.”

Remember the success of a Wave is contingent upon the active participation of the individuals involved. Waves need engagement, attention and clarity. You can’t just ask a question and walk away for a couple days. According to Levy, “The bigger the Wave gets, the slower it gets.” Managing activity and open items becomes essential for productivity.

How are you using Google Wave to improve your work life? Share your stories in the comments.

More Google Wave resources from Mashable:

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- Google Wave: A Complete Guide
- Google Wave’s Massive Potential for Business Users
- 4 Surprising Google Wave Uses
- How Google Wave is Changing the News
- 5 Impressive Real-Life Google Wave Use Cases

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, YanC

Tags: business, collaboration, Google, Google Wave, List, Lists, small business

BBC News has a very cool interactive chart up, showing how the Internet grew from 1998 to 2008 in various parts of the world.

In 1998, the only countries with significant Internet usage were the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Iceland, Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark and Sweden. Of course, I remember using the Internet in Croatia every day back then, but it’s true: For most people, it was “this new thing” and it didn’t play a very important part of our everyday lives.

Moving the slider below the charts forward into future, you can see how quickly western Europe adopted the Internet, with more than 31% of people online in most European countries by 2005. In Africa, however, the numbers are dismal, even today. Check out the interactive chart over at the BBC News website.

Google is developing a system to ingest real-time content updates from any page on the web automatically, using the open PubSubHubbub Atom protocol, we reported on Wednesday.

Google already indexes a whole lot of content very quickly, will a real-time indexing system make a big difference? There are differences of opinion on the matter and we'd like to know what you think. Search analyst Danny Sullivan told us on Wednesday that he thought it could be "the next chapter" for Google. John Battelle said this morning: "In short, it's a new way for Google to get (more) real time signals. But honestly, not a huge deal. I don't think. Correct me if I'm wrong..." What do you think, readers?

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Do You Think a Real-Time Google Index is a Big Deal?polls
We explained the specifics of how the Hubbub system might work in our earlier coverage so let's talk now about possible impacts (or lack thereof).

As we wrote on Wednesday:

PuSH is much more computationally efficient for Google but [Google's Brett] Slatkin says that even more important is the impact of such a move for small publishers. Right now many small sites get visited by Google maybe once a week. With a PuSH system in place, they would be able to get their content to Google automatically right away.

A richer, faster, more efficient internet would be good for everyone, but the benefits in search wouldn't be limited to Google, either. The PubSubHubbub is an open protocol and the feeds would be as visible to Yahoo and Bing as they would be to Google.

Readers Who Think This is Big

Sharon Kavanagh says:

This all sounds fantastic for the small guy as I have just created my first ever website which is for a reunion. The site will only be live for a short period as the date is May15th 2010 for the event and yet, it will probably take Google till then before my site is indexed and hence the peple I am trying to reach will never find it.

Scott Holodak says:

Previously you had to wait for spiders to crawl around the web to find changes on your site. Pages are crawled over again and again just to see if anything has changed. It's a pretty inefficient process. Now the spiders are going to be fat and lazy because you are going to deliver your changes directly to them.

No Big Deal

Reader comments arguing this is not a big deal.

"Scott" says:

A properly designed website already "pushes" to (more accurately: gets "pulled" by) search engines and the frequency of indexing by search engines is determined by the popularity of the website.

This information doesn't seem too new to me.

Bruce Wayne says:

Pushing unstructured content in real time can only mean the non relevant results will make it into the search results faster. To me this is another google hocus pocus distraction away from the the fact that search as it is today has hit a wall....millions of pages on unstructured data created exclusively to game the system....and now these pages of non relevant content can be pushed into the search stream in real time....

What Do You Think?

I think there is something fundamentally different about a web that Google's index subscribes to in real time vs. a web that Google has to plow through with a spider looking for new content. I'm still wrapping my head around it, but there's something about the PuSH method that feels like it would make the Google index a living, breathing phenomenon.

What do you think?

Ce guide d’installation est proposé par Emmanuel Alquier [1]

Des développeurs anglais du blog Webdigi ont dévoilé la semaine dernière comment installer Google Analytics sur une page fan Facebook. Il est vrai que les statistiques mises à notre disposition par Facebook sont très sommaires et que les données ne sont actualisées qu’après plusieurs jours. Et comme il est impossible d’insérer le javascript fourni par Google dans le code de la page fan, nos amis anglais en ont fait une image html.

Cette manipulation vous permet réellement d’utiliser Analytics dans les mêmes conditions que si votre page fan était un site « normal », et c’est une vraie bonne nouvelle.

Voici les étapes à suivre.

1. Configurez votre compte Google Analytics

- Créez en un si vous n’en avez pas et « Ajoutez un nouveau profil de site web» (dans les paramètres). Appelez-le « www.facebook.com/votrepage »

-   Notez votre ID de site de la forme UA-2975XXX-X

2. Créez votre image

-   Rendez vous sur le générateur très simple qu’ils ont développé et suivez les instructions.

3. Collez le code afin de tracker vos onglets

-   Copiez / collez le code généré à la fin de chaque onglet préalablement créé avec Static FBML. Il est impossible à ma connaissance de tracker les onglets «Infos» ou «Photos» par exemple, vous n’avez pas la main dessus.

-   Si vous ne connaissez pas Static FBML, vous devez télécharger l’application éponyme : en bas des paramètres de votre page fan, vous trouverez une section « Plus d’applications ». Le FBML est en fait du HTML très limité, vous pouvez de la même façon qu’en HTML mettre en gras/italique/souligné, insérer des liens, des images ou des tableaux par exemple.

Répétez cette opération pour chacun des onglets que vous contrôlez (que vous avez crée par Static FBML) et patientez 24h, votre profil Analytics se complètera.

4. Trackez le mur

N’ayant pas la main sur le mur, l’astuce consiste à créer un onglet qui contient le code de tracking et à le déplacer sur le mur.

Regardez le mur de la page fan de J’aime Attendre : j’ai rajouté en bas de la colonne de gauche une section « Contactez-nous ». C’est en fait un onglet que j’ai crée et sur lequel j’ai pu poser le code de suivi. Cet onglet a par la suite été supprimé de la barre d’onglets. Si vous avez déjà un onglet dans cette barre latérale, inutile d’en créer un autre, utilisez-le.

- Concrètement, après avoir crée un nouvel onglet par Static FBML et lui avoir enjoint du contenu (comme « Contactez-nous »), rajoutez à la suite le code que vous aurez nouvellement généré.

-   Revenez sur le panneau d’administration de votre page, trouvez la section que vous venez de créer ( »Contactez-nous »), cliquez sur « Paramètres de l’application » et passez l’Onglet en position « Ajouté ».

-   Allez désormais sur l’onglet Encarts, et cliquez sur Déplacez vers l’onglet Mur comme indiqué sur la capture d’écran.

Votre onglet devrait normalement prendre place en bas de la barre latérale de votre mur.

Pour terminer,  si vous souhaitez supprimer l’onglet de la barre d’onglet, c’est possible et cela ne supprimera pas ce qui est apparu dans votre barre latérale.

Compléments d’informations.

-   Vous devez remplacer « votrepage » à l’étape 1 par votre nom de page fan, « JaimeAttendre » pour moi, ou le numéro de votre page si vous n’avez pas choisi de nom personnalisé.

-   A l’étape 4, j’ai pris l’exemple d’un onglet « Contactez-nous » mais vous pouvez bien sûr insérer n’importe quel contenu, cela peut même être une image.

-   L’indexation par Google s’est faite en 24h pour moi, si après 36h il ne se passe rien chez vous, vous avez peut-être raté une marche. Avant ce délai, ne vous inquiétez pas et patientez.

Pour aller plus loin.

Les développeurs anglais de Webdigi ont mis à disposition leur générateur sous licence GNU, vous pouvez donc l’héberger sur votre serveur. Cela a pour énorme avantage de tracker les visiteurs qui se rendent sur votre page fan depuis votre site, ce qui n’est pas le cas du générateur proposé plus haut.

Voilà pour les étapes à suivre, n’hésitez pas à poster en commentaires vos problèmes et pour plus d’astuces concernant le webmarketing, vous pourriez me suivre sur Twitter.

[1] Emmanuel Alquier est le fondateur de jaimeattendre.com, un site qui indique les heures creuses et les heures de pointe dans les entreprises, les lieux de culture et les administrations.

Articles sur le même sujet :

• Nouveauté Facebook : le flux d’info devient live
• CleverHippo, la recherche verticale appliquée aux widgets et applications Facebook
• Une nouvelle page d’accueil pour Facebook

Article original écrit par Invite et publié sur Presse-Citron, le 04/03/2010. | Lien direct vers cet article | © Presse-citron.net - 2010
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This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

As a business owner, you know your product, service, market and customers. But sometimes one of the most challenging aspects of operating a business is employees. Not because the employees themselves are a challenge but because there’s so much legislation and nuance to employee relations.

Wouldn’t it be great to have a go-to list of resources that can provide answers to common HR questions or solve those nagging people issues? Well, while this list is not a substitution for legal advice, these seven resources can lend a hand in understanding the complexities of labor and employment matters for your business.

The List

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1. There are several well-written human resources blogs that offer pertinent, common-sense advice. Two of my favorites are Ask a Manager and Evil HR Lady. Both written by practicing HR pros, these blogs offer a unique format by answering questions from readers. At first glance, it might appear the questions are trivial or unrealistic, but trust me, I’ve seen many of the same situations. And, dealing with everyday internal squabbles or misunderstandings can consume a lot of time.

2. The Department of Labor offers an easy to maneuver site covering many of the common questions employers ask, especially when it concerns employee wages. I find it becomes particularly useful when companies are sending employees to off-site training or conferences – not something companies do every day but you sure want to know how to pay people when those situations arise.

3. G.Neil is a one-stop HR supply shop for your small business. They are well-known for their 5-in-1 labor law posters as well as a service that will notify you when updates are issued. G.Neil also offers a popular attendance tracking system that allows you to record all of an employee’s time-off requests on a single piece of paper – very convenient.

4. Monster.com is considered one of the top (if not the top) job board in existence. Besides being able to post jobs on Monster, companies can save job searches and constantly monitor the site for talent. This can be very valuable if you have positions you hire for regularly or a job that’s difficult to fill. Even if you’re not hiring, the site has developed specialized community forums in Sales, Health Care, Administrative services, etc. so you can stay on top of industry trends and commentary.

5. SmartBrief publishes several B2B electronic newsletters for business owners, entrepreneurs, and specialized industries. Their offering includes partnerships with NFIB, NAWBO, Non-Profits, etc. Subscriptions are free and they allow you access to a wide variety of content. They give you the best of the best so you don’t have to scour multiple sources for great information.

6. The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is a professional association and the leading voice of the human resources profession. I can’t even begin to tell you how much content is on their website. Some of it is free. And for a nominal fee, members have access to articles, white papers, templates, tools, etc. I regularly use their Knowledge Center for answers to everyday questions such as inclement weather policies. SHRM also provides regular updates on pending employment legislation.

7. Your Local Chamber of Commerce can be a good resource to find meetings and workshops on common employment challenges. My local chamber regularly partners with consultants or law firms to offer topical sessions. And you don’t always have to be a member to attend.

Take a moment and bookmark these sites. It might not be a list of resources you use every day, but when you do need them, you will be happy you had them bookmarked.

Have you found any additional HR resources helpful? Tell us more about them in the comments.

More business resources from Mashable:

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- Google Buzz: 5 Opportunities for Small Businesses
- 5 Ways to Avoid Sabotaging Your Personal Brand Online
- 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence
- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
- HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI
- HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, peepo

Tags: business, human resources, List, Lists, small business

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

Unless you are a creative agency, most small businesses don’t have the luxury of having an in-house designer. There are literally thousands of freelance designers and design agencies out there that can fill various niches and services, but finding someone in your price range – and if locale is important, in your area – can be difficult.

Fortunately, there are some great online resources that can take the sting out of searching for a designer. Here are some of my favorites:

1. Sortfolio

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Sortfolio is the latest project from 37Signals, the team behind Basecamp, Campfire and Backpack. Sortfolio is really great for companies or individuals looking for a designer because you can browse by price-range (as in, how much do these designers charge on average per project?) and location. You can also get a good look at their portfolio before connecting directly with the designer on their own site.

Sortfoilio has the added benefit of having strong ties to the design and development communities.

2. Authentic Jobs

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Job boards are a dime a dozen and sometimes posting for a potential hire doesn’t end with any good leads. Authentic Jobs is unique in that it targets the web developer and web design community and is frequented by those most active in pushing the barriers in that community.

Created by respected designer and author Cameron Moll and with listing partners like Veer and SimpleBits, if you’re looking for a job posting to get in front of the right people, this should be a stop on your list.

3. Elance

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Elance is a highly active, organized and efficient community that you can use to find contractors online. You can search for designers by skill set, location and browse Elance’s various groups (members must pass a skill test before entering).

The nice thing about Elance is that you can see the feedback and ratings that a provider or freelancer has received from others. This can help provide a clearer picture about a designer before going forward with an interview.

4. Guru

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Like Elance, Guru is a large marketplace that connects freelancers to potential clients. You can view work samples, see completed projects, read feedback from other clients and search by rate, skill level and location.

5. FreelanceSwitch’s Directory

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FreelanceSwitch is an online community dedicated to freelancing, with a strong focus on creative freelancers like web designers and developers. The FreelanceSwitch Directory can be used to browse for freelancers and see samples of their work.

From there you can contact the designers directly through their own websites.

6. SitePoint Marketplace

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SitePoint has a very active community for buyers and sellers. You can browse through pre-made templates, find designers offering their services and also post a listing.

7. Behance

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The Behance Network is a place to discover and peruse the portfolios from tons of great designers and artists. You can see their portfolio and concepts, and also find out if they are available for work. Behance is a great resource for finding high-level talent.

8. Carbonmade

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Carbonmade is a portfolio service for designers and it is also a great way to locate talent. More than 195,000 designers use the service to post their projects, portfolios images and resumes. You can also see who is available for freelance work and search by design medium and skill set.

9. AIGA

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AIGA is the professional association for design and their website (as well as the sites for local chapters) has a directory of AIGA designers, as well as AIGA member portfolios, which are hosted by Behance.

10. Krop

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Krop is both a job posting and job search tool for creatives. Designers can also offer up their own portfolios. Potential employers can pay to have access to searching that database or you can post a job offer on Krop’s board.

What Do You Think?

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Where have you had good luck finding designers for projects? Are there any tips or tricks you can offer to others? Let us know in the comments!

More business resources from Mashable:

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- Google Buzz: 5 Opportunities for Small Businesses
- 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence
- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
- HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry
- HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI
- HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, pavlen

Tags: business, design, designer, List, Lists, portfolio, small business, web design, Web Development

Mark Suster is a Partner at GRP Partners, a Venture Capital firm in Los Angeles. He blogs at Both Sides of the Table and can be found on Twitter at @msuster.

I’m often asked by entrepreneurs and business owners whether it is worth blogging, and if so, what they should blog about. On the first question, the answer is obvious to me — you must blog as an entrepreneur.

In this post I’ll cover why you need to blog, how to determine what to blog about, and finding your blog’s voice.

Why You Must Blog

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I believe that blogging in your business is vital to creating a public personae and making your company more accessible. In an era where companies like Zappos have differentiated themselves based on service, it is important to be public and accessible.

My industry of venture capital, for example, has been shrouded in secrecy for 30 years, making the process of raising funds opaque for most entrepreneurs. When I started my first company in 1999, there were almost no public sources of venture capital fund raising information. Years later I discovered the blog of VC Brad Feld, then later VentureHacks, and Fred Wilson’s technology & VC blog, each of which clarified and demystified the venture capital process.

So when I started blogging, I mainly viewed it as “earned media,” or a chance to let entrepreneurs get to know me by sharing my thoughts online with complete transparency; a concept that is repeatable for any business.

In less than a year I’ve attracted a large monthly following of readers who come to my blog to discuss how to build startups, how to raise money, and to get my thoughts on technology markets. By publicly sharing my thoughts, I’ve been able to engage in online discussions with people all over the world, and though it was an unintended consequence, my deal flow has gone up dramatically. In other words, blogging can be a valuable networking tool and help the bottom line.

What Should You Blog About?

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Start by defining the audience with whom you want to have a relationship. Presumably they are your customers, partners, suppliers and your broader industry as a whole. You should think about what kind of information they would find valuable. You should also try to talk about something that is differentiated from what other blogs in your field cover, even if your approach is just slightly different or new.

Make sure the topic is something that you’ll have a passion for writing about on a regular basis. If you’re not going to keep up with your blog, you shouldn’t start one in the first place. It’s a commitment, believe me. If you pick a topic that relates to your customers, but you’re not that passionate about it, then you may have a bigger problem on your hands!

The Right and Wrong Way to Blog

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Let me give some examples of the right and wrong approach to blogging.

Right: I always liked the Mint.com blog. Even in the early days when they were relatively unknown, they blogged about personal finance. They talked about how to manage credit and balance your bank account — obvious topics for a startup focused on managing personal money. They were able to take a leadership role in talking about managing your money in a way that supported their brand and created a community around their product.

Wrong: A friend of mine has a company in the personal finance space also. His blog was all about how to run a startup and raise venture capital. He was outrageous, brash and crass in his style, and I told him so. I said, “Your goal isn’t to be the cool kid in the venture capital circles. Your job is to build a great company and you’ll be a hero in entrepreneurial circles as a result of your success. Speak to your customers — that is what a blog is for.”

Finding Your Blog’s Voice

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So you know you need to blog, and you’re convinced you ought to write about something you’re passionate about and that speaks to your customers. How can you create something that people will want to come and read every day?

1. Be authentic

The thing that kills most blogs, in my view, is when you can tell that the writer is just going through the motions. You need to find a “voice” that is authentically yours. People will get used to your style and your style will become your signature.

2. Be transparent

The “old school” way of getting media attention was to submit press releases. These were artificially crafted documents that were filled with glowing reviews of your company. In short, they felt fake. The best way to establish your voice is to be transparent.

Be willing to talk like a human being. Be willing to show feelings and a point of view. Let your inner self come out rather than your “inner bullet point.” Don’t use too much lingo. Don’t feel like your prose has to sound like it was crafted by a university professor. Just speak!

3. Get inside your readers’ minds

I give this advice often and in many scenarios, including public speaking. When people speak to many audiences, they sometimes get into a canned routine. They give the same presentation no matter which crowd they’re addressing. The key is that each time you present, you need to think about who is in the audience and what they want to hear. The same is true for blogging.

On my blog, my audience is made of startup entrepreneurs and probably other VCs. When I write I try to be mindful of who these people are, the knowledge I assume they have, and what I believe they want to know.

4. Solicit feedback

I ask people what they want to read about. I regularly ask for feedback on what I’m writing. When people give me good suggestions, I try to cover those topics.

When community members write awesome comments, I’ll sometimes write a post about what they said to highlight them and their contributions. In my opinion, the best way to build an audience over time is to engage with them and to highlight those that really contribute positively to you.

5. Don’t be offensive or take big public risks

I sometimes read blogs that get extreme. I read a blog once that jokingly suggested “offering your angels cocaine if that would get them to invest.” It was intended to be funny. It wasn’t. And comments like this run the risk of offending people. This was a blog about personal finance, and I found the comment totally irresponsible and at odds with the brand image the blogger was trying to project.

I read a blog yesterday where the author was trying to make fun of a negative comment he got on his product. The blogger highlighted him and called him “retarded,” which I, and I’m sure many others, find offensive. There’s no upside to this type of comment, but there’s a big downside. My esteem for him went down.

Further, unless your company revolves around taking stands on controversial issues, it’s best to leave your political commentary at home. Statements like these stand to upset or anger half of your potential customers no matter what side you take.

6. Have fun

This may be obvious, but if writing a blog becomes a chore for you it will show. Try to make your writing fun and it will be easier to stick to. It will also reflect in your voice.

Happy blogging!

More blogging resources from Mashable:

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- 14 Fantastic Free WordPress Themes
- HOW TO: Build a More Beautiful Blog
- How the Resort Industry is Using Social Media
- Why Brands are Becoming Media
- 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence
- How Social Media Helps One Small Business Connect with Fans

Image courtesy of iStockphoto, johnnyscriv

[Image Credit: Kristina B]

Tags: blog, blogging, business, entrepreneurship, how to, small business, social media

Article de vulgarisation proposé par Stéphane Gillet[1]

Aujourd’hui le réseau social Facebook est utilisé par plus 400 millions de personnes. Ce chiffre qui ne cesse de croître est assez important pour ne pas passer inaperçu, et pour prendre en considération ce site comme un mode de communication à part entière.

C’est pour cela que depuis quelques semaines, j’expérimente une stratégie de communication sur ce réseau social, que je pourrais qualifier d’utilisation web professionnelle. Le terme est un peu prétentieux, mais en quelques étapes je vais vous prouver que c’est possible.

Proposer un profil « aguicheur ».

Votre profil Facebook est le point d’entrée que les utilisateurs du réseau social vont utiliser pour vous connaître. C’est pour cela que celui-ci doit comporter des informations essentielles et ciblées.

La partie Infos de votre profil Facebook permet de renseigner vos informations personnelles, votre date de naissance, vos formations ou encore vos centres d’intérêts. Pour mon utilisation, j’ai renseigné une petite phrase de présentation, une citation et j’ai volontairement ajouté mes sites web dans la partie prévue à cet effet.

Ne négligez pas non plus votre photo, qui doit vous représenter au mieux. Un portrait est la solution idéale, mais un avatar sérieux ou un dessin représentatif peut faire l’affaire. Évitez votre dernière photo obtenue lors de votre dernière soirée avec votre pote Gégé.

Il est nécessaire ensuite de configurer vos paramètres de confidentialité, afin d’afficher uniquement les informations nécessaires à votre profil. Par exemple mes coordonnées ne sont pas affichées à tout le monde, ni ma situation amoureuse. Cela n’est pas pertinent pour une utilisation professionnelle.

IMAGE Facebook Confidentialité

Ces paramètres de confidentialité permettent de filtrer simplement les informations affichées aux utilisateurs de Facebook et à vos amis. Mais pour bien utiliser ces paramètres, il faut également procéder à un filtre de sa liste d’amis.

Filtrer sa  liste « d’amis »

Pour modifier ces paramètres de confidentialité, Facebook propose plusieurs options dans le menu Compte situé en haut à droite de toutes les pages du réseau social. Ces paramètres permettent de filtrer les informations affichées à tous vos amis.

Pour des questions de simplicité dans la gestion de ces paramètres, j’utilise un procédé simple : je trie mes amis. En effet, Facebook permet d’effectuer des listes d’amis et d’attribuer des droits à celles-ci.

Le menu Modifier la liste d’amis en haut à droite de Facebook permet de gérer ses amis et de créer des listes. Sur mon profil, j’ai créé une liste intitulée Pro dans laquelle je mets tous mes amis … Pro.

Tous les amis contenus dans cette liste ne voient que certaines informations de mon profil. Je peux également filtrer chaque publication de mon mur Facebook, afin que cette liste Pro ne voit pas mes dernières photos de familles, ni les préparatifs de mon mariage.

Un tri efficace de ses amis permet d’utiliser Facebook comme un outil professionnel, et permet également de l’utiliser de façon plus personnelle avec des photos de familles et des partages un peu plus intimes.

Faire évoluer sa  liste « d’amis »

Pour prétendre à une utilisation dite « pro », il est nécessaire de disposer de plusieurs dizaines d’amis sur le réseau social, afin de cibler une quantité intéressante d’utilisateurs et de tirer les éventuels bénéfices de ce mode de communication.

Si votre liste d’amis de comporte pas plus de 100 personnes, alors n’hésitez pas à ajouter les amis de vos amis à votre liste. Facebook propose pour cela les suggestions d’amis et des outils en tout genre bien pratiques.

A chaque nouvel ajout d’ami, celui-ci sera averti et consultera votre profil aguicheur.

Je prends encore l’exemple de mon profil. Je trouve aujourd’hui sur Facebook des personnes avec lesquels j’ai plus de 80 amis en commun.

Ces 80 amis en commun ne sont pas tous de véritables amis, mais la plupart sont des membres de ma liste Pro Facebook. C’est en quelque sorte une liste de contact, qui me permet d’approcher plus facilement un nombre intéressant de personnes.

Bon ok, mais pour quoi faire ?

Le premier bénéfice, je viens de le citer dans la phrase précédente : Facebook peut faire office de carnet d’adresse. Une liste de contact n’est pas un élément à sous-estimer, même sur Facebook.

Ensuite si vous avez un blog ou un site Internet, Facebook peut être un très bon moyen de publicité.  Pour appréhender Facebook de cette façon, je vous invite à vous reporter à ces deux articles :

• Facebook est-il un bon outil pour promouvoir un blog ?
• Publication automatique de liens sur Facebook

Un autre bénéfice est la consultation d’autres profils orientés professionnels. Je ne pense pas être le seul à afficher des liens d’articles et de l’information pertinente sur mon profil, c’est pour cela que mon fil d’actualité Facebook fait également office d’agrégateur. Je reçois ainsi la mise à jour de nombreux sites/blogs directement sur le réseau social.

En Conclusion

Aujourd’hui j’ai plus de 200 amis sur Facebook, je ne connais pas un tiers des gens qui composent cette liste mais je sais que beaucoup d’entre eux ont les mêmes centres d’intérêts que moi.

Soit ils sont des amis de mes amis, soit ils sont des connaissances obtenues grâce à de la veille technologique, des contacts sur la blogosphère ou une parole échangée lors d’une soirée blogueur.

N’hésitez pas à consulter mon profil Facebook et à m’ajouter comme ami si vous pensez que le contenu de mes sites peut vous intéresser.

Articles sur le même sujet :

• L’application Facebook pour Windows Mobile 6 est disponible
• 5 règles à respecter pour se faire accepter comme ami sur Facebook
• [rédacteur invité] Facebook est-il un bon outil pour promouvoir un blog ?

Article original écrit par Invite et publié sur Presse-Citron, le 26/02/2010. | Lien direct vers cet article | © Presse-citron.net - 2010
NOUVEAU : Téléchargez l'application gratuite iPhone Presse-citron et retrouvez Presse-citron sur votre iPhone.

This post originally appeared on the American Express OPEN Forum, where Mashable regularly contributes articles about leveraging social media and technology in small business.

So your business is on Facebook, and brand engagement is up thanks to some savvy social media strategy. You may even be interested in further distinguishing your brand by building a custom landing page for your account.

But what kind of value does a custom Facebook Fan Page offer? What are your fans looking for on a social network that they can’t get from your business website? For some insight, let’s check out how some big-name brands have stepped up their engagement by investing a little more TLC into their Facebook presence.

Interactivity

Social networks are not passive, so your Facebook landing page shouldn’t be either. It’s nice to have a great looking “Welcome” splash, but users are going to want to do something when they arrive.

Facebook is all about sharing, and The Gap has an ingenious promotion on the Baby Gap tab of their Fan Page. The simple splash image has a link to one of their photo albums where fans can upload pictures of their babies wearing their favorite Gap denim gear.

This kind of campaign provides a wealth of free, user-generated content that displays Gap products, and best of all, the functionality of photo uploading is already built into Facebook — no development necessary. This is an interactive idea that any small business could implement.

The Home Depot has built a bit on the shareability of Facebook actions with their DIY Gifts app. From Home Depot’s Fan Page, you can grant the app access to share your gift purchases with the recipient and your friends. While this approach may not work for everyone, it’s a step toward increasing consumer visibility on Facebook — a growing trend.

A Full Website Experience Within Facebook

Some companies go all out when it comes to their Facebook presence, integrating fully fledged mini-websites right into their Fan Pages. Adidas sneakers is a good example. They’ve added a multimedia content hub under the tab “Your Area” that offers photos, videos, and events based on your region. The site is built entirely in Flash and isn’t all that interactive, but it offers a rich media experience without ever leaving the boundaries of Facebook.

Dell’s Design Studio page is another example of a full-tilt Flash site inside Facebook. This one lets you browse and tweak custom artwork for your new laptop before linking you over to the corporate site to complete the purchase. You can also share your design choices with friends, all without connecting a single Facebook app to your account.

Deals!

The key to Facebook, and any social network, is to keep pushing out content that your fans are interested in. Many businesses do a great job keeping their fans apprised of deals and discounts through status updates.

Another great way to keep content fresh and visual within Facebook is to promote special offers on a custom tab. This may be something new visitors see when they land on your Fan Page, or a rich destination you can link back to in a post.

Walgreens does it very simply. Their landing page is a nice branded splash image that simply touts their “Exclusive Offers for Our Facebook Fans.” Their promotions are in their updates, but this simple, static custom page encourages users to become fans without any bells or whistles. They leave the deals to the built-in functionality of Facebook, and your business can too.

By simply changing the image on your custom page, you can call attention to a new product or promotion that your fans will see whenever they land there. It’s an easy way to keep your page looking fresh, in addition to regular updates.

Conclusion

These examples have been built for large companies that probably have more web development resources than the average small business. But if you’re serious about your commitment to Facebook engagement, consider taking some inspiration from these examples and exploring the possibilities that custom pages and apps can offer your business.

More business resources from Mashable:

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- 5 Ways to Avoid Sabotaging Your Personal Brand Online
- 4 Elements of a Successful Business Web Presence
- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
- HOW TO: Choose a News Reader for Keeping Tabs on Your Industry
- HOW TO: Measure Social Media ROI
- HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs

Tags: business, facebook, facebook fan page, facebook page, Lists, MARKETING, small business, social media

According to a survey conducted by Liberty Mutual’s Responsibility Project, 56% of Americans think it’s “irresponsible” to friend your boss on Facebook, while 62% of bosses agree it’s wrong to friend an employee.

Reuters reports on other interesting results from the survey, including that 73% think it’s not OK to check Facebook at work, but 66% say checking personal e-mail is fine. Tweeting while at work is considered irresponsible for 72% of respondents, and watching online videos is wrong for 79%.

Other findings from the study include a fairly even split on whether companies are ethically in the clear when using social media profiles to assess job candidates: 52% think it’s appropriate with 48% dissenting. In the relationships department, a full 60% think it’s perfectly fine to unfriend an ex after a breakup. And despite the complexity of most of the social responsibility responses, one particular practice draws the ire of a majority 75% of respondents, who feel that it’s “egotistical and a waste of time” to build a Facebook profile for a pet.

The biggest caveat with these study results is the sample size: the project only polled 1,000 people. Nevertheless, it uncovers some interesting issues at the intersection of social media and the workplace that will likely become more, not less, thorny in the future.

What do you think: Is it OK to friend your boss or your employees on Facebook? In what contexts does it become more or less appropriate to do so?

Tags: etiquette, facebook, jobs, netiquette, pets, social media, surveys, trending, work, workplace

J’ai déjà eu de nombreuses occasions de vous vanter les mérites des zooms dans un contexte e-commerce. Non seulement la possibilité de voir de plus près le produit est indispensable pour rassurer les clients / prospects mais si le zoom est suffisamment puissant, il donne une sensation quasi-tactile aux internautes. Illustration chez Zoomorama avec cette démonstration sur de la maroquinerie où le grain du cuir est parfaitement mis en valeur par ce gros plan :

La sensation quasi-tactile des zooms XXL

Après plusieurs mois d’expérimentation chez Darty, les premiers chiffres “officiels” m’ont enfin été communiqué par Franklin Servan-Schreiber et l’impact est très positif : +25% de taux de conversion sur les 15 familles de produits exploitant Zoomorama (appareils photos, écrans plat, machines expresso, frigidaires, laves vaisselles…) ainsi qu’une satisfaction importante des utilisateurs qui déclarent la fonction de zoom utile à la prise de décision d’achat.

Les zooms XXL chez Darty

Même si je ne suis pas surpris par l’accueil très positif des utilisateurs pour cette fonction de zoom, je suis tout de même épaté par l’impact sur le C.A. : +25% !

Voilà en tout cas des chiffres qui vont apporter de l’eau à mon moulin sur les bienfaits de la mise en scène des produits et sur les fonctionnalités enrichis (zoom, vue 360°, démonstrateur…). Bon OK, si vous lisez ce blog c’est que vous en êtes convaincu, j’espère simplement que ce retour d’expérience va vous décider à sérieusement envisager l’implémentation d’une fonction de zoom XXL (il existe des prestataires très sérieux dans ce domaine) tant le ROI me semble évident. Certes, il y a le problème des photos de produit (qui va financer les clichés en HD ?) mais il est ici question d’améliorer de façon significative l’expérience utilisateur (et les ventes accessoirement !).

Parmi les point du traité Acta, l’un des plus inquiétant est sans conteste la responsabilité voulue par les lobbys des hébergeurs et fournisseurs de services « web 2.0″ (aujourd’hui protégés par la LCEN, Loi de Confiance en l’Economie Numérique). Une fois ces dernier condamnés à faire la police du copyright, les coûts engendrés sonneraient l’arrêt de mort du web 2.0 et de cette nouvelle forme de liberté d’expression qui est née avec la mise à disposition quasi gratuitement de’outil d’auto publication, que ce soit sous forme de texte (les plateforme de blogs), de vidéo (youtube) ou d’image (Flickr), ce tout le web 2.0 qui est menacé par Acta.

Nous avons donc décidé d’accueillir sur RWW des auteurs capables de porter aussi bien un regard sur les nouvelles technologies que sur le Droit. Aujourd’hui, nous vous proposons le regard de Rubin Sfadj.

Avocat et blogueur, Rubin Sfadj enseigne également le droit international des affaires aux étudiants du Master en management (anglophone) de l’Institut d’administration des entreprises d’Aix-en-Provence.

Il partage sur son blog ainsi que sur Twitter des réflexions, des liens et des contenus rencontrés au fil de l’eau sur ses domaines de prédilection : le droit, le web, l’économie et la politique.

________________________________________

Un arrêt rendu le 14 janvier 2010 par la Cour de cassation, que nous appellerons par souci de commodité « arrêt Tiscali », vient de plonger juristes, entrepreneurs et journalistes spécialistes du web dans la confusion quant à l’avenir du statut juridique des acteurs de l’Internet français.

La Cour de cassation est la juridiction la plus élevée de l’ordre judiciaire français. Juge du droit et non des faits (sur lesquels il n’est plus possible de revenir après l’appel), elle a pour mission d’assurer qu’en dernier recours, les décisions rendues aux quatre coins du pays respectent les termes de la loi votée par le parlement. Lourde responsabilité.

En l’espèce, il était question de la publication non autorisée, en 2002 sur Internet, de bandes dessinées protégées par le droit d’auteur. Après huit ans de procédure, la Cour de cassation a décidé que l’hébergeur des pages litigieuses était responsable de contrefaçon en lieu et place de son utilisateur anonyme au simple motif qu’il faisait apparaître sur les pages en question des bannières publicitaires.

En droit des nouvelles technologies, le prestataire technique jouit pourtant d’une irresponsabilité de principe quant aux contenus qu’il héberge sur ses serveurs : pour engager sa responsabilité, il faut démontrer soit qu’il ne s’est pas conformé à une décision de l’autorité judiciaire, soit (depuis 2004 et la « loi pour la confiance dans l’économie numérique » (LCEN)) qu’alerté par un tiers, il n’a pas retiré ou rendu inaccessible un contenu manifestement illicite. Clairement, la Cour s’éloigne, dans l’arrêt Tiscali, de cette logique assez limpide.

Pourquoi la même solution ne serait-elle pas retenue à l’encontre des successeurs modernes de l’hébergeur de pages personnelles ? La portée de l’arrêt Tiscali est extrêmement large : ni les plateformes de blogging, ni les agrégateurs de flux RSS, ni aucun des services en ligne que nous appelons « web 2.0″ ne sont à l’abri. Tous, ou presque, sont de près ou de loin financés par la publicité.

C’est dire qu’en refusant d’exonérer l’hébergeur qui finance son activité par la publicité, non seulement la Cour de cassation créé de toutes pièces une condition non prévue par la loi (ce qu’elle a précisément pour mission d’éviter), mais surtout elle impose aux acteurs de l’Internet français un choix impossible :

- Soit contrôler et modérer en permanence chaque information publiée par leurs utilisateurs – totalement impossible au point de vue technique, sauf à décréter l’arrêt de mort du web 2.0 ;

- Soit renoncer au financement de leurs services par la publicité, ce qui renverrait l’Internet français a un âge de pierre que même la presse n’a plus connu depuis le XIXème siècle (en plus de faire fuir du marché national les géants du type Facebook, Google et autres, dont les revenus publicitaires ne laissent pourtant pas indifférent l’État français).

On fera valoir, comme indiqué plus haut, que depuis la promulgation de la LCEN, en 2004, ces services couraient déjà le risque de voir leur responsabilité engagée si, alertés par un tiers de la publication d’un contenu « manifestement illicite », ils ne faisaient pas preuve de suffisamment de diligence pour retirer le contenu en question. Mais au moins leur restait-il la possibilité de contester le caractère « manifeste » de l’illicéité.

Après l’arrêt Tiscali, le service ayant recours à la publicité n’aura qu’une seule façon d’assurer ses arrières : retirer les contenus à première demande, qu’ils soient « manifestement » illicites ou non. Une solution initialement préconisée par le législateur en 2000 et censurée, à l’époque déjà, par le Conseil constitutionnel… Difficile d’imaginer que cet épisode ait échappé à l’attention de la Cour de cassation, où officie la présidente de la HADOPI, Marie-Françoise Marais, en qualité de conseiller en charge des questions de propriété intellectuelle.

En outre, même rendu sous l’empire d’une loi ancienne, l’arrêt Tiscali s’inscrit dans un contexte général de mise sous pression des prestataires techniques de l’Internet :

- Au plan français, n’oublions pas que la loi HADOPI, justement, contraint les fournisseurs d’accès à Internet (FAI) presque autant que leurs clients, en leur imposant une collaboration forcée avec l’État et les ayant-droits dans la lutte contre le piratage. De même, le filtrage prévu par l’article 4 de la LOPPSI 2 actuellement en délibération à l’Assemblée nationale ne se fera pas sans la mise au pas des FAI et des hébergeurs.

- Au plan international, il faut bien sûr mentionner les négociations relatives au traité dit « ACTA », dont un des éléments-clés serait l’engagement des États signataires de prévoir la possibilité de forcer les FAI à fournir les informations de connexion de leurs utilisateurs suspectés de piratage sans intervention de l’autorité judiciaire.

Cette tendance à la prise en otage des prestataires techniques, dernière tentative de la part d’un État dépassé par la démocratisation ultra-rapide de l’accès à l’information, n’augure rien de bon en matière économique. En effet, on laisse aux entrepreneurs le choix entre les deux pires ennemis du développement et de l’innovation : l’insécurité juridique ou l’ultra-régulation.

Quant aux libertés numériques, comme dit la chanson, « tout est permis, rien n’est possible » : si la liberté d’expression reste garantie en droit, elle ne pèsera bientôt plus très lourd, dans les faits, face au risque pour les prestataires techniques de se voir appliquer la jurisprudence Tiscali.

Dan Schawbel is the bestselling author of Me 2.0: Build a Powerful Brand to Achieve Career Success, an award winning blogger at Personal Branding Blog, a national speaker and consultant on branding and a BusinessWeek columnist.

There have been countless incidents in which professionals have lost their jobs, been evicted, or even been arrested for things they’ve done on social networks. There has never been a more important time to discuss the many ways you can sabotage your personal brand, and how you can prevent these mistakes before it’s too late.

A new report by Microsoft states that 64% of HR managers think it is appropriate to look at online profiles of candidates and 41% have rejected people as a result. Your online presence — which may consist of both content that you provide (on your LinkedIn profile for instance), as well as what’s written about you by people you may or may not know — is slowly becoming part of the formal recruitment process. It’s also where first impressions occur before in-person handshakes are made, so you have to make sure you are managing your brand online, before someone else does it for you.  The following are five ways to avoid sabotaging your personal brand.

1. Don’t Ignore Brand Mentions

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58% of Americans don’t even Google themselves, but employers and potential customers certainly will. It’s safe to say that people are already talking about you, either online or offline.

As you create your personal brand on a variety of platforms, your name will start popping up in search engines and on social networks. This can be both beneficial to your brand or harmful depending on the context. The viral nature of social networks, as well as their new ubiquity, should encourage you to start listening in on what people are saying about you.

Negative mentions will spread fast unless you keep your ear close to the web, so I recommend you setup a Google alert for your name, your company’s name, key competitors, partners, and industry buzz terms. There are many other free tools that can help you monitor your brand. You can also try Social Mention for a more complete solution to brand mentions on social networks.

2. Don’t Spread Yourself Too Thin

A future problem, which some might say is a current problem, is the volume of social networks and the amount of status updates and messages you receive each day. If you’re active on each and every social network that launches, you will start to spread yourself too thin, which can really hurt your brand. You won’t possibly be able to update all of your social profiles, as well as keep track of pictures, profile information, groups, etc. In general, you should only join the largest social networks (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn), as well as those networks in your industry.

As I noted in a previous Mashable post, you should reserve your full name on as many of the popular social networks as possible by using a service such as namechk.com, before someone who shares your name claims them and you’re locked out for life. But just because you have claimed your name everywhere doesn’t mean you should expend valuable time and energy maintaining a presence on every social network.

There are some websites that allow you to scale your social feeds so that one status update can automatically spread to other networks, without manually publishing content. You can use hellotxt.com or ping.fm to spread your status message to many social networks at once, including Twitter, Facebook, MySpace and Bebo. You can also go to your LinkedIn profile and syndicate your tweets for your LinkedIn status update automatically or by using “#in” for each tweet (if you want to be selective). There is also a Facebook application for Twitter so you can syndicate your tweets through your Facebook profile.

3. Know Your Audience

It’s really easy to forgot who you’re connected with on social networks as they grow. You might start out with high school, college, and summer camp friends, and then add some co-workers when you start a new job. There will be a point where you’re going to have to make a strategic decision, who you accept and who you don’t. The second you add your manager or colleagues is the time when you have to rethink what you publish or what you syndicate from other social networks. One mistake could cause you trouble.

On Facebook, you may want to have a profile page for your inner circle of friends and family members and then a Facebook Fan Page for your professional image. This way, you can make your profile private and hide it from search, while having a fan page that you can point your coworkers to. They will know that you are hiding your profile but should respect your privacy, especially since you’re giving them the option to follow your fan page.

4. Limit Self-Promotion

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Certainly, self-promotion is an extremely important part of building your brand because if no one knows of your achievements or the company you work for, then how are they going to do business with you? Yet, I’ve noticed that people often over-promote themselves in various ways across the web.

Successful self-promotion only works in moderation, because if you’re constantly only promoting yourself, many people will unfollow, unfriend, or block you from their network. The best way to build a strong personal brand is to promote other people, which creates goodwill and a connection, as well as distributing value based on what you have to offer: Your expertise. If you’re helping people 80 or 90% of the time, then people will be much more accepting of your self-promotional messages the other 10%. You will also start to notice that other people will promote you — and their endorsement is even stronger than your own proclamations.

5. Be Consistent

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Consistency is extremely important when it comes to any kind of branding, from personal to corporate.

Selecting a unified “picture” and spreading it across all your social media — your website, your blog, your presentations, your press kits, your business cards, etc. — will build image recognition in the mind of your audience. Consistency is significant for pictures, your name, as well as the fonts, the colors and the overall message that you communicate through your online properties.

There is no question that you already have a personal brand — whether you built it yourself or not. The way to differentiate it from everyone else is through management. By paying attention to mentions of your name online, not spreading yourself too thin, knowing your audience, offering more value than self-promotion, and being consistent, you can be very successful.

More business resources from Mashable:

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- Social Media Marketing: How Pepsi Got It Right
- How Social Media Helps One Small Business Connect with Fans
- 5 Ways Small Businesses Can Avoid Social Media Panic
- HOW TO: Implement a Social Media Business Strategy
- The 10 Stages of Social Media Business Integration
- HOW TO: Use Social Media to Connect with Other Entrepreneurs

Images courtesy of iStockphoto, drflet, titaniumdoughnut

Tags: brand, branding, brands, business, facebook, linkedin, List, Lists, personal brand, personal branding, small business, twitter