The Acer Guy

Just a quick post before I call it a day to update you on the progress of the new site.

As I speak, the wizards at The Blog Studio are transferring all the content from the dull, lackluster old site over to the new shiny one.

What that means is we’re just days away from launch and no-one will be happier than me when it finally sees the light of day. We’re nearly there.

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You know you’ve made a change when you pass your own unique tipping point.

When Barack Obama saw Washington come in yesterday with its 11 electoral votes, pushing his overall total to 273 and giving him the Presidency, he knew at that precise moment, that change had actually happened.

On a somewhat smaller scale, I passed a milestone tonight that marks a personal victory for me and is proof (if any were needed) that this blog has changed a lot of people’s relationship with and attitude towards Acer.

500,000 page views.
500,000 eyeballs.
500,000 questions answered (you’re all looking for something right?)
500,000 new friends.

So just like I did a few months back when that number was half what it is today, I want to thank you all for visiting, for asking, and for putting me and the amazing people I’ve me along the way and who participate in the conversations to the test with every comment you make.

My reward is the knowledge that one rogue guy can create a social media presence good enough for the world’s third largest PC vendor.

Yours is that many of your conversations are now an intrinsic part of Acer’s language (my day job) and believe it or not, that means that your views actually get absorbed into the company’s culture and vision and ultimately influence the products it makes and services it offers.

In short, even if this site is unofficial, your participation is helping to make Acer a better company.

My thanks as always, to the unyielding support of two very special people: one outside the company, and one inside. If ever proof were needed that synergies between customers and employees work and that social media needs to build bridges between them to help restore trust in the brand on the one hand, and pride in the company on the other, well this is it.

Morris and Simone, my sincerest thanks to both of you.

There are many more inside Acer who are itching to participate. I know many of you. This is my invitation to dance. You know where to find me.

From here on in, numbers are no longer important. I’ve proved my point and it’s time to move on. In the next few days – Murphy’s Law permitting – The Acer Guy will change radically and the bridge I mentioned earlier will become stronger than ever. You’re a great crowd and you deserve a lot more than this site, structured as it is, can possibly offer.

Watch this space.

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No, I haven’t been abducted by Hungarian Apple-fans.

I’ve been busy going over and over the wireframes of the new site as I don’t want the forum to disappear off the front page and also want to give (some of) you guys the freedom to add articles of your own. I’ve mentioned the fact that the goal of this site is to build a bridge between Acer and the outside world and the outside world and Acer a number of times in the past and in designing the new and improved Acer Guy site, I’ve kept my word.

So the problem looks a little bit like this:

But the simply brilliant Peter over at The Blog Studio is a man on a mission and understands how to weave these loose ends into a coherent whole.

It looks like it’ll work. Or at least I think you’ll agree it’s worth a try. So expect to see an update soon. Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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OK. Let’s get this show on the road.

The first thing I need to clear up is my Aspire One. It hasn’t arrived and I’m not happy. Got an email from the online retailer saying that “…due to delivery delays on a national level…”, I won’t be receiving it until after the 8th August (which means the 10th at the earliest).

National level?? Ingram Micro what do you have to say for yourselves? Probably nothing as you probably don’t even track your incoming links…

So the Aspire One review will have to wait. Ho Hum…

But onto more important things:

The Acer Guy - YOUR website - is going to get a complete make-over, starting right now. I know I’ve been toying with the idea for a while and have mentioned it on more than a few occasions but this time it’s for real.

But being me, I want to do things differently. Of course I have my own agenda and things I want to see happen, but I’d REALLY love to incorporate some ideas that come from the people who use this site. The REAL Acer Guys in other words.

I mean, the idea of setting up a forum/community *IS*on the to-do list, but how should it be done? Should it be moderated (and by who?) or is setting up a “member’s section” enough to keep out the spam we’ve been seeing so much of recently?

I *LOVE* surveys (like: please rate Acer Customer Support from 1-10, or at the other end of the spectrum, Do you want an Aspire One 1-10?) but there has to be a purpose to it. Would you guys like to see something like Dell’s IdeaStorm (just for fun - not officially sanctioned remember? (yet)) or should I just stick to the classic question layout - might be a bit boring no?

How about another “How To…” section where members (you) can upload videos and instructions on how to get the best out of Acer notebooks/PCs?

The list is essentially endless as this is potentially one big blank sheet but I’m very open to suggestion. Comments welcome!

I’m also looking at getting some T-Shirts designed and will be sending them off to the most persistent contributors and reviewers (Morris, you’re top of the list).

I’ve asked the web design agency to have a go at creating a new logo but again, if any of you are expert graphic artists, well hey, I’d be honored…

Look forward to hearing your thoughts.

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Hello everyone.

Just got back from a week’s vacation and am going through all the mail and comments to see if there’s something I really need to deal with now so that I can have an answer by tomorrow.

For those who saw it, apologies for the spam that got through. At times like these I don’t mind admitting I have an iPhone particularly as it allowed me to cancel that filth from the beach!

Got some great questions in but one really stands out. I’ve never done this before, but I just HAD to republish AJ’s mail - after all, the best eyes out there are always yours and I’m sure he won’t mind!

“Looking for a site or place to purchase a 6920 or 8920-pref. with all bells and whistles for under $1299. I’ve done some reading and these laps are the BEST out there. Any help is appreciated.”

(curious to see if any online retailers read this blog). Answers/suggestions below please.

Tomorrow - hopefully - I’ll get my Aspire One (it was delivered while I was away - DUH!) so I’ll be writing about that and I’ll also start asking for help with the Acer Guy re-vamp I’m going to commission over the next few months. Now’s your chance to design a corporate blog just the way you want it…

Right now, as I’m sure any of you with three kids will understand, I need to get some sleep.

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I was looking at my stats for 2007 (in actual fact I only started measuring in April) and I noticed something very particular.

In 2007, 75% of you were first-time visitors. Three out of every four people who stumbled on this site in 2007 came through some form of search engine. The current monthly average is a little over 80%.

That means I have had a huge number of conversations (over 205,000 visits since that counter was installed and thanks to every single one of you!) but surprisingly little dialogue.

That got me thinking about the purpose of this blog.

Have any of you heard of Hugh MacLeod? Among his many talents, he’s “famous for drawing cartoons on the back of business cards”. He also has some brillinat flashes of wisdom, like this recent one on Social Objects.

Basically, as humans, we need a reason to meet. A job, a hobby and, yes, even an OrbiCam can serve that purpose.

So is that all I can expect from this blog?

I sure as hell hope not.

I’m in one of those unfortunate positions in which I know a LOT of stuff but can’t use this blog as a way of anticipating what’s coming next or fixing what went wrong. The result? This is a place where people come to ask thorny technical advice.

And that’s a real shame as I’d like nothing more than to interact constructively with the people I’m supposed to be writing for, so that the boundaries between Acer and its customers start to blur. What would really make this click is if other Acer Guys appeared and started blurring those lines beyond recognition.

After all, if Acer’s mission is “Breaking down the barriers between People and Technology”, shouldn’t a blog about Acer have the same objective?

So, if you want to interact more with me, how about adding me as a friend on Facebook or following me on Twitter?

Don’t know what Twitter is? It’s that funny box over there on the right with itsy bitty messages. Don’t know how Twitter works? check out this easy, 2.5 minute video.

Come on. Get online, let’s hook up. There’s gotta be a lot more to Acer than just Wireless connections and webcam congestion!

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I’d like to change this graphics of this site completely but can’t find the right theme. Anyone have any ideas?

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I’d like to take a few minutes out to talk about one of the most important elements of this blog. Simone.

The success and dare I mention it authority of this blog is due in no small part to his generosity, his own particular skill and, most important of all his belief that he can do a lot more for Acer’s customers.

If you look at blogs from other IT brands, there are always personalities behind them that believe in the value of the medium.

At Dell, without question the leader in this particular form of communication, it’s the chemistry between Lionel Menchaca and Richard Binhammer that has set the blogging world alight and helped transform public opinion of the company.

At HP, there no fewer than 52 corporate blogs in addition to 9 “Personal Interest Blogs”, although I’m not sure which one represents the company most.

Lenovo, of course, has David Churbuck who strikes up more interest and involvement than your average presidential debate (except this year’s).

OK, The Acer Guy is hardly a mega-site and there is no comparison between the way feedback gets absorbed into the company ethos from those sites and mine but the indefatigable willingness of Simone to roll up his sleeves and answer every single question I (you) throw at him puts him up there with the greats.

I’m sure all of you who’ve written to thank me for solving your numerous problems will agree.

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Just in case any of you were wondering why Simone and I haven’t been replying to your questions and/or writing new stuff or replies it’s because we’ve been getting ready for Acer’s annual press conference in Madrid this week-end.

I have (I think) finished all the preparations, we’ve got the company brochures done, press releases, there’s some really interesting material on Acer’s environmental policies I’ll probably follow up on in the near future and the inevitable new models I’m not allowed to mention but I think some of you know what to expect. Again, I’ll be following up on them in due course.

So, my part is (virtually) over. I might have to make some last-minute corrections to the keynote speeches but other than that, I’m done. Oh, by the way, I’m not going to Madrid as any minute now I’m expecting my wife to call (our third baby’s due in a few weeks).

Simone on the other hand has been shipped lock, stock and barrel to Madrid. Who else would you expect to keep the hardware running smoothly for three days straight in a hotel? He will not be able to read his mail either.

So, we’re limping a little but we’re both here in spirit. I’ll do my best to keep things afloat but please be patient if I don’t get back to you right away, particularly on the technical questions.

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I’ve had a couple of requests to do this and I think it’s time I gave some serious thought about setting up a forum.

Some of these threads are particularly long and they’re getting difficult to follow. So what do you say I install a forum plug-in? That way you can have your say and we can divide it into sections so that people can get to the information they need faster.

It’s just a thought. Maybe you’ve got a better one? I’ve downloaded what appears to be a good one from BBPress so you might see a new page pop up in the next few days. Let me know what you think of the idea and I’ll see about getting it up.

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