Phil Simon's Blog, page 34
July 6, 2020
Zoom For Dummies Book Trailer
Even under normal circumstances, July in Phoenix is a tough slog.
Toss in a pandemic and travel restrictions and it’s tough to find an escape.
For the Zoom For Dummies book trailer, I decided to geek out and interview a cartoon version of myself. (A few years ago, I had created a few caricatures via the defunct site BitStrips.)
Seth MacFarlane certainly doesn’t have to worry, but I’m reasonably pleased with the result. Oh, and that beeping is very much a hat tip to Buster Bluth of Arrested Development.
Pre-order the book now. We’re targeting shipment by the end of the month.
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July 3, 2020
Zoom For Dummies Update
Three months ago, I signed the contract to write Zoom For Dummies with some strict provisions. At the top of the list was the manuscript completion date: 5/31/20.
Now that we’ve finished author review, indexing, proofreading, e-book conversion, and layout begin.
Brass tacks: The 384-page book will be out by the end of the month. Websites such as Target, Amazon, Walmart, and Bookshop.org are way, way off:
As for the Kindle version, expect it in a few days. Why it’s not already up is beyond me.
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June 26, 2020
Slack For Dummies Shipping Update
Under normal circumstances, authors exert very little control over the publishing and printing process.
These are not normal circumstances.
Along these lines, physical copies of Slack For Dummies will start shipping soon.
Here’s a screen shot from Amazon:
A confluence of factors has conspired to keep this book off the shelves for the last three weeks (#firstworldproblem #selfawareness).
Apologies for the delays to those who have been asking me. I’ve been doing all that I can without pissing off others.
BOOKSHOP
B&N
INDIE BOUND
AMAZON
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June 25, 2020
Thoughts on Slack Connect
Since its inception, Slack has allowed people within the same organization to easily communicate. It beats the tar out of email here. People who work at different companies could use shared channels.
In case you missed it, Slack announced a rebranded version of shared channels yesterday: Slack Connect.
Check out the video below:
When I was writing the manuscript for Slack For Dummies, Slack had long allowed two organizations share the same channel—although I knew that that number would increase.1 It is now 20. (Fun fact: I include a sidebar in the book on how a university would use a souped-up version of shared channels for research purposes. I didn’t know, however, that Slack would rebrand the feature as Slack Connect.)
As the video above describes, little things like scheduling appointments among people in different organizations become much easier. (Sure, Doodle is a nice stopgap, but the tool requires people to actively use it.) Slack Connect uses artificial intelligence to scan calendars and book convenient times.
Simon Says
As I write in the book, expect the company’s use of AI to grow. It’s not hard to imagine a slew of different features for Slack Connect. Also expect other companies—ahem, Microsoft—to ape Slack’s functionality here or at least try.
Feedback
What say you?
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June 15, 2020
Slack Slack Tip #6: Introducing the Resizable Sidebar
In Slack For Dummies I tease a subtle yet important feature: the resizable scroll bar.
Slack tipped me off to its future release.
Now it’s here, baby.
Enjoy.
BTW, Zoom’s got the same feature.
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June 11, 2020
Zoom Tip #3: Running Simple Reports
Quite a bit of activity takes place in Zoom.
Inquisitive types may want to answer questions about who’s using Zoom. For example, are people more active on Tuesday morning than Friday afternoon?
Depending on your role, the world really is your oyster here.
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June 9, 2020
Win a Copy of Zoom For Dummies
Zoom For Dummies drops soon, and I’m giving away a few signed copies of the book. Here’s the catch:
You promise to give the book an honest review on your blog/site.
You copy and paste that review on Amazon and GoodReads.
You promise to do so in a relatively timely manner.
You give it a little love on social media.
You live in the United States.1
OK…catches. Plural. You got me.
If you’re interested, then fill out the form below and I’ll be in touch.
Fill out my online form.
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June 3, 2020
Slack Tip #5: Quickly Edit Your Last Message
Slack power users often invoke keyboard shortcuts and command-line access to save time.
Yes, Slack lets you edit your previous messages. Take that, e-mail!
Here’s a quick trick to let you edit your most recent message in a channel or a thread.
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May 29, 2020
Want to Sponsor My New WFH Podcast?
Over the last two months, I’ve spent most of my time writing the manuscript for Zoom For Dummies. Now that I’ve put a bow on that and said adios to ASU, I can get to some of the other projects that have been percolating in my head for the last year.
Near the top of my list is starting a podcast about working from home. I envision weekly 30-minute pods—as the kids call them—with guests, tech tips, and general commentary on trends.
I’ve had some success in the past procuring sponsors for my book tours. Along these lines, I’m looking for a company with skin in the WFH game to come aboard. Ideally, the company will offset some of the costs associated with producing a professional pod. These include:
A subscription to Transistor.fm that will distribute the podcast to the most popular destinations
Hiring a proper producer
Purchasing stock music
Hiring a logo designer
If you’re interested in becoming a sponsor, then click here.
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Thoughts on Twitter and Section 230
Section 230 of the Communication Decency Act is getting plenty of attention these days. My friend Josh Bernoff reached out to me for an op-ed that he’s penning for The Boston Globe (
