WebSmart TV in the News

Posted on February 17, 2010 by rbirkey

Headstand Media received a nice boost today on Ruth Ratney’s REEL CHICAGO website (Thank You!). The article entitled “Videos give “average Joes” basic web knowledge - Headstand Media boutique produces terminology Vblogs“ was written by Chris Shogren-Thompson based upon interviews with Benjamin Nelson, Headstand’s Creative Director, and background research. The article focuses on Headstand Media’s recent soft launch of WebSmart TV, a vlog site that delivers a series of videos that explain the basics of the web in about a minute, to average business people.

We did ask REEL how they found out about WebSmart TV, and the best we can tell, it had to do with some online searching using keywords such as: chicago and video. Seems like our SEO knowledge may have helped a bit here!

I would just like to clarify a point mentioned in the article regarding McDonald’s (This clarification has since been corrected on the ReelChicago.com website).

About McDonald's - New Corporate Website

Headstand Media does not design and maintain 200 of McDonald’s internal websites as the article reports. To date, Headstand Media has worked on, designed or re-designed about 20 of those 200+ internal sites and we are being asked to work on more of them every month that passes. However Headstand Media did design, produce and still helps to maintain McDonald’s public corporate website called About McDonald’s (http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com). If you’ve never visited it, you should check it out. There are lot’s of good stories about McDonald’s that we bet you never knew linked right on the home page, and the company historical timeline is a lot of fun to explore.

This site was designed and developed by Headstand Media in Day Software’s enterprise web content management system called Communique. The most recent version (v5.3) is referred to in the industry as CQ5. Headstand Media and STA Group are Day Software professional partners and intimately familiar with the underlying open source technologies, tools and frameworks it is built upon.

It should also be noted that if you “Google” the terms “CQ5 design” or “CQ5 development” you will find Headstand Media as a top result… worldwide (Please note that Day Software is an international firm headquartered in Basel, Switzerland)! That’s because Headstand Media also knows what they are doing when it comes to SEO (search engine optimization).

About McDonald’s

Posted on March 23, 2009 by rbirkey

After over a year of planning, discussion, negotiating, creating and producing, a new web 2.0 website for McDonald’s Corporation was launched LIVE today at http://www.aboutmcdonalds.com. Check it out!

About McDonald's - New Corporate Website Home Page

This project was a very “web 2.0-like” collaborative effort involving many wonderful and talented people. It was a joy to work with each one of them.

I want to shout out and thank some key people (you know who you are): Steve, Safura and team – you were a great client to work for! David, Don, Tracy, Marcie, Benjamin, Kyle, Matt and Taylor – I couldn’t have done it without you and our partnership in this together! Deb, Grace, Dwight and Betty – your prayers and support were a much appreciated foundation. Zack, Francis and Judge – you guys rocked that Flash!

I’m lovin it!

McDonald’s Opposes “Employee Free Choice Act” supported by Obama

Posted on December 9, 2008 by rbirkey

McDonald's USA President, Don Thompson

I read an interesting article in Crain’s Chicago Business yesterday that talked about how McDonald’s USA is urging their franchise owner-operators to call their representatives to oppose the so called “Employee Free Choice Act” currently being considered in Congress.

McDonald’s USA President Don Thompson (photo left) warns the owner-operators of the “gravity of the issue” and how this legislation would negatively impact their industry.

So, what’s this all about anyway? It sounds like McDonald’s is fighting against a good thing – right? I mean, even president-elect Obama supports this bill. Hold on… not so fast!

Under current law, even McDonald’s employees have the right to organize unions. There is nothing stopping them from doing so. What this law changes is the way the vote is taken. Currently it must be a secret ballot. Under the new law it would be a “card-check” system where each person voting would have to sign their name along with their vote. This of course opens the employee up to fear of pressure and consequences for their vote. McDonald’s employs many younger people who would be especially susceptible to big union coercion.

The United States has long viewed voting as a private matter, and a history of using the relative safety and security of the secret ballot. This new law seeks to circumvent this foundational principle and historical practice.

I agree with McDonald’s USA on this one… we must protect and keep the principle and practice of the secret ballot alive and well in the USA.