Which is correct: “e-mail” or “email”? “Smartphone” or “smart phone”? Yahoo! offers its input on such matters with “The Yahoo! Style Guide,” which hits shelves (and Kindle and app stores) next week.

Adam Ostrow of Mashable blogged about the guide earlier this week, delivering the news that Yahoo! recommends “email” without the hyphen and “smartphone” without the space. The “email” news drew plenty of comments from Ostrow’s readers, some welcoming Yahoo!’s decision—and others endorsing the hyphen with odd intensity.

Defenders of “e-mail” generally offered three lines of reasoning for keeping the hyphen. Do they hold up? Will “e-mail” prevail? Let’s take a look.

Reason 1: “E-mail” is short for “electronic mail,” so dropping the hyphen is “insane” (yes, I quote).

Even the most confident compound words started as tentative hyphenations. Then the two words got comfortable with each other, rendering needless the formality of a hyphen. Consider: Paperclip, fingernail, nutcase. Hyphenate these and you seem old-fashioned, clue-less, stuck-up.

“E-mail” really isn’t that different. We were quick to accept the “e” in place of “electronic.” Dropping the hyphen is the logical next step.

Reason 2: “Email” is taken. It means “enamel.” In German.

Seriously. This argument was made. Twice. Apparently this camp carries strong disdain for homonyms that exist across languages. Moving on.

Reason 3: Yahoo! doesn’t hold the same authority as established style-guide publishers like the Associated Press.

I might agree with this if Yahoo! were trying to supplant guides used for all media, but their style guide is “for the Digital World.” Traditional journalists won’t be abandoning the AP Stylebook any time soon; however, “The Yahoo!’s Style Guide” may eventually pave the way for changes to the AP (which recently jumped on the bandwagon and officially changed the preferred form of “Web site” to “website”).

What’s more interesting about this argument is the very notion of a language authority. Yes, guides are good and standards are necessary. But language has been changing for thousands of years, and all the rules in the world can’t stop it. “Doctor” used to mean teacher. “Silly” used to mean blessed. Prepositions used to be okay to end sentences with. And don’t even get us started on the word “fierce.”

The point is, all the style guides, dictionaries and grammar geeks in the world can’t control language. It’s in the hands of its speakers (not to mention bloggers, texters and Tweeters). Of course it’s in our best interest to abide by certain standards when speaking and writing in public. But language will change, and in the end it is what people use.

So what are people using? According to Google Trends, people have been searching both “email” and “e-mail” for years. But as we’ve grown accustomed to “e” and “mail” hanging out together, searches for “e-mail” have declined while the popularity of “email” continues to grow.

If we go with what people are actually using then, “email” wins—though both are clearly acceptable. So yay for Yahoo! for listening to the real authorities here: Language users like you and me.

Q: What does Berrek Thompson (you know, Integrity’s wizard of development) do in his spare time?

A: He manages a grassroots music project called “Music of the Hour” that will be kicking off their brand spanking new monthly concert series “The Music of the Hour Showcase” on June 30 at the Old Rock House.

Berrek co-founded Music of the Hour as an outlet for friends to share and discuss new music. Little did he know this humble project would kaboom (Billy Mays style) into a full-fledged phenomenon complete with website, Facebook, and twitter accoutrements.

The focus of the event will be local, independent music featuring bands Phaseone, Teresajenee and The Natural Selection. So instead of hitting up Arby’s on your way home from work, why not take that crumpled $5 to the Old Rock House and groove to some kick-ass tunes? And hey, it’s an all-ages show, so no using your children as an excuse.

We’re just as pleased as punch. Rock on!

Read the accolades for yourself in the Riverfront Times.

Once upon a time, there was an IT staffing firm called KellyMitchell…

They hungered for a website that would highlight their status as an award-winning organizations that employs hundreds of IT professionals, while also emphasizing their personal commitment to each client’s needs and every employee’s success.

In other words, they needed a new website that was not too proud, not too humble…but juuuuust right.

Integrity forged ahead like Goldilocks in search of the perfect porridge. We began by inspecting the site architecture, restructuring the navigation so all visitors would know exactly where to find the information relevant to them. We also integrated a convenient quick job search and revised the content to match KellyMitchell’s passion for performing amazing work.

With new site architecture in place, we set out to update KellyMitchell’s look, maintaining their unique brand while updating it with fresh lines and photography. The development team implemented the vision to perfection, and we topped it all off with a social media program to keep KellyMitchell hip to the times—and connected to the IT community.

In short, the new kellymitchell.com rewrites the book…and now one more client can live happily ever after.

There’s a common scene every morning at the local coffee house—doesn’t matter which coffee house it is. I see it everywhere. In an effort to add cream and sugar, you end up stepping on an old man’s foot, knocking over a baby stroller and wandering looking for a trashcan like Miley Cyrus looking for a career boost. The problem—the “condiment bar” lacks usability.

So do most websites. See where I’m going with this?

Here are the website usability lessons to be gleaned from your next trip to Java Joe’s:

1. Put things that people need first in a place they can easily find, and BEFORE the things they need next. Don’t put the paper cup sleeves at the opposite end from the actual coffee dispensers. People need those FIRST as to not burn their flesh off. If you want a new user to sign up for your services online, you first have to sell them on your services.

2. Group things in a logical fashion. It might be nice to find a trashcan near the stir sticks and Equal packets, rather than over by the ice tea dispenser. Websites abuse this rule when they have too many navigation items—if things relate in an obvious fashion, group them together under a single navigation item, rather than spreading them out and making people hunt.

3. Don’t crowd the table. You don’t want to have to delicately reach over the stack of giant lids to reach the human-size ones. When it comes to web design, white space is your friend. When you throw everything and the kitchen sink on a single page, the result is a noxious mess we like to refer to as “info barf.” Appetizing!

Really it’s about putting yourself in the user’s shoes. Would I look there to find that info? Does the navigation path seem clear to me? Do I need to put a trashcan closer to the damn stir sticks?

Yes. Yes, you probably do.

Integrity’s own Ed Morrissey has been asked to join a select team of experts trying to stop an asteroid that’s heading toward Earth.

Just kidding; that was last week. But he is going to be part of a select group of panelists discussing innovative approaches to marketing strategy with a group of interns at the Skandalaris Center for Entrepreneurial Studies. The topic is “A New Brand of Marketing Firm,” and it’s one in a series of presentations taking place over the summer on marketing models.

As part of their experience, the young Jedi assemble on the Washington University campus every Friday to battle the dark side and further their education by learning at the feet of industry masters…so naturally, Ed was chosen to be their Yoda.

May the force be with you, Ed!

Player #1: I’ll take ‘New Hire’ for $400, Alex.
Alex: He’s a development intern and the newest member of the Integrity family.
-Player #1: Who is Robert Pattinson?
Alex: Ooh, I’m sorry, the answer is Scott Brown! Player #2, please select a category…
-Player #2: I’ll take ‘Groovy Graduates’ for $800.
Alex: Scott Brown studied at Miami University in Ohio, St. Louis Community College, AND Washington University before graduating from UMSL in December of 2009 with a degree in this.
-Player #2: What is marine biology?
Alex: I’m afraid the answer is Information Systems. Player #3, it’s your board.
-Player #3: I’ll take ‘Way Back When’ for $600.
Alex: In between his studies, Scott Brown worked for three years as one of these.
-Player #3: What is a mime?
Alex: Ouch, the correct answer is Insurance Claims Adjustor. Let’s play final Jeopardy! And the category is…Scott Brown! The question is, when he’s not playing the part of tech-savvy development intern Scott spends his time doing this. You have 30 seconds.

::Jeopardy music interlude::

-Alex: Player #1, what did you have?
Player #1: Plays ultimate Frisbee?
-Alex: That’s correct! Player #2, what about you?
Player #2: Goes to Rams games?
-Alex: Good answer! And Player #3?
Player #3: Brushes up on his sports and movie trivia?
-Alex: Amazing! We have a three-way tie! Thank you for playing; you each get 1/3 of a Jeep Grand Cherokee!

Infographics seem to be all rage on the internet these days. They’re even bigger than that “Charlie bit my finger” kid. Why? We’re so glad you asked.

Infographics help companies and political campaigns turn really boring data into creative visual aids that are both informative and engaging to the public. So not only do you have a nicely packaged graphic, but people are also more likely to share it with their network, meaning you get more mileage on your message.

One of the most difficult tasks in business (and in life) is presenting mundane subjects in a way that’s relatable and easy to grasp. It can be mind-numbing to write and/or read a long-winded paper or a tedious spreadsheet, but when life hands you boring lemons; make a delicious infographic. Ahh…refreshing!

This infographic to the right “places each president in historical context, visualizing a remarkable range of political, social, and economic measures to succinctly tell the story of the presidency.” You’re hearing ‘blah, blah, blah,’ but you’re seeing ‘Ta-dah!’

So next time you’re confronted with a load of snooze-worthy stats, give us a call! Our amazing team of designers and wordsmiths are ready to Integri-fy your data!

It’s a given you need to be a rock star to join Integrity. Whether a project manager, developer, content strategist or user experience designer, you have to bring the goods to even be considered. Also, a strong level of curiosity and keen sense of observation really go a long way to becoming a star in our world.

But what will truly set you apart to us?

Maybe not too scientific, but we always look for the H’s:

Hunger – Don’t even consider joining our team if you don’t bring the hunger. We expect nothing short of greatness on every project we manage, every social media campaign we execute and every design we create. We can teach you a lot, but we can’t instill within you the desire to exceed every expectation.

Honesty – Trust is the lifeblood of every organization. We expect an honest effort, honest communications and honest interactions. Nothing less.

Humility – Although being a rock star often creates a ton of confidence, it’s critical that confidence doesn’t become arrogance. When you stop being humble, you stop learning. When you stop learning in our business, you stop adding value.

And perhaps the most important H of them all:

Happiness – Nothing matters if you’re not having fun – at life or at work. Happy people tend to be the most productive and most enjoyable people to work with – and this means everything in a creative, collaborative environment like Integrity.

So bring your degree, compile your experiences and trust your passions – but don’t forget your H’s if you plan on working with Integrity.

On leave from his Computer Engineering program at the University of Arkansas, our new development intern has signed himself on with team Integrity for the summer.

Last summer Jeremiah Harris ventured to exotic Cassville, Missouri, where he did web design for Able 2 Products, a company that produces lights and sirens for the fuzz (giving him quite the prankster potential). We have decided to entrust him with the all important task of developing a Foosball iPad application. Yes, we’re serious.

When he’s not assisting the development team with various and sundry website building biz-nass, Jeremiah loves doing anything outdoors: hiking, biking, kung-fu fighting…and he’s claimed to have floated every mile of the Buffalo river.

Batter up!

During a speaking engagement about social media program management, someone stated “a consultant told us you should never use an outside group to manage your social media. You should always do it yourself. Why should anyone use an outside resource for something so fundamentally intimate as the connection between brand and consumer?”

A good question, and one I hear often enough to write about.

1. The people that should be doing it can’t

Meaningful social media discussions expose the soul of the organization. It’s personal. Real. Genuine. To be truly authentic, the CEO should be driving Facebook conversation, the COO blogging up a storm and the founder Twittering away. Right? Of course this is ridiculous – even if they had domain expertise they are busy growing the company. So then who should be its voice? The VPs? Directors? No. Ultimately, it ends up being one of many duties assigned to an overworked entry level resource. This does not work.

2. It’s not just commenting

The best social media strategies are multifaceted. They require some design, some light programming, integration of multiple platforms, internal team building and “constant” tool and best practices research. Well written, interesting and engaging discussion is huge, but that alone is a piece of the puzzle.

3. It’s all about the plan

Effective social media programs are all about coordination. What are your goals? How is traffic being generated? Where is that traffic going? What are your conversion points? Who are your internal subject matter experts? When should the moderator call them? How should the moderator respond to various questions/issues? I find internal resources are not well suited for this kind of top line planning. An experienced social media team should reference a wide array of past successes and failures, and leverage them for your benefit.

In short, unless your organization can afford a social media department, having some level of external social media support is a must.

However, I fully admit this can be problematic. Finding experienced teams with track records for success is always tough in any emerging market. Snake oil salesmen abound. Do your research and do not compromise. There are few channels more risky or more rewarding.