December 28, 2007

The Fanfare about FlickrFan

From Scoble's qik demo (part one, part two) of Dave's new tool, flickrfan that lets you bring photos (yours and others) to your HDTV screen.

My gosh if i ever create anything, please remind me not to let scoble demo it in his living room. Here's the chat captured for posterity - from the bottom up. But you really did have to be there. You can watch the demo again on qik if you missed it.

On the topic of the actual FlickrFan application, I would use it if I had a big screen HDTV television. But we're still stuck back in the olden days with a 20 inch zenith. ;-) We are just getting used to the new playstation 2. I hope there does come a day when I can see my friends' newest photos on my TV screen. Not sure I'd want them on the same "channel" as the AP photos tho.... distrubing.

----
update:

Scobleizer Scobleizer @davewiner: there was a bug that kept me from seeing the real chat. The one I saw is the mostly-positive comments on qik.com/scobleizer

  • anonymous: GOOD GOD!

  • anonymous: He's a little geeky.

  • anonymous: this is the best thing on teevee

  • anonymous: go go go go go

  • anonymous: TEENAGE HAM

  • anonymous: winer will indeed say everyone was missing the point, and that we're just not smart enuf

  • anonymous: child labor.

  • anonymous: Joi!

  • anonymous: :)

  • anonymous: don't go

  • anonymous: thank fook

  • anonymous: yeah, sometime.

  • anonymous: DON'T STOP THE ROCK

  • anonymous: FUCK YOU

  • anonymous: It's all about the second coming

  • anonymous: NOOOOO

  • anonymous: i really don't want to be here right now

  • anonymous: NUNS!!!

  • anonymous: Well, TI-99 is pretty cool except for the disk drive box.

  • anonymous: apple screensaver doesn't accept the new google openscreen saver

  • anonymous: TYHE POPE???

  • anonymous: Holy shit

  • anonymous: good gawd

  • anonymous: i don't want to be here right now

  • anonymous: patrick is tweeting for scoble

  • anonymous: it's cool

  • anonymous: I Love ducks!!

  • anonymous: poor duck

  • anonymous: then the pope

  • anonymous: here is the pope and a lil duck

  • anonymous: the pope

  • anonymous: The fucking pope

  • anonymous: so... bottom lilne: move along, nothing new here

  • anonymous: a sweet lil duck

  • anonymous: :P

  • anonymous: He blamed the Apple Screensaver again...

  • anonymous: outta here. you should leave too

  • anonymous: bring death into your living room

  • anonymous: check out mah duck

  • anonymous: TI-99 4/A Rules!

  • anonymous: love that

  • anonymous: autocropping of your pics

  • anonymous: just what you want pictures of people dying

  • anonymous: heres apoliical duck

  • anonymous: and there's a duck

  • anonymous: I still work on my Vic-20

  • anonymous: AND A DUCK

  • anonymous: my god if he'd only shut up.

  • anonymous: nice

  • anonymous: JUST A LIL GORE

  • anonymous: cut off at the top

  • anonymous: g.day bruce

  • anonymous: PERFECT FOR A GET TOGETHER

  • anonymous: how do you interact with the photo?

  • anonymous: ahahahahaha

  • anonymous: f

  • anonymous: there's a lot of people in SV who have poopybreath

  • anonymous: we'll start a fund for a transcription

  • anonymous: Dude! This guy must be rich!

  • anonymous: after scoble stops, it should save it to his channel

  • anonymous: All is social now

  • anonymous: web 2.0 bollocks

  • anonymous: This is Man of the Year material!

  • anonymous: what's going on?

  • anonymous: Adding the feed to Leopard Screensaver > Pictures > .Mac and RSS - it does the same thing

  • anonymous: share porn with the whole family

  • anonymous: this entire thing should be saved

  • anonymous: Someone PLEASE transcribe it

  • anonymous: photography is a social experience"

  • anonymous: Did anyone trap the audio from that call?

  • anonymous: what-eh-vah

  • anonymous: the TV is social? WTF?

  • anonymous: i think it is pretty cool

  • anonymous: Robert, go the the fucking museum

  • anonymous: right because you can afford a HUGE FUCKING TV

  • anonymous: WTF>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

  • anonymous: It just needs a good UI and good PR. It's good.

  • anonymous: Dude! my 22 in is BIG! (and expensive)

  • anonymous: who is reposting this chat?

  • anonymous: lol loads of pics of people dying

  • anonymous: why would you want photos like this in your home?

  • anonymous: oh wow

  • anonymous: o

  • anonymous: with milan in the middle

  • anonymous: it's a download service for your Mac screensaver

  • anonymous: lol its a screensaver why the friggin hype"

  • anonymous: And likes it

  • anonymous: I really don't want to be here right now

  • anonymous: OMG scoble is busted

  • anonymous: and scoble sheepishly takes it in the ass again

  • anonymous: That's the best evar!

  • anonymous: i bet dave yells at scoble on his weblog tomorrow

  • anonymous: let's see dave's O face

  • anonymous: Wow

  • anonymous: dave dances... lol

  • anonymous: Thank God he's gone

  • anonymous: buh bye

  • anonymous: !

  • anonymous: Classic Dave

  • anonymous: Ha ha ha ha!

  • anonymous: I really don't want to be here

  • anonymous: steen or stein?

  • anonymous: dave's gotta get off, people

  • anonymous: Yes. Bye!

  • anonymous: dave doesn't understand what copyleft licenses are

  • anonymous: Smugmug handles that better

  • anonymous: 'm getting off just watching this

  • anonymous: HANG UP DAMMIT

  • anonymous: hahaha

  • anonymous: :p

  • anonymous: Ho

  • anonymous: Ho

  • anonymous: Ho

  • anonymous: Hey, Robert, John McCrea checking this out. Very cool!

  • anonymous: the same thing, but its not getting qik'ed by scoble now IS IT

  • anonymous: What are they talking about?

  • anonymous: like a hot nite on uSsenet

  • anonymous: that's too hard of a problem for dave to solve

  • anonymous: twitter is really cool

  • anonymous: Ask Dave about video integration

  • anonymous: filter by people who like/don't like him, is more like it

  • anonymous: Adding the feed to Leopard Screensaver > Pictures > .Mac and RSS - it does the same thing

  • anonymous: don't make it stop!

  • anonymous: Amazing Demo !!!!

  • anonymous: his license plate?

  • anonymous: thanks Dave

  • anonymous: security issues?

  • anonymous: LOLING

  • anonymous: NOOOOOOOOOOOO

  • anonymous: thanks

  • anonymous: lol scoble is getting bollocked

  • anonymous: Ok, I really do love Dave

  • anonymous: ALL NITE

  • anonymous: load some porn

  • anonymous: NOOOO

  • anonymous: NO

  • anonymous: NO

  • anonymous: oh no!

  • anonymous: this is cool robert

  • anonymous: NOoooooooo

  • anonymous: E

  • anonymous: GOOD JOB

  • anonymous: wus bag

  • anonymous: it's past my bedtime

  • anonymous: keep it going

  • anonymous: NO

  • anonymous: Don't f'up Scoble

  • anonymous: no

  • anonymous: no

  • anonymous: sell it!

  • anonymous: We heard ya Dave. :)

  • anonymous: LOLOLOL

  • anonymous: e hear you

  • anonymous: yes

  • anonymous: this chat is more entertaining than the demo

  • anonymous: haha

  • anonymous: what a wimp

  • anonymous: Disney where the magic is....

  • anonymous: we love you dave

  • anonymous: poor dave

  • anonymous: agreed

  • anonymous: ha

  • anonymous: stop that you trolls !!! hahaha

  • anonymous: Best. Chat. EVER.

  • anonymous: no one else here has said this is getting hyped up

  • anonymous: we are missing lots of points

  • anonymous: Software = magic?

  • anonymous: :P

  • anonymous: where are maryam and milan

  • anonymous: YES THIS IS MAGIC SCOBLE

  • anonymous: "magical"

  • anonymous: MAGICAL

  • anonymous: It's Xmas, man

  • anonymous: milans' first christ

  • anonymous: only dave would say this is getting hyped up

  • anonymous: it dont do nothing new

  • anonymous: Come on

  • anonymous: You can't control peoples thoughts...

  • anonymous: Shel Israel's christ

  • anonymous: MORE COWBELL

  • anonymous: is everyone else's video streaming ok?

  • anonymous: A nice Jewish boy?

  • anonymous: DAVE WHINER - is a fucking whiner your product is shite

  • anonymous: Patrick, I'll double your rate, 2c an hour

  • anonymous: Did he just say that?

  • anonymous: I don't think I'll use software. will you?

  • anonymous: I was hoping for the 2nd coming of christ. What a let down

  • anonymous: Not the second coming of Christ

  • anonymous: someone needs to do a musical remix of this

  • anonymous: Oh, this is not the second coming of christ.

  • anonymous: wah wah wah

  • anonymous: dave's whining like a baby

  • anonymous: nice thumb

  • anonymous: patrick is reading this, he looks uncomfortable

  • anonymous: what is the internet HAR

  • anonymous: backlash is to be expected....

  • anonymous: god

  • anonymous: what is 2+3?

  • anonymous: Am I the only one who has no idea want santa claus is saying?

  • anonymous: what is the internet?

  • anonymous: updating twitter duh....

  • anonymous: dave winer is on iphone speakerphone

  • anonymous: More Scoble quality audio!

  • anonymous: By the way...what is software?

  • anonymous: what is patrick doing

  • anonymous: why is he waving the phone at Patrick?

  • anonymous: robert you are a great dad

  • anonymous: god his voice is giving me a headache

  • anonymous: Manila, anyone?

  • anonymous: not me

  • anonymous: it's cool but not revolutionary

  • anonymous: you sound like hell dave

  • anonymous: OH WE HEAR YOU

  • anonymous: NOPE

  • anonymous: not me, said the mouse

  • anonymous: Dave's a genius, come on

  • anonymous: Does anyone here use software?

  • anonymous: NOT ME

  • anonymous: How many people on here think Dave's product is cool?

  • anonymous: I don't wnat to know whats under hte covers. ewwww

  • anonymous: peantu gallery is much more fun than the show

  • anonymous: WE LUV U ROBERT

  • anonymous: or get a haircut

  • anonymous: STAND UP TO DAVE

  • anonymous: dave get a designer

  • anonymous: There's testing Daves new VOIP product, crapcallfan

  • anonymous: My software is on cassette tape.

  • anonymous: GROW A SPINE SCOBLE

  • anonymous: i can't wait to see this again

  • anonymous: best ever

  • anonymous: dave your product is shite

  • anonymous: a MINUTE?

  • anonymous: this is great

  • anonymous: oh my god

  • anonymous: way to rip on your friend you asshole

  • anonymous: NOW

  • anonymous: I just use software.

  • anonymous: HANG UP!

  • anonymous: hahahah

  • anonymous: radioland sucked.

  • anonymous: awesome

  • anonymous: GET HIM DAVE

  • anonymous: holy shitttt

  • anonymous: "DAVE" I LOVE U

  • anonymous: stop him

  • anonymous: JEEEEZZZUUUSSS

  • anonymous: santa, is this all I get for Christmas?

  • anonymous: 'S CHEWING OUT SCOBLE

  • anonymous: This will be the top post on techmeme tomorrow morning.

  • anonymous: radioland comes to the big screen

  • anonymous: OH GOD

  • anonymous: phone to phone to video to chat - web 3.0!

  • anonymous: patrick, your dad is the best

  • anonymous: are we listening to Charlie Browns teacher?

  • anonymous: this is lame

  • anonymous: The BBS is runing on my Vic-20.

  • anonymous: wtf

  • anonymous: just dial in

  • anonymous: protoblogger talks, pay attention, asshole

  • anonymous: wtf

  • anonymous: gfgeriygerohjeorgheroiu

  • anonymous: you can download this revolutionary software directly from dave's BBS

  • anonymous: :p

  • anonymous: :p

  • anonymous: :p

  • anonymous: cute haircut patrick!

  • anonymous: The little boy sure is geeky!

  • anonymous: good lord that sucks

  • anonymous: throw the phone at the TV

  • anonymous: :p

  • anonymous: my clock radio has better acoustics

  • anonymous: dave is spamming us!

  • anonymous: Dave hates scoble.

  • anonymous: hang up on him

  • anonymous: its grizzly bear hour

  • anonymous: It probably restarted itself. He's still at the bar. :/

  • anonymous: I like Dave...

  • anonymous: get him off the phone

  • anonymous: love that shitty audio

  • anonymous: ask dave about greasing his balls

  • anonymous: I CAN"T DO THAT DAVE

  • anonymous: hohoho it's merry Dave Winer

  • anonymous: DAVE

  • anonymous: awesome

  • anonymous: Yo

  • anonymous: the sham continues.

  • anonymous: HI DAVE

  • anonymous: ES

  • anonymous: it's back.

  • anonymous: call CTU

  • anonymous: dave its shite

  • anonymous: YES

  • anonymous: !!

  • anonymous: DAVE

  • anonymous: speaker phone please.

  • anonymous: SHOUT OUT

  • anonymous: dave

  • anonymous: oh we are back

  • anonymous: DAVE ON THE PHONE

  • anonymous: SHIT

  • anonymous: HES BACK

  • anonymous: ballz

  • anonymous: we're back!

  • anonymous: It's too much fun

  • anonymous: Wha?

  • anonymous: TEENAGE HAM

  • anonymous: WOOO

  • anonymous: utter balls

  • anonymous: oh wait

  • anonymous: when can we do this again?

  • anonymous: someone call jack baur

  • anonymous: g'day bruce

  • anonymous: /name this was a complete sham

  • anonymous: who will actually want to "live stream" from their phones

  • anonymous: I'm going back to my Vic-20!

  • anonymous: someone needs to start an irc channel

  • anonymous: rofl re 'it's a web 3.0 feature' - i'm just working out how clunky some of this web 2.0is

  • anonymous: minde if we call you anonymous?

  • anonymous: /name dave winer

  • anonymous: back in 30 sec

  • anonymous: just you

  • anonymous: private time with the pr0n

  • anonymous: jspepper

  • anonymous: smacks winer and scoble with a large trout

  • anonymous: yes

  • anonymous: no i am alive in the 94112

  • anonymous: Half moon bay just fell into the ocean.

  • jspepper: yep

  • anonymous: qik is shit - see....

  • anonymous: poof

  • jspepper: if you have an acct, do you have a name?

  • anonymous: maybe the bay area just got nuked?

  • anonymous: seems it has shut down

  • anonymous: Clusterfuck

  • anonymous: you stopped streaming

  • anonymous: Scoble is probably at the bar enjoying himself.

  • anonymous: must wipe sweat off my hands

  • anonymous: i want a name

  • anonymous: yep..qik volume is non-working

  • anonymous: yeah the volume slider doesn't work.. that's a web 3.0 feature

  • anonymous: i am so hot

  • anonymous: hahaha

  • anonymous: btw why are we all anonymous

  • anonymous: anonymous u r a qt ;;)

  • anonymous: oh he is "online"

  • anonymous: Someone please host this chat

  • anonymous: what is your name? I am Anony Mous

  • anonymous: how are you?

  • anonymous: anyone else find that the Qik volume slide doesn't move?!!!

  • anonymous: anonymous we should do this more often

  • anonymous: coward

  • anonymous: He he he he!

  • anonymous: yes

  • anonymous: I WANT A COPY of this chat

  • anonymous: LOVE IT

  • anonymous: anonymous talking to anonymous is entertainment

  • anonymous: 31 min of video

  • anonymous: Sycophancy 2.0

  • anonymous: dave i could demo this next time

  • anonymous: BEST

  • anonymous: THis is the best chat room ever. AGREED

  • anonymous: it drains your battery

  • anonymous: It was a recording. Haaaaa!

  • anonymous: bang

  • anonymous: Scoble goes out with a band

  • anonymous: Surely he must be joking

  • anonymous: play it again, sam

  • anonymous: people this just shows you that live streaming from your phone wont take off

  • anonymous: it's gone. Child labor police raided the house

  • anonymous: THis is the best chat room ever.

  • anonymous: Robert say... Don't f'ing say bad things about Apple you putz!

  • anonymous: That's the classic

  • anonymous: He's dead, Jim!

  • anonymous: ok everyone, we've all been had.

  • anonymous: :)

  • anonymous: play it again and we can keep chatting like it is new

  • anonymous: that was epic

  • anonymous: thats cause the feed is off the mac mini and its all clogged up with war pics

  • anonymous: damn

  • anonymous: low battery

  • anonymous: and he's gone!

  • anonymous: batteries out?

  • anonymous: damn it

  • anonymous: note... Robert is slapping his kid silly right now

  • anonymous: over?

  • anonymous: HIS PRECIOUS IPHONE BROKE

  • anonymous: frooozen

  • anonymous: somone kick him

  • anonymous: phone dead

  • anonymous: hosed, eh?

  • anonymous: scobelizer and winer rock

  • anonymous: lol

  • anonymous: whoa

  • anonymous: uh-oh!

  • anonymous: uh oh

  • anonymous: lack of horsepower on Mac Mini

  • anonymous: frozen

  • anonymous: qik is balls....

  • anonymous: uh-oh

  • anonymous: does it have a wife panic button for the pr0n?

  • anonymous: techmeme is a software program. give it a break

  • anonymous: qik question - why doesn't the volume slider work either in Firefox or IE7?!!

  • anonymous: and I don't even know what that means.

  • anonymous: i heard someone died overseas

  • anonymous: Did he really get into Cal?

  • anonymous: Patrick, what's your fav porn site?

  • anonymous: I have 1000 hit points.

  • anonymous: The Celtics are beating the Sonics

  • anonymous: no way 60fps

  • anonymous: who are we kidding he's busy downloading pr0n

  • anonymous: wtf

  • anonymous: isn't their laws against exploiting children?

  • anonymous: fun and new

  • anonymous: and what does any of this shit have to do with winer's app?

  • anonymous: patrick is so much smarter than his dad.

  • anonymous: heh, he's a WOW geek

  • anonymous: cheezypoofs

  • anonymous: I'm thinking off-broadway.

  • anonymous: poor boy

  • anonymous: LIKE CAMPIN NUBS

  • anonymous: poor bot

  • anonymous: I can haz candy

  • anonymous: This is classic.

  • anonymous: i am so saving this chat

  • anonymous: can i haz something mew?

  • anonymous: Is Scoble doing the presentation?

  • anonymous: again: youtube on my lcd hdtv. mmkay.

  • anonymous: I PLAY MY LITTLE DWARF

  • anonymous: wow, its a cat playing a piano. This is world changing!

  • anonymous: It's still not the Jetsons

  • anonymous: I'm naked

  • anonymous: jrk

  • anonymous: THis is off topic.

  • anonymous: fun

  • anonymous: hey anonymous you're an asshole

  • anonymous: watching 320x240 video

  • anonymous: it's the 21st century, apparently

  • anonymous: cat

  • anonymous: yes! cat plays piano

  • anonymous: I'm in UR piano.

  • anonymous: look at the pussy

  • anonymous: Sorenson encoding

  • anonymous: please god can i save this chat script?

  • anonymous: who gives a shit

  • anonymous: you are demo'ing youtube on a tv. are u kidding me?

  • anonymous: he he he!

  • anonymous: this is bollocks....

  • anonymous: this is just his mac mini

  • anonymous: wow YouTube on TV....so amazing

  • anonymous: My TI-99 4/A is a platform with it's cassette tapes.

  • anonymous: Robert is so 'in the bubble' on this one

  • anonymous: cheezypoofs

  • anonymous: why did u build this; what problem does it solve for you?

  • anonymous: tasteecake

  • anonymous: I'm sure I do this on my Tivo already.

  • anonymous: I'm sure Law and Order is on USA network right now.

  • anonymous: pie judge

  • anonymous: My Vic-20 was a platform too.

  • anonymous: right

  • anonymous: SPACE BEAR

  • anonymous: TEENAGE HAM

  • anonymous: scoble is drunk

  • anonymous: i second whoever mentioned 1001

  • anonymous: as a table!

  • anonymous: My Zipit Wireless is a platform. :)

  • anonymous: ROBERT PLAY SPACE BEAR ON YOUTUBE

  • anonymous: HDTV is a platofrm if you kick it on it's back

  • anonymous: scoble is lisping

  • anonymous: I hated that car.

  • anonymous: Hell yeah!

  • anonymous: Fords are shite as well

  • anonymous: LOL HDTV is a Platform :p

  • anonymous: you said probe

  • anonymous: thanks robert

  • anonymous: Viewers... Has Robert Jumped The Shark on this one?

  • anonymous: !

  • anonymous: ha

  • anonymous: My 1993 Ford Probe is a platform.

  • anonymous: screensaver.com

  • anonymous: thank you dave winer

  • anonymous: my johnson is a platform

  • anonymous: what is the link?

  • anonymous: F8 is a platform.

  • anonymous: FlyingToaster.com

  • anonymous: Salesforce.com is a platform.

  • anonymous: gebezzus

  • anonymous: flickrfan.org

  • anonymous: here we go...HDTV is a "platform"

  • anonymous: anonymous because both are crap

  • anonymous: where can i download this to try it

  • anonymous: Chocolate with peanut butter, NOT LAME!

  • anonymous: BECAUSE HE IS DAVE'S FRIEND

  • anonymous: I think half the folks here are talking about Qik, half about Dave's flickr ap

  • anonymous: berkeley, of course

  • anonymous: Chocolate Lame

  • anonymous: what secret does Dave have about you?

  • anonymous: each day a new artist, picasso, van gogh, etc

  • anonymous: PEOPLE THIS IS BALLS... BASICALLY ITS CRAP THE ONLY REASON HE IS TALKING ABOUT IT IS

  • anonymous: where's the honeymoon?

  • anonymous: people pay you money?

  • anonymous: I Now Pronounce You Robert and Dave.

  • anonymous: how is it different than the screen saver on leopard that includes rss?

  • anonymous: ?

  • anonymous: will this work with dialup

  • anonymous: the AP stuff is new... everthing else has been done.

  • anonymous: geeks are missing the art of great photog

  • anonymous: Scoble, would you be saying this if your werent married to Winer?

  • anonymous: Vic-20 was cool!

  • anonymous: finally.

  • anonymous: sure you had the ability, you just didnt know

  • anonymous: yes, people have been dying to have an ap feed on their tvs

  • anonymous: flickrfan is something close to the converged household

  • anonymous: LOL @ lame shit

  • anonymous: Drinking Old Milwaukee is lame!

  • anonymous: why does the Apple TV suck?

  • anonymous: Robert... try to articulate what's cool about this?

  • anonymous: i remember when people said shit was lame and it turned out TO BE LAME

  • anonymous: Vic-20 was LAME!

  • anonymous: its not lame

  • anonymous: FlickrFan is a crock of shite

  • anonymous: what's the url

  • anonymous: do you like it more than the photo feature on apple tv w/ iphoto?

  • anonymous: let's not go backwards

  • anonymous: this isnt IM

  • anonymous: this is the Apple II, WTF?

  • anonymous: this argument is bullshit

  • anonymous: TI-99 4/A was LAME!

  • anonymous: oh please

  • anonymous: Milan?

  • anonymous: a1mega says: What is FlickrFan?

  • anonymous: it is!!!!!!!!!!

  • anonymous: The Qik interface says "27 min ago" even tho it's live..

  • anonymous: ask Patrick to dance for us

  • anonymous: twitter is not down

  • anonymous: Qik is the revolutionary thing

  • anonymous: Question: 4+9

  • anonymous: my twitter is not down

  • anonymous: how fast is the internet connection in your house scoble?

  • anonymous: this being the top of Techmeme proves that it's broken

  • anonymous: Qik is not down.

  • anonymous: haha

  • anonymous: tell us where your reading questions

  • anonymous: OK, this is great Robert..

  • anonymous: For example: 2+7

  • anonymous: i think this idea will be mainstream and the people using it won't know who made it

  • anonymous: is dave winer now inside my mac?

  • anonymous: i'll download it but probs wont use it...

  • anonymous: We are asking questions.

  • anonymous: security issues?

  • anonymous: sweet

  • anonymous: alright alright i dont see a revolution but put me down for a cool mill

  • anonymous: seems cool! do you like it more than the photo feature on apple tv w/ iphoto?

  • anonymous: old technology, just like Dave Winer

  • anonymous: sony is going oled

  • anonymous: unless it is taped.

  • anonymous: is this a trojan horse?

  • anonymous: crap.

  • anonymous: big ass back to that tv

  • anonymous: Cable management.

  • anonymous: can be used in spas, clubs, restaurants, etc etc etc

  • anonymous: oh man, that stinks

  • anonymous: What's revolutionary about this Robert?

  • anonymous: where's the ohh ahh?

  • anonymous: If you don't get it, you're an idiot. Thus spaketh The Dave.

  • anonymous: where's the sex?

  • anonymous: turn off your tv and keep coal from being burnt :)

  • anonymous: How does this work with Two Girls and a Cup?

  • anonymous: Wonder if Scoble is getting paid to hype this. It seems sort of lame!

  • anonymous: bring back mailtothefuture

  • anonymous: um...

  • anonymous: still waiting to know what is *new* about this

  • anonymous: crap....

  • anonymous: what is it with Winer and shit fonts

  • anonymous: is this truemors

  • anonymous: Dave negotiated with the AP

  • anonymous: you're missing the atmospheric contribution to interiors

  • anonymous: typical Dave Winer page

  • anonymous: a1mega says: Cool!

  • anonymous: demo from hell ,it looks like

  • anonymous: So, if we grabbed the RSS feed for the AP photos, then there's no need for the app at all

  • anonymous: Duck!

  • anonymous: lolcats invading

  • anonymous: wow, so it's your Mac desktop on a TV...innovative

  • anonymous: I'm in UR TV lookin at ur FLICKRZ

  • anonymous: Works fine on Leopard

  • anonymous: I want to believe.

  • anonymous: :]

  • anonymous: the hi-res AP photos make all the difference

  • anonymous: LOL

  • anonymous: ha

  • anonymous: what are we missing?

  • anonymous: 100-34?

  • anonymous: This is Dave Winer: it's better because I made it

  • anonymous: tieing into AP photo's is cool...

  • anonymous: dave?

  • anonymous: It isn't

  • anonymous: It isn't.

  • anonymous: its not

  • anonymous: It Isn't.

  • anonymous: ???

  • anonymous: Yawn!

  • anonymous: Why is this better than using the existing Apple RSS screensaver?

  • anonymous: Why is this better than using the existing Apple RSS screensaver?

  • anonymous: Why is this better than using the existing Apple RSS screensaver?

  • anonymous: It isn't.

  • anonymous: Why is this better than using the existing Apple RSS screensaver?

  • anonymous: does it pull video from pornohub.com?

  • anonymous: not true

  • anonymous: he is reading questions from comments not chat

  • anonymous: He's getting them from Twitter.

  • anonymous: security issues having it run on your mac?

  • anonymous: OK, the vid is old, but chat is live?

  • anonymous: This could be a great backdrop for a board meeting.

  • anonymous: wtf? he's still making questions up

  • anonymous: dave keeps slapping different faces on the same underlying code, over and over again.

  • anonymous: have you compared it with 1001?

  • anonymous: this could be a great backdrop for a club

  • anonymous: you need the browser to visit youporn.com

  • anonymous: let's all turn on our computers and hd tvs so that we can look at a 60" screensaver

  • anonymous: where's the need for browser?

  • anonymous: lets all sit in the dark if it wastes power

  • anonymous: wait..didn't he just say the product uses Apple screen saver?

  • anonymous: why store the files locally

  • anonymous: What is the temp in HMB?

  • anonymous: you're making the questions up scoble

  • anonymous: billg was onto something with his digital photo frames

  • anonymous: No storage

  • anonymous: It is new, b/c it is new.

  • anonymous: Why wouldn't you just use Windows Media Center

  • anonymous: looping images wastes power

  • anonymous: we demand to know whats new about this.. me and anonymous and..anonymous too

  • anonymous: looping images enlivens static interior environments (interior designer)

  • anonymous: I would put a spreadsheet on my screen.

  • anonymous: do you see it working at all this hour, or should we come back?

  • anonymous: the only way this will work is if it costs 49.95

  • anonymous: Hype ware

  • anonymous: Yes, then you don't have to talk to them.

  • anonymous: lol dont you just love web2.0............................

  • anonymous: so i have friends over, and instead of talking i show them my screensaver?

  • anonymous: anonymous he hasn't been able to get it working for 10 minutes, so just like Userland

  • anonymous: explain that to grandma

  • anonymous: I'm seriously curious...what's actually new about this?

  • anonymous: Flickr has enclosures anyway, right

  • anonymous: its incredible.

  • anonymous: TO my stereo

  • anonymous: I am a person, you are turning me into a couch potato

  • anonymous: FROM my laptop

  • anonymous: lol

  • anonymous: i can actually stream my mp3s

  • anonymous: I thought the revolution wouldn't be televised

  • anonymous: I was a Radio Userland user - this HAS to be easier, right?

  • anonymous: i'm an interior designer, you are turning me into a geek imagining the possibilities

  • anonymous: its going to be a revolution

  • anonymous: Dave..where do we ask you questions?

  • anonymous: ...me hooking up my stereo to my laptop

  • anonymous: hmmm - trying to fast forward the video to predict the future..

  • anonymous: I predict this will be as popular as Radio Userland was

  • anonymous: hey everyone, at 10pm im going to be streaming a live demo of...

  • anonymous: this could go mainstream

  • anonymous: are images also pulled down based on the licensing settings of the user?

  • anonymous: its web 2.0 crock of shite stuff

  • anonymous: Dude, you said Dude

  • anonymous: Will this work on leopard?

  • anonymous: revolutionary!

  • anonymous: dude it DOWNLOADS pictures!

  • anonymous: It does less than nothing.

  • anonymous: so it does nothing?

  • anonymous: Can you change a flat tire?

  • anonymous: i bet £50 that qik wont last a month

  • anonymous: I read about the app, but couldn't see what it does over the Flickr RSS anyway

  • anonymous: artificial

  • anonymous: this is not that exciting

  • anonymous: Amazing demo !!!

  • anonymous: Question: Real or artificial Christmas tree?

  • anonymous: why cant ure "live" channel go full screen

  • anonymous: THIS IS SO EXCITING

  • anonymous: Go Scoble!

  • anonymous: so it's using Apple's screensaver....so it actually does nothing

  • anonymous: African or European Swallow?

  • anonymous: re: Canada yes you do!

  • anonymous: so ap photos are going to clog up the hd

  • anonymous: Question: Do you need a passport to enter Canada from the US?

  • anonymous: what problem are u solving

  • anonymous: but it's not working is it Robert

  • anonymous: Q: Can you see this working with video clips Robert??

  • anonymous: Is OPML Editor working for leopard?

  • anonymous: <(^^<) (>^^)>

  • anonymous: hey scoble, april fool's is in april.

  • anonymous: Q: Can you see this working with video clips Robert??

  • anonymous: Question: What is on Food Network right now?

  • anonymous: does it ever work?

  • anonymous: :p

  • anonymous: can't it be my background so i can watch it WHILE i'm working?

  • anonymous: security issues having it on your mac? Any outgoing communications?

  • anonymous: kr8tr - Qik needs to let you filter the crap in the chat

  • anonymous: cant you already do this o n the mac?

  • anonymous: Question: What color was my 1993 Ford Probe?

  • anonymous: im with the anonymous guy who doesnt see what is revolutionary about this

  • anonymous: do it's a screensaver and nothing more

  • anonymous: hey, just like radio!

  • anonymous: ITS A SCREEN SAVER. WOW.

  • anonymous: does it work with twitter?

  • anonymous: what about the design?

  • anonymous: I like smugmug

  • anonymous: African or European Swallow?

  • anonymous: exactly.

  • anonymous: LMAO

  • anonymous: Q: Can you see this working with video clips Robert??

  • anonymous: Dave Winer isn't on to something, he's ON something

  • anonymous: Question: Population of New Jersey?

  • anonymous: Can you import feeds from sources other than Flickr, say Zooomr?

  • anonymous: Dave is onto something...

  • anonymous: question: what about butts?

  • anonymous: ON A TV

  • anonymous: is this integrated with twitter?

  • anonymous: question: when is podtech closing?

  • anonymous: PICTURES OF OURSELVES

  • anonymous: subscribe tag "boobies"

  • anonymous: YEAH KILLER

  • anonymous: stfu all of you

  • anonymous: can you filter out graphic content from AP via tags?

  • anonymous: Question: Capital of Vermont?

  • anonymous: no you shut up, anonymous

  • anonymous: Answer: 4!

  • anonymous: question: 2+2

  • anonymous: you shut up anonymous

  • anonymous: Can you do an RSS query?

  • anonymous: or more honest...

  • anonymous: Have you seen google's photo screensaver?

  • anonymous: seriously this product is going to crash and die

  • anonymous: are there security issues by having it on your mac?

  • anonymous: hey shutup anonymous

  • anonymous: question: are you reading this?

  • anonymous: people are alot more annoying when they're anonymous

  • anonymous: Question: Could you see this working with video clips?

  • anonymous: linux version?

  • anonymous: but why....

  • anonymous: It's a nice little app. But where's the revolution?

  • anonymous: hello

  • anonymous: HELLO

  • anonymous: HELLO

  • anonymous: HELLO

  • anonymous: are you seeing our comments?

  • anonymous: where's the revolution?

  • anonymous: are you hooked via hdmi?

  • anonymous: could you see this working with video clips?

  • anonymous: when would i use this

  • anonymous: How about using at a party with wifi camera

  • anonymous: i have a question

  • anonymous: the tv - what kind is it?

  • anonymous: Robert- do you get cover art if you browse a remote iTunes machine using Leopard?

  • anonymous: are you using a mic? The sound quality is good

  • anonymous: Qik is revolutionary

  • anonymous: why would you want to?

  • anonymous: Radio Userland? What's that (anymore)?

  • anonymous: BARF

  • anonymous: ok, that's cool

  • anonymous: ahhh!

  • anonymous: Something d o o economics

  • anonymous: how the hell do you NOT be anonymous on this thing?

  • anonymous: What about flipping thru video clips ?

  • anonymous: Bueller?

  • anonymous: hello?

  • anonymous: This is going to be as big as Radio Userland

  • anonymous: whoo hooo

  • anonymous: are you using a mic? The sound quality is good

  • anonymous: yoohooooo !

  • anonymous: hey, we're gonna be on tv!!!

  • anonymous: Robert- do you get cover art if you browse a remote iTunes machine using Leopard?

  • anonymous: No real ones, anyway.

  • anonymous: yes, comments here

  • anonymous: hahaha its broken!

  • anonymous: do you plan any part of your demos

  • anonymous: not twitter

  • anonymous: Robert- do you get cover art if you browse a remote iTunes machine using Leopard?

  • anonymous: we are asking questions here

  • anonymous: god can this be any more random scoble

  • anonymous: This is Dave Winer: this is the best peice of software ever created. Don't you forget it

  • anonymous: people learn more visually. that's why its powerful

  • anonymous: doesn't OS X have the .mac and RSS screen saver that already does this exact thing?

  • anonymous: but you added that requirement

  • anonymous: wah

  • anonymous: shooby do way

  • anonymous: Ask Nike.

  • anonymous: i dont get where the revolution is

  • anonymous: cable management!!!!

  • anonymous: the new Dell's (ugly) are quiet

  • anonymous: Dave, I think you're right about the browser, since you might want to search around, etc.

  • anonymous: no, because you wont stop talking

  • anonymous: umm dude we've been able to hook pcs/laptops/macs to TVs for a long time

  • anonymous: Dave Rocks

  • anonymous: are you using a mic? sound quality is good

  • anonymous: but i have a 25" old jvc crt tv. shucks.

  • anonymous: 'S SO LOUD

  • anonymous: who you calling a tool?

  • anonymous: TURN IT DOWN

  • anonymous: Robert- do you get cover art if you browse a remote iTunes machine using Leopard?

  • anonymous: what about a PS3 rocking linux?

  • anonymous: yes

  • anonymous: yep... use a remote desktop tool to control it for grandma

  • anonymous: Isn't there a Flickr plugin for Windows MCE already?

  • anonymous: heh, vista on a mini, riiiight

  • anonymous: grandma can surf pr0n then

  • anonymous: but kudos to Dave for pulling this together

  • anonymous: Could I set this up for my grandma? And control it?

  • anonymous: cmpmaster: can you view based on Tags?

  • anonymous: Windows MCE Online Spotlight could have been like this

  • anonymous: Shuttle box

  • anonymous: It will be cool when people tune feeds for this

  • anonymous: yawn

  • anonymous: photar: how is this different from the rss feed capability built into apples ?

  • anonymous: 4!

  • anonymous: Very Cool stuff

  • anonymous: we are legion of anonymous

  • anonymous: 2+2 = ?

  • anonymous: Can you view your favorited pictures?

  • anonymous: can you show certain tags?

  • anonymous: somebody kick anonymous outta here

  • anonymous: hey screw you anonymous

  • anonymous: you dont work on the big screen do you?

  • anonymous: it is interesting. it's a flattening of the world

  • anonymous: Dave: Really neat (from Dan Bricklin), thanks Robert for the demo

  • anonymous: show us porn

  • anonymous: What color is the wall behind the TV?

  • anonymous: she thought pictures of her baby followed by war pictures was interesting

  • anonymous: is she documented?

  • anonymous: can you pull images based on tag vs user? do you have to be friends with the image source

  • anonymous: better than watching the news

  • anonymous: wait what

  • anonymous: mmkay.

  • anonymous: how about background mp3s?

  • anonymous: What about still shots from video clips... with the option of starting the stream?

  • anonymous: screen savers for your lcd tv

  • anonymous: blood is okay, but no boobs!

  • anonymous: did u say pron?

  • anonymous: photar: google has an rss screensaver

  • anonymous: just in time for the writers strike. Brilliant timing, Dave

  • anonymous: no pr0n!?

  • anonymous: is that scoble's help?

  • anonymous: HA

  • anonymous: How about this plus eye-fi!

  • anonymous: This is Dave Winer: I am very easy offended, this is brilliant and will revolutionize TVs

  • anonymous: We all wanna change the world. Shooby doo wah.

  • anonymous: sorry.

  • anonymous: this isn't really a revolution.

  • anonymous: cake

  • anonymous: patty cae

  • anonymous: Patrick is funny

  • anonymous: hahaha

  • anonymous: no offense to dave; just not getting this

  • anonymous: photar: I bought Patrick's AppleTV.

  • anonymous: What would be interesting is if I owned an xBox.

  • anonymous: oh yeah, Bhutto pics on your TV...excellent, people will be flocking to this

  • anonymous: captions - how about pulling the comments from flickr?

  • anonymous: photar: Can't you already add rss feeds with apple screen saver?

  • anonymous: TEENAGE HAM

  • anonymous: what would be interesting is to have some captions

  • anonymous: Can you answer those questions?

  • anonymous: so the bhutto photos are relevant

  • anonymous: that would have been in the photo's today

  • anonymous: when's the next photowalk? let's do one in 'vegas during CES

  • anonymous: photar: I'm gonna preface all my comments with my name now.

  • anonymous: hey... he said he was getting AP photos

  • anonymous: This is Dave Winer, stop being mean to my understudy

  • anonymous: one person not making a dime

  • anonymous: do you use the big screen for ordinary working?

  • anonymous: That Bhutto comment is really fucked, you tasteless doofus.

  • anonymous: nature

  • anonymous: Dave is onto something...

  • anonymous: we're anonymous cause that's the default

  • anonymous: This company is one person.

  • anonymous: how about some naked Dave Winer picks, that should scare the kiddies

  • anonymous: "is that a pony?"

  • anonymous: exactly

  • anonymous: how is this company planning on making money

  • anonymous: could be scary during a dinner party

  • anonymous: hahahaha

  • anonymous: hey honey look... it's the Bhutto assination photos....how nice

  • anonymous: probably by registering with qik.com

  • anonymous: this site is shittier than Kyte

  • anonymous: Maybe we gotta log in.

  • anonymous: dave should stop pimping this with mac mini. it should work with any mac fine

  • anonymous: How come all the little snipers are named "anonymous?"

  • anonymous: show us Flickr porn Scoble

  • anonymous: Doesn't the apple screen saver already take rss feeds?

  • anonymous: doesnt Dave have a scoble phone?

  • anonymous: can you filter pr0n?

  • anonymous: that women looked bored too

  • anonymous: Where's the 'Scoble Button'?

  • anonymous: Gonzo!

  • anonymous: yawn

  • anonymous: man this is some gonzo reportage

  • anonymous: welcome to a demo by scoble

  • anonymous: what's going on? a bit confusing

  • anonymous: firefox? in your apps folder?

  • anonymous: best demo ever

  • anonymous: your tv is underwater

  • anonymous: wow

  • anonymous: he said earlier its a sony 60"

  • anonymous: am calling

  • anonymous: ha

  • anonymous: could be 20 guys.

  • anonymous: JESUS SCOBLE ANSWER THIS GUY HE WON'T SHUT UP ABOUT YOUR TV

  • anonymous: Scoble: What kind of Sony TV is that?

  • anonymous: no... let's go back to DEC PDP ! and Space War

  • anonymous: you said little tool. snicker

  • anonymous: getting seasick

  • anonymous: MajorStoner420 here

  • anonymous: Witty has a slight delay on Twitters when they appear.

  • anonymous: snarfyturdeater here

  • anonymous: campmaster here

  • anonymous: is it HDMI?

  • anonymous: please... a tripod... a tripod

  • anonymous: mkrigsman here

  • anonymous: what's the brand?

  • anonymous: yes, live

  • anonymous: this is live?

  • anonymous: I'll buy your spare for hte righ tprice

  • anonymous: Wish I did not buy 2 Apple TV's...

  • anonymous: what kind of tv is that?

  • anonymous: can you change transitions

  • anonymous: I'm getting dizzy

  • anonymous: I am wearing the same t-shirt . how odd.

  • anonymous: It's echoing?

  • anonymous: go apollo!

  • anonymous: hahahahahaha

  • anonymous: TEENAGE HAM

  • anonymous: hi goofy!

  • anonymous: hi!

  • anonymous: good taste in tv... I have the same but 50"

  • anonymous: Jim (redlasso) here...

December 26, 2007

happykwanzachristmasnewyear

i should probably post something.

merry christmas!
happy new year!

playstation II rox.

Happy belated birthday to the Madame. (hopeyougotmykwanzacard).

December 18, 2007

And another thing...

the car is gone. the cats are in danger.

The Casualties of Casual Dismissal

Let's see if we can walk through this one more time for clarity. Even if it's just my OWN clarity.

The problem with the Lane Hartwell sub-drama, where Mike Arrington cast Shelley Powers as a woman's-issue-obsessed fascist, is that his comment, if true -- which it isn't (Shelley will rail a woman as soon as she will a man) -- would mean Shelley is "a sexist." That's a silly and careless portrayal of Shelley's role in this space. Mike later gets to the crux of his problem with Shelley, that he finds her unpleasant. Those are two pretty different things.

There were many exchanges about whether Mike's remarks were sexist or careless or wrong or what. Especially on Twitter. All well and good.

Then, Eric Rice took Mike's comment and determined that it makes Mike "a sexist," which for the record, I do not believe it does. Characterizing someone else as sexist -- which is what Mike did with Shelley -- does not make him a sexist. Do you follow me?

The other problem is that now, Mike is looking at this whole sub-drama as Shelley and Company calling him a Sexist, which again, is turning the situation around and losing track of where the "hold-on-a-minute" began.

The other other problem is that Eric Rice did call mike a sexist in his video about what boycotting TechCrunch sponsors over this, and extrapolating from there larger questions on how we show our distaste to a Web 2.0 privately-held company that steps over the line ethically. It's a good question. But it also serves to take THIS PARTICULAR discussion, which started with Lane, into the stratosphere of open-ended meandering.

Apparently Eric twittered that a boycott was in order. I was not following Eric until after all of this started, but that's a mighty serious gauntlet to be throwing down on Twitter.

During the Kathy Sierra mess, I got emails from people who were contacting MY advertisers telling them not to advertise with me because I made de*a*th thr*e*ats (forgive me for not wanting to add more to my google cache). SO I have a sensitive spot there -- You don't do that shit unless you are ready to bring in the law with all of its force.

Besides, what would a web 2.o boycott look like -- oooo i'm not using idrive oooo. Boo!

I think a boycott would be useless anyway. Because the Larger Problem is not about Mike Arrington's gender concepts. It's that the web 2.0 and tech industries are littered with isms. Tell me there's anyone who doesn't get that yet.

And the larger LARGER problem for the blogosphere and twitterspehere is that a culture is developing -- thanks in part to time-saving, fragment-tossing platforms like twitter, that by design silence dissenting voices -- we have all become easy targets for extinction, the casualties of casual dismissal.

THAT's what bothered me about this situation, about what Mike said to Shelley, about what Mike and others said about Lane without asking Lane anything, and STILL DOES bother me.

The "you're just" mantra is getting way out of hand.

It is cultish and thought canceling.

Any voice that isn't Techmeme-vetted is so easily dismissed with the wave of the hand: She always takes the woman's side; he always piles on; she's just negative; he's just a troll; she's a suck-up, he's just a fascist.

READ: Stop being unpleasant. Stop being negative. Get with the program.

What that means is that the next conversation you take part in, your role has already been assigned, and you better fit it, or you will be reminded how you are supposed to behave.

That Shit Is Wrong. It's passive aggressive game playing, and those who execute it well to exclude differing opinions and critical thought ought not wonder why their victims get pissed off.

That's what's wrong with this thing for me.

----

December 16, 2007

2008 Dodge Grand Caravan - Does a Cat Really Have to Die?

I don't want to.

I don't want to give it back.

I love my (not my) new CarVan. I know it was part of the Test Drive Program for bloggers--influential moms (used to be an oxymoron) if you will.

I know I said I'd give it back on Tuesday. I know they're coming for it. Of course they are. Tomorrow's Monday. Tomorrow night I'll take our stuff out of it. Because Tuesday the valet guys come to get it.

Right? Right.

What are the chances Zach from Matchstick will get the flu and forget to execute the paperwork? Maybe I'll fall through the cracks, or maybe it will be like Oprah and Dodge will say: "Here you go blogging moms! This one's for you! MERRY CHRISTMAS!"

And I would not even sell it to get out of debt.

I would drive it and love it all the days of my life.

When Zach from Matchstick forgets all about me, I can live in my new CarVan. I can continue to play with heated seats and satellite TV and satellite radio and a car that starts while I'm making coffee. And leather seats. And the lady who tells me how to get to all the places I know. And the kids playing Designer World on the TVs. And the right side door that sometimes doesn't close when you press the button, and then you think it's closed and you leave the car open all night long in the driveway... hypothetically speaking.

And tables and swivel chairs. And wireless headphones. And the camera on the bumper that makes sure you don't run over the cats.

The poor cats.

What now?

CiCi and Rudy. Tuesday they are once again in jeopardy.

Do it for the cats, Zach.

Lose my paperwork.

You don't want the cats to die. I know you don't.

please?

meow?

---

Dear AKMA

I knew it was out there somewhere! Hey, here's a coincidence: We got rain yesterday! I'm sure it's good for about another 1/4 glass of water from the bottom of Lake Alatoonna, so I think we're all set until about May.

Please have Margaret bring her own water when she comes though. I hate for her to have to share with Gil the fish.

---

Conference for So Me Solos

The ultra talented Stephanie Booth is organizing a very cool sounding event, called Going Solo, to be held in Lausanne in Switzerland. Going Solo isn't a conference for the megablogs and dozens of web 2.0 cos -- it's for the rest of us: freelancers of the web industry.

She'll be telling us more in the coming months. If you're out that way or can GET out that way, put Switzerland on your Google Calendar for 08.

Encapsulating...

From Mathew Ingram's discussion on Lane Hartwell.
  • I find it offensive that Michael Arrington would interpret this argument as some kind of collusion between women. I now have to consider the gender of the person I support/disagree with, before making a stand? - in case I get thrown a "But since Lane is a woman, it really doesn't matter what she did as far as you are concerned. She's a woman, so she's right." That remark was uncalled for, Michael. Now I'm stuck, if I support them it's cos I'm a woman, and if I don't, it's because I'm making a point of not being tarred with the "chicks stick together" brush.



  • jeneane —12 hours ago with 1 point

    Welcome to Web 2.0 Laruel.



  • leigh —2 hours ago with 1 point

    Sexism 2.0 more like......(but seriously, how depressing is the personalization of an argument around someone's gender? I guess now all we have to do is wait for someone to up the argument sophistication level and start calling someone else gay or a retard)



  • jeneane —0 minutes ago with 1 point

    It is Very Depressing. The passively aggressive get to look like angels as they continue to invalidate any points made by others, casting dissenting voices as "negative" or "woman" or "whining" [pick your term]. Those others -- the ones actually exhibiting critical thought -- then get driven out of the discussion, and driven nearly crazy.

    Next, when the "negative" "women" "whiners" are brave enough to call the passive aggressive power elite on their B.S., they're labeled as mean for launching ad hominem attacks.

    Those who do the invalidating score another win. The minions kiss their asses. And the beat goes on.

Halley's Ten Incher

What. What?!



(bonus video: Halley lobbies for a Fringlish button. :-))

--

December 15, 2007

They're so fond of doing Mashups for fun...

...that they forget it's not always LEGAL or RIGHT.

Taking someone's work and including it in something you think is funny without asking them is something I've done. I admit it. I'm not sure where, but I'm sure, on this blog, I've done it. Probably in the thrill of a creative streak, combining this with that -- after all it's on the Internet, isn't it?

The thing is, if someone said, "Hey that's mine, take it down or give me credit (or whatever they decide to tell me to do)," well then I do it. I don't blow them off because it's convenient and I'm getting a lot of hits off of their work.

Why do you think Kat Herding and Jeremy Outerbridge are no more? We PAID for the stock images, and we still took them down when the photographer emailed us that he was pissed at how they were being used. Could have fought it, sure. Especially since they were paid for and used without breaking the terms and conditions as we saw them. But the artist wanted them down, so down they came. Bye bye.

I'm with Lane Hartwell on this dumb bubble video that included her photo without attribution or permission. She's a professional photographer - like a professional musician - who makes her money off what she shoots through her lens.

It reminds me of the rich kids who pay to play cover tunes in venues that don't even bother to pay ASCAP dues -- the kids can afford to do that because mommy and daddy are paying for college. They get chicks and get to feel like a real musician for their twenty minutes of fame. Then they graduate and become insurance salesmen or Web 2.0 entrepreneurs.

But these same clubs get used to having free music, and the standard is lowered for everyone. The people who get hurt are the REAL artists, who can't afford to play for free, because they do what they do as their LIVING not as something that's a kick to do at a weekend get together.

It's the same with Lane. She can't give away her work - it's how she makes a living.

I blog for free. Yes. And I make my money from writing. Ergo, you wouldn't see me letting a company use a brochure I'm doing for one company in something another company is doing -- let alone for FREE -- just because they think it might add a little something to their project. HELL no.

Brian Solis does a good job introducing us to the lady behind the lens, who Techcrunch's comment brigade of testicularly-challenged web 2.Zeros would prefer to mindlessly savage, rather than use their brains for five seconds and think beyond this one incident. And what the hell is Mike doing talking trash on Matthew's post about Shelley, who provides a careful analysis on her blog? (Though I don't agree with Matthew, who takes umbrage with Lane's decision to issue a legal take-down, I think he handled Mike's ad hominems well.)

Unbelievable.

----

December 14, 2007

upper west side


why is my car running while I am making pizza?

George was like: you left the doors open on the van.
I was like: no I didn't i made sure they were shut (because one kind of likes to re-open itself and if you don't watch it all the way, you don't know but it might have opened itself).
And he said he closed them but I still don't know how they opened.
I think i did it accidentally on the "KEY" that comes with this van, which is more like a flash drive looking device, without a shaft like keys have, but more like a usb looking thing.

you can open the doors using the remote, and I probably pressed it while making a snack for jenna's backpack in the kitchen.

So I'm pressing all these little buttons on the key to see can I actually open doors from afar--no idea really what the one that shows a circular motion does, or the one next to it, but I decide that I could have easily double-pressed the door-open button.

The next time I look out the window I see that the van is RUNNING. As in it's started and running and nobody's around it. omgzbbq what?

And I'm like the car is RUNNING George.

So we stared out the window for a minute and then I went and got in to see how this could be happening--this keyless startup trick it was doing. It turns out that the circular-motion button on the Key-Flash-Drive-Looking-Not-a-Key-At-All actually starts the car remotely. Like while you're in the house brushing your teeth or making stew.

Did I mention that dual DVD players mean kids can watch different shows on the two different screens that fold down? And the driver can watch too on the dashboard as long as you're parked. But when you are on the move, the Grand Car-Van is smart enough to make you turn off That's So Raven on the front dash.

---

December 13, 2007

you know you always look like crap...

...when you volunteer at your child's school and one of the moms you know there says, "Wow, you clean up nice!" (jokingly but not really), you remember a little too late that you should use a mirror sometimes.

Yes I do frequent carpool in ponytail-sweatpant-total-lard-butt-wearing fashion on most days. So what's your point?

Today was different though. I think that driving the computer mobile (it has a 20 gig hard drive for crying out loud) is a transforming experience.

Behind that leather wheel and that ultradashboard, I am no longer an in-debt, barely-project-completing, crockpot-managing, venture-"value"-(yes it's the model)-van driving woman. I am Commander of the Grand Car-Van. Chief of Work and Play. Director of Satellite Transmissions for the State of Georgia and local Curves.

The difference is subtle, I know, but worth noting.

Carpool Door

...that's what I call the automatic door on the right side. no reason to use extra syllables (au-to-ma-tic) to describe something so efficient.

Had fun tuning into Sirus channel 53, Soultown, after I dropped Jenna off. This satellite radio thing is off.the.hook. I'm wondering if I can retain the feeling of this experience after its over by getting satellite radio and riding a bike.

as if.

Anyway, we are still enjoying the van, and after it's gone I'm pretty sure I won't have anything to blog about.

I wrote long ago that bloggers are worthy of sponsorships like Olympic athletes - like my electric bill is sponsored by ToysRUs, and my health insurance is sponsored by GE, and of course my transportation could be sponsored by Dodge, and so on. That would mean that for a year you wouldn't have to worry about your expenses, because you'd be wearing the team logos of Kleenex and Johnson&Johnson and so on, like a race car driver, except instead of racing you are actually blogging.

k so that's not exactly happening, but still. This week I'm pretending it is.

---

December 12, 2007

Well that doesn't seem fair



i am so not kidding

like it really does ALL of these things.

Named by Matchstick as one of Atlanta's 50 Most Influential Women


Today, the 2008 Dodge Grand Caravan, Tomorrow Fast Company*!

The valet guys from Eagle Parking showed up with the shiny new dark blue Caravan (which Jenna continues to pronounce Car-Van) -- essentially a minivan on steroids -- at about 2:30. I wish someone would have tipped me off about the picture taking as I MIGHT have showered or at least worn a less ratty t-shirt, as if I own any.

The valet team was very courteous and somewhat knowledgeable. They showed us where all the bells and whistles were in the van, which BTW are enough to make any child silent for a day-long (at least) road trip. I was glad I caught the guys before they left the driveway, because I noticed I couldn't get any actual SOUND through the Satellite TV, the Satellite radio, the DVD, the CD, or regular FM radio. Disney Channel and Cartoon Network played on the THREE screens (counting the driver's), but the speakers weren't working.

Really no point in having a TV on wheels if you have no sound.

They spent about 40 minutes trying to figure out why the heck there was no sound, including a call back to the marketing company running the program. They called me personally -- I have to say they were respectful and open to my ideas on how to fix the situation. My best idea was something like: I want the sound to work.

One of the guys got the idea to do a ctrl+alt+del on the whole van. He disconnected then reconnected the battery. I used to have to do that to my Dell, but my Dell didn't have any wheels or airbags. That's one reason I went back to Mac. But I digress. But what do you know, it worked--we had sound!

We whooped and hollered because by now I'm punch-drunk with the excitement of this not-my-new-car and Jenna is home from school and drewling over the lean-back seats, the table and swivel chairs, the satellite TV and radio, the wireless headphones, the remote, and on and on and on.

So child feedback so far is that the car would be perfect if it had a shower, a refrigerator, a dance floor, and a hot tub.

Adult drivers (one mom, one dad) so far weigh in with differing favorites. Mom-friend-#1 loved the front windshield, which gives the illusion or reality of being able to see in surround vision--like, no blind spots. I like the driveway cam that shows you what you're about to run over in the stealth-green-night-vision-commando video display on the dash. And how roomy it is. And how quiet it is to drive. And that it came with a full tank of gas and my chevyventurevaluevan was on E.

One friend's dad gave it a spin with us - he was surprised by the pickup -- it's got power -- and liked the navigation features. He was transfixed on the GPS POIs - points of interest -- whereby the GPS lady tells you how to get to all the cool places you've already been to but it's nice to know she's with you anyway. That's the feature for people with abandonment issues. I think it's standard in the U.S.

The kids asked if they could have a sleepover in the garage before we have to give the car back. I thought that might not be a good idea, but did offer to drive everyone to basketball practice tomorrow.


*sorry. scoble reference. heh.

---

Jenna's gonna faint (Or, Like Scoble With an iPhone)

So, the seemingly-spam comment left by Erica last week was the real deal. The one about the car. The new van. The Blogger test drive program for the dodge grand caravan 2008, to be precise, which I get to drive for free for a week. I feel like Shakespierce at the Miss Tattoo Universe Contest. I'm telling you.

Yours truly was selected as one of 50 Influential Women of Atlanta (hitherto referred to as IWAT, mofos) -- essentially bloggers with kids -- to test drive this with THESE features for a week.

The Eagle Parking guys just called and they're on the way over with it.

Since I talked to Matchstick, the folks handling getting bloggers on board, Jenna has been all I Hope We Win the Car! After which I have to explain to her we are not winning a car. We still have our abused chevy venture value van with crank windows. We are ONLY driving this new computer on wheels (they call it a livingroom on wheels) for a week. At which point she is all Mom That IS Winning!

I'm all like, They're Here!!

(more soon)

---

youtube seating



----

December 11, 2007

can someone please tell me for the love of pete...

how you UNFRIEND someone in facebook when you're sick of getting 8 million updates from their comings and goings?

thank you.

--

scobleized

my comment:

I used to be a fan of the idea of a mechanism for saving the best of the web - for making our work accessible after bloggers have died, to be sure the good stuff lived on. A sort of museum might be nice, but that’s not what Dave is talking about. Museums don’t feature me because I say I’m important. There is a process to becoming worth preserving. It’s more than technology and dollars.

Maybe we SHOULD have to lose one another here.

Maybe it will keep us human.

Maybe if we keep one another alive here, we’ll soon be twittering along for a year before we realize someone’s dead.

Maybe we can get rid of grieving altogether, get back to work, keep posting away, as long as we know that our dead friends’ site has been preserved in plastic, encased in gold. That’d be super!
Maybe it’s up to the family. Maybe they want to decide I was an asshole they want to rip down my site. Maybe they should have that choice.

Dave wants to be on vinyl: The best of Dave Winer, collector’s edition, double CD - as if no dave will ever come again. Dave will come again. And again. We are a blip, no matter how many quotes, how many links. There is something honest in others keeping our history. (Or letting it go).

Let the business model of dead blogger books write itself–it doesn’t need help from the top.
Our work belongs to our estates, doesn’t it? Dave wants to plunk down a hundred grand to be sure he’s always here, calling people names, calling for posses. Super. The rest of us — the ones who can’t afford the super deluxe gold coffin edition of blogging — we win the prize: We get to disappear.

The guy with the most money and best algorithm wins. It has been ever thus. Old boss new boss. And so it goes.

Comment by Jeneane Sessum — December 11

For Anita

Photo: February 10, 1998.

The words are there, pixels turned friends, it's what we've always done here. This web of stories is beginning to outlive its early weavers.

The compounded loss - there are no words for this.

Loss is multiplied by the number of people we've fallen in love with here.

Where do we put their words; freezing them -- that is what books are for. So what do we do with voices written across time and space, now quieted - reverse chronology, archives as punctuation, their stories from now on written backward in time.

Hushed to rest, I ache for their voices, wonder how to traverse the land of the living and dying Web in real-time.

How do I grieve the absence of a voice: silence where her words should be, his wit not linked to, the missing objection I've learned to anticipate.

Where do I put the missing piece of someone else's day that has so long been a piece of my own day? Where do my friends go, the ones I've come to know from the inside out? How do I say goodbye to you when I have never brushed your skin, no scent, no surface?

No one knows you better than I do,
And I have never known you at all.


That remains the paradox of the web.

That is what makes the sadness of losing you so much more.

--

Peace, Anita

It doesn't seem possible. As Shelley has said, Anita was such a presence in the web we knitted at the beginnings of blogging, it is hard to believe she is gone. I am so sorry - thoughts are with her husband and family.

Thank you, Anita, for showing us how it's done.

--

December 09, 2007

back to basics

A friend gave us a crock pot she wasn't using not too long ago. Now I'm getting into the habit of throwing a bunch of stuff in it in the morning and NOT having to cook dinner because it cooks itself.

This crockpot thing rocks. The only problem is that I find most of what I make in it tastes the same. I usually make a roast, and throw in the obligatory potatoes-carrots-and-onions, along with some bullion, maybe a little onion soup mix, spices, some diced tomatoes, a little cooking sherry. Whatever's around. But no matter how I vary the ingredients, it basically always tastes like pot roast.

Variation tonight: when i took out the meat i put Bone Sucking Sauce on it. Yes actual name. SO I turned it into barbeque beef. GO ME! It was reallly good in a meaty sort of way.

In the old days I had a crock pot and even when I made sauce or chili, it tasted like pot roast. That's why I didn't have a crock pot for a long time. Or pot roast.

THAT IS TO SAY if you have any recipes for Fast Easy Crockpot Dinners that DO NOT taste like pot roast (because I've got that recipe DOWN), please point me to them.

k thanks.

wind sucking sucking wind

Scobleizer Scobleizer mkrigsman's post is at the top of TechMeme saying I don't have a clue about Enterprise Software. Nick Carr says mkrigsman doesn't have one.
Scobleizer Scobleizer florianseroussi wants a Twitter party in Paris this week. Oh, THAT is a given! All week long! Heheh.
Scobleizer Scobleizer I'm going to miss Marc Orchant's smiling face. My thoughts to Sue and family. What a shocker, sucked the air right out of me.

Peace

Such sad news on Marc Orchant's passing. Thinking of Marc and his family this evening.

-

December 07, 2007

The Master of Wirearchy

Glad to hear Jon Husband's going to be expanding and expounding on Wirearchy in 2008 -- especially since he's been talking about wired and collaborative workplaces since way back during Web .25.

Jon is a powerful thinker, communicator, and a gentleman. He's been around the business cycle a time or two. He's NOT a Silicon Valley twenty-something entrepreneur with a poster of Mike Arrington on his wall and a bad techmeme habit. (Thank goodness.) The first stuff I learned about gesturing (from a collaborative and web perspective, not a road rage perspective) was from Jon.

Yes, it's definitely Wirearchy time.



---

the redheaded stepchild?

I hadn't heard that LiveJournal was sold. Apparently a Russian company called SUP bought it and will set up an operation in SF. They got the property and its faithful baby bloggers for an undisclosed sum.

Six Apart CEO Chris Alden says it's about focus and Six Apart growing up. I know and like Chris, but that sounds kinda lame, although it also rings true. LiveJournal was MySpace before MySpace was MySpace, and apparently that's the point. The kids have run off to greener social networking pastures, or at least that's the thinking.

Canter and Semple feel creeped out about it.

The thing is that Russian bloggers have found a home on LiveJournal (ala Orkut with the Brazilians). That gives some context for the sale, as does the fact that SUP has been managing LiveJournal for over a year: "The Russian LiveJournal community is second only to the U.S. in number of accounts. There are about 14 million Live Journal users. SUP now represents 28% of the total LiveJournal monthly audience."

I mean guys, it's not like the Russians invaded Six Apart and ran off with the family jewels. And it's not like SixApart sold LJ to AOL or something. SUP was already involved. Users who didn't like it had a year to move. I've seen worse treatment. (COUGHweblogs.comCOUGH).

The thing is, sooner or later the pull of enterprise 2.0 will become irresistible for web companies that will have to grow up and find a sustainable business model (like beyond pay-per-click ads) and a revenue stream that supports salaries and office space and benefits for The Team.

Not all of the web can stay young and hot forever.

That means you'll likely see more of your very-good-best-friend webcos divest themselves of their non-core offerings as they hone in on providing Value to the New Old Boss.

----

December 05, 2007

where's marcus?

You know, just for one day, one half day, one hour even, I'd like the spirit of Buddy Rich to visit the hot web 2.0 players for a little history lesson.

(nws, btw).

These were never supposed to be this accessible (we had the cassettes back in the 80s), but maybe the twitter crowd will enjoy a tour of work 1.0.

December 04, 2007

State of the Blogs Roundup: Ronni, Brian, Shelley, Tony, Doc, and Extra-Jesus

I'm concerned about the state of blogging, located just south of North Dakota and just north of South Carolina last time I looked. If you don't see it on google maps that's because the location is v. stealth.

I am concerned that the talented, smart, mouthy voices we need are growing ever wearier of the stupidity. I am concerned that vegetarianism has rendered some bloggers seemingly impotent and obviously NO one has sent meat.

I am concerned that a gender-rigged version of techmeme wouldn't link to me even if a girl did say it was okay to have such a site, which apparently she has not. Okay no i'm not really concerned about that.

I saved a kitten from drowning in a tub tonight. After a friend's three year old got out of the tub and got his PJs on, someone forgot to pull the plug on the tub. And the thing is that two 8-week-old kittens live in the house and WHAT kind of dumpster kitten jumps into a tub full of water? But when I went back in there, there he was floating about in the water looking very disheveled, and so I grabbed him out of the water, and even though this is a wild kitten, he sure was calm and happy to see me and even let me blow him dry with a noisy hair dryer.

Animals are smart like that. Especially after they do something dumb.

But the COOL thing of the day is that I learned our Shakespierce has gone and landed a holy-shit job as head blog wrangler for the entire LA Times, overseeing the MSM outlets 25 blogs. And he got BENEFRICKINFITS. Hey Mr. Media, MizPee is now in your area. Let's talk.

As for Tony's impressive new gig, I hearken back to something doc said on his old blog, doc 1.0:
It will eventually become clear to everybody that there is far more money being made because of open source than with open source. This is what we have to remember every time somebody asks, "How can you make money with (open source product)?" The answer is, "You don't make money with it. You make money because of it."

The because of principle is old hat in mature business categories, but it's new to the software business. Too many of us still want to see "business models" for all kinds of goods that don't belong on the income sides of balance sheets. Would you ask your telephone what its business model is? How about your front porch? Your driveway? Your clothes? Those things may help us make money; but they are not how we make money. Well, the same goes for open source products. They are means to ends. You make money because of them, not with them.
But the best part of that whole Doc discussion was the extra-Jesus.

Because see it was very loud at these bars when you are at SXSW, and you know bloggers, well someone used a big vocab word - Exegesis - and doc heard as "extra-Jesus", at which point that became the conversation condiment of choice for every sentence thereafter, as in "yeah, get that next pitcher with extra-Jesus blahahahaha," which you know, when you think about it, makes pretty good sense.

--

December 03, 2007

it takes a village to make a banner

THANK YOU to Madame Levy and her Wonderific Daughter, and to RageBoy and his Wonderific Dissociative Identity Disorder, for the mashup that is my new header. Weee!

---

December 01, 2007

A Book that Speaks Volumes for Mothers and Daughters

As part of the MotherTalk Book Tour, Jenna and I reviewed Andrea J. Buchanan and Miriam Peskowitz's The Daring Book for Girls. Interesting that the first reaction of Jenna, whose ten years old, was that the cover and type looked old fashioned. At first she didn't want to read it because of that--a fact I'm not so proud of. After all, a little old fashioned culture is an inoculation against the Disney monopoly.

Far from old and boring, The Daring Book for Girls is an incredible guide for parents and children to explore together -- to find new adventures, little-known facts. Each chapter presented something we didn't know before, and that's a tall order for a book. Especially with two different age groups reading it.

From how to play gin to how to do a cartwheel to French terms of endearment -- Ma puce, or "my flea" for example -- you'll find just about everything a curious mind and body needs in this encyclopedia of coolness. Periodic table of the elements? Check. How to make friendship bracelets? Check. Games for slumber parties? Check. Women Explorers and a timeline for their accomplishments? Check. Making a flat scooter? Check. Sesquepedalian words? Check. Math tricks? Check. History of Women Olympics firsts? Check.

And a LOT more. For a taste of how much more, visit the book's website or watch the authors on The Today Show.

My favorite parts of the books were the learning activities and the games. I knew precisely NONE of the Words to Impress included in the book. I can now say, "Quit that echolalia!" and mean it! (Echolalia means repeating or echoing a person's speech, often in a pathological way.)

The back of the book best encapsulates the purpose of the book:

For every girl with an independent spirit and a nose for trouble, here is the no-boys-allowed guide to adventure.

I'd also add:

And... For every mom who wants to share
with her daughter
the coolest ways
to be active, be smart,
and have fun.


The Daring Book is a hit at our house. (And if you're looking for a word to impress on your next job interview, call me first).

----

November 29, 2007

yez i will

Funny Pictures
moar funny pictures

intentionally left blank





crazy
gnarles barkley

I remember when, I remember, I remember when I lost my mind
There was something so pleasant about that place.
Even your emotions have an echo
In so much space

And when you're out there
Without care,
Yeah, I was out of touch
But it wasn't because I didn't know enough
I just knew too much

Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Does that make me crazy?
Probably

And I hope that you are having the time of your life
But think twice, that's my only advice

Come on now, who do you, who do you, who do you, who do you think you are?

Ha ha ha bless your soul
You really think you're in control

Well, I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
I think you're crazy
Just like me

My heroes had the heart to lose their lives out on a limb
And all I remember is thinking,
I wanna be like them
Ever since I was little,
ever since I was little it looked like fun
And it's no coincidence I've come
And I can die when I'm done

But Maybe I'm crazy
Maybe you're crazy
Maybe we're crazy
Probably

Uh, uh

November 28, 2007

Building My Interstructure

Gmail was down for me for an hour this morning. My first thought: Here I go again. When I get into mail, will my email be there or gone-zo? How do other people keep up? Not to scobleize on this, but it's tough to keep up using tin-cup-and-string 2.0 web apps to run your business.

On the flip side, it's free. Ish.

Since the article on my and others' email loss via gmail, I've received many helpful emails from folks on how to protect against losing it all again. One of the easiest options I've seen for staying web based came from someone who suggested using another web-based mail service as a backup. So basically, you have your gmail forward a copy of all your messages to your yahoo mail. This doesn't save your sent mail, but it will give you a web-based duplicate of your incoming mail.

Woot! thanks for that suggestion. it appeals to me because it's easy and I already have my yahoo account in place but rarely use it. It occurred to me that building SMB 2.0 requires us to string together our own infrastructure from the tin-can-and-strings applications and tools web 2.0 gives us for free.

So get busy and backyoself up.

Watch me go.

I need a masthead for the kindle... work on spec

HEY can anyone make me a masthead for this blog? -- i'm submitting it to be available on the kindle. ahahaha don't laff. I know the kindle's not for scoble, but what the heck, I'd get me a kindle if i ever could get one for 99 dollars not 400 dollars. In the mean time, I would like to see what my blog would be like ON the kindle.

SO this is the specs for what they want as far as a masthead:

Format: EPS or a comparable scalable image format/n/n/t/t-

Size and Orientation: When the image width is scaled (without distortion) to 500px, the height should be no more than 150px. We will not accept mastheads that are taller than they are wide.

OKAY HELP??

If I ever make any money off of this kindle, I'll pay you $50 for the design. If I don't make any money (see: google ad sense), I'll give you my undying gratitude and show off your designs here. Don't get over excited. I don't make techmeme much these days. heh.
---

thx,
me

November 26, 2007

memory lane

when in the hell did google become a library with archives? (okay some are ppv but still.) Are you bored with what your favorite bloggers are saying today? Travel down memory lane by searching them up in google's news archives. Travel back to the 90s, the 80s, the 50s and beyond. Yowsa!

----

THE UNMARRIED MAN CAREERS, INDEPENDENT LIFESTYLES KEEP MANY 'ELIGIBLE' BACHELORS AWAY FROM THE ALTAR

Source: DAVE O'BRIAN, Mercury News Staff Writer
WHEN Dave Winer comes home late after a hard day at the office, there's no one there to greet him. But he doesn't really mind, he says, because he's hardly ever home. And though he may be by himself, he's not exactly alone. He's one of 3.6 million American males who live by themselves and have never married. More than a blip on a demographic chart, Winer's group has grown 124 percent during the past 15 years, according

Published on August 17, 1986, Page 1L, San Jose Mercury News (CA)


----

Video conferencing helps families connect - but don't talk to...
$2.95 - Dallas Morning News - NewsBank - May 11, 1999
"Yeah, I had 'the Naked Guy' call me one night," says Robert Scoble, a consultant who sets up Internet business Video conferences and helps runs the ...
All 5 related - Related web pages

----

IDEAS & TRENDS; An Avalanche of Information Is Coming to Video...
New York Times - Jul 23, 1989
''These tools will help People manage Information, But they are not going to subsume the tasks that People are doing,'' said Christopher Locke, ...
Related web pages

Text now on AI frontier: debate over best model for "reading&quot...
Subscription - Software Magazine - HighBeam Research - Nov 1, 1989
Christopher Locke, a vice president At Pittsburgh-based Intelligent technology, argues that even with those advances, AI technology is not capable of ...
Related web pages

Mecklermedia announces Internet appointment
Pay-Per-View - PR Newswire - ProQuest Archiver - Jan 10, 1994
Alan Meckler, president and CEO of Mecklermedia Corporation, announces that Christopher Locke has joined the company as general manager of its Internet ...
Related web pages

---

Of course, I'm not paying per view, and I doubt that PPV will be around forever; after all we stole cable, so let's not underestimate the drive of human beings for free content.

Either way, it's interesting surfing. The archives have probably been there forever and I just noticed them. I have a habit of that kind of thing. ;-)

Anyway, search up your family. You might find some good case law, like me!

---

The Other Side of the PR Fence, Which Shouldn't Be a Fence At All

PR people can't do anything right these days. (Okay maybe these years). It's true--spammers trying to sell you a boatload of nothing are a waste of time and should be called out for their lame tricks. But often times, PR people are actually trying to help in the most efficient way they know how, and they still get blasted by an egotistical editor or reporter having a bad day or a pair of britches on the small side.

I've been on both the shit receiving end AND on the shit throwing end of the PR machine myself. That's because I walk that blurry line, being both a "journalist" listed IN media map, and a PR flack USER of media map (and similar tools) where the journos and the PR flacks intersect (wish i could say connect--but that doesn't happen there).

Anyone having done any kind of media relations knows the reddening sting of a pissed off reporter saying, "You haven't read me, have you?" or "I already wrote about that," or "You're just blindly pitching." And yes, sometimes they're right. But they also fail to take ANY responsibility for how they end up in the endless loop of breaking-news tag.

They know that media map and other tools give PR people infinite details on their every bowel movement. So, if they prefer to be called, if their publication doesn't REALLY cover what media map says it wants to cover, if their beat is wrong, or if they just plain hate PR people and want them to know, then USE THESE TOOLS TO SAY SO. Don't be lazy on the front end and blame the folks who give you fodder for your stories on the backend.

Just like some BigPR SVPs who think they can pull a strategy out of their back pocket to 'build your brand' without understanding your customers, some journalists pull the "blame it on PR flacks" card because it's fast, easy and acceptable to do so. Rather than spell out (and update frequently) on their sites or blogs or in their publications (or God forbid in the tools they know PR people are stuck using) just how they want to interact with us, it's easier to shoot the proxy-messenger. All because an editor is bugged by some pain in the ass emails (news flash: we all get them), hasn't had a good night's sleep, or just plain needs to get laid.

The whole PR industry being broken is not news.

I and those like me have long said that it's badly busted, at least as far as non-public companies and the strategies those companies use to interact with the public and their markets go--and especially in Technology.

For public companies, PR is pretty much what it has always been. A combination of media relations and crisis management. A round robin of announcing good news, winding up with some BAD news, fixing that bad news, and making good news again. All's well that ends well.

For everyone else, all bets are off. In Tech, for example, you have the BigPR firms offering silver bullets in global networks and proven strategies. You have smaller PR firms whose strategies are often blast and follow up. Everyone's aiming to get you ink (or link) and subsequently get you funded and build your brand. Everyone's talking to influencers about thought leaders. Everyone's pitching media about news. All of these approaches are top down: they identify the target and shoot.

They are nothing new.

Something new would be PR people who help clients actually talk TO (not at) their markets. And understand me: clients need help doing this. Manpower, brainpower, and help.

They need help hooking up with customers in new ways, with celebrating their users, with getting the relationship and conversation started.

In Technology -- especially in Web 2.0 -- that is the job of PR 2.0, or at least the PR 2.0 world I'd build if I were Queen.

If I were Queen of PR 2.0, the job of the flack would be all about ENABLEMENT. It's a dumb word, but is accurate. The job of PR 2.0 should be enabling customers/users/participants/markets to DO SOMETHING they couldn't have done as easily without your client's product/service/brains/money.

Get out of the headlines and into the meat of the story.

Find out where there is a community need your client's product or service can actually SOLVE and make it happen. Solve something. Be the intermediary between need and action, between puzzle pieces and masterpiece. DO SOMETHING!

When I want to remember what that feels like, I remember what Albert Lai and I and the team at BubbleShare did, the best accidental no-money-PR-strategy-delivered-via-skype-and-a-hotel-room-and-a-wiki program of its day. My job as the PR person was to find the need. I found it on Doc Searls' blog, because I found a place where we could help.

No one could find a room ANYWHERE in vegas for CES up to 2 days before the event. So what was BubbleShare's product/service: a photosharing app. What was its market - initially bloggers and netizens, eventually everyone. What was the intersection/connection opportunity: Albert going to CES, Doc going to CES, Robert going to CES, Mary Lou going to CES, Mary Hoder going to CES, Charlene Li going to CES, everyone going to CES and no one with a place to stay!

So in one night we launched the Unofficial CES Wiki, which started out as a place for people to offer room share opportunities, leave info on what hotels had what prices, find out who was going and when, and arranging times to get together.

The Wiki turned into an event tool used by bloggers. For example, Charlene Li let everyone know where they could rent a bike. Other bloggers offered to share rooms. And we at BubbleShare decided to host a CES Camp, a hotel-room spot for those Not On the Show Floor to show off their products and services, to hang out, to get the latest stickers and give-aways, and to eat pizza and build relationships.

THAT is the job of PR 2.0.

It's about finding clients you believe in and hooking them up with people you believe in.

There is no $5,000 a month media map tool for this. There are only human beings and social tools for this. There is only living here among clients and their markets.

The tools of PR 2.0 are not Bacons and newswire and press releases with RSS feeds. They are Skype, and email and air travel and the phone; they are friends and the social tools we use to connect.

Well, that's how it would be if I were Queen of PR 2.0.

But for now, I'm a peasant. And as such, I don't have much of a voice on how things go. But with the little bit of voice I have, I will say this to both sides: PR Pros, don't bother journalists without real news. Journalists: Don't act like such asses when a PR person contacts you doing the best they can with what they've got.

And now, you may all resume your job of eating leftover turkey sandwiches.

----