Are Seven

The punk rock days of the internet

Wed, 14 May 2008 13:52:00 -0400

As we struggle to come up with a less-cheesy word for “Web 2.0”, I think that it’s almost accurate to say we’re in the punk rock days of the internet. With blogs and Twitter and all others, there’s a much greater emphasis towards doing over optimizing. Rather than making sure that everything’s perfect, you get it done and put it out, as evidenced by the video released by Google the other day announcing FriendConnect which was pretty sloppy and error-filled, but was seen by millions.

Okay, maybe it’s more like punk rock in 1979 as opposed to 1977, but still…it’s a trend that values the importance of creativity born of desire both instead of an in reaction to the slow, posessive, conservative approach.

If I had the guts, this would be my new avatar for everything

Tue, 06 May 2008 00:16:00 -0400

Metro will need hundreds and thousands and etc etc

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 09:40:54 -0400

Metro will need hundreds and thousands and etc etc:

Metro seems like it may be the most mis-managed system in the world. They can’t seem to make money no matter how hard they try. It’s a great system, but I can’t remember ever feeling optimistic about its future.

Exploding Dog once again sums it up perfectly

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 17:24:45 -0400

Exploding Dog once again sums it up perfectly

Jakob Nielsen has it so very, very wrong

Tue, 01 Apr 2008 13:24:00 -0400

I like Jakob Nielsen and his advice on website usability has gone a long way for me in my professional career, but this bit from his most recent newsletter is so incredibly wrong:

Facebook and the current generation of social networks are trying to replicate the walled garden strategy that failed ten years ago. It’ll fail again.

I’m not sure how he could miss the glaring differences between the sites of ten years ago, where “walled garden” meant making sure that no one left the site for any reason ever. But Facebook is totally different. There are tons of applications from other sites all over Facebook. Yes, it’s all contained on one site, but it’s not walled in anywhere near the same way that sites ten years ago were. Nielsen just ends up sounding kind of…ancient.

Accidental sound creation

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 09:12:39 -0400

I was listening to some techno jam as I got ready for work this morning, and an ambulance went by with sirens blazing…and it sounded really, really great.

Of course, I hope no one was seriously injured.

I was wrong on the Win Butler thing, and I have been corrected. That is all.

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 16:10:17 -0500

I was wrong on the Win Butler thing, and I have been corrected. That is all.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but...

Tue, 15 Jan 2008 11:20:09 -0500

…isn’t Win Butler Canadian?

Arcade Fire’s Win Butler Disses Hillary, Backs Obama

Learning to live

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 22:04:00 -0500

Learning to live

“If it can’t be summed up in the lyrics of a Kenny Loggins song, I don’t have time...

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 20:27:23 -0500

“If it can’t be summed up in the lyrics of a Kenny Loggins song, I don’t have time for it.” - Dave

Blog without blogging, part 1: twit and tumbl

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:08:54 -0500

Blog without blogging, part 1: twit and tumbl:

Nutshell: How to find a platform that will allow you to publicly share thoughts and/or links without “writing a blog”. I’ve loved blogging myself largely for the writing practice it gives me, but I’ve loved others’ blogging for the sharing. I tend to be a lot more in tune to the lives of the friends and acquaintances who have chosen to share their lives online. Some people see blogging as

Woo hoo! NFC Championship’s in Green Bay!

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:55:46 -0500

Woo hoo! NFC Championship’s in Green Bay!

Good Lord…are the refs in today’s games working on commission?

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:31:10 -0500

Good Lord…are the refs in today’s games working on commission?

Wow. Couple of great games on today.

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 23:07:25 -0500

Wow. Couple of great games on today.

I can’t say I’m too excited about the AFC Championship anymore, but at least I’ll...

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 22:34:42 -0500

I can’t say I’m too excited about the AFC Championship anymore, but at least I’ll get to watch it with good friends. And buffalo wings.

Knowing is half the battle, but the other half is dying.

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 10:48:23 -0500

Knowing is half the battle, but the other half is dying.

Circle sketchiness

Sat, 12 Jan 2008 07:56:00 -0500

Man…Dupont Circle is a little bit sketchy in the morning.

In a nutshell

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:44:00 -0500

In a nutshell:

My aim for this blog is slowly coming into sharper focus. I really want to be able to encourage people of all web-using persuasions to find, understand and utilize web tools that they may not feel they have the time for or feel are too complex for them. As part of that, I’m going to start putting a little text at the top of each post that explains what the post is about in a nutshell, so that

Searchable database of Bush's SotU speeches by word

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:32:15 -0500

Searchable database of Bush's SotU speeches by word

Brilliant! Pitchfork gave the Heavy Metal box set a 6.66 rating. Love it!

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 10:25:56 -0500

Brilliant! Pitchfork gave the Heavy Metal box set a 6.66 rating. Love it!