I am evolving.
First I surfed the web via a collection of bookmarks. Going from site to site and using my brain to filter the content and determine if anything was new. Way too much information to process.
Then I discovered RSS Really Simple Syndication. This is it. What more could I need. Soon, Bloglines became my home page and I only saw content that was deemed worthy of the RSS feed.
Lately I've been hanging out on Facebook and Twitter so my view of the web is being filtered by the friends I keep. See any potential problems here? Bloglines is still my home page but I find myself glancing at it for a moment and then moving to FB and Twitter, which by the way, have moved to the number 1 and 2 positions on my bookmark toolbar.
Oh, I've flirted with iGoogle and still use it daily to determine my mood based on whether the Dow is red or green and some interesting links pop up in the CNET widget. Can they really use the letter "i" to start a product name without being sued by Apple? iGuess so, they are Google. I will stop now, I feel like I'm being channeled by Andy Rooney.
Are you evolving? What is your home page? Top bookmarks? Talk to me, the lines are open.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Facebook Wrinkles
Last week Facebook made the headlines with the change to it's Terms of Service (TOS). The users revolted, the media picked up on it and Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg retreated. News flash, read the ten pages of legalese before clicking the Accept button and see what rights you are giving up.
Another wrinkle. I can use that term because of my age. The demographics of Facebook users are changing. There is a shift to us older folks, see the trend in this article from istrategylabs. I wonder if that will cause some of the young whippersnappers to shift to another social platform we haven't heard of yet, or will they be able to coexist with another generation. Remember the mantra from the 60's, don't trust anyone over 30? Well, all those people are now in their 60's. It is a little scary to see Dennis Hopper as the spokesperson for Ameriprise. I still picture him rolling down the highway on a chopper. Then again, maybe he still does.
See you on Facebook, wrinkles and all.
Another wrinkle. I can use that term because of my age. The demographics of Facebook users are changing. There is a shift to us older folks, see the trend in this article from istrategylabs. I wonder if that will cause some of the young whippersnappers to shift to another social platform we haven't heard of yet, or will they be able to coexist with another generation. Remember the mantra from the 60's, don't trust anyone over 30? Well, all those people are now in their 60's. It is a little scary to see Dennis Hopper as the spokesperson for Ameriprise. I still picture him rolling down the highway on a chopper. Then again, maybe he still does.
See you on Facebook, wrinkles and all.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
Forward Together Forward
One year ago today we learned of the tragedy at Northern Illinois University. The news came in different forms. The impact on five families was devastating. It was one of those events that I will always remember where I was when I heard. Like President Kennedy's assassination, like 9/11 and like the shootings at NIU.
It was shortly after 3 pm on 2/14/2008, I was in the hallway at my Mom's apartment when my cell phone rang. It was my son Ryan. "Dad, there's been a shooting, I'm in my room, we're on lockdown." Words I thought I'd never hear and at the same time, words I was thankful to hear. Many phone calls that day would start out the same but end with different results. The families and friends of many NIU students and faculty heard the news from others sources and then endured the unknown while waiting to hear if their loved ones were safe.
The first question I asked him was, did you call Mom? Yes, he had left a message. Then I started thinking. Is the gunman still loose? I thought of Virginia Tech. My thoughts turned to the friends with students at NIU. Are they ok? I called my wife Ruth. Did you get Ryan's message? Do you know what's going on? Have you heard from anyone? She was in a meeting in her Springfield office when Ryan called. She saw the call and let it go to voice mail. Sometime later a staffer came in and said we need to talk to you, can it wait, no, we need to talk to you now. They told her what had happened. She checked the voice mail with the reassuring message. "I'm ok".
Throughout the rest of the day I listened to the radio, watched TV, made calls, answered calls, prayed. My brother called from Germany sometime before 4 pm. "Is Ryan, alright? I'm watching this terrible scene at NIU on CNN." Ruth called with pieces of information. 14 transported to hospitals, multiple fatalities, shotgun involved, status of kids we know at NIU, gunman is dead.
I watched as the scenes from Columbine and Virginia Tech unfolded. Horrific, terrible images but somehow they were removed both in physical distance and emotional connection. But this was different. My son was there. He was in Cole Hall at 11 am that day. I sat in Cole Hall as a student. My dorm was across from the site of the tragedy. Ruth is an alum. Ryanne Mace of Carpentersville was one of the victims.
A year has past. I attended the memorial for Ryanne Mace. I went to the Campus Memorial Service at NIU. Thursday, I attended the remembrance at ECC. Life goes on but we can never forget what happened that day.
Links
NIU Remembers: A Legacy of Character 2/14/2009 - Watch archived video of the ceremony >
NIU memorial site
WBEZ program The NIU Community Reflects on Last Year's Shooting aired on 2/13/2009 on Eight Forty-Eight
It was shortly after 3 pm on 2/14/2008, I was in the hallway at my Mom's apartment when my cell phone rang. It was my son Ryan. "Dad, there's been a shooting, I'm in my room, we're on lockdown." Words I thought I'd never hear and at the same time, words I was thankful to hear. Many phone calls that day would start out the same but end with different results. The families and friends of many NIU students and faculty heard the news from others sources and then endured the unknown while waiting to hear if their loved ones were safe.
The first question I asked him was, did you call Mom? Yes, he had left a message. Then I started thinking. Is the gunman still loose? I thought of Virginia Tech. My thoughts turned to the friends with students at NIU. Are they ok? I called my wife Ruth. Did you get Ryan's message? Do you know what's going on? Have you heard from anyone? She was in a meeting in her Springfield office when Ryan called. She saw the call and let it go to voice mail. Sometime later a staffer came in and said we need to talk to you, can it wait, no, we need to talk to you now. They told her what had happened. She checked the voice mail with the reassuring message. "I'm ok".
Throughout the rest of the day I listened to the radio, watched TV, made calls, answered calls, prayed. My brother called from Germany sometime before 4 pm. "Is Ryan, alright? I'm watching this terrible scene at NIU on CNN." Ruth called with pieces of information. 14 transported to hospitals, multiple fatalities, shotgun involved, status of kids we know at NIU, gunman is dead.
I watched as the scenes from Columbine and Virginia Tech unfolded. Horrific, terrible images but somehow they were removed both in physical distance and emotional connection. But this was different. My son was there. He was in Cole Hall at 11 am that day. I sat in Cole Hall as a student. My dorm was across from the site of the tragedy. Ruth is an alum. Ryanne Mace of Carpentersville was one of the victims.
A year has past. I attended the memorial for Ryanne Mace. I went to the Campus Memorial Service at NIU. Thursday, I attended the remembrance at ECC. Life goes on but we can never forget what happened that day.
Links
NIU Remembers: A Legacy of Character 2/14/2009 - Watch archived video of the ceremony >
NIU memorial site
WBEZ program The NIU Community Reflects on Last Year's Shooting aired on 2/13/2009 on Eight Forty-Eight
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Super Bowl Social
Is social media social?
Unlike most of America, I didn't spend last Sunday eating nachos and drinking beer at a Super Bowl party. However, I did participate in a virtual party. What say you?
No, I didn't plan to have a virtual party, it just happened. My bride Ruth and I sat down in front of the medium sized TV with our portals to the outside world on our laps. I was expecting a boring game with great commercials and a quiet evening at home. It didn't turn out that way.
First, it was a real football game, not like the Super Bowls of late. Second, while peering into my portal, I discovered #superbowlads on Twitter. Hundreds of people tweeting about the ads and the game. Sometimes it was more about the game. In between tweets, I was checking Facebook to see what my friends were up to and commenting on the game. At one point I texted a friend who was actually at the game. Occasionally, I even watched the game. Come to think of it, this is not that much different than a real Super Bowl party. It just contained less calories.
I don't remember last year's Super Bowl, but I do know that I wasn't on Facebook and although I had a Twitter account, I wasn't Twittering.
What will Super Bowl 2010 bring? Maybe I'll go old school social and attend a real party with pizza and beer and not even look at my mobile portal to the world.
Unlike most of America, I didn't spend last Sunday eating nachos and drinking beer at a Super Bowl party. However, I did participate in a virtual party. What say you?
No, I didn't plan to have a virtual party, it just happened. My bride Ruth and I sat down in front of the medium sized TV with our portals to the outside world on our laps. I was expecting a boring game with great commercials and a quiet evening at home. It didn't turn out that way.
First, it was a real football game, not like the Super Bowls of late. Second, while peering into my portal, I discovered #superbowlads on Twitter. Hundreds of people tweeting about the ads and the game. Sometimes it was more about the game. In between tweets, I was checking Facebook to see what my friends were up to and commenting on the game. At one point I texted a friend who was actually at the game. Occasionally, I even watched the game. Come to think of it, this is not that much different than a real Super Bowl party. It just contained less calories.
I don't remember last year's Super Bowl, but I do know that I wasn't on Facebook and although I had a Twitter account, I wasn't Twittering.
What will Super Bowl 2010 bring? Maybe I'll go old school social and attend a real party with pizza and beer and not even look at my mobile portal to the world.
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