Coming soon...

I'd say I'm behind, but I'm not really sure what it means to be 'caught-up' with a personal blog.

Labor weekend came and I mostly put down the keyboard.  But...  I do have a ton of twitter links and expect to make a blog entry with far too many links.  Over the past month, I've been posting links chronologically, but I'm thinking of adding something like a top three/five links concept.  I like the way the link-post consolidates the 'good stuff' I find on the web, but fear the posts may overwhelming because they include too many items. Thoughts on how to make link posts more interesting/useful are welcome.

Note: I also finished Andrew Sullivan's book and need to post my thoughts.  Plus, I think I'm far enough into Red Faction to post my thoughts on the game.  If work doesn't interfere too much with my personal life, then this has the potential to be a heavy posting week (But don't hold your breath).

Happy 'Back to School' , 'End of Summer', 'Nearly Fall' !!!

Updates, Updates, Updates

Still playing with this blog format thing.  Today I:

• Briefly added a link to my photos on Picassa and then thought better of it.  
• Searched like crazy trying to find a way to get Facebook status updates onto the blog.  It looks like you used to be able to do this with an rss feed and then Facebook turned off the functionality.  Which makes sense.  They want you to go to their page for content and not somebody else's.  So no facebook status feed is in the works (No big loss - the Twitter feed updates more anyway).
• And (crowning achievement) I just added my Pandora stations to the blog.  Admittedly, my use of Pandora is very much in its infancy, but I'm pretty sure that is about to change.

Still my to-do list on the blog is growing.  Here's what I what I'm looking to do next:

• I need to update my Linkedin profile.  It's a skeleton.  If I'm going to have a web profile, I need to manage it.  So that profile needs to some meat.  I consider it part of the blog because I link to it from the blog.  (See "The Work of Wiebe" to the right).
• I finished Tyler Cohen's book on the train today, so I need to get my quick thoughts on the reading sub-blog, What's Wiebe Reading (again to the right), before I've lost them.
• I've been playing Wii Fit and need to get my quick thoughts on it in my gaming sub-blog, What's Wiebe Playing.

That's about it for now.  I'm come up with more later.  Any suggestions for the blog are always welcome.  Comment on anything from content to format.  Negative stuff is more useful than positive stuff so don't pull any punches.

The Twitter Account

My buddy Taylor (Here's his blog: link) got me to sign up for Twitter account a little more than a year ago.  It sat and sat and sat.  I started using Facebook and wondered what the point of twitter actually was.  So it sat some more.  I literally never used it.  Not even a single tweet.

A few days ago I got to chapter four of The Age of the Infovore: Succeeding in the Information Economy (link) in which the author, Tyler Cohen (Here's his blog: link), goes into detail on all the different types of communication available in this era and the how each one is distinct.  And I think I agree.  Email is completely different than texting which is completely different than a phone call.  Each has a very difference emotional impact and each can be more or less useful depending on the content and intent of the message.  Facebook and Twitter both have their own communication uses, as do blogs and face-to-face contact.

So my Twitter experiment begins.  You can see I added my twitter posts to this blog (See right).  I have exactly one follower (Taylor did have me set-up the account), so I'm not exactly setting the world on fire with my messages.  Which is alright.  I'd love to think a cluster of people I know and like will begin using it.  But even if they don't, I have to say I'm already enjoying getting tweets from people (mostly my favorite bloggers) that I'm now following in my twitter feed.

If I'm still using Twitter next year, then something about this worked.  Consider yourself invited to come along for the ride (link).

My Current Facebook Resolution

I created this site in response to my sincere annoyance at the owners of Facebook and their willful disregard for their users.  Several of my posts criticize Facebook and link to criticisms of their policy changes.  I stand by those posts.  It's all true.  The people who run Facebook SUCK.

They also have the most useful social media tool going today.  I admit that I hoped they would be taken down by their mistakes.  It isn't going to happen.  They hit the scale needed to keep growing and growing and displacing the other social media pages.  Let me put it this way.  Your parents bothered to set up Facebook profiles and some of them are actively using it.  Your parents are not moving away from this.  Neither is every other commercial entity that actively markets their own Facebook page.  Facebook won (for now).  Facebook is what the cable company was before the satellite providers.

So...  How do I reconcile my complete disdain for the owners with the overall usefulness of their services?  The key is this blog.  I'm going to make a new Facebook ID.  I'm going to make it completely public.  There is no way I can be surprised by changes in privacy policy when I've given up all pretense of having any privacy.  Then I'm going to completely minimize what I put into Facebook.  I figure they own anything I put into their system.  So what if I just post to my blog and... then use Facebook to link to my blog?  Now they can own the link but I control my content.  If I want to post photos, well, I'm NOT going to do it on Facebook.  I'll link to any number of the other sites that hosts pictures (Flickr, Picasa, Shutterfly, etc.).  Why should I give it to Facebook?  I know I can't trust them.  So I'll just give them the links.  To stuff I control.

To sum up, (1) Assume no privacy (2) Keep control of my material.  I get the benefits of the friend lists and the friend feed and the voyeuristic view of the people I used to know.  I keep the fun stuff.  And give Facebook as little as possible.

Will this work?  I can't say for sure.  It's worth a shot.  And I'll continually re-assess my stand.  I don't like these guys.  But there are plenty of business with services I use whose business practices I don't particularly care for (Think Comcast).  Upon reflection I believe I can make this relationship work.

Blog Update

So...

I've been neglecting my blog.  No postings for close to ten days and the last few posts were kinda weak.  Here's the deal.  Blog posting while on vacation is... not going to happen.  Then work intruded upon my return.  But, I'm still following the noise and just as annoyed at the rise of the tea party, fake deficit concern, and the BP oil spill.  I've seen several items that I thought were discussion worthy, but timing is everything and opportunities sometimes get a pass.  On to the next topics.

Here are my current blog to-do's:

• I have one book to report on in my reading sub-blog (and I'm almost finished with another book).
• I actually have a game to report on in my gaming sub-blog.
• I decided today that I will re-join Facebook.  Given the subject of this blog, an entry explaining how and why is imperative.  I haven't joined up again yet.  When I do, a blog post explanation will definitely follow.
• I decided to start using my twitter account.  The best part is my feed gets posted to my blog.  So, I need to figure out who to follow on twitter (You're welcome to follow me, my 140 character thoughts are amazing).  My Twitter use demands a blog post explanation.  Also to come.

OK, I'm behind.   But, if you're still reading at this point, your excitement at this wild to-do list must be palpable.  Don't worry, I'll go slowly so as to keep things from getting too crazy. 

Thanks for reading.  More to come.

Back

No internet for three days.  Whoa!

I have to admit, I don't feel like I missed anything.  I will say that the cable news in hotel rooms gives you a sense that you know what is going on.  I like the blogs much better, but spin is everywhere regardless.  The great things about the blogs is that they are far more likely to be interesting.  Plus, clicking the channel is much less promising than clicking the mouse.

My usual posting schedule should resume.  I'll be trying for at least one thoughtful post a day.  Also, I finished the Black Swan on the plane so my 'Quick Thoughts' on that will be available on my reading sub-blog before the weekend.

A Few Notes/Responses

I just figured out that I had comments on the blog (Forgive my slowness in publishing comments).  They are all published.  Now that I understand a little more regarding the blogging tool I'm using, I'll look to publish them much faster then this last stretch.

Regarding the suggestion for "What's Wiebe Wearing"...  interesting.  My co-worker loved the idea but refusing to bring the camera in for the photos.  I'll work on him.  For now I'm afraid that this idea is going in the file.

Regarding the starbucks tasting like burnt rubber...  I'm sipping a cup right now.  I detect no rubber flavoring.  I do detect a grounded, earthy aroma – even a capricious spirit. As I knew it was an adventurous coffee, I was prepared for unusually concentrated spicy and herbal notes. Mmm.... Delicious!

Regarding Diaspora.  I have a feeling that the network effect that Facebook has are going to carry the day.  I'm already thinking about the people I've disconnected with by deleting my account.  I just don't see ordinary users jumping; much as I'd like to see Facebook punished.

Coming soon:  I finished Outliers and its fantastic.  I expect my "Quick Thoughts" to be up on the sub-blog sometime this evening.

Thanks for comments!  I really appreciate your eyeballs as I play cut and paste in my spare time.  This week will be a little light on my posts due to a project at work (Damn Job), but I'll shoot for at least one post a day.

Low Post Week

I don't see this being a high post week.  My apologies in advance.

Updates to Where's Wiebe

Between helping with the kids, I had a pretty fun Saturday updating the blog.  Here's what's new:

1. I played around with the blog template and got a color scheme that I think I like.  
2. Added "Sources" which is really the blogs I frequent the most.  It's also what give me 'the inspiration' for most of my posts.  I'll probably add a few more things like this when I get around to it.
3. Made two 'sub-blogs' that link right into the main "Where's Wiebe' Blog.  The first is a video game blog.  I figure that as I play games, I'll post my thoughts on them here.  Over the past few years, this has been one of my primary source of entertainment.  I don't know that will always be true (I've taken breaks from video games that have lasted for years), but I suspect that it probably will.  Why not capture my thoughts in the moment.  Here's a link to the blog: What's Wiebe Playing.  There's also one in the top right hand side of the page.
4. The second 'sub-blog' is a book blog.  I've moved from watching TV on the train during my commute to reading books.  I'm surprised that it's keeping my interest because it's been a while since I regularly read books.  My interest right now tends towards behavioral economics, but I'll move from that I suspect.  This is just a place to capture my thoughts as I finish the books.  I did some back filling today with my most recent reads.  Here's a link to the blog: What's Wiebe Reading.  There's also one in the top right hand side of the page.

Not sure where I'll go next with this blog, but I think that's it for the weekend.

Where's Wiebe

After the past couple weeks of watching Facebook do more and more 'site monetization', I decided that I was done with it. It's a touch decision because I've really enjoyed reconnecting with people I've had a hard time keeping in touch with. I also loved posting links and charts and pictures and every now and again, a thought or two.

This blog is going to be my way to try to keep the posting part of Facebook going. I expect my posts to be brief and probably a little more partisan that what I allowed myself to post on Facebook. Good for me! I have my doubts about having any kind of following, but who knows. If you're reading this, Welcome! I'd love your comments and thoughts. If you have something you want me to see, post a link in the comments. Think I'm full of it or taking my points too far - well, you're probably right, so tell me!

Anyway, I'd like to think I won't miss Facebook. I'll do this experiment, at least until the end of the summer. And we'll see how well it works.