I am not really lost in SPAM, unless you count the fact that on an average daily basis I receive about 125 SPAM comments on this blog. Lucky for me, I know how to defend myself automatically by using scripts and little elves who closely monitor the validity of commentary here. (I do fear that the spammers know something I do not, because I keep getting comments for a new job or for personal “growth” products.) One of my technology co-workers actually wrote a blip about SPAM a day or so ago SEO Advice – Learning from SPAMMERS.
In reality my thoughts are just a little quieter here because I’m fully enthralled in a love of labor with my new company at SocialMediaSystems. Our team there is doing some wonderful things, changingsome very old-school industry trends, and having a great time doing it.
I promise to post here more often now. This will continue to be a personal yet professional site, covering some of the topics that may not always refer to social media and online marketing. (If you want that, go to SocialMediaSystems.com!)
How anonymity destroys the very nature of community.
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One of the proud things that led me to blogging is that it allows a forum to share my voice and opinion with the world. With over a decade of experience communicating online through various e-mails, bulletin boards, forums, and blogs… there have been hundreds of times where I ask myself not if I can do something,
but should I?.
When I am walking down a street, my voice is kept in-check by my interpretation of how people may view my actions and words. I do not use derogatory terms and I do not curse. I pause for a moment before stating thoughts that may be damaging or hurtful, as once said they are a reflection of who I am and what I believe.
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In the past thirty days, one of my favorite print news site –
The Seattle PI, has opened a discussion via the blogosphere and has done something that I ethically do not support. I am a proponent of free-speech, but the value of a statement is weighed by the supporting experience of a person’s history and whether or not they are willing to take responsibility for what they have said.
As newspapers like the Seattle PI open up massive communities to online conversation, they fail to educate the masses on the basics of online etiquette. The following are two examples of a well renowned media voice allowing slander to be thrown across an online forum with what appears to be little or no regard to the affected parties.
I do not believe that either of these examples would ever be allowed to reach a print version of the Seattle PI, as the online discussion reminds me of granting web visitors white hoods and torches so that they can use an anonymous face to say things they would not say in any other environment. In my opinion as a supporter of blogging and social media, this pushes the very definition of slander and libel and also leaves me with a shallow feeling that a respected news source would rather have a bloody “he said, she said†fight with no accountability just for the ratings.
The first example covers a technical recruiting company in the northwest- Jobster. At the end of 2006, information was leaked out of the start-up company and several blog posts were made by the CEO indicating the company would be restructured. When everyone came back from the holiday break, a not-so-standard layoff occurred with roughly 60 employees (apparently they all knew it was coming.)
I read several blog articles regarding what was happening over a week long drama at that office. The employees and remaining staff were all thrown off-balance by a significant change to their daily lives, affected individuals were left dealing with losing a group of family and friends (Jobster was not a typical company, people actually liked one another there.) Yet the “news breaking†column of John Cook allowed dozens of unsupported comments to be made by nameless visitors. The commentary includes personal bashes of the CEO and of claims made about the internal workings of Jobster by people claiming to be employees.
I thought that it was distasteful and was an accidental editorial mistake, thinking the Seattle PI could not be that ignorant of the fact that they were aiding competitors and angry x-employees to put up potentially damaging commentary. I do not know Jason Goldberg (except for having read his blog), but I wonder if any decent person would say those things in an actual live audience or claim a business model didn’t work if it could be argued by proper business analysis.
Fifty years ago, we allowed people to put on white hoods and burn people to death under whatever pretense they cared to imagine.
Is the digital age of social responsibility falling flat on its face?
I was holding a deep hope that this was a mistake by the Seattle PI. I’m sure it had happened with other media players across the nation, but a few weeks later the Seattle PI did it again with a very similar story about another layoff at HouseValues. The commentary seemed to be less targeted against a personality, but still the CEO received numerous attacks and the remaining business was hammered by anonymous commentary.
“I am a former employee†does not hold any accountability. Claiming to be someone (or something) without providing some credible evidence or way to check your claim is bad business. If I logged on today and claimed to be Bill Gates, someone would be checking. I would hope that someone across the media footprint of the world is looking at this type of situation and asking if this blind conversation is newsworthy, or if this anonymous stone throwing is merely a way to sell a little more advertising while a fictional fight has more gasoline thrown on the fire.
In previous years, a “credible source†for a reporter extended beyond someone being able to type in some random commentary and hitting “submitâ€
This is what happens when Barry is left at his keyboard without proper supervision. I had to spread a little Christmas humor and practice some of those poetry skills.
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the net
Not a reader was stirring, as no one was ready to post just yet.
The comments were hung by each article with care,
In hopes that St Yahoo would soon be there.
The authors were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of google-ratings danced in their heads.
Some snuggling computers at their desk, some on their lap,
All having settled our brains for a long winter’s gap.
When out on the net there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the computer to see what was the matter.
Away to my Windows I flew like a flash,
Tore open my in-box and browsed the latest mash.
And soon the best of the new-fallen posts
Gave the lustre of mid-day ideas to host.
When, what to my wandering eyes should appear,
But a celebrity blogger, his words felt so near.
With my old laptop nearby, acting more like a brick,
I knew in a moment that we must blog it quick.
More rapid than spam the commentors they came,
And then edited, and deleted, and approved them by name!
“Now Mr Chaney! now, Bubny! now, Hurd and Nacht!
On, McKnight! On, Barnett! on, on Heaton and Turner!
To the top of the ratings! to the top of the wall!
Now blog away! blog away! Blog away all!”
As dry jokes appeared before the wild audience fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, they just ask why?
So up to the blog-top the readers they flew,
With the blog full of Toys, and St Yahoo too.
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the net
All the laughing and hawing that each blogger could get.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the ratings St Yahoo came with no sound.
He had blogged all in blur, from header to foot,
And his articles were so tarnished with dashes, that no one would look.
A bundle of thoughts he had flung on his page
And he looked like a creature, trapped in a virtual cage.
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all his bloggings, then commented with a smirk.
And lending his thoughts to topics he knows,
And giving them each a blog, up google he rose!
He sprang to the web, to his readers gave an idea to enjoy
And out came a laugh, as he practiced his google ploy.
But I heard him exclaim, ‘as he turned off the light,
“Happy Blogging to all, and to all a good-night!”
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Seattle has a variety of major parks including Discovery, Volunteer, Seward, the Washington Park Arboretum, and Gasworks.
The large size of these parks highlights them in the community, but there are also many small parks that feature great places for picnics and scenic views of the area. A number of these parks are named for local figures, giving you an idea that Seattle is a place of interest and intrigue depending on the park.
The Schmitz family donated this park in 1945. It has outstanding views of the sound, including Bainbridge Island, Kitsap Peninsula, and Vashon Island.
Located on the west side of Beacon Hill, this park is a favorite community gathering spot for those of Filipino decent. It was donated in 1971 and was named after Dr. Jose Rizal, a Filipino patriot who had made lasting contributions to medicine and social reform.
This park has an outstanding view of Lake Washington and the Cascades. It is popular for a short jogging trail (which I personally enjoy).
This is a wonderful example of community spirit and beauty. It includes over 100 garden plots and 70 fruit trees placed through-out a terraced slope in the International District. Most of the garden is maintained by community volunteers who live in nearby apartments with little “green earth” to work with.
Located on the Lake Washington Ship Canal, this little park shows how natives of Seattle love to transform every nook into a functional community. For local water enthusiasts, it can easily be reached by canoe or kayak (or by car if you are doing it the modern way).
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Green Lake is surrounded by miles of jogging trails and community visitors can be seen 365 days a year in rain, shine, or snow. The common visitor will often see a variety of kayaking, in-line skating, golfing, wind-surfing, baseball, and general people watching taking place. The east and north sides of the lake have developed small commercial areas providing seasonal services (in-line skate, kayak, and windsurfing rental) and year-round businesses – community shops to little restaurants.
1) The Urban Bakery
7850 E Green Lake Dr N
Phone: 206-524-7951
This wonderful little bakery provides an easy access spot to grab a great snack or a quick cup of coffee when visiting Green Lake park (located just north of the lake itself). They have a list of tasty sandwiches, soups, daily pastries, and a full line of coffee selections. It is a great place to grab a seat and watch lake visitors and you can often see a variety of art displayed within the café itself.
2) Yanni’s Greek Cuisine
7419 Greenwood Avenue Nd
Phone: 206-783-6945
Just a hop away from the lake, Yanni’s has a great selection on its Greek menu- a personal favorite is the gyro platter and moussaka. Area residents seem to always be ordering various house salads and the popular roasted chicken dishes.
7007 Woodlawn Ave NE
Phone: 206-523-1822
has been in Green Lake since 1932. It has a wide variety of equipment to satisfy the most enthusiastic bicycling fanatic and also has bike, skate, and skateboard rental equipment for visitors who want to try a few laps around the lake.
5500 Phinney Ave N
Phone: (206) 684-4800
Originally home to Guy Phinney in the end of the 19th century, the estate was originally a personal retreat that was purchased by the city of Seattle in 1900. Today the Woodland Park Zoo is considered one of the best in the nation and is home to some of the wildest creatures on earth. Once in the zoo, you are free to find a variety of walking trails, exhibits, and animal habitats that can entertain you all day.
7311 Aurora Avenue North
Phone: (206)782-5588
Beth’s Cafe is one of those little places that has been in the community for decades. Home of twelve egg omelets layered over two inches of hash browns, endless cups of coffee, and to a vast array of visitor artwork scribbled by patrons during the early morning hours and tacked to the wall. The reputation of Beth’s seems to attract visitors from all over the nation and you will likely find some of the strangest people here through-out the day.
The University Distict- home of the University of Washington, excellent walking shopping areas, some great restaurants, and a great selection of independent stores.
5220 Roosevelt Way, Seattle, WA 98105
Phone: 206-526-5653
Giggles serves up a full bar and menu as well as great laughs. Friday and Saturday nights are hosted by comedians from all around the country, including many top-name acts that have been seen on various late-night shows. Thursdays and Sundays are “open mike” and the venue tends to be a little more friendly for the family.
911 N.E. 50th Street at Roosevelt
Phone: 206-781-5755
Built in 1925, the Seven Gables Theater shows a mix of independent film and foreign cinema, with te occasional Hollywood favorite for variety. Don’t be fooled by the Theater’s outside appearance- the cozy interior in equiped to satisfy today’s theater enthusiast, with digital surround sound and stadium seating.
Located ten minutes north of downtown Seattle, the village sports and open-air design and offers a wide variety of local retailers and national brand stores. It includes several large chain stores, as well as more than 80 independent shops selling clothes, gifts, and home furnishings. The open-air design, delicate brick walkways, beautiful fountains, and a children’s play are help make this a great place to spend a day shopping.
712 NE 45th St
Sorry, We’re open!
The Blue Moon Tavern is an unofficial landmark of the University District. Founded in 1934- poets, radicals, artists, free-thinkers, and community locals share the dim bar and rejoice in some of the colorful history of the area.
990 102nd Ave NE
Phone: 206-632-9500
The University Bookstore was originally relocated off the main campus in 1925 when it was deemed to be a fire hazard. Eighty years later this three story location offers a variety of books, art supplies, gifts, and blends of coffee to satisfy the unique group of students and artists that collect around the University of Washington.
4138 University Way NE
Phone: 206-632-1796
La Tienda first opened in 1962. Over the years it has maintained a consistent quality of selection and presentation for items coming from over 80 different countries. It is considered one of the real jewels of the Seattle shopping world.
Here you can rent canoes or rowboats to cross Union Bay and then have a picnic lunch at the Washington Park Arboretum. Take a moment to explore the Montlake Cut, Lake Washington, and the waterways and inlets surrounding the Arboretum.
The Lifespan of Technology
Have you ever wondered what you can really do with a 3.5 Ghz Pentium, a gb of ram, 200 gb hard drive, a DVD burner, and a graphics card that will render 5,000,000 polygons? You could play intensive video games or launch a half dozen shuttles into space. Imagine this- the Apollo mission computer had roughly 74 kilobytes of memory (mostly hard-wired) and only 4 kb or so of RAM.
If you do the math, we have transcended the computational power a thousand times over and for the most part the typical computer user only surfs the net or plays an occasional video game. As part of this uncanny usage- things become obsolete quickly as we strive to “bigger and better”
In an e-waste report for Seattle Public Utilities (full report available here) – several staggering items were noted just from a small regional scale.
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1- Seattle residents will generate an estimated 251,000 computers, computer monitors, and televisions in 2003, a quantity of material that weighs approximately 4,800 tons. The number of items generated is expected to increase about 9% by 2010.
2- Northwest Washington residents will generate an estimated 1,286,000 computers, computer monitors, and televisions in 2003, a quantity of material that weighs approximately 25,000 tons. The number of items generated is expected to increase about 18% by 2010.
3- Seattle residents are already storing an estimated 223,000 obsolete computers, computer monitors, and televisions, and Northwest Washington residents are storing an estimated 1,220,000 of these items. These items are estimated to weigh 3,530 tons and 19,200 tons, respectively. These materials are not included in the above generation or cost estimates because it is uncertain when they would come out of storage.
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The report also said that the average “life” of a computer was gauged at four years. I find this number to be a highlight of the fact that as a society we are throwing away perfectly good tools that could be used in a variety of fashions. Not everyone has the budget or the need to have the “latest and greatest” computer. There may be a time when a computer is truly useless- but rather than waste $300k to $400k plus the additional cost paid to a recycling vendor, why would we not choose to provide these units to educators, students, low-income or elderly citizens who do not have the ability to have *any* computer? Magnified onto a national or global scale- we are simply wasting millions of dollars in “recycling” materials that could be a benefit to someone else.
Recognizing that something is of no use to you anymore does not equal that it is of no use to anyone.
The www.dodgeball.com service and some of the advertising ramifications are really interesting. Using your cell phone it allows members to locate each other and it allows advertisements to be served to you based upon location, location, location. When combined with other database ideology it could transform how we shop, how we live, and how we socialize. Imagine walking through an archway at Target and being ask if you would like to know about the matching shoes you tried on last week. Imagine be able to setup a service to monitor whenever you teenager gets within fifty feet of those kids you don’t like.
It also opens up a whole new range of tracking issues that many people don’t realize they have opened themselves to using a cell phone. What if someone wanted to know where you’ve been the last week? We have spyware that can track were we’ve been browsing on the net, but when will the spyware allow companies to track where we’ve been in the real world? Think it’s far away in the future- try Wherify – they sell phones and services that can locate your exact position.