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July 13, 2011

Plus One

by Frank — Categories: Internet — Tags: , , , — Leave a comment

Lately I’ve been getting a little more into the swing of the social media thing. This doesn’t seem to be a surprise to many of you, as those of you who know me outside of this blog know me to be a rather social person when it comes down to it. I’ve found that the whole social media movement beneficial to me for a variety of reasons, not the least of which would be keeping up with people I never really see or talk to anymore, but who I want to keep in touch with. And then there’s that whole thing about gathering followers on Twitter – it’s like some sort of crazy Internet Pokemon game that you can never win (but want to keep playing). Cheap plug, by the way – you can help add to my followers at PhoenixRed (550 and growing!).

But I’m not here to tell you how much of a social media addict I am. Today I’m going to be talking Google Plus, the search engine/software giant’s answer to Facebook’s dominance. Plus hit the web in beta a bit over a week ago, and since then geekery has been ablaze with updates about the new and shiny, how the tool might or might not unseat Facebook, and the implications in the market. For my part, I’ve always been a bit cautious about the adaptation of new tools – especially new social media ones. Why is this? Well, mostly it’s for my own protection – I already use Tweetdeck, cross-post entirely too much to my Facebook (I’ve had people wonder what in the blue hell is a Follow Friday before), and utilize my smartphone as a means to share ridiculous images such as my parking lot with the power cut off. Any more than this and I’ll be needing an IV to connect directly into my arm for my social media fix.

The other reason I’m taking the Google Plus thing a bit slowly is that I always like to use the tech after they’ve worked out some of the inevitable bugs and kinks. If you’re a heavy first adopter, you get to experience all of that in real time, with the real frustration that goes with it. I haven’t seen any weird things with Google Plus so far, but you know they’re coming – the first funny and hilarious post I see of someone who mistakenly shares their “dancing with monkeys” video with the Public and not only their family is inbound, trust me.

But all that being said, you know me – I think new tech is always awesome and great, and Google Plus is no different. A ground floor implementation of Circles – groups of people who you choose to view, share, or otherwise organize as you see fit – is a great way to provide an alternative to the “I share with everyone by default” option of Facebook. The current purity of the interface as well as the lack of the adspace or privacy things that Facebook has been known to dabble in are also good selling points. There’s also the potential of integration with Google’s powerful toolset of software – GMail, Docs, Reader, and more – which should give it a natural leg up in the features department. Already there are people raving about the simple yet neato features of selective viewing, private and granular media sharing (though I’ve been tagged in at least one drunken pic already, but that was my fault), and social tools like webcam enabled Hangouts.

I like the buzz and the talk – I like it a lot, hype be damned and optimist that I am – mostly because the main thing that Google Plus provides is competition. Facebook entered the scene as a college-only app that eventually creeped in and stomped the heck out of MySpace with features that simply made sense and were easy to use. But after that, it had admittedly settled into a complacent, perhaps portly, king on the throne – one leg thrown over a chair leg while nomming on a chicken leg. The inclusion of Google Plus into the social media space as a direct competitor to Facebook will either shock the king into dusting off the sword and shield and taking up arms, or knock him righ toff the throne. Time will tell whether or not Google Plus will do one or the other with Facebook – but for now, I plan on using it and enjoying the show. So look for some Plus posts in the future!

January 7, 2011

It’s Not Just About Toilet Tweets Anymore

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Social Geekery — Tags: , , , — Leave a comment

Today’s post is about not just the meteoric rise of social media and its association applications, but about a curious, and particularly awesome thing that I noticed while reading over my friends’ feeds this morning.

There’s so much less toilet tweeting.

Now I’m not trying to be crass or disgusting by using this sort of terminology. If you wanted that, you’d know me through Facebook or through MSN and I could give you plenty of that, since I’m a 12-year old on those services. No, when I say “toilet tweets” I mean to say that there’s much less of the obsessive personal minutiae that people tend to tweet about on Twitter. I use the term “toilet tweets” because, well, anyone who’s used Twitter for any extended amount of time probably has encountered at least one person on their followed list that’s thought it  appropriate to share with the world that they’re visiting the porcelain goddess. It doesn’t get much more personally detailed than that, to be honest.

The fact is, social media these days has in my estimation began a process of growing up and maturing into the kind of thing that a lot of the internet apps tend to do – they have fun, personal uses but they also have practical business and in some respects, money-making applications as well. Heck, I just talked about how social media stuff managed to take a homeless guy with a talent and get him job offers. That’s some powerful and amazing stuff – well beyond the use that Twitter first got when people were more concerned with posting about what side their toast was buttered on than about sharing a really neat link.

Even the personal use of social media and things like Twitter has changed for the better. When I first got into Twitter after resisting the initial fad, many more people were using it more as a way to tell people about the details of their day, in the context of how they felt at that very moment. While this use still persists today, most of the people on my list that I follow (and who follow me) use Twitter as a way to share links, get causes going, raise money, or increase awareness of issues and ideas that they might have or get behind. Tweets have moved from “I’m doing my makeup” to “I’m buying this makeup in support of breast cancer research”. People have moved from posting about how mexican food gives them the runs to how Mexican immigration to America is a serious issue to be looked at (with an accompanying research link). Twitter still sees the personal stuff, but the noise of it has become more in tune with not just how people feel at the moment, but how they feel in general and strikes their fancy.

Sure, some of us might miss the days when all Twitter was, was a feed of personal thoughts and randomness – but that can still be found, if you look hard enough or know which of your friends is the type to tweet while throwing their game controller through the TV. I’m just glad it’s becoming something so much more than that, and that it’s practicality will ensure its longevity moreso than its fun purposes.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to tweet about how delicious and wrong having Pepsi for breakfast is.

January 5, 2011

The Internet And The Golden Voice

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Social Geekery — Tags: , , , , — 5 Comments

UPDATE, 1:00pm CST: Looks like Ted Williams, he of the golden voice, is entertaining all sorts of offers, including one from the Cleveland Cavaliers that offers a mortgage and a home. Wow. Full story below!

Sounds kind of like some sort of modern-day 21st century fairy tale, doesn’t it? Well, in some respects, it actually is.

Some of you may have heard about this yesterday, but it seems that a homeless guy with a great voice for radio is going to have a happy ending to his bumpy life. Someone on YouTube posted a video (which you can see below after my post) about a homeless man from Columbus, Ohio who has a “God-given” gift to be on the radio. The video, despite only being a minute and a half, went viral almost immediately and was picked up from Facebook and Twitter by media outlets and news stations. He’s now being interviewed on a local radio show and has begun to receive offers of representation and work.

I’d say that this is your normal case of what could potentially be called a nice, heartwarming story, but I think it’s made even more so (and thus even more fuzzy) by the fact that the internet and technology helped make it happen. Think about it – YouTube contributed that user-generated content freedom, Facebook and Twitter notified others of a shared link that had to be checked out, Reddit built up a following for the guy to have – all in one or two day’s time. That’s amazing stuff.

If you really think about it, the power of the internet and online “fame” is immense – either to make you famous overnight or show the world that you’ve got an embarrassing habit that went public for all to see (don’t worry, I’m we all mess up flipping our pancakes into our face and causing third-degree burns, too). It’s a force that can’t really be reckoned with and that’s mostly because it’s unpredictable as hell – one minute you could be the Internet’s darling and the next you could be “old news”. But all that being said, if it doesn’t at least give you a smile on your face that one YouTube video and a few thousand Shares and Tweets might change someone’s life forever, then you’ve got to be one cynical bear.

The video is below. Enjoy!

January 15, 2010

The Geekery Legion of Team Conan

by Frank — Categories: Internet, TV and Movies — Tags: , , , , , , — 3 Comments

If you keep up with late night TV at all, then by now you’ve heard about the great NBC entertainment messup that starts just after prime-time and lasts until 1. In response to affiliate concerns, NBC has decided to move former Tonight Show host Jay Leno’s new show to the slot currently occupied by old standby The Tonight Show, currently hosted by Conan O’Brien. Jimmy Fallon, who took over Late Night from Conan, would move to after midnight. The odd man out here has been determined to be the red-haired Conan, who obviously can’t take back his old show and is losing his current slot to his predecessor. If you’re curious about a video summary of the field day all the Late Night hosts are having, check out this video compilation of the Late Night debacle.

The whole craziness of the situation has created the usual sides and factions in the matter, with some folks siding with Conan as the underdog while others think Jay’s return is best for a show that didn’t do so well under a new host. But my little note of positivity today goes to geekery in general, which has created a significant presence in public opinion using the tools in front of it – that being the Internet and its new social media.

Within hours and days of the news breaking, support from the Internet poured out, heavily in favor of Conan. Twitter has a ton of related posts under the hashtag #teamconan, with tons of real-time updaters coming out in support of what they feel is a screwy situation for the late night host. Facebook commands a Team Conan group, 100,000 members strong and going, and talented Photoshoppers are passing around a politically hilarious “I’m With Coco” pic.

Yes, online technology has spoken, and apparently, its younger, geekier audience is squarely behind Conan, with Jay’s supporters few and far between. Supposedly this is because Leno’s audience is older. Perhaps they’re still stuck trying to adjust their VCR’s to record Leno’s new time slot, let alone use Twitter to talk about it. If things pan out how they seem to be reported today, however, with Conan leaving with a big buyout and Leno returning to his former show, they might not have to do anything at all.

There are a few folks who’ve opined about the backlash against Leno, with some that were quoted for the article saying it will eventually blow over. But the Internet, and the geeks who inhabit it, have proven to be a bit long in the tooth when it comes to remembering things, and the power of online opinion is immense. Any major site who recognizes the power of bloggers and has them, is basically acknowledging that very fact. I don’t know that the outpouring of online support will hurt Leno, but it will certainly help Conan.

I’m proud of what funny little events can do to highlight the technology that people use the communicate, so regardless of what side you’re on, it’s another testament that geek media is here to stay, and have an impact. And me? Well, let’s just say I’ve been on Team Conan for a long time (since the year 2000, honestly), and have always loved his comedy over Leno’s. Here’s to hoping he ends up in a better place than he is now – because Team Conan will be right there to support him:

December 21, 2009

Case of the Mondays Cure – Facebook For The Holidays

by Frank — Categories: Case Of The Mondays Cure, Internet — Tags: , , — 1 Comment

As if doing it with Star Wars characters wasn’t enough, College Humor is back with a few status updates on good ol’ Saint Nick. It’s it great that technology can modernize even an old guy who works one day a year?

I know this week is especially stressful so close to the holiday, but hopefully your holiday Mondays find a smile knowing Santa has his own troubles to deal with…

October 29, 2009

Overly Positive Thoughts: The Considerate Facebook

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Overly Positive Thoughts, Social Geekery — Tags: , — 5 Comments

friendsSo I couldn’t help but notice the other day that among the ninja changes that usually happen on Facebook was one in which the social networking app tries to be just a little bit more helpful and considerate towards the friends you have on your list. Some of the suggestions it makes include getting people started, connecting with others, and in the case of this picture, finding more friends for folks.

I have to say, this has really sent the Facebook app to a whole other level in terms of the consideration it is giving to your friends and you. How can you call something like trying to find friends for the people who don’t whore themselves out to everyone they’ve ever chatted with pretentious? Clearly this is Facebook’s way of being kinder and gentler, not of trying to tell you that the way to use the application is to make sure as many people as possible see that picture of your privates from last night’s party.

Sure, some people might see the fact that Facebook suggesting your photo-less friends need more profile pics as jerky, but c’mon – who doesn’t want to see who gained the Freshman Fifteen and the Post-Grad Paunch? On Facebook, they totally encourage you through their multitude of shovelware apps and monkey-written self-tests to just be yourself and let it all hang out. Saying that people should be helped into “getting started” (and by getting started that means hurrying up and posting 10 notes about 20 Things About You, Your Friends, And Your Dog’s Poop) isn’t pushy, it’s more like a gentle nudge.

So folks, don’t forget to check your sidebar next time for a helpful suggestion from Facebook to make your friends less lame in its eyes. Who knows – they might get a suggestion about doing the same for you. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.

August 15, 2009

The Geek Networking Evolution

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Social Geekery — Tags: , , , — 2 Comments
Image representing Twitter as depicted in Crun...
Image via CrunchBase

You know, it used to be hard for us geek folks to do this crazy thing called “networking”, or, as I like to call it, playing mental chess at social gatherings. Before there was any internet at all to speak of, were were correspondences over letter mail, by carrier pigeon, or by publication. Rare was the feasibility of gathering  like-minded geekery in one place, and those that did somehow organize such meetups (such as those running conventions when I was but an infant) were only able to create fleeting, short-term collaboration.

Even when the internet was young, geeks found it difficult to connect with one another. Not everyone had email, and public chatrooms run by software that a 6 year old could hack to their own amusement were an insecure, yet real time method of doing things. Old BBS boards (the kind you used a modem to access) were clunky, and mailing lists in general were a rarity.

Oh yes – those were hard times for geeks looking to make a connection to other geeks. This is why these days, we should really be counting our blessings. The advent of instant messaging allows for real-time communication with friends all over the world at the click of a mouse. Anyone can run a mailing list or group if they have the inclination or desire, and forums have replaced BBS’s as the premiere method of archived, threaded discussion. In the last year or two alone, the rise of social networking and real-time updating via sites like Facebook and Twitter not only connects geeks with geeks, but geeks with old friends and nemeses that stuffed them into a locker in high school. It’s a new, massive, explosion of geekery-fueled connections.

Now, some technophobes and Luddites out there will decry this kind of online-exclusive communication and connection as the death of actual face-to-face communiques and society going down a road of amoral anonymity. They think it’s an overall bad thing. Not so, says this blogger with the handful of readers. For one thing, communications of most any sort that you would expect face-to-face can be simulated to great effect. Webcams and calling software like Skype can make an online conference call as personable as an actual one, without the danger of your neighbor’s coffee spilling into your lap. Desktop sharing software like WebEx and LogmeIn allow geeks to see what their compatriots are doing on the screen, so that embarrassing moments of hiding porn on one’s laptop in the middle of a business meeting are simulated quite nicely. Footage and media for geek gatherings, once hampered by one or two people’s ability to get up out of bed and do hours of scanning and editing, are now as instant as being up right after you turn away from taking pics of a creepy crossdressing cosplayer.

Yep, everything that a real networking effort can do, technology can as well – and in some cases, better. The real trump card for this new age of geek networking is the ease. Anyone can network. Anyone can connect with people without having to worry about what they look like, or what they’re wearing, or whether or not they’ve rambled on too long about their Transformers collection. And to be perfectly honest, this kind of networking is just a means to an end, for those that know how to use it. Smart geeks know that even they have to get up, get dressed normally, and go out and talk with people. But the geek networking evolution makes it infinitely easier to do that due to the nature of sharing information.

Here are just some of the people I have access to, because of my tech-crazy networking:

-Game developers in at least three different studios

-Five different lawyers in varying areas of law (copyright, real estate, media, etc.)

-One of the best .lua modders around, for all my stupid user interface issues in MMOs.

-Two people who work for US government agencies

-A linguistics student in Europe who knows more about English than most English speakers

-Six musicians

-Four teachers on the elementary, high school, and college level

-A pilot

-Multitudes of parents

-Three police officers

I could go on. The point is, having access to that many resources is a powerful thing. Something that would be infinitely harder for me, if I didn’t have the tools that we had today to network. So enjoy the networking tools, and get yourself out there, geeks – you never know what connections you’ll make!

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July 23, 2009

Overly Positive Thoughts: Gotta Friend ‘Em All!

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Social Geekery — Tags: , — 1 Comment
Pikachu balloon
Image by Ben+Sam via Flickr

You know, the other day I friended someone on Facebook I hadn’t talked to in years. By all evidence presented, he’s a pretty popular guy, and with good reason. He’s charismatic, knows how to network, and navigates social circles with ease.

But it wasn’t until I saw his Facebook that we could quantify just how popular he was. At this time of writing, this new friend of mine has 1,586 friends.

I gotta say, guys and gals, this man is an inspiration to me and my pathetically small 230+ friend count. We need more people who seek to hit up Facebook intent on making everyone on the Internet their friend.

Think about the networking opportunities. Adding everyone as a friend means that you’ll probably never have to use a search engine again. Why? Because you can just find a friend on Facebook that knows about what you’re looking for. Want to know about Victorian dress? Look up the 35 or so friends you made at the Ren Faire, just by begging them to “check your totally rad Ren Costume album”. Want to know about fission bombs? How about that bunch of physicists that you friended even though you stuffed them into a locker when you went to high school with them. The possibilities are endless.

What about sharing your most precious memories with everyone who will be sure to click on them in the midst of their other hundreds of obsessive status updates? That picture of you shaving your legs to wear a kilt to play bagpipes? Totally worth it to share. The application that allows you to send messages to your friends about how good you are at avoiding productivity at work? Have to be sure to write about it! You need friends for this stuff – because nothing replaces real, human interaction like a Superpoke to all of your friends, 5 times a day.

Collecting friends is the new Pokemon. Get into it – or get out – just not out of my friends list – I need more.

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July 8, 2009

The Facebook Time Machine

by Frank — Categories: Internet, Social Geekery — Tags: , , — 4 Comments
365:363 TARDIS
Image by angelsk via Flickr

Just yesterday a whole bunch of photos of me in college popped up on Facebook, leading to a lot of having to explain to current friends and associates why I was somehow locked in a faux cage made out of a box and duct tape, or why I’m surrounded by a bevy of women. Ah, college…

But anyway, watching how Facebook disseminated the information about my past exploits (to my embarrassment), and the community tagging that old friends did, it had to validate, somewhat, why Facebook is good for me and others to use.

A lot of people like to tout the tech of Facebook as a way of networking, keeping in contact with friends, and generally updating people on what you’re doing or thinking. But perhaps the secondary, and perhaps underappreciated, function of Facebook is to turn back the clock, share memories, and appreciate “the good old days” – times that you probably took for granted, but which you look back upon with fondness.

When I look at my college photos, and see myself – a bit more carefree, a slight bit lighter in the wasitline, and ready to take on the world, I feel good – not because of where I am now, but because of the fact that back then, I had a foundation on which to get to today. Through good friends, great opportunities, and shared teamwork, I learned values, philosophies, and practices that I carry with me today. Through connections made in college, I’ve gotten farther than I ever could, and for those I’ve kept in close touch with, I have a network of people to draw upon. These are the kinds of things that just aren’t possible without a social networking tool like Facebook.

Maybe this is par for the course for Facebook, since it started out as a university and college-specific application for students. But it’s curious how looking back helps me look forward, as last night’s shenanigans of the past have helped me find and reconnect with people on Facebook and in other places as well. Heck, that’s only in the first 12 hours since the pictures went up, too!

So despite the embarrassment that these photos create for me, it’s nice to see that social networking is worthwhile, that it does help you feel nostalgia as well as a connection, and that technology like Facebook is just going to evolve to make it more worth it. Besides, there are worse ways to spend your lunch break than re-living the (in)famous past.

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July 5, 2009

Let Geek Freedom Ring

by Frank — Categories: Gaming, Internet, TV and Movies — Tags: , , — Leave a comment
Firework Finale
Image by Chris_J via Flickr

This weekend, Americans are celebrating Independence Day, that yearly celebration of when the United States was born. July 4th, for me, has always been about BBQ, fireworks, and friends, all in the name of ringing in freedom for yet another birthday for America.

In geek media, freedom, or the theme of it, is a constantly prevalent and dare I say “sexy” concept around which to build. In many movies and shows we geeks enjoy, you can attribute freedom and those who fight for it as a way to build epic feeling and drama. Independence Day was a cheesy, yet lovable alien invasion film where Earth banded together to fight off seemingly invincible invaders with what essentially boiled down to a cold. Star Wars, one of the most treasured movie franchises among geekery, is all about the Rebel Alliance’s fight to free themselves from oppressive rule. The Matrix makes the world into a cage that is invisible and all-encompassing as a few remaining humans fight to be free from their machine enslavers.

What about games? Well, there are a multitude of titles even putting aside the historical ones such as Call of Duty that focus in on real events involving freedom. The second half of Final Fantasy VI put you into a role where you gather your companions to your banner to get out under the thumb of a mad, crazy villain. The world of Persona 3: FES is enslaved for one hour every day, during which only you and your friends may be able to fight for freedom from an encroaching supernatural evil. Shooters like Gears of War and Resistance focus on pushing away oppressive aliens.

Technology itself has also had themes of freedom behind it. Open source is all about allowing developers the freedom to pursue modifications and systems based upon sharing of code that anyone can deal with. Digital downloading and the rise and fall of sites like The Pirate Bay have led many to a meaningful discussion of distribution of media and how best to deal with copyright in the new Internet age. Last but not least, social media such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter, not to mention blogs and blogging software, have come to the forefront as ways for people to share, communicate, and most of all, freely speak about whatever tickles their fancy.

All of this leads me to the idea that Bill Pullman, playing President Thomas Whitmore in Independence Day, had it right – freedom and independence is not an American thing, it’s a worldwide thing. Whether you watch movies that show it, games where you play to achieve it, or use technology to participate in it, freedom and geekery go hand in hand many times. I’m glad to say that at least for right now, geeks enjoy a kind of freedom on a level that is unprecedented, and I hope it continues. So whether you’re firing up the grill as an American or if as a non-American you’re shaking your head at the latest “American who blew off their limb” fireworks story, raise your drink and salute the fact that geek freedom is here, and that it is hopefully here to stay.

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