22 Apr 10 A False Farewell
My initial thought was that the email had been sent to the wrong address. The sender is, by his own admission, feeling quite old, with his daughter turning 18.
Still I wrote back, asking what was all this about? Why was he going to miss my posts, but hoped I still kept in touch, and attended a few things.
He replied that he’d read my Swan Song to Social Media.
OK, it’s not hard to baffle me, but I was, completely.
I wrote back again, asking him where he’d seen this ‘Swan Song’.
“It’s in your Google Buzz, or it’s someone pretending to be you”.
Had my Google account been hacked? I don’t go into Google Buzz very often – I’m still firmly in the Twitter and Friendfeed camp. Still I went to my own Buzz, to see what I could find out.
OK, there it was in black and white. I know I didn’t write it. OK, I have arguments with my wife from time to time (who doesn’t), but I wasn’t carrying on some web affair or whatever. Life’s busy and complicated enough as it is, and anyway, I am a terrible liar. Heck, I even look guilty, when I haven’t done something!
The header told me that it came from a blog on which I guest write. I went over to said blog. Perhaps someone had falsified my name there somehow. Then again, it’s a blogger blog, and so would need my Google log-in.
Then I found it.
On the sidebar of this other blog, is a widget that pulls in the posts of the guest writers. That’s fairly common, and gives the guest writers at least another chance that a visitor will click on the links and go to their blog too.
In this widget I found the article that had been attributed to me.
Another guest writer had written his ‘Swan Song to Social Media’ and Google Buzz was feeding not only the blog contents to my Google Buzz, but the articles in the widget feed too, and attributing them to me.
So, OK Google, lets get our act together here. It’s kind of amusing in a way, but it could have had serious consequences, if it were a rant about something that I had opposing views on, and people that follow me had read, and taken offense to.
Moreover, if my wife had read it first, she might have wanted to know what the heck I was up to!
Anyway, I’d like to thank those of you that took the time and trouble to write or tweet and inquire about my well-being, and offer help or condolences. It’s kinda nice to know that I would actually be missed by a few folks if I did quit.
However, it’s ain’t likely folks. I won’t go without kicking and screaming. I’ve been online now, in one place or another for a quarter of a century next year, so it’s pretty much a way of life for me now.
Oh, finally, does that make me feel old? Nope, old is not in my vocabulary, and anyway, I’m still only just getting started.
Tags: admission, black and white, blog, google buzz, guest writers, opposing views, rant, swan, swan song, whatever life, widget, wrong address
11 Dec 08 Lowcountry Weather – Is It Me, Or Is It Weird?
Although I don’t keep weather records or follow the weather as closely as fellow local blogger Jared W. Smith does, even I can’t help but notice how weird the weather has been around here lately.
We seemed to go rapidly from an air-conditioned summer to a ‘lets put some heat on’ cold fall.
OK, I know it’s all relative, and that folks up North don’t think that 40 is cold, but for someone that has grown accustomed to the warm southern climate, I’ve gotten to feeling that anything under 50 is too cold for my liking.
Anyway, today, I’m sitting here in my home office, with all the doors and windows open, and the temperature outside as I write this, and according to my weather widget on the computer here, is a very pleasant 71F.
Only thing is, it keeps raining, so it’s not really time to head for the beach, and there’s now a Tornado Watch in effect. How common is that in December?
I have to admit, that, Tornado threats aside, I’m not complaining. My take on the weather is Screw The Seasons! I like it nice and warm, and low to mid 70s is jsut right in my view. Warm enough to open the doors and have some fresh air circulating, and not that hot we have to run the a/c.
If it stays like this until next summer, I’d be a happy bunny, but I’m sure Jared can tell you a lot more about the prospects of that than can I.
Tags: blogger, cold fall, doors and windows, fresh air, happy bunny, liking, mid 70s, prospects, southern climate, tornado threats, tornado watch, weather records, widget
03 Apr 08 Behind The Scenes
I’m not usually one for posting much on here about the cogs and gears behind the blog, but I did post a little about the new WordPress 2.5 and some issues that I found, because I know many of you also use WordPress yourself.
Of course, like anything in life, there is always stuff to do backstage.
Adding some new cool widget to hopefully enhance your visits here for example, and also making sure that everything is kept as up to date as possible to minimize security breaches, and other bugs.
It’s much the same with web sites in general, which is something I spend a large part of my day working on. Getting that web page to look ‘just right’ can take some hours of tinkering and fine tuning at times. Of course, we all know that everyone else’s job is much more exciting and glamorous than ours don’t we?
Take myself. I told so often how ‘cool’ web design is. How wonderful to work from home, and how great to have your own business.
Well, yes. web design can be cool sometimes of course. It can at times be a huge pain the butt. Yes, it’s great to get to work from home; like many people that go out to work each day, it was something I always wanted to be able to do, and by and large I don’t dislike it at all. I don’t think I’m an unsociable type, but I do work more productively on my own, and I don’t need to get a fix of the office politics or gossip, that I’ve heard some home workers mention that they miss.
Having you r own business is great too, but, at least with a small business, you’re often the CEO, CFO, secretary, tea-boy, mailroom attendant, and worker all rolled into one. You don’t have a boss anymore do you? Well kinda sorta – you have numerous clients instead, who all think they ARE your boss (and in a way they are). It can be a real art juggling between them, and letting them think they are your #1 priority at all times. Like web design itself, some of those clients can be a huge pain in the butt too. The ones that need your expertise, but still know how to do everything they’ve hired you for, better than you do.
Count ten, smile sweetly. Remember, you only have to meet them from time to time. Pity the poor souls in the office that have to put up with them all day from 9-5.
Working from home you can be a slob if you want. You can drink coffee at your desk, or eat pizza while you work. Actually I do tend to do the former, as I’m a bit of a coffee-holic but not the former, as it does mess up the keyboard, and I’m not a pizza lover myself anyway.
Some friends are convinced I sit at home all day looking at dodgy web sites, soliciting strange women online, and drinking myself silly. I wish. (Ouch, no not really, dear).
I have a four o’clock rule.
“Go wild after four?”. said one.
“Yeah, 4am”, said another, joining in rapidly to disparage my good name.
Well, not quite. I like a beer after work sometimes. So to make sure it is after work, my rule is no beer before four on a workday. You see, once I sit back in the chair with that cold beer, I don’t want to get back at the keyboard again.
Well ok, sometimes. Like now. It’s 11.15pm, I have a cold beer on the desk here while I write this, but I have no intention of doing any more work until tomorrow morning at 8am.
So, dear readers, with that, I really will kick back, and enjoy this ice-cold brew, and bid you all goodnight.
Tags: boss, ceo, cfo, cogs, cool web design, eve, gears, gossip, mailroom, office politics, own business, pain in the butt, priority, real art, security breaches, small business, web page, widget
