More torture in video games!

Yes, we need more torture in video games.  Better, more detailed torture.  Before you get in a big huff, read Clive Thompson’s latest on Wired.

Stay interested and interesting!

John

Long term planning

I need a plan.  Not just a plan to get me through the day or the weekend, though that would be good.  I need something to get me motivated about the next five years.  I am really at a loss as to what direction to take and need to put together a vision for myself.

I want to do what is best for my family and that will keep me passionate about my work.  I fear that my current situation will not sustain me over the long term.  I would like to pretend I am going to write, consult and be the best family man ever, but I have some work to do…

Any suggestions would be great.

Stay interested and interesting!

PS: Go on iTunes and subscribe to Leo Laporte’s The Tech Guy podcast.  It will keep you up to date on technology!

John

Revision3 layoffs

If you watch Internet TV, you probably know about a little outfit called revision3.  There worked, up until today, Martin Sargent and Sarah Lane who, among others, were laid off.  Of course, the spineless CEO claims that the uncertain economic times precipitated his decision.  In the words of Neal Stephenson, this is bullshytt.  Anyone with a little common sense can see that this yet another in a series of layoffs being blamed on the credit crunch.  It is very convenient for the CEO’s of this world to have a scapegoat handy.  Unfortunately, the Internet is an amazing communication vehicle that executives seem to ignore, even when their company is based on it!

There is obviously more to the story than we are led to believe from both sides.  The layoffees are smart enough to not burn any bridges.  They are worked together before and probably will again.  They are taking their time with their blog posts and not pushing back.  The layoffers are trying to quell the storm by posting standard corporate rhetoric.  It may even be the truth, but jaded fans, who almost feel like they have friends in these two online celebrities, take offense to any perceived mistreatment of their icons.  Martin and Sarah have been smart about bringing fans in to the fold and will hold on to them through this.

It is no longer the employee that belongs to the corporation, but the corporation who has the priviledge of being the employer.  The people see the looming battle for human capital and are positioning themselves to be the winners.

Stay interested and interesting!

John

Update

As you can see from my last post, I just got REALLY busy at work. It is a very far cry from a month ago when I was trying to figure everything out. Now, I still have to figure everything out, but have to do something about it. I have to build understanding, which could be a good preparation for becoming a consultant!

John The Maven, Understanding Consultant. Hmmmm, that may have a few different connotations. I will have to work on it.

While I can’t write as much as I would like to, here is a good video for you!
Internet Superstar on Sarah Palin…

Stay interested and interesting!

John

Internet TV

You watch TV.  I know you do.  I watch TV too.  I like TV.  I know you like TV too.

There is a new TV in town that a lot of people now have access to.  If you are reading this, you do too!  It is called Internet TV.  If you have read a few of my posts, you know I like Revision3.com.  A great show on there is Tekzilla.  This is a show that has great quality and talks to the moderately technology literate audience that you are probably a part of.

The only decision you have left to make now is what to cut from your old TV package to pay for more bandwidth!

Stay interested and interesting!

John

Large Hadron Collider

If you have not heard about it, you need to read this article: Wired – LHC

This will have implications on how we understand the universe and, ultimately, all our lives, whether you know it or not!  And don’t believe all the black hole hype.  You have a better chance of winning the lottery.  Hmmmm, maybe I should buy those soon so I can take advantage of the money before…

Stay interested and interesting!

John

Yet Another Site!

As I continue to widdle away the hours of uncertainty at work, I am getting to surf a little more, think a little more and finish my laundry.   During all that time, I have found a few more websites that I will share with you, over time.  Today, I am going to share a great site with great writing.  It better be good, it is a magazine in real life!  You need to read WIRED, daily.

I say you have to read it daily because there are new posts every day.  Most of what is published in the magazine (ew!  paper!) appears on the web eventually.  I used to read through EVERY article in the magazine and often found myself running out of time to finish it before the next one came out.  Unfortunately, I do not have all the time I used to, so I have to be a little selective.  I digress.  What you really need to know is VISIT OFTEN!  You will find a treasure trove of content.  There are some really great digital culture items and the future is explained to you.

Whether you read the paper or online version, WIRED is just amazing.  Second only to Shift magazine, a great Canadian digital culture publication, but they went belly up a few years ago, so I have to get my fix from the Americans… 

Happy reading!

Stay interested and interesting!

John 

More Daily Sites

Yesterday, I posted some of the sites I visit daily and figured I would like to share more.  That being said, sharing my bookmark file all at once would be overwhelming and counter-productive as you probably would not have time to spend on each site and really figure out why I like these sites enough to share them.

Today, I would like to introduce you to one of my current favorites, Revision3.com.  Revision3.com offers internet based television.  They produce quality shows with known (to techies like me anyway…) hosts, many of whom could be seen on TechTV (bought out by G4) a few years ago.  You may recognize names like Kevin Rose (founder of Digg.com), Alex Albrecht, Patrick Norton, Sarah Lane and Martin Sargent.  There are also some other shows that you may love or hate, like Gary Vaynerchuk’s Wine Library.  Gary can be a little loud…

Warning:  These shows can get addictive and they are producing quite a bit of content, so watch for addictive behavior!  I learned the hard way and had to make up a sleep deficit… 

Happy viewing! 

Stay interested and interesting!

John

First Post!

Hello world!

This is the first post of many that I want to share with you.  I intend to post regularly about a variety of subjects.  They will mostly be about technology as this is one of my passions.  You may also see a few posts about the activities I do with my daughter Ashley, who is now three years old, so they will be a little immature, but they are for her!

Today, I am listening to Leo Laporte, The Tech Guy, while I work.  Leo is pretty good at making technology simple.  While I am not trying to emulate him, there are many worse people I could be trying to emulate.  If you are interested, you can find his podcast on iTunes under the title “The Tech Guy”.  Or you can visit www.twit.tv for all his various content.  Happy listening!

As always, you can contact me via email at john@johnthemaven.com.

Stay interested and interesting!

John