
Well after almost a month of procrastination I’ve finally gotten around to signing up for the draft and I feel strangely empty. Maybe it’s just my medicine (good stuff) but putting myself on the list of people to be called on if there’s a war. Of course, technically, we’re in a war against the “axis of evil” as Bush put it, and SSS actually has some interesting comments on that.
Youtube Coverage
You’re probably reaching Youtube saturation this week, but some of the best coverage I’ve seen of the whole thing has been on the Utube Blog which seems to be picking up every major news story and trimming the fluff, which usually leaves a good sentence or two. I’ve subscribed there and I’m just skipping most blog posts I see about it. 🙂
Tailrank
The new Tailrank is live, and looks like a huge improvement. Tailrank is like Google News but powered by blogs.
Anonymous Blogging
Anonymous Blogging with WordPress.com and Tor, by Ethan Zuckerman. Hat tip: Lorelle.
New VaultPress Security Scanning
New VaultPress security scanning, scans all your core files to make sure they’re kosher.
BloggingPro Interview
Over the weekend I did an email interview with BloggingPro. Dropped a few hints about the future, so if you’re curious what’s in store for WordPress and Automattic check it out.
Boxely Gone
I blogged about Boxely a few days ago, it seemed like a neat framework. I’ve been thinking more about the desktop the past month or so, hence my blogging around it. Joe has updated saying “Well, that was fun while it lasted. AOL has taken down the site already. Apparently not all executives in the company were aware of the release, and ordered it removed when they caught wind.” On the other side of the web Jason Calacanis is waving the AOL banner, yet a company that stifles innovation like this and flip-flops releases isn’t one I would invest in. Is this a continuation of Nullsoft-style rebels inside of AOL fighting to make a difference? Update: It’s back!
On Simplicity
More on Google Tips
Blake Ross has a good look at the Google Tip issue I blogged about the other day, and an interesting suggestion for a better way to do it. Tip: Trust is hard to gain, easy to lose.
Google and Technorati
2006 Predictions
Thomas Hawk takes a look at all the predictions people made for 2006 and how right or wrong they were. I don’t know why, but I love prediction posts because they get people’s imaginations going.
Macworld Meetup
Some folks are putting on a WordPress Meetup at Moscone Center around MacWorld next week. I’ll be there, you should too.
Oil prices have fallen by about half since June, making it much cheaper just in time for drivers to fill up their cars for Christmas travel. But the decline in oil prices has had made no perceptible difference on the cost of flying.
New York Times: No Relief for Air Travelers.
Basquiat exhibit, Snow in Paris
Went to Basquiat exhibit, wandering around Paris in the snow, lunch with Elliot, Social Media Club, Le Web pre-party, some tripe.
You might remember a few years back I talked about why Automattic has a creed, and shared ours. Here it is again:
I will never stop learning. I won’t just work on things that are assigned to me. I know there’s no such thing as a status quo. I will build our business sustainably through passionate and loyal customers. I will never pass up an opportunity to help out a colleague, and I’ll remember the days before I knew everything. I am more motivated by impact than money, and I know that Open Source is one of the most powerful ideas of our generation. I will communicate as much as possible, because it’s the oxygen of a distributed company. I am in a marathon, not a sprint, and no matter how far away the goal is, the only way to get there is by putting one foot in front of another every day. Given time, there is no problem that’s insurmountable.
One of the parts of Automattic that has grown the most over the past few years is our design corps, now over two dozen people. This group, led by creative director Dave Martin, has come up with a supplemental Designer’s Creed for followers of their craft at A8C:
I take pride in my craft. I ensure that everyone — regardless of ability or device — can use my designs. I routinely ask for feedback, even when it’s uncomfortable. I regularly watch people use my designs, because testing leads to clarity. I will never stop at “good enough.”
You can read more about it on Dave’s blog. »
New Blogger Importer
We now have an importer that works with the new Blogger, and Andy has a weird moustache thing going on.
One theory I have is that there’s some secret “developer full-time employment act” that means these programmers have to do something even if it’s just replicating work that’s already been done. Kind of like New Jersey where every gas station is full serve (that had to be some full employment gambit back in the day).
Sounds like something that could be written today about Vox, Buzzfeed, Gawker, or any of the quixotic CMS projects at Washington Post, NY Times, Conde Nast, et al, but it was actually written in 2007.
Apokalyptik
Demitrious has joined Automattic. Now go guilt him into blogging more. 🙂
As a good follow-up to the podcast with Tim the other week, I did a podcast with Matt Medeiros of the Matt Report.
NYC Meetup Pictures
Photos from the Meetup in NYC are up now. It was really enjoyable, NY has a really great group of WP folks.