Is an Open Source tax credit a good idea?
Blogger Endorses Firefox
Just got this in my forgot-my-username-and-password email from Blogger, “You could also try logging in/recovering your password from a different web browser – we recommend Mozilla Firefox: http://mozilla.org/products/firefox/ Sincerely, The Blogger Team.” Very nice, but if they had recommended “gbrowser” then I would’ve had a real scoop. Also, they have a really great website. I don’t know how much is Adaptive Path magic and how much is in-house, but the result is a pleasure to use.
Flickr and WP
Son writes in that WordPress is listed on the front page of Flickr. Though I don’t use it myself for a few reasons, Flickr constantly wows me with its features, architecture, and innovation. I’m watching the service as it evolves out of beta with interest. Also one of their developers, Cal, has been helping out with WP a bit lately.
I ended up on the Forbes 30 under 30 for Social / Mobile this year, which is good because I only have two more years to make this sort of thing before being demoted to less exclusive “100 under 100” lists. For something more meaty check out this in-depth interview with Japanese devleloper magazine Gijutsu-Hyoron, by Bart Eisenberg, which included some pretty thoughtful questions.
Sims 2
I am now a character in a Sims game. Update: Here’s the entire category, which includes pictures.
Postiecon
“So, PostieCon (a conference sponsored by PayPerPost) was among the most controversial things I’ve ever done. People really hated that I was speaking there. I got constant crap from my friends and foes alike because of my decision to speak there. But, it turned out they didn’t have enough attendees so they postponed it to November.” — Robert Scoble
Download Stats
WordPress 1.2 was downloaded over a hundred thousand times. About two-thirds of that was through the new download system where we can track stats better. It’ll be interesting to see the download rate of 1.2.1 (and subsequently 1.3).
Koya Bound Kickstarter
In March I took a eight day hike in Japan with Dan Rubin and Craig Mod, which was definitely one of the more beautiful journeys I’ve taken, and I couldn’t imagine finer gentlemen to have embarked on it with. We trekked, ate, bathed, had long conversations about life, about our fathers. When I returned to Houston I was able to show my Dad some of the photos and they brought a smile to his face, a rare occurrence those days before he passed.
Dan and Craig are both Leica heads and shot largely on a Leica Q and M Monochrom on the trip. (Bonus points if you can identify Dan’s non-Leica film camera in the above photo.) After I left they camped out in an old house and put together their best work from the trip into what looks like a gorgeous book, which there is now a Kickstarter for.
There are some very cool perks on Kickstarter if you go back the book now, including a few special editions and some photo prints. I’d highly recommend checking it out!
I thought I could skip this one, but have been getting lots of ribbing on the NY Times Bachelorville article that was in their style section yesterday. To answer the FAQs: 1. My eyes are not always red. 2. Dvorak really is a thing. 3. I, too, had to look up what they meant by “unreconstructed.”
Command Line Tricks
Old and New Apple
Tantek put an old Apple sticker (as old as me) on his iBook lit logo and you can see how they’ve changed the shape. It also just looks cool.
Rebirth and Yellow Arrows
My friend Kamal Ravikant has a new book out, Rebirth, which I highly recommend. I had the good fortune to read it a few months ago and the story of the Camino de Santiago touched and inspired me.
Because of the impact of the book, I ended up adopting a few New Year’s intentions long before January 1st — things to ruminate on and keep in mind as the year wound down. The outlook of the world seemed uncertain, and I’m learning to navigate the world without my father.
Yellow Arrows
The Camino de Santiago is a pilgrimage path in Spain that people have walked since the 9th century AD. The 500 mile path winds through mountains, fields, and sometimes cities, and many pilgrims take a month or more on it. In some ways it is similar to the Kumano Kodo walk I did with Dan and Craig last year.
There are places where the path isn’t exactly clear, either because the trail isn’t strong, there’s been growth, or you might be in a crowded urban area like a city. Over the years pilgrims and people who live on the trail have marked it with yellow arrows pointing the way. If someone gets lost or confused, it’s an opportunity for an additional sign to bring them back on track.
When you know the path, is it clear where someone else walking it should go next? It’s an interesting concept that applies across life. In your relationships, does your friend, loved one, or partner know what to expect, and where you’re headed together? Even in WordPress I feel like there are too many places where we bring someone to a fork in the road and there is no clear indication which way they should take.
Give some thought to the yellow arrows in your life, and I’ll write more about the other two things I’ve been thinking about tomorrow. Also don’t forget to pick up a copy of Kamal’s book. I loved it and I think it will be one I’m recommending to many friends.
(Image from Camino Travel Center.)
I later incorporated this into my thirty-third birthday post.
Blue Skies
Blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies do I see. From the amazing Robert Glasper, a fellow HSPVA alumni. (Dig the enclosure action.)
I’ve been going retina-happy. It’ll be tricky to do the main graphics of this site (might just be easier to do a new design) but if you visit any of the photos on ma.tt on a retina display you should get double-resolution images, it really shines on photos like this one from South Africa, this one from Napa Valley, or this one from Ethiopia.
Jane Kim for School Board
One of the people I had the pleasure of meeting while in San Francisco was Jane Kim, who’s running for school board there. If you’re voting in that area in this upcoming election I would highly recommend checking out where she stands on the issues and keep Jane Kim in mind when you visit the polls. If you get a chance to meet her before the election you’ll also get to see what a neat person she is, if not you’ll just have to take my word for it.
LA Saturday
A day in LA spent looking at Fort Street carpets and vintage furniture around town, and then SOHO House for the Montblanc / Harvey Weinstein pre-Oscars dinner and party. (Stopped taking photos once the actual party started, didn’t want to get kicked out :).)
WordPress 57%
Trouble Downloading Firefox
If you’re having trouble getting the new Firefox you can always get it from Download.com. (Needless to say it’s really fast from the office.)
Facebook Platform
I actually dig the Facebook platform, but this quote is hilarious:
“And looking over press coverage of the announcement today, you’d think it was the late ’90s and Six Degrees had made Flooz its official currency and offered free Kozmo.com deliveries to all its members.”
More on Milk
Have you ever noticed how milk tastes better when you’re drinking it with something that’s just a little bad for you? It’s a beautiful balance.