Author Archives: Steve Mays

Another happy iPhoner

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Iphone150I’ve known Marhall Wilson since he and Barb started working together at the same law firm (Marshall has recently moved on). If I had to guess, I’d say he’d be better at fixing a broken generator than partitioning a hard drive. I don’t think he’s goofy for gadgets like many of my acquaintances.

So when I heard he’d purchased and iPhone, I was curious about his experience to-date:

I carried a Treo for several years. The Treo was my introduction into
“smart phones.”  I was instantly hooked on the mobile email and internet
access. Following the recent death of my Treo 650, I purchased a Blackberry Curve.  I was unsatisfied with the screen size and quality. I missed the touch screen feature, and I never became comfortable with the “roller ball” navigation.

I was hesitant about the iPhone because (a) I do not need or use an iPod, and (b) I had read that the iPhone wasn’t well suited for “business” use.  The screen quality plus the way the different applications worked together was the big seller for me.

I purchased my iPhone on the 20th (I’m writing this on Thursday the 25th) so it is still new to me. I am thrilled with it.  Our computer tech guy set it up so that the device will reach out and retrieve my emails every 15 minutes.  This is more than satisfactory for me.  The screen is just stunning.  The following are some of the pros and cons
in my opinion and in my limited experience:

  • Pro:  did I mention that the screen quality is stunning?  Viewing videos, photos, and websites is a pleasure.
  • Pro:  I love the built-in Google maps with the satellite photos.  The
    clarity of the screen, with the easy zooming in and scrolling around
    make the map feature fun as well as useful.
  • Con: no GPS.
  • Pro: safari, the web browser, is great.  Being able to open 2 or 3 or
    ?? Web pages at a time is great.  It is happy to show you the whole
    page (too small to read) and then zoom in to whatever field you wish.
  • Pro: the way it will switch from vertical to horizontal mode while viewing photos or the internet is great.
  • Con:  If you take a photo vertically, you can get whiplash trying to
    rotate the device to look at it sideways because it will automatically
    adjust itself to the new orientation.  Perhaps there is a way to lock
    out the rotation, but I haven’t found it yet.
  • Con: the internet reception in my house is worse than with the Treo or
    Blackberry, although phone reception in the same location seems fine.
  • Pro: Out in the real world, internet pages load plenty fast enough for me.
  • Con: the virtual keyboard is as bad as you’ve read about, although I’m
    learning.  I wouldn’t want to “have” to be typing lengthy emails all
    day.
  • Con: no zoom or video on the camera, although I never used the Treo’s video camera all that much.

Overall, I love it, and I haven’t even utilized the music piece of it. The phone, internet, email and text messaging features are as good as or better than the Treo or Blackberry. Having YouTube, Google Maps, and a simple weather site resident on the device is great fun. Having only 1 button is plenty. I should also mention that the screen is really impressive.

Scott Brandon’s affiliate triip

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In the 17 years I did affiliate relations for our networks, I was on the road a lot. Typical trip would have started early Monday morning (sometimes Sunday evening) and ended late on Friday. I might have have extended a trip over a weekend once or twice but that was very rare.

The new Endurance Record for an affiliate trip has to go to Scott Brandon, the head of operations for Learfield’s news division. Scott has been on the road –continuously– since September 17th. He’s been in seven states; 45 towns (and counting); covered 4,500+ miles; eaten 13 Chinese buffets; stayed in 8 really bad motels; 4 really, really bad motels; consumed three bowls of beer cheese soup; two glasses of beer (Miller); attended one Packer’s game and lost one iPod. And saw some sights:

“A camel grazing on the side of the road in Fond Du Lac; a giant fish thing in Hayward; and two truckers sharing a one bedroom at the Super 8 in Park Falls. But, by far, the strangest and creepiest was just outside of Phillips, WI. You round a bend and see a field full of… well… concrete people and horses and deer and dogs. Very Adams Family-ish. I walked through the park just to make sure it was really as “chill down your spine” as I thought. It was.” [Photos]

Scott’s long journey comes to an end next week as his affiliate ghost ship comes back into harbor. He’s going to need a lot counseling and time to adjust. We assume he’s working on a book.

Focus, Passion and Originality

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Karl Long, a Web/Social Media Integration Manager at Nokia, identifys three traits of a successful blog – focus, passion, & originality:

“Focus – I think one of the most important choices a blogger makes when they start their blog is what their focus is. Think about a first time visitor getting dropped on your blog from a search engine or stumbleupon, are they going to understand in 2 seconds exactly what your blog is about? If the answer is yes you will have a much better chance of building a readership quickly and you will have a successful blog. If not, you may well build a successful blog but it will take years as opposed to months.

Passion – This is the only possible way that you will be able to sustain regular posting of a high enough quality over the course of years. If you don’t have the passion your blog will become a ghost town very quickly. People talk about the passion in the writing, and how important it is for readers, but IMHO the passion is all about the ability to sustain you through the emotional roller coaster ride of writing a blog. Sure your passion will come through in your writing, but it is your passion that will keep you plugging away when no one is coming back, no one is commenting, and no one is linking to you. Passion may not be the only thing that will drag you along, but it is the most enjoyable so unless you are a masochist you better love what your talking about.

Originality – In branding terms, what differentiates you from the crowded playing field of blogs all talking about the same thing. They don’t call the blogosphere an echo chamber for nothing, because most of the time everyone is reflecting and amplifying what else is happening around the blogosphere. Original content and original ideas in the blogosphere stand out like beacons in the night, and not to labor the metaphor but they also attract other bloggers like moths to a flame.”

[via LexBlog]

Thinkpad goes to a good home

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The high bid for the Thinkpad was $276.01. My little silent auction drew six bids. There was a tie for the high bid ($250) so I gave the high bidders an chance to submit another bid. Mary went up to $275 and Myra bid $276.01. I think that’s a fair price for the Thinkpad but I’ll hold on to the check for a few days, just in case she gets Buyer’s Remorse. Then it’s off to the local Humane Society. Thanks to all who submitted bids. Sorry, Henry, but this was a lot more fun than eBay.

Dunklin County Library Hall of Honor

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Barb’s pop –Dr. Paul C. Miltenberger– is one of eleven residents (and former residents) that will be inducted into the Hall of Honor at the county library.

To have been considered for induction, individuals "must have distinguished themselves within their occupation, trade, or field of endeavor, through intellectual, creative, humanitarian and professional accomplishments."

Great opportunity to visit with some old friends and spend quality time with family. Took a drive around the old home town but didn’t take any pix. Just too much plywood.

Dave Winer: “The Small Picture”

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Dave Winer weighs in on the relationship between subscriber numbers (to your blog or website) and actual readership, and why he’s more interested in “the small picture”:

“Ultimately what matters to me is not how many people subscribe to my feed, rather how much of a connection I can make with the people I want to connect with. I’m satisfied that the people I care about read my site.

I’m a blogger not a broadcaster. Blogging isn’t about mass markets, it’s about the small picture. My small picture (and for you, yours). I’m trying to draw a picture, create a frame of reference that’s personal, not corporate. I’m a zig to corporate media’s zag. I am a blogger. I am personal.”

I was a broadcaster for a dozen years. My father for 30+. The company I work for was once all about broadcasting (now less so). It’s a little… unsettling, to realize that I’m no longer a broadcaster.

So they’re not just slackers?

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You know, the 20-somethings that drop out of school, move back in with their folks and refuse to let good work habits get in the way of their lives?

“There used to be four common life phases: childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age. Now, there are at least six: childhood, adolescence, odyssey, adulthood, active retirement and old age. Of the new ones, the least understood is odyssey, the decade of wandering that frequently occurs between adolescence and adulthood.

During this decade, 20-somethings go to school and take breaks from school. They live with friends and they live at home. They fall in and out of love. They try one career and then try another.”

Why is this, you wonder? NYT columnist David Brooks takes pretty good run at explaining what makes them tick (so slowly). You might have to create a free account to login and read the full piece but it’s an interesting read. [via Grow Learfield]

Transaction declared null and void

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A week ago I mentioned that I was selling my Thinkpad (IBM laptop) on eBay. Actually, my pal Henry was kind enough to list it on his eBay account. He told me not to expect much for a 3 year old laptop, so we were all surprised when the high bid topped out at $809! Too good to be true? Yes, it was.

This morning eBay posted a notice that said the transaction was null and void. Not sure why. I didn’t read it closely and Henry says he’s never seen that happen before.

Henry (a deacon in the First Church of eBay) wanted to re-list the laptop but I’ve decided to go a different direction.

After listing the computer on eBay, I discovered that a few people at work were interested in buying it (if the price were right). So, I’ve decided to hold a “silent auction.” I’m going to post a photo and specs on the bulletin board at work and invite anyone that’s interested to submit a sealed bid. On Friday, I’ll open the bids and the computer goes to the highest bidder. Done.