The Tech Curmudgeon

As someone recently posted on facebook, "I wo...

2012-02-15T07:02:23.025-05:00

As someone recently posted on facebook, "I won't believe that corporations are people until Texas executes one."

Quora was created after the word "Quorum"...

2012-01-08T20:40:21.293-05:00

Quora was created after the word "Quorum", I think. I may be wrong. It's a Q&A site of sorts, so "Questions" could be another relative connection.

I'm not quite sure about going out of my way or to be concerned with losing out to having the ".co" in alignment with my already registered ".com".

I think OpenID, and the use of Trusted Authentication will really make domain names irrelevant for self branding or smaller organizations at some point. More people will be focused on centralizing content and using social media tools to direct traffic to their websites via Facebook, Google+, etc.

I don't own a large company or sell a product, but I am a self-marketed brand and I maintain/sculpt it relative to the type of service I provide in my line of work. I think it's relative to a number of factors (such as size, product, exposure, market, public or private, etc) as to whether continued monopolization of specific domain names is important to an organization.

Interesting thoughts. I would say "Microsoft...

2012-01-08T17:51:55.900-05:00

Interesting thoughts. I would say "Microsoft" is "/xx", a dactyl. So microsoft.com would be a dactyl followed by an iamb. The abbreviation "ms" is a spondee. I suspect most two-letter acronyms are spondaic, though longer ones can certainly have other meters.

I haven't heard a lot of people say "Quora," but "Twitter" is certainly a trochee, at least in my neck of the woods.

Interestingly, I usually hear "LinkedIn" as a spondee, or perhaps an iamb. I don't think a trochee works too well for that.

I know there's been a push to legitimize .co as an alternative to .com, but I'm not sure that will ever catch on. Would you want .co if you didn't also own the .com? But more top-level domains will certainly come. Look at the history of phone numbers.

Also - I'd be interested in your thoughts on w...

2012-01-08T15:01:42.141-05:00

Also - I'd be interested in your thoughts on what's to happen when the market on Web 2.0 two-letter acronyms and domain names peaks out -- what's next?

Can you break out what the following would be cons...

2012-01-08T14:57:34.773-05:00

Can you break out what the following would be considered in poetry terms (including their two-letter acronyms)?

Microsoft / microsoft.com (acronym = "ms")

vs.

Twitter / twitter.com (acronnym = "tw") and Quora / quora.com (acronum = qu)

vs.

Unique ones like...

LinkedIn / linkedin.com (acronym = "in")

Thanks, Jerri. M. T. Anderson is a local author. ...

2011-12-29T16:21:43.208-05:00

Thanks, Jerri. M. T. Anderson is a local author. I've met him at conferences a couple of times. I haven't read this book (yet) though.

You might enjoy this book: http://www.barnesandnob...

2011-12-29T16:18:36.677-05:00

You might enjoy this book: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/feed-m-t-anderson/1100305951?ean=9780763622596&itm=1&usri=feed
It is set in a future similar to your speculation.

The real change that's happening in books is n...

2011-11-14T12:18:56.912-05:00

The real change that's happening in books is not the move from paper to pixels. It's the change in authorship. Authors once led their readers by the hand every step of the way. Now the author, fiction or non, presents a world for readers to explore in their own ways and at their own paces. The author is no longer a tour guide, but a curator.

Thanks for this piece, I found it so compelling an...

2011-11-07T04:36:39.941-05:00

Thanks for this piece, I found it so compelling and accurate.

Somehow "armored thong" just doesn't...

2011-10-24T14:57:09.870-05:00

Somehow "armored thong" just doesn't sound like a lot of protection.

They travel in pairs because each one needs the he...

2011-10-24T13:12:41.399-05:00

They travel in pairs because each one needs the help of another superhero to get out of her skin-tight costume. More powerful than the rebound snap of an armored thong.

They travel in pairs because each one needs anothe...

2011-10-24T13:11:49.257-05:00

They travel in pairs because each one needs another superhero to help get her out of her skintight costume. More powerful than the rebound snap of an armored thong.

Thanks, D. See today's post about the cult as...

2011-10-10T08:30:36.246-05:00

Thanks, D. See today's post about the cult aspects of it.

Peter, how right you are to say that we have relat...

2011-10-09T21:51:01.855-05:00

Peter, how right you are to say that we have relationships with our computer. I've been a Mac user since 1985 and *many* of my personal and professional friendships over the years were based around the Mac. I endured the anti-Apple barbs of the mid 90s and saw command line PC users grudgingly evolve into GUI users. Steve gave us much to use and enjoy. Are Mac users like a religious cult? Well, I feel like I am as well as many of my friends over the years. When you have a great product and understand its use, why not? Thanks for the article.

Was that a nursery school yearbook, by any chance?...

2011-09-27T21:25:28.145-05:00

Was that a nursery school yearbook, by any chance?

I still have the yearbook I helped edit/publish on...

2011-09-27T21:06:57.676-05:00

I still have the yearbook I helped edit/publish on a Xerox Star. But then, I'm weird that way.

Hi Peter. No, it's the Genesee Country Village...

2011-09-02T22:59:08.470-05:00

Hi Peter. No, it's the Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford, NY. I am the 1850s printer there. Talk about Tech. That press was made for 70 years :-) I get a lot of folks who have visited Old Sturbridge Village but I haven't. I also print at home...recently did a series of antique style letterpressed stereo cards for the prints I shoot. You can see some of my shots at http://tinyurl.com/3h6ckh8. Enjoy.

Cool! I drew the View-Master I had growing up. I...

2011-09-02T22:45:07.296-05:00

Cool! I drew the View-Master I had growing up. I've had a few over the years.

I also started with a Realist, and then tried everything I could get my hands on ... twin rigs, European format cameras, Pentax, Stitz and Tri-Delta Prism adapters, etc. You name it.

But you can't beat the W3 for convenience and ease of use. That's pretty much all I use now.

Thank YOU for sharing. BTW, you wouldn't happen to be talking about Old Sturbridge Village, by any chance, would you?

As do I Peter. I sort of though you might have an ...

2011-09-02T22:38:31.108-05:00

As do I Peter. I sort of though you might have an interest from the fact that you drew a VM...and a pretty good one. This past spring, I had an article published in a museum journal on shooting 3D in a 19th Century Village (where I work). I'm hoping to expand on that by doing one for Stereo World. I started the project with a Realist and graduated to a Fuji W3. Thanks for sharing your interest!

Yeah, I started on View-Masters, and then moved up...

2011-09-02T22:29:28.355-05:00

Yeah, I started on View-Masters, and then moved up to the hard stuff. Now I do my own stereo photography.

Sounds like a plan.

2011-09-02T22:26:53.084-05:00

Sounds like a plan.

Well, you know, the cool thing about the Internet ...

2011-09-02T22:24:17.402-05:00

Well, you know, the cool thing about the Internet is that *everything* has an interest group. I also collect View Masters and reels...and yes, there's a lot of folks out there that share my interest. Your list BTW, is one I can relate to.

The day machines consider Humans obsolete is exact...

2011-09-02T22:19:48.656-05:00

The day machines consider Humans obsolete is exactly when we'll need "Magnus, Robot Fighter" to right the wrongs of mechanical tyrany.

After a fairly exhaustive search, complete with tr...

2011-08-12T15:41:14.175-05:00

After a fairly exhaustive search, complete with trial and error, I found a good Heavenly Hash at Treadwell's Ice Cream in Peabody. Bit of a drive, but worth it.

I haven't though about Heavenly Hash in AGES!

2011-08-12T15:31:16.428-05:00

I haven't though about Heavenly Hash in AGES!