When New Media Wins
Posted Monday, June 29th, 2009 by Dave Moyer
Chris Yates pulled me aside to talk a bit about my thoughts on how the landscape of digital media is changing. I’m just glad he edited out my ridiculous freudian slip at the beginning… thanks, Chris! Good stuff:
As soon as we were done, the staff came by to ask why we were using the waiting area of this office when the office was closed.
WordCamp Dallas 2009
Posted Monday, June 15th, 2009 by Dave Moyer
If you’re in the Dallas, TX area, come on out and see me for WordCamp Dallas 2009, one of the biggest and best WordCamps out there.
I’m speaking, unfortunately for you. This time I’ll be talking about using WordPress as a tool to distribute multimedia content like podcasts, videos, and music. Other speakers include my friends Lorelle VanFossen, Jonathan Bailey, Cali Lewis and John Pozadzides, so it’s not one to miss if you can make it.
Registration is only $30 for both days, and it includes a t-shirt, so go for that if nothing else. See you there!
I was on GeekBrief TV…
Posted Wednesday, June 3rd, 2009 by Dave Moyer
…and all I got was this lousy embed code:
In all seriousness, it was a great time. Cali and Neal pulled me aside at WordCamp San Francisco (check out that cool background they found in the conference center!)
Thanks to them and everyone who attended for a great weekend.
Holding on to Inspiration
Posted Saturday, May 30th, 2009 by Dave Moyer
Why is it that I can always find something to blog about when I’m on an airplane? I’m currently sitting in seat 10A on a cramped little flight to San Francisco, next to a funny little lady doing a whole book of Sudoku puzzles (who, by the way, I REALLY hope won’t look over here and realize that I’m writing about her).
And, somehow, I find myself writing this blog post. For some reason, I always get great inspiration on planes, and it’s during an occasion when I conveniently have the time to write. Therefore, I bring you this post FROM THE SKY.
But what if I didn’t have my trusty laptop underneath the seat in front of me? What if I was seated in a cute little restaurant, or walking down the street, or maybe in church? None of these places are places wherein I would consider it socially acceptable (much less practical) to yank out a computer and start clacking away.
What do you do when ideas strike at not-so-convenient times? Here are a few methods.
To: Me. From: Me.
Most cell-phone providers have the ability to send a text message to an email address. When I get online later on (when I very well could be in more of a position to write a blog post), I’ll see my idea in my inbox, ready to star and save for later, or take action on right away. If you’re at a computer when inspiration strikes (hello, cubicle dwellers), this method works great without the phone too.
Hi Me. It’s Me. Don’t call me back.
If you don’t like email or check your VOICEMAIL much more often, why not call yourself from another phone and leave a message? Just don’t ramble on like some of the people who call my family’s house. Your future self will appreciate it.
Papyrus
When a computer might not be available, writing something down on a piece of paper and sticking it in your pocket may be a viable option. (Unless, of course, you’re one of those people – quite like me – who don’t remember the contents of their pockets before tossing them into the washing machine, quickly transforming their brilliant blog ideas into soppy Rorschach tests.) This method is surprisingly similar to the next two methods:
A whole lot of papyrus, stuck together
Many bloggers, authors, musicians, artists, and generally anyone else with the need to keep a notepad in their pocket for quick inspiration. When an opportunity is seen, it’s jotted down and looked at later when they have the chance. (Again, this option does not usually fare well for the types of people mentioned in the last method, who will more likely than not end up with a complete book of soggy Rorschach tests.)
Thick papyrus
I have this problem where I feel that I can never have enough index cards. Because I use them for EVERYTHING. Reminders, diagrams, doodles, butter knife, little 3×5 cards can serve a lot of purposes with a bit of creativity – and that’s what bloggers are all about, right? If I have a potential blog topic, I’ll write it down on a card and stick it in my pocket or another convenient location, to later be emptied into a pile of other cards for topics like this. I like this pile (which some more organized people may argue should be in a folder of some kind) because it gives me a little “bank” of posts that I can pull from when I just gotta blog.
Of course, I’m only one person, and these are only some ideas, either that I have used at some point or seemed practical to me when I thought them up on the plane. If you have more ideas, or improvements on all of these, share them! I feed on your input. But I use a napkin, so don’t worry about a mess.
PS. Lady with the Sudoku book? If you’re reading this, sorry if you don’t like being an example. Just be glad I didn’t include a picture.
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