Our Generation’s John Lennon
The other day I was talking to my uncle. He’s my dad’s age, a boomer. I was struggling to explain the importance of Steve Jobs’ death to my generation (“Generation X”, more or less) when this popped out of my mouth: “He was our generation’s John Lennon.” Ever since I said it, it’s been rattling around my brain. Could it be so?
“Nobody Uses Their Real Name” and Other Outdated Notions
I got my first email address in 1991. I was a freshman at UC Santa Cruz and a friend took me to a basement geek office where you had to fill out a paper form to get your free ucsc.edu email account. In the box labeled “User-name” I started to write “Derek.” My friend stopped me. “Nobody uses their real name.” He said it like he was talking to a child.
New Powazek Design
So as you may have noticed, there’s a new design here on the ol’ dotcom. As much as I loved…
Twitter for Adults
Congratulations on getting a Twitter account (or having one for a while)! You’re now taking part in the biggest social experiment in human history (more on that later). But just because you’re floating in a global sea of idle thoughts doesn’t mean you have to drown.
You can be a grownup and participate on Twitter, but it takes some doing. Here are the two ways I’ve found to use Twitter as an adult.
Press the Magic Button
My “one strike” rule for Twitter/Flickr and why you shouldn’t be offended when someone blocks you. I was walking down…
Your right to comment ends at my front door.
John Gruber of Daring Fireball posted a response to critic who took him to task for not having comments on…
Why Everything Sucks, Why That’s Awesome, and How It’s Changing Us
I think I’ve finally figured out why everything sucks. And it’s actually kind of awesome. I bought my first guitar…
Two Brain Cells Is a Lot in Some Places
Some old friends of mine are quoted in Tech Radar’s elegy to GeoCities. My soundbite is on page two. “The…
Spammers, Evildoers, and Opportunists
Search Engine Optimization is not a legitimate form of marketing. It should not be undertaken by people with brains or souls. If someone charges you money for SEO, they are running a scam.
iTunes Geekery: The College Years Playlist
If you’re like me and have an embarrassment of digitized music in iTunes, here’s a fun thing to try: The…