Campaigns and Web 2.0

I found an article on CNN about how politicians are using Web 2.0 for their campaigns and how they're adding Twitter to their stable of applications. I was going to rant about how, based on the e-mails I receive from candidates, they'd probably just use it to bombard us with requests for money.

However, I decided I should actually try Twitter so I could make an educated comment about it. Since I don't know a whole lot of folks who use twitter, I subscribed to political campaign tweets. Bob Barr kept suggesting I check out the new videos on his site. BarackObama (the first one to sign up to follow me, by the way) kept telling me the locations of his campaign stops. I couldn't find a John McCain account. Ralph Nader was micro blogging about a map. Nary a call for money in the lot. So I was wrong.

But I did think back to Bob Graham's 2004 campaign. I shudder to think of what Graham, who allegedly keeps a meticulous log of his daily activities anyway, would have put on Twitter. It's probably best to forget I even mentioned that.

And have a good day.

Another View on "Web 2.0"

After spending time with my Inbox Zero project, I've finally started catching up on some reading. In the March 2008 issues of Associates, Carol Borzyskowski writes about her and her library's experiences with 23 Things on a Stick, the Minnesota version of Library 2.0. I don't know that there's anything earthshaking in the column, but it is another view on 2.0. Word is spreading.

I did find out, however, there are a few things in 23 Things with which I am not familiar. I'd better get busy learning. After I catch up on my reading. After I finish my Inbox Zero stuff.

And have a good day.

Holiday Reminder

Just a reminder that we have about 15 shopping days until the galactic holiday known as Mark Wentz's Birthday. There are great gift ideas out there for your loved ones. And don't forget to pre-order your doughnuts and pizza as there may limited quantities.


A friendly reminder from Wentzmania.com

And have a good day

Toward Zero E-mail Messages

Several weeks back, I listened to a vodcast/podcast/video/whatever of a Merlin Mann lecture on Inbox Zero. I guess the point is to have your e-mail inbox empty 10 minutes after you open it. I tried it; and I like it.

I don't follow it to the letter, though. For instance, we're told to have only one archive for saved e-mail messages. Nope; I need more. I do try it keep it simple, but, as an e-mail message archiver, I have needs.

The one hurdle I have yet to overcome are the short-term messages. I get messages that are important for, maybe, two weeks and then can be tossed. There isn't really a place for those in my system. Perhaps I should create a folder called "2 weeks" for those messages. Are there any problems a blog cannot solve?

But, overall, it's refreshing to me to have an empty e-mail inbox. I feel like there is less hanging over me.

Furthermore, I've been more free with my e-mail delete button. That's nice. So often, I don't really need an e-mail message but don't want to keep it either. Now, too bad. DELETE! Sorry, but that one guy said to.

One other note on this. During the lecture, he told us to close our e-mail except for, perhaps, 10 minutes an hour. You waste time when you check e-mail as it arrives. It's better to blow through it all at once and be done with it for an hour. This also solves the problem of people expecting you to reply instantly. They only expect you to reply instantly if you let them expect you to reply instantly. If you stop replying instantly, they'll no longer expect it. Theoretically. Having your e-mail closed 5/6 of the time forces you to not reply instantly. There is one small problem with that.

I'm the guy who expects instant replies to e-mail messages. Oops.

Anyway, check out Inbox Zero.

And have a good day!

golB yM tuobA thgiR t'niA gnihtemoS

Long, long ago, David Rothman, of David Rothman fame, spoke to my group or organization about blogs and their usefulness to society. I, being the studious type, took notes. Included in the notes was a definition Mr. Rothman used for blogs. Blogs are a web page with "dated entries in reverse chronological order." Seems pretty simple, until you get to my other blog. For some reason, the blog has postings in reverse reverse chronological order, or, as I like to call it, chronological order. I see three parts to the definition. My blog missed by only one.

I thought it was funny, but I still wanted it corrected. (My first post wasn't so great, you see.) So I went to wordpress' web page for help (as it is a wordpress blog). They blame my web host service--specifically, the host's version MySQL or something. Their suggestion, since someone else noted that the host (which we share) had a response of "it ain't my problem," was to ask for a refund and get a new web host.

So, anyone with my web host be ready to ask for a refund, move to a new host, read backwards, or fail Mr. Rothman's simple definition.

And have a nice day.

Governor Heckles Library

According to an article in the Rochester Post Bulletin, Minnesota governor Tim Pawlenty "scoffed" at the idea of a grant to the Chatfield Brass Band & Music Lending Library. The library collects and loans sheet music. Pawlenty is quoted as saying a sheet music library "might be a nice idea, but is that a priority relative to zeroing out the Veterans Home?"

Perhaps someone might want to suggest to Pawlenty that both veterans' homes and libraries are valuable projects. He could try to fund both.

And have a nice day.

A Fine Description of Baseball

Now that March Madness has become the Final Four and, for some reason, very few people are talking about their "brackets," we turn to the start of the baseball season.



Minneapolis Star Tribune sports columnist Jim Souhan tells us in the April 2, 2008 print edition that Opening Day is not the best day in the baseball season. The best day is day 2, after all of the socialites have left and those who are actually baseball fans fill the stands--and will fill the stands for 6 months. He says "Among all of the entertainment options available to the American public, perhaps only baseball offers the prospect of a pleasant form of boredom." Well said.

So to all you baseball fans out there, enjoy the boredom.

And have a good day.