TWITTER Calls Them "Small Settings Update" But I Call It MAJOR FAIL

So now comes before the twitterverse the honorable yet questionable Biz Stone on the Twitter Blog!

Small Settings Update (They are kidding Right?) We've updated the Notices section of Settings to better reflect how folks are using Twitter regarding replies. Based on usage patterns and feedback, we've learned most people want to see when someone they follow replies to another person they follow—it's a good way to stay in the loop. However, receiving one-sided fragments via replies sent to folks you don't follow in your timeline is undesirable. Today's update removes this undesirable and confusing option.

So effective immediately is you will no longer see your friends @ replies to folks you don't follow.

Holy FAIL WHALE! This is absolutely the primary way I find new people to follow. Discovery on Twitter is part of the Magic.

Let's review DM biz (nobody but Biz sees) // @ replies @biz (everybody sees) // so what about RT's let's see, perhaps a minor update removing the RT feature all together. Or perhaps RT will only show up if you follow both the Tweeter and the Original Tweeter. UG!

Here is what they have to say about that in the same post:

The Importance of Discovery
"Spotting new folks in tweets is an interesting way to check out new profiles and find new people to follow. Despite this update, you'll still see mentions or references linking to people you don't follow. For example, you'll continue to see, "Ev meeting with @biz about work stuff" even if you don't follow @biz. We'll be introducing better ways to discover and follow interesting accounts as we release more features in this space."

Or maybe delete features that were working fine without really thinking of the impact of something that seems so "SMALL!"

Oh, okay, trust the company that can't keep their servers up to release more features that will fill this void they are creating. Oh, let me guess, the "paid Twitter account" can control all kinds of cool functions. Like seeing all of the @ replies!

So folks, here is a tipping point. Twitter has removed a feature, "Based on usage patterns and feedback" that was far and away the most useful discovery process I had. Follow someone interesting and see who they are tweeting with. It's easy enough to click on the @-ed person's profile to see what the rest of the conversation is about. But now you CAN'T.

The spermy blast of the ?WTF Whale blows hard today.

@jmacofearth

permalink to uber.la post: http://bit.ly/wtf-whale

Posted via web from jmacofearth's posterous

TWITTER Calls Them "Small Settings Update" But I Call It MAJOR FAIL

So now comes before the twitterverse the honorable yet questionable Biz Stone on the Twitter Blog!

Small Settings Update (They are kidding Right?) We've updated the Notices section of Settings to better reflect how folks are using Twitter regarding replies. Based on usage patterns and feedback, we've learned most people want to see when someone they follow replies to another person they follow—it's a good way to stay in the loop. However, receiving one-sided fragments via replies sent to folks you don't follow in your timeline is undesirable. Today's update removes this undesirable and confusing option.

So effective immediately is you will no longer see your friends @ replies to folks you don't follow.

Holy FAIL WHALE! This is absolutely the primary way I find new people to follow. Discovery on Twitter is part of the Magic.

Let's review DM biz (nobody but Biz sees) // @ replies @biz (everybody sees) // so what about RT's let's see, perhaps a minor update removing the RT feature all together. Or perhaps RT will only show up if you follow both the Tweeter and the Original Tweeter. UG!

Here is what they have to say about that in the same post:

The Importance of Discovery
"Spotting new folks in tweets is an interesting way to check out new profiles and find new people to follow. Despite this update, you'll still see mentions or references linking to people you don't follow. For example, you'll continue to see, "Ev meeting with @biz about work stuff" even if you don't follow @biz. We'll be introducing better ways to discover and follow interesting accounts as we release more features in this space."

Or maybe delete features that were working fine without really thinking of the impact of something that seems so "SMALL!"

Oh, okay, trust the company that can't keep their servers up to release more features that will fill this void they are creating. Oh, let me guess, the "paid Twitter account" can control all kinds of cool functions. Like seeing all of the @ replies!

So folks, here is a tipping point. Twitter has removed a feature, "Based on usage patterns and feedback" that was far and away the most useful discovery process I had. Follow someone interesting and see who they are tweeting with. It's easy enough to click on the @-ed person's profile to see what the rest of the conversation is about. But now you CAN'T.

The spermy blast of the ?WTF Whale blows hard today.

@jmacofearth

permalink to uber.la post: http://bit.ly/wtf-whale

Posted via web from jmacofearth's posterous

Economy says, "Nope." VC Expert says, "There Are No Angels." : I SAY YES!

Holy cow, in the midst of some kind of recovery things are still so dark out there if you talk to certian people. And so BRIGHT if you talk to others. One thing the downturn has done is simplify my life in many ways.

1. I no longer have full-time corporate employment. (Oh boy! S-c-a-r-e-y!)

2. I am writing blogs, proposals, presentations and cover letters at an alarming rate.

3. You can tell your close friends by who is inviting you to lunch and who is inviting you to the table at business opportunities.

4. Even as a consummate optimist I have had to pass on the new car we ordered 3 months ago, cut non-essential expenses to the bone, make more coffee at my house rather than inviting folks to Starbucks. (These are all actually good things. Just different.)

5. Refined my focus to the extreme. So one of my tactics at dealing with daily business is sort of like my old employer's "just in time" manufacturing. I put a lot of information out to the universe (I like to refer to it as launching sailboats, or 'sails,' to see which one might catch what little breeze is blowing these days.) And the way this manifests in my work life is this: while I have a lot of opportunities and have put my daily energies into a gaggle of sites, my clear and present focus is on "what will make money TODAY." Because as the money in the bank account thins out, I get less and less effective as an evangelist and leader.

"How can I be bullish on social media if I can't make a living at it?"

So one of the opportunities I have been nurturing since last September is something called The GreenLight Energy Monitoring System. And it seems like a slam dunk to everyone I show. Even the skeptics and VC savvy friends are excited when I finish my 10 minute pitch. But the VC "mentors" and Angel "gatekeepers" are not so easily impressed.

Perhaps it's like my music career. Friends and family and even a small group of loyal supporters tell me they "love my voice." While the record labels, of the past and present, say, "Nice, but not for us." Turns out that process for me, and my music, may not be a bad thing.

I am not a rock star. I have never toured in a van, except the one time with Blue Cartoon we drove from LA to SF to play a show at a very cool club with our friends 20/20. The crowd was probably 40 people. But it was SF and it was a great club. And one of my buddies got to come see me play who'd have never gotten the chance.

So Clear Green Technologies, my blog/company/corporation behind the GreenLight System is pretty much dead in the water at this point. That is, according to the VCs, lawyers and consultants I've talked to. And yet, the web today is telling stories of the VC's now focusing on the "consumption" side of Green rather than the innovation side. And that seems like a slam dunk for my little idea. (See Green Venture Capital)

But here's where the rubber meets the road in today's economy. I need 10k to complete the Intellectual Property filing to protect the ideas and processes behind the Greenlight. And we probably need another 10k to complete the final "design for manufacturing" work to outsource the build of our product to some "eco-friendly" manufacturer overseas. And I can't get any of the business folks past the 10 minute PPT outline to hear what the bigger idea is. So my friend Tim and I are kind of stuck.

We have a prototype! We have the vision! We know what we need to do! And we need 20 - 30k dollars. And outside of that, there is really nothing more for me to do. I cannot enter the "start-up contest" competitions you see popping up on the web because I cannot reveal any more of my idea without risking the IP value. I don't have the motivation or time to do the rest of the PPT presentation that MIGHT convince the VC folks to give me the money, because everyone is saying there is no money there anyway. And yet, I BELIEVE.

President Obama's energy conscious plans will include companies like Clear Green Technologies. And now the NY Times is saying they (The Money Folks) are going to focus on consumption. And I will keep pushing ideas and trying to make a "consultative" living while seeking the last 50k to take Tim and I to the goal line. But today I am working on a presentation for a client pitch that "might" bring in some actual dollars.

Today I am not able to spend energy or time to tell the GreenLight story. And maybe it's kind of like being a rockstar or not being a rockstar. While I am in this in-between time I am forced to focus on what will feed my family now. And the Green Revolution will take place with or without me. And at the same time I will continue to fly the colors of the revolution on uber.la and on the Clear Green Technologies site.

And I will continue to say YES to opportunities.

The VCs can muck around and wait for the capital to start flowing, I don't have that luxury. And perhaps we will meet in the next few months with a PLAN that satisfies both of our requirements.

@jmacofearth permalink: http://bit.ly/I-SAY-YES

+++ Related Links

Clear Green Technologies - Maker of the GreenLight Energy Awareness System

GreenLight System - Which Way Shall We Go (Zigbee, BlueTooth, WiFi, WiMax)

NYTimes Article on Green Venture Capital - Venture capital is moving away from alternative energy and returning to one of its traditional strengths: improving the efficiency of energy consumption.

Posted via web from jmacofearth's posterous

Economy says, "Nope." VC Expert says, "There Are No Angels." : I SAY YES!

Holy cow, in the midst of some kind of recovery things are still so dark out there if you talk to certian people. And so BRIGHT if you talk to others. One thing the downturn has done is simplify my life in many ways.

1. I no longer have full-time corporate employment. (Oh boy! S-c-a-r-e-y!)

2. I am writing blogs, proposals, presentations and cover letters at an alarming rate.

3. You can tell your close friends by who is inviting you to lunch and who is inviting you to the table at business opportunities.

4. Even as a consummate optimist I have had to pass on the new car we ordered 3 months ago, cut non-essential expenses to the bone, make more coffee at my house rather than inviting folks to Starbucks. (These are all actually good things. Just different.)

5. Refined my focus to the extreme. So one of my tactics at dealing with daily business is sort of like my old employer's "just in time" manufacturing. I put a lot of information out to the universe (I like to refer to it as launching sailboats, or 'sails,' to see which one might catch what little breeze is blowing these days.) And the way this manifests in my work life is this: while I have a lot of opportunities and have put my daily energies into a gaggle of sites, my clear and present focus is on "what will make money TODAY." Because as the money in the bank account thins out, I get less and less effective as an evangelist and leader.

"How can I be bullish on social media if I can't make a living at it?"

So one of the opportunities I have been nurturing since last September is something called The GreenLight Energy Monitoring System. And it seems like a slam dunk to everyone I show. Even the skeptics and VC savvy friends are excited when I finish my 10 minute pitch. But the VC "mentors" and Angel "gatekeepers" are not so easily impressed.

Perhaps it's like my music career. Friends and family and even a small group of loyal supporters tell me they "love my voice." While the record labels, of the past and present, say, "Nice, but not for us." Turns out that process for me, and my music, may not be a bad thing.

I am not a rock star. I have never toured in a van, except the one time with Blue Cartoon we drove from LA to SF to play a show at a very cool club with our friends 20/20. The crowd was probably 40 people. But it was SF and it was a great club. And one of my buddies got to come see me play who'd have never gotten the chance.

So Clear Green Technologies, my blog/company/corporation behind the GreenLight System is pretty much dead in the water at this point. That is, according to the VCs, lawyers and consultants I've talked to. And yet, the web today is telling stories of the VC's now focusing on the "consumption" side of Green rather than the innovation side. And that seems like a slam dunk for my little idea. (See Green Venture Capital)

But here's where the rubber meets the road in today's economy. I need 10k to complete the Intellectual Property filing to protect the ideas and processes behind the Greenlight. And we probably need another 10k to complete the final "design for manufacturing" work to outsource the build of our product to some "eco-friendly" manufacturer overseas. And I can't get any of the business folks past the 10 minute PPT outline to hear what the bigger idea is. So my friend Tim and I are kind of stuck.

We have a prototype! We have the vision! We know what we need to do! And we need 20 - 30k dollars. And outside of that, there is really nothing more for me to do. I cannot enter the "start-up contest" competitions you see popping up on the web because I cannot reveal any more of my idea without risking the IP value. I don't have the motivation or time to do the rest of the PPT presentation that MIGHT convince the VC folks to give me the money, because everyone is saying there is no money there anyway. And yet, I BELIEVE.

President Obama's energy conscious plans will include companies like Clear Green Technologies. And now the NY Times is saying they (The Money Folks) are going to focus on consumption. And I will keep pushing ideas and trying to make a "consultative" living while seeking the last 50k to take Tim and I to the goal line. But today I am working on a presentation for a client pitch that "might" bring in some actual dollars.

Today I am not able to spend energy or time to tell the GreenLight story. And maybe it's kind of like being a rockstar or not being a rockstar. While I am in this in-between time I am forced to focus on what will feed my family now. And the Green Revolution will take place with or without me. And at the same time I will continue to fly the colors of the revolution on uber.la and on the Clear Green Technologies site.

And I will continue to say YES to opportunities.

The VCs can muck around and wait for the capital to start flowing, I don't have that luxury. And perhaps we will meet in the next few months with a PLAN that satisfies both of our requirements.

@jmacofearth permalink: http://bit.ly/I-SAY-YES

+++ Related Links

Clear Green Technologies - Maker of the GreenLight Energy Awareness System

GreenLight System - Which Way Shall We Go (Zigbee, BlueTooth, WiFi, WiMax)

NYTimes Article on Green Venture Capital - Venture capital is moving away from alternative energy and returning to one of its traditional strengths: improving the efficiency of energy consumption.

Posted via web from jmacofearth's posterous

Who's Your Mamacita? And what did she teach you about money? by Amanda Steinberg via Get Rich Slowly

[A Mother's Day Post from Amanda Steinberg of DailyWorth care of Get Rich Slowly << one of my favorite blogs of all time!]

Recession talk is everywhere, even on Mother’s Day. At work, at home, at the supermarket, at the library, at soccer games, and on play dates. Everyone hates this recession, and most everyone is being affected by it. Especially mothers. Why? Because we are on the front line of the budget wars. Let’s face it, as far as we have come in our efforts to shore up equality among the genders, moms are still largely in charge of household budgets for food, clothes, birthday presents, discretionary items, track-team uniforms, new tennis rackets, and so on.

So when the economy heads south and prices go north, it’s mom who usually decides what the family can do without. But instead of being the financial heavy on this day of all days, look for the silver lining: An opportunity to teach our children about financial responsibility. Maybe you’ve had to tighten your monthly budget or take a less expensive vacation, stay in and cook rather than eat out, forego new additions to your summer wardrobe or your house. Instead of just saying “no” without explanation or example, use the recession as an educational tool.

Here are some practical things you can do with your children from ages 4 to 18 to teach them about the value of money.

Age 4: Dollars and Sense Most four-year-olds can count, recognize letters and numbers; some have even started to read. What better time to introduce the concepts of an allowance, spending and saving? A couple of books, The Berenstain Bears Dollars and Sense and Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, illustrate just how quickly that weekly payout can burn a hole in your pocket if you’re not careful.

Age 7: Amortize Your Cherries The next time you’re in the supermarket with your kids during cherry season, buy a pound without choking on the price. That’s what Fran of Dallas, TX used to do. Then, when her hungry offspring started scarfing down the cherries, she would point out that they could either eat them all at once and have no more for a long while (with a gentle reminder of the price), or they could eat just a few cherries at a time and enjoy them for several days. You can also ask your children to help pay for those things they really want out of their allowance. They seem to have a better understanding of the value of money when they’re spending their own.

Age 12: Future Entrepreneur Encourage your child to start her own business. What better way to understand the ins and outs of cash flow? Some jobs for a 12-year-old include dog-walking, plant & animal care, mother’s helper, gardening and more. You’ll find that kids get more excited about earning money — and saving it for something special — when the enterprise and the earning power is theirs alone.

Age 15: Checks and Balances Take your son or daughter to the bank and have them open their very first checking and savings accounts. Remind them to bring cash or a birthday check to deposit — half in savings and half in checking. And then remind them that when the checking account runs dry, they’ll probably be paying a monthly maintenance fee until they put more money into the account. Just a little incentive to spend more thoughtfully.

Age 18: You Can Never Go Home Again… At 18, let your kids know that after college, they’re not allowed to move back in. Shelly of Philadelphia, PA told her daughters that when they graduated from college, there would be no moving back in with mom. Once they were done with school, they were on their own, because she respected their ability to find their own way. “I told them that my love was deep and constant, but that nudging them out of the nest to deal with life on their own would prepare them for anything that came along,” Shelly says. “Roots and wings are the most precious gift a parent can give.” Maybe you can’t go home again, but you can always stop by, have dinner and do your laundry.

Be an Example Kids can learn the value of money at pretty much any age. It just takes some thought, a little effort and plenty of credibility. That means we, as mothers, need to practice what we teach. If we expect our children to tread the path of good money sense and fiscal responsibility, then we have to set the example. Starting today, the day when we all celebrate our mothers and what they have done for us. How hard can it be? Okay, it may be hard. But the payoff will be a whole generation of kids who know how and when to save and spend — thanks to Mom.

To read more from Amanda, check out DailyWorth for “practical tips, empowering ideas, and the occasional kick in the pants.” [The link appears to be down at the moment, maybe she's getting too much traffic.]

--- Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:

The Last Word on Kids and Cash

The Money Savvy Pig: A Piggy Bank for the 21st Century

How Do You Teach Kids the Value of Money?

Posted via web from jmacofearth's posterous

Who's Your Mamacita? And what did she teach you about money? by Amanda Steinberg via Get Rich Slowly

[A Mother's Day Post from Amanda Steinberg of DailyWorth care of Get Rich Slowly << one of my favorite blogs of all time!]

Recession talk is everywhere, even on Mother’s Day. At work, at home, at the supermarket, at the library, at soccer games, and on play dates. Everyone hates this recession, and most everyone is being affected by it. Especially mothers. Why? Because we are on the front line of the budget wars. Let’s face it, as far as we have come in our efforts to shore up equality among the genders, moms are still largely in charge of household budgets for food, clothes, birthday presents, discretionary items, track-team uniforms, new tennis rackets, and so on. So when the economy heads south and prices go north, it’s mom who usually decides what the family can do without. But instead of being the financial heavy on this day of all days, look for the silver lining: An opportunity to teach our children about financial responsibility. Maybe you’ve had to tighten your monthly budget or take a less expensive vacation, stay in and cook rather than eat out, forego new additions to your summer wardrobe or your house. Instead of just saying “no” without explanation or example, use the recession as an educational tool. Here are some practical things you can do with your children from ages 4 to 18 to teach them about the value of money.

Age 4: Dollars and Sense Most four-year-olds can count, recognize letters and numbers; some have even started to read. What better time to introduce the concepts of an allowance, spending and saving? A couple of books, The Berenstain Bears Dollars and Sense and Alexander Who Used to Be Rich Last Sunday, illustrate just how quickly that weekly payout can burn a hole in your pocket if you’re not careful.

Age 7: Amortize Your Cherries The next time you’re in the supermarket with your kids during cherry season, buy a pound without choking on the price. That’s what Fran of Dallas, TX used to do. Then, when her hungry offspring started scarfing down the cherries, she would point out that they could either eat them all at once and have no more for a long while (with a gentle reminder of the price), or they could eat just a few cherries at a time and enjoy them for several days. You can also ask your children to help pay for those things they really want out of their allowance. They seem to have a better understanding of the value of money when they’re spending their own.

Age 12: Future Entrepreneur Encourage your child to start her own business. What better way to understand the ins and outs of cash flow? Some jobs for a 12-year-old include dog-walking, plant & animal care, mother’s helper, gardening and more. You’ll find that kids get more excited about earning money — and saving it for something special — when the enterprise and the earning power is theirs alone.

Age 15: Checks and Balances Take your son or daughter to the bank and have them open their very first checking and savings accounts. Remind them to bring cash or a birthday check to deposit — half in savings and half in checking. And then remind them that when the checking account runs dry, they’ll probably be paying a monthly maintenance fee until they put more money into the account. Just a little incentive to spend more thoughtfully.

Age 18: You Can Never Go Home Again… At 18, let your kids know that after college, they’re not allowed to move back in. Shelly of Philadelphia, PA told her daughters that when they graduated from college, there would be no moving back in with mom. Once they were done with school, they were on their own, because she respected their ability to find their own way. “I told them that my love was deep and constant, but that nudging them out of the nest to deal with life on their own would prepare them for anything that came along,” Shelly says. “Roots and wings are the most precious gift a parent can give.” Maybe you can’t go home again, but you can always stop by, have dinner and do your laundry.

Be an Example Kids can learn the value of money at pretty much any age. It just takes some thought, a little effort and plenty of credibility. That means we, as mothers, need to practice what we teach. If we expect our children to tread the path of good money sense and fiscal responsibility, then we have to set the example. Starting today, the day when we all celebrate our mothers and what they have done for us. How hard can it be? Okay, it may be hard. But the payoff will be a whole generation of kids who know how and when to save and spend — thanks to Mom.

To read more from Amanda, check out DailyWorth for “practical tips, empowering ideas, and the occasional kick in the pants.” [The link appears to be down at the moment, maybe she's getting too much traffic.]

--- Related Articles at Get Rich Slowly:

The Last Word on Kids and Cash

The Money Savvy Pig: A Piggy Bank for the 21st Century

How Do You Teach Kids the Value of Money?

Posted via web from jmacofearth's posterous

A Facebook UI Exploration - Simplify Simplify Simplify

[Update: The slideshare team just promoted this presentation to the front page of the DESIGN section. wOOt! ]

In an effort to call my own BS, I am presenting an unsolicited UI exploration of the Top Navigation system on Facebook. We all know they are working on the design, with mixed results. And we ALL need them to do a better job of simplifying all the options we have, because Facebook is getting confusing to use, and that is not a good thing.

Yesterday, I was attempting to update my "status." This is the heart and soul of Facebook interaction and I could not figure out how to get the site to let me paste a URL as part of my status update. Every time I had a URL as part of my "status" the Facebook smart-interface would pull possible icon images from the link and give me several choices to pick from. All good, except when I completed the transaction the "update" went to my [Wall] and not to my [Status]. I tried a number of times with no success. At one point I was able to force Facebook to not look-up the URL and post the status as a raw URL. But I could not make any comments along with the URL to describe why it's part of my "status."

So this is an epic fail of UI, where the interface designers attempt to make the process easier and more interactive, BUT they break something else in the process. So as I posted "The FaceBook UI UX sux." on my facebook [Wall] I will now share a small bit of UI advice with Mark Zuckerberg and company. They didn't ask. But I can ask them to fix the Top Nav. Fair nuff!

[This presentation is posted on Slideshare.net as a downloadable PPT presentation if you want to look at or reference the orginal. CC - Attribution Only.]

@jmacofearth
permalink to uber.la: http://bit.ly/UI-Facebook

Required reading: Don't Make Me Think; A Common Sense Approach to Web Usability by Steve Krug

Posted via web from jmacofearth's posterous