What the f*&^% is a #hashtag?
Now that Facebook has finally added hashtags support to the site for most users (rolling out to everyone over the new few weeks), you might be wondering what they are. Sure, you’ve seen/heard them on TV and radio and all over the internet. Something like #grammys or #superbowl or even #poptarts. You know, hashtags.
Hashtags actually started on Twitter as a way for users to keep their posts organized and to join larger, global, conversations. You see a word preceded by a # and you can click it to find even more stuff tagged the same way. It’s actually pretty cool.
On Facebook, they will work the same way. You will notice any tags will be the same color as hyperlinks on Facebooks and when you click them, a nifty pop-up window will appear, like this.
So, depending on security settings, you will be able to add to conversations that are happening across the whole of Facebook, not just your own little corner of it. All thanks to the power of the hashtag. (Read on…)
How about a Photo Booth?
As previously mentioned, next week I’ll be in Vegas doing something that I haven’t done before; running a photobooth. Don’t think carnival-style photo booth. Think more a creative way to take portrait photos where they are shared on the internet as quickly as possible. The camera will be stationary and there will be silly props. Photos will be shared online instead of being printed. Like I said, something completely new for me.
Using my Nikon D5100, a tripod, my Macbook Air, the Sofortbild app and some magic, it has come together nicely. The Sofortbild app is used to take the pictures, which are then saved. Once the photos are saved, our friend Photoshop comes in to run a few actions on the photos to shape them and place them into a custom framed before being saved. Saved where? I’m glad you asked.
Using a combination of DrobBox and ifttt.com (aka “The Nerd Machine”), those image will be automatically uploaded to Flickr and posted to the White Roof Photo Facebook page so that the attendees can download them, tag themselves in them or do whatever they want.
Poolside Vegas. DIY Photobooth. Should be fun! Hope to see you there!
Back to keeping myself busy
Dear Internet,
It’s been sometime since we’ve spoke and quite a lot has happened. Actually, not really that much has happened, but some stuff has happened. The biggest of those things that has happened is that I’m no longer gainfully employed. So, I’m back to keeping myself busy.
Job searches are happening as you would expect, but searching for work isn’t billable. I know, right? Back to doing what I do, plus a few extra things. 2 WordPress projects are in some fashion of completeness, I’ve done some on-site computer repair and I’m trying something completely new with photography.
I have decided to open whiteroofphoto.com. White Roof Photo is for my automotive and other photography. A place to keep a portfolio and a place to promote the service of automotive and event photography to those that might need it. I’ll be doing pool-side portraits at AMVIV X later this month and hopefully will get the chance to do some automotive portraits as well.
Otherwise, I am again offering my services for anything that you might need. PC/Mac configuration, repair and training. WordPress implementation and training. Social Media, community building and Internet marketing. Content creation (writing, audio, video, photo). I’m available for your project immediately! Click over the Contact page to get started.
I’ve also been feeling the need to write more. This makes me happy since it has been a while. I’m glad that is coming back. Expect to see more regular posts at all of the donburnside.com properties.
Thanks for your patience.
xoxo
donburnside
Warning: Nerd Stuff!
We can say I have had a month. A month, in this case, being the 30 days prior to this one, not a month like you see on your calendar. I know, it’s like the new math, but try to keep up.
Anyway.
I was tasked with replacing the ancient Windows Server 2003 (circa 2007) and Windows XP Filemaker Server (!) (circa 2006) earlier in the year. A single replacement sourced to replace 2 machines, easy peasy. Costs were told, ideas about buying new or refurbishes shot, budget was approved, and I went to work!
[A Team Theme here]
A series of calls to my friendly, neighborhood Dell server specialist to build a reasonably priced machine that could serve as both Active Directory (re: nerd stuff) and Filemaker (re: nerd database stuff) server. Done, done and done as the kids say. Now, in my server closet, quietly hums a very nice server with 16 cores of processing power, 16GB of RAM with a pair of 500GB drives (RAID 1, re: more nerd stuff). Fast and quiet, I’m happy. (Read on…)
Review: Mailbox App
I gave it the old college try. For the last 3 weeks I have been using Mailbox on my iPhone. It’s a fantastic app, but it’s not for me.
The Mailbox App team have had a very interesting ride. I remember seeing their initial video about the app months before it was actually released and I thought it looked revolutionary and awesome. Then it was released in a way to garner as much hype as possible while allowing them to properly manage the roll-out. Since this is email, I thought that bit was pretty awesome, especially since email has moved into the category of “always has to work”.
So I signed up and waited. Luckily, I joined early and only had to wait a little more than a week for my reservation to kick in. The app itself is very nice. The interface makes sense and the controls, once you actually figure it out, also makes sense. I had a minor issue with my reservation, however. Nothing that they weren’t able to correct via their Twitter account and support email.
So far, so good. I’m beyond impressed at this point.
After playing with Mailbox (and archiving my inbox), I put my phone down and do what I always do. Opened mailplane to work on email.
Mailbox only works with Gmail, and for it to work, it actually gets into your Gmail inbox and takes over for you, adding labels and archiving messages. It’s the way it worked and on the phone, it’s pretty awesome.
But my phone isn’t my primary email device. My phone is where I triage email. Sure, I reply to some messages via mobile, but those are the quick hit replies to answer an easy question. Anything with any substance, I want a keyboard. Same goes for creating new messages. I almost never send an email from my phone. It’s not part of my work flow.
I also don’t practice inbox zero in the strictest sense. Instead of going for zero messages, I shoot for zero unread messages. When I hit that, I color myself done and about once a quarter I’ll archive my inbox to produce true inbox zero.
Finally, if I had to pick on Mailbox for anything, it’s the lack of search. While I seldom do this mobile, I do need this feature.
I’m not saying this is a bad app. I’m saying it’s a bad app for me. It’s a fantastic app and I’m sure it will continue to be even more fantasticer since Dropbox bought them. In fact, as long as you don’t mind a 3rd party having unfettered access to your Gmail account, use your phone as your primary email device (or don’t mind the changes it makes to your inbox) and are ok not having search (for now I would almost bet), I would very much recommend Mailbox.
