I love FriendFeed do not get me wrong.   I mean it is the premier life-streaming service.  I have tried others and found them all lacking.  FriendFeed is a great place of news, research, and generally friendly smart ideas.

But, over the last few months I found myself participating less and less.  The bad taste I gained for FriendFeed still lingers.  These negative feelings arose in the weeks preceding election day.

FriendFeed was not friendly.  It was totally pro one candidate.  Dissenting opinions were not only frowned upon but some users were verbally abused by the herd.

The abuse was even supported by members of the frienderati pushing their political views.

You know how when you see celebrities on television at some awards show being very political just because they can.   These celebrities have no more intelligence or insight than you or I.  The person with the spotlight simply pushes their own agenda or beliefs.

The Frienderati acted in the same way.  They decided that since they were popular they would use FriendFeed as a platform to push personal political views at the expense of whoever disagreed.

That practice is not Friendly.    That I believe is blatant abuse of the service.

Look just because you are popular does not make you God’s gift to politics or God himself.  Opinions as we know are like arm pits, we all have them and they all stink.

I will not name the Frienderati members fearing backlash.  I do not wish to start a meme.

I have been back on FriendFeed post election from time to time.   But, unfortunately the bad taste is lingering.  Every social network ever formed has changed over time.  The bloom goes off the proverbial rose eventually.

FriendFeed is a great product used by many friendly smart people.  The bad apples made this user take a step back.

The purpose of this post is to clear the air.  To rinse the bad feelings away.  I have been back to FriendFeed lately and find it relevant, fun, and just as lighthearted as I remembered.

FriendFeed is again the friendly place for news and information.  I will just remember to take off around August of an election year and return in December.

Merry Christmas and see you on FriendFeed!

With a new job came a new computer, new work OS, new Screen resolution, and a new number of screens.  So a new computer and OS includes a fresh Firefox install.

In this post I will describe my current Firefox extensions.  In my new job I am currently doing web development primarily.

Some of these addons are very new to me.  A new Firefox install is a good opportunity to find out which extensions you can not live without.  I will always install Tab Mix Plus.  It is the first extension I install.  The very first one.

Please do not forget about other gems like Ad-Block plus, Copy Plain Text, and Feedly.    First here is my list of new extensions to me.  These are new ones that I have personally used only in the last couple of months.  My total list of installed addons totals 24.  As always the lists are easily generated with InfoLister.

New To Me Extensions

• All-in-One Sidebar (Gives the sidebar power.  It has made me use the sidebar more and not neglect its power.)
• ColorZilla (For Web Dev – Very popular.  Makes It easy to view colors on any page.)
• FaviconizeTab (Tab customization. Shrink tab to favicon width only.)
• Firebug (For Web Dev – Very popular.  I now know why.)
• MeasureIt (For Web Dev – Measure anything on your screen in pixels.  Cool.)
• Searchbar Autosizer (Puts the Searchbar very small out of the way and then auto-expands as needed.)
• Split Browser (Great for a wide screen monitor like I now have.  Gives you the ability to see 2 tabs at once.)
• Web Developer (For Web Dev – Very popular.   More web dev functions.   Try it you will like.)

Other Addons Installed

• Adblock Plus
• Better GReader
• ColorfulTabs
• Copy as HTML Link
• Copy Plain Text
• DownThemAll!
• Feedly
• Greasemonkey
• IE Tab
• InfoLister
• StumbleUpon
• Tab Mix Plus
• Tab Scope

What am I missing?  These are just some tools I have been using.  Help me out!

What tools make life in Windows Vista on a wide screen monitor complete?

What other important web developer extensions am I missing?

As an early adopter and tech enthusiast I am often questioned by friends, neighbors, and the occasional stranger at the big box store to recommend a product.  The choices in consumer electronics can be overwhelming.

Kallow.com looks to make product recommendations pure and simple.  The site is co-founded by  Caleb Elston of Toluu.  This new project was born out of the need to help people pick the right items from those big box stores.

Caleb says,

“(We) were inspired by how often we have friends and family contact us asking for recommendations for tvs, cameras, or speakers.”

Simple is the name of the game for Kallow.com.  Caleb and his co-founder and friend Jordan look

“to take the clutter out of electronics buying.”

The site is simple.  Go to the Kallow home page.  Pick a product and there will be one recommendation that you can not go wrong with.  One product in that category that Caleb and Jordan have personally tested and recommend.

Kallow seems to be all about simplicity.   The recommendations are not based upon price or platform.  The recommendations are personal.   Check out Kallow it is live now.  I will be keeping an eye on this one to see it grow and change.

Turkey day isn’t quite here yet where I live.  But, as I type, my sweet 2.5 year olds are in the kitchen with their mother making sugar cookies.  Turkeys, apples, acorns, leaves, and pumpkins are the shapes being enthusiastically cut out of sweet confectionary goodness by excited daughters.

I am home for the holiday and loving every minute of it.  I truly have much to be thankful for.   I need to run take pictures of the event.  But I just wanted to quickly post to say…

Happy Thanksgiving!

As a blogger do you hold yourself to a posting standard?  The blogs about blogging would certainly say so. 

I have always thought the blogs about blogging amusing.  You know which ones I mean.  The blogs that tell you what, when, and how to write, be successful and oh yeah get rich from your blog. 

Yeah you know which ones I am talking about.  Those sites that discuss how to make money on your blog and give out pointers are some of the only blogs actually making money.

So my theory slash tip slash advice would be for someone that wants to make money on their blog should totally give advice about how to make money on your blog.

But anyway I totally digress.  This post I called “Post Worthy.”

As a blogger do you hold yourself to a posting standard?  Should you?  Is there a quality or threshold for content before it hits your blog?

My answer has and always will be the same.  Whatever makes You happy.  A blog should be about you first and foremost.  I blog when I want, about what I choose, when I can.   

Forget the blogging formulas, and write when and what you want. 

But, back to post worthy.  Is  it worth it to post drivel? Should you post for the sake of posting? 

Yes and No.  The answers are relative. 

Yeah not sure this post is worthy.

The Steam Pipe Trunk Distribution Venue

I have been extremely busy with work and life over the past few months.  I have learned from others mistakes that blogging about work is just simply not a good idea. 

I do not intend for that to change.  However, I am excited to be technically unemployed this weekend.  I have left one company where I was a software developer for over 6 and 1/2 years to join a the staff of a college as a programmer. 

Life changes like changing jobs are a big deal.  A job change is a big decision certainly not made lightly.  The new job begins Monday and so does a new chapter in my life.

With the new job will come new experience and new topics for this blog.  Defining the scope and and focus with which to write for a blogger is important.  Blog readers want at least some idea of the topics which may be covered. 

Some of the new topics may include .NET and more posts about web development.  But as always I will write what and when I want. 

To sum up this post I will simply say; I am here and this blog is not dead.