I try not to blog about blogging-- it's kind of a silly niche, filled with fatheads offering tips aimed at tricking readers into believing their bland writing has value, however, I recently had to write a "standards for blogging" document for work, and this morning I saw the need to amend it to include some things I thought were pretty obvious, but clearly need to be explained. And so:

Here are some things you may want to consider when picking out what links you want to use in the blog post that you're writing but don't really understand or care about.

1. It's probably better to go with a "impartial" source than one who has an axe to grind. You don't want to link to coverage of a news survey, for example, that is really an editorial condemning or questioning the value of the survey (Unless that's your point).
2. The link's relevancy to the topic at hand should be obvious. If you have to explain why a link is relevant, you don't need to make the link. Unless making that relevancy is why you're posting-- which is inherent in the link, right? Arg! Circular! Here's the thing: Don't just pass links on for the sake of passing links on. People know how to search now, so you don't need to do it for them.
3. Don't link directly to a PDF (or other downloadable) unless you have no other choice. And then, you should be sure to warn people that the link will cause them to download something, either in the narrative of your post or parenthetically. Although, the good news is that in today's day and age, you probably don't need to tell them they need to download a PDF reader.
4. Try to link to permanent links. That is, try to use a source that's not going to pull its link off the Internet because its confused about how the Interent works. I'm looking at you, newspapers. This is hard when you're commenting on news, since the news sites tend to take down links after a certain time because they think you are stealing from them by showing people that you are their customer and that you find value in their product. Dummies! For this reason, avoid linking to newspapers if a more direct source is available. (If you're talking about a study, for example, link to the original publication of the study, not the coverage of the study.)

Of course, the trick to blogging, really, is that you need to care. I know, right? Crazy. But the Lack of Genuine Care (tm) is why blogging in a corporate setting is a loser's game. The main piece of advice I have to offer regarding blogging, and understand that this is, in many ways, crapping in the hand that feeds me, is that if you have something to say, say it. Don't make your marketing department say it-- they will not have the passion for your message that you have. They can help you sculpt your words into something that will perform and represent well... but they can't fake your passion. The internet can spot in-genuineness at 100 paces and will decry and disregard it before you've even submitted your link to Digg. Again, I go back to Uncle Merlin's masterpeice: "How to Blog". "Find your obsession. Every day, explain it to one person you respect. Edit everything, skip shortcuts, and try not to be a dick. Get better."

I can't say it better than that. Another post about blogging degrades into yet another love letter fueled by my raging boner for Merlin Mann. This is why I don't meta-blog, people!

Just renewed this here hosting package for another year, so I guess that means Writelarge.com is going to stick around at least until May when the Domain Name comes due.
I don't know if any of you ever are looking for just plain easy, reliable, no-bs hosting, but I've been nothing but happy with A2. At $2.95 a month, it's just silly cheap for a service that has real human beings that answer the phone when you need a little support.

Here's my advice about Blogging: If you have something to say, say it. Forget about the rest of that noize on the internet about schedules, planning, focus, and yaddayadda. Just do your thing. You're worthy. You have something to say. That matters. Forget the rest.

MathaisX and Arlen Walker gave a great "intro to git" talk at BarcampMilwaukee4.
Git is an open source version control system. I have read about writers using GIT to great success, so I wanted to see how I could use it.
I took terrible notes, and got distracted trying to play along, especially because I'm not a code guy. I mean, I'm pretty-- I don't compile from source. Couldn't get MacPorts to work on my MacBookPro to do the package thing, so I gave up. And, even when I was paying attention, I was quickly in over my head.
Today, moving a bunch of files around on my Ubuntu test server at work, I realized It would be smart if I put Git to work for me there. Thanks to the magic of apt-get, a half-hour later, It was done. I'm using Git. Sometimes, even open source just works.

If you're an idiot like me and think you might want to play with Git, here are some links:

• My Notes from BarCampMilwaukee4
• Getting Started First-Time Git Setup
• Helpful discussion as to what my the error message was about.
• Git Source

Much kudos to the OperaTor people for putting this “No, you’re not totally anonymous,” message at the startup page for the recently released OperaTor Browser. Here’s why TOR matters.

The thing is, TOR is an incredibly useful too for defeating proxies, getting around firewalls, and making your IP address a relatively meaningless way of keeping tabs on your web behavior.  If you use the Internet and you value freedom, you need to familiarize yourself with TOR. If you want to read a really incredible discussion about tor, and I’m serious, it’s really incredible, you need to listen to Security Now Episodes 69, 70, 71 and 72. Here’s a link to Steve Gibson’s awesome Security Now page at GRC.com. 

So far my experience with OperaTor has been very satisfactory. In fact, I used it several times at work today to research the TOR project in general for this article. (Work blocks me from viewing webpages regarding “proxy defeating” or something like that. Don’t matter, really.)

The thing is, a desire to be anonymous does not automatically imply that there is something to hide. The desire to be anonymous, at least for me, only implies that I don’t want your shit all up in my grill. If you’ll pardon the expression.

Anyway, if near anonymity is something you desire, and you have 30MB worth of space on some kind of a portable drive, you could do worse than to give OperaTor a try.

Hey! Look at me! I'm running Drupal 6 now. Fancy!
I took the upgrade process as a chance to have at adapting a new theme.
One of the things I wasn't counting on was the upgrade breaking _all_ the modules. I should have known, but I didn't think of it-- so some of the stuff that was module dependent on the old site... like the audio, for example, my be broken. So is the Flickr stuff. But I'll get at that in good time.

Anyway, don't let the same old site in a new layer of paint fool you. Same crap. Different day. Writelarge.com.

It may be one of my proudest moments.

A few months ago, you guys may recall, I posted a photobooth snapshot of myself holding a note I'd written on a postie that I couldn't read. This photo was from the period where I was releasing photos on a creative commons Share Alike license.
So it turns out this photo was featured on an otherwise unremarkable productivity blog called Dumb Little Man , on an otherwise unremarkable productivity article called "12 Ways To Become an Utter Failure at Work."
Words cannot express how much joy this brings me.
Although Dumb Little Man doesn't release their content under a 'share alike' license, share alike only requires you re-license under a "similar" licence.
We'll call CC-BY-ND good enough, I guess. I would prefer that they'd use my work under a little less restrictive licence, but whatever. I'm just flattered that they liked my photo enough to use it.

Welcome ParentHacks readers!
This blog is pretty unfocused, but if you're interested, my DaddyBlog category is here.

That category is focused on my thoughts about parenting and stories and pictures of my girly.

Everything else is pretty much the inane ramblings of a lound-mouthed technophile.
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You wonder if Gabe is shallow enough to leverage social networks and his blog in order to draw attention to some crap he's selling on Craig's List?

You're kidding right?

Of course he is.

You could own an old Nikon CoolPix 950. Just $20. Say the magic keyword "I saw it on Writelarge.com" and I'll throw in Four possibly dead energizer rechargeables.

One of my favorite cousins, her business partner, and their restaurant "Lulu" is featured in OnMilwaukee.com today. For my money, there's no better place for asian slaw and delicious hand-made potato chips in Milwaukee.
Cammie, (Cameryne Roberts) has the money quote in the article. WHen asked what her favorite guity pleasure, responds:

"There's nothing better than Taco Bell on a hangover morning."

I don't get down to BayView enough, so I'm super happy to see they've got a place in 'tosa now.

Every so often, the universe makes an effort g to take me down a notch. Before It totally pantses me, I'm going to take a tip from an old friend and scale it back a bit.

I am many things, and the thing I'm working on right now is humility. Before I get my ass in more trouble. Try to remember this, Internet. No mater what or who you are, there are people who are smarter, better, and cleverer than you. And God help it if they aren't above rubbing your nose in it.

I'll have my cup of humility with a side of humble toast, thank you.