Old Posts

UK Weblog Conference

There are some green shoots appearing in a discussion at the UK Bloggers Discuss group today. It's about bloody time us Euros / Brits (delete as appropriate) stepped out from behind the shadow our American friends who seem to be able to conference themselves to within an inch of their lives (something to do with geography/currency/language/transport etc.) but regardless of why we haven't done so yet, we really do need to throw away this stupid British reserve syndrome thing and get out a little more.

Here's hoping.

Value Shift

There's a difference in how I relate to my PC compared with ten years ago. Before the Web, the centre of my computing world was my computer and its chundering floppy disk drive and flickering LED's. Ten years ago, everything that I did with my computer, physically took place inside of it. I used my computer ten years ago in a very literal sense that I cannot apply to the way I use my computer today.

Firstly, I have access to more than one computer - I have a PC in my office and two at home. Most days I use at least two of them and so there's not the same singular bond with one computing device that there was ten years ago. Therefore you could say that there's less emotional attachment with the hardware itself, its keyboard, the subtle, intimate noises and chirps it makes and with the fragmented contents of it's disks.

Secondly, how I use my computers has changed in ten years. Previously most of my computing time would have been enclosed, task based work - or gaming / entertainment. Today, whilst still proving to be a useful task based tool, my PC also often merely facilitates access to the work of others, a simple gateway. The centre of my computing world is shifting slowly and progressively away from the CPU, RAM and hard disk of my PC today, to the hundreds of websites and resources I use every month - not forgetting my own fabulous weblog, of course - and my PC is moving more towards becoming an anonymous transport to that world.

e.g. Two weeks ago I bought a brand new, high spec Dell notebook and, to be honest, I'm completely unphased by it. Whereas ten years ago I'm sure that I would have been in geek ecstasy for at least a month in total and absolute awe of it.

But I suppose that it's just not where the value lives any more.

Note to Mac users: Don't even think about going there.

A Truth Stranger Than Fiction

Mike Golby...

"I have privately admitted to Gary that I believe him infinitely funnier than me [I think he's less bitter], but we are not publicising my concession."

Yeah right, Mike.

From: Mike Golby
To: Gary Turner
Subject: RE: Bite Me
Date: Sun, 11 May 2003 20:25:44 +0200

I've just recovered from what might mildly be described as a laughing fit. Well, it could be termed laughing if you removed the wheezing, grunting, moaning, and explosive spasms wracking my diaphragm. God, my keyboard's a mess. Ah, yes, Gary, I have missed your company. Sorely. But such is the nature of blogging. I don't know where you get your shit from and cannot compete in open competition with you.

And therein lies a final, damning admission. Golby is wise to admit defeat, even if he chooses not to do so openly in public, for Steve Himmer has switched sides and is meeting with me this week, probably at my Chukka Bar headquarters. After an unsightly induction he'll be packed off back to the States to spread the word.

Quietly and with a determined will, I have been secretly drawing my plans against Golby (and his side-kick Paynter), and Steve Himmer's recruitment is the final, critical piece of the jigsaw. A jigsaw that will finally see the downfall of the Broadband Blogger and all that he stands for. Go back to your homes and hide under your kitchen tables. Or something.