My second announcement this week is that I've decided to do a little experiment. I've decided to take part in the 'Blogging Goals' group project over at ProBlogger.net. It's also high time that I define my blogging goals for the next 30 days or so. It should be interesting, at the very least.
The main reason I blog is because I really enjoy writing, so my goal over the next 30 days is blog for myself.
For some, especially the professional bloggers out there (I've just recently joined your ranks), this may seem counter-intuitive, but I believe my reasoning is sound. If I enjoy what I am doing, it really shows in my writing. This leads to both higher-quality content and increased posting frequency. This, in turn, leads to return visitors. These visitors may tell their friends, who might check me out. Some of them will also become regular readers, and the cycle continues.
This word-of-mouth drives traffic. Without traffic, no one clicks any ads. Without those clicks, we don't make money.
So, yeah, I'm going to be selfish this month; I am going to blog for myself and I hope it shows. If you do what you love, everything else will follow :)
Thursday, June 8, 2006
Wednesday, June 7, 2006
Linux Security blog
This is my first announcement I hinted at yesterday: After doing a couple guest posts for the Linux Security blog over on Linux World Net, I've decided to make that arrangement more permanent. Jon has graciously accepted my offer to become the permanent author in addition to my duties as author of Minimum Linux. It should be lots of fun! :)
Look for my next announcement tomorrow :)
Look for my next announcement tomorrow :)
Tuesday, June 6, 2006
Finals Week!
Yes, it's that time of quarter that everyone loves so well... Finals Week! Longtime readers can probably figure out when the beginning and end of my quarters are because it causes a break in my posting rhythm. Hopefully it won't be too disruptive this time, because I have many things going on right now. I don't want to be premature in announcing anything, so I'll wait until each one is ready. If the first isn't ready by Thursday, it probably never will be. So look for my first announcement by then.
Sunday, June 4, 2006
Boing Boing: Hideous company sends Boing Boing a pre-emptive nastygram
Because of the nastygram sent to BoingBoing, I urge everyone to boycott the FIFA World Cup. The good folks at Baker & McKenzie owe BoingBoing an apology, and anything short of such should have a negative impact on both them and their client. Law firms need to realize that they aren't allowed to indiscriminately harass others without repercussions.
Saturday, June 3, 2006
Behold the power of geek...
Yesterday, I blogged about fixing my water heater. Today, I'm happy to report that, after a couple of days of trying, turning off the water and electric to the heater as needed, I *finally* managed to wrench the old TPR valve off of the water heater. I put on the new valve, using Teflon tape around the threads, and turned the water on and... Viola! Success!
I attribute my successful repair to being a geek. (well... that, and I couldn't afford a plumber. Have you priced one lately?!) Being a geek, I knew that a little research into the symptoms I was having would turn up the problem. Once I knew the problem, the solution came quickly. Actually putting that solution to use was difficult (15 years of corrosion is hard to knock off the threads, ya know?), but persistence always wins. I now have a perfectly good water heater again. Yes, it's well past it's life expectancy. But I've probably just got several more years out of it by doing this $10 repair. And when it finally does die, it will cost me about $200 for a new heater because I now know how to replace it myself (it turned up during my research) instead of the $600+ it would cost me in parts and labor to have a plumber do it for me.
I attribute my successful repair to being a geek. (well... that, and I couldn't afford a plumber. Have you priced one lately?!) Being a geek, I knew that a little research into the symptoms I was having would turn up the problem. Once I knew the problem, the solution came quickly. Actually putting that solution to use was difficult (15 years of corrosion is hard to knock off the threads, ya know?), but persistence always wins. I now have a perfectly good water heater again. Yes, it's well past it's life expectancy. But I've probably just got several more years out of it by doing this $10 repair. And when it finally does die, it will cost me about $200 for a new heater because I now know how to replace it myself (it turned up during my research) instead of the $600+ it would cost me in parts and labor to have a plumber do it for me.
Friday, June 2, 2006
Water heaters...
When the water heater starts leaking, what's a geek to do? That's right! Learn everything he can about water heaters and fix it himself!
Yes, my water heater broke. I called around, and the cheapest model is about $200.00. They can be much, much, more expensive than that. And the minumum installation fee? About $250.00. Ouch! So I did a bit of research, and discovered that the part that's leaking is called a TPR (Temperature & Pressure Release) valve. They're *supposed* to be checked once or twice a year. I've lived here for 8 years, and never knew to check it once. I also discovered that they can go bad and start leaking after 4 or 5 years. The previous owners probably never knew to check it either, so I'm guessing that the thing is close to 15 years old. It would probably be close to the end of the water heater itself, but I've already had the element and thermostat replaced on it. So long as the tank itself doesn't spring a leak, I should be good for awhile.
The problem I'm having is that I cannot seem to get the old valve off. It's a simple screw-on part, but 15 years is a long time to be stuck in something without ever being unscrewed. Anyone out there have any suggestions?
Yes, my water heater broke. I called around, and the cheapest model is about $200.00. They can be much, much, more expensive than that. And the minumum installation fee? About $250.00. Ouch! So I did a bit of research, and discovered that the part that's leaking is called a TPR (Temperature & Pressure Release) valve. They're *supposed* to be checked once or twice a year. I've lived here for 8 years, and never knew to check it once. I also discovered that they can go bad and start leaking after 4 or 5 years. The previous owners probably never knew to check it either, so I'm guessing that the thing is close to 15 years old. It would probably be close to the end of the water heater itself, but I've already had the element and thermostat replaced on it. So long as the tank itself doesn't spring a leak, I should be good for awhile.
The problem I'm having is that I cannot seem to get the old valve off. It's a simple screw-on part, but 15 years is a long time to be stuck in something without ever being unscrewed. Anyone out there have any suggestions?
Thursday, June 1, 2006
Blogtipping Day
The first of every month is Blogtipping Day. Here are my three victims:
Easton Ellsworth
1 - I love the Blogtipping idea!
2 - Your blog is genuinely enjoyable to read.
3 - You and Liz Strauss are really the same person, aren't you? I've never seen the two of you in the same room together.
Tip - I'm not a huge fan of your color scheme. The blue header and footer seem a bit bold in contrast with the rest of the colors you've selected. That's more of a personal preference thing, and I'm sure as many people will disagree with me as agree.
Liz Strauss
1 - Creating the Link Leak Virus.
2 - The SOB thing is a great idea. Thanks for honoring me with it.
3 - You and Easton Ellsworth are really the same person, aren't you? I've never seen the two of you in the same room together.
Tip - I just realized that you have no advertisements above the fold on your blog. That's not necessarily a bad thing though.
Jason Scott
1 - I really admire your work.
2 - I like your blog's design. I'm a huge fan of black backgrounds, so I'm a bit biased there, but it's a nice, simple, layout.
3 - In the few times I corresponded with you, you've seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
Tip - Even though I haven't seen you in the same room with either of them, I don't think you're the same person as Easton Ellsworth or Liz Strauss.
Easton Ellsworth
1 - I love the Blogtipping idea!
2 - Your blog is genuinely enjoyable to read.
3 - You and Liz Strauss are really the same person, aren't you? I've never seen the two of you in the same room together.
Tip - I'm not a huge fan of your color scheme. The blue header and footer seem a bit bold in contrast with the rest of the colors you've selected. That's more of a personal preference thing, and I'm sure as many people will disagree with me as agree.
Liz Strauss
1 - Creating the Link Leak Virus.
2 - The SOB thing is a great idea. Thanks for honoring me with it.
3 - You and Easton Ellsworth are really the same person, aren't you? I've never seen the two of you in the same room together.
Tip - I just realized that you have no advertisements above the fold on your blog. That's not necessarily a bad thing though.
Jason Scott
1 - I really admire your work.
2 - I like your blog's design. I'm a huge fan of black backgrounds, so I'm a bit biased there, but it's a nice, simple, layout.
3 - In the few times I corresponded with you, you've seemed like a genuinely nice guy.
Tip - Even though I haven't seen you in the same room with either of them, I don't think you're the same person as Easton Ellsworth or Liz Strauss.
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