You Can Look it Up

Blogger in Draft has added a dictionary feature. It's a little red icon in the edit bar for Define/Translate. I noticed it a few days ago, but Blogger in Draft blog has the full scoop.

Elsewhere in the Google-verse, I got an invite for Google Wave and now that I have my own account, I've got a few invites. Leave a comment with your email addy if you'd like one. First come, first served.

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Micro Blogging

Six Apart has announced (I got an email because, while I don't use it, I do have a Vox blog from Six Apart) a new microblogging platform from TypePad, called... wait for it.... TypePad Micro. As per Six Apart:

"We saw a need for something the lived between the quick status updates of Twitter and Facebook and the long form posts of "classic" blogging. Enter: TypePad Micro, a new free level of TypePad that is streamlined for microblogging."

I'm not sure how this is different than doing longer posts than status updates on Facebook or how it differs from Tumblr, outside of some design features.

Because I'm such a dedicated blogger, willing to try out new services to I can blog about them, and its free, I created a Typepad Micro blog. This was not easy. For some reason, it told me my email address was taken. I think I once signed up for a Typepad key so I could comment on Typepad blogs, so that might be the problem. At any rate, I tried another email addy to get things started.

There are 3 general background designs or you can use your own. There are interfaces with Twitter, Friendfeed, and Facebook, stats, the ability to add photos and video, an area for microblogs you follow a la a friends page, a Blog it bookmarklet for your browser, and email blogging option, and if you want to go Pro (ie, pay for an upgraded account), you can have access to more designs. You can even import and/or export from other blogs.

It looks easy enough to use and for people starting out or who haven't used other services for quick posting, this might be just the thing, but I can't see what I would use it for that my blogs, LiveJournal, Twitter, or Facebook accounts can't provide.

They do provide some suggestions. For example, using it to update on a trip. Now that might be useful. You want to do more than post status updates on Twitter or Facebook and posting on Facebook makes your updates get lost in the crowd on people's walls. You don't have time for long blog entries or you want more control over who sees it. Now, VOX, from Six Apart, might be sufficient or even LiveJournal, but this, like Tumblr, is easier to use. You might find it useful, but be prepared for the gentle urgings for you to go pro, and that's one thing I don't like about a site. They suck you in with a free service, tease you with a few options, then tell you how much more you can do if you'd only agree to pay for it. It's fine to let people know there's a pro option, but from first glance, the option seems to pop up more often than I want to see it.

Here's my little Typepad Micro: Micro Managing.

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Flickr Galleries

A brief form of this post appears on my photoblog, Creative Endeavors.
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Flickr has introduced Galleries, a way for flickrites to share photos they find and like on flickr. By limiting the galleries to 18 photos each, they force people to be a bit fussy. You get to act as a curator for a mini-online photo exhibition which is quite fun. I went through my favorites on flickr last night and created these galleries.

One annoying thing is that many photos I'd faved didn't allow me to add them to galleries, the photographer having turned off the feature. I fail to see any basic difference in allowing people to make a picture a favorite, which anyone can see by clicking on the favorites link on a person's page and allowing people to add them to galleries, also linked to on the person's page, which is essentially a grouping of favorites. And one would think people would want the extra publicity.

I've already been thanks by 8-10 photographers whose photos I've included in one or more of my galleries. Yet I read on discussion threads on flickr that some people got nasty notes from people whose photos they added, demanding they remove those photos from the galleries post haste. Sheesh.

Anyway, it's fun showing off the best of the best I've found on flickr and have them bunched together. I'm trying to not get carried away. :)

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The Evolution of Bookmarking

I used to bookmark links in my browser, first being AOL, then Internet Explorer, and finally, Firefox. Then I started saving bunches of them to a website I created. Next came delicious. Now I sometimes bookmark to Firefox, use delicious a bit more often, and have added Facebook to the mix. And if I really want to share, I post it to Twitter. Finally, from having everything in one place, everything is scattered, with a percentage of overlap and I lose track of where individual links are. I guess that's called progress. ;)

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Some Articles Worth Reading on the State of Our Union

From the NY Daily News, Mike Lupica on how in many ways, we've changed for the worse 8 years after 9/11 in how we conduct ourselves. I don't see a link for the particular column, but it's dated 9/14 and titled "Shrill shouters betray post-9/11 promises to be best we can be."

Also from the Daily News, also dated today, 9/14, an article by Filip Bondy, "Serena Williams' outburst at U.S. Open a raging success," which puts her "tantrum" into perspective when compared with the so-called "bad boys" of tennis.

And finally, one of my favorite political bloggers, whom the local NBC affiliate should never have let go, Jay DeDapper has this to say about racism and the attacks on the President's health care proposals and the need for reform.

You may assume, from my linking to these articles, that I agree with the points made. Please be respectful if you leave comments, especially ones of opposing viewpoints. I will delete nastiness.

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Blogger and an Unrelated Peeve

Blogger continues to roll out new features to celebrate its anniversary. You can keep up with the goings-on via Blogger Buzz. Recently, they've added Jump Cuts, Events Invite, and an iPhone app, among other things, with more to come. While none of these 3 interests me, it's fun seeing what new toys they've created for us to play with.

One thing that's really starting to bug me is the standard blogging practice of posting links. As far as it goes, it's cool. And when I'm on a link blog, that's all I need. The link. So when there's some commentary to go with it, that's great. But I follow those blogs because I'm looking for links, usually fun ones. But when I read a blog of commentary and/or opinions, reminiscing, information, etc., I expect more than just links. Sure, share the link or video, but tell me what they are and what you think of them. I can find links and videos on my own. Give me something more. Give me a reason to pay attention to them. Why did they stand out for you that you wanted to share them?

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Health Care Reform

An article definitely worth reading on the subject of health insurance and the need for reform, about someone in the health insurance business who now believes in reforming the industry from which he resigned.

~~~o0o~~~