In an article titled, Riding the tiger, Steve Gillmor makes these observations.

AT THE INTERSECTION of two disruptive technologies lies the Bermuda Triangle of the Digital Age. Wi-Fi (802.11 wireless communications) and Weblogs (the untethered journalism of the immediate) are comingling to produce an intoxicating blend of chaos and innovation.

The Wi-Fi/Weblog axis has been increasingly visible in recent months at conferences and trade shows. At the O'Reilly Emerging Technology conference two weeks ago and again last week at the Vortex 2002 networking confab, 802.11-enabled laptops chattered quietly in the background as attendees caught up on e-mail, sent pithy instant messages to one another, and, in the case of the O'Reilly conference, posted a running transcript/commentary on key sessions to a variety of Weblogs.
- posted by Perry @ 6:30 AM 0 comments

 
I've been fighting a stomach virus for the last couple of days. If I live, I'll get back to posting soon.
- posted by Perry @ 10:36 PM 0 comments

 
Here's a new book, that sounds quite interesting.

KQED's review says, "Here's a book I can't help but recommend, and highly. Linked: The New Science of Networks by Transylvanian physicist Albert-Laszlo Barabasi, vividly explains how everything from websites to global financial meltdowns are connected. The emergence of of the web as an organizing principle in our lives gives the book particular resonance right now. But it would be a terrific read even if we weren't becoming ever more interrelated. Barabasi's book provides an engaging look at how scientists today limn the dynamics of networks ranging from electrical power grids to terrorist organizations to the path of a virus among individuals. Yet whereas Malcolm Gladwell's The Tipping Point, which covers similar turf, charms the reader with anecdotes, Barabasi keeps you reading with his deep understanding of the science and his expansive coverage of networks throughout history in a range of settings. He provides the science behind ideas like Six Degrees of Separation, the 80/20 rule, and how the rich get richer. His book calls to mind Complexity by Mitchell Waldrop, another scientific work that had no business being so compelling. And yes, I did say Transylvanian physicist."
- posted by Perry @ 8:10 PM 0 comments

 
Dan Gillmor's Sunday column contains some interesting comments about collaboration via the net. Stan, you'll find this article worth reading.
- posted by Perry @ 12:07 AM 0 comments

 
Although the timestamp on this post indicates that it's 10:55 AM, that isn't exactly accurate where I am. I'm posting one last time from Stan and Georgia's home here in Escondido, CA, so here it is almost 8:00 AM. I leave this morning for the airport and my return to Knoxville, via Atlanta.

It's been a very relaxing three days visiting with my friends. Almost like going away to a South Seas Island where I was undistrubed by all the things that usually occupy my attention, I feel quite rejuvenated and ready to get back to my usual activities. "Be it ever so humble" and all that ...

During my visit, Stan and I discussed collaborating on a re-issue of his 1979 book, "Authentic Management," updating it to take into consideration the particular problems associated with being authentic in online communications and when working in virtual teams. A lot has changed in the work world since 1979, and though the needs of people have remained relatively constant, even they have undergone a shift. Whereas only 20 or so years ago people still had a loyalty to the companies they worked for and companies structured their policies and benefits to try to retain the employees they had, today the longevity of someone's employment with a company is rarely longer than 5 years. So I think taking a fresh look at the perspectives of that book will be an interesting experience. Our discussions during my visit here should help to make our collaboration over the net a bit richer.

Though I leave here with a bit of sadness at seeing the time come to an end, I am eager to get back to my own digs, to the familiarity of the messy piles of paper in my office, to my own bookmarks in the browser, to all those things that make one comfortable being in his own home. Off, therefore, I am to home.
- posted by Perry @ 10:55 AM 0 comments

 
I just ran across Compass, a program for managing bookmarks, and I wanted to make sure I could get back to it. You might find it interesting to check out too.

Also my buddy, Patrick Ahern, highly recommends Atomica. Though I haven't yet tried it, it does sound interesting.

By the way, Patrick, I was pleased to discover this morning that the feature you asked about last night in Blogger now appears there. There is now an automatic way to place a hyperlink in the message you are posting to your blog (as opposed to having to type the html code in by hand). Neat! It wouldn't surprise me if it had been there all along and I just didn't see it, but in any event it's there. Just highlight the word you want to be the link and then click on the hyperlink icon and type in or paste in the URL, and it's done.
- posted by Perry @ 12:32 PM 0 comments

 
From Stan and Georgia Herman's home here in Escondido, CA, I am now able to post an update to this blog. I arrived on Thursday and over the past couple of days Stan, Georgia and I have had a great opportunity to become better acquainted. They have a lovely home on five acres here in the San Diego area, and their "family" consists of Jack and Morgan, their two dogs, Gilbert, the goat, and Hammer, the horse. Yesterday morning we went for a morning walk as an extended family (about 2.5 miles) and Jack and Gilbert accompanied us. I must say it was the first time I've ever been accompanied on a walk by a goat!

Their hospitality has been wonderful and my time here has been renewing for the spirit. It's great to get away from the daily routine and in the process become more well acquainted with friends that you've known only over the Internet for a few years. I'm confident we'll interact in a richer way now that we've had our face-to-face time together.
- posted by Perry @ 12:04 PM 0 comments

 
A flaw in the Blogger system, it seems, keeps giving the address I've chosen to other people. Tonight is the second time in the last month that I've logged on to what is supposed to be my address only to find someone else's blog posted at that address. I'll have to investigate this when time permits. I believe, however, that posting to the blog again somehow regains the address for me. We'll see.
- posted by Perry @ 10:24 PM 0 comments

 
Today Roger Hodge celebrates either his 51st or 52nd birthday (I don't remember which). Congratulations, Roger! I hope your party is a great success even though I can't be there to help you celebrate. I am thinking of you and wishing you the best.
- posted by Perry @ 9:39 AM 0 comments

 
Today's my last day in Atlanta before heading out to San Diego tomorrow. I spent most of yesterday helping my friend Phil clear the KLEZ virus from his laptop. Had to go through Regedit to get rid of the remnants of the disabled Norton Antivirus program that the virus had slain. Once we did that, I got Norton's version 2002 installed, downloaded the latest virus definition files and set up a daily scan of his hard disk and the live update feature. He should be protected from now on out ... if he has the good sense to avoid opening unanticipated attachments to files he might receive in his email.
- posted by Perry @ 9:35 AM 0 comments

 
Catching up on my reading of various blogs reveals that a flurry of blogging activity centers on the Connectivity 2002 conference with Dave Weinburger leading the way.

From a blog in the UK comes a fascinating idea about "event blogging" and a way to aggregate the all the commentary on the event into one posting. As a former public speaker who tried to encourage and facilitate involvement of my audience in a dialog about the topic I was discussing, I am both thrilled and a bit intimidated by the idea. Imagine, if you will, speaking to a group of a couple of hundred people who were actively posting to the web their reactions to your comments. It'd be great during those times they are with you and a nightmare during those times when you drifted into territory that was either irrelevant or uninteresting to them. It would, however, be a powerful course-correcting mechanism for a public speaker or panel discussion.
- posted by Perry @ 9:26 AM 0 comments

 
I just learned today (from reading Edward Cone's blog -- see below) that Stephen Jay Gould died on Monday at the age of 60. Aside from having seen him on TV enough times to associate his photograph with his name, I can't claim to have known him, and I certainly didn't know the details of his career and accomplishments as well as I do now after reading his obituary in the New York Times, but it's always sobering to me when I hear of a man of my age dying. It draws me back to the inevitable reality of my own death and the potential immediacy of it. Last October, my closest friend from High School, Del Jones, died of kidney cancer at the age of 60. [How ironic! After mentioning Del, I just realized that today would have been his 61st birthday.] Not long ago, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead died at the age of 53. Such events lead me to examine the paultry record of achievement in my life at a similar age and help me to feel small and insignificant. I usually lighten up after a little while and move on, but at times like these I think how short a lifetime really is, even if one is so fortunate as to live this long.
- posted by Perry @ 7:49 AM 0 comments

 
Commenting on why he began his blog, Edward Cone observed in this article, "Part of the power of blogs is their network effect. Bloggers link to each other, creating communities of shared readers. When smart people hook up around a particular topic or issue, the results can be impressive."
- posted by Perry @ 7:16 AM 0 comments

 
I am now logged in and posting this from my buddy Phil's home in Atlanta. I enjoyed visiting my son, Jeff, and his family last night but was somewhat frustrated by the fact that his software modem and Windows XP wouldn't connect to the Internet. It's amazing how much you miss being connected when you are without.

On the other hand, what I noticed at Jeff's this morning after everyone left the house and I was there alone is that when you are cut off as I was temporarily, it provides a good chance to sit back and enjoy the solitude and sunshine. I sat out on the back deck and listened to the quietness, broken only by the sounds of two squirrels scampering through the underbrush and an occasional bird chirping. It would be easy to get used to living out as remotely as they do.
- posted by Perry @ 1:22 PM 0 comments

 
One week of vacation down and one to go! During the first week, I hung out here at the house doing various things that needed to be done. This next week I go mobile. I'm going to visit my older son and his family, then spend a couple of days with my buddy, Phil, before I head out to San Diego to meet some folks I've been working with for about 3 years over the Internet. I'll spend a few days with Stan and Georgia Herman before returning home and back to work.

Although posting may be affected by my travels, I intend to show everyone I come in contact with on this trip how easy it is to update this blog (in the hope I'll encourage them to tackle a blog of their own). So I suspect I'll still be posting while I'm mobile.

Last Sunday I mentioned that I had ordered Dave Weinberger's new book, "Small Pieces, Loosly Joined," from Amazon.com. It came on Friday and I read it Friday night and yesterday. I want to write a thoughtful review of it later, but for now I'll simply observe that I think it was well worth the time I spent reading it. I particularly enjoyed his comments about our "default philosophy," the way we think collectively, regarding expectations about perfection and the relationship those have to authenticity. It hit a really responsive chord in me.
- posted by Perry @ 8:43 AM 0 comments

 
I've just installed a program called YACCS (Yet Another Collaborative Comment System) here so that I can be enlightened by your comments to whatever you read here. [Just click on the word "Comments" below the posting on which you want to be heard.] Go ahead -- abuse me, correct me, or gasp!! agree with me if you'd like. A little dialog should help to make my tiny corner of Blogaria more fun.

I am indebted to Hossein Sharifi, who offers this capability free at this location, for making this kind of collaboration possible.
- posted by Perry @ 12:08 AM 0 comments

 
Sammy Mitchell, of Semware Corporation, has just made available the latest version (4.0) of TSE Pro , a GUI version of his outstanding and powerful ASCII Editor. I've been using this editor since it was known as Qedit way back when. I recommend it highly.
- posted by Perry @ 11:52 AM 0 comments

 
I've now added a new look, a "blogskin," to the site. I obtained this new look from this site. I'll see how I like it for a while. Also I'd be interested in your feedback as to your reaction to it.
- posted by Perry @ 11:24 AM 0 comments

 
David Reed adds in his post at SATN.org this wisdom, "Just a reminder that information, in the technical sense, is not the same as truth."
- posted by Perry @ 7:40 AM 0 comments

 
Dave Weinberger reacts to Mr. Friedman's editorial at JOHO the Blog by pointing out, "As always, there are lots of ways to disagree with Friedman. For example, as some bloggers have pointed out, the Web is interactive and self-correcting. And the overall effect of Friedman's article will be to fan the anti-Net flames among those who know no better. But I think we are up against a hard fact: a journalist with a track record at doing the thing that capital J's are good at � getting their facts relatively straight � tells us that the Internet at this stage of its development is being used to spread dangerous lies that are not being self-corrected."
- posted by Perry @ 7:40 AM 0 comments

 
Thomas Freidman in this editorial, Global Village Idiocy, says "thanks to the Internet and satellite TV, the world is being wired together technologically, but not socially, politically or culturally. We are now seeing and hearing one another faster and better, but with no corresponding improvement in our ability to learn from, or understand, one another."
- posted by Perry @ 7:37 AM 0 comments

 
From megnut.com - a weblog by meg hourihan comes this announcement:

"I've been working on this book, We Blog: Publishing Online with Weblogs for the past few months, and the last chapter is due on Wednesday. And the reason I haven't mentioned it is that I've been waiting until we got the accompanying Blog Roots website up. But that hasn't happened. So I'm mentioning it now because it's been far too long without mentioning it. The book should be out in August. Stay tuned for more information on the Blog Roots site."
- posted by Perry @ 4:58 PM 0 comments

 
When I saw this article at Wired.com, I thought of my friend, Anthony Morris over in Bavaria. (He's about to start a corporate blog and recently asked my opinion of one of the available blogging tools, Radio Userland. At the time that he asked, I was thinking only in terms of Userland's other software product, Manila, which is a more expensive product designed for coporate use.) It appears from the article referred to below that more large corporations are "getting" the fact that blogs may have uses within the corporation.

From Wired.com comes this headline: Flash: Blogging Goes Corporate

"Not only has the company [Macromedia] started to tailor its software to the needs of people who run their own weblogs, but it's also dived headlong into the much-hyped "blogosphere" itself, setting up its own weblogs as a way to nurture ties with its customers.

Macromedia calls this "the blog strategy," and some see the company's moves as the start of a trend. These days, it's almost unfashionable for a self-respecting Webophile to not have his own blog; if Macromedia's effort is any indication, soon a tech company that doesn't embrace weblogs may seem equally dated."
- posted by Perry @ 7:03 AM 0 comments

 
Yesterday in Dan Gillmor's Sunday column, he presents an interesting interview with Tim Berners-Lee, the man who is credited with giving birth to the World Wide Web. Here's a sample of what I found interesting in his column.

"The Web Berners-Lee envisioned and forged wasn't really the one that has emerged in recent years. He believed that the Web should be a medium for writing, not just reading, a medium for robust collaboration.

The community has created most of the needed tools to make the Web more collaborative, in a robust and secure way. The technology enables Berners-Lee and his colleagues to collaborate across time and distance in powerful ways. But the tools are far from complete.

``Each problem, by itself, has been tackled,'' he said. ``What is difficult is taking the lot and gluing it together.''
- posted by Perry @ 6:49 AM 0 comments

 
It's Mother's Day, so "Happy Mother's Day" to all you "muthas" out there. My mother, God rest her soul, died in 1985. So today I pause to think about how much and in what ways she influenced my life. In a sense, I am a reincarnation of some aspects of her behavior and approach to life, and I consider that a good thing.

She was unfailingly giving. Raising me during the time before Women's Lib, she accepted her role as the chief cook and bottle washer and personal slave to the males in the house (my Dad and me). My Dad would sit there in front of the television (in the days before remote controls) and when he was ready to change from one channel to another (there were only 3 in the Atlanta area at the time), he would say "Change it to 5 (or 2 or 11)." It was accepted in my home that the order was meant for my mother, so she would get up from her seat, walk across the room and change the channel. When I think back about it, I shudder at the injustice of it, but at the time, none of us, my mother included, questioned it. Somehow she seemed to accept it not reluctantly but joyfully.

Since she died and while I was raising my second son, Mike, I had the opportunity to "do things" for him, without his asking. For instance in the morning when I got up, usually before he did, I would take him a cup of coffee to his bedroom to help him wake up. He was, of course, perfectly capable of getting up and getting his own coffee, but I did it because of what it gave to me rather than because of what it gave to him.

My mother taught me that there is a reward to the giver that delivers on its promise only when the giving takes place voluntarily and joyfully. I learned that if you approach it in the right frame of mind, cleaning up after someone else can be an honor and a blessing to you. I know my approach to such things isn't common. Some would even say it is unnatural. Yet, for me, where others feel irritation and intolerance at someone else's failings, I am blessed to see such things as an opportunity to experience a very satisfying reward. And that is yet another gift my mother gave me.

This giving/receiving dichotomy also is paradoxical. People who give receive the joys of giving. People who receive give the opportunity for someone else to give. You can't have giving without a receiver and you can't receive the benefits of the gift without, in the process, giving the giver the gift of the chance to give. Giving and receiving are two sides of the same coin. There are payoffs on both sides.

I'm fairly sure my mother never sat down and thought through what she was receiving by her willingness to give. She wasn't that introspective. She simply did what she did because she was who she was. And that's the way all of us teach each other anything -- by being who we are, not by telling each other how to live. Actions, as is commonly known, speak louder than words.
- posted by Perry @ 9:30 AM 0 comments

 
As I read Dan Bricklin's description of his experiences at the Nantucket Conference 2002, the following recommendation led me to purchase the book he is describing below.

The last speaker of the day was David Weinberger. He gave a new talk based on his new book, "Small Pieces Loosely Joined" [link to Amazon]. A really great, entertaining speech. If he gives it again and you can hear him, do. If not, read the book. It made me want to and I've started reading it on the plane flight while I write this (it's good). He shows how the Web is more than the "knowledge" we are used to dealing with. Here's the way I describe some of what I understood: If you want to deal with facts we can (supposedly) prove, you can describe a company with a balance sheet and income statement. But so much that is important to us as people are not "facts". (As Enron taught us.) He calls it Knowledge "Anorexia", limiting "knowledge" to "facts". The Web has more than facts -- it has jokes, feelings, links that show a desire to share. (Imagine that, according to David. With a link the author is telling you to leave his web page and go somewhere else. The opposite of the dotCom "sticky eyeballs" -- a horrible image of its own, David said.) We show more of ourselves. The line between private and public selves is much different on the web. All this leads to more real knowledge.
- posted by Perry @ 7:55 AM 0 comments

 
Today I begin two weeks of vacation -- much needed after a year of working almost every day without a break. Last night I received a most gracious invitation to visit San Diego and my friends, Stan and Georgia Herman. If I can make the trip without inordinate expense, I may just take them up. Stan and I have "worked" together over the last three years via the Internet, but we've never met. I think a few days together would be useful in getting to know each other better and probably improving our ability to collaborate. I may just take them up on their kind invitation.
- posted by Perry @ 7:45 AM 0 comments

 
I received a call today from The Eye Group. My new glasses are ready to be picked up. This is the first time in about four years I've gotten my eyes examined and updated my prescription. The shock was the cost of the glasses -- $523.00 -- for only one pair. I should have had my head examined instead!
- posted by Perry @ 7:26 PM 0 comments

 
The last couple of days have kept me away from the keyboard.

One of those days was spent observing the American Justice system plod its way along in trying to determine what is just in a divorce hearing. The decision isn't in yet, so I can't comment on how fair or right I thought it was in the case I observed, but the process was anything but a picture of efficiency. A whole lot of standing around and waiting and unnecessary delay. I was also treated to a few more examples of why there are so many derogatory lawyer jokes. I'm sure that the finest examples of the profession would impress me, but the average lawyer that I have had the misfortune to know exemplifies what a waste can be made of apparent intelligence and an expensive education.
- posted by Perry @ 6:19 AM 0 comments

 
In an interview with Evan Williams, the prime mover behind Blogger, he made the following comment about how weblogs differ from other kinds of online communities.

"The difference I see between informally linked blogs and other sorts of online communities, is that when people have their own space to write and express themselves, as opposed to some sort of shared space, they feel a lot more ownership and freedom in that space. This encourages more of themselves to show through, which I think can actually result in a stronger community than something that is more structurally linked. We've recently done some licensing deals that we hope will create this same effect within other sites."

You can read the entire interview here: Online Community Report
- posted by Perry @ 6:22 AM 0 comments

 
For my buddy, Stan Herman, who has been playing around with some thoughts about the "Posthuman" world, here is another link to Francis Fukuyama.

'Our Posthuman Future': Biotechnology as a Threat to Human Nature

To quote Mr. Fukuyama, "In a sense, all technology is biotechnology: machines interacting with human organisms. Technology is designed to overcome the frailties and limitations of human beings in a state of nature -- to make us faster, stronger, longer-lived, smarter, happier. And all technology raises questions about its real contribution to human welfare: are our lives really better for the existence of the automobile, television, nuclear power?"
- posted by Perry @ 8:19 AM 0 comments

 
Again someone takes a crack at blogging. Someone, I might add, who doesn't blog.

At Large in the Blogosphere
- posted by Perry @ 8:15 AM 0 comments

 
This Knowledge Base article WD2002: How to Set the Default Font in Word 2002 provides a solution to a dilemma my buddy, Paul Moor, is having with Microsoft Word 2002.
- posted by Perry @ 6:27 AM 0 comments

 
I had an exhausting day at work today. Recent changes to our database have resulted in a lot of errors that are being channeled through me before being sent to the client for resolution. We used to get about 10 or 15 of these a day. In the week since the change to the database, that number has increased to between 50 and 100 a day. After a night's rest tonight, I'm going to work tomorrow (on my day off) to try to complete the weekly summary that was due "as early as possible" on Friday. I'll be lucky if it's ready on Monday morning. Ah, the joys of working for minimum wage!
- posted by Perry @ 6:53 PM 0 comments

 
From Bob Frankston's blog this morning comes this notice.

SATN.org: Comments from Bob Frankston, David Reed, Dan Bricklin, and others "Come join us at the Connectivity 2002 Conference! Maybe better to call it a workshop since it is an opportunity to participate and meet others working on these issues. The conference is being organized by Jeff Pulver who led the way with his VON (Voice on the Net) conferences that took the lead in the shift from traditional communications to IP based telephony. Dan Berninger has taken the lead in organizing Connectivity 2002 and I�m honored to be a featured participant."
- posted by Perry @ 5:57 AM 0 comments

 
My time for posting to this web log has been in short supply lately. In the evenings, I've been too tired and uninspired to post anything, and in the mornings, I've been busy.

My friend, Paul Moor, solicited my help in finding out how to sort his address book in Outlook 2002 and after many dead ends, I was able to locate the answer we sought in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article. Paul then asked how to find the Knowledge Base. I sent him this link. Learning to use the Knowledge Base is worth the effort it takes.
- posted by Perry @ 6:11 AM 0 comments

 
Having had a few encounters with the latest infestation of the Internet, the KLEZ virus/worm, I found this blurb from The Bat's website comforting.

"The Bat! is invulnerable to KLEZ, an e-mail worm that does not require the email receiver to open the attachment for it to execute. It uses a known vulnerability in Internet Explorer-based email clients (Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Outlook Express) to execute the file attachment automatically. This is also known as Automatic Execution of Embedded MIME type. The Bat! is very well-protected against viruses and worms that spread via email. The Bat! doesn't use the Windows address book and Windows-dependent HTML viewer, which have been the targets of many recent attacks. The Bat! warns the user before opening suspicious attachments or even blocks them completely."
- posted by Perry @ 5:58 AM 0 comments