I tried to get updates from Windows Update after upgrading to IE 7.  Just as much of a mistake as using FireFox.

This was made a while back, I just haven’t got around to uploading it until now.

How great it is when everything works well.  How much it sucks when something isn’t perfect.

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I just saw an article today on PCWorld discussing the differences in ages between MySpace and Facebook users.  It got me thinking about the want for Government activities, particularly planning studies, to use ‘new media’ to reach out and connect to people.  As stated in the PCWorld article, Facebook has an abundance of the over-35 crowd, and MySpace has an abundance of teenagers.  If done properly, this age difference can be used to connect to BOTH of these groups.

One of the most important things when using social networking in government is keeping things current.  Nobody likes a dead page, and all-too-often project websites suffer from not being kept up-to-date.  The same thing can easily happen to a MySpace or Facebook page.

Another important thing is prompt replies to questions/etc.  People don’t want to wait several days for an answer.

Things to keep in mind:

• Anything on the Internet is searchable, indexed, and stored.
• MySpace and Facebook pages for governments or projects are public documents.  Be prepared for media requests about information, etc.
• The visual quality of such pages reflect on the government that is operating them.  They should be visually pleasing, not gaudy.  Keep animated stuff to a minimum.  Pictures should be of plans/alternatives, pictures of public meetings, renderings of alternatives, etc.

If done properly, social networking can be a great way to augment the public involvement in any planning (or related) process.

I just went through the process of changing my blog, Facebook, and LinkedIn pages/profiles to all link to each other (and an added bonus, my Facebook profile also links to my Flickr page.  I’ve noticed a few things, and I’ve dropped my thoughts here. Read the rest of this post… »

Okay, I know I don’t live in New York, NY or anything, but I don’t live in Podunk, either.

Click on image to see what I am talking about.

It should be illegal to have a site that is intentionally crippled from using another browser.  It should be even more illegal from having a site that is crippled from your own company’s browser.

Despite Google having servers across the world, RoadRunner (which likely has fiber across the country) couldn’t get to any one of them.  Now I did notice that the search bar (see this image, which is the entire screen capture), is powered by Yahoo, so maybe they have some strategy increase their paltry share value by forcibly swinging people away from Google.

ESRI had a really cool looking graphic on their website. Try as I did, I couldn’t directly use it against them, but I could use it as a diagram that explains life as a/an (pick any or all):

• Engineer
• Planner
• Architect
• Lawyer
• Doctor
• Real Estate Agent
• Computer Geek
• Photographer
• News Reporter
• Sales Representative
• Account Manager
• Accountant
• President, CEO, CIO, CFO, C-Whatever-O
• Administrative Assistant
• Call Center Rep
• Insurance Agent
• Human Lifeform that uses a computer

Click here for a larger view

UPDATE:

Another software company and business partner to ESRI has claimed (informally) that they “borrowed” the “flower” idea from them.  I don’t have the impression that the other company (that will go unnamed) is bothered by it, but I just thought that I would add that.