One thing I don’t really get.. I’m not really clued up on these add on applications that I keep getting “invited” to use. Each time I sign up for one, I just seem to get more email I don’t want. For example, this is from the Facebook application, Social Profile.

“Curtis, you are more desired than 69% of all people
In total, you were reviewed for dating 327 times and 12 people expressed interest in you.
You are more desirable than 69% of 30,297,707 people.

Last week you were viewed 15 times and no people expressed interested in you”

Out of 327, only 12 were interested. That’s something like 3%, but strangely enough I’m doing better than 69% of over 30 million other people. I think that’s massaging the statistics a little, and someone needs to revise their numbers as I don’t think I should be doing that well.

Check twitter updates from a bunch of attendees here.

Wiki with attendees and details of talks here.

My photos of the event available here.

I’ve other notes on people I spoke to and talks attended, to add to this post when I pretty them up properly.

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Ok, gathering my rough notes into something a little less rough for this post. Lesson learned is don’t wait long between the event and the write up, as you start to forget the details/context of some of your notes! I ramble a bit, am missing a few names to credit, but you’ll get the idea

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Things I learned from tonight’s talk include..

1. A great thing to do to get your site ranking is to join popular social media sites like technorati.com (me), digg.com, reddit.com (me), sphinn.com, mixx.com, amazon.com (me), youtube.com (me), stumbleupon.com (me), myspace.com (me, me drumming), propeller.com, create profiles, submit articles, post reviews, comment, link to your site, etc.
2. Track your website traffic to see how the changes you’re making are working using tools like google analytics, awstats, etc.
3. Read and stick to the google webmaster guidelines.
4. Google for, and read read read all the great online sites that gives lots of SEO information away for free, like SEObook.com.
5. Google lists search terms that are hot right now over at Google trends. Find any you can tie to your core business, come up with an informative article on one of these hot topics, and you’ll scream to the top of the google search results listings for those terms.
6. Use WordPress, and use it with plugins that allow easy submission to social media sites, like the Share This plugin. Even Matt Cutts of Google recommends using WordPress as your blogging software as it’s well optimized for Google SEO right out of the box.

These are some key points I came away with. I’ll add more as/if I remember them.

All in all a great learning and networking event, really worth attending. Even though I got a $35 parking ticket, a $25 ticket for no front license plate, and paid $25 for the event after Dr. Mike supplied a code to get me free access to the event. D’oh!

• You cannot trust folks to do due diligence, so always go over the statement of work you’re hired to implement. If you’re lucky there will be some overlap with reality.
• It’s fine to be in the weeds, but keep your eye on the bigger project picture, who the main players are and what their concerns are.
• If things aren’t going to plan, keep your ear to the ground for folks making you a scapegoat. Speak up if you suspect blame is being wrongly placed at your feet.
• Own up immediately if there are problems and you’re the cause, or the bottleneck to the problems getting resolved. Be able to say why, and provide one or more ways to resolve the problem and move forward.
• If they keep you working beyond the agreed time, and you don’t mind .. at least make sure the checks keep coming.
• Some people have the turning circle of an oil tanker when it comes to responding to new input. This is especially true for unpleasant budget affecting stuff folks don’t want to have to tell their bosses about. Refer to the point about scapegoat.
• Make sure you recognize the decision makers. You’ll minimize delays due that previous point.
• It’s ok to be the hostage if the checks keep coming
• Did I mention keep an eye on the checks?
• Ultimately, it’s nothing personal, it’s just business .

And a whole lot more.

I’ll blog about it properly at some point.

Went for the upgrade on Friday night ..
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Conferences are typically hosted by big business, commercial organizations, etc. but this is different in that it’s the actual participants are responsible for setting the agenda, giving the talks, participating fully and actively in the event. If they don’t, there will be no event!

I heard a story on NPR just today where they were talking about events just like this, and they’ve coined a term to describe them.. “un-conference”.

There’s one happening tomorrow called BarCamp.

More info at the BarCamp wiki, wikipedia, BarCamp Los Angeles meet March 2008,

A family and a home are things I want, but not having these things just yet opens up other opportunities. For example, I’m in the enviable position of being able to take risks with what I do for work , mostly as I have no commitments, other than my pooches.

It’s becoming obvious that there are a LOT of opportunities out there for me, including ones more geared towards the technical side of things which I find more interesting. I feel lucky .

For example I landed a contracting gig a couple weeks after I left Sun. Since then I’ve been working for this customer, mostly from home, with occasional visits to Toronto, Canada. I’ve been up there for a couple visits recently. Last week when I was there it was -10°C without wind chill. I think in the shade with a breeze blowing it hit -20°C!

I really really want to spend some time visiting friends in northern/southern CA, go camping with the pooches again, and play lots and LOTS of drums.

Bank of America abruptly notified cardholders in good standing their rates would skyrocket if they didn’t opt out fast. Is BofA greedy or needy? ..
The major credit-card lender in mid-January sent letters notifying some responsible cardholders that it would more than double their rates to as high as 28%, without giving an explanation for the increase. ..
Bank of America appears to be taking an even more aggressive stance because, beyond credit scores, it is using internal criteria that aren’t available to consumers. That makes the reason for the rate increase even more opaque. “Congress has faulted credit-card companies for lack of transparency in raising rates,” says William Ryan, a financial industry analyst at Portales Partners, a New York-based research firm. “Bank of America is bringing it to a new level.” ..
Bank of America hasn’t made it easy for consumers to reject the new rates. The letters require that consumers write Bank of America to agree to no longer use the card and pay off the existing balance at the old rate—they can’t telephone to do so, nor does Bank of America provide a form or a return envelope. Moreover, consumers don’t have much time to respond. ..
“Either Bank of America has more financial troubles than it is willing to admit or it has a level of institutional arrogance that is unacceptable.”

You can sign a petition here to help:
~ http://proudtoliveinamerica.com/Forms/Main/Default.aspx?L=en-us&P=Petitions

Please sign, and forward the message onward.

I’ve read about this story for some time now, and they finally sent him
home, and only gave him $10k back, keeping the rest.

~ http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/27/immigrant.money/index.html

Some of the circumstances around this are confusing. Some are saying he
hadn’t paid taxes on this, some are saying he *did* pay taxes but didn’t
file his taxes correctly. Regardless, many conservatives calling for him
to be crucified as an example of the harm illegal aliens are doing to
America and the American economy. Thing is, I wonder just how many of
these screaming conservatives would take his place and wash dishes for
$5.50 an hour for 11 years. Here’s one such rant:

~ http://www.theconservativevoice.com/article/28308.html

And comments on this article are even more shocking, suggesting things like the place he worked should be burned down:

~ http://www.theconservativevoice.com/forum/read.html?id=11424#comments

That amount of money doesn’t even buy a small piece of a smart bomb they
like to let loose daily in the middle east, but would make the world of
difference to that man and his family back home.

Bastards.