As a podcaster, I like to see how my podcast looks on various platforms.  So I have a bunch of them installed on my Android phone.  Recently one very popular one, Pocket Casts, has had an update that is drawing a lot of negative attention on Twitter.   One change I would like to discuss is their use of the term “Archive” when they mean “Delete.”  It is a dangerous switch.  One that trivializes deletion and…

It is pretty easy to make fun of pop ups and interstitials.  They interfere with the web experience and for the most part are annoyances.  But people continue to utilize them, because they work. I spend a lot of time looking at lawyer’s websites.  Lawyers are group of people who eagerly seek out work.  Like all businesses they are trying to capture online users right away.  Get them to the site and hit them with a…

Since the death of Google Reader, I have been a user of Feedly.  I like it enough that I am a paying customer.  That said, I am always on the lookout for way to consume RSS in novel ways. To support my retro blog, I started a Slack channel mainly for blog contributors.  It is a fun little community, that allows me to keep in touch, but also lets me play with Slack. Recently…

Do you believe that blogging does not work? That is has failed you in your effort to accomplish your ends?  Might you consider that it hasn’t, but instead that you are dealing with cognitive dissonance? Cognitive dissonance is that feeling of discomfort you get when what you believe runs counter to what you are doing or new information you have perceived.  A common reaction to this is to “explain away” whatever is causing the discomfort.…

Having blogged for almost two decades now, I have had the opportunity to talk to hundreds of people who have gone down the same road as me.  We often commiserate on the challenges and excitement of writing online.  In the end things often crystallize around one questions, “Why did you start blogging?” The answers vary.  Early on, when the internet was much more open, a lot of people wanted to, and were able, to make…

I like a good meeting at work.  Unfortunately so many meetings degenerate quickly and become messy and counterproductive.   What is one bad meeting?  Not much.  But a pattern of bad meetings will cause attendees to make excuses to not show, or when they do, be less than attentive.  Fortunately you can do some simple things as an organizer and attendee to help boost the efficacy of your meetings. Some tips for Organizers Have an agenda…

I want people to blog. Publishing and putting yourself out there can be a life-altering event.  It can lead to new connections, skills and career options.  It is very important. So I dislike saying anything that would discourage people from blogging. But if you are a person who is using ad-supported blogging solutions, I am about to do that. Let me tell you a story. you have an idea for a blog and are ready…