Tim Woolery

What Tumblr Needs to Do

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:22:00 -0700

So after a week of playing with Tumblr - I’m 50/50 on going back to Wordpress. Wordpress interacts better with Facebook than Tumblr does and I think that will make or break people jumping on board. Here are a few thoughts on what needs to change:

Improved URL parsing - Tumblr is not seamless when it comes to posting URL links on Facebook. Instead of the nice hyperlink I would get when I post a link on Facebook, I have this massive disgusting URL in the middle of my posts and it looks like Gramma Mabel posting without an <a href>
Thumbnail Portage - When I post a Wordpress link in Facebook, FB will grab one of the pictures I’ve included in that post and use it as a thumbnail - nice way to grab your attention on FB and Tumblr doesn’t do it automatically. Anger is the result.
Better Extract Control - Wordpress-to-FB gives each blog post a nice big link and then underneath, it gives you part of the extract. It LOOKS like what you get when you post a newspaper link and that’s fine. Not so with Tumblr - my posts just kinda run on and on before disappearing into ‘…’ and then I have to click ‘View Post’ to read the rest of it. Anger is the result.

I like Tumblr overall and think it’s a nice change from farting around with Wordpress (Losing your web presence because a WP update doesn’t like your plug-ins … hello?). Still, there are some challenges to be overcome and I hope they get there. Quick.

Google to Put the Dead Sea Scrolls online!

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 08:10:34 -0700

Google to Put the Dead Sea Scrolls online!:

Gives new meaning to ‘book online’, huh?

Jumbotron moment … words fail me. This guy is awesome.

Tue, 19 Oct 2010 07:50:40 -0700

Jumbotron moment … words fail me. This guy is awesome.

I am defeated by the power of cuteness…

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:36:15 -0700

I am defeated by the power of cuteness…

SETI: We'll kill you if you visit us.

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 09:35:10 -0700

SETI: We'll kill you if you visit us.:

100 years and millions of dollars later, nobody really knows if SETI is a good thing or a bad thing. They’re actually considering this as a message to send to aliens: “Hi, be careful, we are deadly and it’s pretty boring here anyway so don’t bother coming.”

Why I Started TechExec360

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 14:33:47 -0700

Why I Started TechExec360:

It was time to create my own path and take ownership of my future.

Barbie and Ken

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 09:48:00 -0700

McDonald's Monopoly ... some quick math

Sun, 17 Oct 2010 09:01:42 -0700

McDonald's Monopoly ... some quick math:

“Using the site’s calculator, reader Mike determined you’ll only need to eat 476,991 Big Macs in order to expect to win $500 whopping dollars in prize money.”

Little Man's First Rollercoaster

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:57:00 -0700

Little Man's First Rollercoaster:

Well, dang ...

Sat, 16 Oct 2010 18:54:00 -0700

Well, dang ...:

That’s a bummer - Beaver’s mom is dead - Barbara Billingsley will be translating no more Jive. :-(

Conan says good-bye but has some really great comments about how...

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 15:04:01 -0700

Conan says good-bye but has some really great comments about how to turn a bad situation around.

2 Weeks and 2 Clients

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 14:53:00 -0700

Just a brief message to say that TechExec360 is on its way - we landed our 2nd client today. I’m very happy and grateful for everyone who is and has lent support, mojo and kind words to me over the past 2 weeks.

Life sometimes throws serious curveballs at you and at first, you’re sick and scared because you don’t know how things are going to turn out. The magic that happens is that you have friends and family that care about you and want you to do well and it’s overwhelming sometimes to contemplate just how many things you have going for you on any given day.

I started writing [and then deleted … wisely, I think] a long how-to that really sounds like a backhanded compliment of myself. It’s only been two weeks, I don’t know how this will all turn out and I don’t want to start the congratulations until I can see a solid path to success. All I can really say is that things have gone well so far and I hope they will continue.

Jay Leno would never do this to one of his cars …

Fri, 15 Oct 2010 08:37:00 -0700

Jay Leno would never do this to one of his cars …

"8 Things We Hate About the Web That Will Not Change"

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:17:37 -0700

"8 Things We Hate About the Web That Will Not Change":

Mysteriously absent: “Plonkers who talk about nothing on the Internet.”

Or have I said too much?

Good-bye Blog - Hello Tumblr

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 21:06:44 -0700

Paul Boutin sold me on Tumblr with a recent article for the NYT and I started my account today. Was never much of a Twitter fan but the advantages of Tumblr are undeniable.

I dunno if I’m going to import the rest of Timwoolery.net here or let it remain as an archive - I’m not keen on going through the headache of resolving a bunch of Wordpress issues and frankly, it’s getting to be a hassle keeping everything straight between Facebook, Wordpress and everywhere else.

Meanwhile - the great experiment that is TechExec360 is still unfolding - I have much to tell you but I can’t until the ink on the contract is dry. I’m very excited about how well things have turned out, am extremely grateful for the network of people that I have and how willing they were to help me out.

Next week will be our 10th anniversary and I reflect on the fact that, 3 weeks ago all I wanted to do was give my girl a nice party to say thank you for all that she’s done to make our family a success. Now, all I want to do is get a steady paycheck and avoid losing my home. Maybe not a rational response to my situation but ultimately, that’s what I want to have happen. It’s amazing how quickly your priorities can change.

Cheers.

Stop complaining ...

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:56:54 -0700

… about Mark Zuckerberg and Facebook. What’s done is done and it isn’t going to change anything. Next time you think you have a good idea, do it yourself and stop trying out outsource it.

Oooh! Get Your Netflix on your PS3 with No Disc!

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 13:45:10 -0700

Oooh! Get Your Netflix on your PS3 with No Disc!

Markowitz on Markets

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 12:34:36 -0700

Markowitz on Markets

On Criticism

Thu, 14 Oct 2010 10:18:40 -0700

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again; because there is not effort without error and shortcomings; but who does actually strive to do the deed; who knows the great enthusiasm, the great devotion, who spends himself in a worthy cause, who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement and who at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly. So that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”