A Rant on IM Status

Instant messaging started out as a toy for me way back in 1996 when ICQ first launched. It quickly became more and more a part of my life. Now, I can’t imagine living without IM (instant messaging). I am constantly logged into MSN, AOL, Yahoo, Google Talk, and ICQ. I talk to people more over IM than I do over the phone (by a long shot). IRC and IM comprise the majority of my daily communication.

After using IM for 12 years, there are some basic IM concepts that I am so surprised that some people do not respect. The most common offense in the IM world is bogus “status”. IM status is a vital part of IM. If you are available or online, you set your status to that. If you are away you set your status to that. If you are working on something or are otherwise not available, you set your status to that. It’s not that hard. The online/available, away, and offline can happen automatically with any IM client out there. I am just amazed how many people ignore this courtesy to others by completely ignoring their IM status.

I have heard several reasons and none of them justify being rude to others by not giving them the courtesy of knowing your status. It has been a part of IM since day one. It makes a lot of sense to let people know what your status is so they know if they are leaving a message while you are away, interrupting something important, or to know if you are online and they can expect an answer/reply.

It’s not that hard. Let me break it down for you:

if you are ______, then your status should be ________

if you are online/available, then your status should be online/available

if you are away, then your status should be away

if you are not at the computer for a significant amount of time, then your status should be offline

some IM clients have idle, extended away, etc...

All I’m asking for is to know! It’s really not hard and it’s a common IM courtesy... have I mentioned that before?

I’m not targeting anyone specifically here, but you know who you are ;o)  I know a few people that are flagrant offenders of ignoring IM status, but it is becoming more widespread.

I need to think of a good bumper sticker for this cause... Maybe this:

Be Nice, Go "away"

LOL

Okay, sorry - I had to get that rant out of my system. It's been slowly building up the last few months.

William English '08

Pure wow

There are many words that could express this image, but I think just letting it speak for itself is enough:

Indiana Jones review

Due to the entire review being spoilers, I am linking to it here. Click here if you want to read it, but know that it could very well spoil the movie for you if you read it before seeing it. I am expecting that you've seen it or don't care when you read my review  =o)

Bubble Bobble rock!

Who remembers Bubble Bobble?!

Steven Curtis Chapman Family Tragedy

I've been a fan of Steven Curtis Chapman for most of my life. I just heard that on Wednesday, his 5 year old daughter was hit and killed by the family SUV. Her brother was backing the vehicle down the driveway and didn't see her. She was rushed to the hospital, but didn't make it. It's very sad and I don't really have anything to say, except to pass this song along. It is one of my favorite recent Steven Curtis Chapman songs.

Photos - 1998 to 2008

The advances of technology are changing the world in many ways. Photography and the way that consumers share their photos has changed so much in the last decade it’s incredible to think about. Ten years ago we all had film 35mm point and shoot cameras. We shot rolls of film. Rolls of film with a single ISO rating for the entire 24 or 36 exposures. Then the film sat on the kitchen counter for a few days or weeks before the next trip to Costco. Costco would ask if we wanted a single print of everything or a set of duplicates. The 4x6 prints were ready by the time we were done shopping, but family members didn’t see them until the next family get-together (which is probably that day or the next if you’re at Costco stocking up on snacks and other food). The 4x6s got passed around the room and 5 or 6 of the duplicates went to Grandma and Aunt Wilma, but the rest came back around and made their way into a shoebox under the bed. A new girlfriend/boyfriend or a high school graduation party were the only reasons for digging through those shoeboxes full of mixed prints.

Jump forward 10 years. I took my family to Baskin Robins yesterday afternoon and seconds after capturing an image of my wife and kids, it was posted to my Facebook mobile gallery and my camera phone blog. Moments once not shared with family members 20 miles away for weeks or months can now be shared with anyone in the world in a matter of seconds...very easily.

I don’t think it’s excitement or newness of having a camera phone and a webcam built into my laptop. I think this is the world of photography forever changed thanks to advances in technology. The worlds of retail and portrait photography needs to adapt quickly or they will die. People are taking more pictures than ever but buying less prints than ever. The question isn’t how to get them to buy more prints, they won’t. The question is how can you make money from the new model of photography that technology has created. But that’s another topic for another day =o)

Camera Phone Blogging

I've been enjoying taking pictures with my cell phone, so I decided to post some to a blog:

Bill's Cell Phone Pics Blog

Enjoy :)  It's fun, I can post right from my phone.

Mikayla at the park

Mikayla, our little model

When Mikayla gets in front of the camera something happens. We aren't quite sure where she picked it up, but she becomes a model when there is a camera. She completely poses herself and cycles through tons of bizarre poses. All are cute, some are more photogenic than others.