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Apr 23, 2013

I'm "Deep" yaknow

Mark and I had confrontation this morning. It's more of Mark trying to be knowing-it-all "bossy." So I found myself buried deep in my own made-up tasks. And, I felt crying as another worthy task popped up, and I no longer know how to fit it. 

So here comes Mr. Buenconsejo trying to teach me a lesson or two about how to create some system. And, I really hate it when he'd do that. That's why we can never work together, as much as possible.

While, he is very OC organized person. My organization is like fireworks display. He said he could not understand why I panicked over my to-do list when he has longer. See, who does not get annoyed with those kind of comments?

So anyhoo, it kind of made me think as to why. Why it seems every task is such a mountain to move for me? 

I guess because I'm always an emotional person. Emotional in a way, that when I would deliver something, I wanted that it has some personal touch. I don't want it empty, like it's done for the sake that it's being done or just to tick off an item in my to-do list. I felt the world has more than enough of those kind of works, I don't want to add to it. I don't care if mine is not welcome or understand by most, but I wanted it that if ever someone would come across it, they would feel that the one who made it, at least put an effort of "care" to it. And things like this takes a lotttttt of time to do! =|

And another thing that makes it harder for me to finish something is that reaching out to the general public, you need to dumb-down a bit your "creation." It's hard for me accept that. I don't want to waste my time creating yet another spam. 
 

Apr 21, 2013

Creativity (#4/32)

How do creative people become creative?!? This is one of the biggest question I have! I want to be creative.

I work hard for it, but it seems that it needs more than working hard.

I chase it. But it's like catching a smoke, it just slips however tight you hold onto it.

And, funny that when you thought you finally able to figure out, you're too tired to pursue it.

Medium's Strat on Acquiring Users?

A few friends are sharing posts from medium, and most of the time I would waste my time reading them. I thought medium was posthaven (long story). So I thought that I better pay posthaven so I could get those good reads.

But then I found out medium is not posthaven, and I got reminded that it's twitter's new blogging platform. If you're following posterous, I guess we all know now why it's killed.

Anyhoo, medium is still in beta stage, and by invitation. I think I did sign up for an invitation long time ago. But maybe I'm not too cool for them.

So it kind of made me think about their "getting-users" strategy?

I guess it was something like twitter before where the "cool geeks" loiter. You know how everyone wants to get invited inside the "cool geek"club.

But I guess more than that, they were able to control the quality of content. It kind of sends a message that you're supposed to post in this standard.

(Pic from Katy Haynes post.)


Apr 20, 2013

Less Sucky Commenting Feature for Blogger / Blogspot?!?

Blogger has the worst built-in comment feature because of its anti-spam captcha step. It's a sure way to kill someone's enthusiasm to comment or join in the discussion.

Anyhoo, you can now add the Google+ for commenting, much like the facebook comments. Not at all brilliant since there are not much Google+ users, but nevertheless, it's nice to have an alternative commenting feature. 

I know there are a lot comment apps I can use in blogger. But I'm too lazy.

So I'll just share a screenshot of how to add Google+ commenting on your blogger blog.
And, I also just learned that I can tag people from my Google+ network by doing something like this +Rose Buenconsejo +Mark John Buenconsejo. Cool! =) Now let me encircle a lot of people to spam! =)


Apr 19, 2013

UI < UX (User Experience Diagram)

This diagram was taken from the book, About Face 3 by Alan Cooper. I love the book. It's kind of textbook-y but it's a good read for someone starting in software designing. I read this when I had the delusion of becoming a UX designer. (Anyhoo, I have quite a few pdf books about 

So the diagram explains the UX, user experience, idea. There was a time I could not get what do people mean by UX (user experience) and UI (user interface). Some designers would call theirselves UI/UX designer so I thought both are the same. Until I came across about UX in About Face 3 book.

I could no longer remember the exact explanation of the diagram but the gist is that UX (user experience) is a combination of Form, which I think is the UI (user interface), Content, and behavior (interaction designers).

Anyhoo, I just posted this to keep a record of this diagram before I lost it in my 101 archives of files.

There is also a good discussion about this, difference between UX and UI, on quora here >>.

So now at least we'll not get confused as to what to put under our name. =)

Dead, Before, APPSter, (for)EVERNOTE, & the Next-Big Thing

I randomly downloaded the Evernote app (iOS). I used it before, not so long time ago. But if you based it on iOS versions, it was very long time ago as the iPod gen 1 now is almost useless. I stopped using it because I'm really no-good at organizing notes -- they're everywhere.

Anyhoo, when I signed in to my newly downloaded Evernote, I was totally shocked how different the UI (interface) now from the one I used before at iPod gen 1. Then memories came rushing in. Oh, how I used to LOVE apps! I think I still love apps (software apps) nowadays except that it was not like before that I download every new one, then follow each version update they have, and use them madly, and even following the stories of the people behind it.

If other girls do impulsive buying of shoes and dresses, it was apps for me. Maybe because I married a software programmer, but then even before that, I could say I was really into it.

Anyhoo, I looked for my iPod gen 1 and checked the old Evernote to see the difference.

before
after
Then I checked the other old apps from the iPod gen 1, and following are some interesting finds.

TWEETIE 

Tweetie is now the twitter client. Twitter bought it because they didn't have a mobile app, or they had but it sucked. I guess that what made twitter fun before because it was very open, and everyone had their own version of twitter. And everyone was making money except for twitter. Kid!

Though, I was not a fan of it. I think I was more of the Echofon (which was twitterfon) fan, twittelator, and that Chinese-made twitter app (forgot the name). It's also popular now. But tweetie was like the tapbot of today because they said it has the coolest UI/UX whatever and all cool geeks used it. But I think it was overrated, but it was bought so maybe I was wrong.

And, can you also see the YouTube icon before Apple un-defaulted it in their units.
Tweetie / YouTube before

GOWALLA / BRIGHTKITE

My gen 1 iPod is also a witness to the good old days of location-based social networks. I know there were more other location-based apps before, but only these 2 are still saved.

Gowalla and Brightkite were so pretty UI-wise. I no longer remember why they went dead, and foursquare is still alive. 
Gowalla
Ain't brightkite yummy?!?

FOURSQUARE

before
after
AARDVARK

And, I did take time to answer questions on Aardvark before. They're bought by google, and as expected, killed it.


DEFAULT GOOGLE MAPS

Like the youtube, google maps was also booted out by apple as the default map. If you're a map user, you could say that old times were probably the better times.
GOOGLE+

It's still alive! =) I think it will not be dead because just like the "jeje", the anti-social, the elite ones, the snobs, and people with complicated privacy settings will always be here forever!

before
after
But one thing has not change though, Robert Scoble still talks about the next-big thing.


Apr 13, 2013

Relationships (#3/32)

I got lost at the start of the run, which is totally not unexpected. :)

In moments like this on a race, I kill the worry by putting my mind somewhere. And, relationships came into my mind.

When finding a partner, we can have a whole list of the strengths to find in someone -- from physical, mental, financial, to spiritual. But we rarely think of the "weaknesses" we should find in a partner. Well, who wants to think about negatives.

But I think relationships can last long because we can endure the not-so-good sides of the another. My point is that maybe we should also have a list of what weaknesses we can accept / put up in anothee. Because it is given that we can right away love the positive factors. But dealing with the not-so-sunshiny part of each other is a whole different game.

Actually, I was thinking of the annoying things of Mark the husband, which kind of made me think that, "hey, i'm also annoying."

Finally, he finished an ultra distanced race. :) And, he hates how bad he was at it! So no need for congratulations. In this relationship, I'll save that for #4.

Apr 8, 2013

32 Lessons or Whatever Countdown to my Birthday (#2 Scratch #1)

I feel like deleting my #1 countdown because having a biography entitled, "A LIFE OF BREAKING LIMITS," is too much to fulfill.

Maybe I can drop the "limits" from the title, and the new title will be "A LIFE OF BREAKING."

Breaking what??? Maybe breaking myself over and over again. I guess we can only break our limits. We cannot break others' limits. Duh.

I like that I always get disappointed myself. Aside from toughening me up, disappointment gives us reason to move on.


Apr 7, 2013

32 Lessons I Learned But Not Practise or something like ME-ME-ME-all-about-me (#1)

Next month will be my 32nd thirty-second treynta-e-dos birthday. 

Just like every year on my birthday, I'm excited to post xx Things / Lessons / Wisdoms. But somehow, I could not remember I was ever able to make one, or complete one. It probably because:

* I don't really learn any thing as many as my age number
* There's nothing really that many interesting about me or I discovered.

But I guess it's more of as they day has gotten nearer to my birthday, the less I got interested with my XX Things/Lessons I originally thought of.

Anyhoo, let me try again this year. I'll try post an entry from time to time until I get to 32, or maybe 3 or just event to 2 until my birthday or maybe before the year ends.

Some random pic from my albums and albums and albums of pictures is a book of Chrissie Welling, A Life Without Limits. 
1. If ever I'm going to write about my life story, I'm going to give it a title of "A LIFE OF BREAKING LIMITS!"

I realized I'm not brave or courageous. It's more of I'm really ignorant. Sometimes, I do unsafe things for the reason that I could not fully grasp as to why it's dangerous to do it. As the saying goes, "IGNORANCE IS A BLISS!" is so me.

Apr 5, 2013

Because part-time gives you part-time?!?

I'm really having a hard time as to how to go around my tasks for runroo.com/aktib.ph. I guess it gets to the point that I need to fully sit down on it, and give it my full attention. But since I look at it as just "part time" (though it takes too much of my time), then action follows.

But lately, I felt there's a need for me to summon all my attention and concentration just so I can feel it move, like sensible forward progress.

So I'm deciding that come May, I will work on it like a slave for a month, and see if there will be some sensible positive outcome of it.

Because sometimes giving it a part-time effort is more tiring than attacking it full head-on!!!

Dear Universe, make May be nice to me for my birthday!