Read This: WordCamp Niagara, the open web, and the need for moderation

I’m speaking at the first-ever WordCamp Niagara on August 11th! It’s a one-day affair taking place in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.

I’m excited to see their local WordPress community step up to host a WordCamp, and not just because Niagara is one of my favourite regions in the province.

These smaller WordCamps feel more like a big meetup than a technology conference, and I dig that casual vibe a lot more.

Unfortunately WordCamp Niagara happens on the same weekend as WordCamp Montreal. Hopefully next year we can all sync up to avoid conflicting dates. 🙂

Keep reading…Read This: WordCamp Niagara, the open web, and the need for moderation

Read This: Artifacts, algorithms, and audio in search

I have a physical calendar pinned to the wall above my desk. Every morning I draw a big X through the date. It’s a simple habit that reminds me of how quickly the months go by.

I’m rediscovering an appreciation for physical things – journals, sketchbooks, novels, greeting cards and the like. There’s something to be said for a tangible object – the artifacts we create and use every day.

Keep reading…Read This: Artifacts, algorithms, and audio in search

Weekly Recap: I’m trying something different.

Welcome to the second half of 2018! Tis the season for sunny vacations, mid-year progress reports, and making (hopefully positive) changes.

One of the changes I’m making is in how I use this blog. My posts for 2018 have largely been excerpts from the things I’m reading. They’re snippets that I find insightful, surprising, and just generally worth holding on to.

But I’d like to try something different now. Starting this week, I’ll aim to publish a weekly recap of what’s caught my attention over the last seven days. I might even turn it into a weekly email digest… not sure yet.

Keep reading…Weekly Recap: I’m trying something different.

2018 resolutions: Mid-year checkin

We’ll officially hit the half-way mark for 2018 at the end of the week. This feels like a good time to reflect on the goals I set for myself back in January.

Quick recap:

  1. New fitness goals for a good cause.
  2. Start building something for the next ten years.
  3. Create for the sake of creating.
  4. Improve my data-crunching skills.
  5. Make things by hand.
  6. Track everything.
  7. More road trips south of the border.
  8. More workshops and presentations.
  9. Pay off the last of my student debt.
  10. Make time with friends and family.

So how am I doing?

Keep reading…2018 resolutions: Mid-year checkin

The jobs-to-be-done lens.

“Lose your product oriented lens and start seeing the world through the jobs-to-be-done lens. When you focus on your products and solutions, you begin to lose touch with the real problems and challenges people face in achieving their ultimate desired outcomes.”

What’s the thing they’re trying to get to? What’s the job they’re trying to get done?

Recognize and acknowledge that first. Then look at how you’ll get them there. 

The internet is just a thin view of reality.

What a sad situation for Wright’s family and the company. It’s tempting to want to draw conclusions between the finances, the campaign, and Wright’s death, but we don’t actually know much about the situation. But I do think this highlights the potential disconnects between mental health & business, publicity & success, and success & happiness. The internet can seem so intimate but ultimately it’s a thin view of an individual’s or company’s reality.

via A sad update about a scissors maker that went viral
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