23 days into the New Year, here are five lessons I learnt from my attempt to blog last year. And of course, some resolutions for this year.
1. Blogging takes time.
With a full-time job as a tech and business reporter it has been tough to find the time to blog. I have been pretty sporadic in my postings, and haven't updated my blog since October. I have felt pretty guilty about that but it is tough to bring myself to go home and type up more words on my blog after doing pretty much that all day at work.
2. Blogging needs a focus.
A clear beat--consumer electronics, video games and IT security--has helped me stay focused on what I do at work. With my blog, I write whatever I find interesting for the day. It's fun but is also distracting and eventually has contributed to my sliding off the blogging bandwagon.
3. Blogging makes me opinionated.
Careful to keep my personal opinions about what I cover at work, I find myself being very opinionated about what I blog. This is just a matter-of-fact observation, still one that has been a revelation to me since I try so hard to keep my feelings about an issue out of the story at work.
4. Blogging is tough.
For reasons 1 and 2 stated above.
5. Blogging has made me many connections.
The few people who read my blog or stumbled on it have been great to talk to and I have connected with some old sources and friends.
So my resolution for this year: Obviously do more of it!
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Friday, September 14, 2007
Weekly Bylines Roundup
Here's what I have been up to this week.
EA's 'Madden' Game Scores Big
9/13/2007
It sells almost 2 million copies in less than a month.
Palm Shareholders OK Private Equity Deal
9/12/2007
The agreement also allows for $400 million in debt financing.
O.J. Simpson Got $50,000 for Take-Two Game
9/12/2007
A renewal clause would have netted the controversial ex-football star another payout. More
Get the Jump on Game Stocks With Virtual Market
9/12/2007
A new virtual stock market could give you an early look at the video game sector's next big hit.
Loss Narrows at Take-Two Interactive
9/10/2007
The company beats lowered expectations.
EA's 'Madden' Game Scores Big
9/13/2007
It sells almost 2 million copies in less than a month.
Palm Shareholders OK Private Equity Deal
9/12/2007
The agreement also allows for $400 million in debt financing.
O.J. Simpson Got $50,000 for Take-Two Game
9/12/2007
A renewal clause would have netted the controversial ex-football star another payout. More
Get the Jump on Game Stocks With Virtual Market
9/12/2007
A new virtual stock market could give you an early look at the video game sector's next big hit.
Loss Narrows at Take-Two Interactive
9/10/2007
The company beats lowered expectations.
I am heading to Wharton!
I got a scholarship from SAJA (South Asian Journalists Association) to attend the Wharton Business Seminar for Journalists. This year the seminar will cover topics including financial statements analysis, fundamentals of accounting and executive compensation among other things.
The seminar will be taught by professors from Wharton and it will be at the School. I am so excited about this!
The seminar will be taught by professors from Wharton and it will be at the School. I am so excited about this!
Friday, August 31, 2007
WTF!!??!!
Not to move away from the business/tech focus of my blog, but this story in the New York Times caught my attention today.
Apparently, there's a section of society that's getting very upset by guys who wear their pants low enough to expose some underwear. That style is deemed fashionable by some people, and while I think it doesn't look particularly good, the effort to legislate against it seems excessive.
"Starting in Louisiana, an intensifying push by lawmakers has determined pants worn low enough to expose underwear poses a threat to the public, and they have enacted indecency ordinances to stop it."
The story also has one of the most direct and funniest ledes I have read:
JAMARCUS MARSHALL, a 17-year-old high school sophomore in Mansfield, La., believes that no one should be able to tell him how low to wear his jeans. “It’s up to the person who’s wearing the pants,” he said.
Don't lawmakers truly have more pressing problems to worry about than trying to mandate where exactly pants are allowed to sit on a person's frame?
Apparently, there's a section of society that's getting very upset by guys who wear their pants low enough to expose some underwear. That style is deemed fashionable by some people, and while I think it doesn't look particularly good, the effort to legislate against it seems excessive.
"Starting in Louisiana, an intensifying push by lawmakers has determined pants worn low enough to expose underwear poses a threat to the public, and they have enacted indecency ordinances to stop it."
The story also has one of the most direct and funniest ledes I have read:
JAMARCUS MARSHALL, a 17-year-old high school sophomore in Mansfield, La., believes that no one should be able to tell him how low to wear his jeans. “It’s up to the person who’s wearing the pants,” he said.
Don't lawmakers truly have more pressing problems to worry about than trying to mandate where exactly pants are allowed to sit on a person's frame?
Weekly Bylines Roundup
The week before Labor Day is the among the quietest in terms of news. Here's a list of my stories this week.
Midway Games Looks for John Woo Hit
8/28/2007
Its new video game, developed with the acclaimed action director, is set for release next week.
TiVo Widens Loss
8/29/2007
A writedown pushes the company to a large loss in the second quarter.
Take-Two Tones Down 'Manhunt 2'
8/24/2007
A more muted version of the game gets the coveted M rating and a place on popular consoles.
I plan to make my weekly bylines roundup a regular feature on my blog. It will help me keep track of the stories I do.
Midway Games Looks for John Woo Hit
8/28/2007
Its new video game, developed with the acclaimed action director, is set for release next week.
TiVo Widens Loss
8/29/2007
A writedown pushes the company to a large loss in the second quarter.
Take-Two Tones Down 'Manhunt 2'
8/24/2007
A more muted version of the game gets the coveted M rating and a place on popular consoles.
I plan to make my weekly bylines roundup a regular feature on my blog. It will help me keep track of the stories I do.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
LinkedIn Needs to Reinvent Itself
Since my post yesterday I found more discussion about LinkedIn. New York Times' David Pogue has a post questioning the point of LinkedIn.
This blog says LinkedIn has no value unless you are a professional recruiter or someone looking for a job.
I agree. LinkedIn is a great tool for recruiters and I think it's great if as a user I am trying to find a job or at least get more information on people who would be potentially interviewing me for a job. The problem is most people change jobs once every two years or even later. So that practically makes their LinkedIn profile dormant till then.
Considering how LinkedIn is becoming more of a recruiting tool than a business networking tool, maybe LinkedIn should consider going down that road. The company could integrate better with job sites. Maybe it could buy Simply Hired, a jobs aggregation site that I think is fantastic.
Maybe Monster.com could consider acquiring LinkedIn. I think it would be a great fit for Monster.com though as a LinkedIn in user I would probably hate it. I have been burned by too many spam-like recruitment mails from Monster.com.
Yahoo Hot Jobs could be another potential acquirer. LinkedIn could help Yahoo! get a targeted social networking site to compete with Facebook while, LinkedIn could gain from the integration with jobs.
Either way, LinkedIn's best bet going forward is to reinvent itself with a stronger sense of purpose. A business networking tool is just too broad to cut it anymore.
This blog says LinkedIn has no value unless you are a professional recruiter or someone looking for a job.
I agree. LinkedIn is a great tool for recruiters and I think it's great if as a user I am trying to find a job or at least get more information on people who would be potentially interviewing me for a job. The problem is most people change jobs once every two years or even later. So that practically makes their LinkedIn profile dormant till then.
Considering how LinkedIn is becoming more of a recruiting tool than a business networking tool, maybe LinkedIn should consider going down that road. The company could integrate better with job sites. Maybe it could buy Simply Hired, a jobs aggregation site that I think is fantastic.
Maybe Monster.com could consider acquiring LinkedIn. I think it would be a great fit for Monster.com though as a LinkedIn in user I would probably hate it. I have been burned by too many spam-like recruitment mails from Monster.com.
Yahoo Hot Jobs could be another potential acquirer. LinkedIn could help Yahoo! get a targeted social networking site to compete with Facebook while, LinkedIn could gain from the integration with jobs.
Either way, LinkedIn's best bet going forward is to reinvent itself with a stronger sense of purpose. A business networking tool is just too broad to cut it anymore.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Facebook Vs. LinkedIn
Facebook mania is currently sweeping the Valley right now. There's not a day when most of the tech blogs I am reading have something about Facebook.
I have been on LinkedIn much longer than Facebook. I started out using LinkedIn as my professional networking tool and FaceBook as a way to keep in touch with my friends from school.
But in the last few weeks I have found myself almost exclusively checking my Facebook page. To me, it has become much more exciting and useful than LinkedIn and here's why:
--LinkedIn feels like Web 1.0 and by that I mean a fairly static website with not enough interactivity between the user and the site. When I log into my LinkedIn page all I see is one kind of notification: Someone on my contact list has added a new connections. Every once in a while I will see questions posed by users but that's about it. No updates about their status, what they are upto, what they might be working on etc. That makes LinkedIn very boring. Most of my LinkedIn page is static, so it that of my friends. People don't change jobs for years and so I see no reason to visit their pages after a while. I am begining to find the whole introduction process to get linked with another person also very cumbersome. LinkedIn forces me bring up an email client to send emails to friends on that list. In Facebook I can do it all on the site itself.
--Lack of applications on LinkedIn.
Facebook has turned itself into a platform that allows developers to create new applications for the site. And I, like most of Facebook's users, have been having fun with that. I can applications like cities I have visited or play scrable or embed video--all of which keeps me interested and involved with the site.
On LinkedIn other than ask a question there's not much for me to see or do.
--Boring and predictable.
Surprise me LinkedIn! LinkedIn could do a few fun things once in a while to keep users interested. For instance, it could hand out five InMail introductions randomly every few months.That would get me excited and I could spend hours on the site looking for the five people I want to spend my precious InMail introductions on. I am sure the marketing team at LinkedIn can think of fun ideas like this.
LinkedIn has positioned itself as a business networking tool but business networking is about connecting with people and building relationships with them. I feel I am able to build those relationships when I get a sense of what the people looks like, what his or her passions here and get a better idea of the person behind the web profile. That's what Facebook gives me.
Facebook is no longer about just college students. Heck, the CEO and CFO of my company are on it!
LinkedIn has stopped innovating. It needs to bring some exciting new features in or I am completely moving to Facebook.
I have been on LinkedIn much longer than Facebook. I started out using LinkedIn as my professional networking tool and FaceBook as a way to keep in touch with my friends from school.
But in the last few weeks I have found myself almost exclusively checking my Facebook page. To me, it has become much more exciting and useful than LinkedIn and here's why:
--LinkedIn feels like Web 1.0 and by that I mean a fairly static website with not enough interactivity between the user and the site. When I log into my LinkedIn page all I see is one kind of notification: Someone on my contact list has added a new connections. Every once in a while I will see questions posed by users but that's about it. No updates about their status, what they are upto, what they might be working on etc. That makes LinkedIn very boring. Most of my LinkedIn page is static, so it that of my friends. People don't change jobs for years and so I see no reason to visit their pages after a while. I am begining to find the whole introduction process to get linked with another person also very cumbersome. LinkedIn forces me bring up an email client to send emails to friends on that list. In Facebook I can do it all on the site itself.
--Lack of applications on LinkedIn.
Facebook has turned itself into a platform that allows developers to create new applications for the site. And I, like most of Facebook's users, have been having fun with that. I can applications like cities I have visited or play scrable or embed video--all of which keeps me interested and involved with the site.
On LinkedIn other than ask a question there's not much for me to see or do.
--Boring and predictable.
Surprise me LinkedIn! LinkedIn could do a few fun things once in a while to keep users interested. For instance, it could hand out five InMail introductions randomly every few months.That would get me excited and I could spend hours on the site looking for the five people I want to spend my precious InMail introductions on. I am sure the marketing team at LinkedIn can think of fun ideas like this.
LinkedIn has positioned itself as a business networking tool but business networking is about connecting with people and building relationships with them. I feel I am able to build those relationships when I get a sense of what the people looks like, what his or her passions here and get a better idea of the person behind the web profile. That's what Facebook gives me.
Facebook is no longer about just college students. Heck, the CEO and CFO of my company are on it!
LinkedIn has stopped innovating. It needs to bring some exciting new features in or I am completely moving to Facebook.
More on Weekly World News
This time a former Weekly World News reporter says it all on Salon.
From the article: You could never shake the suspicion that some folks actually believed that "February Sues for More Days" and that there was a "Hide-and-Seek Player Found After 34 Years," or that a "New Study Reveals Stitch in Time Only Saves Eight" -- and that was part of the paper's charm, of course. Nobody, not even the editors, knew how many readers put stock in their stories. But the fact that the advertisers consisted almost entirely of psychics, lucky-charm purveyors and astrologers -- and not a single car manufacturer (or even vacuum cleaner salesman) -- indicated that there were indeed consumers who believed the front-page claim that the News was "The World's Only Reliable Newspaper."
I wonder if there's a way to get archived issues of the paper. Maybe some publishing house could release a 'Complete Collection of WWN' book. I will be among the first to buy a copy.
From the article: You could never shake the suspicion that some folks actually believed that "February Sues for More Days" and that there was a "Hide-and-Seek Player Found After 34 Years," or that a "New Study Reveals Stitch in Time Only Saves Eight" -- and that was part of the paper's charm, of course. Nobody, not even the editors, knew how many readers put stock in their stories. But the fact that the advertisers consisted almost entirely of psychics, lucky-charm purveyors and astrologers -- and not a single car manufacturer (or even vacuum cleaner salesman) -- indicated that there were indeed consumers who believed the front-page claim that the News was "The World's Only Reliable Newspaper."
I wonder if there's a way to get archived issues of the paper. Maybe some publishing house could release a 'Complete Collection of WWN' book. I will be among the first to buy a copy.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Portfolio Magazine
Costco was selling the second issue of Portfolio magazine for 30% off the cover price. I had to pick up a copy. My review of the magazine and the website should be up by the end of the week on this blog.
CNBC's Women Anchors
It is amazing how much ink is spilled in speculating about who among CNBC's women anchors is the prettiest.
There's always been much discussion about Maria Bartiromo aka 'Money Honey' . Now comes an article from the Washington Post about Erin Burnett aka 'Money Honey 2.0'.
Why do I not see articles is similar vein about Dylan Ratigan (one of CNBC's male anchors)?
Then again, Washington Post is guilty of writing the Hillary Clinton cleavage story. Hmm... do I see a pattern here with the Post? Is it trying to become the US Weekly for intellectuals?
There's always been much discussion about Maria Bartiromo aka 'Money Honey' . Now comes an article from the Washington Post about Erin Burnett aka 'Money Honey 2.0'.
Why do I not see articles is similar vein about Dylan Ratigan (one of CNBC's male anchors)?
Then again, Washington Post is guilty of writing the Hillary Clinton cleavage story. Hmm... do I see a pattern here with the Post? Is it trying to become the US Weekly for intellectuals?
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
The Weekly World News is Folding
From the Washington Post:
The most creative newspaper in American history, the Weekly World News broke the story that Elvis faked his death and was living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It also broke the story that the lost continent of Atlantis was found near Buffalo. And the story that Hillary Clinton was having a love affair with P'lod, an alien with a foot-long tongue. And countless other incredible scoops.
This reminds me of the scene from Men in Black where Tommy Lee Jones tells Will Smith that the real information on what's happening is not to be found in the Times or Post but in the supermarket tabloids.
I think the Weekly World News will be missed by some.
Meanwhile, I encourage the rest of you to read the whole article. I can guarantee you will never laugh again so much.
The most creative newspaper in American history, the Weekly World News broke the story that Elvis faked his death and was living in Kalamazoo, Michigan. It also broke the story that the lost continent of Atlantis was found near Buffalo. And the story that Hillary Clinton was having a love affair with P'lod, an alien with a foot-long tongue. And countless other incredible scoops.
This reminds me of the scene from Men in Black where Tommy Lee Jones tells Will Smith that the real information on what's happening is not to be found in the Times or Post but in the supermarket tabloids.
I think the Weekly World News will be missed by some.
Meanwhile, I encourage the rest of you to read the whole article. I can guarantee you will never laugh again so much.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
